{"id":993216,"date":"2026-07-28T11:33:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?p=993216"},"modified":"2026-07-28T11:33:42","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T10:33:42","slug":"inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m\u00a0writing this at 6.54am, hunched over a laptop beside a\u00a0decaf\u00a0coffee and an itemised to-do list that I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0quite bear to look at. Did\u00a0that give you\u00a0an impression of me?\u00a0Good, because this month\u2019s topic is character!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As someone\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0fascinated with psychology, character was always going to be one of my favourite topics\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0and\u00a0let me tell you,\u00a0this month&#8217;s focus on the <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/creative-writing-courses\/ultimate-novel-writing-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Novel Writing Programme<\/a> has\u00a0definitely delivered!\u00a0We\u2019ve been learning everything from building out a full, believable protagonist that readers\u00a0can\u00a0root for, to\u00a0crafting an antagonist that has backstory and motivation (not simply a moustache-twirling bad\u00a0guy\u00a0who\u2019s mean for\u00a0no particular reason)\u00a0to creating believable side characters\u00a0who make the story feel alive. An excellent read as recommended by my tutor Holly Seddon was\u00a0<em>The Husbands<\/em>\u00a0by\u00a0Holly Gramazio, which\u00a0does a phenomenal job of economical character sketches that give big impressions with few words.\u00a0Highly\u00a0recommend!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with every topic, each person takes&nbsp;away something useful for their story. For me, this month has really challenged me to think about my antagonist. Creating a solid and plausible backstory which explains behaviour without&nbsp;implying excessive empathy is an interesting balance, to say the least!&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;making me work hard on&nbsp;what to reveal, how to reveal it and how to get the voice right (still working on this!)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now that&nbsp;we\u2019re&nbsp;four months in,&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;noticing a definite change in my writing.&nbsp;I\u2019ve&nbsp;previously been a chronic&nbsp;over-writer&nbsp;which&nbsp;tracks, since&nbsp;I&nbsp;have a tendency to&nbsp;overexplain things verbally (as my family will surely attest to!) Of course, I&nbsp;didn\u2019t&nbsp;realise I was overwriting until I reached a particularly painful round of editing&nbsp;and ended up cutting an uncomfortable amount of my manuscript. As&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;progressing through the course and&nbsp;giving feedback to others,&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;learning to put a lot more trust in readers.&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;learning to leave gaps, to allow&nbsp;readers&nbsp;to draw conclusions, to hint and to sketch rather than always presenting the full picture. Of course,&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;also learning that the less you write, the&nbsp;more economical and clever&nbsp;you&nbsp;have to&nbsp;be&nbsp;with it.&nbsp;Each sentence&nbsp;must&nbsp;earn its place \u2013 a&nbsp;thought&nbsp;that\u2019s&nbsp;making me much more mindful in my drafting this time round!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/creative-writing-courses\/ultimate-novel-writing-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Novel Writing Programme<\/a> is also helping me become more confident in my drafting because I know that (much as\u00a0I want it to) the first draft is NEVER going to be perfect. Letting go of expectations and having a play with the\u00a0course tasks is allowing me to be much freer\u00a0in my writing.\u00a0Play, as\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0mentioned before, is\u00a0so important!\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0something I never want to lose.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Giving and receiving feedback is becoming much easier too.&nbsp;I\u2019ll&nbsp;admit, when I first started writing, I was terrified of feedback. Any suggested change or any hint that something&nbsp;wasn\u2019t&nbsp;landing right totally knocked my confidence (hello imposter syndrome!). But now,&nbsp;I\u2019ve&nbsp;become&nbsp;much more&nbsp;acclimatised to the process \u2013 a useful thing since I hope one day to have an agent and editor,&nbsp;both of&nbsp;whom&nbsp;will inevitably give plenty of feedback! Regular peer and tutor&nbsp;input&nbsp;on the course really gets you used to the whole thing.&nbsp;Having multiple people feedback on the forum is useful for spotting patterns and knowing which&nbsp;areas to address.&nbsp;Added to that, giving feedback to others is,&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;realising, one of the most effective ways to train yourself to edit your own work.&nbsp;I find&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;easier to&nbsp;determine&nbsp;what works for me as a reader, than editing my own work as a writer (no surprise, since&nbsp;I\u2019ve&nbsp;been reading for much longer than I have been writing!) Applying this reader instinct to my own work is so helpful!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, speaking of feedback, I&nbsp;can\u2019t&nbsp;talk about the course without mentioning my wonderful tutor group (they&nbsp;aren\u2019t&nbsp;paying me, promise!). As&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;become used to reading each other\u2019s work,&nbsp;we\u2019ve&nbsp;also grown together as a group.&nbsp;They\u2019re&nbsp;people I want to share my writing highs and lows with. People&nbsp;I\u2019ll&nbsp;now message&nbsp;\u2018just because\u2019.&nbsp;When we first started, I remember Holly saying that&nbsp;we\u2019ll&nbsp;become close and form bonds that will outlast the course \u2013&nbsp;and&nbsp;I&nbsp;get&nbsp;it&nbsp;now. I&nbsp;can\u2019t&nbsp;wait to celebrate everyone\u2019s books as they come out into&nbsp;the world!&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, my key takeaway from this month\u2019s topic:\u00a0<strong>characters need to be convincing<\/strong>, no matter how minor. I might even go\u00a0so far\u00a0as\u00a0to say that flat characters make for flat stories!\u00a0Even the paciest, most plot-driven story needs a character that feels 3D.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s\u00a0the advice\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0give to anyone grappling with character development; pick a book you like\u00a0and\u00a0analyse\u00a0how\u00a0the protagonist\u00a0\/ antagonist\u00a0is\u00a0portrayed.\u00a0How quickly and effectively do we get the measure of that character? How do they make you feel?\u00a0Why\u00a0does it\u00a0work for you?\u00a0Then use the answers to\u00a0have a play with your own manuscript and see what comes up!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Until next month, happy writing all!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Want to follow in Rachel&#8217;s footsteps? You can learn more about the <a href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/creative-writing-courses\/ultimate-novel-writing-programme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ultimate Novel Writing Programme<\/a> and how it can help you on your writing journey. <\/h3>\n\n\n\r\n<section class=\"cta-block  alignfull\" id=\"\">\r\n    <div class=\"content-container\">\r\n        <div class=\"cta-block-container\">\r\n            <div class=\"cta-text-wrapper\" style=\"background-color: #ffffff\">\r\n                                                                    <div class=\"cta-container\">\r\n                        <a class=\"cta-btn\" style=\"background-color: #f7941d;\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/creative-writing-courses\/ultimate-novel-writing-programme\/\" target=\"\"><span>Learn more<\/span><\/a>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                            <\/div>\r\n        <\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n<\/section>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019m\u00a0writing this at 6.54am, hunched over a laptop beside a\u00a0decaf\u00a0coffee and an itemised to-do list that I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0quite bear to look at. Did\u00a0that give you\u00a0an impression of me?\u00a0Good, because this month\u2019s topic is character!\u00a0\u00a0 As someone\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0fascinated with psychology, character was always going to be one of my favourite topics\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0and\u00a0let me tell you,\u00a0this month&#8217;s focus on the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27807,"featured_media":978752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29340],"tags":[29263,29283],"class_list":["post-993216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-unwp-experience","tag-ultimate-novel-wriiting-programme","tag-character"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Jericho Writers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4) &#8211; Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I\u2019m\u00a0writing this at 6.54am, hunched over a laptop beside a\u00a0decaf\u00a0coffee and an itemised to-do list that I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0quite bear to look at. Did\u00a0that give you\u00a0an impression of me?\u00a0Good, because this month\u2019s topic is character!\u00a0\u00a0 As someone\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0fascinated with psychology, character was always going to be one of my favourite topics\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0and\u00a0let me tell you,\u00a0this month&#8217;s focus on the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Jericho Writers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emily Mitchell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@JerichoWriters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@JerichoWriters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emily Mitchell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":[\"Article\",\"BlogPosting\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Emily Mitchell\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c425d3a567c6fc0f51635135de2785d9\"},\"headline\":\"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4)\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1010,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png\",\"keywords\":[\"ultimate novel wriiting programme\",\"character\"],\"articleSection\":[\"UNWP Experience\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/\",\"name\":\"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4) &#8211; Jericho Writers\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png\",\"width\":900,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"description\":\"Creative writing courses, editorial services, mentoring, literary agent resources, events and community support for writers.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"alternateName\":\"JerichoWriters.com\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/cropped-footer-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/cropped-footer-logo.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Jericho Writers\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/jerichowriters\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/JerichoWriters\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/jerichowriters\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/jericho-writers\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCcs1qhjwLR6bQYDR2x3PbOw\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.writersworkshop.co.uk\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\\\/company\\\/14920889\"],\"legalName\":\"Jericho Writers Ltd\",\"alternateName\":[\"Writers' Workshop\",\"The Writers' Workshop\"],\"description\":\"Jericho Writers helps writers develop their craft, improve their manuscripts, and pursue publication through creative writing courses, membership programmes, editorial services, literary agent tools, mentoring, events, and community support.\",\"disambiguatingDescription\":\"The Jericho Writers business was founded in 2004 as Writers' Workshop. The current operating company is Jericho Writers Ltd, incorporated in 2023 under company number 14920889.\",\"slogan\":\"With you for every word.\",\"foundingDate\":\"2004\",\"hasMemberProgram\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/join-us\\\/#member-program\"},\"identifier\":[{\"@type\":\"PropertyValue\",\"propertyID\":\"UK Companies House company number\",\"value\":\"14920889\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\\\/company\\\/14920889\"}],\"vatID\":\"GB460394785\",\"address\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"name\":\"Jericho Writers office\",\"streetAddress\":\"167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor\",\"addressLocality\":\"London\",\"postalCode\":\"W1W 5PF\",\"addressCountry\":\"GB\"},\"legalAddress\":{\"@type\":\"PostalAddress\",\"streetAddress\":\"Rectory Cottage, Church End, Swerford\",\"addressLocality\":\"Chipping Norton\",\"addressRegion\":\"Oxfordshire\",\"postalCode\":\"OX7 4AX\",\"addressCountry\":\"GB\"},\"areaServed\":\"Worldwide\",\"email\":\"info@jerichowriters.com\",\"contactPoint\":[{\"@type\":\"ContactPoint\",\"telephone\":\"+44-330-043-0150\",\"email\":\"info@jerichowriters.com\",\"contactType\":\"customer service\",\"areaServed\":\"GB\",\"availableLanguage\":\"English\"},{\"@type\":\"ContactPoint\",\"telephone\":\"+1-646-974-9060\",\"email\":\"info@jerichowriters.com\",\"contactType\":\"customer service\",\"areaServed\":\"US\",\"availableLanguage\":\"English\"}],\"knowsAbout\":[\"Creative writing\",\"Novel writing\",\"Creative writing courses\",\"Writing courses\",\"Writing membership programmes\",\"Writing workshops and masterclasses\",\"Writing communities\",\"Manuscript assessment\",\"Developmental editing\",\"Line editing\",\"Copy editing\",\"Writing mentoring and coaching\",\"Literary agents\",\"Literary agent research\",\"Literary agent submissions\",\"Query letter feedback\",\"AgentMatch\",\"Publishing\",\"Traditional publishing\",\"Self-publishing\",\"Writing events and festivals\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c425d3a567c6fc0f51635135de2785d9\",\"name\":\"Emily Mitchell\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/wp-content\\\/litespeed\\\/avatar\\\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404\",\"caption\":\"Emily Mitchell\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/jerichowriters.com\\\/author\\\/emilymitchell\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Jericho Writers","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4) &#8211; Jericho Writers","og_description":"I\u2019m\u00a0writing this at 6.54am, hunched over a laptop beside a\u00a0decaf\u00a0coffee and an itemised to-do list that I\u00a0can\u2019t\u00a0quite bear to look at. Did\u00a0that give you\u00a0an impression of me?\u00a0Good, because this month\u2019s topic is character!\u00a0\u00a0 As someone\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0fascinated with psychology, character was always going to be one of my favourite topics\u00a0&#8211;\u00a0and\u00a0let me tell you,\u00a0this month&#8217;s focus on the","og_url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/","og_site_name":"Jericho Writers","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters","article_published_time":"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Emily Mitchell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@JerichoWriters","twitter_site":"@JerichoWriters","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emily Mitchell","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":["Article","BlogPosting"],"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/"},"author":{"name":"Emily Mitchell","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c425d3a567c6fc0f51635135de2785d9"},"headline":"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4)","datePublished":"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/"},"wordCount":1010,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png","keywords":["ultimate novel wriiting programme","character"],"articleSection":["UNWP Experience"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/","name":"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4) &#8211; Jericho Writers","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png","datePublished":"2026-07-28T10:33:40+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-28T10:33:42+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Rachel-McLaughlin.png","width":900,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/inside-the-ultimate-novel-writing-programme-with-bursary-winner-rachel-mclaughlin-month-4\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Inside the Ultimate Novel Writing Programme: With Bursary Winner Rachel McLaughlin (Month 4)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/","name":"Jericho Writers","description":"Creative writing courses, editorial services, mentoring, literary agent resources, events and community support for writers.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB","alternateName":"JerichoWriters.com"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#organization","name":"Jericho Writers","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cropped-footer-logo.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Jericho Writers"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/jerichowriters","https:\/\/x.com\/JerichoWriters","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/jerichowriters\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/jericho-writers\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCcs1qhjwLR6bQYDR2x3PbOw","https:\/\/www.writersworkshop.co.uk\/","https:\/\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\/company\/14920889"],"legalName":"Jericho Writers Ltd","alternateName":["Writers' Workshop","The Writers' Workshop"],"description":"Jericho Writers helps writers develop their craft, improve their manuscripts, and pursue publication through creative writing courses, membership programmes, editorial services, literary agent tools, mentoring, events, and community support.","disambiguatingDescription":"The Jericho Writers business was founded in 2004 as Writers' Workshop. The current operating company is Jericho Writers Ltd, incorporated in 2023 under company number 14920889.","slogan":"With you for every word.","foundingDate":"2004","hasMemberProgram":{"@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/join-us\/#member-program"},"identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"UK Companies House company number","value":"14920889","url":"https:\/\/find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk\/company\/14920889"}],"vatID":"GB460394785","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","name":"Jericho Writers office","streetAddress":"167-169 Great Portland Street, 5th Floor","addressLocality":"London","postalCode":"W1W 5PF","addressCountry":"GB"},"legalAddress":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Rectory Cottage, Church End, Swerford","addressLocality":"Chipping Norton","addressRegion":"Oxfordshire","postalCode":"OX7 4AX","addressCountry":"GB"},"areaServed":"Worldwide","email":"info@jerichowriters.com","contactPoint":[{"@type":"ContactPoint","telephone":"+44-330-043-0150","email":"info@jerichowriters.com","contactType":"customer service","areaServed":"GB","availableLanguage":"English"},{"@type":"ContactPoint","telephone":"+1-646-974-9060","email":"info@jerichowriters.com","contactType":"customer service","areaServed":"US","availableLanguage":"English"}],"knowsAbout":["Creative writing","Novel writing","Creative writing courses","Writing courses","Writing membership programmes","Writing workshops and masterclasses","Writing communities","Manuscript assessment","Developmental editing","Line editing","Copy editing","Writing mentoring and coaching","Literary agents","Literary agent research","Literary agent submissions","Query letter feedback","AgentMatch","Publishing","Traditional publishing","Self-publishing","Writing events and festivals"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/#\/schema\/person\/c425d3a567c6fc0f51635135de2785d9","name":"Emily Mitchell","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404","url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404","contentUrl":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/wp-content\/litespeed\/avatar\/935c2ebce5dc610ed84383bee196b030.jpg?ver=1786196404","caption":"Emily Mitchell"},"url":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/author\/emilymitchell\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27807"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=993216"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":993217,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/993216\/revisions\/993217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/978752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=993216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=993216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jerichowriters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=993216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}