IMPROVE YOUR WRITING SKILLS with Vivien Morgan (5-week writing course)
About this Event
Do you want to be better at writing whether for work or storytelling? Do you need to correct your grammar and your English language skills? Can you deliver that important letter, document- or just a wonderful creative story that you are happy with?
If yes, then this is your opportunity to spend 5 weeks thinking and learning about the art of good writing in a small group that supports each other and shares writing-and enjoys each session. Come away with practical advice and experience on how to improve your skills whatever your goals and ambitions.
This course is for all kinds of writing, whether it’s for a blog, newsletter, short story, public relations, job application or news piece.
It is a practical writing course with plenty of exercises to expand your range and talent from writing to a given subject, different format, genre and even word count..
We’ll analyse and discuss; offer tips; develop your skills and give you individual attention to find your voice.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES:
By the end of the course students will:
· Learn about story structure,writing to length and different formats
· Get practical advice for career advancement through better writing and research
· Look at how better grammar and language can help achieve your goals
· Develop a personal style: narrative, factual, persuasive etc.
· Take away tips on reviewing, editing and refining your writing
· Have the opportunity to share your work with others in the group
· Know how famous authors and journalists practise the art of writing and storytelling
Career advice for aspiring journalists and publishing information will be offered to everyone.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION - PLEASE READ BEFORE BOOKING:
Please note: YOUR SPACE IS NOT CONFIRMED UNTIL YOU FILL IN THE ENROLMENT FORM, so please respond to a message from the tutor, Vivien Morgan, which will arrive once you book here.
This course if offered free of charge to eligible students - the £5 booking fee is refundable on request (minus the Eventbrite fee).
The course will be presented in five 2-hour sessions and will take place in Brompton Library. You can sign up to the whole course only (!) - please book only if you can attend all five sessions.
DATES:
Thursday 01 October, 5.45pm to 7.45pm
Thursday 08 October, 5.45pm to 7.45pm
Thursday 15 October, 5.45pm to 7.45pm
Thursday 22 October, 5.45pm to 7.45pm
Thursday 29 October, 5.45pm to 7.45pm
The free spaces on this course are subsidised by GLA and eligibility criteria applies. Eligible: Full UK / London residents aged 19+ (Please note that applications from those who are unemployed and residents of Kensington and Chelsea will be given priority). You can claim ONE free course in an academic year.
NEXT STEPS:
Names and addresses of all who book here will be shared with the tutor, Vivien Morgan, who will contact you to check you are eligible and send you the enrolment form.
Contact [email protected] if you have any queries about booking.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE CONTENT
Thursdays, 1 - 29 October 2026
Over the 5 weeks you will be encouraged to share, think and learn about all the aspects of writing:
- Share and set objectives for your personal aims and ambitions
- Get personal attention to overcome any inhibitions and worries about writing
- Help you develop your kind of storytelling and your audience
- Join in discussion and analysis about the difficulties of writing for work and pleasure, how to set about it and prepare.
- Gain practical, illustrated advice on the steps needed to improve writing and answer your questions
- Make the journey from developing story ideas and where to find them,to planning and structuring before writing
- Provide the course time as the space to write and work on a piece for review
- Build your confidence in self expression in a friendly and helpful environment
- Get close to realising your ambitions and progress your writing
- Earning a living writing- facts and suggestions
- Learn from a published novelist about her tips and writing career
WEEK 1: INTRODUCTION TO COURSE
Individual introductions by the group
Sharing of aims and outcomes from the course.
Examples of good writing by well-known authors and journalists
Discussion of what defines good writing.
What skills are useful and how to apply them for work and pleasure
Looking at the different marketplaces for getting stories/features/blogs etc. published.
Fun Exercises in developing a storyline as a group
Homework on first piece of writing to share with the group
WEEK 2: BEFORE WRITING - DEVELOPING STORY IDEAS
Defining storytelling and writing. How to structure a piece. The storyline, voice, angle. Length of a piece, is it a short story,feature or news? Fiction or fact?
Looking at the four main types of writing styles: persuasive, narrative, expository, and descriptive
Exercises in writing in different styles. Peer review and Discussion
Work on individual ideas to progress. Suggestions for homework to bring to the next session
WEEK 3: IMPORTANCE OF FINDING YOUR VOICE
Examples of writing in the first or second or third person
Bringing emotion into your writing to engage your reader
Exercise in trying out a new style
Looking at good and bad examples to discuss
How to apply this to building characters, plots and structure
Update on participants’ individual writing with Course Leader’s assistance.
Q&A and next homework on writing
WEEK 4: DEVELOPING A WRITING STYLE
Discussion about difficulties in writing and participants to update on their progress and questions.
Language, grammar, punctuation- all important
Re-writing,editing and reviewing.
Exercises in writing short pieces to a specific word count and deadline
Q&A Discussion. Revision and progressing of individual pieces
WEEK 5: PRINCIPLES OF WRITING
Re-capping the course information:skills of writing for a specific marketplace, in a particular style and with a defined approach.
Review of participants’ progress
Sharing of writing to date with the group
Information on copyright, infringement, dangers of using living characters in your writing
Earning a living writing- facts and suggestions
ABOUT THE TUTOR:
Vivien Morgan started in broadcast TV journalism working for many of the major network channels including BBC TV, CNBCEurope, ITN and CNN in news, current affairs and business programming. She has extensive print journalism experience as an Editor of supplements for The Telegraph and Journalist for the Sunday Times magazines. A features writer and contributor for many national newspapers, Vivien taught broadcast and online journalism at 3 UK universities, before moving into PR and communications.
Now an Author of 3 books on videojournalism and a history book on cross-dressing women soldiers, she enjoys inspiring others in the art of writing for different platforms and developing their skills.
Learner Feedback & Endorsements:
Building confidence and developing new writing skills
"I just wanted to send you a brief thank you for the writing course. My goal was to improve my writing skills and I believe I achieved this thanks to several practice opportunities and your feedback. I really enjoyed the class over the past few weeks."
"You gave me this wonderful, memorable experience of writing, and it's given me even more confidence to write whatever inspires me next."
"Thank you for a most stimulating and inspiring five weeks. I've thoroughly enjoyed attending your writing sessions and learnt so much, which I am now putting into practice. I treasure your advice and your gems of wisdom."
Learners putting their skills into practice
"I really enjoyed the Improving Your Writing sessions at King's Road Library. I got so much from them, without which I would never have written the attached short story. I have never done anything like this before."
— Jay Azmi
"I recently pitched and submitted this article to the British Comedy Guide... I don't think I could have written this without your class, so I wanted to thank you for pushing me into writing in a different style than I'm used to."
— Jake Laverde
Growing as writers
"I definitely plan to continue practising my travel writing in my spare time. Thank you so much for all the wisdom you've shared with us throughout the course."
— Esther Gent
"I built confidence in expressing my ideas and memories. I am now comfortable writing about my experiences and making them public."
— Anastasia Jankivc
"Use the skills learnt to develop my travel writing further and develop how I would like to progress."
— Cass Spencer
Course feedback
"I wish the course could be longer. I really enjoyed it."
"I generally loved the content of each session and the class exercises were excellent. The homework was engaging and relevant." (Travel Writing course)
— Liz Uter
"More courses like this, please!"
— Sheryl Sze
"I enjoyed learning what makes good travel writing and the elements needed to make an impact. If the course could have been longer, that would have been great."
— Ayo Oluwalana
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 6.13
