How To Start Writing a Book
Begin writing your book today! Learn the secrets of the all-time bestselling stories and start writing a novel with our famous course. Your story starts here.
What do the best-loved works of fiction have in common? How did the authors come up with their ideas? What's the ‘secret sauce’ of a great classic?
The course will ensure your story is packing all the ingredients of a plot readers will find spellbinding and you'll begin to create the book you've always wanted to write.
The Classic Course
Your story starts here. Discover the storytelling secrets of the all-time bestselling authors and start writing a book.
The cult fiction course writers describe as 'mind-blowing'. Our storytelling foundation course for fiction with inspirational writing exercises and videos, text and downloads. You'll get the tools to build your idea into a powerful book that plays on the deepest emotions of the reading audience. 55 magical lessons to begin to write the book of your life.
The Classic Course at a glance
55 lessons to take at your own pace created by a Booker-listed author on a beautiful online platform.
A deep dive into the magic of spellbinding fiction and a portal to wonderland with this unique stand-alone course.
Just add membership to join the world's favourite writing group for novelists with author and agent guest events and weekly online writing classes.
Enjoy a year’s worth of access to the course so you can return to the seeds of inspiration again and again as you craft your novel.
Learn the Secrets of the All-time Bestselling Stories
The Classic Course With Five Star Reviews
This is the novel writing course created by a Booker-listed author to help you bring to life a bold story, beautifully told, in any genre of fiction. Suitable for writers at all stages and perfect for those seeking the confidence to start writing or to explore the world of fiction and master the art of storytelling.
What's in the course? Take a tour.
The lessons will take 20-30 minutes. We recommend you set aside an hour a day for reading, watching, thinking and noting as you begin to build the world of your story. (You have access to the course for a year and can take as long as you wish.)
The Eight Chapters
The course is carefully structured to support your progress with video, text and downloads. Course highlights include: The Three Features of a Bestseller, A Cosy Start, The Portal, Creating Wonder, The Garden, The Homely Creature (or Friendly Guide), Temptation, The Battle, The Treasure, The Villain, The Hero, Decency, The Sacrifice, The Crucial Transformation, The Author’s Voice and A Story As Unique As You.
Getting Started
Discover the all-time bestsellers of fiction and what they have in common that makes them such a universally rewarding reading experience as you begin to mine your inner world to create your story.
Your 55 + Lessons.
With Louise Dean, Booker-listed author.
Louise Dean has won The Society of Authors Betty Trask Prize, was winner of Le Prince Maurice, a finalist for the Guardian First Book Award, and the Costa Coffee Books Short Story Award, and longlisted for The Dublin International Literary Prize and The Booker Prize. Her last novel was an Oprah Book of the Week and she has been praised as a writer by the Wall Street Journal and many other titles and by the Nobel Laureate for Literature J.M. Coetzee.
Story Structure.
Learn the great Five Part story structure beneath long-form storytelling and discover how big stories start from very small seeds to find the source for your idea.
World-building techniques.
We'll explore all the archetypal elements of the great stories to allow you to browse the buffet of options as you begin to compose and outline your novel.
The value system of storytelling.
Discover the shared values that inform stories to enlighten and inform readers that have helped us connect our lives through time and bring conflict to your drama to force choices and bring justice to the narrative arc for a deeply satisfying reader experience.
Stand on the shoulders of giants.
Understand why authors write their stories and how they originate from the 'wounds' of the authors as they struggle to right wrongs and create a world in their image to gain confidence to bring your authentic whole self to the page for an immersive reading experience that engages readers sympathies.
Outlining your novel.
Here's where it all comes together with everything you need to write a simple but dazzling plan for the story you can't wait to write. We'll be waiting for you, ready to see you through writing it when you're ready to start The Ninety Day Novel Course.
Coaching with published authors.
Optional extra.
Your coaching begins on The Ninety Day Novel course included in The Novel Kickstarter (see pricing below), The Finished Novel Course and our Book in a Year Plans. You'll be guided how to choose your author when you start the Ninety Day Novel course. You will be able to work with the author tutor of your choice. Schedule one-to-one author coaching sessions by Zoom that work for you available in all time zones.
Enjoy the members' community and writing classes with bestselling authors.
Membership - an 0ptional extra.
As a member, you'll enjoy the support of our community and be able to drop into author guest sessions to find out more about their writing process. Your writing life is here.
Explore our library of writing classes for members.
Membership - an optional extra.
Watch recorded writing classes with bestselling authors at our Catch Up TV area for member writers. We offer a phenomenal selection of resources for writers of every genre of fiction and memoir. Just add membership at checkout from £19.99 or $29.99 a month.
Your Story Starts Here
Sign up and start today
Simply choose the level of support and guidance you'd like to accompany your course. All courses, coaching and community are yours for 12 months, after which it's easy and affordable to extend access should you need it.
The Finished Novel Course includes feedback from your author tutor and editors on your work-in-progress given as written reports and live video sessions and a full manuscript assessment. All coaching calls are recorded for you to keep.
Choose your preferred currency below. We accept all currencies and your payment will be converted at today's rates without extra charges. You have a 7-day money-back guarantee should you change your mind.
“Mind-Blowing”
The writing course with rave reviews
“This is a great entryway into the world of creative writing and storytelling! I now have a clear understanding of how to start my novel, I have a way to outline my story ideas, I have a bank of character inspiration to draw from. The Classic Course is truly a world full of wonderment. I had such a wonderful time exploring familiar texts and learning about the authors who wrote them. I now feel I have a wealth of knowledge and inspiration to move forward into writing my own stories!”
-Lacy Blake-Vetter
“I've loved every minute. I've already recommended it to someone who wants to write but doesn't know where to start. Inspiration, the opportunity to trawl the archives of my personal history, to share in all the trials and tribulations of famous writers and to look under the bonnet of their novels to discover some of the trade secrets of the craft. Life-changing in a big way and in so many small and personal ways.”
-Wayne Silver.
“If you believe in magic, then this course shows you how to create it in your writing. Whether you are writing for adults or children it sprinkles glitter over necessary rules and gift wraps essential tools, then Louise Dean waves her wand and sets you free. This is more than a writing course – this is a course on how to enrich your life by really seeing what is in front of your eyes. And once she shows you how to see it you can never unsee it.”
-Trisha Smith
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our Classic Course Reviews
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