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Kickstart Your Novel: Autumn

w/ Eleanor Limprecht & Luke Horton

Page one, chapter one: this is where you start. In a close-knit supportive group, this 12-week course will nurture you through the fast and furious stage of committing the first words of your novel to paper.

Wednesdays 6:30pm – 8:30pm (AEDT), February 19 – May 21 2025

$1200 or $240 per month

$1020 or $204 per month (alumni)


Booked out

Have you got a great idea for a novel, but you’re struggling to know how to get started? During this 12-week introductory course you will be part of a close-knit, supportive learning environment designed to get you started on your dream work of fiction.

Stephen King famously wrote that the first draft of a novel should be written “with the door closed” and “over the course of one season”. In an intimate class of 12 participants, you’ll be encouraged to get a start on “draft zero”, testing out fresh approaches to the writing of fiction along the way.

Through a series of daily writing prompts, provocations, and introductions to a variety of writing processes and styles, this course will nurture you through the fast and furious stage of committing your first words to paper, and is especially suited to those who don’t feel comfortable sharing their work in a whole-class workshopping environment, or to those who want to test-drive their idea before applying for our selective Writing a Novel course.

By the end of the course you will have:

  • Written  >10,000 words towards your novel manuscript.
  • Bolstered your abilities and interest in writing fiction in a friendly environment;
  • Been introduced to a variety of approaches to the writing of longform fiction.

Your course includes:

  • A complimentary copy of a recent A&U publication.
  • On completion of the course, alumni discounts on future Faber Writing Academy courses and books from the Allen & Unwin website.

This course is a useful foundation for those who wish to take the longer, intensive Faber Writing Academy Writing a Novel course, but don’t feel ready to share or workshop their material.


Writers you'll be working with:

Eleanor Limprecht

Dr Eleanor Limprecht is the author of four novels: The Coast, The Passengers, Long Bay and What Was Left. Her fifth novel, Cul de Sac, will be released by Ultimo Press in 2026. Eleanor’s short fiction and essays have been published various places including Best Australian Stories, Meanjin, The Saturday Paper, The Griffith Review, Kill Your Darlings and The Big Issue. She’s been the recipient of grants, scholarships and…

Luke Horton

Luke Horton is a writer, critic and creative writing lecturer from Naarm. His debut novel, The Fogging, was highly commended for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and published by Scribe in 2020. His latest novel, Time Together, was published by Scribe in March 2025. The former editor of The Lifted Brow…

Course outline

COURSE OUTLINE

Session 1: Wednesday 19 February 
Setting intentions and finding the courage to get started.

Session 2: Wednesday 26 February
Finding your voice – experiments in free writing, tense, & point of view.

Session 3: Wednesday 5 March
Exploring different writing processes. Planning vs pantsing, the pros and cons of both.

Session 4: Wednesday 12 March
How to research like a novelist (not like an academic)

Session 5: Wednesday 19 March
On Becoming a camera: detail and noticing

Session 6: Wednesday 26 March
Genre: What kind of novel could this be?

Session 7: Wednesday 2 April
Character: Who’s in the cast?

Session 8: Wednesday 9 April
Introduction to Dialogue

COURSE BREAK

Session 9: Wednesday 30 April
Structure & Shape

Session 10: Wednesday 7 May
Narrative Time

Session 11: Wednesday 14 May
World-building and setting

Session 12: Wednesday 21 May
Keeping up momentum. Applying for grants and further courses.

How to Book

This course is now booked out.

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