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 Christmas Short Stories

Intrested in creating a piece of writing that can be gifted to loved ones? Then this is the course for you. This short course is all about giving. Whether for Christmas, Eid, Vaisakhi, Hannukah or even a birthday, you will be taught how to write personal poems and short stories as gifts for loved ones.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 06/12/2023 -
Wed 13/12/2023
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
2 sessions
Tutor:
Vanwy Arif
Course code:
Q00010996
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £14.80

Creative Writing: Script to stage: What does a director do? And the rest of the team?

This course is intended to give you a background knowledge of all the processes that go into the production of a piece of live theatre. The course is intended to help improve the knowledge of regular theatre audience members and, hopefully, inspire those of you don’t go to take the plunge. If you go to the theatre regularly and you pick up a programme you may be baffled by the list of all the different roles that you see listed as part of the creation of the show that is being produced. So, if you’ve ever wondered what on earth a dramaturg might be, or what does a stage manager actually manage, this course is ideal for you.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 02/01/2024 -
Tue 12/03/2024
Times:
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Tutor:
Alison Warren
Course code:
Q00012510
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £55.50

Creative Writing: Poetry as Spiritual Practice

Discover the wonderful world of poetry on this creative writing course. Whether you are seasoned lover of poetry, or initiating an interest, you will love this course. This is a friendly course providing a nourishing blend between reading and writing, guiding you to look at poems through a spiritual lens. The aim is to help you discover how poems can deepen your spiritual practice and bring more awareness to your life and writing. It is ideal for those who love words and meaning and who want to benefit from a writing community to share ideas, poems and practice with others.

Course Information

Dates:
Mon 08/01/2024 -
Mon 18/03/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Location:
Shekinah Endeavour House (Torquay)
Endeavour House, 228 Union Str
Torquay
TQ2 5QS
Tutor:
Ione Harris
Course code:
Q00012917
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £84.00

Creative Writing: Written in the Style of...More Iconic writers

Have fun, find inspiration and develop creativity as we put the focus on tapping into the styles, structures and themes of a selection of iconic writers. Ever wished you could dash off a tale like Dickens? Bewitch the reader like Bronte or produce the wicked delight of Dahl? Perhaps the fantasy worlds of Terry Pratchett are more your thing - of you have a desire to pen crime story more akin to one from Val McDermid? There is no need to be an avid fan or reader of any of the writers covered - the focus is on what knowledge, skills, inspiration and motivation we take from each session.

Course Information

Dates:
Tue 09/01/2024 -
Tue 06/02/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00012640
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00

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: Writing a Successful Memoir

Welcome to this friendly group of aspiring memoirists. Our workshops will help us to plan and write an engaging memoir. Using fun exercises, writing prompts, and reading extracts from stunning published memoirs, will help us write engaging memoirs. Your tutor, an experienced memoirist who has studied memoirs with Andrew T. Williams and Michael Hulse, will provide guidance, knowledge, and detailed feedback. Summary • Sharing ideas with like-minded writers • Honing writing craft in a supportive environment • Receiving detailed feedback from a tutor who is published and as an experienced editor, has supported many others to publication. This course is for aspiring memoirists.

Course Information

Dates:
Wed 10/01/2024 -
Wed 24/01/2024
Times:
9:30am - 11:30am
Duration:
3 sessions
Tutor:
Vanwy Arif
Course code:
Q00011913
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
5 places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £22.20

Creative Writing: In the Landscape

This creative writing course, which is being held at the Tamar Bridge Visitor and Learning Centre, offers a wonderful opportunity to develop your creative writing skills, inspired by the glorious views and surroundings of the Tamar Crossing.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 15/02/2024
Location:
The Tamar Bridge (Plymouth)
Tamar Bridge Office
Pemros Road
Plymouth
PL5 1LP
Course code:
Q00009742
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £50.40

Creative Writing: Writing Inspired by the 7 Deadly Sins

We engage our wicked side in a fun, friendly and structured approach to gaining fiction writing knowledge and skills and aid you in finding inspiration, putting pen paper and getting writing. Mystery, thriller, noir, hardboiled crime, a touch of the ghostly and gothic or something far more salacious. Session by session we find inspiration as we consider the kind of plots, characters and styles which suit a tale exploring one or more of the seven deadly sins: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride – which sin might yield your future best seller or your lead you to the bargain bin?

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 08/02/2024
Times:
7:00pm - 9:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Location:
Stephen Joseph Theatre (Scarborough)
Westborough
Scarborough
YO11 1JW
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00012644
How you'll learn:
In venue
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £42.00

Creative Writing: Explore Your Writing

If you've ever had a hankering to explore your writing talent, this course is for you! This friendly 10 week online course/workshop led by a tutor with professional writing credits will help you to explore your writing. You will have a chance to read your homework pieces set the previous week with supportive feedback from you tutor and fellow Learners and in the last third of the class, you'll have a chance of an in class exercise that leads to that weeks homework writing assignment. This unaccredited course is suitable for all abilities and may lead to new found skills which you could take back to your communities.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
12:30pm - 2:30pm
Duration:
10 sessions
Tutor:
Len Pentin
Course code:
Q00012614
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £74.00

Creative Writing: 'Roots' Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View 

Practice techniques for creating short stories, true or untrue in fortnightly sessions. We'll apply the principles of short fiction to our writing, with the focus this term on thinking about how point-of-view impacts on structure. 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. This course uses the same content as the other fortnightly class, Creative Writing: Structure & Point of View Q00012330, the Thursday evening course, Structure & Point-of-View, and the Friday morning course, Creative Writing: Structure & Point-of-View, therefore you need only enrol on to one of them.

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 21/03/2024
Times:
10:00am - 12:30pm
Duration:
6 sessions
Tutor:
Catherine Humphris
Course code:
Q00012725
How you'll learn:
Online
Status:
Waiting list
Fee range
Free to £55.50

Creative Writing: Writing for Blogs, Magazines and Publications

A friendly and accessible guide to feature writing, both in print and/or for digital media – blogs, online reviews etc. How to write, research, style and structure an article, either/or factual and creative. Taking time to identify a suitable publication for a proposed article and making first contact. This course also explores the online possibilities of reviews and blogging – how to blog consistently and maintain a readership. This course will make use of a mix of informal feedback, lecture using PowerPoint slides, some focused group discussion/creative tasks in breakout rooms and feedback. Suitable for beginners or improvers and those with a passing curiosity!

Course Information

Dates:
Thu 11/01/2024 -
Thu 08/02/2024
Times:
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Duration:
5 sessions
Tutor:
George Cromack
Course code:
Q00012943
How you'll learn:
Online
Availability:
10+ places remaining
Status:
Available
Fee range
Free to £37.00