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The Novel Kickstarter DomeThe Novel Kickstarter Dome

The Novel Kickstarter Course

Find your story and write a novel

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Time
1 year. 150+ lessons
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Price
One-off
$
1950
Save $
198
Monthly
$
179
One-off
£
1599
Save £
189
Monthly
£
149
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Suitable for
Beginners
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Ideal for
Anyone who wants to write a novel

From the glimmer of an idea to a complete first draft

Suitable for writers at all stages who want to explore the art of storytelling, discover your voice and find your big idea, then turn your story into a brilliantly fearless first draft.

Write your novel with inspiration and support

“The Novel Kickstarter will encourage you to explore and play, to create with confidence, and to challenge yourself as you develop your fiction writing skills to high standards”

Louise Dean, Founder

Start writing your story

Build the big idea for your novel and write a complete draft with expert guidance, personal coaching and a friendly community of fellow writers. Everything a writer needs to reach 'The End’ – the only extras you’ll need are multiple cups of coffee!

Courses. Coaching. Community

Grow your story idea into a full-length novel

Are you writing fiction for the first time? Perhaps you’re moving from writing short stories, screenplays or poetry to the longer form of the novel and would like  inspiration and support.

The Novel Kickstarter is a carefully structured program to guide you through coming up with the story idea using the 'secret sauce' of the all-time bestselling classic novels, and on to writing your full-length work of fiction.

You don’t need to have all the answers—or come to think of it, any of them. Stories are about questions. One question after another.

We’ll have you asking the right questions, in the right order. And taking the right steps on your journey to becoming a writer.

Discover if your story has commercial appeal before you begin writing

Their books have hit the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller lists, been adapted for screen, and optioned for major motion pictures. Every one, a master in their genre. Each trained in our Positive Coaching Method ™.

Plus, you’re not tied to just one author coach – you can switch and swap to receive the most relevant advice as your story develops.

Imagine having a prize-winning, bestselling author on your team. What difference would that make to your writing?

A new draft written in 90 days

It takes just 90 days to form a habit.

We want you to become a prolific writer in a way that still works with the realities of your daily life. Our one-hour-a-day method is a tried-and-tested model for getting your first draft done no matter how busy you are.

We’ve seen many people write novels, and those who do best are those who are consistent.

But you know what? The majority of the storytelling process happens in the subconscious thinking hours you’re not at your desk. The hours spent walking the dog, taking a shower or sitting on the toilet.

If you water that novel daily for just one golden hour, the other 23 will take care of things, and you’ll have a manuscript in your hands in 3 months’ time.

That golden hour is 24-carat.

A thriving and friendly community for writers

When you join The Novelry on a course, your plan includes membership and access to all our online writing workshops and events. With bestselling authors and a writing community that’s open day and night, come on in – you’ve found your tribe!

You’ll find live writing workshops for fantasy fiction, science fiction, crime and suspense fiction, historical fiction, romance, literary fiction, young adult, children’s fiction, memoir and more. Our workshops are offered live online worldwide, available across all time zones and recorded for you to catch up on if you should miss one.

We pride ourselves on a safe and supportive space where serious writing is fun. You’ll make friends and grow as a writer.

Explore the writing process in a safe space to deepen your craft and learn from bestselling authors.


The world's best-loved writing school

More 5* reviews than
any other writing course

Write for pleasure at The Novelry and you’ll be rewarded with far more than you ever imagined.
But don’t just take our word for it…

‘I have a first draft! I wasn't sure I could make the jump from non-fiction to fiction. It feels like so much has changed in doing the course that I can barely remember the before. All of the lessons seemed to come at exactly the right time for me. When I needed support, I got it. The coaching sessions were the best. I am so glad that I chose the Novelry. The lessons are like spices for the experience - some new, some comforting, some exotic - that allowed me to really savor the experience of writing a first draft. Though I wrote alone, I was never lost or lonely.’

Writing course review best coaching maggie

Maggie Huffman

‘Taking the course has opened up a whole new world and community to me. It's brought with it much joy and excitement. It's enabled me to tap into my creative and imaginative self and be amazed at what I found. I signed up to The Novel Kickstarter at The Novelry with hope in my heart but also with a certain amount of reservation about my ability to succeed. I am now so pleased that I decided to do it. I have a story I want to write and The Classic class has helped me form what I hope is a workable plan/outline for my novel. I have chosen to trust the process and believe I will have the support to help me write my first draft.’

Gerri Crossley

‘Writing is my first love, but I’ve never given myself permission to concentrate on it. I’ve been looking for practical help and a kind of forward motion that I’d been missing. I had tactical questions about plot in particular; I can string a sentence together and evoke a room, but telling a story in the way I wanted to was a frightening prospect. This course has given me the confidence, the tools, and the energy to try. It feels like a new lease of life.’

writing course reviews werdmuller

Ben Werdmuller

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The Novel Kickstarter Course

Progress at your own pace

Course and community access for an entire year.

Your success, on your terms. Always.

This is a self-paced class; you drive the development of your story. The tempo of the march is yours to decide.

You’ll need 30 minutes for each lesson, and probably some time to capture your thoughts and ideas as you start writing.

We recommend setting aside an hour a day just for you and your writing, and you’ll soon come to love this special pocket of escapism.

But if time is tight and life is getting in the way, never fear. There are 150 lessons in total, and 365 days to do them.

Stay a little longer

Life. It happens to the best of us.

A good story will wait

You have 365-days’ access to the course. But don’t worry if you need to stop writing for a while.

You can easily extend your access beyond your year, or stay on as a member with access to the workshops and community for just $29.99 a month (or £24.99) of $299 (or £249) a year.

You’ll have a writing plan all signed off by our team which acts as a map for you to find your way back home to your story.

And your writing coach will be ready to get you back on track with a working re-boot session.

Money back policy

Our Happy Writing Guarantee.

We operate a people before profit policy

It’s how we maintain a happy and supportive community for all of our writers. So, we offer a 7-day money-back Happy Writing Guarantee for all our classes and courses, should you change your mind.

Write with the best in the business

Award-winning authors. Publishing editors. Leading literary agents.

Coaches not lecturers

Many online writing programs promote ‘featured’ videos of one or two big-name stars. And you sit, you watch, you learn. Passively.

Here at The Novelry, our online writing classes and courses come with a team of writer all-stars built right in. They’re part of the furniture around our happy writing home. You’ll run into them in the virtual halls of The Novelry, in your personal coaching sessions, and week in, week out at workshops or in your online community.

We’re talking stars whose books have hit the New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller lists, and have been adapted for screen and optioned for major motion pictures.

Writing stars who work with you, not lecture at you.

Learn more

40+ workshops a month

In addition to your class.

Write in good company

Guided, group-based workshops with fellow writers, bestselling authors and publishing professionals. Offered live online, but also recorded, so you can easily catch up if you miss one.

You’ll get advice and writing prompts, genre-specific challenges and exercises to help you develop your writing and deepen your craft. And of course, you’ll have a community of like-minded spirits, cheering you on as you reach each milestone on your journey.

Learn more

Genre expertise

What’s your style?

“Outstanding genre-specific workshops!”

—April Love-Fordham

You may be burning to write a thriller, yearning to capture a romance, or scoping out the near-future world of a science fiction story.

Maybe you’re yet to discover your type. Perhaps you’re between genres right now.

Any which way, this course will help you put your story on steroids. You can choose your author coach based on their expertise, and our genre-specific workshops are in a league of their own.

Video masterclasses

From the likes of Kristin Hannah and Yann Martel.

Catch-up TV for storytellers

(Binge-watch the series.)

Over 100 classes with famous bestselling writers, publishing experts and leading literary agents for you to explore in your own time.

Find out how your best-loved authors (really) write their books, from Tess Gerritsen, Paula Hawkins, Sophie Kinsella, and Val McDermid to Lucy Foley, Katherine Rundell, Samantha Shannon, Steven Erikson and (so) many more.

Learn more

A supportive writing community

Find your people.

Come for the course. Stay for the people.

We’re the largest online writing community exclusively for novelists and memoir writers. This group offers you a safe space to share the ins and outs and ups and downs of the creative life.

It’s ad-free and bound by the terms of confidentiality, allowing you to be yourself as a writer among industry professionals, trusted new friends, and like-minded people.

What’s more, our annual US and UK parties and networking events offer the perfect opportunity to mingle and celebrate your work. Cheers to that!

Learn more

Created by a Booker Prize-listed author

We don’t just talk the talk.

“Louise Dean is a significant voice in British fiction”

The Observer

When it comes to writing, and writing success, Founder and Course Director Louise Dean knows a thing or two about a thing or two.

Booker Prize-listed, winner of The Betty Trask Prize and the Le Prince Maurice Prize, finalist for the Costa Coffee 2020 Short Story Award, longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Award, and nominated for The Guardian First Book Prize (among others), Louise has earned plaudits from the Nobel Laureate for Literature, no less. Her books have been praised by the New York Times, The Guardian, The Observer and The Sunday Times.

Louise is hands on and full-hearted. She’ll regularly check in on your progress and is more than happy to share her (award-winning) wordsmithery secrets.

Meet Louise

More 5-star reviews

Than any other writing courses.

We’re the home of happy writing  

When choosing your writing course, always make sure to look for these things:

  • Independent rave reviews from real people giving their names.
  • Writing coaches who are award-winning and bestselling published authors.
  • One-on-one, personalized instruction focused on what you need.
  • A professional path to getting published with links to a range of literary agencies.
  • An inspiring writers’ group with a kind and encouraging ethos.

Reviews

Flexible pricing

Pay upfront or monthly.

Payment options

Feel free to select an installment payment option to spread the cost.

Save money with the single payment option for our combined courses. (When you combine classes with a course plan you save money on the cost of the individual classes.)

For the very best value, our most popular choice is The Finished Novel Course.

Better value than a university course

With a practical outcome.

At a fraction of the price

Storytelling success lies very at the very heart of becoming a published author, and we have engineered our program to give you a head start.

Our approach is both practical and a whole lot of fun. The Novelry has been described by members as ‘like Hogwarts for writers’.

You’ll enjoy a university-type experience in terms of making new student friends but you’ll be learning from brilliant working authors and editors, not academics.

When you join us you are taking a journey not just to get a bunch of letters after your name, but to hold a first draft manuscript in your hands. In just a year or less. We move at your pace and our focus is on you.

We’re trusted by the world’s leading literary agents, and our graduates go on to secure major contracts from Big Five publishers in the USA, the UK and worldwide.

Learn more

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But I don’t have the time!

One hour per day. That’s all the commitment we ask of you. Just one hour a day to make your writing dreams a reality.

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But I don’t have a story!

Then you’re in the right place. Step one of the course – The Classic Storytelling Class – is designed precisely to kindle your ideas and ignite your voice.

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But I’m not sure I have any talent!

Not all writers suffer from imposter syndrome. Only the good ones. The art of storytelling can be learned. And our bestselling author coaches are the best in the business at teaching it.

Happy writing!

At the heart of The Novelry is a warm, welcoming writing community. We offer a collaborative environment, not a competitive one.

The Novel Kickstarter Course

Find your story and write a complete first draft of your novel.

The Classic Storytelling Class

Come up with a fantastic idea for a page-turner. Plan a storyline that excites you and learn how to bring to life complex main characters. Outline and develop the world of your tale to capture the reader’s imagination page after page.

Lessons: 55 (1 hour each)
Module
1

Find the Idea

Get started with the idea for your story
5
lessons
Module
2

Once Upon a Time

Storytelling structure
9
lessons
Module
3

The Process

Starting to plan a story
3
lessons
Module
4

Worldbuilding

Creating the story world
20
lessons
Module
5

Heroes and Villains

The conflict that drives drama
3
lessons
Module
6

The Reader

A story readers will love
3
lessons
Module
7

The Author

Why and how we write
8
lessons
Module
8

Farewell

The working plan for your story
4
lessons

The Ninety Day Novel Class

Prepare and develop your initial idea, construct your novel from the ground up, develop a productive writing practice, power through the middle with bold plotting, and raise the stakes towards a satisfying ending.

Lessons: 100 (1 hour each)
6 x writer coaching sessions
Module
1

The Inspiration and Preparation Phase

10
lessons
Module
2

The Construction Phase

30
lessons
Module
3

The Swim Phase

15
lessons
Module
4

The Heat Phase

15
lessons
Module
5

The Enlightenment Phase

15
lessons
Module
6

The Home Phase

15
lessons

“I simply have to love the idea. I’ll go through dozens of workable ideas until I find the one that lights my fire”

– Kristin Hannah

Shall we begin?

Let's take the first steps on your writing journey.
Sign up for the course
One-off
Monthly

The Novel Kickstarter Course

Come up with the idea and write a first draft
$
179
/ mo
$
1950
£
149
/ mo
£
1599
$
1950
Save $
198
OR
$
179
/mo
£
1599
Save £
189
OR
£
149
/mo
  • Membership (1 Year)
  • The Classic Storytelling Class
  • The Ninety Day Novel Class
  • 6 Coaching Sessions

“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen”

– John Steinbeck

FAQs

If you’re bursting with questions we haven’t answered here, check out our full FAQS page or feel free to get in touch.

Why do your creative writing courses start here?

Writing a novel is not so much about the writing, or at least not in the way you think. Nobody ever stayed glued to a book for the complexity of its vocabulary.

Writing is about storytelling, and readers and publishers alike want great stories. And here’s a secret – storytelling can be learned. Hey, guess what, you might just be very good at it. Why not find out?

Writing is not a god-given gift or innate talent. It’s not something you are born with, or can or can’t do. It’s something you learn, because you want to learn it.

Sure, you’re going to need to read some books. And here’s another secret. Writers learn from other writers. Just like with any craft or trade, they take apprenticeships or courses and work with published writers.

The story doesn’t happen to you, you happen to the story.

You don’t need to be wise and have all the answers. Stories are about questions. One question after another. What happens next? Why did she do that? What will he do to escape? How come there’s no door to the house? Will they work out that guy’s a villain?

We’ll get you asking the right questions, in the right order, to invite your reader into your wonderful world.

What do I need to take this class?

A notebook, a pen and a computer with a decent internet connection for use of our online learning platform and coaching sessions.

Our online learning platform is easy to use, even for the less tech-savvy among us. We are supportive and responsive to our writers, available by email and at our online members’ community around the clock, worldwide, so that you can relax and enjoy your writing.

How does the coaching work?

Your coaching begins after the first week of the second phase of your program, The Ninety Day Novel, where you will write and refine your draft novel alongside a currently published bestselling author in your genre of fiction.

Before your first coaching session, we’ll guide you on how to create an outline for a commercially viable novel. You’ll be nudged in the course to use our interactive tool to submit that to us (on a regular basis as you develop your story). We’ll look at your planned storyline as a team, and if we think another writing coach would be best suited to your story, we’ll drop you a line, but you’ll be able to make the final decision (and can always swap coaches later if you wish).

Every writing coach reviews your storyline in advance of the session via the interactive tool we call ‘The Plan’.

Your first coaching session begins with your writing coach understanding your intentions and aspirations for your book and writing career. That’s your brief to us, and allows us to give you the dedicated and personal guidance and support you need to achieve your ambition.

The coaching sessions are 45 minutes online, and you’ll find that’s plenty of time to get help with story development and troubleshoot any problems to stay on track with your writing. All sessions are recorded for you to keep. You may schedule your coaching sessions whenever you wish during your year with us and will be able to browse our diaries to select a time that works for you, in your time zone. Some like to stay on track with a coaching session every two weeks of their writing period, for example, and others like to pace themselves with one a month or get more help up front or more guidance and advance later on. You can get the support you need when you need it.

During the writing of a first draft, our focus is on your storyline, and we work with you to creatively develop and expand the story together, reviewing development in every session and answering your questions for your story.

You can, additionally, book Paid Feedback Sessions which include a report and a live debrief. We suggest you leave getting feedback on your work until later in your program, after the first draft.

Unlike other writing courses, we advise you don’t share or ‘workshop’ the novel at this stage where your confidence and the story are still vulnerable. Some courses have first-time writers on first drafts advising others in their position, and we think this is a bad idea and at best a waste of your very precious time.

At The Novelry, we’ll keep you and your story safe within a one-on-one relationship of trust and care with wise guidance from a published author who cares about your success and will believe in you and your story.

How do I choose my writing coach?

You can browse our writing coaches and find the author you would most like to work with, then book your coaching session from your Library.

You may wish to book with an author experienced in the genre you are writing.

Another great way to consider who you want to write with is to take a peek inside the first pages of their published books on Amazon and see whose writing style appeals to you most strongly.

The wonderful thing about The Novelry is that you can work with the writing coach of your choice but also book sessions with any other writing coach whenever you wish. So if things change for your story, say you swap genre, or need more help on specialist technical matters from another coach, we’ve got you covered.

Do you offer a money-back guarantee?

Yes, we are all for Happy Writing. You can review our terms and conditions here. If for any reason at all the course is not for you, you can get a full no-questions-asked refund within the first 7 days after purchase. Just email us and let us know.

Kickstarting a writing career

‘The Novelry has given me the structure and guidance I needed to finally write a novel, and an understanding of the long road of novel-writing. Even more importantly, it’s provided an incredible community of writers and tutors who I feel constantly connected with, so the process isn’t so lonely. I love this community!’

Nisha Lamsam Ligon
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