Creative Writing - Fiction

Over twelve weeks, we will teach you the building blocks for fiction writing covering topics such as: Finding your voice and inspiration for your work, Characterisation, Point of view, Dialogue, Setting, Structure, Plot, Suspense, Editing and World-Building. We will also dedicate time to exploring Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy genres and a special class looking at what we can learn about and structure and plot from screenwriters. For more details please see the proposed programme outline.

This course is aimed at beginners who are interested in exploring fiction writing for the first time. It is also perfect for anyone who has experimented with some creative writing, such as short story writing, but would like to develop and enhance their core writing skills.

Each class will be two hours long and taught over Zoom. Each class will include some writing exercises and also suggestions for exercises to continue your practice at home. You will not be required to share this work as there is no workshop component at this level, but there may be some opportunities to read the results of exercises aloud for those who would like to.

1. Introduction: Finding Inspiration and Finding your Voice.
   This introductory week will offer an overview of the programme and what participants can expect. We will also consider where we can find inspiration for our stories and explore what it means to find your own writing voice.
   Tutor: Helen Cullen
2. Creating Characters
   How do we create compelling characters that bring our stories to life? We will begin to develop our skills at writing characters that readers will believe in, care about and become invested in.
   Tutor: Helen Cullen
3. Dynamic Dialogue
   Writing dynamic dialogue is a crucial element of fiction writing. This week we will understand why it’s so important, and how to make it work.
   Tutor: Helen Cullen
4. Characterisation and Structure
   In most fiction, characters and their motivations and actions, drive the structure of the story – they are intertwined. We will look closely at the fundamentals of story structure through fictional characters.
   Tutor: Bernardine Evaristo
5. Setting and Descriptive Detail
   We’ll explore how we use our senses to develop setting and descriptive detail in fiction, and how this can enrich and deepen our writing.
   Tutor: Bernardine Evaristo
6. Point of View
   Point of View is the term we use for the perspective from which a story is narrated. For example, do you use the first person, ‘I’, or the third person, ‘he, she or they’? It’s very simple to understand and fun to play around with switching perspectives.
   Tutor: Bernardine Evaristo
7. Plot and Structure: what can we learn from Scriptwriters?
   An engaging plot for your story – particularly in terms of genre fiction – is crucial. We’ll discuss outlining and how this can help you find the story you want to tell.
   Tutor: Max Kinnings
8. Writing Suspense
   An understanding of how to create suspense – and keeping your reader turning the pages – is essential for all writers of fiction.
   Tutor: Max Kinnings
9. Genre World-Building
   From Middle Earth to the Final Frontier, we will explore techniques that help us to create convincing and compelling story worlds.
   Tutor: Frazer Lee
10. Science Fiction and Fantasy
    The fundamentals of science fiction and fantasy storytelling, from the novum to the hero’s journey, and how to innovate beyond them.
    Tutor: Frazer Lee
11. Introduction to Writing Horror
    Writing uncanny tales that excite the senses, and which use our fears to explore darker themes in a safe genre space.
    Tutor: Frazer Lee
12. Editing Masterclass
    You think you’ve finished your story – but have you? In this session we’ll explore the different stages of editing, proof-reading and polishing to help you make your writing the best it can be.
    Tutor: Max Kinnings