Write a Podcast Drama in Five Weeks with award-winning writer, Helen Cross

WRITE A COMPLETE PODCAST DRAMA SERIES IN FIVE WEEKLY TWO-HOUR SESSIONS IN OCTOBER 2025

Course feedback from previous students on this course:

'It was incredibly exciting to share ideas with such a creative and supportive group of people. The fact that it was an international group made it even more thrilling for me, and the whole experience gave me a lot of confidence. And of course, it was a great privilege to learn from someone with all your vast experience and knowledge, and I really appreciated your kindness and patience with us all throughout the 5 weeks.’ Participant on the April 2024 course.

I loved every minute, so a big thank you for running the course. ' Participant on the April 2024 course.

'A brilliant course!' participant on the September 2024 course.

Join my online classroom and write a complete audio podcast drama over five weekly two-hour long sessions. These live, interactive online classes will introduce you to the industry of audio drama, and allow you to learn the skills necessary to write drama for radio and podcasts.

The course is taught by me, Helen Cross, an award-winning audio dramatist and fiction writer (www.helencross.net) and creator/writer of two seasons of the current podcast chart hit, English Rose seasons one and two, broadcast 2022 and 2023 and shortlisted for the Best Serial Drama in the 2025 BBC Audio Drama Awards. It is now available on BBC Sounds. My most recent audio drama is the BBC Afternoon Drama Flixborough 74 broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in May 2024. My next work for BBC radio will be broadcast over five episodes in September 2025.

Course Content:

On this podcast course we will look at the new opportunities in this growing industry. We explore how to structure podcast drama, how to sustain tension in plot, how to build dramatic audio characters and how to write convincing dialogue. We will consider the state of the market now, and what commissioners are looking for from writers.

Members of the group will share their writing-in-progress, and a pitch for their series idea (if you wish - no pressure if you would rather not!) and by the end of the five weeks you will have a complete podcast drama idea, a first draft of all five episodes, with a clear beginning middle and end to each episode and to the series, a pitch, and a plan for what to do with it next.

Prior to the class you will be sent a Listening List of podcast dramas to inspire and educate you about the form. We will discuss and learn from these dramas in the class.

No prior writing experience or knowledge of audio or podcast drama is necessary.

Feedback from 2024/5 course participants:

'I really enjoyed your input and exercises, and I greatly appreciated your enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge.’ Partipant on the February 2024 course

‘Thank you for running the sessions, I feel like it's reignited the writer in me.’ Participant on the February 2024 course.

‘Straight, insightful, practical guidance.’ Participant on the February 2024 course.

'It was terrific the way it was all broken down with homework and worksheets added.’ Participant on the February 2022 course

‘Excellent throughout.’ Participant on the February 2022 course

’I enjoyed hearing about Helen’s practical advice, and the week on structure was excellent.' Participant on the February 2022 course .

Tutor Details

Helen Cross is an award winning novelist (author of the novel, My Summer of Love, which became a BAFTA award-winning movie starring Emily Blunt - and which you can currently watch on BBC Iplayer here ). For the last twenty years Helen also written drama regularly for BBC Radio and a number of overseas broadcasters. Acclaimed works include The Return of Rowena The Wonderful, which is available now on BBC Sounds . Her Afternoon Plays have previously won Awards in her BBC Audio Drama Awards including The Innovation Award for the drama Blue Eyed Boy. She has most-recently written two seasons of a highly acclaimed podcast drama series, English Rose, currently available on Spotify, BBC Sounds and Apple Podcasts. It is currently short listed for the Best Serial Drama in the 2025 BBC Audio Drama Awards. Her latest audio work is Flixborough 74, broadcast in 2024 and currently available on BBC Sounds. Her next work for BBC audio will be broadcast over five episodes in September 2025.

Press praise for BBC Podcast Drama English Rose Seasons 1 & 2

Pick of the Week in: The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Times, The Daily Mail.

'Beautifully written by Helen Cross, this five part fantasy drama creates a wholly convincing alternative reality,' Season two review The Guardian November 2023

‘Novelist Helen Cross proves a sure hand at creating both intrigue and suspense.’ The Radio Times July 2022.

‘Taut thriller from the impressive new drama strand Limelight...great fun.” The Daily Telegraph August 2022.

“Stranger fangs: this smart modern spin on vampire lore follows a secretive Yorkshire girl from her home in Whitby to NYC.” The Guardian July 2022

'An original modern take on vampire lore this throws up some smart surprises and the cast deliver great performances’ - The Yorkshire Post August 2022

You can listen to Helen and the show's producer, Mary Ward-Lowery, speaking about the process of writing and making English Rose in this September 2022 video Professional Development Session for The Society of Authors .

Dates for the Ocdtober 2025 course:

Dates: Wednesdays 7-9pm, starting 1 October, then 8,15,22, 29th.

Location: Live online teaching via Zoom

Cost: £195 for all five sessions