About the tutor: Julie Cohen
Julie Cohen is the bestselling, award-winning author of over 25 novels. Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide, and she has twice been selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club in the UK. Her Sunday Times bestselling novel TOGETHER has been translated into eleven languages and optioned for television adaptation; THE TWO LIVES OF LOUIS & LOUISE was long-listed for the Polari Prize and has been optioned by Enderby Entertainment as a feature film. Her first historical novel, SPIRITED, was published in July 2020 and was shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Historical Romantic Novel Award and longlisted for the History Writers' Association Golden Crown Award.
As a creative writing tutor, Julie has taught for Jericho Writers, Cornerstones, Penguin Random House, Hachette, The Guardian, Literature Wales, and is currently a Sessional Lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Reading. Julie runs an oversubscribed literary consultancy which has helped many writers go on to be published. She is a Vice President of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and in 2020 won their Inclusion Award. She is a founder of the RNA Rainbow Chapter for LGBTQ+ authors, and a Patron of literacy charity ABC To Read. You can find her on Twitter as @julie_cohen and on Instagram as @juliecohenauthor.
Practical hands-on techniques
Julie will guide you through exercises and examples that will show you how to brainstorm your book, plan it, write it and revise it, using Post-it notes to help you at every stage of the process.
Whatever stage you're at in your novel, or in your career, you can use these tried and tested techniques right now to give you more control of your writing.
The course takes you through six stages: Brainstorming , Plotting, Structuring, Managing Subplots, Simplifying, and Revising. One section builds on the other, though you can revisit them any time you like. Each section has videos, exercises and examples, and Julie will explain how she's used Post-its to write her bestselling novels.
Julie has given this workshop to hundreds of writers in person, and now it's available online for you to access from home. Once you enroll, you'll have 90 days to view the course as many times as you like—all you need is a pen and some Post-its!
'I highly recommend Julie Cohen to anyone who wants to develop as a writer. I’ve been on several of Julie’s courses and each time learned a huge amount, leaving with new skills and knowledge that very much improved my writing. Whenever anyone asks me about writing courses or tutors, Julie Cohen is the person at the top of my list.'
—Sunday Times bestselling novelist A.J. Pearce
Practical
‘Julie knows more about the process of writing a novel than anyone else I know, including me. More importantly, she has the ability to pass on the knowledge. It’s rare to find such a brilliant writer who is also a brilliant teacher. Study with her if you have the chance. It will hugely improve your writing.’
—Sunday Times bestselling novelist Katie Fforde
Inspirational
‘The finest and the most inspiring creative writing teacher you will ever meet'
—Sunday Times bestselling novelist and nonfiction author Joanna Cannon
Flexible
'Julie is a great tutor - she is very clear and incisive and good at showing students techniques to write stories, to unknot tangled plots and to edit out unnecessary material, and she is very kind and supportive and fun to be taught by.'
—Children's author and novelist Anne Booth
Example Curriculum
FAQs
Q: Do I have to be a published novelist to take this course?
A: No! This course is designed for writers at all stages of their career, from beginners to multi-published authors.
Q: Is this course only for fiction writers?
A: Although the course is designed for novelists, it's useful for anyone writing anything—nonfiction, memoir, academic papers, short stories...the techniques are infinitely adaptable.
Q: What if I haven't started my writing project yet?
A: No problem. You can learn techniques to help you get started...and then you can come back to the course later to learn revision techniques.
Q: Do I have to do the course all at once?
A: You can, or you can do it in smaller chunks—or you can leave it and come back to it later. You'll have access for 90 days. (And if you need access after that—contact Julie and she'll give you a discount to re-enroll.)
Q: What's your refund policy?
A: If you've completed less than 30% of the course and you decide it's not for you, get in touch and you'll receive a full refund. But we hope you'll keep going because there's even more good stuff at the end. (Plus a picture of Julie's dog.)
Q: What materials do I need for this course?
A: Post-its and a pen are the only materials you need.
Q: Do I need to have read Julie Cohen's novels to do this course?
A: No. But you should, because they're really good!
More in Novel Gazing
Try some of Julie's other courses in Novel Gazing...or keep an eye on her social media for news of in-person courses and retreats.
Twitter: @julie_cohen
Instagram: @juliecohenauthor
