Writing Historical Fiction – Advanced

Learn how to research and write a captivating historical novel that makes the past come alive. Whether you want to write an atmospheric historical mystery, an epic adventure or a retelling of a real event, this advanced course will give you the tools you need to unravel your story.

Award-winning historical novelist Kate Foster will guide you through everything that makes historical fiction so enthralling to readers – and show you how to apply it to your own novel. From vivid worldbuilding and thoughtful research to writing engaging characters that feel like they’ve stepped out of history, you’ll discover ways to experiment with genre conventions, interpret historical context and engage contemporary audiences with themes that resonate across the ages.

You’ll join a group of 15 budding writers for flexibly timed weekly writing workshops delivered on our bespoke online learning platform, plus live group teaching sessions via Zoom. Students will attend a special Zoom masterclass session with a top literary agent who works with leading historical fiction authors. You’ll also get in-depth feedback via a one-to-one tutorial with your tutor, to take place towards the end of the course.

What does this course give you?

• Live teaching sessions on Zoom: On six Tues evenings, your tutor will welcome the group for a 90-minute Zoom class, covering topics of significance to historical novelists, such as balancing fact and fiction, how to research and use details gleaned from different historical sources, and creating a believable protagonist that modern readers will root for.
• A community of writers: Our selective applications process means that you will be writing your novel in a peer group of 15 students working at a high level. 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 tutors. Many of our former students have found their trusted readers with us – and form strong working friendships with classmates which go on long after the course is over.
• Writing workshop: You’ll get a dedicated workshop centring on a 3,000-word extract from your novel-in-progress. Workshops offer in-depth feedback from your fellow students and tutor, and are also designed to help develop your self-editing skills.
• 1-to-1 tutorial: You'll get a 45-minute, one-to-one tutorial with your tutor, based on a 3,000-word extract from your novel-in-progress. Use this tutorial to address your specific concerns about your writing.
• Author & agent masterclass: Join a live Zoom session with a Curtis Brown literary agent and a historical novelist, and put your questions about writing to them. The discussion will cover writing, editing and the submissions process.
• End of course submission: All students will be invited to submit the 3,000-word opening from their novel, plus a synopsis, to be shared with the agent teams at Curtis Brown and C&W. This is not a formal submission but a chance to give the agents a taste of your work at this stage. When you are ready to formally submit – no matter how long after your course has finished – the CBC team will give you guidance and support with your submission to the Curtis Brown and C&W agents.
• Alumni services: You’ll be given access to 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, editorial reports on your completed novel and submission reports on your ‘pitch package’. Read more about the opportunities available to our alumni here.

Course schedule

COURSE FEES

The course fee of £990 (inc VAT) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer or debit/credit card before the start of the course. (Please note, card payments will incur an additional transaction fee.) However, if you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, let us know and we can arrange an instalment plan.

READY TO APPLY?

Our application form asks some questions about you and your writing – and it also asks you to send us the first 3,000 words of the historical novel you’re working on and a one-page synopsis.

We will be reading and responding to applicants throughout the application window. We, therefore, advise people who are keen to join this course to apply early.

The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided.

If you encounter any problems during the application process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.