Writing a Novel Online

online

Writing a Novel Online

w/ Vivian Pham and Emily Bitto

For emerging novelists ready to dive in and make the commitment to complete a full manuscript, this intensive course will guide you through the process of planning and beginning your novel, developing essential skills in writing and composition, as well as establishing a dedicated writing practice.

Thursdays 6:30pm – 8:30pm (AEST/ AEDT)

24 July 2025 – Saturday 9 May 2026

Online

Intermediate

$5,900 or $590 per month for 10 months

$5,015 or $501.50 per month (alumni) for 10 months

Apply Now

For emerging novelists ready to complete their first full manuscript, this rigorous year-long course will guide you through the process of imagining, crafting and polishing your novels, as well as establishing a dedicated writing practice.

Presented by Australia’s leading independent publishing house Allen & Unwin, in partnership with the prestigious UK Publishers Faber & Faber, Writing a Novel is a highly practical, craft-focused program designed to help you stay the distance and finish your manuscript draft over the course of nine months.

In the first three-month stage of this course (July– October), you will be given a proven combination of targeted writing exercises, whole-class workshops, masterclasses from award-winning authors and carefully selected readings. These introductory lessons will give you an important foundation for writing your novel. You will be taken through essential concepts such as narrative structure, character development, setting, voice, plotting, pacing and more.

In the second half of the program (February – May) you will continue to develop the craft and technical skills required to turn a rough draft into a work of art, while meeting a selection of industry guests. You will finish the course with a deep understanding of the novelist’s craft and how it applies to your own novel. These are lessons you can carry with you throughout your writing life.

During this course, you will be provided with:

Feedback on 8,000-10,000 words of your work-in-progress, delivered through a mixture of whole-class workshops, and a personalised individual one-on-one consultation with your course director;
Regular classes covering everything from research and narrative structure to style and tone;
The ability to connect with fellow committed novelists, building a close-knit community of trusted readers;
The chance to establish valuable industry connections with key insiders from the Australian publishing industry. There is no better way to get on the road to publication than to meet the people who know how to make that happen;
A complimentary copy of a recent A & U publication.

In addition to dedicated course work, students who are submission-ready within three years of completing Writing a Novel will have the opportunity submit to the Faber Writing Anthology, a showcase of student work sent to leading literary agents and publishers in both Australia and the United Kingdom, and launched at a bespoke industry party.

Writers you'll be working with:

Vivian Pham

Vivian Pham is a Vietnamese novelist, essayist, and poet from southwestern Sydney. In high school she wrote a novel called The Coconut Children, which was published in March 2020 by Penguin Random House. In 2021 she was named one of The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists and she won the Matt Richell Award…

Emily Bitto

Emily Bitto is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her debut novel, The Strays, was the winner of the Stella Prize in 2015. Her second novel, Wild Abandon, was published by Allen & Unwin in 2021. She has a Masters in Literary Studies and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Melbourne and has…

Course outline

The course consists of 22 online evening sessions (Thursdays 6.30pm to 8.30pm), one 2 hour mid-course check in, and 6 half-day sessions (Saturdays 1.00pm to 4.00pm). Times are either in AEST or AEDT depending on dates. Please convert the times if you live outside of this time zone.

2025 Dates
Session 1: Thursday 24 July – Vivian Pham & Emily Bitto
Introduction: Meet your tutors and discuss your ambitions for the course. Why do you write? What is the yet-unwritten novel you want to read? What does the world look like with your book in it?

Session 2: Thursday 31 July – Vivian Pham
Premise and Genre: In this workshop we will consider the unique characteristics of each genre, how they meld together, and the novels that successfully bend the rules.

Session 3: Thursday 7 August – Viviam Pham
The Elements: A basic, sturdy overview of what writing a novel involves.

Session 4: Saturday 9 August – Vivian Pham
Character: The aim of this week is to flesh out our characters to the point that we can see their nose hairs. We will mine for the microscopic details that make someone unique.

Session 5: Thursday 14 August – Emily Bitto
Story, structure, plot: What are the different types of plot? Do you even need one? How do you maintain intensity and momentum with varied pacing? How do you find the right structure for your novel? While plot is related to structure the two operate independently, so consideration will also be given to the ways in which they should both support and develop the other.

Session 6: Thursday 21 August – Vivian Pham
Plot: In this week we consider the driving force behind a plot, as well as the basic requirements of a page-turner: moments of suspense, discovery and recognition.

Session 7: Thursday 28 August – Emily Bitto
Scene and summary: What is the difference between scene and summary? What is the function of each in your novel, and how do they work on the page?

Session 8: Thursday 4 September – Vivian Pham
The Pitfalls of Point of View: Many writers believe that deciding which point of view you tell your story from affects everything that happens in it. In this week we discuss the different narrative viewpoints, as well as the virtues and drawbacks of each.

Session 9: Saturday 6 September – Emily Bitto
Voice and Psychic Distance: What is meant by the term ‘voice’ in relation to the novel? What is the voice and tone of your novel? What are the possibilities and impacts of the choices you could make in relation to the level of ‘closeness’ or ‘distance’ from the inner voice/s of your character/s? How can you consciously decide on and create the tone and voice of your novel?

Session 10: Thursday 11 September – Emily Bitto
Handling Time: Flash-back, flash-forward and everything in between. How to handle the passage of time in your narrative on both the plot- and scene-level. Different ways to incorporate back story and to handle transitions between time periods.

Session 11: Thursday 18 September – Vivian Pham & Guest
Guest author session: Writing insights and tips on how to continue your practice over the break.

Session 12: Thursday 25 September – Vivian Pham
Writers on Writing: In this week we look at different approaches to writing, experiment with practical exercises, and build our own personal regime.

COURSE BREAK

Session 13: Thursday 16 October – Vivian Pham
The Gears of Storytelling: In this week we consider pacing, momentum, and the experience of time within the story.

Session 14: Saturday 18 October – Vivian Pham
Imagery and symbolism: This week we focus on recognising the layers of meaning embedded in our novel and how to translate this into imagery and symbolism.

Session 15: Thursday 23 October – Vivian Pham
How to Say Goodbye: In this session we explore how to end a novel.

END OF YEAR BREAK

Mid-break check-in session: Thursday 4 December 2024 6:30pm – 8:30pm

2026 dates

Session 16: Thursday 5 February – Vivian Pham
How to save your darlings: This week we give practical advice on how to process and respond to feedback and make the most out of a gruesome edit.

Session 17: Saturday 7 February – Vivian Pham
Structural Edit Part 1: Opening Doors

Session 18: Thursday 12 February – Vivian Pham
Structural Edit Part 2: Keeping the Door Open

Session 19: Thursday 19 February – Vivian Pham
Structural Edit Part 3: Closing Doors

Session 20: Thursday 26 February – Vivian Pham
Line Edit: What Novelists Can Learn From Playwrights, Screenwriters and Poets

Session 21: Thursday 5 March – Vivian Pham
Shading With Tonal Shifts: This week we consider the tone of important scenes in our novel and how to add complexity and emotional depth by using tonal shifts.

Session 22: Thursday 12 March – guest tutor Miles Allinson
Research, ethics, writing from life: Writing fiction has freedoms, but also some responsibilities. A consideration of some ethical issues raised by drawing on real events or real people’s lives in your work.

Session 23: Saturday 14 March – Emily Bitto
Getting to the end and where to next: This session will address a range of topics such as submitting to literary journals, manuscript prizes, agents and publishers, as well as who to get to read your draft, the pros and cons of manuscript assessments, and options for further study in creative writing. We’ll also revisit your initial planning documents from the first week of the course.

Session 24: Thursday 19 March – Vivian Pham
The Art of the Pitch: This week we develop the skill of condensing our novel into a pitch that packs a punch, and what differentiates the pitch from the synopsis and the pitch.

Session 25: Thursday 26 March – Vivian Pham
Workshopping Intensive

EASTER BREAK

Session 26: Thursday 23 April – Vivian Pham
Editor Guest Appearance

Session 27: Thursday 30 April – Vivian Pham
Literary Agent Guest Appearance

Session 28: Saturday 9 May – Vivian Pham
Final workshopping and celebration

All sessions are held online on Zoom. The exact course content could be adjusted according to the experience and concerns of the group and availability of guest writers. The detail of the course is at the discretion of the Course Director and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.

How to Apply

To apply you will first need to complete this online application form, which will ask you to attach a 1,ooo word prose sample.

In this form you will be able to apply for a full scholarship. The scholarship is merit-based, but we will also take into consideration an applicant’s financial situation and the diversity of the class while making our final decision.

In the scholarship application, you can indicate to us if you would like to be considered for a paid place, should you be unsuccessful for the scholarship.

The selective process ensures that all applicants are applying for the course best suited to their needs and allows the tutor to determine your readiness for the course.

What happens if I am offered a paid place?

If you are offered a paid place you will be sent an email inviting you to take your place in the course from the Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin team. In order to secure your spot, you will be asked to pay either the full course fee ($5,900 / $5015 alumni) or a monthly instalment of $590/ $501.50 (alumni). If you choose to pay with instalments, a further nine payments will be automatically charged to your nominated card monthly.

Students may choose to pay the full course fee or settle their remainder at any point.

Please contact us if you wish to discuss further payment plan options via email faberwritingacademy@allenandunwin.com or phone (02) 8425 0171.