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Online tutored courses

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Study an online tutored creative writing course with National Centre for Writing and University of East Anglia

8–12 week courses

Ideal for anyone looking to master the foundations of writing fiction, creative non-fiction, crime fiction, memoir, publishing and more.

Mapping the self life writing course

Mapping the Self: Life Writing (eight-week course)

In this life writing course, you will explore identity, memory, and form while developing your life‑writing project with guided feedback from Camilla Balshaw.

Calendar

Friday 16 October

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How To Write Fiction (12-week course)

Learn the essential tools for how to write fiction, featuring personalised one-to-one feedback, engaging lessons, and practical exercises to help you develop a consistent writing practice.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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Creative Non-Fiction: An Introduction (12-week course)

Explore various creative non-fiction forms, and receive personalised feedback to transform ordinary moments into extraordinary narratives.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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An Introduction to Crime Writing (12-week course)

Explore the themes and appeal of crime fiction; looking at creating credible worlds and characters, developing and structuring story and building page-turning, tension-filled scenes. Led by Julia Crouch.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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How to Write Historical Fiction (12-week course)

Bring the past to life, explore the core elements of historical fiction, and receive personalised feedback to confidently write stories and characters rooted in history.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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An Introduction to Memoir (12-week course)

Learn to write your memoir with our online tutored course, perfect for beginners. Explore lessons in memory, reflection and vulnerability, and get personalised feedback on your writing. Led by Emmanuel Iduma.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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How to Write a Novel OTC

How To Write A Novel (eight-week course)

Learn to write a novel, explore the core elements of storytelling, and receive personalised feedback to confidently bring your first novel to life. Led by Okechukwu Nzelu.

Calendar

Monday 22 March

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How To Edit A Novel (eight-week course)

Approach your work with fresh perspective, and receive personalised feedback to refine your manuscript to its full potential. Led by Santanu Bhattacharya.

Calendar

Monday 22 March

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The Narrative of Place (eight-week course)

Get inspired and learn new ways to evoke journeys, place and people. Led by bestselling writer Dan Richards, you will to improve your writing whether that’s fiction or non-fiction.

Calendar

Monday 22 March

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18-week courses

Perfect for writers who may have some experience but want to keep developing skills and habits.

Develop Your Fiction (18-week course)

This fiction course deepens your writing skills, guiding you through more sophisticated techniques and diverse approaches to storytelling. You’ll experiment creatively, read widely, and emerge with a polished draft. Led by Megan Bradbury.

Calendar

Monday 22 February

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Want to spread the cost? Pay by instalments with Klarna

Available to Google Pay and Apple Pay users only.

Make your writing journey more manageable with Klarna, available on our online tutored courses, workshops, evening courses and events. Choose to split the cost of your booking into three or four instalments, or spread payments over 30 days with Klarna’s flexible payment options. For more instructions, use the button below.

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Looking for a high-quality, in-depth writing course that fits around your busy schedule? Want to develop the technical skills, routine, and confidence to achieve your writing goals? Searching for a welcoming and supportive community of writers?

Our flexible, online creative writing courses, designed in collaboration with the prestigious creative writing school at the University of East Anglia, offer something truly unique: regular one-to-one feedback on your writing. Delivered by award-winning tutors and industry experts, this personalised guidance is a premium feature rarely found in online courses, giving you tailored insights to elevate your work to the next level.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned writer ready to take the next step in your career, we offer a structured period of learning and growth—with the individual attention you deserve.

Our practical, well-supported writing courses are designed to help you develop your work-in-progress, sharpen your skills, and boost your confidence as a writer.

In addition to regular critiques and meaningful feedback from your tutor, these in-depth, online courses offer the chance to share your work with a supportive community of fellow writers and strengthen your writer’s voice.

What truly sets our courses apart is the unique opportunity for personalised, one-to-one feedback on your writing, delivered every fortnight — ensuring your progress is guided with expert, tailored advice.

Online course

Success stories

Exploring generational storytelling: a conversation with Linda Hartley

Academy alumna Fiona Gell shares her experience writing memoir ‘Spring Tides’

Simon Bell, writer of ‘The Epilogue Event’, shares the benefits of studying a creative writing course online

Karen Francis shares how studying with Academy contributed towards writing her debut

‘I enjoyed the way the course was set up. Two weeks is the right length of time for each module; even working full time, it was manageable and it encouraged me to be focussed and disciplined in writing.’

— Shona Lowe

‘The tutor was friendly, knowledgeable, helpful, and approachable. Her feedback was always pertinent and helped me to grow as a writer. She often made very helpful suggestions for relevant books to read and ways to develop my writing.’

— Jilly Shipway

‘The encouraging constructive feedback, and the next steps in the second Zoom meeting, gave me more confidence than anything else I’ve done in learning creative writing.’

— Barry Norton

‘Making up stories had felt like an indulgence before, the course gave it validity. It looked after me as I went through the scary process of exposing my creativity to others and taking in feedback, so that I gained a more realistic understanding of my skills and the confidence to develop further.’

— Sarah Barton

How do courses work?

We have partnered with digital learning platform Teachable to host our self-paced courses. The platform is accessible across a range of devices, simple to use, and does not require any specialist equipment.

We want to make sure that you get the most out of our tutored online courses and feel confident that you’re choosing the right course. Each course contains a mixture of teaching content, reading to prompt discussion, writing exercises for you to hone your skills, and group and one-to-one feedback.

Click to read more about how they are structured and what equipment you may need.

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Why study with National Centre for Writing?

National Centre for Writing has been supporting writers to develop their craft for over 25 years. Our online tutored courses are developed in partnership with University of East Anglia, home to the prestigious School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, which boasts award-winning alumni including Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan and Anne Enright. Our course tutors are all published writers, many of whom have studied or taught at UEA themselves.

 

While many online writing courses are available worldwide, ours stand out by offering:

  • One-to-one feedback on up to six assignments, directly from your course tutor
  • A tailored learning experience with a maximum of 15 students per class
  • The flexibility to progress through the course from anywhere, at any time
  • Support and structure to help you develop a consistent writing routine
  • Essential skills and knowledge to enhance your craft
  • Increased confidence in your ability as a writer
  • The opportunity to join our NCW Alumni—an international network of like-minded writers and translators

 

The way the courses were structured made it possible for me to do them along with my work and other commitments. I found the feedback very encouraging and for the first time I started to think of myself as a writer. Now I am doing a creative writing MA at Manchester Metropolitan University which I wouldn’t have considered if I hadn’t done the courses with National Centre for Writing.

Boben Benjamin

Meet the tutors

Our online tutored writing courses are designed and delivered by award-winning tutors and industry experts. All are published writers, and many have studied or taught at the University of East Anglia.

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Got a question?

If you still have questions, get in touch with the learning team by email academy@nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk or phone (+44) 01603 877177 between our working hours of 9am – 5pm BST, Monday to Friday. We’re here to help!

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