Write Better Fiction: Improve Your Manuscript in Four Weeks (2026)
Are you serious about taking your writing to the next level? Do you want to improve your manuscript in just four weeks?
Write Better Fiction is an introduction to the essentials of storytelling, and a perfect opportunity to learn about the writing process. Critically acclaimed author William Ryan will guide you through key elements including point of view, conflict, setting, crafting scenes and writing dialogue. You'll delve into these and more, developing your confidence as a writer and learning how to apply them to your own work. Throughout the course you'll receive invaluable critical feedback on both your prose and story structure to help you elevate your fiction.
Schedule
William will read and mark up all work submitted during the course – highlighting areas which may need work and pointing out areas of strength. In addition you will be expected to read and give constructive feedback on the submitted work of the other students, as will the other students be expected to constructively feedback on your work. The format of each week will be a one hour talk by William, using submitted work as examples, followed by workshops on four of the submitted 800-word submissions
Week One - Monday 1st June
18.00-19.00: Techniques of Prose Fiction
William will discuss various basic stylistic elements of fictional storytelling, including the use of point of view for narration, structure, managing characters, the importance of conflict, conveying information and handling description, momentum and advice on good prose, followed by a workshop based around submitted work.
19.05-20.30: Workshop on a 800-word extract which reflects the general tone of your story, together with a brief description of where this fits into your story.
Week Two - Monday 8th June
18.00-19.00: Writing Place – Writing Setting, Research, Atmosphere and Dramatic World
William will discuss how to write the setting and location in which your story takes place, the importance of research and how to use it, how to create an atmosphere that works for your story and the importance of identifying the dramatic world that will contain your story.
19.05-20.30: Workshop on an extract in which your central character visits a location for the first time, together with a brief description of where this fits into your story.
Week Three - Monday 15th June
18.00-19.00: Writing Scenes – The Scene is the Building Block of Your Story
William will discuss the importance of identifying the purpose of a scene, how to begin scenes, how to end them, the benefits of subtexts and how to introduce them, the need for conflict and ways in which to enhance each scene’s dramatic complexity and appeal.
19.05-20.30: Workshop on a submission of a dramatic scene between two or more characters which changes the course of your story, together with a brief description of where this fits into your story and what the characters motivations are.
Week Four - Monday 22nd June
18.00-19.00: Writing Dialogue – Good Dialogue is Likely to be Key to SuccessWilliam will discuss the function of dialogue, how to carry dialogue, how to create character dialogue styles as well as the importance of conflict, motivation and control in dialogue.
19.05-20.30: Workshop on a submission in which a key conversation takes place, together with a brief description of where this fits into your story and what the characters motivations are.
Course benefits
Students on this course should expect:
- 10 hours of practical writing advice and tuition over just 4 weeks
- Feedback from William Ryan on up to 3,200 words of your own writing (4x 800-word submissions)
- Peer-to-peer review: amass a wealth of objective feedback from fellow students
- Deadlines on writing exercises and written work to make the most of what's on offer
- Copies of presentations and audio recordings from all sessions
- Exclusive discounts on W&A titles and other products
Each week sessions will combine tutorials with practical exercises, discussion and feedback.
Joining Instructions:
We are really looking forward to welcoming you to our June ‘Write Better Fiction’ course, where you will be working with acclaimed writer William Ryan to improve your manuscript in just four weeks beginning on the 1st June at 6:00pm. Sessions will run weekly at this time.
William Ryan will be in touch next week with the joining link and further instructions. Ahead of your first class you’ll be asked to submit your first 800 word submission so please do begin getting this ready ahead of William’s email.
The first piece William would like you to submit is a fairly open brief, except that it should reflect the general tone of your story and be accompanied with a brief description of where that fits into your story. William will share details of how to submit this in his upcoming email.
We can’t wait to see you there, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions!
