Online Creative Writing Courses

Online writing courses that could change your life

The main thing that holds new writers back is a worry about the unknown: just how do you structure a story? Or bring a character to life? Or make sure that your writing style is good enough?

Our courses teach those things in a way that encourages, informs and inspires. We have courses for every range of ability and experience - and they're designed to be simple, friendly and intimate (We keep our class sizes deliberately small). Our online writing courses are easy to fit into your life. Everything - videos, lectures, discussions, homework and feedback - can be accessed online at any time of day or night.

Just browse the list below and select the course that's right for you. If you're not sure which course to pick, just get in touch: we'll be happy to help.

Our creative writing courses

"I'm a total beginner."

Do you long to write but don’t know where to begin?  Don’t worry. If you long to write, you’re already halfway there. This course helps you get those words from head to heart and onto page or screen.  Read more.

If you're the sort that likes to begin at the beginning, then our six week course is for you. Run by bestselling author, Jessica Ruston, you'll learn about how to get ideas, structure a story, write powerful characters, and bring your work to market. The course will provide a great grounding in the basics - but also encourage and inspire. Read more.

"I'm a confident beginner."

How To Write A Novel - 10 week course - £395 - Book now!
Next Start Date - 17th September, 2013

Perhaps you've written creatively already, or perhaps you're well-read and confident in the basics of the art. Either way, our ten week online writing course will explore subjects such as voice, inner worlds, self-editing and other aspects of the craft that can't be investigated fully in the shorter course. Read more.

"I want to write for children."

Writing for Children - 6 week course - £295 - Book now!
Next Start Date -  11th June , 2013

Writing for children is a uniquely delicious occupation - but that doesn't mean it's easy! Our Writing for Children course is taught by a professional children's author and will take you through all the skills you need to get started with confidence. We won't just talk about inspiration and story-telling, we'll also give you a realistic sense of what it takes to get published - and how to get there. Read more.

"I want to write about my life."

Writing from Life - 6 week course - £295 - Book now!
Next Start Date - 3rd September, 2013

One of the best routes into writing is through our personal experiences and memories; some of our most interesting material comes from our own lives. From getting ideas to structure, character, dialogue, description and voice, this course will help you to research and write about real life, whether memoir, biography, travel, reportage or fiction. An online writing course that will transform your writing. Read more.

"I've written my novel and have started to edit it."

How To Self-Edit Your Novel - 6 week course - £295 - Book now!
Next Start Date - 4th June, 2013

 If you've already written (or part-written) your novel or creative non-fiction manuscript, you'll know that you've set yourself one heck of a challenge. Our inspirational (nay, mind-blowing) course on self-editing will propel you to entirely new levels of insight, confidence and purpose. Run by the hugely popular Emma Darwin and Debi Alper, this course is a must for any serious writer. Read more.

"I want mentoring from first idea to final draft."

The Complete Novel Course - (info)

 Huh? You want what exactly? You want a prize-winning author to sit down with you and work with you from the very start of your project right through to a third (and possibly final draft)? You want to work at your own pace, have one-to-one contact throughout, get prompt and detailed responses to your concerns and queries - then get helped to find an agent at the end, assuming that your novel is good enough? Well, OK, then. We'll see what we can do.

"I hate novels! I want to write a screenplay."

Screenwriting - Absolute Beginners - 4 week course - £195 - Book now!
 Next Start Date - 3rd Spetember, 2013 

Screenwriting is the most technical area of writing. Your storytelling needs to be fluent and gripping - but you are writing with pictures: a blueprint for a movie. Getting that right demands imaginative power and rigorous technique. Our course will help you achieve the latter and release the former. Read more.