Creative Writing Courses
The courses with coaching and community for writers at all stages.
Courses
Reach the end of your first draft or finish a publishing-ready novel. Get immediate access to your courses, coaching and community and join forthcoming live workshops and events with the big names of fiction. Don’t miss out! Sign up today!
All courses available in monthly instalment payment plans.
The Novel Kickstarter
Are you writing fiction for the first time? Maybe you’re moving from writing short stories, screenplays or poetry to the longer form of the novel and would like some structure and support. Maybe you’ve always wanted to write but not been sure your idea was strong enough. We’ll make sure you’re packing a great story!
Whether you want to improve your storytelling skills or begin the journey towards becoming a published author, The Novel Kickstarter can take you all the way from coming up with an idea to a first draft.
The course will encourage you to create with confidence, and to challenge yourself as you develop your fiction writing skills to high standards. Plus our writing coaching program will keep you on track to write a first draft while you’re on fire!
The Novel Development
Have you started but got stuck with writing your novel? Maybe you’ve got a few thousand words in or reached the midpoint and stalled. Or, you have written a first draft, but you’re worried your storyline is letting you down.
Take a brave new approach to completing your novel now with expert advice from our team of publishing professionals to get your story signed off before you make a fresh start on your work in progress.
If you are ready to radically overhaul your storytelling structure and begin again, writing to reach publishing standards, The Novel Development Course will take you all the way to the last draft. Sign up today to get that novel done.
The Finished Novel
The Finished Novel Course is our comprehensive 3-stage program towards a completed fiction novel. Plus, the course culminates in a full in-depth report on your manuscript from our editorial team, all of whom have experience at Big Five publishing houses to help you enter the publishing process. The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment is your fast-track through to literary agents and publishers.
From coming up with a strong and viable idea through each important stage of the writing journey to a finished draft, you will enjoy a structured pathway with self-paced online learning and dedicated personal coaching from our team of bestselling authors and experienced publishing editors.
The alternative to a Creative Writing MFA or MA with the practical career outcome: a novel finished to publishing standard. Beginners welcome!
The Novel Kickstarter
Beginners warmly welcomed.
Find the Idea
You’ll learn how to create the space and time for your writing, and prepare your mindset for creative thinking.
You’ll discover the key features of a bestseller, where ideas (really) come from, and what makes a book a classic.
Lesson 1: Let’s begin
Discover the ingredients for a great story.
Lesson 2: Your space, your time, your mind
Organize your life to find the space and time you need to write and discover the fast track to creative thinking in fiction. You will have the subject of your story and a broad idea of the first half and second half by the end of the lesson.
Lesson 3: What makes a classic?
The biggest bestselling books of all time—the classics—have been crossover books, appealing to readers of many different backgrounds and ages. We’ll look at the three elements you need for a classic story.
Lesson 4: Where do ideas come from?
The formula for a big idea and how to create high-concept fiction. Learn what single element of a plot drives a page-turning story.
Lesson 5: Creative thinking
Dig into the richest sources of inspiration for an author according to a global bestselling writer, and get started creating material.
Once Upon a Time
Move beyond the conventional three-act structure to discover the great story structure that lies beneath long-form storytelling, and discover how big stories come from very small seeds.
We’ll guide you to where to find the source for your story. Clue? It’s behind you!
Lesson 6: The great story structure
Discover the five-part structure behind the classics and use it as a tool to develop your plot.
Lesson 7: The small story
How the best-loved stories of childhood can shape and inspire the long-form novel, why you have everything you need inside of you, and where to find it.
Lesson 8: Books based on myths and fairy tales
How these story-starters have been the kindling for so many famous books.
Lesson 9: A story as unique as you
Which parts of you and your life to bring to your story.
Lesson 10: A working model
See the great story structure at work in a famous short tale.
Lesson 11: The long shadow of the little story
Where your idea begins to gather flesh, and finding your theme as an author.
Lesson 12: Fairy tale ideas for very adult novels
A bestselling author explains how fairy tale archetypes help her create psychological thrillers.
Lesson 13: Walk in my shoes
A Booker Prize-winning author explains how to tell your story honestly and humbly to enchant your reader.
Lesson 14: Making ideas happen
Taking your idea to the novel form with our ‘Once Upon a Time’ tool.
The Process
You’ll find the hero, locate the narrative, and scope out the arc of the story. You’ll be looking for the hero’s problem, blindspot or flaw and we’ll be adding the antagonist for conflict.
You’ll discover how every part of who you are can serve your story. No wonder so many writers describe the course as deeply therapeutic.
Lesson 15: Why
Why we write. Using the flaws and failings of humankind, and your very own, to create memorable characters.
Lesson 16: Who
Stories start with who wants what. Someone special (fortunate or unfortunate) or a specialist (someone with unique talents, powers or expertise) wants something they should not have.
Lesson 17: What
When you know who or what’s truly important to your character, the next question for your story development is what should happen if they should lose it or them?
World-building
You’ll discover the deeper archetypal elements of page-turning stories.
You’ll browse a rich buffet of possibilities to feed your plot as you begin to compose and outline your novel. Writer’s block? A thing of the past with these ideas at your fingertips.
Lesson 18: Wonder
Our forgotten desires and the ingredients for creating wonderment in fiction.
Lesson 19: The numinous
How the main character’s yearning expands the world of a story.
Lesson 20: The feeling
Your hero in their leadership role and their ability to experience heightened states of emotion.
Lesson 21: The recipe with two ingredients
The double act for the creation of ‘delightful horror’ in fiction.
Lesson 22: Mysterium tremendum
Using techniques like foreboding to get ahead of the inciting incident to grow the size of the story.
Lesson 23: Fascinans
Why bestselling fiction requires more than an improvement of fortunes.
Lesson 24: The crucial transformation
Finding the genre of fiction you’re meant to write.
Lesson 25: A cozy start
Immersive storytelling skills for high-stakes stories.
Lesson 26: The Harry Potter spell
What made the all-time bestselling series a multi-million global phenomenon?
Lesson 27: The portal
Using a powerful device that takes us from the known world to the story world in all genres of fiction.
Lesson 28: The garden
How the setting of your story offers different possibilities for each individual character’s development.
Lesson 29: The homely guide
The qualities readers require from the character guiding them through the story.
Lesson 30: The surreal
Creating an original breakout fiction premise.
Lesson 31: The familiar
Using aspects of your life to begin world-building your story.
Lesson 32: The cast
Creating lifelike originals as people, not characters in fiction.
Lesson 33: Temptation
The irresistible force that drives pain-free plotting.
Lesson 34: The battle
How conflict between two opposing forces is the grand design behind your theme.
Lesson 35: Deeper magic: time
Strategies for telling your story a different way, with additional pace.
Lesson 36: Deeper magic: space
Covering the narrative terrain at speed for reader engagement.
Lesson 37: Treasure
The secret quest of every work of fiction in which author, hero and reader share the spoils, and when and where to hide it in your story.
Heroes and Villains
Your reader craves character development and your hero’s moral growth.
It takes a villain to drive that change, and to bring the required conflict, creating the light and shade of drama. Deliver proper justice via your narrative arc for a deeply satisfying reader experience.
Lesson 38: The villain
Learn how the ‘charisma’ of the villain lends strong messaging to your story and how they deliver certain truths to the reader, albeit less palatable than those conveyed by the hero.
Lesson 39: The hero
The hero resists. Learn the six identifying signs of a hero and how to test and demonstrate their strengths.
Lesson 40: Decency
Understand how to use the justice system of storytelling to give your readers a highly satisfying story.
The Reader
For a bold story beautifully told, you need to engage your readers in your hero’s plight.
Learn how the best-loved authors befriend their readers, along with storytelling techniques to help you earn the reader’s trust. We’ll show you how to write with unaffected and appealing honesty.
Lesson 41: Hello you, it’s me
Bring to mind the reader you are writing for to help you find a natural voice with which to tell your story.
Lesson 42: Little god
Learn how to bring your reader into your world. The stakes must be as high as you can make them and apply to others, not just the story’s hero.
Lesson 43: The older reader
The older reader adds to the power of imagination another superpower—empathy. Learn to create empathy using the writer’s most important prose tool: observation.
The Author
Understand what moves a bestselling author to write their book and gain the confidence to bring your whole self to the page. Create major scenes that will resonate with readers long after they’re written.
Lesson 44: The authors as individuals
Walk in the footsteps of some literary giants. Understand that their works were not ‘given things,’ born whole and glistening and intact. They were worked upon, often over years, and occasionally in collaboration.
Lesson 45: Mother god or his master’s voice?
Consider the ins and outs of the treatment, or how you’ll tell your story, by exploring the third-person versus the first-person.
Lesson 46: Idealism
Discover why Tolkien and Lewis became second homes for readers. Find your ideal, find your mythology, shape your theme!
Lesson 47: The impact of the classics
A look at the publishing sensations of the all-time classic bestselling books, and the rewards your writing can bring you sooner rather than later.
Lesson 48: My hero
Who was the greatest of them all? Find your author-hero as the lighthouse to guide your writing career.
Lesson 49: On the shoulders of giants
All writers borrow from each other. Have no shame. Find out who stole from whom and why.
Lesson 50: The source
Revealed! The secret source of most of the famous classic books of all time.
Lesson 51: The remnants
The mistakes to avoid in story planning when developing your idea to the novel form.
Farewell
Here’s where it all comes together. You’ll have all the ingredients to start writing a book, including a few surprises. Plus you will be invited to book in a session with one of our author writing-coaches to talk through your idea.
Lesson 52: The Five Fs at work
Structuring your ideas with the classic story structure.
Lesson 53: Ready for take-off!
Checking you have all the essentials for your story in your plan.
Lesson 54: Planning for success
Your story-building checklist assessment tool.
Lesson 55: Last words
Closing inspiration to get you started writing. We can’t wait to meet you and your story.
Your course certificate
Receive recognition of your achievement.
The Inspiration and Preparation Phase
Discover the big hack that will change your creative life. Learn the one characteristic great writers need, and the essential ingredient that makes a page-turner. Boost your creativity, and receive guidance on creating the time and mental space to write around your day job.
Lesson 1: Welcome
Lesson 2: Read and be inspired
Lesson 3: Bedtime stories
Lesson 4: Habits
Lesson 5: The big hack
Lesson 6: Privacy
Lesson 7: Empathy
Lesson 8: Moods
Lesson 9: Bless you, writers
Lesson 10: What is story?
The Construction Phase
Take it steady with step-by-step guidance to prepare a one-page plan that packs a big plot. Say goodbye to writer’s block. A good story (almost) writes itself, so you and your writing coach will put an exciting storyline in place to get off to a cracking start.
Lessons 1–2: Welcome to your novel
Lesson 3: The hero book
Lesson 4: The golden hour
Lesson 5: Genre
Lesson 6: Setting
Lesson 7: The magic trick
Lesson 8: The main character
Lesson 9: The plot
Lesson 10: Story structure
Lesson 11: The hook
Lessons 12–16: Character development, the plan, let’s write (Writer coaching begins)
Lesson 17: Point of view
Lesson 18: Voice
Lesson 19: Chapter one
Lesson 20: Character mapping
Lesson 21: Relationships
Lesson 22: Emotional strategies
Lesson 23: The theme
Lessons 24–27: The heart of a story, names, the sacrifice and craft
Lesson 28: The big picture
Lesson 29: Happy writing
Lesson 30: Taking stock
The Swim Phase
Find your ‘voice’ and discover what makes your writing special. Learn how to pace a story and the expert skills and insider techniques to quickly improve your writing style. Build your confidence as your word count passes the 10,000-word mark.
Lesson 31: In the swim
Lesson 32: Moral rage
Lesson 33: Compulsion
Lesson 34: Conflict
Lesson 35: From magic to mastery
Lesson 36: How to write a cult classic
Lesson 37: A real dream
Lesson 38: Assumed familiarity
Lesson 39: The romantic imagination
Lesson 40: The use of repetition
Lesson 41: Redemption
Lesson 42: Keep it simple
Lesson 43: Overwriting
Lesson 44: Becoming an author
Lesson 45: The midpoint
The Heat Phase
Here’s where you fall in love with your story. Banish bad habits and keep your eye on what the reader wants to stay on track with your plot. Discover some game-changing writing power tools, and raise the stakes in your story.
Lesson 46: Music
Lesson 47: From what if, to why?
Lesson 48: The B story
Lesson 49: The lie
Lesson 50: I’m a creep
Lesson 51: Suspense
Lesson 52: Make it harder
Lesson 53: Crackling conversations
Lesson 54: That’s peculiar!
Lesson 55: The leitmotif
Lesson 56: The absurd
Lesson 57: The full stop or period
Lesson 58: Backstory
Lesson 59: Transitions
Lesson 60: The prize
The Enlightenment Phase
Using the inside secrets of a Nobel Laureate, you’ll apply new masterstrokes to fulfill the promise of your story. Discover the deft and economical touches that give the reader those ‘aha’ moments, and see the proof on the page that you’re mastering the skills of the craft.
Lesson 61: Mastery
Lesson 62: Difficult questions
Lesson 63: Self-destruction
Lesson 64: The title
Lesson 65: The wound
Lesson 66: The bridge
Lesson 67: Back and forth process
Lesson 68: Present tension
Lesson 69: Poet and programmer
Lesson 70: The chaptered outline
Lesson 71: Let them live
Lesson 72: The point of tragedy
Lesson 73: What is good?
Lesson 74: The big question
Lesson 75: The story so far
The Home Phase
Combine the key elements of storytelling and see theme, character, dramatic irony, narrative arc, and subplots working in harmony for a satisfying ending. Get advice on taking this draft to publishing standards. And then celebrate! You’ll have a manuscript in your hands and a story readers will love.
Lesson 76: Welcome home
Lessons 77–78: Let’s build a house of magic
Lesson 79: The rooms or chapters
Lesson 80: Interior style
Lesson 81: Ornaments
Lesson 82: The attic
Lesson 83: Housekeeping
Lesson 84: And so to bed
Lesson 85: Home alone
Lesson 86: First aid kit
Lesson 87: Leaving home
Lesson 88: The second draft
Lesson 89: Success
Lesson 90: Congratulations!
Your course certificate
Plus 50 bonus genre-specific lessons and resources
The Novel Development
For those with a story idea or a novel they are ready to reboot to get published.
The Inspiration and Preparation Phase
Discover the big hack that will change your creative life. Learn the one characteristic great writers need, and the essential ingredient that makes a page-turner. Boost your creativity, and receive guidance on creating the time and mental space to write around your day job.
Lesson 1: Welcome
Lesson 2: Read and be inspired
Lesson 3: Bedtime stories
Lesson 4: Habits
Lesson 5: The big hack
Lesson 6: Privacy
Lesson 7: Empathy
Lesson 8: Moods
Lesson 9: Bless you, writers
Lesson 10: What is story?
The Construction Phase
Take it steady with step-by-step guidance to prepare a one-page plan that packs a big plot. Say goodbye to writer’s block. A good story (almost) writes itself, so you and your writing coach will put an exciting storyline in place to get off to a cracking start.
Lessons 1–2: Welcome to your novel
Lesson 3: The hero book
Lesson 4: The golden hour
Lesson 5: Genre
Lesson 6: Setting
Lesson 7: The magic trick
Lesson 8: The main character
Lesson 9: The plot
Lesson 10: Story structure
Lesson 11: The hook
Lessons 12–16: Character development, the plan, let’s write (Writer coaching begins)
Lesson 17: Point of view
Lesson 18: Voice
Lesson 19: Chapter one
Lesson 20: Character mapping
Lesson 21: Relationships
Lesson 22: Emotional strategies
Lesson 23: The theme
Lessons 24–27: The heart of a story, names, the sacrifice and craft
Lesson 28: The big picture
Lesson 29: Happy writing
Lesson 30: Taking stock
The Swim Phase
Find your ‘voice’ and discover what makes your writing special. Learn how to pace a story and the expert skills and insider techniques to quickly improve your writing style. Build your confidence as your word count passes the 10,000-word mark.
Lesson 31: In the swim
Lesson 32: Moral rage
Lesson 33: Compulsion
Lesson 34: Conflict
Lesson 35: From magic to mastery
Lesson 36: How to write a cult classic
Lesson 37: A real dream
Lesson 38: Assumed familiarity
Lesson 39: The romantic imagination
Lesson 40: The use of repetition
Lesson 41: Redemption
Lesson 42: Keep it simple
Lesson 43: Overwriting
Lesson 44: Becoming an author
Lesson 45: The midpoint
The Heat Phase
Here’s where you fall in love with your story. Banish bad habits and keep your eye on what the reader wants to stay on track with your plot. Discover some game-changing writing power tools, and raise the stakes in your story.
Lesson 46: Music
Lesson 47: From what if, to why?
Lesson 48: The B story
Lesson 49: The lie
Lesson 50: I’m a creep
Lesson 51: Suspense
Lesson 52: Make it harder
Lesson 53: Crackling conversations
Lesson 54: That’s peculiar!
Lesson 55: The leitmotif
Lesson 56: The absurd
Lesson 57: The full stop or period
Lesson 58: Backstory
Lesson 59: Transitions
Lesson 60: The prize
The Enlightenment Phase
Using the inside secrets of a Nobel Laureate, you’ll apply new masterstrokes to fulfill the promise of your story. Discover the deft and economical touches that give the reader those ‘aha’ moments, and see the proof on the page that you’re mastering the skills of the craft.
Lesson 61: Mastery
Lesson 62: Difficult questions
Lesson 63: Self-destruction
Lesson 64: The title
Lesson 65: The wound
Lesson 66: The bridge
Lesson 67: Back and forth process
Lesson 68: Present tension
Lesson 69: Poet and programmer
Lesson 70: The chaptered outline
Lesson 71: Let them live
Lesson 72: The point of tragedy
Lesson 73: What is good?
Lesson 74: The big question
Lesson 75: The story so far
The Home Phase
Combine the key elements of storytelling and see theme, character, dramatic irony, narrative arc, and subplots working in harmony for a satisfying ending. Get advice on taking this draft to publishing standards. And then celebrate! You’ll have a manuscript in your hands and a story readers will love.
Lesson 76: Welcome home
Lessons 77–78: Let’s build a house of magic
Lesson 79: The rooms or chapters
Lesson 80: Interior style
Lesson 81: Ornaments
Lesson 82: The attic
Lesson 83: Housekeeping
Lesson 84: And so to bed
Lesson 85: Home alone
Lesson 86: First aid kit
Lesson 87: Leaving home
Lesson 88: The second draft
Lesson 89: Success
Lesson 90: Congratulations!
Your course certificate
Plus 50 bonus genre-specific lessons and resources
Turning Pro
Prepare for the publishing process by learning how to format your document the way a professional editor at a publishing company or a literary agent would wish to receive it.
Lesson 1: Welcome
Lesson 2: Becoming the reader
Lesson 3: Order! Order!
Lesson 4: The smart manuscript
Lesson 5: Setting up your folder
Lesson 6: Your check up
The Developmental Edit
You’ll develop your elevator pitch, story theme, structure, narrative arc, character development, midpoint and more to work toward a chapter outline and a (pain-free) synopsis. Then it’s time for your first review session with a professional editor.
Lessons 7–9: The story, the title and genre
Lessons 10–11: The hook or pitch
Lessons 12–13: The five-part restructure
Lesson 14: The big picture
Lessons 15–17: Approaches to plotting
Lessons 19–20: The synopsis workshop + the chapter outline
Lessons 21–23: Casting characters
Lesson 24: Getting to grips with the material
Lesson 25: Meet the editorial team
Lesson 26: Red light—let’s check the plan (BIG EDIT FIRST SESSION)
Line Edit
You’ll interrogate your plot and characters, rework chapters, drill down into sentence structure and word choice, and eliminate grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors line-by-line. You’ll learn how to apply our unique technique for advanced prose skills: Lucid Compression®.
Next, it’s time for feedback on your writing from beta readers in our online community.
Lesson 27: Interrogation method
Lesson 28: The prologue
Lesson 29: The first chapter
Lesson 30: Cardinal sins
Lesson 31: The first sentence
Lesson 32: Voice and perspective
Lesson 33: Structuring a scene
Lesson 34: Suspense
Lesson 35: Dialogue
Lesson 36: Cure for overwriting
Lesson 37: Lucid Compression®
Lessons 38–42: Sentences, words, punctuation and last checks
Lesson 43: Yellow light—get feedback on your work from our community
The Submission Process
Your second session with a professional book editor will involve reviewing your pitch letter, synopsis and first three chapters, and making a plan to enter the publishing process with world-class literary agency representation.
Lesson 44: Pitch perfect
Lesson 45: The story
Lesson 46: The market
Lesson 47: Agents
Lesson 48: Publicity and promotion
Lesson 49: Career advice
Lesson 50: The final stages
Lesson 51: Green light—are you really ready? (BIG EDIT SECOND SESSION)
Lesson 52: Not there yet?
Lesson 53: Ready? Let’s go!
The Finished Novel
For writers at all stages of their writing journeys, beginners welcome.
Find the Idea
You’ll learn how to create the space and time for your writing, and prepare your mindset for creative thinking.
You’ll discover the key features of a bestseller, where ideas (really) come from, and what makes a book a classic.
Lesson 1: Let’s begin
Discover the ingredients for a great story.
Lesson 2: Your space, your time, your mind
Organize your life to find the space and time you need to write and discover the fast track to creative thinking in fiction. You will have the subject of your story and a broad idea of the first half and second half by the end of the lesson.
Lesson 3: What makes a classic?
The biggest bestselling books of all time—the classics—have been crossover books, appealing to readers of many different backgrounds and ages. We’ll look at the three elements you need for a classic story.
Lesson 4: Where do ideas come from?
The formula for a big idea and how to create high-concept fiction. Learn what single element of a plot drives a page-turning story.
Lesson 5: Creative thinking
Dig into the richest sources of inspiration for an author according to a global bestselling writer, and get started creating material.
Once Upon a Time
Move beyond the conventional three-act structure to discover the great story structure that lies beneath long-form storytelling, and discover how big stories come from very small seeds.
We’ll guide you to where to find the source for your story. Clue? It’s behind you!
Lesson 6: The great story structure
Discover the five-part structure behind the classics and use it as a tool to develop your plot.
Lesson 7: The small story
How the best-loved stories of childhood can shape and inspire the long-form novel, why you have everything you need inside of you, and where to find it.
Lesson 8: Books based on myths and fairy tales
How these story-starters have been the kindling for so many famous books.
Lesson 9: A story as unique as you
Which parts of you and your life to bring to your story.
Lesson 10: A working model
See the great story structure at work in a famous short tale.
Lesson 11: The long shadow of the little story
Where your idea begins to gather flesh, and finding your theme as an author.
Lesson 12: Fairy tale ideas for very adult novels
A bestselling author explains how fairy tale archetypes help her create psychological thrillers.
Lesson 13: Walk in my shoes
A Booker Prize-winning author explains how to tell your story honestly and humbly to enchant your reader.
Lesson 14: Making ideas happen
Taking your idea to the novel form with our ‘Once Upon a Time’ tool.
The Process
You’ll find the hero, locate the narrative, and scope out the arc of the story. You’ll be looking for the hero’s problem, blindspot or flaw and we’ll be adding the antagonist for conflict.
You’ll discover how every part of who you are can serve your story. No wonder so many writers describe the course as deeply therapeutic.
Lesson 15: Why
Why we write. Using the flaws and failings of humankind, and your very own, to create memorable characters.
Lesson 16: Who
Stories start with who wants what. Someone special (fortunate or unfortunate) or a specialist (someone with unique talents, powers or expertise) wants something they should not have.
Lesson 17: What
When you know who or what’s truly important to your character, the next question for your story development is what should happen if they should lose it or them?
World-building
You’ll discover the deeper archetypal elements of page-turning stories.
You’ll browse a rich buffet of possibilities to feed your plot as you begin to compose and outline your novel. Writer’s block? A thing of the past with these ideas at your fingertips.
Lesson 18: Wonder
Our forgotten desires and the ingredients for creating wonderment in fiction.
Lesson 19: The numinous
How the main character’s yearning expands the world of a story.
Lesson 20: The feeling
Your hero in their leadership role and their ability to experience heightened states of emotion.
Lesson 21: The recipe with two ingredients
The double act for the creation of ‘delightful horror’ in fiction.
Lesson 22: Mysterium tremendum
Using techniques like foreboding to get ahead of the inciting incident to grow the size of the story.
Lesson 23: Fascinans
Why bestselling fiction requires more than an improvement of fortunes.
Lesson 24: The crucial transformation
Finding the genre of fiction you’re meant to write.
Lesson 25: A cozy start
Immersive storytelling skills for high-stakes stories.
Lesson 26: The Harry Potter spell
What made the all-time bestselling series a multi-million global phenomenon?
Lesson 27: The portal
Using a powerful device that takes us from the known world to the story world in all genres of fiction.
Lesson 28: The garden
How the setting of your story offers different possibilities for each individual character’s development.
Lesson 29: The homely guide
The qualities readers require from the character guiding them through the story.
Lesson 30: The surreal
Creating an original breakout fiction premise.
Lesson 31: The familiar
Using aspects of your life to begin world-building your story.
Lesson 32: The cast
Creating lifelike originals as people, not characters in fiction.
Lesson 33: Temptation
The irresistible force that drives pain-free plotting.
Lesson 34: The battle
How conflict between two opposing forces is the grand design behind your theme.
Lesson 35: Deeper magic: time
Strategies for telling your story a different way, with additional pace.
Lesson 36: Deeper magic: space
Covering the narrative terrain at speed for reader engagement.
Lesson 37: Treasure
The secret quest of every work of fiction in which author, hero and reader share the spoils, and when and where to hide it in your story.
Heroes and Villains
Your reader craves character development and your hero’s moral growth.
It takes a villain to drive that change, and to bring the required conflict, creating the light and shade of drama. Deliver proper justice via your narrative arc for a deeply satisfying reader experience.
Lesson 38: The villain
Learn how the ‘charisma’ of the villain lends strong messaging to your story and how they deliver certain truths to the reader, albeit less palatable than those conveyed by the hero.
Lesson 39: The hero
The hero resists. Learn the six identifying signs of a hero and how to test and demonstrate their strengths.
Lesson 40: Decency
Understand how to use the justice system of storytelling to give your readers a highly satisfying story.
The Reader
For a bold story beautifully told, you need to engage your readers in your hero’s plight.
Learn how the best-loved authors befriend their readers, along with storytelling techniques to help you earn the reader’s trust. We’ll show you how to write with unaffected and appealing honesty.
Lesson 41: Hello you, it’s me
Bring to mind the reader you are writing for to help you find a natural voice with which to tell your story.
Lesson 42: Little god
Learn how to bring your reader into your world. The stakes must be as high as you can make them and apply to others, not just the story’s hero.
Lesson 43: The older reader
The older reader adds to the power of imagination another superpower—empathy. Learn to create empathy using the writer’s most important prose tool: observation.
The Author
Understand what moves a bestselling author to write their book and gain the confidence to bring your whole self to the page. Create major scenes that will resonate with readers long after they’re written.
Lesson 44: The authors as individuals
Walk in the footsteps of some literary giants. Understand that their works were not ‘given things,’ born whole and glistening and intact. They were worked upon, often over years, and occasionally in collaboration.
Lesson 45: Mother god or his master’s voice?
Consider the ins and outs of the treatment, or how you’ll tell your story, by exploring the third-person versus the first-person.
Lesson 46: Idealism
Discover why Tolkien and Lewis became second homes for readers. Find your ideal, find your mythology, shape your theme!
Lesson 47: The impact of the classics
A look at the publishing sensations of the all-time classic bestselling books, and the rewards your writing can bring you sooner rather than later.
Lesson 48: My hero
Who was the greatest of them all? Find your author-hero as the lighthouse to guide your writing career.
Lesson 49: On the shoulders of giants
All writers borrow from each other. Have no shame. Find out who stole from whom and why.
Lesson 50: The source
Revealed! The secret source of most of the famous classic books of all time.
Lesson 51: The remnants
The mistakes to avoid in story planning when developing your idea to the novel form.
Farewell
Here’s where it all comes together. You’ll have all the ingredients to start writing a book, including a few surprises. Plus you will be invited to book in a session with one of our author writing-coaches to talk through your idea.
Lesson 52: The Five Fs at work
Structuring your ideas with the classic story structure.
Lesson 53: Ready for take-off!
Checking you have all the essentials for your story in your plan.
Lesson 54: Planning for success
Your story-building checklist assessment tool.
Lesson 55: Last words
Closing inspiration to get you started writing. We can’t wait to meet you and your story.
Your course certificate
Receive recognition of your achievement.
The Inspiration and Preparation Phase
Discover the big hack that will change your creative life. Learn the one characteristic great writers need, and the essential ingredient that makes a page-turner. Boost your creativity, and receive guidance on creating the time and mental space to write around your day job.
Lesson 1: Welcome
Lesson 2: Read and be inspired
Lesson 3: Bedtime stories
Lesson 4: Habits
Lesson 5: The big hack
Lesson 6: Privacy
Lesson 7: Empathy
Lesson 8: Moods
Lesson 9: Bless you, writers
Lesson 10: What is story?
The Construction Phase
Take it steady with step-by-step guidance to prepare a one-page plan that packs a big plot. Say goodbye to writer’s block. A good story (almost) writes itself, so you and your writing coach will put an exciting storyline in place to get off to a cracking start.
Lessons 1–2: Welcome to your novel
Lesson 3: The hero book
Lesson 4: The golden hour
Lesson 5: Genre
Lesson 6: Setting
Lesson 7: The magic trick
Lesson 8: The main character
Lesson 9: The plot
Lesson 10: Story structure
Lesson 11: The hook
Lessons 12–16: Character development, the plan, let’s write (Writer coaching begins)
Lesson 17: Point of view
Lesson 18: Voice
Lesson 19: Chapter one
Lesson 20: Character mapping
Lesson 21: Relationships
Lesson 22: Emotional strategies
Lesson 23: The theme
Lessons 24–27: The heart of a story, names, the sacrifice and craft
Lesson 28: The big picture
Lesson 29: Happy writing
Lesson 30: Taking stock
The Swim Phase
Find your ‘voice’ and discover what makes your writing special. Learn how to pace a story and the expert skills and insider techniques to quickly improve your writing style. Build your confidence as your word count passes the 10,000-word mark.
Lesson 31: In the swim
Lesson 32: Moral rage
Lesson 33: Compulsion
Lesson 34: Conflict
Lesson 35: From magic to mastery
Lesson 36: How to write a cult classic
Lesson 37: A real dream
Lesson 38: Assumed familiarity
Lesson 39: The romantic imagination
Lesson 40: The use of repetition
Lesson 41: Redemption
Lesson 42: Keep it simple
Lesson 43: Overwriting
Lesson 44: Becoming an author
Lesson 45: The midpoint
The Heat Phase
Here’s where you fall in love with your story. Banish bad habits and keep your eye on what the reader wants to stay on track with your plot. Discover some game-changing writing power tools, and raise the stakes in your story.
Lesson 46: Music
Lesson 47: From what if, to why?
Lesson 48: The B story
Lesson 49: The lie
Lesson 50: I’m a creep
Lesson 51: Suspense
Lesson 52: Make it harder
Lesson 53: Crackling conversations
Lesson 54: That’s peculiar!
Lesson 55: The leitmotif
Lesson 56: The absurd
Lesson 57: The full stop or period
Lesson 58: Backstory
Lesson 59: Transitions
Lesson 60: The prize
The Enlightenment Phase
Using the inside secrets of a Nobel Laureate, you’ll apply new masterstrokes to fulfill the promise of your story. Discover the deft and economical touches that give the reader those ‘aha’ moments, and see the proof on the page that you’re mastering the skills of the craft.
Lesson 61: Mastery
Lesson 62: Difficult questions
Lesson 63: Self-destruction
Lesson 64: The title
Lesson 65: The wound
Lesson 66: The bridge
Lesson 67: Back and forth process
Lesson 68: Present tension
Lesson 69: Poet and programmer
Lesson 70: The chaptered outline
Lesson 71: Let them live
Lesson 72: The point of tragedy
Lesson 73: What is good?
Lesson 74: The big question
Lesson 75: The story so far
The Home Phase
Combine the key elements of storytelling and see theme, character, dramatic irony, narrative arc, and subplots working in harmony for a satisfying ending. Get advice on taking this draft to publishing standards. And then celebrate! You’ll have a manuscript in your hands and a story readers will love.
Lesson 76: Welcome home
Lessons 77–78: Let’s build a house of magic
Lesson 79: The rooms or chapters
Lesson 80: Interior style
Lesson 81: Ornaments
Lesson 82: The attic
Lesson 83: Housekeeping
Lesson 84: And so to bed
Lesson 85: Home alone
Lesson 86: First aid kit
Lesson 87: Leaving home
Lesson 88: The second draft
Lesson 89: Success
Lesson 90: Congratulations!
Your course certificate
Plus 50 bonus genre-specific lessons and resources
Turning Pro
Prepare for the publishing process by learning how to format your document the way a professional editor at a publishing company or a literary agent would wish to receive it.
Lesson 1: Welcome
Lesson 2: Becoming the reader
Lesson 3: Order! Order!
Lesson 4: The smart manuscript
Lesson 5: Setting up your folder
Lesson 6: Your check up
The Developmental Edit
You’ll develop your elevator pitch, story theme, structure, narrative arc, character development, midpoint and more to work toward a chapter outline and a (pain-free) synopsis. Then it’s time for your first review session with a professional editor.
Lessons 7–9: The story, the title and genre
Lessons 10–11: The hook or pitch
Lessons 12–13: The five-part restructure
Lesson 14: The big picture
Lessons 15–17: Approaches to plotting
Lessons 19–20: The synopsis workshop + the chapter outline
Lessons 21–23: Casting characters
Lesson 24: Getting to grips with the material
Lesson 25: Meet the editorial team
Lesson 26: Red light—let’s check the plan (BIG EDIT FIRST SESSION)
Line Edit
You’ll interrogate your plot and characters, rework chapters, drill down into sentence structure and word choice, and eliminate grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors line-by-line. You’ll learn how to apply our unique technique for advanced prose skills: Lucid Compression®.
Next, it’s time for feedback on your writing from beta readers in our online community.
Lesson 27: Interrogation method
Lesson 28: The prologue
Lesson 29: The first chapter
Lesson 30: Cardinal sins
Lesson 31: The first sentence
Lesson 32: Voice and perspective
Lesson 33: Structuring a scene
Lesson 34: Suspense
Lesson 35: Dialogue
Lesson 36: Cure for overwriting
Lesson 37: Lucid Compression®
Lessons 38–42: Sentences, words, punctuation and last checks
Lesson 43: Yellow light—get feedback on your work from our community
The Submission Process
Your second session with a professional book editor will involve reviewing your pitch letter, synopsis and first three chapters, and making a plan to enter the publishing process with world-class literary agency representation.
Lesson 44: Pitch perfect
Lesson 45: The story
Lesson 46: The market
Lesson 47: Agents
Lesson 48: Publicity and promotion
Lesson 49: Career advice
Lesson 50: The final stages
Lesson 51: Green light—are you really ready? (BIG EDIT SECOND SESSION)
Lesson 52: Not there yet?
Lesson 53: Ready? Let’s go!
The Pitch
It is important to tighten the premise of your story into a single sentence, often called the pitch or the hook. This is one of the most important tools when it comes to securing an agent, so we always begin here. We will give you top tips to improve your pitch so that it’s compelling and designed to excite publishers. We also look at your ambition and how your work meets the requirements of your genre for your intended audience, offering ideas on how your novel or memoir might be positioned and its potential within the current market.
Structural Development
You will receive a detailed report of some 20 pages that evaluates every aspect of your entire manuscript, from the writing and the structure to the setting and the characters. We look at both the big picture (such as the narrative arc, plot beats, character arcs and central questions) as well as the finer details (such as subplots and pacing), offering advice and practical steps so that you can continue to improve your manuscript.
We’ll examine it just as an editor would in a publishing house.
A Marked-Up Manuscript
Our manuscript assessment report includes a marked-up manuscript that focuses on the detail of your creative writing, considering what each scene adds to your story, your characters and your overall plot development. We highlight the best sentences and flag areas for improvement so that you can make sure your story really shines.
Meeting with the Editor
For those seeking feedback to make an informed decision as to their next steps, nothing beats the opportunity to have meaningful dialogue with experienced industry professionals connected to the publishing industry worldwide. Writing a novel is a long haul and the least you deserve from a paid service is to enjoy a session where the focus is entirely on you and your manuscript.
You will be invited to book a 45-minute in-person debrief with your editor to discuss their feedback on your creative work. This is an opportunity for you to ask further questions and discuss in detail your writing process onward toward becoming traditionally published. This online meeting is recorded for you to keep and is included as part of your manuscript assessment.
Next Steps Toward Publishing
You will receive an action plan with guidance and advice on how to implement our feedback. If your manuscript requires further work, we will include a detailed follow-up plan and offer suggestions for next steps. You can then book any further paid feedback sessions with our editors to work together toward submitting your manuscript to leading literary agencies.
Membership of The Novelry gives writers access to over 40 writing classes a month including guest events with authors, literary agents and publishing professionals, plus recorded masterclasses and our writing community of beta readers for ad hoc feedback. What’s more, you will find yourself supported by other writers like you worldwide who will cheer you on for every step. A published author needs a platform and The Novelry gets behind each and every writer loud and proud to celebrate their success.
When we agree the manuscript is ready, you will be eligible for our submission service—in which we submit your manuscript to our trusted literary agencies—and we will work with you from here on toward literary agency representation and publication.
The courses
Save over 20% on the cost of the individual classes and services with these course bundles.
The Novel Kickstarter Course
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Classic Storytelling Class
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
The Novel Development Course
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
- The Big Edit Class
- 2 Editorial Sessions
The Finished Novel Course
- Welcome Call
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Classic Storytelling Class
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
- The Big Edit Class
- 2 Editorial Sessions
- The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment
- Course Completion Certificate
Our creative writing courses
Save on the cost of the individual classes and services with these writing course bundles.
The Novel Kickstarter Course
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Classic Storytelling Class
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
The Novel Development Course
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
- The Big Edit Class
- 2 Editorial Sessions
The Finished Novel Course
- Welcome Call
- Membership (1 Year)
- The Classic Storytelling Class
- The Ninety Day Novel Class
- 6 Coaching Sessions
- The Big Edit Class
- 2 Editorial Sessions
- The Ultimate Manuscript Assessment
- Course Completion Certificate