Starting to Write Your Novel
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Starting to Write Your Novel
Gain the confidence and tools to bring your story to the page.
Perhaps you’re bursting to get your story down on paper but unsure of how to structure it and write it well – or maybe you’re keen to tackle a novel but finding it hard to come up with a strong enough idea?
If you want to start writing a novel and need some practical support with the basics, this online creative writing course will help you develop your idea, plan out your story, and get writing.
The course provided the perfect ‘ground rules’ for writing a book, and in the process I also met lots of like-minded people who were in the same position as me.
Tutor
Anna Davis
Anna Davis is the founder and Director of the Curtis Brown Creative writing school. She is the author of five acclaimed novels which have been published in twenty languages. She has been a journalist and Guardian columnist, as well as a Curtis Brown literary agent. She taught creative writing at the University of Manchester and in many other settings before founding Curtis Brown Creative in 2011.
WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?
- Video modules: Work through six modules comprising teaching videos and substantial notes by Anna Davis. Topics range from finding inspiration & developing a plot to characterisation, point of view and how to write a good first chapter.
- Writing tasks: Weekly writing tasks to help you explore and understand the teaching topics and progress your novel. Weekly posts to the forum from your tutor will reinforce these lessons.
- Resources & notes: You’ll get access to multiple Case Studies, additional resources and teaching notes, including good ‘writing ground rules’ and a list of recommended reading.
- Professional feedback: An expert CBC editor will give brief written feedback on several of the students' practical assignments every week, with all students receiving feedback on one of their writing tasks. Students are also given the option to purchase additional end-of-course feedback from our expert editors.
- Student forum: Find your writing community on our private student forums. Upload your completed writing tasks, give and receive peer-to-peer feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and the CBC team.
COURSE SCHEDULE & DELIVERY
You can follow the course at your own pace, our online courses are designed for flexible study. Allocate time for studying to fit in with your schedule, from wherever you are in the world. To get the best out of it, we recommend spending four-six hours a week on the course. It’s also important to be planning and working on your novel throughout the six weeks.
WEEK 1
Introduction & reading as a writerWEEK 2
Inspiration & ideasWEEK 3
Plotting, planning & storyWEEK 4
Voice, narration & point of viewWEEK 5
Questions of characterWEEK 6
Writing your opening
ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK
All students will be given the option to purchase feedback on their final task from a CBC editor.
- CBC report: For an additional fee of £145, you can obtain a detailed 500-word report on your work (of up to 3,000 words) from one of our editors.
- CBC report + tutorial: For an additional fee of £240, you can obtain a 500-word report from one of our editors and have a 30-minute video or telephone tutorial with them to discuss your work.
Our How to Write Your Novel Series
This is the first course in our popular How to Write Your Novel series, designed to take you from your first idea to final draft. It is followed by Write to the End of Your Novel and Edit & Pitch Your Novel – take the courses in succession or choose the right course for your current stage in the writing process.