Complete Your Manuscript – One-to-One Programme

A year-long programme tailored to your specific project and writing needs, to get you all the way to the finish line.

This programme is a great choice for writers who want sustained individual support. No other creative writing programme offers as much one-to-one feedback from an expert author, based on close readings of your work-in-progress, to help you grow your writing skills and your confidence and keep you motivated as you produce a full draft.

You’ll be matched with an acclaimed author with expertise in your genre/style of writing, who will be your individual mentor as you write and progress your manuscript – and, as you near the end of the 12 months, you’ll get further advice on how to hone your pitch from an editor with relevant publishing experience. In addition to this bespoke package of one-to-one feedback you’ll have your choice of three of our popular online courses, a free pass to a range of live events and masterclasses and wrap-around care from your dedicated programme manager (a senior member of our team), who will guide and support you in constructing your optimum writing year.

Complete Your Manuscript is suitable for writers working on fiction or non-fiction, and is responsive to whatever stage of the writing process you’re at – whether you’re developing a new project from its very beginnings, trying to finish a book you’re already at work on, or embarking on a substantial rewrite. This is an ideal writing programme for those seeking one-to-one tutoring rather than a course with a peer-group of writers.

The programme will culminate in a full manuscript report, where your entire draft will be read and an in-depth feedback report will be shared with you. After this final feedback assessment, you’ll have a clear understanding of the steps needed to take your manuscript forward to its final polished version.

What does this programme give you?

• Welcome meeting: The programme starts with a 30-minute Zoom meeting with your mentor and programme manager to discuss your aims for the programme and where you’re currently at with your work-in-progress.
• 4 one-to-ones with feedback: When you’re ready, your mentor will read the opening 5,000 words of your book and meet with you on Zoom for an hour of one-to-one discussion and feedback. Across subsequent months you will share a further three extracts (each up to 10,000 words) with your mentor, who will meet with you after reading the material in a further three one-hour Zoom tutorials. After each meeting you will also receive 500 words of feedback notes from your mentor. These four one-to-ones will be diarised to suit your schedule (subject to your mentor’s availability).
• Trio of online courses: You’ll join three flexible online writing courses at times that suit you, to be taken at any time within 12 months of starting the programme. To support your development as a writer, you will be given a choice from our full library of four-, five- and six-week online courses (including our bestselling How to Write Your Novel series).
• CBC event pass: You’ll be invited to join live events and masterclasses with authors, literary agents and publishers – these 60- 90-minute sessions take place in the evening (UK time) Across the year you’ll be able to attend the equivalent of at least two events per month.
• Pitch consultation: When you’re nearing the end of the programme, you’ll be briefed on how to prepare a pitch package and will share your draft pitch letter, one-page synopsis and opening 3,000 words with an experienced editor who has worked with a major publishing house or literary agency. During a 45-minute consultation they will give feedback from a publishing industry perspective on the positioning of your book and how they see your manuscript appealing to agents and publishers, and will help you interrogate what sits at the heart of your story. They will offer advice on ways to pitch your work when the time comes, and you’ll get the opportunity to ask questions about the submissions process.
• Full manuscript report: At the end of the 12 months, your mentor (or another expert editor) will read your manuscript in its entirety and write a report comprising at least 1,500 words, covering structural and stylistic issues. For novels this might mean plotting, characterisation, narrative perspective, voice and pace. For non-fiction there could be a focus on your central idea, questions of what to include and what to set aside etc. You can submit your manuscript for assessment at any time within three months of the programme ending. See full manuscript report details here.
• Dedicated programme manager: Across the programme, a senior member of the CBC office team will provide wrap-around personalised care and advice, responding to your questions and concerns as they arise. In addition to advising you via email as you journey through the programme, they will join the Welcome meeting (explained above) and two further scheduled 15-minute check-in calls to support you in the choices you make across the year of the programme.
• Flexibility: Every element of this programme will be diarised to suit you. Your programme manager will offer recommendations for timings and then you’ll work with your mentor to find times that fit with your schedules. We have designed this programme to follow a year-long structure. However, if you want to take the programme in a more concentrated burst, we can schedule it to take place within a shorter time period, e.g. six months.

Our expert mentors

We’ll pair you with a mentor from our team of accomplished authors. We have expert mentors for those writing the following:

• Novels written for adults (we have mentors working across all genres)
• Novels written for children (older than 7) or young adults
• Collections of short stories
• Memoir
• Narrative non-fiction

Fees

£4,000 (inc VAT). £3,300 is payable in full before your programme starts, or via three agreed instalments of £1,100. Then when you are ready for your full manuscript report you will pay a final instalment of £700. Please note, if your manuscript exceeds 95,000 words an additional charge based on wordcount will apply.

Ready to apply?

This is a fully flexible programme – you can apply to start studying at any time! When you're ready, select your preferred start month from the dropdown.

Please apply with your opening – up to 3,000-words – alongside a one-page synopsis (both need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE file) or short summary of the book you’re writing and do let us know if you have a preferred mentor in mind (see the list above).

Each mentor only has limited spaces, and they are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so get in touch as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If we can’t match you with your first-choice mentor, we will endeavour to suggest a suitable alternative.

Your application form and manuscript extract will help us select the right mentor from our experienced team.

After we receive your application, we will be in touch to discuss suitable mentors within seven working days.

Alumni of our selective-application courses are guaranteed access to this programme.

If you have any questions about this programme or available tutors, please email students@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk.