NCW Academy

In honour of High Five a Librarian Day, here is a special writing prompt! 🙏 What's more mysterious than a new book?

Use this prompt as a starter for a poem, short story or novel excerpt.

Happy I Love to Write Day! ✍️ ✒️ 📖

“There is something delicious about writing the first words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you.” ― Beatrix Potter

Learn to write characters for middle-grade fiction 📖 https://buff.ly/4ffSXgX

👋 Join award-winning children's author Mitch Johnson as he guides you through the techniques and art of creating characters that will appeal to middle-grade readers.

Learn at your own pace with our self-paced online courses, designed to fit around your schedule – progress through at your own pace, with zero pressure!

“I remember a nursery rhyme... how did it go, again?” 🎶

Use this as a starter for a poem, short story or novel excerpt.

Rosie Andrews recommends… her top picks for gothic fiction

See her chilling choices: https://buff.ly/3UzASSI

Haunted settings, fascinating characters and history lurks in the pages of these five books, recommended by bestselling 'The Leviathan' author Rosie Andrews 👻

⏰ One week away! 🤩 Join Rosie for an afternoon of Behind the Book - a workshop that lifts the curtain on her writing process and how to create haunted settings. ☕🍰 Drinks and cake are included in your ticket! Event hosted in the Great Hall 🐉 Sat 16 November at Dragon Hall, Norwich

📖 Behind the Book 📖 is a new type of event we're very excited to start hosting!

Here's everything you need to know: https://buff.ly/4fE1pq3 👈

Our inaugural event is next week! On Saturday 16 November at National Centre for Writing, bestselling author Rosie Andrews, known for her debut gothic novel 'The Leviathan', will lift the curtain on her process. 🐍

👻 Set in our historical Great Hall, Rosie will take us through how and why she writes, exploring haunted settings and gothic fiction, and lead some writing exercises to boot!

Join us for a relaxed afternoon of reading, writing, hot drinks and cake (included!) and take away a greater understanding of how a published author works. 🙌 You will have the opportunity to ask Rosie your burning questions about writing, with time at the end for book signing.

Take your fiction writing further! 👉 https://buff.ly/3BIlqx0

This course will cover…
💡 Idea generation and maintaining a writer’s journal.
📚 Practical tips for finding writing time and starting longer pieces.
🎨 Character types and how to craft compelling dialogue.
👁️ The influence of perspective and setting on narrative; experimenting with different points of view.
🌪️ How to make the familiar strange.
🧱 Narrative structures and their cultural significance.
🤔 Reflecting on and developing your personal style.
🖊️ Rewriting and self-editing techniques, including differentiating between structural and line edits.

Led by Megan Bradbury, this 18-week course will develop your creativity, your knowledge and your confidence. With built-in structure, accountability and feedback, this is the course for you. 👏 More details here: https://buff.ly/3BIlqx0

Starts 10 February!

Happy Non-Fiction Day! 🥳

Love non-fiction? Try our online tutored course - Creative Non-Fiction: An Introduction (Beginner). Perfect for writers with no formal training who want to learn:

- Research methods
- Interviewing skills
- Ethical considerations
- Settings and their influences
- Writing in-depth about people and nature
- Finding your voice and telling your story

More details here: https://buff.ly/4ePCAHq

💰 Save £50 when you book before 10am on Thursday 7 November! ⏰ That's tomorrow!

Led by experienced tutor and award-winning writer Ed Parnell. Course begins 10 February 2025.

⏰ Last day for the early bird discount! ⏰ Sale ends 10am tomorrow (Thur 7 November) - don't miss out!

Take your first steps into writing for real with one of our beginner courses:

- Fiction
- Memoir
- Creative Non-Fiction

Over the course of twelve weeks, you will complete a number of exercises, build a strong writing habit, and have your work read and reviewed by your expert tutor(s).

Personalised feedback and a one-to-one tutorial will give you the tools to keep developing your writing and plan your next steps as a writer.

Book today to save £50 on a beginner course: https://buff.ly/3OJhezZ 👏

Join a thriving community with National Centre for Writing!

Learn to write your memoir with Jenn Ashworth this February!

More details here 🔎 https://buff.ly/4dATngk

Through a combination of inspirational lessons, engaging exercises, and practical assignments, you’ll explore a diverse range of memoir styles, from traditional first-person narratives to more experimental forms such as second-person, fragmented snapshots, montage, and even graphic memoirs.

🐣 Save 10% when you advantage of our early bird discount for beginner courses before 10am on Thursday 7 November!

Perfect if you're just starting out with memoir writing, plus learn to process your own experiences into creativity. Jenn will read up to 1,000 words of your work and offer you personalised feedback, including a one-to-one tutorial and support.