Creative Writing

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

No screenwriter has ever been told their work is perfect without needing changes. Rewriting is essential and can be highly rewarding. In rewriting courses, each student faces unique challenges. Writers often cling to their words, but accepting feedback can elevate their work and growth as screenwriters. The ability to rewrite distinguishes professional screenwriters from amateurs. In the course "Advanced Screenwriting and Story Solutions," award-winning writer Adam Simpson delves into the nuances of rewriting and offers a condensed approach to screenwriting.

Number of Meetings

10

Course Leader

Adam Simpson

CRN 28093/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £155 Concession: £80

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Conflict, action, relationships, killer lines. They all begin at the writer’s desk. You’ll be introduced to the concepts behind screenwriting by a professional working screenwriter, exploring key principles as they’re expressed in a range of TV and film scripts, including Adam’s own broadcast work. Videos, script excerpts and discussion steps will offer you the opportunity to learn about script layout, loglines, pitching, intention and obstacle, story structures and their unifying shape, character development, arcs, dialogue and the rhythm of speech patterns, developing good writing habits and how the comfort zone can be the enemy of creativity.
By the end of the course, you’ll understand what’s necessary to write an effective screenplay and be fluent in the language used to discuss the medium.
Screenwriting for TV and Film is ideal for beginners, aspiring creative writers and experienced writers who wish to take their work to the next level.

Number of Meetings

10

Course Leader

Adam Simpson

CRN 28092/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £155 Concession: £80

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Designed for writers of all levels, this course delves into the art of storytelling, from finding inspiration to crafting compelling characters and plots.

Number of Meetings

10

Course Leader

Dr Em Segar

CRN 28281/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £155/Concession £80

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Where do I start? How do I start? What if I try but I’m no good at it? Answer these questions and overcome your fears with this course designed for brand-new writers and those with little experience. Even if you haven’t written much more than an email since school, a professional novelist will guide you in discovering your own unique voice and give you the essential tools to turn your ideas into thought-provoking pieces. You will work on what is holding you back, whether it is terror of the blank page, the harsh voice of the inner critic or the inability to make yourself just sit down and write.

Number of Meetings

10

Course Leader

Ms Emma Morgan

CRN 28089/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £155/£80

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Are you a secret poet? Do you want to improve your writing and start to share your work with other people? Or would you like to write poetry but are unsure of where or how to start? If so, this course is for you. We will read together from a selection of contemporary British and American poets (mainly poems in free verse/open form). You will have the opportunity to start writing and sharing your own work in a supportive and encouraging environment.  Our course will also be useful to people who write poetry but feel isolated. You will get the chance to share your ideas and work with others and perhaps find some new directions and motivation for your writing.

Number of Meetings

10

Course Leader

Dr Pauline Rowe

CRN 28090/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £155/£80

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

This is a one-day course that introduces The Sonnet form to aspiring poets. The Sonnet is a poetic form popular in Europe since the thirteenth century. Why does it persist?

This course will consider the Petrarchan Sonnet, the Shakespearean sonnet and the Meredithian sonnet. We will read examples together and discuss the ways in which sonnets achieve their effects.

Number of Meetings

1

Course Leader

Dr Pauline Rowe

CRN 28091/CRREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £55

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

This one-day Saturday workshop will explore some of the storytelling techniques used in satirical cartoon strips and critically acclaimed graphic novels. Led by short story writer, Phil Olsen, and illustrator/designer, Chris Rodenhurst, participants will be shown examples of successful visual narratives as well as being given the opportunity to draw some panels of their own.

Number of Meetings

1

Course Leader

Phill Olsen & Chris Rodenhurst

CRN 28095/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £50

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

Spend a day learning the craft of screenwriting with Adam Simpson, a working professional who writes for primetime TV drama. This one-day intensive introduces you to the essential tools of the trade, offering a fast-paced, inspiring and practical guide to writing for film and television. Whether you're a complete beginner, a curious creative, or an emerging writer looking to sharpen your skills, this session is designed to get you thinking like a screenwriter from the very first minute.

By the end of the day, you’ll leave with a clear understanding of what a screenplay is, how to start writing one, and how to develop the habits, mindset, and confidence to keep going.

Number of Meetings

1

Course Leader

Adam Simpson

CRN 28094/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £55

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

This course aims to provide writers – and those who wish to give fiction writing a whirl – with visual prompts to inspire ideas for stories. Experimentation is encouraged and there is no right or wrong approach. The tutor will provide guidance to students in working through ideas and shaping their writing into short stories. Participants will develop their critiquing skills and will hopefully come away with an ability to turn virtually anything into a creative writing prompt.

Number of Meetings

6

Course Leader

Phil Olsen

CRN 28168/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £95/Concession £50

Please note that the ‘last booking’ date is only a guide. Courses may close earlier. In order to avoid disappointment, please be sure to enrol as soon as possible. Registrations may not be processed until the following day if received after 3pm. 

This two-part Saturday series will look at imagining both utopian and dystopian environmental futures and how to write about our present and near-future reality in a way that engages and connects readers to challenges facing humanity and nonhuman species. This course would suit both beginners and more experienced writers who have an interest in environment and writing fiction.

Number of Meetings

2

Course Leader

Dr Bernadette McBride 

CRN 28175/CREA000

Course Fees

Course Fee: Full Fee: £100/Concession £50