Ways into creative writing: a gentle pace
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Course Code: HW179
Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 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?
Creative writing often comes from a very personal place and the process of writing and sharing it for the first time can seem very daunting. This introductory short course enables students new to creative writing to explore its core forms, the key language techniques you can use for effect, and some structural basics which will help you convey your message to the reader.
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?
- The differences between various forms of creative writing
- Core techniques of creative writing
- How to unlock your creativity and gain confidence as a creative writer.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Distinguish between different types of creative writing
- Analyse approaches to structure and language specific to forms of creative writing
- Write your own creative pieces of prose and/or poetry
- Share your work with peers.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is for absolute beginners. Open to students who are trying creative writing for the first time or who have never shared their work in a group setting before.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught through a mix of indivudal, pair and group work, tutor instruction, text analysis, in-class writing activities and supportive workshop. Between sessions homework may be set to aid students in developing a writing discipline.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring pen and paper. You are also welcome to bring a tablet or laptop to use for writing exercises if you feel it will help you.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Once you've built your confidence on this introductory course, why not try Ways into creative writing: an introduction or a term-long Ways into creative writing course?
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.
Sarah Leipciger’s debut novel, The Mountain Can Wait, was published in 2015 with Tinder Press in the UK and Little, Brown in the US. She has had short stories shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, the Fish Prize and the Asham Award, and is a past winner of THIS Magazine’s Great Canadian Literary Hunt. She has also written non-fiction for The Guardian and The Toronto Star. She has facilitated workshops at several literature events, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and has been teaching fiction and life writing to young people and adults in prisons since 2003; she is currently the Creative Writing tutor at HMP Brixton in London. Her second novel, Coming Up for Air, will be published in February 2020 with Doubleday UK and House of Anansi Press in Canada. Doubleday UK has also procured her third novel, with a release date TBA. She is a PhD student in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths University.
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.
