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Short Courses

Improve Your Fiction Writing

Course summary

Start date

23/09/2025

Cost

£195.00

Delivery mode

In person (On Campus)

Course image

About the course

This course is for learners with some experience in writing fiction – for example two or three short stories or chapters.

You will begin by evaluating their current skills and setting development goals.

You will then move on to discover new writing techniques including generating ideas, characterisation, and sensory descriptions.

Through practical learning in a small group setting, you will have the opportunity to experiment with narrative structure, weaving complexity through tension, subtext, and metaphor.

This course provides a unique opportunity to push  creative boundaries, drawing on a diverse range of literary tactics. By the end, you will  be equipped to tackle more ambitious writing projects with a renewed confidence and a richer narrative style.

Any essential or recommended reading will be shared by the course teacher once the course is confirmed to run.

You will require access to a device with an internet connection.

What you'll learn

If you have fully engaged with all the learning activities and have attended regularly, by the end of the course, you should be able to:

  • Evaluate personal writing processes to enhance the production of quality work within given time constraints
  • Formulate comprehensive structures for both short stories and novel-length projects
  • Analyse peer feedback effectively to set realistic and ambitious personal writing goals

Who the course is for

This course will be most valuable to learners who have some experience in writing fiction, for example two or three short stories or chapters.

We welcome all and are committed to fostering a positive culture and sense of community among learners and staff. We expect learners to treat others with dignity and respect. Learners must be aged 16+.

If you have a disability, learning difficulty, health condition, or personal circumstances which may affect your learning, please let us know so that we can make appropriate adjustments in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

Wherever possible, we mainstream adjustments in line with the University’s Accessible and Inclusive Learning Policy. Learners will have limited access to the University’s student support services.

Entry criteria

The course is suitable for those with no prior experience of university study. This course will be most valuable to students who have some experience in writing fiction, for example, two or three short stories or chapters.

You will need to have reading, listening and communication skills, including the ability to understand detailed ideas and information presented orally and in writing. You must be comfortable studying in English if it is not your first language. You will need basic digital skills, such as using a computer and navigating a website, to access the study materials.

Additional Information

Course options

If the course has more than one start date, time, delivery mode or location, then these options will all be shown in the table below.

All times are local to Edinburgh.

Start dateDelivery modeCampusClass timeCostBook now
23/09/2025In person (On Campus)Holyrood (Moray House) (opens in a new window)18:30-20:20£195.00Book now

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