This novel writing course, Year of the Novel with Amy Lovat, will be held online.

Make 2026 the year you finally write that book in this course from author Amy Lovat. Over eight weeks, you’ll receive the tools, support and encouragement you need to plan, write and edit your novel.

Please note: Spaces in this course are limited. We recommend enrolling ASAP to secure your place.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ before enrolling>> 

Course Overview

In this second phase you will start developing your novel, by considering structure, style and theme, and going deeper with character, voice and plot. You’ll also talk about how to stay focused and motivated to see this thing through to the end.

Throughout, Amy will use examples from a wide variety of contemporary fiction and from students’ work-in-progress to explore the topics covered, and guest speakers will share their insights to further expand your understanding of how published writers do what they do.

Each week during the course, a new lesson will be posted online. Participants will have the week to work through the content and post responses to exercises designed to put the theory they’re learning into practice. Participants will engage in giving and receiving peer feedback on writing exercises and receive some limited tutor feedback. 

Participants will meet with the tutor each week on Zoom to ask questions and discuss the online lesson content. Sometimes, those Zoom sessions will involve a guest speaker talking about their writing life. 

As you work through the lessons online, you’ll also be working offline to write your novel. To this end, you’ll be encouraged to set specific, achievable writing goals each week and have the opportunity to share your successes, discuss your challenges and help others with theirs, in our class forum. 

You should come to the first class with a specific work-in-progress or idea for a novel. Sharing and discussion will be encouraged, and there will be ample opportunity for you to speak to the group about how various techniques and lessons may be applicable to your specific project. However, one-on-one detailed feedback from the tutor will be limited.

To benefit from this course, you should be working on a novel and have an existing writing practice. You can contact us with any questions before enrolling.

1. Workshopping what needs to be done

Whether you’re back from the break after Phase One, or starting with us for the first time, this is a week to take stock of your work in progress.

2. Structure

Structure is what turns a collection of scenes into a satisfying novel. We’ll talk about scenes and story arcs, and look at some common structural templates. 

 3. Character and dialogue: going deeper 

Avoiding stereotypes, identifying archetypes, writing across gender and cultural lines and making full use of minor and supporting characters. We’ll also discuss how brilliantly written dialogue can make your characters more believable. 

4. The relationship between character and plot 

Is your character mostly pulled through events by twists of fate or is your plot driven by choices your character makes? We’ll look at how integrating character and plot makes both elements stronger. 

 5. Narrative layers: going deeper 

This is where we ask ourselves: how am I going to keep the reader turning pages? We’ll look more at tension, suspense, backstory, time-jumps, and pacing.

6. Voice, tone and style 

What is voice and how do you find, or develop, yours? What’s the relationship between voice and tone? We’ll talk about metaphor, imagery and finding the exact right word every time.

7. Point of view: going deeper

Who’s telling this story? What do they know and how do they know it? How does ‘head-hopping’ differ from omniscient POV? And why does any of this matter? Can’t we just tell the story as it comes out? Answers to these questions and more as we dive deeper into the wonders of POV.

8. Forging on

We’ve been working on our novels for over half the year by now. It’s time to talk about smashing writer’s block, pushing through frustration and dealing with doubt. 

Participant Requirements

Pen and paper or preferred device for writing. Please ensure your device is charged. You should come to the first class with a specific work-in-progress or idea for a novel.

This course is designed for writers of fiction. If you have a narrative non-fiction manuscript and are interested in enrolling in this course, please contact us to discuss.

Please note:

• The in-person and online streams of Year of the Novel are completely separate, so please choose carefully at enrolment. We’re unable to offer transfers between the streams once your place is confirmed.

More from Writing NSW

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