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 available*
COURSE DATES
Jun 07 2021 - Nov 22 2021
Online
Take this course from anywhere in the world
Selective Entry
We offer places to the most talented applicants
Course Fee £2,800
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 tutors for this course – meaning you’ll get two experienced teaching perspectives and two distinct teaching voices focused on your work across six months. The first half of the course will be taught by author Lisa O’Donnell and the second half of the course will be taught by Simon Ings.
This course will also take a four-week break over the summer, to allow students extra time to work on their novels-in-progress and to think about all they’ve learnt from the first tutor (Lisa) before joining us again in September, feeling refreshed and ready for more workshops, tutorials and teaching from tutor two (Simon).
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. Weekly teaching and workshops will take place on our private online forum, and one-to-one tutorials will be conducted via phone/Zoom. In addition, you’ll have access to a wealth of teaching videos, notes and resources from our CBC tutor team (listed below), all made available on our online learning platform.
The Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents, and a guest author and a guest publisher will offer writing and pitching advice in special events across the course including exclusive Zoom webinars. At the end of the course, students get to share the opening of their novels informally with the agent team.
In the nine years since we’ve started Curtis Brown Creative, over 120 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
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.
Simon Ings, Author
Simon Ings is an author and critic based in London. His eight critically acclaimed novels include The Weight of Numbers and Dead Water - and the science fiction novels Hot Head and The Smoke; while his non-fiction includes Stalin and the Scientists and The Eye: A Natural History. As editor of New Scientist magazine's Arc project, he published Margaret Atwood, Kim Stanley Robinson and others. He writes an SF column for the Times, and was on the judging panel for the 2020 Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction. Simon has run workshops and classes for literary festivals and for the Arvon Foundation, and has been a tutor and editor on many of Curtis Brown Creative's courses.
WHAT DOES THIS COURSE GIVE YOU?
Teaching Videos & Tasks
Tips on a range of topics from our tutor team
Your tutors 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 tutors
You'll get one 45 minute, one-to-one tutorial with Lisa O'Donnell – and one with Simon Ings – 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.
Summer Break
This course is split into two terms to help you get your novel the best it can be
This course will take a four-week break in August, to give you extra time to work on your novels-in-progress and to reflect on everything you've learnt from the first tutor (Lisa) before joining us again in September, feeling refreshed and ready for more workshops, tutorials and teaching from tutor two (Simon).
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 literary agents, publishers and authors
Students will take part in three special 60 minute video webinars. Guest speakers will include literary agents, an author, and a publisher. 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, C&W and ICM, 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:
Application 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 £2,800 (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
There is one Elizabeth Zott Novel-Writing Scholarship available. This scholarship will award one talented writer of colour with limited financial means a free place. Find out more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply here. Applications for the scholarship place close Sun 23 May.
Course Schedule
Module 1
Inspiration and Reading as Writers
Monday 7 June – Sunday 13 June
With videos from Anna Davis and Chris Wakling
Module 2
Openings
Mon 14 June – Sun 20 June
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Lisa O’Donnell
Module 3
Writing from Life
Mon 21 June – Sun 4 July
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Lisa O’Donnell
Module 4
Story, Plotting & Planning
Mon 5 July – Sun 18 July
With videos from Chris Wakling
Workshops led by Lisa O’Donnell
Module 5
Voice and Narrative Point of View
Mon 19 July – Sun 25 July
With videos from Nikita Lalwani
Workshops led by Lisa O’Donnell
Module 6
Planning and Research
Mon 26 July– Sun 8 August
With videos from Jake Arnott
Workshops led by Simon Wroe or Lisa O’Donnell + Farewell from Simon/Lisa
On Mon 26 July the students will take part in a special 60 minute Zoom webinar with a two top literary agents: Felicity Blunt (Curtis Brown, London) and Jennifer Joel (ICM, New York).
Module 7
Summer Break
Mon 9 August – Sun 5 September
Module 8
The Synopsis
Mon 6 September – Sun 12 September
With videos from Anna Davis and a synopsis workshop with an expert CBC editor
Module 9
Characterisation
Mon 13 September – Sun 26 September
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 10
Description, Tone & Style
Mon 27 September – Sun 3 October
With videos from Erin Kelly
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 11
Dialogue
Mon 4 October – Sun 10 October
With videos from Suzannah Dunn
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 12
Building Suspense
Mon 11 October – Sun 17 October
With videos from Erin Kelly
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 13
Endings
Mon 18 October – Sun 31 October
With videos from Lisa O’Donnell
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 14
Editing and Rewriting
Mon 1 November – Sun 7 November
With videos from Jake Arnott
Workshops led by Simon Ings
Module 15
Agent Pitch Workshop
Mon 8 November – Sun 14 November
With videos and individual feedback from the agents at Curtis Brown and C&W
Module 16
Final Questions
Mon 15 November – Sun 21 November
A chance to ask final questions – and farewell from Simon Ings
Module 17
End of Course Submission
Mon 22 November
Students to submit 3,000 word opening and one-page synopsis to be read by the Curtis Brown and C&W literary agents
Ready to apply?
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 9 May, and we will respond to applicants by Thursday 13 May.
