Writing Romantic & Commercial Fiction

Start Date

Package

Instalment plan available

Writing Romantic & Commercial Fiction

Length

9 weeks

Location

Zoom,Online

Writing Goal

Develop your writing

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Writing Romantic & Commercial Fiction

Learn how to take readers on an emotional journey and write an uplifting novel with characters your readers will invest in.

Tutor

Julie Cohen

Length

9 weeks

Location

Zoom,Online

Writing Goal

Develop your writing

Zoom teaching and tutorials from the bestselling author.

Write a heart-warming novel with emotional depth, characters to fall in love with and a plot to make readers desperate to turn the page.

The insights and advice were extremely helpful, especially regarding character building and story planning. I’ve already put some of these methods into action and the difference they’ve made to my writing have been game changing.

Eleri Boyesen

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.

Tutor

Julie Cohen

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.

WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?

Live teaching sessions on Zoom: On six Wednesday evenings, your tutor will welcome the group for a 90-minute Zoom class, covering topics of significance to romance and commercial fiction writers, such as developing a protagonist readers will root for, building chemistry between characters, and how best to handle internal and external conflict.
A community of writers: You'll journey through the course in a peer group of 15 students all working on romantic and commercial fiction. 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 romance author, and put your questions about writing romantic and commercial fiction to them. The discussion will cover writing, editing and the submissions process.
Alumni services: You’ll be given access to a range of exclusive services, which you’ll be able to access after your course finishes. These services include discounts and support with submissions to literary agents at Curtis brown and C&W. Read more about the opportunities available to our alumni here.

Course Schedule

WHAT IS ‘WOMEN’S FICTION’ AND WHAT’S YOUR PLACE IN IT?
Weds 13 May – Tues 19 May
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CHARACTERS & RELATIONSHIPS
Weds20 May – Tues 26 May
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WORKSHOPPING
Weds 27 May – Tues 2 June
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CONFLICT & CHARACTER
Weds 3 Jun – Tues 9 Jun
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR STRUCTURE
Weds 10 Jun – Tues 16 Jun
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WORKSHOPPING
Weds 24 Jun – Tues 30 Jun
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GUEST SPEAKER SESSION
Weds 24 Jun – Tues 30 Jun
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REACHING YOUR ENDING
Weds 1 Jul – Tues 7 Jul
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COURSE CONCLUSION
Weds 8 Jul – Tues 14 Jul
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ENROLMENT PROCESS

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.

Still deciding?

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.

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