Novels & Short Story Writing - Online Courses
Explore character, structure and plot development on the journey to producing quality fiction. All kinds of narrative fiction, long and short, are supported on our wide range of courses. Whether you want to get your great idea down on paper or are already writing and redrafting, we have a course that will suit your level. All our writing courses are taught by practicing writers.
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Many of our courses are delivered online. For more information about our live online courses, please see our guide to online learning.
- Writing fiction
Course start date: Mon 20 Sep 2021 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
Lovers of fiction can develop their creative writing skills on this practical intermediate course. You'll explore the fundamentals of fiction writing craft such as character and structure, and unlock your imagination to produce compelling prose. Suitable for those with some creative writing experience.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Advanced fiction writing workshopCourse start date: Mon 20 Sep 2021 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online (other locations are available)
For experienced writers, this supportive but rigorous workshop offers the perfect opportunity to develop your novel or short story. Receive in-depth feedback and benefit from detailed group discussions on the art of fiction.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £88.00 - Reading for writers: queer fiction (a fortnightly course)Course start date: Mon 20 Sep 2021
Location on this date: Online
Explore the scope of human experience through the lens of LGBT+ writers, and learn from them the fundamentals of writing compelling fiction. This fortnightly intermediate course combines reading and analysis of key queer texts with practical writing exercises. Suitable for all those with some creative writing experience and an interest in queer perspectives in fiction.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Masterclass: fiction (a one-term intensive workshop)Course start date: Tue 21 Sep 2021
Location on this date: Online
This intensive online fiction workshop is open by selective application to a maximum of ten fiction writers working at the advanced and professional levels.The deadline for applications is Sunday 22nd August.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £339.00 Senior fee £339.00 Concession £339.00 - Starting your novelCourse start date: Tue 21 Sep 2021 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Got a great idea for a novel? Jump start your project in this supportive course that covers craft basics such as character and plot. Ideal for writers of fiction with some experience who have an idea for a novel.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Short story writingCourse start date: Wed 22 Sep 2021 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
A hands-on introduction to the art of writing short stories. You will receive technical advice, creative exercises to generate ideas, and feedback to develop your writing skills.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Developing your novelCourse start date: Wed 22 Sep 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Have you started work on your novel? This course is suitable for experienced creative writers who want to make progress with a novel draft. Learn more about the art of novel writing and move your project forward in a supportive workshop environment.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £209.00 Senior fee £209.00 Concession £84.00 - Reading for writers: craft texts and fiction writing guides (a fortnightly course)Course start date: Mon 27 Sep 2021
Location on this date: Online
Published authors are a goldmine of advice and information. Nobody knows the journey better than them! In this course we'll read and explore three craft texts by prominent writers - Stephen King's 'On Writing,' Anne Lamott's 'Bird by Bird,' and Ursula K .Le Guin's 'Steering the Craft' - using their experience of writing as inspiration for lively discussion and creative work.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Reading for writers: contemporary Black British fiction (a fortnightly course)Course start date: Sun 3 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
In this course we'll explore just a small fragment to learn what lessons black British authors can teach budding writers of fiction. We'll read novels by Diana Evans, Paul Mendez, Bernardine Evaristo, Helen Oyeyemi, and Caryl Phillips. We'll analyse, discuss, and use these works to inspire and develop our own fiction. You will need to come to the first class having read 'Girl, Woman, Other,' by Bernardine Evaristo.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Write a short story in a weekendCourse start date: Sat 9 Oct 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Turn your great idea into a short story on this fun practical course. Through a series of inspiring exercises, you'll be introduced to some key fiction writing techniques and encouraged to draft a short story from beginning to end. Please note: this course has a 2-hr break each session between 12:30-14:30.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £99.00 Senior fee £99.00 Concession £40.00 - Craft focus: character in fictionCourse start date: Sat 9 Oct 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street (other locations are available)
In fiction, character and plot are inseparable elements of craft. Without characters in stories there can be no action, and without characters acting there can be no plot. In this course you'll learn how to create characters that can drive a narrative forward and deepen its themes.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Autobiography into fiction: a tasterCourse start date: Fri 15 Oct 2021 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Turn real-life experiences into gripping fiction with this fun and welcoming course for those interested in transforming personal stories into written narratives - realistic or fantastical.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Crime writing: a tasterCourse start date: Sat 23 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
Crime writing is one of the most popular genres on the fiction market, but what special considerations are there for writers when it comes to describing dastardly deeds on the page? This fun but informative workshop explores character, plot, dialogue, pacing and atmosphere in the crime writing genre.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00 - Writing comics and graphic novelsCourse start date: Mon 25 Oct 2021
Location on this date: Online
Learn the skills to write comics on this introductory course. Discover the history and key features of the medium and generate your own project.
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £52.00 - Craft focus: setting in fictionCourse start date: Sat 30 Oct 2021
Location on this date: KS - Keeley Street
Setting is one of the integral elements of fiction craft. It is essential for building a world that a reader can escape into and for providing context that supports character and plot. In this practical intensive course, you'll learn how to create settings that matter in your stories.
This course takes place in the classroom, please follow this link to find out what we are doing to keep you safe: Staying COVID-19 secure at City LitFull fee £69.00 Senior fee £69.00 Concession £28.00
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