Creative writing: a taster
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Choose a start date
- Course Code: HW378
- Dates: 02/12/24 - 02/12/24
- Time: 19:00 - 21:00
- Taught: Mon, Evening
- Duration: 1 session
- Location: Online
- Tutor: Deborah Martin
Course Code: HW378
Choose a start date
Duration: 1 session
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Creative writing is an ideal way to unwind, explore, and re-ignite our imaginations. In this short, one-off taster session you'll have fun and express yourself through guided writing exercises and games, and try out your skills to produce some original creative writing.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
Writing exercises will help you to discover and develop stories and poems
Finding sources of inspiration
How to develop your writing further.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Discuss a story or poem with confidence
- Produce an original piece of creative writing
- Find resources to help you develop your writing further.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory course suitable for anyone who wants to try creative writing. You should have a good grasp of spoken and written English, and you should feel comfortable learning online.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
- Interactive tutor presentation
- Guided writing exercises
- Group discussion
This course will be delivered online. There will be no work outside class.
All writing courses at City Lit will involve an element of workshop. This means that students will produce work which will be discussed in an open and constructive environment with the tutor and other students. The college operates a policy of constructive criticism, and all feedback on another student’s work by the tutor and other students should be delivered in that spirit.
For classes longer than one day regular reading and writing exercises will be set for completion at home to set deadlines.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
No additional costs.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You can enrol on one of our longer introductory creative writing courses, such as Ways into Creative Writing: a Gentle Pace, Ways into Creative Writing, or Ways into Poetry. Or, if you have a bit more experience, you can try an intermediate course in Short Story Writing or Creative Non-fiction.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
Deborah Martin has been a content writer and communications specialist for 15 years. She has written for global brands, national publications and marketing agencies across the world. She is also a qualified further education lecturer and has an MA in Creative Writing from Birkbeck College, University of London. Her short stories, poetry and essays have been featured in various collections. She was a finalist in both the Fish Short Memoir Prize 2018 and Poetry Rivals 2016.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
