Things to do · Arts and crafts
Take a creative writing course
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A course gives you exercises, deadlines and readers, which is most of what a new writer lacks. You can start free online with the Open University, take an evening class, or go away for a week with a writers' retreat.
GentleUnder £100 / $130A few weeksIndoors or outAlone or with othersUK and US
Someone who has done it
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What it's really like
Most beginners' courses mix short exercises with reading like a writer and feedback on what you write. Gotham Writers Workshop's Creative Writing 101 is for beginners or anyone wanting a refresher, with no pressure to work on a particular project. An Arvon residential week has morning workshops, one-to-one tutorials in the afternoons and readings in the evenings, and ends with participants reading their own work.
The honest part comes from the Open University's free course: writing usually cannot be done quickly, you need to live with it and return to it again and again, and even a short paragraph can take a while to get right. It advises sharing work with other writers.
Ways in, from free to a week away
| Course | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| OpenLearn: Start writing fiction | Online, 24 hours over 8 weeks; free statement of participation | Free |
| City Lit, London and online | Short classes and longer courses, in person and online | £19 to £269 (concessions from £12) |
| Arvon: Starting to Write | Six days residential, with published writers as tutors; meals included | £995 single room; a limited number of concessions at £696.50, and a grant scheme |
| Gotham Writers Workshop, New York | Creative Writing 101, six weeks, in person, on Zoom or online | $364 to $380 including registration |
In the US, the 124 Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes run classes for their members; the University of Utah's has included a six-session class on writing your own stories.
How to start
- Try the Open University's free OpenLearn course, Start writing fiction, to see whether you enjoy regular writing.
- If you do, book a beginners' class with feedback, in person or online.
- Keep a journal of ideas and share your work with a few other writers.
Where to go
- OpenLearn (Open University): Start writing fiction, free
- City Lit: creative writing for beginners (London and online) UK
- Gotham Writers Workshop: Creative Writing 101 (New York and online) US
We opened these links on 7 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Are there free creative writing courses?
Yes. The Open University's OpenLearn course Start writing fiction is free: about 24 hours over 8 weeks, with a free statement of participation.
Do I need experience to take a creative writing course?
No. Gotham's Creative Writing 101 is for beginners, and Arvon's Starting to Write is for people starting out.
How much does a writing retreat cost?
Arvon's six-day Starting to Write course was £995 for a single room, with a limited number of concession places.
How long does a beginners' writing course take?
OpenLearn's is 8 weeks at about three hours a week; Gotham's is six weeks; an Arvon residential is six days.
Where this comes from: The Open University (OpenLearn), Start writing fiction: characters and stories; City Lit, Creative writing for beginners; Arvon, Residential writing course: Starting to Write; Gotham Writers Workshop, Creative Writing 101; Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes, National Resource Center (Northwestern University); University of Utah OLLI, Writing your stories. Opened 7 November 2026.
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