Creative Non-Fiction (Blended) 2023-2025

(Two years. One morning per week for 25 weeks per year)

The Creative Non-Fiction Programme has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of turning personal or researched experience into narrative. It has a particular emphasis on the different forms of creative non-fiction: life writing, autobiography, biography, historically researched fiction, travel writing, diaries, journals, comic writing and blogs and teaches writing techniques that can be used in both non-fiction and creative fiction.

Overview

In your first year you will reflect on the sources and themes of your own writing

• develop a deeper understanding of your own creativity and enhance your story-telling ability
• learn the writing techniques that will bring the world of your imagination to life on the page
• explore the relationship between memory and imagination in non-fiction narratives

In the second year the focus will shift from shorter scenes to longer narratives. You will:

• learn how to create compelling characters and a strong, distinctive narratorial voice
• discover ways of enhancing the dramatic impact of your writing and explore the different ways in which life stories can be told
• gain further insights into language and technique and examine the related concepts of authenticity and integrity in life writing

Throughout the course you will continue to explore aspects of character and setting, learning to negotiate memory and constructs of time in relation to life writing.

You will hone your critical and editing skills and develop your eye for good life writing. In the writing workshops, you will share, discuss and evaluate your work with the other writers in your writing group.

At the end of the two-year programme you will be invited to attend Publishing Day where you will have an opportunity to discuss your work with a publishing professional

What this creative writing course will do for you

This programme will help you:

• develop your confidence and ability as a writer.
• organise and manage your work
• evolve a strong individual style.

All you need to bring to the programme is your imagination, a love of reading, a passion to write, a commitment to your writing group and the determination to succeed.

What is required of me?

Over the two years you will need to organise a minimum of twelve hours per week for classes and additional reading and writing time.

You will need to have access to a computer with email and an internet connection as the programme uses an internet learning site to allow students to keep in touch outside of the taught sessions.

How our creative writing courses work

The programme follows a structure of four creative writing courses over two years, blended to maximise the benefits of both online and in-person learning and collaboration. Weekly seminars of two and a half hours include a mix of practical writing exercises, discussions, group work, tutor-led feedback and taught sessions.

Your in-person sessions will be in October and early November As the nights draw in you will move to online learning over the Winter. At the end of March when the clocks go forward you will resume in-person classes, and continue them after the Easter break, through May.

You will work closely with two of our experienced tutors, who will meet you for one-to-one tutorials. You can also take additional Weekend School seminars with visiting writers if you choose.

The in-person seminars are taught in the Kemptown Bookshop in Brighton, an award winning independent bookshop which offers a comfortable writing area above the main bookshop, with plenty of food and coffee shops in the vicinity. Buses run regularly from Brighton Station to this part of Brighton.

Click here to read more about the content and structure of individual courses

Please ensure you have read our Terms and Conditions. For further information on this course or our other programmes contact

Mark Slater
mark.slater@creativewritingprogramme.org.uk