Masterclass: fiction (a one-term intensive workshop)
Time: 17:30 - 19:30
Location: Online
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
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Course Code: HW222
Duration: 11 sessions (over 14 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Center for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
This online course is designed to support advanced and professional fiction writers who are working on long or short form fiction projects with a view to publication. The course offers an opportunity to share and receive constructive critical feedback, network with other writers, and discuss elements of advanced fictional craft.
This online course is suitable only for fiction writers who have advanced workshop experience (e.g. Masters level) and/or a history of publication. Writers are invited to submit one document containing details of their writing background and workshop experience and a sample of prose no longer than 500 words to writing@citylit.ac.uk. Documents should be double-spaced with 12-point font. Please include the course code (HW222) in the subject line of your email. Writers will not be authorised for enrolment except by way of this process.
Writers who have completed HW220 or HW221 will need to re-apply for HW222.
Please note: City Lit operates a waitlist for this selective course. If your application is waitlisted, you will be contacted in the event a space becomes available.
The application deadline for this course has now passed. Our next fiction masterclass will be available starting in September 2023 - please check back soon for more information.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
- Constructive workshopping of short stories and novel excerpts
- Advanced craft issues that arise from the material under review
- The process of revision.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Assess and respond to pieces of writing with acumen and sensitivity
- Identify complex issues involved in writing fiction, short stories, novellas, novels, etc.
- Apply your critical and editorial skills to your own work
- Produce submissions for comment on a regular basis.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
The course is open for enrolment by application only. It is suitable only for fiction writers who have advanced workshop experience (e.g. Masters level) and/or a history of publication. Writers are invited to submit details of their writing and workshop experience and a one-page sample of prose to writing@citylit.ac.uk by the deadline of Sunday 19th March 2023. Writers will not be authorised for enrolment except by way of this process.
You will be an enthusiastic reader of fiction, able to commit to attending regularly and participating fully, and fluent in English.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
Through discussion, peer evaluation and tutor feedback. You will be expected to read your peers' workshop submissions closely in your own time and to provide them with constructive written feedback that will then be shared in class. The tutor will not provide feedback to any member of the workshop who does not attend regularly and/or participate fully.
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?
There are no additional costs. Writers will be expected to submit manuscripts electronically in advance of class.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
The next step will be discussed individually with each participant.
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.
Rowan Hisayo Buchanan is the author of Harmless Like You—the winner of The Authors’ Club First Novel Award and a Betty Trask Award. It was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an NPR 2017 Great Read. Her second novel, Starling Days, was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award. Her short work has appeared in several places including Granta, Guernica, The Atlantic, and NPR’s Selected Shorts. She is the editor of the Go Home! anthology.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
