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Participants in face to face courses must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and must comply with any other precautionary measures Writing NSW puts in place.

Please note: This workshop is for students who have completed at least two phases of the Year of the Novel with Emily Maguire, have a finished draft and are looking for accountability and community as they take their writing to the next level.

Participants will give and receive constructive feedback on extracts from each other’s novels and participate in tutor-led discussions on advanced elements of craft directly relevant to their works-in-progress.

Each member of our small, highly motivated group will have substantial extracts of their novel critiqued by the group at least three times over the six-week course. In addition, the act of reading and discussing other members’ work will inevitably lead to insights and ideas the critiquer can apply to their own novel.

Learning outcomes

1. Participants will review elements of writing craft including characterisation, point-of-view, voice and plot with direct reference to their own novel-in-progress.
2. Participants will gain skills in critiquing the work of other writers at a similar stage of development.
3. Participants will learn how to use feedback from other writers to improve their writing.

Course length

6 x 3-hour sessions, fortnightly

Course size

With a maximum of nine students, each member of our small, highly motivated group will have substantial extracts of their novel critiqued by the group at least three times over the six-week course.

Participant requirements

• Must have completed at least 2 phases of the Year of the Novel course in a previous year
• Submit 30,000 words + a synopsis of their novel one month before the start date
• Be prepared to read up to 3 extracts of 3,000 words before each fortnightly session.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

This course takes place at Writing NSW in Sydney.

If you are feeling unwell and experiencing any COVID-related symptoms on the day of the course, you must stay at home and contact us to let us know. As a participant in this course, you will be required to follow all COVID safety measures in place by Writing NSW to ensure the health and wellbeing of our community.

If you have questions about this course and/or COVID-safe guidelines, please contact us.

More from Writing NSW

Check out our full range of in-person writing courses in Sydney, our online writing courses and our feedback programs to see how we can help you on your writing journey. Find out about our grants and prizes, as well as writing groups across NSW, and sign up to our weekly newsletter for writing events, opportunities and giveaways.