Tell your story with the WEA

Whether you are just starting out as a budding writer, or already have lots of experience expressing yourself through writing, our creative writing courses will provide you with a platform to develop your talent. All our creative writing courses look at different audiences and genres such as scriptwriting, non-fiction and poetry. 

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You can choose to tap into your storytelling abilities alongside other creative writers in a fun and supportive environment, telling your story through your very own writing style. You’ll have the opportunity to explore what it is that you want to write about as well as time to investigate how to find your own voice and the style that you want to write in. 

Our poetry courses immerse you in the works of famous poets and literary greats, exploring the techniques they use and their famous pieces of work. All this acts as the perfect inspiration for when you craft your own style. This learning style means you build the core foundations to progress further, becoming a better writer in the process. 

A creative writing class near you 

Whether you prefer online creative classes or learning face to face in a venue, we have something for everyone to choose from. Our learning experience is one of the things that sets us apart, with many of our learners going on to achieve incredible things.  

The support you’ll receive on your creative writing course 

You'll get support from your tutor whichever option you choose, as well as the opportunity to build a network of peers who have a passion for creative writing just like you.  

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Creative Writing: Writing from the Heart

This is a free taster course focusing on your personal experiences and how these experiences may form the basis not only for autobiography and memoir, but for autobiographical fiction and poetry. The course will be composed sections, with a break; each designed to explore one or more areas of personal writing, through discussion, hands-on writing experiments and guidance on how to improve technical aspects of your prose or poetry. By the conclusion of the course you will have completed an introduction to one or two pieces of writing. The course will be mutually supportive, stimulating and a good introduction to further creative writing courses with the popular tutor Stephen Smith.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 08/07/2024 -
Mon 08/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00016649
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee:
Free

Creative Writing: Writing Your First Novel: Getting Your Work Published

This course is a follow on to the previous ‘Writing Your First Novel’ courses but is also suitable for newly enrolling students with experience writing fiction and a manuscript that they wish to submit to agents and publishers. 'Writing your first Novel: Getting Published' is all about the various elements that writers need to be aware of when considering their writing work for submission in today’s market. The course is designed to allow student’s work to stand out in the competitive publishing market by ensuring that industry standards are met and maximise their opportunity of being noticed by a literary agent of publisher.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/07/2024 -
Thu 01/08/2024
Times:
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Duration:
3 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Craig Rickard
Course code:
Q00015275
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £29.60

Creative Writing: Writing for Wellbeing: Getting Started

If you would like to learn how to use creative writing in a fun way to support your wellbeing and are interested in developing skills to express your thoughts and feelings, then this friendly and supportive course is the perfect course to get you started. Creative writing is an effective and rewarding way to develop your self-expression and a great way to make space and time for personal reflection. It can enable you to re-connect with both your creativity and learning. It has been shown that exploring creativity with words and the use of writing games can help us gain insight and perspective on our lives and can build confidence and stimulate problem solving. During this friendly and supportive course, you will develop some of these fun approaches to creative writing.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 12/07/2024 -
Fri 12/07/2024
Times:
10:30am - 2:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
ClayTAWC Ltd (St. Austell)
Fore Street
St. Dennis
St. Austell
PL26 8AF
Tutor:
Heather White
Course code:
Q00014576
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £16.80

Creative Writing: Writing from the Heart, Exploring Personal Experiences

This course will focus on your personal experiences and how these experiences may form the basis not only for autobiography and memoir, but for autobiographical fiction and poetry. The course will be composed of two workshops, each designed to explore one or more areas of personal writing, through discussion, hands-on writing experiments and guidance on how to improve technical aspects of your prose or poetry. By the conclusion of the course you will have completed the first drafts of two pieces of writing. The course will be mutually supportive, stimulating and a good introduction to further creative writing courses with the popular tutor Stephen Smith.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 15/07/2024 -
Mon 22/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
2 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stephen Smith
Course code:
Q00016651
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
9 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £20.00

WEA Membership

For just £15 a year, you can:

  • Join our popular, award-winning weekly lecture series,
  • Access an archive of over 100 past lectures,
  • Get priority online and phone booking for autumn courses (England only),
  • Receive our Highway magazine and access back issues,
  • Attend our members’ annual conference.

Just add us to your basket to sign up today!

Membership Information

Duration:
12 months
Fee:
WEA Membership

Creative Writing: Body Stories Workshop

This friendly four-hour creative writing workshop will invite you to enter into relationship with your bodies and surroundings. The session will be held in a supportive way and will integrate some simple yoga inspired movement (adaptable to all bodies), prompts for creative and reflective expression through writing, and even some environmental science! You will be guided to a holistic understanding of person and place. This course is ideal for people who like to write and to contemplate how to live more skilfully as individuals, as a community and in relationship with their surroundings. There will be time for sharing small parts of your writing towards the end of the workshop but no pressure, it’s about an unfolding individual/shared creative process and participants need to feel at ease to write freely.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 24/07/2024 -
Wed 24/07/2024
Times:
10:00am - 2:00pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Ione Harris
Course code:
Q00014762
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
1 place remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £16.80

Ways to Wellbeing: Prose for Wellbeing: reading and writing upbeat narratives for improved wellbeing

Writing prose is a powerful tool for enhancing one's well-being. Regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, and experiences can help you process emotions, gain insights, and reduce stress. On this taster course you will be reading about life writing and fiction in short and abstract form with happy conclusions to support a positive outlook on life. You will also write your own memoir and fiction pieces to help you process negative beliefs and thought patterns that hold you back and deal with emotions more effectively. By the end of this taster course, you will gain some knowledge of prose and how it can be used to improve your overall well–being.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 30/07/2024 -
Tue 30/07/2024
Times:
2:30pm - 5:30pm
Duration:
1 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Sarah Wardle
Course code:
Q00017576
How you'll learn:
Online and in venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £11.10

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Be Inspired

The aim is to help develop and channel students' writing ability, whether as a hobby or for publication with discussion of many aspects of writing, projects and readings of their work in a constructive and friendly setting. All levels are welcome.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 18/09/2024 -
Wed 19/03/2025
Times:
10:00am - 12:00pm
Duration:
23 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Stella Stocker
Course code:
Q00009413
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £148.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Creating and Developing Characters

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on creating and developing character. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 26/09/2024 -
Thu 05/12/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
11 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009200
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Creative Writing: Creating Characters

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on character creation. There will be writing exercises, discussions, an optional weekly homework task and feedback. Guidance on feedback techniques will be provided. The course content has flexibility, and will be adapted to suit the needs of the group. Suitable for improvers.

Course Information

Dates:
Fri 27/09/2024 -
Fri 01/11/2024
Times:
11:00am - 1:00pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Location:
Online
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00009209
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £44.40

This course is available for WEA members only until 10 am on Wednesday 3rd July.

Personal Development: Creative writing

Unlock your inner writer! This 4-week Introduction to Creative Writing course will ignite your imagination and guide you in expressing yourself through the power of words. We'll delve into various writing styles, helping you observe the world around you with fresh eyes and translate those experiences onto the page. Whether you're a complete beginner or have dabbled in writing, this course is designed to unleash your creativity and deepen your enjoyment of the written word.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 01/10/2024 -
Tue 22/10/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Duration:
8 sessions
Location:
KCU Ltd at Fuller Church (Kettering)
51 Gold Street
Kettering
NN16 8JB
Tutor:
Caroline Smy
Course code:
Q00016541
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £33.60