FINISH, POLISH AND PERFECT YOUR NOVEL IN FIVE WEEKLY TWO HOUR SESSIONS IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
Join my online classroom in January 2023and MAKE YOUR NOVEL GREAT over five weekly sessions. These live, interactive online classes will explore the advanced elements of novel writing, and allow you to learn how to properly develop, edit, polish and publish your novel.
The course is taught by me, Helen Cross, an award-winning novelist, short story writer and audio dramatist (www.helencross.net). I have written four novels including My Summer of Love which became a BAFTA Award-winning film staring Emily Blunt and Spilt Milk Black Coffee, also optioned for movie development.
Course Content:
On this course we will look at how novels move to a publishable level. We will consider how your work is structured, check if your characters are engaging, if the arc of the story is satisfying and if you have enough tension, suspense and drama to fully engage a reader, agent and publisher.
Each week we will consider a different aspect of novel writing and there will be set homework to push you forward before the next class. Students with be encouraged to share their work with the group.
Prior to the class you will be sent a Reading List of novels to inspire and educate you about the form. We will discuss and learn from these novels in the class.
This is a good course for those who have written a novel but who now need to edit and polish it to make it ready for submission to agents and publishers. It is also a good course for those who have completed an MA in Creative Writing and already know the basics of prose writing.
I will ask all participants to send me a synopsis of their novel, plus 1,000 words of prose from the start of the novel before the course starts.
Feedback from 2023/4 podcast writing course participants:
‘I really enjoyed your input and exercises, and I greatly appreciated your enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge.’ Partipant on the February 2024 course
‘I loved every minute of our course.’ Paricipant on the February 2024 course
‘Thank you for running the sessions, I feel like it’s reignited the writer in me.’ Participant on the February 2024 course.
‘Straight, insightful, practical guidance.’ Participant on the February 2024 course.
‘It was terrific the way it was all broken down with homework and worksheets added.’ Participant on the February 2022 course
‘Excellent throughout.’ Participant on the February 2022 course
’I enjoyed hearing about Helen’s practical advice, and the week on structure was excellent.’ Participant on the February 2022 course .
Press reviews of Helen’s novels:
A very fine look at real people behind tabloid stereotypes…Jackie is a poor role model but she is fabulous to read about; a character who can barely be contained on the page.’– The Times on Spilt Milk Black Coffee
‘This is magnificent portrait of adolescence and the mother-daughter realstionship is movingly portrayed…a welcome and timely take on England now, from a talented and thoughtful writer.’– The Independent on Spilt Milk Black Coffee
‘There’s a timeless feel to this tale of loneliness, greed and beauty. Cross writes beautifully’ – Daily Mail on The Secrets She Keeps
‘Cross has an ability to imbue the everyday world with sensuality and strangeness … it has the raw energy and flashes of brilliance that show Helen Cross to be a writer to watch’ – Sunday Telegraph on My Summer of Love:
‘Evocative, ferocious, even visceral … A hand-grenade of a novel … a book of quite exceptional power’ – Daily Mail on My Summer of Love
‘A sharp, disturbing and highly original debut novel’ – Sunday Mirror on My Summer of Love.
‘Scabrous and cleverly evocative of the confusion of emergent adulthood, Cross’s blistering prose lifts a familiar storyline to another level.’ – Kirkus Reviews on My Summer of Love
Press praise for BBC Podcast Drama English Rose Seasons 1 & 2
Pick of the Week in: The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Times, The Daily Mail.
‘Beautifully written by Helen Cross, this five part fantasy drama creates a wholly convincing alternative reality,’ Season two review The Guardian November 2023
‘Novelist Helen Cross proves a sure hand at creating both intrigue and suspense.’ The Radio Times July 2022.
‘Taut thriller from the impressive new drama strand Limelight…great fun.” The Daily Telegraph August 2022.
“Stranger fangs: this smart modern spin on vampire lore follows a secretive Yorkshire girl from her home in Whitby to NYC.” The Guardian July 2022
‘An original modern take on vampire lore this throws up some smart surprises and the cast deliver great performances’ – The Yorkshire Post August 2022
Dates for the JANUARY 2025 COURSE: Wednesdays 7-9pm 15, 22, 29 January and 5 and 12 February.
Location: Live online teaching via Zoom
Cost: £250 for all five sessions (an EARLYBIRD50 booking discount of £50 is available until 4 October 2024)