Writing Your Novel – Six Months
Our biggest online course gives you an intense learning experience as a writer with direct engagement with authors and a publisher, as well as literary agents. Scholarship opportunities available.
COURSE DATES
Feb 15 2021 - Jul 26 2021
Online
Take this course from anywhere in the world
Selective Entry
We offer places to the most talented applicants
Course Fee £2,600
Work on your novel with the experts
Course Overview
This online novel-writing course is designed 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. 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.
We’re excited to be offering two brilliant, award-winning tutors for this course – meaning you’ll get two experienced teaching perspectives and two distinct teaching voices focused on your work across the six months.
We’ll be running two student groups. One group will be taught by award-winning author Simon Wroe and experienced author/editor Cathi Unsworth. The other group will be taught by Commonwealth Book Prize-winning author Lisa O’Donnell and bestselling author Laura Barnett.
If you are selected to take part, we’ll assign you to the tutor group we feel will work best for you and your novel – however if you have a strong preference for one of the tutors, you can indicate this in the form and we will try to take this into consideration.
Your tutors will each lead weekly online writing workshops, set weekly writing exercises and provide one-to-one tutorials where they will give direct feedback to all students on their novels-in-progress. Via our online learning platform, you’ll also get access to teaching videos, notes and resources from our CBC tutor team (listed below).
The Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents, a guest authors and a guest 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 team.
In the eight years since we’ve started Curtis Brown Creative, over 100 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 whose novels are being adapted for the big screen. 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.
‘Having some really positive feedback and stirring up quite a lot of debate made me feel more confident that my characters were leaving the page and having an effect on people. It also took a while to find my protagonist’s voice – but with Lisa’s fabulous tutorials, we got there in the end!’
Rachel Marks, whose debut novel, Saturdays at Noon, was published by Michael Joseph in 2020.
Tutors
Simon Wroe, Author
Simon Wroe's first novel Chop Chop was shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award, longlisted for Desmond Elliott Prize and the winner of a Betty Trask Award. His second novel, Here Comes Trouble, was published in April 2017 and was shortlisted for the Everyman Bollinger Wodehouse prize. He writes books and arts reviews for The Economist and features for The Guardian.
Cathi Unsworth, Author
Cathi Unsworth is the author of four crime novels, most recently That Old Black Magic; plus two further (non-genre) novels, all published by Serpent’s Tail. She has published numerous short stories and edited the short story collection London Noir. Cathi is a journalist and editor, has taught for the Arvon Foundation, and regularly delivers feedback to students on CBC's six-week writing courses.
Lisa O'Donnell, Author
Lisa O'Donnell is the author of the Commonwealth Book Prize-winning novel The Death of Bees, published by Windmill. Her second novel, Closed Doors is published by William Heinemann. Lisa won the Orange Screenwriting Prize for her screenplay The Wedding Gift and was nominated for the Dennis Potter New Screenwriters’ Award. She is currently working on her third novel.
Laura Barnett, Author
Laura's first novel, The Versions of Us (2015) was a number-one bestseller, it has been translated into 24 languages, and was shortlisted for Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards. Her second novel, Greatest Hits was published in 2017, with an accompanying soundtrack album by the musician Kathryn Williams. She has taught creative writing for Guardian Masterclasses, delivered a TedX talk on originality in fiction, and worked as a writing mentor for the charity Arts Emergency. She is also a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University's Writing School.
WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?
Teaching Videos & Tasks
Tips on a range of topics from our tutor team
Lisa and Andrew will set weekly tasks for the group - writing exercises or topics to prepare for discussion. Across 14 teaching modules, videos and notes will be made available on our platform, covering a range of topics such as plotting, characterisation, point-of-view and rewriting.
Writing Workshops
Led by your tutors
You'll get three dedicated workshops centring on material from your novel-in-progress with your tutor and the group (Extracts of 3,000 words, each time). These sessions offer in-depth written feedback and are also designed to help develop your self-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 one 45 minute, one-to-one tutorial with tutor one (Simon Wroe/Lisa O'Donnell) - and one with tutor two (Cathi Unsworth/Laura Barnett) - over the phone or via Skype/Zoom, based on 3,000 word sections of your novel-in-progress. Use these tutorials to address your specific concerns about your writing.
Pitch Workshop
Agent feedback on your letter & elevator pitch
We'll give you the vital do's and don'ts of agent pitch letters and elevator pitches - you'll then write your own and get in-depth written feedback on both the letter and the short pitch from a Curtis Brown/C&W literary agent.
Synopsis Advice
Expert critique of 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 get individual feedback from an experienced member of the CBC editor team.
Tutorial with industry professional
Intensive one-to-one discussion of your novel-in-progress
Near the end of the course all students will get a 45-minute one-to-one on Zoom/phone with an experienced CBC editor or a Curtis Brown/ C&W literary agent. They will read a 6,000-word extract from your novel-in-progress plus your synopsis. They will provide detailed feedback and publishing industry advice.
Three Industry Webinars
Join exclusive live video chats with top UK literary agents, publishers and authors
Students will take part in three special 60 minute video webinars. Curtis Brown agent Lucy Morris and her client (former CBC student) Hazel Barkworth will be our first webinar speakers. Then bestselling author Claire Fuller will join the group for a second webinar. There will also be a third webinar with a leading publisher to be confirmed. These industry experts will talks about writing, books and the publication journey. There will also be an opportunities to ask questions.
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 teams. This is not a formal submission to the agency but a chance to give the agents a taste of your work at this stage.
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. It’ll be your turn to get the group’s dedicated workshop attention three 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, published authors and a commissioning editor from a major publishing house. You’ll also get teaching videos from your tutors and from the other author-tutors on our team:
Applications 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 £2,600 (inc VAT) per student is payable, in full, by bank transfer. 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.
Scholarship Places
There are also two scholarship places available on this course as part of The Breakthrough Writers’ Programme, our new initiative with funded opportunities to support under-represented writers.
Find out more and apply for The Clare Mackintosh Scholarship For Black Writers, Clare is generously providing funding for one talented Black writer to join our six-month online Writing Your Novel course starting in February 2021. Clare is also creating a bespoke mentoring programme for the scholar. Apply by 31 Jan.
Find out more and apply for The CHEERIO Scholarship For Writers With Low Income, CHEERIO – a new, independent publishing and production company – are providing funding for one talented writer with low income to join our six-month online Writing Your Novel course starting in February. Apply by 24 Jan.
Course Schedule
Module 1
Inspiration and Reading as Writers
Monday 15 February – Sunday 21 February
With videos from Anna Davis and Chris Wakling
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell
Module 2
Openings
Mon 22 February – Sun 28 February
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell
Module 3
Writing from Life
Mon 1 March – Sun 14 March
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell
Module 4
Story, Plotting & Planning
Mon 15 March – Sun 28 March
With videos from Chris Wakling
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell
Featuring an Industry Webinar on Monday 22 March with Curtis Brown literary agent Lucy Morris and her client Hazel Barkworth who is the author of Heatstroke and a former CBC student.
Module 5
Voice and Narrative Point of View
Mon 29 March – Sun 4 April
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell
Module 6
EASTER BREAK
Module 7
Planning and Research
Mon 12 April– Sun 25 April
With videos from Jake Arnott
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell + Farewell from Simon/Lisa
Featuring an Industry Webinar on Monday 19 April with bestselling novelist Claire Fuller.
Module 8
The Synopsis
Mon 26 April – Sun 2 May
With videos from Anna Davis and a synopsis workshop with an expert CBC editor
Module 9
Characterisation
Tuesday 4 May – Sun 16 May
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
Workshops led by Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 10
Description, Tone & Style
Mon 17 May – Sun 23 May
With videos from Erin Kelly
Workshops led by Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 11
Dialogue
Mon 24 May – Sun 30 May
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
Workshops led by Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 12
Building Suspense
Tues 1 June – Sun 6 June
With videos from Erin Kelly
Workshops led by Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 13
Endings
Mon 7 June – Sun 20 June
With videos from Lisa O’Donnell
Workshops led by Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 14
Editing and Rewriting
Mon 21 June – Sun 27 June
With videos from Jake Arnott
Module 15
Agent Pitch Workshop
Mon 28 June – Sun 4 July
With videos and individual feedback from the agents at Curtis Brown and C&W
Module 16
Final Questions
Mon 5 July – Sun 11 July
A chance to ask final questions – and farewell Cathi Unsworth or Laura Barnett
Module 17
End of Course Submission
Mon 26 July
Students to submit 3,000 word opening and one-page synopsis to be read by the Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents
Applications now closed
Please apply with the first 3,000 words of the novel you’d like to work on during the course, and a synopsis of no more than a page (both need to be in the same document, as you can only upload ONE file in the application below). The CBC team will select applicants based on the quality of the writing sample provided. The deadline for applications is midnight, end of day Sunday 17 January, and we will respond to applicants by Thursday 21 January.
However, the two scholarship places on this course are still open for applications.
The Clare Mackintosh Scholarship For Black Writers, Clare is generously providing funding for one talented Black writer to join our six-month online Writing Your Novel course starting in February 2021. Clare is also creating a bespoke mentoring programme for the scholar. Apply by 31 Jan.
The CHEERIO Scholarship For Writers With Low Income, CHEERIO – a new, independent publishing and production company – are providing funding for one talented writer with low income to join our six-month online Writing Your Novel course starting in February. Apply by 24 Jan.
