More information about our writing courses:

Find Your Voice

For the last five years I have designed and taught creative writing courses in collaboration with Writers & Artists. This course, derived from my experience of teaching for Bloomsbury, is my first solo residential venture. It is suitable for writers of fiction and creative non-fiction. All participants will be provided with a collaborative space in which to develop individual writing styles and book ideas. This course is perfect for writers in the early stages of a writing journey, or for those with a completed draft but aware of the need to further interrogate their work and/or regain creative momentum. No previous formal writing experience is required to sign up.


Across the four days, you will be encouraged to write as much as you can, both in the form of free-writing and also through structured writing tasks to be used as a starting point for further workshop discussion. 

We’ll be working through samples from a diverse list of contemporary authors including Toni Morrison, Maggie Nelson, Max Porter, Elizabeth Strout, Guy Gunarante, Claire-Louise Bennett, Owen Sheers, Yann Martel, Stephen King and Ocean Vuong.

  • 12 hours of guidance from an experienced author and creative writing tutor

  • Practical sessions with hands-on exercises designed for you to revolve around your ideas

  • Guest speaker and literary evening

  • Course materials printed for you before you arrive.

  • Broad range of contemporary authors included in workshop discussions

  • Your group will consist of a maximum of 8 students

  • 1-1 mentoring session with Natalie

  • The support of a group of like-minded people with opportunities to socialise together and form lasting friendships.


“I loved Find Your Voice. Natalie made me feel like I could do this! I have come away feeling encouraged as a writer." Diane, 2023

Develop Your Book Idea

Do you want to develop your book idea, taking it from a kernel in your mind to something fully-formed? 

We will go through each stage of idea and story development, thinking on structure and the all-important hook, character and voice, as well as how to define your plot. We’ll explore techniques and methods to keep you writing once the course is finished, and you will receive guidance on how to get your writing ready to submit to agents and publishers. 

Four 3 hour workshopping sessions to allow for feedback on your project from Natalie and your peers.

  • 12 hours of advice from an experienced author and creative writing tutor

  • Practical sessions with hands-on exercises designed for you to revolve around your ideas

  • Guest speaker and a literary evening

  • Course materials printed for you before you arrive

  • Broad range of contemporary writing guides included in workshop discussions

  • Your group will consist of a maximum of 8 students

  • Opportunity for a 1-1 mentoring session with Natalie

  • The support of a group of like-minded people, with opportunities to socialise together and form friendships, and an ongoing writing group.

  • Texts we’ll be looking at: Lily Dunn: Into Being; John Yorke : Into the Woods; how stories work and why we tell them; Robert Olen Butler : From Where You Dream: the process of writing fiction ; Dorothea Brande : Becoming a Writer; Julia Cameron :The Artists' Way; Natalie Goldberg : Writing Down the Bones; Vivian Gornick : The Situation and The Story; Stephen King : On Writing ; George Saunders : A Swim in a Pond in the Rain .

“This course got me digging deep into my initial idea. The writing exercises helped to develop characters and the setting. The course really kick-started the long process of turning an idea into a novel.” Raili, Nov 2025