Our Courses
Whether you are wanting to take that first wobbly step on the rocky road to becoming a writer, or are struggling to finish your novel, one of our creative writing courses can help you. At Ł175 for most courses, we offer excellent value for money. Our next course sessions begin on the 22nd of April 2013. Click on the headers below for full details.
Creative Writing I - Getting Started 
Writing can be a very lonely and daunting activity for all writers, but especially in the case of the beginner writer. Without the right encouragement it can be too easy to never pick up your pen, or worse still, give up after only just beginning. Our aim is to get you writing, and keep you writing. If you have already started writing, our aim is to encourage you to keep going, especially when the going gets tough.
Creative Writing II - Keeping Going
KEEPING GOING is essentially for those who have completed our Creative Writing (I) course (GETTING STARTED) or for those who have some previous writing experience.
Novel Writing I - Start Writing Your Novel
This course is tailored for all those who are wanting to concentrate on writing a long narrative or a first novel. Some creative writing experience is recommended but not essential.
Novel Writing II - Finishing and Getting Published
This course is for those of you who have completed Novel Writing (I) or for those writers who have started a first novel. It is designed to inspire as well as help you shape and structure your work. It helps you take your first steps towards the publication and promotion of your work. If you have any questions, contact Marianne marianne@writingclasses.co.uk.
Writing for Magazines is for those who enjoy sharing their views and experiences with readers. We will look at what excites editors and readers, how to structure articles and stories for maximum effect, how the magazine writing marketplace works, and how to write terrific query letters and writing samples. You will receive constructive input on your own work from your tutor and your peers, you will also provide feedback to others in class. From start to finish, this course will help you conceive and write compelling articles for publication.
The idea of creating a poem can seem daunting to many people. Poetry is often perceived as being too difficult or is simply dismissed as a past time for the literary elite. FIRST STEPS aims to dispel the myths and give you the ‘know how’ to get you writing poetry. Essentially for people who are new to poetry writing, it can also be of help to those who have perhaps already been on a course and are looking for some further direction and encouragement.
Writing can be a lonely and daunting activity for all writers, but especially for the beginner writer. Without the right encouragement it can be too easy to never pick up your pen, or worse still, give up after only just beginning. Our aim is to get you writing, and keep you writing. If you have already started writing, our aim is to encourage you to keep going, especially when the going gets tough.
Why our online courses are better
Our courses are all online. All you need is a computer and access to the internet to begin. For all our writing courses we use a simple online conference programme called FirstClass, which is very easy to use and very secure – it is used by the G8 countries as the medium of communication during the conferences.
In the unlikely event that you need help with the software, we offer excellent technical support by email or telephone throughout the duration of the course, no query is too small or too big.
Our virtual conference room is always open. You can log on at a time that suits you and from absolutely anywhere in the world. Our students come from all walks of life and from as far away as New Zealand, Dubai, China, USA, South Africa, Norway and Afghanistan.
You do not have to be online at the same time as your colleagues or your tutor when you log on, which means you can never be late or too early for class. Never the less, the way the programme works means communication feels instantaneous.
If you have an IPhone, IPad or other mobile device you can get your free app and join in “on the go”.
While the classroom may be virtual, your tutor is a very real and experienced person, who will give you very real guidance and encouragement. Just as the virtual conference never closes, your tutor is always contactable.
You receive weekly course notes, writing exercises and writing assignments. There is no right or wrong amount of writing to do but your tutor will encourage you to write what you can, given your own personal commitments.
You are encouraged to share your writing work/assignments with your tutor and colleagues to read and comment on. The more assignments you complete the more feedback you will get, which is enormously helpful in developing your writing skills.
We like small groups. Studies have shown that people work more effectively online when they are in small groups. This is why we keep our course groups to between 6 and 10 students.
Each course runs for ten weeks in real time (which includes the orientation week) and offers excellent value for money.
Anne Lamott
