Course notes
86 pages
As well as video lessons, you’ll also enjoy access to a downloadable PDF put together by Ken Follett, full of tips, techniques, and exercises to help you start writing your own novel.
Ken Follett
Writing Bestselling Fiction
Have you always dreamed of seeing your novel on the shelves of your local bookshop? Of writing the next bestseller to top the charts? Learn how to approach your research, what goes into an outline, and how to navigate the world of publishing and finding an agent, with internationally acclaimed, best-selling author Ken Follett.
22
video lessons
Course notes
The course
Join Ken Follett as he unpacks 50 years of experience and teaches you everything he knows about writing bestsellers.
Follow his tried and tested process, from establishing what makes a good idea and how to develop it, to incorporating research into your outline, and pacing your story to make it a real page turner. Plus, hear from Dr Margarette Lincoln, author and historian, on the importance of fact checking, and novelist Alexandra Overy on how to navigate the modern world of publishing.
Whether you've got the beginnings of an idea or a fleshed out first draft, Ken's course will help you refine your work and get you on the right track to seeing your book in the shops!
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Your Maestro
Ken Follett is one of the world’s most respected and successful novelists. During his 50-year career, he has written 36 books with over 180 million copies sold worldwide. His work has been translated into 40 languages and is sold in 80 countries, earning him accolades from across the globe. As well as receiving a CBE in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to literature, he has picked up an Edgar Best Novel Award in America, Italy’s Premio Bancarella literary prize, as well as awards in Spain, Bavaria, and Hungary to name but a few.
Lessons
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8 mins
Ken Follett describes the miracle of literature and tells you how he got started.
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5 mins
Most stories arise from a question that in turn generates further questions.
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22 mins
Ken takes a first look at some fundamental ways of developing the potential of your initial idea.
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17 mins
How to manage a complex story with multiple points of view.
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15 mins
The pleasures, perils, and practical value of detailed preliminary research, and how to record it for reference.
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21 mins
Ken explains why he finds advance planning the most efficient approach to writing and describes how the outline develops from a single paragraph to a step-by-step guide.
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31 mins
Comparing notes with a writer at the start of her career – packed with sound advice.
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17 mins
Why the first line matters and how it works its magic, with a wealth of examples.
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23 mins
How to keep the reader emotionally engaged while filling in the detail.
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36 mins
Ken considers the subtleties of character development, from how to add depth and complexity to respecting historical evidence.
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22 mins
Scene changes, story turns and maintaining reader engagement from the first line to the last.
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21 mins
Why they matter and why they should always communicate something beyond mere action.
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19 mins
How we tend to write what we like to read.
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13 mins
Ken describes his own style and compares it to some contrasting examples, including possible approaches to dialogue.
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22 mins
The value of expertise and how historical accuracy helps ground your story and enhance the illusion of reality.
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10 mins
Ken’s writing day and some tips for how to persevere through rough and smooth.
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20 mins
Reworking the first draft in the light of feedback, and how reader responses are always valuable even when superficially wrong.
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12 mins
Ken shares his years of experience of working with publishers to achieve the best possible outcome for your book.
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20 mins
Comparing notes with a writer at the opposite end of the spectrum, with plenty of practical encouragement.
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4 mins
How reading makes the world a better place.
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2 mins
Ken signs off with a reminder of what it takes to succeed.
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15 mins
Ken has been writing and selling books for fifty years. Here he answers your questions.
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Looking to inspire the aspiring novelist in your life? Help them put pen to paper and get writing.
Gift courseCommon questions
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