Beginners' Writing Courses Beginners' Writing Courses Beginners' Writing Courses

Beginners' Writing Courses

Whether you've always wanted to write fiction or are looking for an introduction to poetry, we offer a range of creative writing classes for beginners – from one-day workshops to longer twelve-week courses, online and in our London offices.

Our beginners' writing courses: an overview

Many of our beginners’ classes require no experience at all – if you’ve always wanted to write but never known where to start, you’ll find a supportive, welcoming environment with an experienced tutor and a group of fellow aspiring authors.

Our online courses are accessible wherever you are in the world, and many of our online beginners’ courses are self-paced, meaning you don’t need to be online at a set time and can work through the course materials at a time that suits you.

You’ll leave with a clear idea of the requirements of your chosen genre and the technical tools you’ll need to carry on writing.

Who are these courses for?

Complete beginners

Avid reader ready to start creating fictional worlds of your own? Looking for a new hobby or taking the very first step on a new creative path? These courses are designed to show you how to start writing – and how to carry on after the final session.

Writers looking to refresh their skills

If you've written before but feel you're lacking in confidence after a break, a short course can be a great way to brush up your knowledge and get those ideas flowing again, with a supportive group to cheer you on.

Writers exploring a new genre

An experienced non-fiction writer looking to try your hand at poetry? Or a poet who'd like to experiment with fiction? Our beginners' courses are a great place to test out a new discipline

Beginners' Writing Courses (46)

Fiction Development

Start to Write

A no-excuses, let’s-get-going, beginners' creative writing course to kickstart your writing life.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
London

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Richard Skinner, Sarah May

Start Date

Saturday 31 May 2025

5 more start dates available

£100
Book Now

Last few places available

Details
Close-up image of a notebook open in a woman's lap, with her pen poised to start writing on a blank page
Fiction Development

The Writers’ Path: Writing and Walking

Explore the streets of Hatton Garden, and how walking can spark your writing, in this new day-long course.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
London

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Taran Khan

Start Date

Saturday 31 May 2025

£100
Book Now

Places available

Details
Close-up image of a notebook open in a woman's lap, with her pen poised to start writing on a blank page
Poetry

Start to Write Poetry

Kickstart your writing life with a specially designed day of learning, writing and discussion from the home of British poetry.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
London

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Richard Scott

Start Date

Saturday 31 May 2025

4 more start dates available

£75
Book Now

Last few places available

Details
Image of a laptop left on a picnic table on a sunny terrace with blue railings
Fiction Development

Start to Write

A no-excuses, let’s-get-going, beginners' creative writing course to kickstart your writing life.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
Online

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Marcel Theroux

Start Date

Saturday 31 May 2025

7 more start dates available

£100
Book Now

Last few places available

Details
compare-fibre-fRGoTJFQAHM-unsplash
Fiction Development, Short Story

The One Day Short Story

Strengthen your understanding of the short story form in this intensive, creative masterclass with acclaimed writer Leone Ross.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
Online

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Leone Ross

Start Date

Saturday 21 Jun 2025

£100
Book Now

Last few places available

Details
Close-up of someone writing in a notebook in a sunny park
Fiction Development, Novel Writing

Kickstart Your Novel

Take your writing to the next level, and develop both the technical skill and the narrative momentum to really get stuck into your novel.

Level

i
Improving

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
Online

Length

i
12 weeks

Tutors

Marcel Theroux

Start Date

Monday 23 Jun 2025

£595
Book Now

Places available

Details
Fiction Development, Novel Writing

Getting Started: Beginners' Fiction

Everything you need to call yourself a writer – discipline, craft skills and a great group of people to work with – in one online writing course experience.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
Online

Length

i
12 weeks

Tutors

Kirsty Logan, Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Start Date

Monday 23 Jun 2025

1 more start date available

£395
Book Now

Last few places available

Details
Fiction Development

Start to Write

A no-excuses, let’s-get-going, beginners' creative writing course to kickstart your writing life.

Level

i
Starting out

What do these levels mean?

Location

i
London

Length

i
1-5 days

Tutors

Richard Skinner, Sarah May

Start Date

Saturday 28 Jun 2025

5 more start dates available

£100
Book Now

Places available

Details

Beginners' Course Tutors

The tutors on our beginners' writing courses are all experienced teachers and published writers themselves, with a wealth of experience in introducing new writers to the craft.

richard-skinner-tutor

Richard Skinner

Richard Skinner is a novelist, poet and critic. His most recent book, The Mirror, was described as ‘beautifully written...

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Richard Skinner
sarah-may-tutor

Sarah May

Sarah May is the highly acclaimed author of seven novels, including The Nudist Colony, (shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award...

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Sarah May
Taran Khan

Taran Khan

Taran N. Khan is a journalist and writer based in Mumbai. She grew up in Aligarh and was educated in Delhi and London...

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Taran Khan
richard-scott-tutor

Richard Scott

Richard Scott was born in London in 1981. His pamphlet Wound (Rialto) won the Michael Marks Poetry Award 2016 and his poem...

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Richard Scott
Portrait of author Marcel Theroux

Marcel Theroux

Marcel Theroux is the award winning author of six novels: A Blow to the Heart, A Stranger in the Earth, The Paperchase (winner...

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Marcel Theroux
leone-ross-tutor

Leone Ross

Leone Ross’s third novel, This One Sky Day (Faber/FSG) was published to critical acclaim in 2021. Her first novel, All the Blood Is Red...

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Leone Ross
2_Kirsty_Simone-Falk_6

Kirsty Logan

Kirsty Logan’s latest books are the novel Now She is Witch and The Unfamiliar: A Queer Motherhood Memoir...

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Kirsty Logan
3402550b-c18d-4ee0-b6c4-3717753d21d8

Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Ashley Hickson-Lovence is a novelist and Creative Writing lecturer based in Norwich. While working as a secondary school English teacher...

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Ashley Hickson-Lovence

Inspiring surroundings, excellent tutor, supportive fellow participants. I learnt a great deal about character, plot, voice, narration and language.

Inspiring surroundings, excellent tutor, supportive fellow participants. I learnt a great deal about character, plot, voice, narration and language.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start writing?

There’s no “right” way to start writing – it really is about taking that first step and writing that first line! It could be that you start straight away with a project of your own; a poem or a short story or a novel. Or you can use creative writing exercises and prompts to provide some structure (you can find ours [here]). In either case, the most important thing is: don’t be afraid of it not being perfect. No-one’s first draft of anything ever is. You hone your voice and prose over time, by continuing to put words on the page and experimenting with techniques and styles to find what works best for you. Beginners’ writing courses will offer a good introduction to those technical elements, as well as a constructive place to start getting feedback on your work.

What skills do you need to be a writer – do I need any particular experience to take these courses?

You don’t need any experience to take these courses – they’re designed as an introduction to your chosen discipline and are suitable for complete beginners. In terms of skills, being an enthusiastic and eclectic reader will always serve an aspiring writer well – when you read a book you enjoy, try and think about what in particular you liked about it, and whether there are qualities you might also like to see in your own work. And paying attention to the world around you is also a good habit to have. Listen out for interesting snippets of overheard conversation and watch out for images or scenes that catch your eye – you never know where inspiration may strike!

I've done some writing before, but I still feel like a beginner – are these courses right for me?

Absolutely. With all of our courses, we usually say that the level is something of a confidence thing rather than based entirely on experience. If you feel like you need to get a solid grounding in the foundations of your chosen genre before moving on to something more advanced, these courses will help you do that.

Can't find the right course?

Manuscript Assessment

Get comprehensive editorial feedback on your manuscript from our experienced readers – whether it’s still a work-in-progress or you’re preparing to submit to literary agents.

Find out more

Mentoring

We offer a range of mentoring options if you’d prefer to work one-on-one with an established writer to help you shape your project and realise your writing ambitions.

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Browse the Reading Room

From author interviews and writing tips to creative writing exercises and reading lists, we've got everything you need to get started – and to keep going.