Creative Writing Programme (Blended) 2023-2025
(Two-years. One morning, or one evening a week for 25 weeks per year.)
The Creative Writing Programme has been carefully designed to develop your understanding of the craft of writing, to provide you with the support and structure you need to push your skills to another level and to complete a planned writing project. Your course tutors will teach you the writing techniques you need to complete your work, offer you focused written feedback and help you set realistic deadlines.
Overview
In your first year you will reflect on the sources and themes of your own writing:
- develop a greater understanding of your own creativity and the creative process
- learn how to create dynamic fictional characters
- discover ways of enhancing the dramatic impact of your fiction and explore the different ways in which stories can be told.
In the second year the focus will shift from short scenes to longer narratives. You will:
- develop your understanding of plot, story structure and the ‘world of the story’
- explore the complex relationship between characters, narrators and readers
- discover the importance of theme, conflict and dramatic tension and gain further insights into language, technique and style.
Throughout the course you will deepen your understanding of the function and role of character as you move from short character sketches to multi-character scenes, to the complex interaction and character development of longer narratives.
You will hone your critical and editing skills and develop your eye for a good story. In the writing workshops, you will share, discuss and evaluate your work with the other writers in your writing group.
By the end the programme you will have developed a substantial body of work and have either finished your writing project or be in a position to bring it to completion.
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.
It is an ideal programme for writers who want to write a novel, a collection of short stories or a challenging piece of prose and are looking for structure, encouragement and feedback to help them achieve this.
All you will need to bring to the programme is your imagination, a love of reading, a passion to write and the determination to succeed.
Jess’s perspective
‘I’d been secretly writing short stories for years but lacked the confidence to show anyone else my work. The creative writing programme is ideal for developing confidence – it’s a combination of giving and receiving feedback from peers, great tutors with fantastic writing exercises, knowledge of theory, technique, and the publishing industry. My tutor, encouraged me to send off stories in the first term, and as a result I ended up with seven short stories in print in different publications. By the end of the programme I had almost completed my novel Snake Ropes. Through the Agents and Publishers Day on the programme I met an agent who liked my work. That led to a two-book deal with Sceptre.
If I’d been asked a couple of months before starting the course if I’d ever feel able to write a novel, I’d have said no. Doing the Creative Writing Programme really helped me to realise my potential.
Jess Richards, author of ‘Snake Ropes’ and ‘Cooking with Bones’
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 The Kemptown Bookshop, Brighton.
Click here to read more about the content and structure of individual courses
Key Facts
THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL. SORRY!
Programme Length:
Two years. 25 weeks per year (12 weeks of in-person teaching and 13 weeks online). Maximum group size 15
Venue and times:
Tuesday evenings 7 – 9.30pm (in-person sessions at Kemptown Bookshop)
Dates:
Autumn: 2nd October – 15th December (Reading Week 23rd – 27th October)
Spring: 8th January – 22nd March (Reading Week 12th – 16th February)
Summer: 22nd April – 24th May
(Dates for 2024-2025 will be given in the summer term of 2024)
Entry requirements:
No formal qualifications required
Programme tutors:
Dr Mark Slater and Cathy Hayward (programme directors), Dr Beth Miller and Ruth Figgest
Fee:
£1,050 per annum
Fees can be paid in full or at the beginning of each term. There is a £20 additional admin fee for the Autumn Term if fees are paid per term.
Autumn Term only: £420
Spring/Summer Term only: £650
To enrol: choose one of the payment links at the bottom of this page and click on it
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