Edit Your Novel is an advanced-level group mentoring experience, designed for writers with a draft novel – either a work-in-progress or a novel you would like to revisit.

This course is suitable if you:

• Have a full draft of a novel you’d like to improve
• Need to get the structure of your novel right and engage readers
• Would like to speak the same language as editors
• Would like to broaden your knowledge of the publishing industry and submission process
• Want to get query-ready
• Are considering self-publishing or an indie-author route
• Want to develop the skills you need as a professional novelist
• Would like the opportunity to pitch your novel at agents
• Enjoy the discipline of deadlines and peer feedback
• Want to join a friendly and supportive small group of learners
• Can dedicate 10 hours per week for the duration of the course

This course allows you to:

• Acquire the key skills needed to professionally self-edit a novel and prepare a manuscript for submission
• Gain greater understanding of commercial expectations around genre, market and publishing
• Make sure every element of your novel is working as hard as it can
• Use editing techniques to diagnose and fix problems in your work
• Think like an editor and have the confidence to work through revisions
• Get to grips with the professional aspects of preparing a manuscript for submission to literary agents
• Practise your pitching skills and present your novel live to agents
• Edit 10,000 words of your novel, and produce a synopsis and covering letter ready to send out to agents
• Further develop the professional skills novelists require (e.g. discipline, attention to detail, ability to work to deadlines)
• Practise giving effective feedback to other writers and receiving critical notes
• Build greater independence, autonomy and critical judgment as you self-direct, self-manage and realise your project to the course briefs.

Our courses and training are carefully designed to support accessible and inclusive learning. 

This course is divided into fortnightly modules.

There’s no need to log on at a set time. You can work through the learning materials whenever suits you, day or night, wherever you are in the world. Just complete the assignments and join forum discussions by the module deadline. This is augmented by live group Zooms organised to suit the time zones of the group (recorded for playback if you can’t attend live), three one-to-one mentoring sessions with your tutor, and a live agent pitch session.

Our teaching method is based on the science of active learning: you read/listen/watch, try out, share and reflect. It’s a social experience – you become part of a small group, feeding back on each other’s writing to build a supportive bunch of readers you trust and can continue working with after the course finishes. Find out more here.

Module 1: Plan, Plot and Pitch – Learn about diagnostic structuring techniques and how to apply them to your novel. Discover how to think commercially about your novel, including mastering taglines, comp titles and genre.

You’ll find and fix plot problems in your work-in-progress, and produce a solid structural overview (synopsis).

Group mentoring session on Zoom.

Module 2: Cracking Characters – Find out how to assess character strengths and weaknesses, and flesh out less defined characters. Analyse characters in terms of their role and function in the plot, looking at character arcs and their impact on structure.

You’ll make a detailed analysis of your protagonist, including their inner and external conflicts mapped side by side with your plot structure.

Meet your tutor for your first one-to-one mentoring session on Zoom.

Module 3: What is the Point of View? – Explore different POVs and their effect on tension and readability. Learn the dos and don’ts of POV and how to make yours as effective and intimate as possible.

You’ll edit your work to avoid head-hopping and bring us even closer to your protagonist.

Receive a tutor mark-up of a passage from your manuscript, assessing your use of point of view.

Module 4: Effective Dialogue and Description – Understand the purpose of dialogue and how to juggle context, text and subtext. Explore ways to use description to kick-start the reader’s imagination, and blend dialogue and description effectively within the parameters of POV.
You’ll red-pen and rewrite scenes to make them better serve your narrative.

Module 5: Show-stopping Scenes – Learn how to prioritise material so that each scene has a clear purpose and direction, using questions and answers to increase tension and make scenes shine.

You’ll check that each scene in your first 10,000 words is necessary, and rewrite one full scene implementing the techniques you’ve learned.

Group mentoring session on Zoom.

Module 6: Page-turning Pacing – Develop advanced approaches to balancing material, dealing with overwriting or superfluous elements, and learning when to extend/slow down and when to cut back/speed up.

You’ll apply the idea of pacing to your overall structure.

Module 7: Let Show not Tell Lead the Way – Find out how to spot telling in your writing, and why, how and where to dramatise instead. See how to use ‘show not tell’ as a lens to examine every aspect of your writing.

You’ll experiment with inhabiting the ‘show not tell’ mindset when editing.

Module 8: How to Catch an Agent’s Eye – Find out what makes the perfect industry-level package to submit to agents, including a compelling book description and covering letter, and watertight synopsis. Learn how to research the right agents for you, with tips on how to land on your chosen agent’s desk.

You’ll finalise and submit an industry-standard submission package, aided by an editing checklist of dos and don’ts.

Pre-pitch one-to-one preparation session with your tutor on Zoom.

Live Agent Pitch session – Pitch your novel to a specially selected group of agents and publishers in a supportive, encouraging session. If you’re not quite ready, you are welcome to join the session and pick up tips.

Final group mentoring session on Zoom (round-up and debrief).

Post-course – You will receive a detailed editorial feedback report on your first 10,000 words, synopsis and covering letter, plus an exclusive list of agents open to submissions from course alumni (normally within four weeks of the end of the course).

Final one-to-one mentoring session with your tutor on Zoom. 

It’s important that you and your manuscript are at the right stage to get the most out of this course.

As with all Cornerstones editing services, we like to review applications. You can apply online by completing this form. We’ll review your application and get back to you within five working days.

If we offer you a place, we’ll email you payment options and the Terms & Conditions. Once payment has been received, we will email you a receipt and confirm your place and the course start date. You’ll receive a login and link to the online classroom with instructions for how to get started a few days before the course starts.

Join our alumni community 

After your course, you can join our online alumni community – a friendly group of writers supporting each other as they continue to explore and develop their writing. There’s no cost for this. It’s easy to access via the online classroom, where you can:

• Revisit all your course materials, including tutor notes, feedback, videos, podcasts and forum posts
• Rejoin your classmates, and continue working together in a private space
• Meet alumni from other courses to find beta-readers and share work on our critiquing forum
• Network with other writers working in your genre or area of interest
• Take part in regular ‘sit and write’ Zoom sessions, to push forward with your work-in progress

Taking things further
If you’d like to continue on to another Professional Writing Academy course please get in touch. Or if you would like to be paired with a mentor please contact the team at Cornerstones for more details.