16 September 2021

How to write a good first page

by Anna Davis How To ..., Writing Tips

It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of the first page of your novel. Readers at every stage of the process – from the friend you’ve asked to read your first draft, through to agents and publishing professionals, and right on to potential buyers in bookshops and online – make their decisions about whether to read […]

14 September 2021

Meet Hanna Tatschl, winner of the Breakthrough Scholarship for Memoir Writers

by Katie Smart Events, From Our Students

We are pleased to announce that Hanna Tatschl has been awarded the Breakthrough Scholarship for Memoir Writers for her memoir-in-progress Relentless. Hanna has won a place on our inaugural three-month online Writing Your Memoir course. We are extremely grateful to the Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency for providing this scholarship, and for their support […]

07 September 2021

Meet Ely Percy, winner of the John le Carré Scholarship

by Katie Smart Events, From Our Students

We are pleased to announce that Ely Percy has been awarded the inaugural John le Carré Scholarship for their novel-in-progress Kingstreet. Ely has won a place on our three-month online Writing Your Novel course. We are extremely grateful to the Curtis Brown Literary and Talent Agency for providing this scholarship, and to the family of […]

02 September 2021

#WriteCBC tip and task from Abby Parsons

by Abby Parsons Events, Writing Tips

Welcome to our September edition of #WriteCBC. I hope you’re ready to be inspired by our latest writing challenge! If you haven’t taken part in a #WriteCBC competition before, we’re excited to welcome you to our writing community – and you can quickly get up to speed by reading this blog with information about how to […]

02 September 2021

Three tips for writing diverse characters

by Michael Mann Author Interviews, From Our Students, Writing Tips

Michael Mann our took online Writing YA & Children’s Fiction course in 2018. After taking the course he became a client of Curtis Brown agent Stephanie Thwaites. His debut middle grade novel Ghostcloud will be published by Hachette Children’s 7 October. Here Michael draws on the guidance he received during our course as well as his own experiences of […]

01 September 2021

Paula Owen: ‘It’s never too late to decide to turn your hand to novel writing’

by Katie Smart Author Interviews, From Our Students, Writing Tips

Paula Owen was a student on our Writing Your Novel course in 2020. Now her debut historical novel Little Brown Dog will be published by Honno Press 15 September. We caught up with Paula to talk about her time on the course, her approach to research and her move from writing non-fiction to fiction… You […]

26 August 2021

Five ways to get inspired to write YA and children’s fiction

by Catherine Johnson Author Interviews, Writing Tips

Catherine Johnson is an award-winning children’s and YA author. Her book Sawbones won the Young Quills Prize for best Historical Fiction and was nominated for the Carnegie medal in 2015. Her historical middle grade novel Freedom won the 2019 Little Rebels Award for Radical Children’s Fiction. Catherine is also the tutor of our three-month online Writing YA & Children’s Fiction. […]

19 August 2021

Melissa Welliver: ‘Write in your most authentic voice’

by Katie Smart Author Interviews, From Our Students, Writing Tips

Melissa Welliver took our online Writing YA & Children’s Fiction course in 2016. Now she has a publishing deal with Agora Books for her gripping dystopian YA trilogy. The first book in the series The Undying Tower will be published this October. Melissa reveals the inspiration behind the totalitarian future portrayed in The Undying Tower, […]

12 August 2021

Camilla Young: ‘I want to be pitched something that I’ve never seen before’

by Jennifer Kerslake From the Agents, Screenwriting, Writing Tips

Camilla Young is an agent working in Curtis Brown’s Theatre, Film and TV department. Her clients include Dolly Alderton, Kevin Barry, Joss Agnew and Emma Jane Unsworth. Camilla is one of the agents involved in our our eighteen-week Writing an Original TV Drama Serial course. We caught up with Camilla to find out how she got […]

10 August 2021

Clare Alan: ‘Reread your script before sending it off’

by Jennifer Kerslake Screenwriting, Writing Tips

Clare Alan is an experienced script editor and producer who has worked on a range of TV and film projects in the UK and Ireland, including Solomon & Gaenor, factual drama The Investigator, Dangerfield, Silent Witness and The Vice. We’re thrilled to have Clare as a tutor providing feedback to aspiring screenwriters on our eighteen-week Writing an Original TV Drama Serial […]