Our early ideas for a work of fiction often come to us randomly and without any obvious structure. This is natural - an inevitable first stage in the creative process. What happens beyond that stage depends on the writer’s ability firstly to identify patterns and possibilities in this raw material, and then to fashion the material into a strong and satisfying shape.

In this weekend masterclass with novelists, teachers and co-authors of an inspiring new guide for fiction-writers, Jem Poster and Sarah Burton, you will be able to explore and enjoy that difficult but rewarding second stage of fiction writing.

Through practical writing exercises and close reading of passages from other authors, you will gain valuable insights into this crucial aspect of the writer’s craft.

Suitable for aspiring writers of fiction and those looking to brush up their skills, this supportive workshop with two of the finest authors and teachers working today will help you to energise your practice, gain a fuller understanding of structural possibilities, and develop the confidence to take your writing to the next stage.

Course content

What kind of story?
Identifying what is revealed and when
Beginnings and endings
Maintaining momentum
Q&A

Read Jem and Sarah’s practical hints for fiction writers on the Guardian Masterclasses blog.

Tutor profile

Jem Poster is emeritus professor of creative writing, Aberystwyth University, and co-founder, with Sarah Burton, of Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing. He is the author of two novels, Courting Shadows (Sceptre, 2002) and Rifling Paradise (Sceptre, 2006), as well as a collection of poetry, Brought to Light (Bloodaxe, 2001). He edited volume III of the six-volume Oxford University Press Edward Thomas: Prose Writings (OUP, 2018) and is co-author, with Sarah Burton, of a handbook for fiction-writers, The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press 2022).

Sarah Burton’s publications include two biographies, Impostors: Six Kinds of Liar (Penguin, 2000) and A Double Life: a Biography of Charles and Mary Lamb (Penguin, 2003, shortlisted for the Mind Book of the Year award); a children’s book, The Miracle in Bethlehem: A Storyteller’s Tale (2008); and a page-to-stage guide, How to Put on a Community Play (2011). Her novel, The Strange Adventures of H (Legend Press, 2020) has been an Amazon historical fiction bestseller. With Jem Poster, she co-founded Cambridge University’s master’s programme in creative writing and is co-author of The Book You Need to Read to Write the Book You Want to Write (Cambridge University Press 2022).

Course Details

Date: Saturday 11 June and Sunday 12 June 2022
Time: 2pm-5pm (BST) both days

2pm BST | 3pm CEST | 6am PDT | 9am EDT

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 2 hours before the start time of 6pm (BST). Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have not received the access link within one hour of the scheduled start time.

All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible but please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have any queries or concerns.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website

The book you want to write: How to structure your story