Writing Courses & Workshops
At City Lit, we offer a supportive and inspiring environment where you can enhance your writing and gain confidence. Our courses are designed to help you find your voice, sharpen your writing skills, and take your work to the next level. Whether you're writing short stories, poetry, or working on a novel, you'll receive expert guidance and feedback from experienced tutors.
Learn from Published Authors
Be inspired to write, and learn how to get published at the college where Andrea Levy, Malorie Blackman, Anna Burns, and other celebrated authors studied. Read our success stories to see what's possible for you as a writer.
Unheard Voices Scholarship
City Lit’s Malorie Blackman Scholarships for 'Unheard Voices' provide three annual awards to fund one year’s study within the Creative Writing department at City Lit. Learn more >
See what it's like be part a City Lit online creative writing course.
176 courses available
Picture book writing: a tasterFind out more about writing a picture book text in this practical and interactive, short taster session.Online
Mon 7 Dec 2026Andrew WealeFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £19.00- Write a short story in a weekTurn 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. Suitable for beginners who are comfortable learning at a fast pace.
Online
Mon 7 Dec 2026Sarah LeipcigerFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - Creative writing for fun
Indulge your creativity in this relaxed and playful short course through a variety of creative writing exercises and games. Festive fun for groups looking to bond and individuals hoping to make new friends!
Keeley Street
Wed 9 Dec 2026Bob SchultzFull fee £19.00 Senior fee £19.00 Concession £12.00 - Ways into poetryRelatively new to writing poetry? This inspiring course offers an opportunity to experiment with language and a variety of poetic devices alongside fellow emerging poets. Discover the key elements of a poem in a friendly and interactive class.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £269.00 Concession £175.00
- Advanced playwriting workshopDive deeper into the key elements of writing for the theatre, gain fresh critical insight into your own writing, and produce a new draft of your work. This workshop is for experienced playwrights with ongoing projects.Full fee £389.00 Senior fee £389.00 Concession £253.00
- Writing creative non-fictionExplore practical and imaginative approaches to creative non fiction, including travel writing, life writing and the essay. Analyse published work, produce your own pieces, and benefit from detailed feedback.Full fee £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £149.00
- Short story writingA 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.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
- The 60 minute writer
Fit creative writing into your busy day: a relaxed, informal rolling programme for writers of all levels of experience who enjoy being experimenting with poetry and prose.
Full fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - Developing your creative writingThis supportive intermediate course for writers with some experience will provide inspiration, technical guidance and feedback on your work, as well as helping you to sustain your writing practice. You will be working with other aspiring writers and benefit from the support and encouragement that working with a group over a whole term can bring.
This course supports several kinds of creative writing, including prose fiction, poetry, reflective writing and memoir, whether they are finished pieces or works-in-progress.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00 - Advanced poetry workshopDevelop your poetry, taking it in new directions and maturing your poetic voice. Various approaches and techniques will be explored, and new poetry can be workshopped. For experienced poets only.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
- Ways into screenwriting: getting startedWant to write scripts but don't know how to start? Discover the basics of screenwriting - character, conflict and more - on this short online course that will help you shape your ideas and get your story going.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £79.00 Concession £51.00
- Writing fictionDevelop your 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.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
- Developing your novelHave 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.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
- Craft focus: grammar, syntax, and style for creative writersGreat 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 £229.00 Senior fee £229.00 Concession £149.00
- Advanced playwritingDive deeper into the key elements of writing for the theatre, gain fresh critical insight into your own writing, and produce a new draft of your work. This course is designed for experienced playwrights who have work in-progress.Full fee £279.00 Senior fee £279.00 Concession £181.00
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