Online tutored courses with National Centre for Writing

Feed your talent. Learn to write.

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

National Centre for Writing is a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting and elevating writers of all kinds across the UK and beyond. Our mission is to be a resilient, internationally networked creative house and hub for literature, celebrating our stories past and nurturing our literary futures. Supported by Arts Council England, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council and University of East Anglia.

Courses start from £300

Running for eight, 12 or 18 weeks, our creative writing courses are inspiring, flexible and led by expert tutors.

From historical epics to the sensory adventure of nature writing, online tutored courses are a deep-dive into whatever genre you most enjoy. Fiction, non-fiction, script, romance — we have a range of courses for beginners and more experienced writers to help you build and develop your skills and your confidence.

  • Eight weeks — shorter courses from £300
  • 12 weeks — courses for beginners from £495
  • 18 weeks — courses for experienced writers from £995

 

view upcoming courses
Not sure about the cost?

We offer early bird discounts and payment plans, available for a limited time depending on the course. For more information, contact [email protected].

Quotes from online tutored course alumni

Hear from NCW Academy alumni who took part in an online tutored course

‘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 course gave me such a great steer on how to structure and edit my work. It also took away the fear of sharing my writing and receiving constructive feedback.’

— Maria Jackson, longlisted for the Women’s Prize Discoveries 2025 programme

‘Compared to the many other online writing courses — I’ve done many — the personal contact was tremendous.’

— 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

Why take an online tutored course?

Here’s what you will get from an online tutored course with National Centre for Writing Academy.

  • With frequent constructive feedback from your tutor and fellow writers, you will gain the confidence to share your work and offer your own thoughts, as well as more confident in your ability as a writer.

  • Throughout the course, you will learn skills in analysis, research, writing and editing in various forms specific to your chosen genre or discipline.

  • Interact with your tutor and coursemates to get support and feedback on you writing, ideas, research and more.

  • Our NCW tutors are dedicated to nurturing emerging writers, helping you find what you can over as a new, unique voice.

Upcoming online tutored courses

Online tutored courses with National Centre for Writing run from eight, 12 or 18 and are suitable for beginners or intermediate writers looking to build your knowledge, portfolio and confidence. You’ll get regular feedback on writing assignments and the chance to meet and work with fellow writers, including your expert tutor.

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

Explore various creative non-fiction forms and receive personalised feedback on your writing with this online tutored course.

Calendar

Monday 16 February

Find out more

How to Write Fiction (12-week course)

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

Calendar

Monday 23 February

Find out more

An Introduction to Memoir (12-week course)

Develop a personal memoir by exploring vulnerability, reflection, and various narrative styles. Gain confidence and writing skills and receive personalised feedback to craft and refine your life story.

Calendar

Monday 23 February

Find out more

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.

Calendar

Monday 23 February

Find out more

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.

Calendar

Monday 23 February

Find out more

The Art of Noticing: Nature Writing (eight-week course)

Explore writing about nature and the environment, and receive personalised feedback to confidently map rich worlds in your work.

Calendar

Monday 23 March

Find out more

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.

Calendar

Monday 23 March

Find out more

Frequently Asked Questions

If you have a question, we might be able to answer it here! If your question isn’t covered in our FAQs, you’re more than welcome to contact us on [email protected] or call (+44) 01603 877177 Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.

  • Our online tutored courses cost from £300, £495 or £995 depending on the length of the course.

  • Many of our course participants report feeling more confident, have a better technical understanding of their preferred genre and their own writing, establishing a regular writing routine and increased productivity.

  • Online courses are flexible around your schedule. Depending the length of your course, you will have 1-3 weeks to work through each module at your own pace, including reading and writing exercises, and an assignment to submit at the end of some modules. Written assignments will have deadlines so your tutor can review them and offer feedback in a timely fashion.

    If’ you’d prefer something with zero pressure, we have self-paced online courses which you can do entirely at your own steam.

  • Our online tutored courses take between eight, 12 and 18 weeks, separated into modules.

  • Yes, you can! National Centre for Writing is a charitable organisation dedicated to uplifting writers of all kinds. Our online tutored courses are designed in partnership with University of East Anglia and our expert tutors.

Free resources from National Centre for Writing

Whether you’re after quick reads, in-depth writing insights, author interviews, or creative explorations of Norwich City of Literature, our digital library offers a rich mix of content to read, listen to, and watch. Go to Writing Hub or check out the selection below:

Finding your voice: how mentorship can transform your writing journey

How do writers benefit from ongoing mentorship and guidance? We spoke with Megan Bradbury about her experiences as an NCW tutor and mentor.

Calendar

29 April 2025

Fiction
Learning
Professional Insights
Tips and Advice
Read

Interviewing subjects for non-fiction: a beginner’s checklist

From filtering through personal stories about an important figure to getting the gritty facts from a potentially taciturn expert, interviewing is a challenging skill that needs the right preparation.

Calendar

15 August 2025

Non-fiction
Tips and Advice
Read

The importance of setting in fiction

In this article, writer and NCW tutor Benjamin Johncock (The Last Pilot), argues that, when we fail to establish where and when things are happening, we break the spell. Explore why clarity, precision and specificity in setting aren’t optional — they’re essential.

Calendar

19 August 2025

Fiction
Tips and Advice
Read

Free self-paced courses

Dip your toe into an online self-paced course with our free options! Self-paced courses are designed to let you be totally self-sufficient, learning around your schedule.

First Steps in Short Form Poetry

First Steps in Short Form Poetry

Super-short forms of writing give us the gift of concision; the ability to drive straight to the beating heart of something.

Free Writing Course
Self-Paced Course
Find out more

How to Write Unreliable Narrators

How do you create a narrator your reader can’t trust? In this course, you’ll look at the ways in which an unreliable narrator can add intrigue, suspense, and drama into your narrative, and you’ll experiment with creating your own unreliable narrators.

Free Writing Course
Self-Paced Course
Short
Find out more

Supercharge Your Writing

We want to help you be a writer. This free course is packed full of advice to help you examine your habits and figure out how you can increase your productivity. It’s also been designed to not take up much of your time – in just one weekend you’ll be able to revitalise your writing.

Free Writing Course
Self-Paced Course
Find out more

Self-paced online courses

Starting from £45, our self-paced online courses are a no-pressure way to build your skills and expand your writing horizons. Entirely at your own pace so you can fit learning into your busy life.

How to write true crime

How to Write True Crime

Learn the tools and techniques needed to write a compelling true crime novel, article, or script for a podcast or documentary.

Self-Paced Course
Find out more

How to Write More and Stay Happy

Building on our free Supercharge Your Writing course, writer and tutor Ben Johncock reveals more tips and tricks for writing more, writing faster and staying healthy as a writer. Packed with exercises, this course will help you push past writer’s block, identify bad habits and use technology responsibly.

Self-Paced Course
Find out more

Writing Science Fiction Bundle

This huge bundle includes all three Writing Science Fiction courses, taught by Ian Nettleton: World Building, Characters & Point of View and Plotting & Endings.

Self-Paced Course
Find out more
National Centre for Writing | NCW
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.