Fiction Workshop
MA-style workshop for writers who want to make serious progress with their writing project in a supportive and engaging environment. Teaching is always in small groups (max 6 participants).
'Susanna is incredibly insightful and has been a huge help in identifying areas where my manuscript needed development. She’s helped me work through options while bringing a fresh insight into the work as well as identifying potential pitfalls. She’s a great tutor and coach and all her workshops leave me feeling energised and confident for the next stage.'
Shirley S
Summer Term 2024, from April/May:
Please note that the Saturday morning FICTION WORKSHOP will not run this term but will be replaced by the WRITING A NOVEL course, which includes a workshop element. Please see Writing a Novel for details. The planned Fiction Workshop will now run in autumn.
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Fiction Workshop. (continuing, Hove).
Tuesdays, 7–9pm.
May 7–July 9 (no session on June 11).
If you are interested in joining, should places become available, please get in touch.
Course fee: £375*, includes a 1-1 session.
Courses run for 9 sessions with a break after week 4 or 5.
Tutor: Susanna Jones.
Max 6 participants.
*Continuing/returning students are entitled to a £25 discount.
How it works:
Participants' writing, submitted in advance each week, will form the basis of the sessions. This means you will also spend time reading the work of fellow participants and honing your editorial skills. Susanna will send line-by-line comments and structural notes after each workshop to help you as you continue to revise and develop your work.
The first session will be an introductory one. Thereafter, we will generally look at two participants' work each week with each participant having two workshops during the term. Everyone will have the opportunity to submit up to around 4,000 words per workshop, so a total of 8,000 words over the course (depending on numbers, this may be organised differently and there may be an opportunity to submit more). If you prefer, you can submit just one new piece of work and use subsequent workshops to submit revised versions. This is a great way to focus on developing technique and learning how to use feedback when you rewrite and edit. The schedule is designed to have a little extra space so that we can always be flexible according to the needs of the group. If you are new to the fiction workshop and daunted by the idea of submitting 4,000 words, you are welcome to submit less. From 1,500 words upwards gives us plenty to look at and discuss.
If you haven't done one of our writing courses before, we'll ask to see a short piece of your writing to be sure that this is the right course for you.
You can reserve your place by making a first payment of £75 (non-refundable). Full payment for the course is due three weeks before the start date. After this, refunds cannot be made unless we are able to fill all course places, in which case we will refund of 80% of the fee. If, for any reason, we have to cancel the course, you will of course receive a full refund.
Online Workshops
Note: If you're unable to join an in-person workshop, it may be possible to join an online group if it can be arranged with other writers at a similar stage in their writing or with similar aims. These groups usually run with 2–4 participants. Get in touch if you'd like to know more about this option.
Testimonials:
'Susanna is an amazing mentor. I was lucky enough to be taught by her when I undertook an MA in Creative Writing before going on to teach the subject myself. Her insightful advice and editing skills are second to none. When I started a novel and hit some thorny difficulties, I was so pleased to discover that Susanna was running an Advanced Fiction Writing course. She was invaluable in terms of helping me pick out the strands which were working and the ones which needed further thought. She has an exceptional eye for detail and her feedback is positive and constructive. She offered accessible solutions based on her many years of experience and opened up new avenues I hadn’t considered, which was so helpful.
There is no way I could have produced work at this level and this quickly, without her support. Susanna created a great rapport within a workshop environment. Even though the sessions I took were online, the respectful and encouraging tone she set, eased us into working comfortably together. Her sessions were well- run and well-structured and I thoroughly looked forward to each one. Susanna brought out the best in my writing and I couldn’t recommend her highly enough.'
Hilary W
'Susanna is, without a doubt, the best creative writing teacher and workshop leader I’ve ever come across. Whether you are just starting out on your writing journey, or have a couple of novels under your belt and want to hone your skill, Susanna is the right person for you. She was the lead fiction tutor on my Creative Writing MA and, more recently, has guided me through editing my first novel. I’m not sure I could have done it without her - and I certainly wouldn’t have done it this well. I have complete trust in her judgement and believe she has made me not only a stronger writer but a much better editor. She is generous with her time and with her extensive experience and will give your work the kind of respect, care and attention that most writers can only dream of from a third party. In short, whatever stage you’re at as a writer, Susanna will help you progress, improve and reach your writing goal.'
Louisa S