Dive into Our How to Write a Novel Course
Work with an expert tutor and literary agent to develop your novel or short story.
Key information
Start date: Multiple dates available Duration: 6 weeks
Format: online No. of students: 12 (max)
At the end of this course you will have a deep understanding of the techniques that underpin fictional narrative prose.
Not only will you have a thorough understanding of the form, you’ll have the tools to put that knowledge into practice.
It’s the perfect way to dive in and get your book or short story started.
Book How to Write a Novel course
An online tutored course with everything you need to get started with your novel or short story.
Got questions? Then drop us a line.
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Tutor bio
Allie Spencer
Allie Spencer is the author of two novels: Tug of Love, which won the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme prize for the best debut of 2009 and was shortlisted for the 2010 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance, and The Not-So-Secret Diary of a City Girl. She has a B.A in English and Related Literature and an M.A. in Medieval Studies. Alongside this, Allie is also a qualified barrister and has spent several years specializing in all aspects of matrimonial and family law.
Guest Tutor bio
Sarah Hornsley
Sarah Hornsley is a literary agent at The Bent Agency and she is currently building her list of best-selling author in adult fiction and narrative non-fiction. Sarah started her career at Orion Publishing working on titles including Gone Girl and Where’d You Go Bernadette. Before joining the Agency Group and United Talent Agency, she worked in script development for TV & Film. She enjoys crime, thrillers, commercial to accessible literary fiction and grounded speculative fiction.
Overview Summary
This unique, innovative course gives participants the opportunity to continue their writing journey in a supportive and creative environment. The course will culminate with participants producing an extended piece of prose fiction writing, in the region of 2,500 words.
It is aimed at those who have already completed an ‘entry level’ course in Creative Writing, or similar.
Syllabus
Week 1 – Character
At the heart of all memorable stories lie memorable characters, whether they are Jane Eyre, Inspector Morse, Jeeves or Harry Potter. In our first week, we will explore the ingredients needed to create believable, compelling characters and, through a series of in-depth exercises, begin to build the ones who will feature in your final piece of writing.
Week 2 – Conflict and character arc
At the heart of all good stories lies conflict: it may be between individuals, nations or even different aspects of the same personality – but it is the engine that powers all good fiction. This week, we will analyse why it such a powerful tool and how you can use it to best effect in your writing. We will also examine the idea of ‘character arcs’ and work with the characters you have already created to ensure they grow and develop over the course of your story.
Week 3 – Suspense and narrative structure
You have your characters, but what about the plot? This week, we will analyse how plot intersects with your characters’ development and examine the essential building blocks for a structurally-strong story line. We will also look at suspense: what it is, how it works and how you can use it to optimal effect in your writing.
Week 4 – Point of View and Voice
Who is telling your story? Is it you? A narrator? One of the characters? More than one of the characters? This week we will start by looking at point of view: how your choice of perspective will affect your reader’s experience and how you can use point of view for both comic and dramatic effect. We will also examine voice: why it matters – and how you can find your own, unique style.
Week 5 through to week 6
Story versus discourse; Time to dive into your writing; – Plus a unique Q & A opportunity
Is a strong narrative made up purely by events in the plot – or do we (the reader, viewer or listener) depend on other – much subtler – cues? In Week Five we will examine the differences between ‘story’ and ‘discourse’ and discover how powerful those underlying themes and suggestions can be and how we, as authors, can use them to enhance our writing. You will also begin work on a piece of prose fiction of approximately 2,500 words in length. This can either be a short story or the first chapter of a novel. Your course tutor will of course be on hand throughout to answer any queries and offer encouragement!
An Extra-Special Opportunity
Learn from a literary agent
At Jericho Writers, we take your ambitions to be a published author seriously. It’s our mission to give you access to the best industry advice, as well as the best creative advice. As part of this unique course, top literary agent Sarah Manning from ‘The Bent Agency’ will be available during Week Five to answer your burning questions about how to land that publishing contract during a very special question and answer session .
Detailed information
How the course works
All course content, including videos, exercises, tasks and reading lists, will be uploaded to the course platform on the same day each week. You’ll be able to have full access to all that content permanently, so there’s plenty of time for you to fit the course around your everyday life. Each week, you will be set a ‘homework’ task to be completed by the following week if you can (but if you can’t, just let your tutor know – they’ll understand!) This homework will enable your fellow students and your tutor to give you feedback on your writing.
The course platform is easy-to-use, friendly and yours to access whenever is most convenient for you. We suggest dedicating a minimum of three hours a week to the course, but like anything – the more you put into it, the more you get out!
Many of our learners leave courses having made life-long friends and a clear idea where to take their writing. Just take look at a few of the testimonials below.
Build a strong underlying story structure