- Australia edition
- International edition
The fundamentals of fiction: A weekend creative writing course with Tim Lott
Discover the crucial ingredients to writing fiction, in this highly informative and interactive masterclass with award-winning writer Tim Lott.
Online Course Date: Saturday 19 November 2022 & Sunday 20 November 2022 Times: 2:00pm – 5pm (GMT)
This course has now passed, but you can be the first to know about the next one - and other workshops like this - by signing up to our newsletter here .
As someone who is in the early stages of piecing together your novel, you might feel like your head is beginning to spin. There are so many elements to take into consideration, and it can feel like you might never stop working on it - or that you’ll give up entirely.
In this informative workshop with acclaimed novelist Tim Lott , you will discover the two crucial ingredients to any work of fiction: character and plot. He will take you through why these two elements should take priority in your writing, and how to discover the people at the core of your story, and the decisions they will take that will carry this story.
Across the two days, you will examine the principles behind these fundamentals, getting to the root of what it means to create a convincing character, how to structure the action in order to keep your reader compelled, the difference between character and characterisation, and more.
Combining theory with coursework, this class with one of the masters of fiction writing, is suitable for writers of all ability levels, who are at any stage in their process.
Course content
Plot and character: their importance to any story
What defines a protagonist - and an antagonist?
Do your characters have to be likeable or relatable?
The three-act structure and how it works
Change and conflict
This course is for…
First-time writers and beginners with a novel idea, who need guidance in getting started
Writers who have produced works of fiction before, who want to refresh their skillset
Tutor profile
Tim Lott is the author of ten novels, in both YA and literary fiction. His memoir, The Scent of Dried Roses, is a Penguin Modern Classic. He is one of the most sought-after writing teachers in the country, particularly through his personal mentoring services, and his writing has been highly praised by Hilary Mantel, Alan Bennett, Sebastian Faulks, Tony Parsons and Sarah Waters, among others. His students are equally enthusiastic - read their testimonials . His website is timlott.com .
You will be sent a link to the webinar 2hrs before the start time of 2pm (GMT).
Date: Saturday 19 November 2022 & Sunday 20 November 2022 Times: 2:00pm – 5pm (GMT) Price: £249 (plus £7.80 booking fee)
2pm GMT | 3pm CET | 6am PST | 9am EST
This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
Sign up to our newsletter and you’ll be among the first to find out about our latest courses and special offers. You can also follow us on Twitter , and read our latest articles and interviews on our blog .
Information on Guardian Masterclasses
To contact us, click here . Terms and conditions can be found here .
All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible – but please contact us if you have any queries or concerns.
Returns policy
Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
- Guardian Masterclasses
- Business masterclasses
Most viewed
- The Guardian
Historical fiction: A weekend creative writing course
L.P. Hartley wrote that “the past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.” When we write historical fiction, our narrative needs to take into account the conditions in the period it deals with - whether it reaches back across twenty years or two hundred.
In this weekend masterclass with Jem Poster and Sarah Burton , you will discover the fine art of bringing the past to life in fictional form. Through a combination of practical writing exercises and close reading of key passages from the work of well-known authors, this workshop will explore how you can avoid anachronisms and manage essential information, while immersing your reader in a compelling and convincingly recreated sense of a past time.
This course is for …
- Aspiring writers of historical fiction - and writers of any genre
- Beginners seeking guidance, as well as more experienced writers wanting to sharpen and energise their practise
Course structure
- Understanding the past
- Voices from the past
- The uses of research
- Beyond research
Tutor profiles
Jem Poster is emeritus professor of creative writing, Aberystwyth University, and co-founder, with Sarah Burton, of Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing. He is the author of two novels, Courting Shadows (Sceptre, 2002) and Rifling Paradise (Sceptre, 2006), as well as a collection of poetry, Brought to Light (Bloodaxe, 2001). He edited volume III of the six-volume Oxford University Press Edward Thomas: Prose Writings (OUP, 2018) and is co-author, with Sarah Burton, of a handbook for fiction-writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write, due out from Cambridge University Press in March 2022.
Sarah Burton’s publications include two biographies, Impostors: Six Kinds of Liar (Penguin, 2000) and A Double Life: a Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb (Penguin, 2003, shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year award); a children’s book, The Miracle in Bethlehem: A Storyteller’s Tale (2008); and a page-to-stage guide, How to Put on a Community Play (2011). Her novel, The Strange Adventures of H (Legend Press, 2020) has been an Amazon historical fiction bestseller. With Jem Poster, she co-founded Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing and is co-author of The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write, due out from Cambridge University Press in March 2022.
Course Details
- Date: Saturday 25 February & Sunday 26 February 2023
- Time: 2pm-5pm (GMT), both days
This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
2pm GMT | 3pm CET | 9am PST | 6am EST
You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 30 minutes before the start time. Please email [email protected] if you do not receive the access link 24 hours before the scheduled start time.
We aim to make all Guardian Masterclasses fully accessible. If you require any adjustments to enable your participation in this course, please get in touch with us at [email protected]
This event will be hosted on a third-party live streaming platform Zoom, please refer to their privacy policy and terms and conditions before purchasing a ticket to the class.
Once a purchase is complete we will not be able to refund you where you do not attend or if you cancel your event booking. Please see our terms and conditions for more information on our refund policy.
- Share via Email
- Share on Twitter
- Share on Facebook
About Guardian Masterclasses
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Our upcoming creative writing courses · How to write authentic dialogue: A practical workshop with Emma Claire Sweeney · The shape of love: A creative writing
Access to creative writing courses is, as with all higher education, an issue: funding remains sparse, so a writer's ability to enrol can be
Get inspired · Lifestyle courses. From gardening and photography to food and drink, browse our lifestyle courses here · Creative writing courses. Learn how to
A good creative writing course will explore underlying principles of good writing – not to impose invented "rules" on writing, but to introduce
Creative writing courses · How to create and pitch a TV drama: A weekend bootcamp · Book publicity for writers · Book publicity for writers · Ubud Writers' Festival
Each Wednesday evening, Ross will explore a key aspect of writing through nuanced analysis and practical activities in live workshops
Guardian Masterclasses offers a range of practical, expert-led online workshops in journalism, creative writing, business skills and personal development.
This course is for … · Course content · Tutor profiles · Details · About Guardian Masterclasses · Returns policy · Related stories · Related stories
Course content · This course is for… · Tutor profile · Details · Information on Guardian Masterclasses · Returns policy · Related stories · Related
Purchasing tickets to our online classes is a powerful way to fund The Guardian; thank you for your support. Please note we do not share