Novel Writing: The Secrets for Success

The day course will examine the fundamental building blocks of a strong, compelling (and ready-to-submit) novel. Areas covered include pace and characterisation – with special focus on building tension and suspense – as well as the editing and submission process. The course is suitable for both beginners and those who have started writing but would love additional tips and direction.

About the course

Course Fee

Home/EU: 100.00
International: $124.00

Course Dates

November 6th: 3PM GMT start

Course Length

November 6 - One Day Course

Weekly Study

3PM GMT Start

Testimonial

Kate-Tempest-Headshot-1

KATE TEMPEST

MEET KATE

I really like what Litro Stands for! Kate Tempest

Course summary

There are a thousand and one reasons not to write. It’s hard. Not enough time. Too tired. It’s lonely. There’s no point. These are all true, but to publish a story, you have to write one (probably several). Every story started as a blank page. This class will be divided into four distinct parts to help you on your writing journey and development.

1: Suspense, Tension & Pace – how to speed up and slow down your story; how to foreshadow, withhold information and use plot twists to best effect

2: Characters & Points of View – how to navigate between more than one viewpoint and differentiate characters through dialogue, non-verbal details and body language

3: Plot, Settings & Research – how to create vivid settings and worlds that draw readers in; how to use description and imagery to bring scenes to life

4: Editing & Preparing for Submission – how to edit your work effectively and bring clarity to your story; how to get your manuscript and cover letter ready for submission

How you will learn

Our team of editors, novelists and scriptwriters will provide a helping hand – making you a more confident writer.

Thanks to our status as a platform for discovering the best literary talent – having helped kick-start the careers of several literary writers to acclaim, such as Nikesh Shukla, Naomi Alderman, Peng Shepherd, Clare Wigfall, Stuart Evers, Inua Ellams and others on the Man Booker Prize longlists – we have far-reaching external networks that create opportunities for your work to get in front of editors, agents and publishers. You will learn through:

  • Generating and pitching ideas
  • Submissions best practices and feedback
  • Live readings & performances
  • Writing and sharing your work online
  • Specialist workshops
  • Live salons

The day course will examine the fundamental building blocks of a strong, compelling (and ready-to-submit) novel. Areas covered include pace and characterisation – with special focus on building tension and suspense – as well as the editing and submission process. The course is suitable for both beginners and those who have started writing but would love additional tips and direction.

The Tutor

Felicia Yap

Felicia Yap is the author of the speculative literary thrillers Future Perfect and Yesterday. Future Perfect (Headline UK, 2021) is a murder mystery set in a near-future Britain where computers can predict how we live and when we will die. Her debut Yesterday (Little Brown USA, 2017) is about a murder that takes place in a parallel universe where people can only remember one day – or two. She has worked as a cell biologist, a war historian, a university lecturer, a technology journalist, a theatre critic, a flea-market trader and a catwalk model. One of The Observer's Rising Stars for Fiction, Felicia is the recipient of the Hawthornden Castle Fellowship in Scotland and the Ledig-Rowohlt Fellowship at Château de Lavigny in Switzerland.

Felicia has extensive teaching experience, having supervised, mentored and provided pastoral care for students at the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics.