Online: Year of the Novel with Amy Lovat

This novel writing course, Year of the Novel with Amy Lovat, will be held online.

Make 2026 the year you finally write that book in this course from author Amy Lovat. Over three phases of eight weeks each, you’ll receive the tools, support and encouragement you need to plan, write and edit your novel.

Course Overview
Writing a novel is exciting and gratifying, but it can seem like a daunting task. From knowing how to start, to overcoming writer’s block, to editing your completed manuscript, there’s a lot to consider. In Year of the Novel, writer and tutor Amy Lovat will guide you through three phases that cover the stages of writing a novel from beginning to end. At the end of the year, there will be an evening of celebration at which friends, family, other writers, and industry insiders can hear you read from your novel.

In the first phase, you’ll work on getting the idea of your novel down on paper (or screen). You’ll talk about idea generation and planning, and look at the basic elements of fiction – point of view, voice, narration, character, plot, dialogue, and setting.

In the course’s second phase you will start developing your novel, by considering structure, style and theme, and going deeper still with character, voice and plot. As you approach the year’s halfway mark you’ll also talk about how to stay focused and motivated to see this thing through to the end.

Finally, in phase three, you’ll work on turning your very good novel into a brilliant one. You’ll kill some darlings, bolster any threadbare sections, and refine and finesse the language. You will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to launch your fully-realised novel into the world.

Throughout, Amy will use examples from a wide variety of contemporary fiction and from students’ work-in-progress to explore the topics covered, and guest speakers will share their insights to further expand your understanding of how published writers do what they do.