Creative Writing for Beginners (Daytimes)
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Course Fee:
£450 (Summer Term 2025) or £460
- Start Date(s): 2 May 2025, 3 October 2025, 23 January 2026, 17 April 2026
- Duration: Fridays, 10 am to 12.30 pm, ten weeks
- Study Mode(s): Part-time
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements: More information
Introduction:
Course dates:
2 May – 11 July 2025, Fridays 10 am – 12.30 pm, (no class 9 May 2025)
3 October - 5 December 2025, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
23 January - 27 March 2026, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
17 April - 19 June 2026, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
This course is for anyone that wants to scratch their writing itch!
You’ll develop your writing skills in a variety of different areas, including poetry, short story writing, flash fiction, playwriting and novel writing.
By exploring your writing in different areas, you’ll discover inventive approaches to begin your own individual project.
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You’ll be part of a creative writing community; one that promotes discussion, collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
Benefit from learning with an active, expert writer-tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in a wide range of genres. -
Get published with our student anthology; every term we ask for submissions and print a short anthology of your original creative writing, which you can keep after the course. -
Study Creative Writing in a UNESCO City of Literature. Nottingham is a place of discovery, exchange, ideas and learning for everyone who loves words and stories. Our vision as a UNESCO City of Literature is for a city where everyone is reading and writing their way to a better life.
Here's what our previous attendees said:
'I have loved doing this course, Gareth was a great tutor! Everything was brilliant and I now have the skills and confidence to be a good writer.' WT
'This course has given me a deep understanding of the process and construction of writing. The tutor was great and there was a good balance of topics.' CH
‘I’ve been trying for years to structure a story and yet within a 5 minute exercise on Saturday I managed to crack it!’
'I enjoyed everything! The topics were really interesting, moved at a good pace and really made me think. The exercised were fantastic and definitely got my writing. Thank you!' LM
'The other students were great and Gareth created a safe environment to share our work. Loved it all, thank you, I wasn't ready for it to finish!’ AA
'The experience and knowledge on how to construct a novel was enjoyable. It was a pleasure to get to know Gareth and he was very generous in his help and thoughts.’
‘The course moved at a good pace and there was a good mixture between teaching and time to write.' LD
'Thoroughly enjoyed it, I've been inspired! Enjoyed the shared writing activities and feedback from peers.' JR
What you’ll study
This course is ideal for people who have not attended a creative writing course before, and are looking for a challenge.
You’ll write something new each week and receive guidance, advice and feedback from your peers and tutor in a supportive, seminar environment to help you develop and progress.
You’ll approach different literary examples each session to inspire you, and apply ideas from these to your own work.
- learn key elements of writing including how to get started and where to find inspiration
- explore your characters and how to flesh them out
- use poetry to develop your other creative writing projects
- complete writing workshops and exercises to develop your writing style
- share your work with others and understand how to self-edit
- understand the context of literary traditions and where your work sits in this framework.
By the end of the course, you will leave with a completed manuscript – a first full draft of your novel, play or poetry sequence and have an understanding of how to progress your work further.
How you’re taught
You will receive guidance and feedback in a supportive seminar environment, engaging in classroom discussions, critiques, and practical writing exercises.
This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University city campus.
98% of previous course attendees were satisfied with the course, received the attention they needed and would consider doing another short course at NTU.
Contact hours
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the creative writing industry; students who have taken this course have gone on to build a portfolio of published work through submitting to literary magazines or self-publishing, progressed onto degree courses and embarked on careers in writing, publishing and teaching.
This course is your toolkit to ensure that you are well-prepared to pursue a successful career in the competitive field of creative writing.
Certificate of attendance and digital badge
Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive a digital certificate of attendance and a digital badge powered by Accredible.
Your digital credential is more than just a certificate – it’s secure, verifiable, and protected against fraud through encryption and blockchain technology.
They also come with detailed metadata, including an overview of the skills you have achieved on the course, evidence of completion, and assessment criteria if appropriate.
Share your achievements seamlessly with friends, customers, and potential employers online, and proudly add your badge or certificate to social media platforms such as LinkedIn, so all the right people can see it.
Are you interested in progressing your writing?
Find out more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses:
Campus and facilities
You will be studying creative writing in a UNESCO City of Literature, and be based in the School of Social Sciences on the City Campus.
You will find modern teaching spaces and quiet study environments to develop your ideas and writing.
You’ll have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
You’ll also be invited to join WRAP, our Writing, Reading and Pleasure programme of book groups, meet ups and talks from readers and authors.
You will receive an email one week before the course starts with joining instructions on where to go for the first day.
Entry requirements
Level: Beginner
Entry requirement: No experience is required.
You must be over the age of 18 to attend this course.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £450 (Summer Term 2025) or £460.
Payment is due at the time of booking - ask us if you'd prefer an invoice sent to your company.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies, including great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
Please bring with you to the first session:
- a notepad and pen.
If you'd like to do some pre-course reading, you can look at:
- TED Talk by Andrew Stanton 'The Clues to a Great Story'
- Monkeys with Typewriters by Scarlett Thomas
- On Writing by Stephen King.
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
How to apply
This course is available for booking via the NTU online store:
2 May – 11 July 2025, Fridays 10 am – 12.30 pm, (no class 9 May 2025)
3 October - 5 December 2025, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
23 January - 27 March 2026, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
17 April - 19 June 2026, Fridays 10 am - 12.30 pm
Browse all our creative writing short courses.
Any questions?
Contact the short course team:
Email: creativeshortcourses@ntu.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2813