Arvon runs an annual programme of creative writing courses and retreats for schools, groups and individuals. Our courses, tutored by leading authors, are held at three rural centres and include a powerful mix of workshops and individual tutorials, with time and space to write, free from distractions of everyday life. Arvon courses are in a range of genres and we have different styles of courses. Grants are available to help with course fees.
Mar 23-28
The Hurst
Playwriting
,Other
Staging stories of oppression
Apr 6-11
Lumb Bank
Other
Discover your inner writer and transform your teaching
Apr 20-25
Totleigh Barton
Poetry
Training your poems to work together
Apr 27-May 2
The Hurst
Starting to Write
,Children & YA
Playful and brave writing
Apr 27-May 2
Lumb Bank
Screenwriting
Script to pitch to screen (and phone)
May 4-9
The Hurst
Poetry
The poems only you can write
May 4-9
Totleigh Barton
Playwriting
From kitchen table to opening night
May 8-10
Lumb Bank
Fiction
Finishing it
Every time I’ve taught at Arvon - going back over fifteen years now - I’ve seen how much difference just a handful of days can make in the life of writers. There’s a perfect mix of tutorials, writing time, socializing, and discussion - all those elements come together to create an atmosphere in which writing projects move in that longed-for but often unattainable direction: forward.
— Kamila Shamsie
Exercises
Fiction
Whenever you write a scene it’s a good idea to rewrite it – perhaps in note form – using a different…
Tips
Poetry
Each line must carry at least one unit of sense either in the line itself or across several lines.
To make…
Tips
Non-Fiction & Life Writing
Objects have immense power to help us to tell stories.
I have found that an entire storyline can be found in…
Exercises
Film & TV
PART ONE: Documentary or Research Exercise for Screenwriters
Using a still camera and or a tape recorder (or video recorder), follow…
Tips
Writing for Children & YA
After the giddy rush of a first draft, how you edit and refine your work is of equal, if not more…
Exercises
All
,Writing for Children & YA
Start with a scenario – this might be a random picture, a very short scene from a novel, a few lines…
Tips
Fiction
Before you begin to write your story ask yourself what is it about, what do you want it to say, what…
Exercises
Fiction
Think about your favourite novel or short story, or if not your favourite, then the novel or short story you are…
05 Feb 2020 / The Stories We Tell
On Jotting – Ten Postcards
Postcard 1
I once wrote a short story titled ‘Smote’. Actually,…
15 Jan 2020 / The Stories We Tell
Writing Stories, Writing Jokes
It might begin with a man buttering a slice of toast. Stories can begin anywhere,…
18 Dec 2019 / The Stories We Tell
River Story
The other day, my daughter told me she wants to be a writer. She is currently learning…
04 Dec 2019 / The Stories We Tell
Ten Rounds: Boxing and Writing
Inspiration for new books can come from the strangest places. My second novel was…
Do you believe that everyone should have the opportunity to unlock their creative potential?
We believe that everyone deserves the freedom to imagine, write and explore ideas regardless of their age or financial background.
We offer residential weeks for schools, young people and adult groups.
Our weeks for schools and groups follow the same pattern as our adult course programme – led by two professional writers, with tutorials, group workshops, and time and space to write.
