Three-Month Novel-Writing Course
Deep-dive into your novel with expert tuition, a strong peer group and advice from literary agents. All online, and with flexible scheduling. *Scholarship Available*
COURSE DATES
Jul 13 2020 - OCT 19 2020
Online
Take this course from anywhere in the world
Selective Entry
We offer places to the most talented applicants
Course Fee £1,600
Work on your novel with the experts
Overview
We’ve designed this online novel-writing course to be as useful and fulfilling as the courses we run in our offices, with contributions from agents here at Curtis Brown and C&W in London. This is a course for people who are serious about writing a novel. As well as being packed with useful content, it’s flexible so you can write and study at times to suit you.
Author and experienced tutor Andrew Michael Hurley will give direct feedback to students on their novels-in-progress via weekly online workshops, one-to-one tutorials and writing exercises. Via our online learning platform, you’ll get access to teaching videos, notes and resources from our CBC tutor team (listed below).
The Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents plus an experienced publisher, will offer writing and pitching advice in special events across the course. At the end of the course, students get to share the opening of their novels informally with the agent teams at Curtis Brown and C&W.
In the nine years since we first launched Curtis Brown Creative, over 90 of our former students have gone on to get major publishing deals for their novels. We’ve had some fantastic success stories across all genres, including online course students Jane Harper (The Dry) and Nicholas Searle (The Good Liar), both now international bestsellers. The film adaptation of The Good Liar starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren was released in 2019. A film adaptation of The Dry is currently in production and will star Eric Bana. You can read more about our online course success stories here.
While we can’t guarantee publication or representation, we lavish our expertise on our students. The agents of Curtis Brown and C&W are hungry for new authors and will be actively looking for clients among our writers.
‘[Andrew Michael Hurley’s] The Loney is not just good, it’s great. It’s an amazing piece of fiction’
Stephen King
Tutor
Andrew Michael Hurley, Author
Andrew Michael Hurley is currently based in Lancashire. His first novel, The Loney, was originally published by Tartarus Press as a 300-copy limited-edition, before being republished by John Murray. It went on to sell in twenty languages, win the Costa Best First Novel Award and Book of the Year at the British Book Industry Awards. Devil's Day, his second novel, was picked as a Book of the Year in five newspapers and won the Encore Award. Starve Acre is published by John Murray in 2019.
WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?

Teaching Videos & Tasks
Advice on key topics from our tutor team
The course takes a new topic each week. You'll get teaching videos and notes from our tutor team, and Andrew will add his thoughts on each module and set tasks for the group - writing exercises or discussion. Topics tackled include plotting, characterisation, point-of-view and rewriting.

Writing Workshops
Led by Andrew Michael Hurley
You'll get two dedicated workshops centring on material from your novel-in-progress with your tutor and the group (Extracts of 3000 words, each time). These sessions offer in-depth written feedback and are also designed to help develop your editing skills.

Student Forum
The hub of our online courses - find your writing community
We have developed a bespoke learning platform exclusively for our students. Here you can give and receive feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and tutor.

One-to-One Tutorials
Extracts of your novel will be closely reviewed by your tutor
You'll get two 30 minute, one-to-one tutorials with your tutor Andrew Michael Hurley, conducted over the phone or via Skype, based on 3,000 word sections of your novel-in-progress. Use these tutorials to address your specific concerns about your writing.

Pitch Workshop
Practise your elevator pitch with an experienced publisher
We'll give you advice on how to pitch your novel effectively, and then an experienced editor will give individual written feedback to all students.

Synopsis Advice
Our tips on how to conquer the dreaded synopsis
We'll draw on our agenting expertise to give you the vital ingredients of a great synopsis - then you'll write one, and Andrew will give you individual written feedback.

Literary Agent Q&A
Get answers from our team of literary agents
In a special session, you'll put questions to members of the Curtis Brown, and C&W agent teams in the discussion space, and gain their answers on how to navigate the choppy waters of the publishing industry.

Agent Letter Session
Expert feedback on the all-important pitch letter
We'll give you the vital do's and don'ts of agent pitch letters - you'll then write your own and the agents from Curtis Brown and C&W will give you written feedback, plus their tips on how to bypass the slush pile.

End of Course Submission
Share your opening with the Curtis Brown and C&W agents
At the end of the course all students will be invited to submit the 3,000 word opening of their novel, plus a synopsis, to be shared with the agent teams at CB and C&W. This is not a formal submission to the agency but a chance to give the agents a taste of your work at this stage.

Webinar with a Literary Agent
Join a live video chat with a top UK literary agent
Students will take part in a special 90 minute video webinar with a leading agent from Curtis Brown or C&W. They will discuss what literary agents do and answer your questions about publishing.
WORKING WITH OTHER WRITERS
We pride ourselves on the tightly-knit writing communities that are established on our courses. As well as getting feedback on extracts from your own novel during the course, we’ll be asking you to read the work of your 14 fellow students week by week, and provide constructive written comments (both privately and in our online discussion space). We find this process helps students develop their own inner editor and has a hugely positive impact on their own writing. Each week three students will submit 3,000-word extracts from their novels-in-progress to be workshopped by the rest of the group and the tutor. It’ll be your turn to get the group’s dedicated workshop attention two times across the course.
Exclusive alumni services
By popular request we have now launched a range of exclusive writing services, available only to the alumni of our selective courses, which you’ll be able to access after your course finishes. These services include individual mentoring from some of our most experienced tutors (you get to choose your supervisor from the available tutors), a four-day annual alumni summer school at our London offices, editorial reports on your completed novel, submission reports on your ‘pitch package’ and coaching from experienced practitioners. If you’d like further details about these services, and current prices, before applying to this course, you can email us on cbccourses@curtisbrown.co.uk .
Additionally, any students from our selective course who want to formally submit their novels to agents from Curtis Brown or C&W will be given advice and support from the Curtis Brown Creative team with their submission. Full information about this free service is provided during the course.
Guest Sessions
This course offers direct interaction with literary agents at Curtis Brown and C&W and with an experienced publisher. You’ll also get teaching videos from your tutor Andrew Michael Hurley and from the author-tutors on our team:
Application Process
Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your novel in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level. Many of our former students have found their trusted readers with us – and form strong working friendships with class-mates which go on long after the course is over.
The course fee of £1,600 (inc VAT) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer or cheque. Funds must reach our bank account before the course begins. If you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, let us know and we can arrange an instalment plan.
Please upload your application via the form at the end of this page. If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email cbccourses@curtisbrown.co.uk for assistance.
There is also one fully funded Write From Home Scholarship place available for a talented writer of limited financial means. Find out more and apply for a scholarship place here.
Course Schedule
WEEK 1
Inspiration and Reading as Writers
Monday 13 July – Sunday 19 July
With videos from Anna Davis, Andrew Michael Hurley and Chris Wakling
WEEK 2
Openings
Monday 20 July – Sunday 26 July
With videos from Lisa O’Donnell
WEEK 3
Writing from Life
Monday 27 July – Sunday 2 August
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
WEEK 4
Story, Plotting & Planning
Monday 3 August – Sunday 9 August
With videos from Chris Wakling
WEEK 5
Voice and Narrative Point of View
Monday 10 August – Sunday 16 August
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
WEEK 6
Characterisation
Monday 17 August – Sunday 23 August
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
WEEK 7
Description, Tone & Style
Monday 24 August – Sunday 30 August
With videos from Erin Kelly
WEEK 8
Dialogue
Wednesday 2 September – Sunday 6 September
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
WEEK 9
Building Suspense
Monday 7 September – Sunday 13 September
With videos from Erin Kelly
WEEK 10
Endings
Monday 14 September – Sunday 20 September
With videos from Lisa O’Donnell
WEEK 11
Editing and Rewriting
Monday 21 September – Sunday 27 September
With videos from Jake Arnott
WEEK 12
The Synopsis
Monday 28 September – Sunday 4 October
With videos from Anna Davis and a synopsis workshop with your tutor
WEEK 13
Final Questions
Monday 5 October – Sunday 11 October
A second synopsis workshop with your tutor and a chance to ask questions that have arisen for you across the course and get answers from your tutor in this final teaching week
WEEK 14
End of Course Submission
Monday 19 October
Students to submit 3,000 word opening and one-page synopsis to be read by the Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents