Creative Writing · Free Course
Write your first novel. All the way to the end.
Most people who start a novel never finish one — the commonly cited figure is 97%. Even among NaNoWriMo participants who publicly commit to it, around 80% don't cross the line. If you've started before and stopped, you're in very good company.
This course exists to change that.
97% never finish. This is how you do.
A complete, step-by-step process from your first idea to a finished, submission-ready manuscript. No writing degree required. No previous drafts needed. Just the commitment to follow a process and do the work.
Register free below
Is This Course for You?
No writing degree required. No prior experience needed. Just the commitment to see it through.
You want to write a novel. This is where you start.
You've got an idea but don't know where to start
You know you want to write a novel, but the blank page is as far as you've got. This course gives you the framework to begin.
You've started before but never finished
A partial manuscript in a folder. More than one. This course explains exactly why that happens, and how to stop it happening again.
You don't know how to make it all work
Not only will your work become structured, you'll get the knowledge you need to keep the reader interested.
You're busy and need a practical, no-nonsense approach
No filler, no motivational fluff. Just a clear, sequential process you can work through at your own pace.
What You'll Be Able to Do
By the end of this course you'll have:
- Planned a novel with a structure that holds together from start to finish.
- Built characters that feel real and drive your story forward.
- Written with a consistent voice using craft techniques that work.
- Navigated the difficult middle of a novel and come out the other side.
- Revised your first draft into something you're genuinely proud of.
- Understood what it means to think of yourself as a writer, not just someone trying to be one.
What the Course Actually Covers
Seven sections, each building on the last, covering every stage of writing a novel from the ground up. Practical exercises, templates, and worksheets throughout — built around doing rather than just understanding.
- Developing the habit of writing — building the routine that gets you through the next six sections
- Finding your ideas — generating and pressure-testing premises before you commit
- Structuring your story — building your plot from the ground up
- Building characters — want, need, flaw, voice, and a cast that earns its place
- Setting the scene — making your world and scenes feel real without overwriting them
- Writing the draft — techniques for getting a complete first draft on the page
- Revisions — a full structural, line-edit, and proofing process that takes a rough draft to a polished manuscript
The Obstacles Are Part of the Plan
Perfectionism, imposter syndrome, losing momentum, the blank page, the urge to go back and edit instead of moving forward — these aren't personal failings. They're predictable, and the course addresses them directly as part of the process rather than leaving you to work through them alone.
The honest timeline is roughly five to six months for most people, with a realistic daily writing target built in from the start. By the end, you'll have a complete manuscript — not a partial draft, not a collection of scenes. A full story that's been through a structured revision process and is ready to take forward.
Meet Your Tutor
Martin
Founder of Tweedlecoate
I've been doing this for a very long time. 'This' in my context means I've been writing professionally since the late 1980s, teaching since the early 1990s, and editing in the same timeframes.
And you won't find my name on anything as my work was always behind the scenes making others look good. That meant magazine work, ghostwriting, corporate communications, technical authoring, design work, software and, more recently, I did get my name on the inside of a collaborative project with some health coaches (which I did shoehorn into the lofty heights of Amazon Best Seller when it released).
I've coached plenty of others to their own literary success and now I'm opening that up with a series of courses aimed at helping more of you.
I do have a few book projects of my own on the horizon. There's a healthy lifestyles tome ticking away based on my extensive health science and adventure background and an embryonic stages post-apocalyptic trilogy in the premise development stage (so yes, I'm doing the same activities that you are about to embark on).
On top of that professional resumé you can find me living a life alternating between my publishing and design work and heading off to wherever adventure awaits with my two teenage sons and a loopy dog in tow…
Common Questions
Do I need any writing experience to take this course?
The course is designed for people who are starting from the beginning. If you can write clearly in everyday English, you have everything you need to start.
How long does the course take?
The course is self-paced, so there's no fixed timeline. You can work through it quickly in a concentrated period, or take it steadily alongside other commitments. You have permanent access, so there's no pressure to rush. Having said that, this course takes you through the full process of writing your novel so will include the time you take to complete that work. Expect a minimum of 6 months for most writers.
Is this course just about writing, or does it cover publishing too?
This course is specifically about the writing of your novel. The end result will be your finished manuscript. A second course covering both traditional and self-publishing in full detail, including the practical steps for each route, is in development.
Is this course really free?
Yes. There's no charge and no hidden fee to unlock later sections. All seven sections are available from day one once you register.
Will I actually finish my novel if I take this course?
A moment of brutal honesty here. Completion depends on you, not the course. What this course does is remove every structural and knowledge barrier between you and finishing — the planning, the craft, the process, the discipline. If you follow the steps and perform the tasks set then completion becomes a process of keeping going. And yes, the course does give you what you need to do exactly that.
What happens after I register?
You'll receive an email with your login details immediately after you register. All seven sections are available from day one.
Ready to Start?
Register below — it's free.