The Ultimate Start: video course
The Ultimate Start: Nail the Opening Pages of your Novel
About this course
Starting a novel is hard. Like, “stare-at-the-blank-page-and-cry” hard. But a killer opening can change everything… Nail introducing your characters, their world and your plot in your opening pages, and you’ll find yourself filled with motivation to push forward. That strong opening will become the foundation your whole story rests on. Even better, it will fascinate readers and give you the best possible chance of engaging literary agents and editors. The Ultimate Start is a six-part online course delivered by the expert tutors of our Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. It will give you the tools, tricks and confidence to craft a truly compelling opening for your novel. Ready to get cracking? You can either purchase this course as a one-off, or get unlimited access to all our self-paced video courses with a Premium Membership, starting at just £15/month.
Nail the opening pages of your novel
Across six lessons, our expert tutors will help you master hooking your readers, setting the scene for your story, introducing characters and conflict and establishing your narrative voice.
Build confidence
Discover tricks and tools
Get peer feedback
One-year of access
Why take just this course when you can take a whole bunch?
This and all of our self-paced video courses are included in Premium Membership, which starts at just £15/month. As well as our expert-led courses, you also get monthly live online feedback events, tools, resources, and more.
Browse lesson plans
Meet your course tutors
At Jericho Writers, we’re a team of published authors who’ve been exactly where you are now. For over two decades, our approach has helped authors launch their careers, sign with top literary agents and even go on to become Sunday Times Bestsellers.
All of the tutors on The Ultimate Start also teach on our Novel Writing Course and Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: flagship courses that offer more close mentoring and personalised support than any alternatives out there. The Ultimate Start boasts teaching from experts in publishing, commercial fiction, thriller writing, children’s and YA fiction – not to mention lessons from award-nominees, critically acclaimed authors and international best-sellers.
Get a taster lesson, for free
Want to check out the first lesson in this course for free? Sign up below and we’ll email you a link.
Get just this course
£99.00
- Gain access to the designated course forum
- Access will expire after 1 year
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One-year pay upfront
- Our best value offering (pay for the year upfront and get 2 months free)
- Take this and all our other self-paced video courses
- Gain access to out Premium Member library of resources, including over 280 masterclass videos
- Find your dream agent through AgentMatch
- Get your query letter reviewed by our expert in-house team
One-year pay monthly
- Take this and all our other self-paced video courses
- Gain access to out Premium Member library of resources, including over 280 masterclass videos
- Find your dream agent through AgentMatch
- Get your query letter reviewed by our expert in-house team
Just this course
Get every course
What’s included in Your Premium Membership
All self-paced video courses
Downloadable course guides
Private course forums
Personalised feedback
Weekly live events
AgentMatch
Tools & resources
Query letter review
Discounts & writing opportunities
Reviews for Jericho Writers
Self-Paced Online Writing Courses
Gain unlimited access to our ever-expanding library of self-paced video courses. New titles are added regularly, with recent releases including Crime Writing for Beginners, Non-Fiction for Beginners, and Start Editing Your Novel. Enjoy full access with a Premium Membership or unlock access to a single course for just £99, no subscription required.
Debi Alper
Introduction to self-editing your novel
£99
Free & included for Premium Members
Join author, editor, and creative writing tutor Debi Alper to get to grips with the basics of self-editing your novel. Get past that messy first draft stage and start working towards a publishable manuscript.
Online
6 lessons
Sam Jordison
Introduction to creative non-fiction
£99
Free & included for Premium Members
Join bestselling author Sam Jordison to master the art of writing creative non-fiction and memoirs. Unlock your storytelling potential and start drafting your book with expert guidance.
Online
6 lessons
Becca Day
How to get a literary agent
£99
Free & included for Premium Members
Guided by bestselling author and Head of Membership at Jericho Writers Becca Day, learn the basics of how to get a literary agent to represent your book.
Online
6 lessons
Graham Bartlett
Crime writing for beginners
£99
Free & included for Premium Members
Guided by former Chief Superintendent and bestselling crime author Graham Bartlett, learn the key principles of writing a compelling crime novel.
Online
6 lessons
Harry Bingham
Take your novel from good to great
Free & included for Premium Members
Join Jericho Writers founder and author Harry Bingham as he helps you elevate an existing draft. From making it marketable to perfecting your prose, this course will refine your work and take it to the next level.
Online
6 lessons
Becky Hunter
The basics of novel writing
Free & included for Premium Members
Led by expert editor and author Becky Hunter, this course covers the fundamentals of novel writing, from generating ideas to mastering key writing techniques. Get the essential skills to confidently start your novel.
Online
6 lessons
Harry Bingham
How to write a novel in six weeks
Free & included for Premium Members
Harry Bingham guides you through the process of writing a novel in six weeks. From planning to editing, you’ll learn how to get your story off to a strong start and keep your momentum going as you write.
Online
6 lessons
Melvin Burgess
Writing for children & YA
Free & included for Premium Members
Discover the unique world of young adult literature with Melvin Burgess, the ‘Godfather’ of YA fiction. This course covers everything you need to write compelling novels for younger readers, from concept to execution.
Online
5 lessons
Gwyn GB
Introduction to self-publishing
Free & included for Premium Members
Is self-publishing the right path for you? Join bestselling independent author Gwyn GB as she guides you step-by-step through the indie publishing process, complete with actionable exercises to implement along the way.
Online
8 lessons
Nicholas Erik
Amazon ads for authors
Free & included for Premium Members
Master the essentials of using Amazon Ads to sell your books with expert Nicholas Erik. Learn how to navigate the dashboard, optimise your campaigns, and boost your book’s visibility to grow your sales.
Online
12 lessons
Various Tutors
Write with Jericho
Free & included for Premium Members
Kickstart your writing year with expert guidance from Harry Bingham, Sophie Flynn, Becca Day, and Laura Starkey. In this four week course, you’ll ensure your ideas are strong, avoid common pitfalls, and set yourself up for success.
Online
4 lessons
Frequently asked
questions
How do I get more feedback on my work in the forums?
As the old saying goes, give and you shall receive. If you comment on someone’s post with helpful feedback, they will be more likely to comment on your post. It’s worth mentioning that the threads in Townhouse with the most recent replies get moved to the top of the forum, so if you don’t have any feedback on your post you are welcome to reply to your thread with the word ‘Bump’ – but please don’t do this more than once per week to give everyone a fair chance.
How long will I have access to the course content?
If you join us as a Premium Member, you will continue to have access to the course videos, PDF guide, and forums for as long as you remain a Premium Member. If you purchase just this course, you will have access to the course content for 1 year from the date of your purchase. Once this year is up, your access will expire and you will need to either purchase the course again or join us as a Premium Member in order to regain access.
Will I receive feedback from the course tutors?
No. This is a self-paced video course, in which you are encouraged to share your work in the designated forum for peer-to-peer feedback. If you are looking to receive personalised feedback from an expert, you can either take the Novel Writing Course or the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme. Some of our NWC and UNWP tutors also offer one-to-one mentoring. You can find out more about that here.
When will I get access to the course content?
The lessons of this course will be released week by week, from 19 January 2026. From that date, you will continue to have access for as long as you’re a Premium Member. If you have chosen to purchase just this course rather than opting for Premium Membership, you’ll have access to the course for 1 year from the date of your purchase. After this period, your access will expire and you will need to either purchase again or join as a Premium Member in order to re-gain access.
Who is The Ultimate Start suitable for?
This course is suitable for writers who are just getting started with a new project or want to develop a manuscript they’ve already begun work on. This is a self-paced video course, so you won’t receive feedback or one-to-one support from the course tutors. If you feel like you would benefit from a more in-depth course with additional support, you may want to consider the Novel Writing Course or Ultimate Novel Writing Programme.