Developing your novel

About this course

The course focuses on shaping a novel-in-progress into a coherent whole. Participants explore characterisation, point of view, dialogue, language, plotting, pacing, structure, beginnings and endings, while considering ways to overcome writers’ block. Teaching centres on workshop discussion of participants’ writing, supported by tutor-set exercises and analysis of published excerpts. Learners practise giving sensitive, constructive feedback and editing their own work, with reading and writing tasks potentially set for work outside class.

What you'll learn

• Develop believable and consistent characters
• Improve plotting, pacing and structural decisions
• Apply editing techniques to their own fiction
• Assess and respond sensitively to other writers’ work
• Develop strategies for maintaining a writing routine and progressing a draft

Is this course right for you?

This course is intended for experienced creative writers rather than beginners. It is best suited to learners who have attended creative writing courses, have made significant progress on a novel draft and regularly read novels. Participants are expected to share work for workshop discussion and continue developing their writing outside class.

• A novel draft of at least 15,000 words is recommended
• Participants prepare writing for workshop feedback
• Work may include sensitive material, for which content notes are encouraged

Before you go

• Bring pens and writing paper and/or a laptop.
• Learners are expected to write outside class and may be set reading or writing exercises as homework.