How to improve your novel: A one-day workshop with Charlotte Mendelson

An in-depth workshop that will help you to build upon the strengths of your novel – and give it the best possible chance of being accepted by an agent

Learn how to make your novel the best it can possibly be at this interactive course with Charlotte Mendelson, winner of the Somerset Maugham Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. Combining her experience as a novelist with twenty years’ experience as a publisher, Charlotte will help you to rigorously edit your work so it has the strongest possible chance of being accepted by an agent.

This highly practical course is suitable for committed writers who are least half-way through a full-length work of fiction. Ahead of the course, you’ll need to submit a synopsis of your novel and an outline of any particular concerns (1,000 words max), both of which will be workshopped during the class. Don’t miss out on the chance to learn from one of the UK’s most respected and talented novelists – book your place now and make a commitment to improving your craft.

Content

• Writing and editing techniques to help you improve your novel
• Interactive workshopping sessions using attendees’ synopses
• Invaluable tips on how to avoid the ‘slush pile’ – and get your work accepted by agents and publishers
• Overcoming structural problems with your novel, as well as common mistakes with plot, character, point-of-view and setting
• Lessons from Charlotte’s career – what she’s learned as a writer vs what she’s learned as an editor
• Q&A and group discussion

Course preparation

• Ahead of the course, attendees are required to submit a synopsis and a short outline of any specific concerns they’re experiencing with their novel. These documents combined should be no more than 1,000 words in length
• Attendees are also welcome to submit a sample of prose from their novel if they wish (no more than 500 words), although this is not essential
• Please email your synopsis and list of concerns to masterclasses.support@theguardian.com by 4pm on Friday 18th March. Or, if you sign up after this date, as soon as you can after you have bought your ticket

Tutor profile

Charlotte Mendelson is an award-winning author whose latest novel, Almost English, was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2013 and the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction 2014. Her third novel, When We Were Bad, was shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. Other books include Daughters of Jerusalem, which won both the Somerset Maugham Award and the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. In addition to her work as a novelist, Charlotte has twenty years’ experience working in publishing as a fiction editor. She tweets @CharlotteMende1.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website