Whether you want to write funny, feel-good fiction like Veronica Henry, powerful dramas like Jodi Picoult, or love stories that are as full of joy as they are heartbreak like Bolu Babalola, this course will give you the tools you need. By getting to grips with what makes your character tick, the relationships that mean the most to them, and the dilemmas they will come up against, your tutor will show you how to deliver a satisfying, unforgettable story that will elate and/or devastate your reader – in the best possible way. You’ll interrogate what labels like ‘women’s fiction’ and ‘commercial fiction’ mean, and discover ways you can experiment with genre conventions to write an irresistible page-turner in your unique voice.
You’ll join a group of 15 budding romance and commercial fiction writers for flexibly timed weekly writing workshops delivered on our bespoke online learning platform, plus live group teaching sessions via Zoom covering important genre topics. Students will attend a special Zoom masterclass session with a top literary agent who works with leading romance and commercial 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.
This course is open to all writers dedicated to crafting an excellent romance or commercial novel. Before joining the course, you should have an idea for your book already and have at least started writing your early chapters. The course is also suitable for writers with a complete first draft they want to shape and improve.
Julie Cohen grew up in Maine and studied English at Brown University, Cambridge University and the University of Reading. Her award-winning novels have sold over a million copies worldwide, and she has twice been selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in the UK. Julie is a popular teacher of creative writing and runs an online school, Novel Gazing. She is a Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, a founder of the RNA Rainbow Chapter for LGBTQ+ writers, and a Patron of literacy charity ABC To Read. She won the 2020 Romantic Novelists’ Association Inclusion Award. Her bestselling novel Together has been translated into eleven languages and optioned for television; The Two Lives of Louis & Louise was longlisted for the Polari Prize and has been optioned by Enderby Entertainment as a feature film. Her first historical novel, Spirited, was published in July 2020 and her latest novel is Summer People (Orion, 2022). Under the name Julie Mae Cohen, her first thriller, Bad Men, will be published by Bonnier in July 2023. She lives in Berkshire, UK with her teenager and a terrier of dubious origin.
The 15 places on this course are allocated on receipt of payment, on a first come, first served basis. Please sign up as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Securing your course place is a simple two-step process. Firstly, select your preferred date and then click ‘enrol now’ and complete our payment process.
If you are unable to pay the full fee upfront, please email students@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk and we can arrange an instalment plan with three payments of £330. The first instalment must be paid in advance to secure your place.
Then on receipt of payment, we will send you a link to our registration form and you will be asked to submit your 3,000-word opening and one-page synopsis. Your work will be read by the CBC team to ensure you are a good fit for the course, after which your course manager will be in touch with a welcome email and course handbook. Please note, that in the unlikely event that your work isn’t suitable for the course (i.e., you’re not writing within the specified genre), you will be granted a full refund.
If you encounter any problems during the sign-up process, or have any more questions about the course, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
If you’re thinking about joining this course and want to know if it’s the right fit, book a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss your needs.
Consultations will take place on Tuesday afternoons (14.00 to 17.00) or Friday mornings (10.00 to 13.00). Times listed are UK times.