Do I need to have published anything to enrol on the Certificate in Creative Writing?

No. The Certificate is for emerging writers and many students arrive having never shared their work publicly. The writing sample submitted at application stage is for placement and tutor-matching, not for selection against an unspoken standard.

Will the Certificate in Creative Writing help me write a novel?

Indirectly. The Certificate covers short fiction in depth, which is the form most working novelists use to practise craft. Students wanting sustained novel-length workshop support typically take the Diploma in Creative Writing, where a longer fiction project sits at the centre of the course.

How are workshops structured on the Certificate in Creative Writing?

Each week one or two writers circulate a draft to the group in advance. In the live workshop the group discusses the draft for around 40 minutes per piece, with the writer typically listening (not defending) until the end. Tutor wrap-up follows. Written feedback is shared after the workshop.

Can I take the Certificate in Creative Writing fully online?

Yes. The online route runs live workshops over video with the same draft-in-advance format. Distance-learning students participate in asynchronous workshops — drafts and feedback are shared via written response with one live tutor consultation per piece.

What happens to my work after the Certificate in Creative Writing?

Selected pieces are eligible for the LSJHML student magazine. The course closes with guidance on submitting to UK and international literary magazines, and we keep a list of open calls and competitions current for students. You retain full rights to your work.

Certificate in Creative Writing in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The Certificate in Creative Writing at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a workshop-led UK qualification taking new and emerging writers from "I write sometimes" to a small portfolio of finished work in three to six months. The course covers short fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry, with weekly workshops, structured tutor feedback and the kind of writing-community discipline that turns occasional sentences into a habit.

This is a Certificate built around what writers actually need: writing time, structured prompts, careful readers, and edits that ask the right questions. You leave with three finished pieces (one in each of short fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry) and a working understanding of how published writers approach revision.

Key Features

Weekly workshop format on the on-campus route — typically 10 to 14 writers per group — with peer-circulated drafts read in advance.
Three core forms — short fiction (1,500–3,000 words), creative non-fiction (1,000–2,500 words), poetry (a small portfolio of six to eight poems).
Tutor feedback on at least four drafts across the course, with detailed written notes and a 30-minute consultation per piece.
Reading-as-writers strand — close reading of contemporary short fiction, essays and poetry from UK and international writers as models for craft choices.
Three study modes — on-campus in central London, fully online with live workshops over video, or distance learning with structured asynchronous workshops.
Optional public reading at year-end at an LSJHML-hosted evening, with selected pieces eligible for the LSJHML student magazine.

What You Will Learn

The Certificate in Creative Writing is structured around the practical skills writers develop in a serious workshop — generating material, listening to drafts, revising with intent, and reading published work as a writer rather than a reader. You finish with three finished pieces and a process you can keep using.

Short-fiction craft — point of view, scene construction, dialogue, narrative compression, ending.
Creative non-fiction — voice, structure, the truth/memory question, ethical writing about real people.
Poetry — line breaks, image, sound, syntax, form, the difference between a poem and a prose paragraph.
The workshop method — giving and receiving feedback, listening to the work rather than the writer.
Revision — diagnostic reading, structural revision, line-level editing, knowing when to stop.
Reading widely and well — contemporary UK and international short fiction, essays and poetry as craft models.
Submission and publication basics — the small-press and magazine ecosystem, the cover letter, the question of agents.
Building a writing practice — habits, rituals and routines that sustain a writing life alongside other commitments.

Who This Course Is For

Emerging writers ready to commit to a structured workshop environment for the first time.
Returners — people who wrote at school or university and want to come back to it as adults.
Bloggers, journalists and copywriters wanting to develop their creative voice alongside their professional writing.
Career-changers exploring whether to commit to a Diploma or BA in Creative Writing.

Career Pathways

The Certificate in Creative Writing is a craft credential rather than a vocational one. It strengthens applications to longer creative-writing courses, supports moves into adjacent writing careers, and equips you to enter the small-press and magazine ecosystem with realistic expectations. Typical applications include:

Writer's Group Coordinator (community organisation, library, third sector)
Editorial Assistant (small press, literary magazine, online publication)
Freelance Copywriter (clients value creative-writing training)
Continued Study (Diploma, BA, MA in Creative Writing)
Independent Writing Practice (short fiction, essays, poetry submitted to magazines and competitions)
Teaching Assistant (community creative-writing classes, library workshops)

The Certificate articulates directly into the Diploma in Creative Writing at LSJHML for students continuing.

Entry Requirements

Minimum age 16.
Secondary school qualification (GCSE/O-Level or international equivalent).
IELTS 5.5 (or equivalent) for non-native English speakers.
A short writing sample (any form, 500–1,500 words) submitted with your application.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.