with Julia Armfield | October 3 | 19.00 GMT+1

Learn the process of following through on an idea, whether you’re taking inspiration from an existing story, myth or folklore, or working on an idea you barely understand. Julia Armfield will discuss the process of  building scaffolding around the seeds of an idea, turning inspiration on its head to find an original way in, and what to do when an idea doesn’t work as well as you’d hoped.

In Conversation with Saara El-Arifi | October 7 | 19.00 GMT+1

Saara El-Arifi is an adult fantasy author whose debut novel ‘The Final Strife’ was published in June 2022. We’ll be in conversation with Saara to talk about how she builds her fantasy landscapes, how character and language are built and how she expands her world-building over a series of novels.

with Dolen Perkins-Valdez | October 12 | 19.00 GMT+1

Dolen Perkins-Valdez’s book, TAKE MY HAND is inspired by true events that rocked the USA. Her profoundly moving novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patient is both beautifully written and meticulously researched. Dolan will be in conversation with Anna to discuss the research process and give you tips and tricks when using true events to inspire your work.

with Robbie Swale | October 18 | 19.00 GMT+1

Whether writing your book or trying to market it, life as an author can be lonely and hard. Join coach and author Robbie Swale for a practical session of tips, advice and inspiration to help you keep going when you think about giving up on writing or marketing your book.

with Debi Alper and Emma Darwin | October 24 | 19.00 GMT+1

This is your chance to ask for feedback on any aspect of writing or getting published. Got a concern about characters? Plot? Structure? Voice? Genre? Or any part of the submission process? The more specific the question, the more likely we’ll be able to give you a helpful answer.

with Brian Gresko | October 27 | 19.00 GMT+1

Congratulations, your first draft is done! But your work has only just begun. In this session, we’ll examine editing techniques gleaned from successful, published novelists, and discuss how to maintain enthusiasm, vision, and stamina as you embark on the herculean process of turning your rough draft into a polished manuscript.

with Elsie Granthier, Fiona Longmuir, Valerie Valdez and Eden Royce | October 31 | 19.00 GMT+1

Want to write 50,000 words in one month? NaNoWriMo is waiting for you! Join top authors who used NaNo to work on their now-published books as they reveal the hints, tips and cheats they use to write a novel in thirty days.