Have you struggled to get the first words down on a project? Or, have you finished a draft of your novel, but find that it only really ‘gets going’ half way through? During this 8-week course you will be part of a close-knit, supportive learning environment designed to get you started – or re-started – on your dream work of fiction, and to strengthen the opening chapter of your work-in-progress.

We will pull apart the first chapters of our favourite novels, work out what makes them sing, and apply their techniques to your own works-in-progress. We will use the opening chapters of your novels to investigate the most important questions we need to ask of your work as a whole.

The course will be delivered in 2 x 4 week stages, with a two-week writing intermission. In the first four weeks we will train ourselves to read the opening chapters of our favourite novels not as readers, but as writers; we will focus on technique and coursework, and allow a little time to workshop the opening chapters of those who have already written first drafts.

After a short two-week writing break, we will resume with a more thorough and detailed workshopping process, focusing on the revised opening chapters of those who submitted in part one of the course, and the first drafts of those who have put pen to paper for the first time.

The course will finish with a look towards the future, thinking about strategies to keep you going on your manuscript.

By the end of the course you will have:

• Gained an understanding of all the important elements and techniques of novel writing;
• Bolstered your abilities and interest in writing fiction in a friendly environment;
• Received constructive and rigorous feedback on your writing, so that you can measure your improvement.

This course is a useful foundation for those who wish to take the longer, intensive Faber Writing Academy Writing a Novel course in 2022.