Write to the End of Your Novel
Are you somewhere in the middle of writing a novel? Need some great advice to help you reach the end of the first draft? This course will help you develop the skills, techniques and staying power that will get you all the way to the finish line.
COURSE DATES
Jan 15 2020 - Feb 26 2020
Novel-Writing
Finish your first draft
Online
Hosted on our bespoke learning platform
Course fee £200
+ £120 for a 500-word report
OVERVIEW
Are you stuck in the middle of your first draft? Perhaps you’re writing and writing without a clear sense of where you’re going – or maybe you’re just not sure how to keep building forward from those early chapters? If so, then this is the online creative writing course for you. Across six weeks, Curtis Brown Creative’s Managing Director will take you on a journey to help you complete your novel. She shows how to use ‘active planning’ to solve your writing problems, and teaches some invaluable writing techniques, such as how to build suspense, how to write great dialogue and how to come up with a satisfying ending to your story.
Whether you’re writing just for fun or taking the early steps in a more serious literary endeavour, this course will equip you with all the tools you need to get to the end of your first draft. It’s the second course in our novel-writing series – following naturally on from Starting to Write Your Novel – and then leading to Edit & Pitch Your Novel . The series is designed to take you all the way from the germ of an idea to a polished draft and pitch – though you can also take any of the three courses on its own. It also gives a taste of what we do at Curtis Brown Creative for people who may be considering the bigger time and financial commitment of our longer novel-writing courses.
This course – like all of our online courses – is designed for flexible study. You can take part at times to suit you and from wherever in the world you are.
“I learned a great deal from the course – not only where I need to improve and strengthen my writing, but also my strengths themselves, which has allowed me to feel more confident in my pursuit of a long term career as a writer.”
Lia Middleton, Former Write to the End of Your Novel student
Tutor
Anna Davis, Director
Anna is the founder and Director of the Curtis Brown Creative writing school. She is the author of five acclaimed novels which have been published in twenty languages. She has been a journalist and Guardian columnist, as well as a Curtis Brown literary agent. She taught creative writing at the University of Manchester and in many other settings before founding Curtis Brown Creative in 2011.
WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?
Weekly Teaching Modules
A clear path through to finishing your first draft
Work through six weekly modules comprising teaching videos and substantial notes by Anna Davis. Topics covered include writing dialogue, building suspense, how to work with an 'active plan' and what to do when you get stuck in the middle.
Dedicated Teaching Videos
CBC's Founder Anna Davis guides you through the course
Watch specially filmed, informative teaching videos, presented by Anna Davis, offering a practical and friendly approach to help you conquer your writing demons and complete your novel. Each weekly module includes at least three videos.
Resources & Notes
Comprehensive teaching notes and reference materials which are yours to keep
You’ll get access to multiple resources, teaching notes and actionable writing tips - including detailed notes on the three-act narrative structure, plus case studies
Student Forum
The hub of our online courses, find your writing community
Upload your completed writing tasks, give and receive feedback, and discuss the week’s topics with your fellow students and the CBC team.
Writing Tasks
Tailor-made writing tasks help you put the lessons into practice
Weekly writing and thinking tasks will help you explore and understand the teaching topics and apply them to your novel. Forum posts to the group from Anna will reinforce these lessons.
Feedback
Get feedback from your peers and an expert CBC editor
Sharpen your editorial eye through offering comment on other students' work and get their feedback on yours. An expert CBC editor will give brief written comments on several of the students' practical assignments each week, with all students receiving feedback on a task at some stage of the course.
STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
You can follow the course at your own pace, but to get the best out of this course, allow plenty of time to watch the videos, read and reflect on the notes and resources, complete the writing tasks, and take part in discussions in the forum. We encourage all students to offer positive, constructive feedback to each other in the forum as the course progresses.
It’s also important to be working on your novel throughout the six weeks. At the end of the six weeks, we will ask you to post up in the forum the first page of your novel, a 2,000 word excerpt and a brief overview explaining where the extract fits into the story arc.
For an additional fee of £120 you can obtain a detailed 500-word report on your final task (the first page of your novel, a 2,000 word excerpt and brief overview explaining where the extract fits into the story arc) from an expert CBC editor.
(NB: if you’re looking for one-to-one tutorials and tutor-led writing workshops as part of a writing course, do take a look at our longer, selective courses – these aren’t included in Write to the End of Your Novel.)
COURSE SCHEDULE
Each week students will gain access to a new module based on a practical novel-writing topic. Our bespoke learning platform features separate forum spaces for all six teaching topics, arranged in a clear structure that’s easy to use. Our online learning space allows students to quickly find and take part in discussions and to easily locate task materials they’d like to refer back to.
WEEK 1
Introduction and Pace
You’ve written your opening but how do you keep up the pace and momentum? We’ll get you writing confidently.
WEEK 2
Writing Dialogue
Great dialogue is a vital element of a good novel. We’ll show you how write convincing dialogue that sparkles.
WEEK 3
Active Planning
Lots of us run into difficulties at one-third into a novel: Learn how to solve problems through ongoing plotting and planning.
WEEK 4
Building Suspense
Suspense isn’t only for crime fiction and thrillers. We’ll show you how to get the reader on the edge of their seat.
WEEK 5
Stuck in the Middle & Style and Description
Practical advice on how to get moving again when your writing has come to a halt. And learn how to sharpen your prose style.
WEEK 6
Scenes of sex and violence - and Endings
How to avoid cliche and unintentional comedy when writing scenes of sex or violence. Plus our advice on how to write a satisfying ending.
READY TO ENROL?
We’re excited to have you join our community of writers. Choose your preferred option from the right-hand-side and click the ‘Pay & Enrol’ button by 13th January (Midnight, end of day). Make sure that you agree to the Terms and Conditions. If you have a discount code you can input the details at payment. You will be shown a secure credit card form for payment. Once you enrol we’ll send you a confirmation email. The day before your course begins you will receive a welcome pack explaining everything you need to know about the course.
