CHRIS SIMPSON
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Ten Week Creative Writing Course in Whitstable

10 Weeks ✅

10 Students Maximum ✅
​

2 Hours Per Week ✅
Date: 19:00* Thursday 18th September, 2025 - Thursday 20th November, 2025

​Location: The Horsebridge Arts Centre, Whitstable


What You'll Master

A comprehensive curriculum designed to elevate your writing from good to extraordinary.

✍️ Character Development. Create compelling, three-dimensional characters that readers will remember long after they finish your story.

📖 Plot Structure. Master the art of pacing, tension, and narrative arc to keep readers turning pages.

🎭 Dialogue Mastery. Write authentic dialogue that reveals character and advances your story naturally.

🌟 Finding Your Voice. Discover and develop your unique writing style that sets you apart from other writers.

✂️ Editing & Revision. Learn professional editing techniques to polish your work to publication standards.

📚 Genre Exploration. Experiment with different genres to find where your creativity truly shines.


10-Week Journey

Each week builds upon the last, creating a comprehensive foundation.

Week 1: Beginnings. Finding the right entry point, establishing voice, and setting the tone.

Week 2: Characters. Crafting believable, complex characters that resonate with readers.

Week 3: Dialogue. Writing dialogue that reads real, reveals character, and drives plot.

Week 4: Conflict. Understanding tension as the engine of story.

Week 5: Perfect Sentences. Exploring rhythm, clarity, and impact at the sentence level.

Week 6: Theme. Uncovering and refining the ideas that give your story depth.

Week 7: Endings. Crafting satisfying, resonant conclusions that echo beyond the page.

Week 8: Editing. Learning the art of revision—what to cut, what to expand, and why.

Week 9: The Industry. Demystifying the publishing world, from agents to self-publishing.

Week 10: One-on-One Feedback. A twenty minute individual feedback session on a 2,500-word writing sample submitted in advance with notes and suggestions for progression plus line edits.


How the Course Works

A structured yet responsive approach to developing your craft.


Session Structure: 

1. Creative Writing Prompt. Each session begins with a focused 10-minute free writing exercise.

2. Topic Exploration. Deep dive into the week's focus using examples from contemporary fiction.

3. Guided Exercises. Three key writing exercises designed to push boundaries and provoke fresh ideas.


The Writer's Surgery - Week 10

"This individual attention ensures every writer leaves with a clear path forward for their specific project and goals."

Week Ten is entirely dedicated to one-on-one sessions. Each participant receives personalised feedback on a 2,500-word piece submitted before the session. This is an opportunity to discuss what's working, what could improve, and strategies for development.

Course Details

Duration: 10 weeks
Session Length: 2 hours per week
Delivery: In-person
Class Size: Limited to 10 participants
Location: The Horsebridge, Whitstable
Tools: Notepad & pen encouraged
Meet Your Instructor - Chris Simpson
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"Teaching is incredibly important to me, a place where I am able to help writers believe in their work in challenging times."

Chris Simpson is an award-winning writer of literary fiction dealing with modern working-class society. He grew up in Bracknell and Slough, which explains ninety percent of his choices. To pay the bills he has worked as a waiter, a cinema projectionist, a shoe salesman, an attendant in an amusement arcade, hiring out construction and demolition tools, a pasty seller, a caretaker for a primary school, a teaching assistant, a tutor and a facilities manager. He was a collaborator on a sketch show and has performed as a stand-up comedian.

Chris holds a First-Class degree in Creative Writing from Birkbeck University and is completing an MA in the same subject at the University of Kent. He mentors writers from all walks of life, drawing on his broad and eclectic life experience to support new voices from numerous backgrounds. He has inspired writers to take their craft further: from starting an MA to publishing their work. 

He lives in Whitstable with his wife where they read and plan trips away

​
Literary Achievements

2025 "Fragile Light" published in Spinners Magazine
2025 "The Weapon of Memory" published in AEOS Magazine
2022 Nominated for Pushcart Prize for Equal
2021 Published alongside Kit de Waal, Kerry Hudson, and Philip Ridley in Mainstream (Inkandescent Press)
2019 Nominated for Agora and PFD Lost The Plot Prize
2018 Inaugural awardee of London Writers Awards from Spread the Word
2016 Nominee for Royal Academy and Pin Drop Short Story Award
Student Success Stories
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"I first encountered Chris as a guest lecturer in my writing course, and I was immediately taken with his studious, craftsman-like approach to writing fiction. When it was time for me to find an editor for my own manuscript, he was the first person I called."
Oli D.
Published Author

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"Chris is a very thoughtful teacher and I have leant a huge amount from him. His editorial feedback is always thorough and considered. I'm always impressed with how generous he is with his time and care when it comes to feedback."
Lizzie H.
​Freelance Writer
Ready to Begin? Join the next cohort and start your writing transformation.

£300

Complete 10-Week Programme

​Limited to 10 participants


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10 weekly 2-hour in-person sessions

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Individual feedback from experienced writer

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One-on-one feedback session on 2,500-word piece

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Exploration of both craft and business of writing

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Community of motivated peers (max 10 writers)

Interested? Fill out the form below and your instructor will be in touch.
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* Can't make an evening class, reach out as with high demand there may be a daytime class too.

    Contact for Booking Your Spot!

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  • HOME
  • WRITING & AWARDS
  • TEACHING
  • TEN WEEK COURSE
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • BOOKS READ