Writing the body in fiction

What is the course about?

Human bodies are complex, both predicatable and unruly, shaped by and impervious to the world around them. Most importantly, bodies belong to people; through our bodies we experience the world and this matters when you want to tell a compelling story populated by dynamic human characters. Learn how to write bodies that help to bring your characters and their stories to life, in this short course suitable for those with some experience of creative writing.

Please note: on this course we will read descriptions of a variety of different kinds of body in action. The course may include reference to fictional descriptions of consensual sex between adults and depictions of injury and/or illness.

This course includes a 1-hour lunch break.

The Tutor
Jennifer Claessen is an author and theatre-maker. She was born in Reading so, of course, grew up a book worm. Her debut novel, The October Witches, was released by UCLan Publishing in the UK in 2022, Simon & Schuster US in 2023 and is the first book of the ‘A Month of Magic’ trilogy. The December Witches follows this winter. Amongst her current teaching, Jennifer leads artsdepot’s ‘Creative Circle’ for older adults, delivers 'Creative Writing Labs' at Ministry of Stories and is a freelance facilitator for First Story and Mayfair Library. Most recently, she has been awarded funding by Waltham Forest Council to establish 'Write for Joy', an inclusive literary festival celebrating reading and writing for pleasure.

What will we cover?

- Flesh and bones: the power of sensory description and writing the material nature of bodies
- Embodiment: representing character (personality/background), action and interaction, through the physical body
- Context: how does the world affect the way bodies behave? How can representing bodies in fiction provide insight into our world?

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- write compelling physical descriptions of fictional bodies
- embed bodies within a specfic context
- align character perspective with the way bodies behave
- give and receive constructive feedback with sensitivity and confidence.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is an intermediate course suitable for those with some experience of creative writing. You will need to be fluent in reading and writing English. It will help if you are an avid reader of fiction.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Interactive tutor presentation, writing exercises, peer feedback, group discussion and analysis of published texts. There will be no work outside of 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. Please bring writing materials.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Choose from one of our Craft Focus courses to shine a spotlight on an area of your writing you'd like to develop. You can also take a term-long course in Writing Fiction, Short Story Writing, or if you're ready to receive rigorous critical feedback on a work-in-progress, why not enrol on our Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop?

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.