Start to write: Foundations of fiction with Adam Foulds

Learn the technical skills on which every great writer depends

A powerful story is just the beginning of your work of fiction. Making the words on a page live up to the story in your head requires a specific set of skills. In this course, Booker-nominated author Adam Foulds provides a solid grounding in the foundations of quality writing. Over a weekend of readings, discussions and practical exercises, Foulds will teach you how to use narrative points of view to shape a story, how to create believable and relatable characters, how to compose action scenes with emotional resonance and how to use detail to build a world for your reader.

Throughout the course, Foulds provides live feedback to enable you to discover your strengths and weaknesses, and develop your personal style.

Course description

This is a highly practical course which mixes readings, discussion and practical exercises to teach attendees essential theoretical skills for creative writing. The course is focused on providing feedback and the group is encouraged to ask questions in order to give each attendee a tailored personal experience. The course covers topics including:

• Writing action scenes
• Crafting sentences
• Creating characters
• Points of view
• Narrative modes

This course is for you if….

• You are new to fiction writing, or have no formal training, and want a solid grounding in the basics of structure, style, and content
• You are a more experienced author and want to improve your command of the technical aspects of planning and writing a novel

Tutor profile

Adam Foulds's first novel, The Truth About These Strange Times, was published in 2007 and his book-length narrative poem, The Broken Word, the following year. He was named the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year in 2008. His most recent novel, The Quickening Maze, was shortlisted for the prestigious 2009 Man Booker Prize.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website