online
online

Writing a Novel Stage 2: Online

w/ Carrie Tiffany + guests, including leading industry agents/publishers

Write your novel, and write it well…

This three-month course builds on the work started in Writing a Novel: Stage 1 and is suitable for writers who have completed that course, or who have a substantially completed rough or first draft of a novel-in-progress. This course will develop craft and technical skills required to turn a rough draft into a work of art. Using exercises focused on your own work, you’ll finish the course with a deep understanding of the novelists’ craft and how it applies to your own novel.

6 July – 14 September 2021 (3 months)

$3,250 / $2,760 alumni


This is a past course.

• Benefit from the structure of regular classes covering everything from playing with genre, the power of what is unspoken and using scenes and narrative summary to maintain momentum.

• Learn from our experienced Course Directors, as well as guest tutors including top authors, and agents/publishers.

• Receive personalised, one-to one attention on your project from your tutor.

• Get it done. When undertaken with Writing a Novel: Stage 1, this is a flexible alternative to a creative writing MA, designed for people who might be considering a career and who are prepared to engage fully in the hard work involved. Apart from the workshops, you will be devoting as much time as possible between classes to writing.

• Receive invaluable feedback by having the chance to present your work to your class of other committed novelists.

• Start your career with unrivalled access to those who know. There is no better way to get on the road to publication than to meet the people who know how to make that happen. Hear talks from people in the industry, then read to a room of agents at course completion.

Students completing Writing a Novel Stage 1 will have first preference for places in Writing a Novel Stage 2. Places for new students can only be offered if an existing student chooses to discontinue. We will advise new applicants of the availability of places as soon as possible.

 

Graduates who complete Writing a Novel Stage 2 will have the opportunity to be published in the annual Faber Writing Anthology.

The Faber Writing Anthology is distributed to publishers and literary agents across Australia and the United Kingdom.


Writers you'll be working with:

Carrie Tiffany

Carrie Tiffany was born in West Yorkshire and grew up in Western Australia. She spent her early twenties working as a park ranger in Central Australia and now lives and works in Melbourne. Her first novel, Everyman’s Rules for Scientific Living, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Miles Franklin Literary Award, the Guardian First Book…

Course outline

The course consists of:

11 x Tuesday evenings (6.30pm to 8.30pm) + 3 Saturdays

The content listed below is comprehensive but is still a guide only. 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 directors and Faber Writing Academy at Allen & Unwin.

Session 1: Tuesday 6 July
Course outline and introduction

Session 2: Tuesday 13 July
Beginnings & workshopping

Session 3: Saturday 17 July
Intro to plot and structure & workshopping

Session 4: Tuesday 20 July
More on plot and structure & workshopping

Session 5: Tuesday 27 July
Backstory, time shifts, narrative time & workshopping

Session 6: Tuesday 3 August
Research & workshopping

Session 7: Saturday 7 August
Editing your work & guest speaker

Session 8: Tuesday 10 August
Modelling & workshopping

Session 9: Tuesday 17 August
Synopsis and blurbs & workshopping

Session 10: Tuesday 24 August
Pitching, titles and cover & workshopping

Session 11: Saturday 28 August
Acting coach and A&U editor

Session 12: Tuesday 31 August
Guest speaker: Publisher & workshopping

Session 13: Tuesday 7 September
Guest speaker: Literary agent & workshopping

Session 14: Tuesday 14 September
Where to from here? Advice for completion

Final readings.

After the conclusion of the program, students will have an option to take part in the launch of the Faber Writing Academy Anthology 2021 which includes industry guests.

Praise for this course

“It was a highly enjoyable course and the tutors both terrific in terms of their mastery of the craft and teaching skills.” (2019)

[most valuable outcome]… “Advice/ tips on resonance and symbolism and alternative beginnings – and the sessions on writing synopses and pitching were all excellent.” (2020)

‘Every week I learnt new tools which I could use straight away. It helped me at a macro and micro level. The teaching style made me want to write more and gave me confidence in my own writing. The course exceeded my expectations.’ – Rob McDonald, 2016 Rob McDonald’s first novel was published by Allen and Unwin in 2019.

 

How to Apply

This is a past course.