An 8-week course from 6 February – 26 March 2024 meeting Tuesdays from 18:30 – 21:00 Amsterdam time. Class size is 6 – 8 people. Note: This 2.5-hour online course features in-class critiquing with no obligation to provide written critiques.

REQUIREMENTS

This Level III fiction writing course is open to writers who have completed at least two terms of our Level II or equivalent courses. If you’re new to our school or are not sure if you qualify, please reach out before registering.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

In Level III, writers bring together the skills acquired in Levels I and II. The focus is on deepening the emotional connection in your writing and further developing your own voice and material. We will no longer be using set exercises or writing prompts. Instead, you’ll be reading a variety of pieces during the term and participating in craft discussions in order to identify the techniques you could choose to apply to your writing – in a sense, creating your own “exercise”.

You can use these self-defined exercises to kick off something new or feed a pre-existing project such as a story or novel you’d like to develop. We encourage those working on longer forms to stick with a single project. For those working on flash fiction or shorter stories, you may want to complete more pieces or spend more time on revising one or two with an eye towards publication.

HOW IT WORKS

We’ll have a weekly live online session. You can join the session via computer, phone or tablet. The default for the session is audio but you can choose to enable your device’s video camera (the teacher is usually on video) or participate via text chat (you’ll still need to be able to hear).

You’ll upload your exercise by the following Sunday evening. You do not need to provide written critiques but are expected to read your fellow writers’ pieces before class. To receive a critique you will need to attend the live online session and upload your work on time. To participate you’ll need a computer and a reliable internet connection. Headphones are optional but highly recommended.

We may be using a required text for the term—it will cost around €25 or less and we will let you know in plenty of time to order your copy.

The Level III course is designed to support you in completing work while continuing to grow your technique toolkit. Most students take two to four terms of Level III and are ready to move to Level IV when they consistently display a strong knowledge of craft in their own work and their critiques and are able to make sustained progress on a longer project–a novel or collection. At the end of every term your instructor will help you decide on the best path forward.

OUR REFUND POLICY

No matter how early you register, if something changes and you can’t join the course, you can let us know at least 72 hours before the first class (so we can offer your spot to someone else) and we’ll give you a complete refund. You can find the full details of our generous refund policy in our terms.