How To Write A Page-Turner is a six-session online writing course that requires just 90 minutes of your time each week.
Designed by best-selling author of crime fiction, Caroline Green, this is an essential introduction to developing a manuscript that hurls your protagonist – and readers! – through the sort of twists and turns synonymous with a can’t-put-down, page-turning novel.
Practical elements include plot development, pacing, creating characters, and building tension.
Attendees are not required to have a work-in-progress ready to share but those who are already working on an original manuscript can, of course, apply in-session exercises to their writing as they see fit.
All students may also submit up to 2,000 words of original material to Caroline at the end of the course, and receive up to two pages of feedback on their work.
Course benefits
Students on this course should expect:
- 9 hours of practical writing advice and tuition
- Feedback from Caroline Green on up to 2,000 words of your writing
- Peer-to-peer review; amass a wealth of objective feedback from fellow students
- Course materials available to view ahead of each session
- A copy of the Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and the W&A Companion Guide to Writing Crime & Thriller
- Exclusive discounts on W&A products including editing services and books
Each week sessions will combine tutorials with practical exercises, discussion and feedback.
Schedule
Week One: Monday 17th October
Heroes, villains and victims: How to create strong, believable fictional characters, including authority figures that live off the page.
Week Two: Monday 24th October
Point-of-View and Voice: Finding the right way to tell your story and coming up with a ‘voice’ that hooks and intrigues your readers.
Week Three: Monday 31st October
Plotting a book: Getting the initial inspiration and where to start, plus how to plan and structure your story so it hangs together tightly.
Week Four: Monday 7th November
Pace and Tension: How to write so that your readers will keep turning the pages.
Week Five: Monday 14th November
A Sense of Place: Creating settings that add atmosphere and depth to your story.
Week Six: Monday 21st November
Editing your book and pitching to the industry, with guest speaker TBC
Testimonials
"Enthralling and completely immersive, Caroline Green's knowledge about how to write a page turner was an informative experience for me. She had tremendous insight on what elements are necessary to writing a good story, and I feel more confident about completing my work in progress." Pamela Downs
"I found the course both extremely enjoyable as well as thought provoking,whether it was dealing with the technical side of plotting or the writing process in general. Having Caroline read and comment on a 2k word piece of writing was especially valuable." Simone Mondesir
"A great course and tutor. I'm not a Crime Writer but it contained so many transferable skills that helped me kick-start my writing - hopefully to a more professional level." Sharon Berry
"Caroline was a wonderful teacher; warm, approachable and patient." Raili
Writing as Cass Green, Caroline's debut adult novel The Woman Next Door was a Number 1 e-book bestseller and her second, In A Cottage, In A Wood was a Sunday Times top ten and USA Today bestseller. She is also an award-winning author of fiction for young people. Her first novel, Dark Ride won the RONA Young Adult Book of the Year and the Waverton Good Read Award. Cracks was recommended on Radio 4’s Open Book programme and Hold Your Breath won the Oldham Book Award. She is the Writer in Residence at East Barnet School and has taught writing at City University and for Writers & Artists. In 2021, Sleep Tight, the first of three genre-bending police procedurals, was published by HarperCollins.
The course fee of £350 (incl. VAT) per student is payable in full online.
Please note that payment instalment plans are available for all W&A events, writing courses and editing services. Contact W&A Admin on writersandartists@bloomsbury.com so that we can find a payment schedule that works for you.
If this event is Sold Out, please look out for other writing courses by visiting our Events homepage.
Accessible to All
It’s of real importance to Writers & Artists that our events and courses remain accessible to all.
- As part of our accessibility scheme, one bursary place is available for this course. Please note, this has now been allocated. Please visit our bursaries page for further information about how to apply for future bursaries.
- This is an online course presented via Zoom video-conferencing software. Joining instructions and full guidance will be provided before the course start-date.
- Course materials are made available to participants after each session at the discretion of the course leader.
- A recording of each session will be circulated to participants and remain available to view for a time-limited period.
- The course will include written text and visuals. Please contact us in advance so that we can make arrangements to be sure all documents appear in a format that works for you.
- If you’d like to attend but have any questions or concerns regarding accessibility, then please email AccessWA@bloomsbury.com
