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.
- Craft focus: character in fiction
Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 1 other date)Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tasha KavanaghIn fiction, character and plot are inseparable elements of craft. Without characters there can be no action or plot. In this short course you will learn how to create characters that can drive a narrative forward and deepen its themes.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing myths Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Maria ContosWhether you want to write about mythical beasts in a modern-day setting or pen a traditional epic, this fun, interactive taster will equip you with the craft basics to write a myth that will move and inspire.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Craft focus: grammar, syntax and style for creative writers - getting started Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William BradyGreat poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Ways into screenwriting: getting started Course start date: Sat 10 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Alan NixonWant to write scripts but don't know how to start? Discover the basics of screenwriting - character, conflict and more - on this short course that will help you shape your ideas and get your story going.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Writing inspiration jam Course start date: Sun 11 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Claire CollisonThis fun, inspiring day workshop explores the many sources of inspiration available to writers in their everyday lives. - Writing and rewriting fairytales Course start date: Sun 11 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: KR MoorheadOnce 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 - Craft focus: grammar, syntax, and style for creative writers Course start date: Mon 12 May 2025 (and 3 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: William BradyGreat poetry and prose begin when the writer puts the right words in the right places. Learn how and why the rules and conventions of language matter in this new course, which combines creative writing with a review of essential points of grammar.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £90.00 - Writing for magazines Course start date: Wed 7 May 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Laura SilvermanGet inspired to write on this practical course for freelance journalists and bloggers. Learn to carry out research, interview people, pitch and publish stories, and build your presence on social media.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00 - Starting your novelCourse start date: Mon 28 Apr 2025 (and 5 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Paula LichtarowiczGot 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.Full fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £120.00 - Picture book writing Course start date: Sat 17 May 2025 (and 6 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Lou KuenzlerWould you like to write a picture book text for young children? This course is designed for children's writers and for illustrators wishing to write their own stories; a starter course to develop both your ideas and your technique.Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £60.00 - Joke writing Course start date: Sat 17 May 2025
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Kate SmurthwaiteUncover the workings of the classic one-liner, practise joke writing and find out what makes a good joke. Learn how to refine and develop your own writing skills for stand up, comedy writing and pleasure. - The 60 minute writer Course start date: Tue 29 Apr 2025 (and 10 other dates)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Rosie FioreFit creative writing into your busy day: a relaxed, informal rolling programme for writers of all levels of experience who enjoy being thrown new ideas and experimenting with poetry and prose.Full fee £129.00 Senior fee £129.00 Concession £65.00 - Nature writing Course start date: Sat 17 May 2025
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Julie GartonWhat greater muse could a writer ask for than the wonders of the planet that surrounds them? Learn how to capture the majesty of nature on the page with this exciting course in creative non-fiction. - Craft focus: voice and dialogue in fiction Course start date: Sun 18 May 2025 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieAll fiction must speak to us as readers. It must communicate atmosphere and plot, character and layers of meaning with a unique 'voice'. Characters must also sound like themselves with dialogue that compels and convinces. Learn the fundamentals of voice and dialogue in this one-day course.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £40.00 - Getting away with murder: how to write crime fiction Course start date: Tue 20 May 2025 (and 2 other dates)
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Sophie McKenzieWant to write a murder mystery that will knock readers dead? On this course you'll learn how to plot a murder most horrid and develop your writing to create maximum suspense.Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £75.00
Can't see a course you want?
Add this category to your waiting list to set up alerts and we will update you when new courses are released online.
Add me to waiting list