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Kickstart Your Novel: Autumn

w/ Kirsten Tranter & 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/AEST), 18 February – 20 May 2026

$1200 or $240 per month

$1020 or $204 per month (alumni)


Have you got a great idea for a novel, but you’re struggling 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:

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 His debut novel, The Fogging, was highly commended for the 2019 Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript and published by Scribe in 2020.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…

Kirsten Tranter

Kirsten Tranter is an internationally acclaimed writer, editor and critic based in the San Francisco Bay Area, author of the novels Hold (2016), longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and the Voss Literary Award, A Common Loss and The Legacy. She has mentored authors and taught creative writing and literary studies around the world at…

Course outline

COURSE OUTLINE

Session 1: Wednesday 18 February 
Setting intentions and finding the courage to get started.

Session 2: Wednesday 25 February
Finding your voice – experiments in free writing, tense, & point of view.

Session 3: Wednesday 4 March
Exploring different writing processes. Planning vs pantsing, the pros and cons of both.

Session 4: Wednesday 11 March
How to research like a novelist (not like an academic)

Session 5: Wednesday 18 March
On Becoming a camera: detail and noticing

Session 6: Wednesday 25 March
Genre: What kind of novel could this be?

Session 7: Wednesday 1 April
Character: Who’s in the cast?

Session 8: Wednesday 8 April
Introduction to Dialogue

COURSE BREAK

Session 9: Wednesday 29 April
Structure & Shape

Session 10: Wednesday 6 May
Narrative Time

Session 11: Wednesday 13 May
World-building and setting

Session 12: Wednesday 20 May

Keeping up momentum. Applying for grants and further courses.

How to Book

Please note that if you select ‘weekly instalments’ then five instalments of  $240 / $204 alumni will be automatically charged to the nominated card monthly (including your first payment). Please ensure you have sufficient funds in your nominated account. By choosing payment by instalment you are making a commitment to pay the full amount over time. Please see our terms and conditions for more information.

Includes 10% tax