Discover our Creative Writing courses
Beginners, improvers and professionals are all welcome to attend a short course where you'll meet other adult learners who share your interests.
Courses run during evenings and weekends as well as intensive daytimes during the summer.
If you'd like to discuss which course is right for you or have additional questions we'd love to help! You can email us or give us a call on +44 (0)115 848 2813.
Are you interested in progressing your writing further?
Find out about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses:
Creative Writing for Beginners (Daytimes)
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.
Creative Writing Level Two (daytimes)
Build on your existing writing skills in this intermediate creative writing course. Designed for those who have completed a beginner course or have previous experience, you’ll develop your own work through guided exercises and regular tutor and peer feedback. Across eight weeks, you’ll refine drafts, strengthen your editing skills and gain confidence shaping your writing towards submission or publication.
Creative Writing for Beginners (Evenings)
The aim of this course is to enable the beginner and improver to work on developing their writing skills in a variety of different areas, including poetry, short story writing, flash fiction, playwriting and writing a full-length novel.
Creative Writing Level Two (evenings)
Take your writing to the next level! Develop advanced storytelling techniques, refine your style, and explore diverse genres in this follow-on course for aspiring writers.
Short Story Success
Do you have an idea for a short story but don’t know how to begin? Or maybe you’ve an idea for a novel but writing a shorter version will help you get started? On this course you’ll be guided through the process of writing your first piece, and introduced to ways in which writers get their work seen in this competitive arena.
Novel Writing: Developing Characters, Settings and Plot
Have you always wanted to write a novel? Whether you’ve got a great idea but aren’t sure how to begin or have an unfinished manuscript gathering dust under your bed, this practical and playful course will offer exercises and advice to get your novel underway.
Thrills and Chills: Writing Crime, Suspense and Horror
Embark on writing a psychological thriller, a crime novel, or your very own collection of blood-curdling short stories on this course and chill your readers and raise the stakes.
Writing Creative Non-Fiction
Creative non-fiction is among the most exciting forms of writing around, crossing a range of genres; from biographies and memoirs to travel and documentary writing, to film and music, and even cookery, history and politics. This introduction to creative non-fiction will help you to identify your subject and tell your story in the most compelling way possible using a range of literary techniques.
Writing Lives: Mastering Memoirs, Autobiographies and Biographies
Embark on a journey to unravel the intricate strands of your life story or bring the story of your family history to light through the power of the written word. Acquire practical techniques to craft a compelling and captivating personal narrative for a manuscript.
Writing Modern Fairy Tales
Discover the magic of writing your own modern fiction story and connecting traditional fairy tale storylines with the contemporary world around you. This course is ideal for anyone interested in developing their creative writing; whether you’d like to write for children and young adults, or something that can be understood at a much deeper, more subconscious level by an adult.
Writing Stories for Performance
Transform your stories into scripts for stage or screen. This course covers essential techniques in playwriting and screenwriting, ideal for all experience levels.
World-Building for Fantasy and Science Fiction
Build your own universe and bring your stories to life. Discover how to craft immersive worlds for fantasy and science fiction, from mythologies and maps to magic systems and character arcs. Guided by award-winning author Ian C Douglas, you’ll explore the techniques behind compelling world-building and leave with the confidence and tools to develop your own unique fiction.
Confident Writing for Business
Whether you're regularly writing emails and reports or presentations and project briefs, winning over your audience with the right words is essential. Learn how best to present specialist or technical information for a diverse range of stakeholders and audiences.