The Creative Writing Blog

The moment you start writing is perhaps the most exciting of the writing process. But don’t worry if you also find it daunting! You have the whole world at your fingertips, with only the...

While writing inspiration can strike at any time in your everyday life, there are many things we can do to get our creative juices flowing or stir up some story ideas when the dreaded...

You may have heard the term ‘Chekhov’s gun’ thrown around in conversations about effective writing and plot development – particularly if you’re writing crime and ...

Yann Martel is the author of eight published works, including novels, short stories and collected letters – several of which have been New York Times bestsellers. His third...

Whatever genre you’re writing in, the pace at which your story moves is incredibly important. In fact, pacing isn’t just for novels; if you’re working on a short story, a...

If ever an author could distill a big cuddle and a warm cup of tea into book form, it’s Beth O’Leary! The Sunday Times bestselling author of heart-warming and hilarious books including...

Our Founder and Course Director, Booker Prize-listed and award-winning author, Louise Dean offers some writing advice for those of you thinking about writing a novel. If you want some...

As most established writers will tell you, creative writing classes are invaluable, if not indispensable. As with any craft or trade, we all have to learn writing skills somewhere, and online...

If you’re interested in the world of books and trends in the publishing industry, you may well have heard of UpLit. Or it might be a brand new term and a total mystery to you! Either way,...

We are over the moon for our graduate Becky Hunter, who is celebrating the launch of her novel One Moment this March! She wrote this stunning debut using our Finished Novel Course,...

Sarah Vaughan is the author of five novels, including the instant international bestseller Anatomy of a Scandal, which has been translated into twenty-four languages and adapted into a hit series...

Do you look back on your own life and think it would make a great memoir? Have you had an amazing life story that seems to have a narrative arc already built in? Do you have an incredible...

If you’ve ever thought about getting yourself a literary agent, you’ve almost certainly looked into how you should put together your submissions package and write a cover letter for...

Writers working in every genre and for every age group will doubtless hear a lot about the importance of story conflict. After all, conflict drives the story forward, creates satisfying character...