Kickstart Your Writing
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Kickstart Your Writing
Fire up your imagination and get started with creative writing on our lively Zoom course – perfect for beginners!
If you’ve always wanted to write but haven’t known where to begin, this course will equip you with the tools needed to start writing your own unique stories with confidence.
Each week, you’ll join 15 budding writers for lively 90-minute Zoom teaching sessions that explore the essentials of fiction writing – from coming up with ideas to creating three-dimensional characters and crafting compelling stories that hook readers from the outset.
Your tutor, acclaimed author Christopher Wakling, will provide examples to read and discuss and set practical writing exercises designed to help you find your voice and explore your creative potential.
This course is suitable for complete beginners starting out on their writing journey as well as those looking for a burst of inspiration and to refresh their skills. It’s the perfect first foray into creative writing or a great next step for those who have taken our four-week Creative Writing for Beginners course or our 30-Day Writing Bootcamp and would like to develop their craft with a friendly, supportive group of fellow writers. This course will run from 2 Oct to 20 Nov 2023.
Tutor
Christopher Wakling
Christopher Wakling is the author of seven acclaimed novels and three adventures for children, including What I Did, The Devil’s Mask and On Cape Three Points. Born in 1970, he read English at Oxford, then worked as a farm hand, teacher and lawyer, before turning to writing full-time in 2001. As well as writing fiction, Christopher is a travel writer for the Independent. He is also the Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Bristol University and has tutored numerous creative-writing courses for Curtis Brown Creative and The Arvon Foundation.
Guest tutor
Laura Kay
Laura Kay is a London based writer whose work has appeared in Diva Magazine and the Guardian. She has a Masters degree in History from the University of Sheffield where she received the Sir Ian Kershaw Dissertation Prize. Laura was one of ten writers selected for Penguin’s 2018 WriteNow programme, during which she developed her debut novel, The Split, which was be published by Quercus in 2021. Her second book, Tell Me Everything, will be published in May 2022.
What does this course give you?
- Live teaching sessions on Zoom: On Monday evenings, Chris will welcome the group for a 90-minute Zoom class, covering topics that will be of interest to beginners such as how to create engaging characters, gripping dialogue and a strong sense of place. You’ll read examples of great fiction writing and discuss these as a group.
- Writing tasks: Weekly writing tasks, prompts and practical exercises will help you explore the teaching topics and develop your skills as you put pen to paper.
- A community of writers: Join a friendly and supportive group of fifteen aspiring writers for weekly Zoom classes and share your work with your peers on our bespoke learning platform. You’ll be encouraged to read and give feedback on each other’s work and to discuss the week’s teaching topic in a warm, supportive space.
- Feedback on your writing: Each week, your tutor will give brief feedback to five students on their work, so that each student in the group receives individual comment on their work twice during the course.
- Guest author session: Join a special live Zoom session with author Laura Kay, who will talk about how she got started writing fiction and give tips on setting goals, making time to write and progressing with a project. There will be an opportunity for students to ask questions.
Course schedule
Please note that precise dates of sessions and details of course speakers are subject to change.
Introduction & first steps
Mon 2 Oct, 7–8.30pmCharacter
Mon 9 Oct, 7–8.30pmPlotting & story
Mon 16 Oct, 7–8.30pmPlace & setting
Mon 23 Oct, 7–8.30pmGuest author session
Mon 30 Oct, 7–8.30pmVoice & point-of-view
Mon 6 Nov, 7–8.30pmDialogue
Mon 13 Nov, 7–8.30pmEndings & editing
Mon 20 Nov, 7–8.30pm
Course fees & application
The course fee of £525 (inc VAT) per student is payable in full before the start of the course.
Places will be offered on a first come, first served basis – we therefore advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early. If you’d like to apply, please fill out our application form. If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
Additional feedback
Students will be given the option to purchase feedback on their work from a CBC editor at the end of the course.
- 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.
Start writing fiction on our eight-week Zoom course for beginners – with inspiring lessons from experienced tutor Christopher Wakling.
Tutor
Christopher Wakling