Writing Courses for Beginners
Unlock your creativity and start your writing journey with City Lit’s beginner-friendly writing courses. Whether you dream of penning short stories, crafting compelling novels, or simply improving your writing skills, our expert-led courses will give you the confidence to get words on the page.
Taught by experienced writers, our courses cover the essentials of storytelling, character development, structure, and style. You’ll receive supportive feedback in a relaxed and inspiring environment, helping you develop your voice and refine your craft.
No prior experience? No problem! These courses are designed for absolute beginners, offering a practical and accessible approach to writing. Join a community of like-minded learners and take the first step towards bringing your ideas to life.
Explore our beginner writing courses today and start telling your story.
- Writing for children: getting started
Course start date: Tue 14 Jul 2026 (and 3 other dates)Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Andrew WealeDevelop your ideas for children's stories in this practical and interactive short course. Topics will include plot, characterisation and viewpoint, and how to approach the children's publishing industry today.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Autobiography into fiction: getting started Course start date: Sat 18 Jul 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vicky GrutLearn how to turn real-life experiences into gripping fiction in this fun short course for fiction writing beginners and experienced writers. Develop your writing skills and explore techniques for transforming personal stories into strong narratives.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Ways into playwriting: getting started Course start date: Sat 18 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dawn KingExplore the fundamental techniques of writing for the stage in this introductory short course. Get to grips with dialogue, character, story and structure, and start work on your own play.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing and rewriting fairytales Course start date: Sun 19 Jul 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Harper WaltonOnce upon a time there was a City Lit workshop all about writing fairytales. The quest: to inspire writers to pen stories of love, fear, forests, revenge, dragons, witches, kings, queens, frogs and magic.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - How to write a novel Course start date: Mon 20 Jul 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Judith BryanThis course deals with all aspects of novel writing technique and prose style. Ideal for fiction writers about to begin a novel or those with a novel at early draft stage.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £45.00 - Autobiographical writing: intensive Course start date: Mon 20 Jul 2026 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Paul LaffanThis shorter version of our introductory autobiographical writing course covers the basic elements of the genre, drawing on memories, diaries, photos, dreams and fantasies with a focus on the forms of autobiography, memoir and the personal essay.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Ways into creative writing: intensive Course start date: Wed 8 Jul 2026 (and 7 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Not sure whether creative writing is for you? Give it a try on one of these fun and supportive short courses covering the basics of fiction and poetry. Increase your confidence and produce work through guided exercises and discussion.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Ways into poetry: intensive Course start date: Tue 21 Jul 2026 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire CollisonAre you just starting to write poetry? This shorter version of our introductory Ways into poetry course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Writing creative non-fiction: intensive Course start date: Tue 21 Jul 2026 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Claire CollisonThis shorter version of our introductory creative non-fiction course explores the core elements of creative non-fiction across genres such as travel writing, the personal essay and life writing.
Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £80.00 - Writing about food: getting started Course start date: Sat 25 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Laura SilvermanWhether you’re keen to review dishes, interview chefs or write about sustainable eating, now is your chance. This introductory course will cover the basics of writing about food.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing flash fiction: getting started Course start date: Sun 26 Jul 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lucy PopescuA sideways glance: succinct, powerful. This short workshop, on the essential components of flash fiction and micro fiction, will teach you to tell a complete story in very few words.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - How to write a memoir Course start date: Wed 29 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Julie GartonDo you have a personal story to tell that will move, delight, stir and inform readers? This short course guides students in planning and crafting a memoir.Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £45.00 - Micropoetry: small poems, big ideas Course start date: Fri 31 Jul 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Timothy FoxExplore the emerging art form of micropoetry in this fun but informative day workshop. Compose your own poetry and learn how to make every word on the page count.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing for podcasts Course start date: Sat 1 Aug 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Eleanor PennyPodcasts are growing rapidly in popularity, and more and more people are making their own. Find out about the different kinds of writing involved in producing a podcast, hone your skills and, with support from your tutor, develop your own ideas for audio.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing the city Course start date: Sat 1 Aug 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Thomas McMullanThrough a combination of close observation and texts both old and new, in this short course you will explore the depiction of inner-city life in fiction, and write your own fiction inspired by the urban landscape.
Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00
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