Writing Romantic Fiction
2026-02-17 19:00 - 2026-03-24 21:00 (Europe/London)
A 5-week online course taught by award-winning author Alison May, over 5 live and interactive sessions.
This course will run on Tuesdays from 17th February – 24th March 2026 from 19:00-21:00 GMT (please note there is no session on the 10th March)

Course Overview:
Romance is an eternally popular genre and right now it’s making waves with a new generation of readers.
Learning to incorporate love and romance into your stories is beneficial to every writer, whether you aspire to being the next Jilly Cooper, Sarah J Maas or Emily Henry, or whether you simply want to add emotional depth to your fiction.
Alison May is an established romance author, and experienced writing mentor, and freelance editor. Across five zoom sessions she will share the skills and knowledge to create romance on the page and incorporate emotion and love stories in your fiction.

This course will focus on:
• Creating characters who are destined to fall in love (and who your readers will fall in love with)
• Understanding the structure of the perfect romance plot – from meetcute, to darkest moment to happy ever after
• Learning about the genre, the sub-genres, the place of tropes and how best to meet, and subvert, your readers’ expectations
• Creating conflict within, and between, your characters
• Putting emotion on the page in your story – from passion, to the initial sparks or romance to the despair of lost love – we’ll look at how to make that impactful and believable for your reader
• Providing a chance to write, hone and get feedback on the pitch for your romantic story

Participants will benefit from:
• Live Zoom Sessions: Enjoy five interactive live Zoom sessions where you’ll receive expert guidance from an established author and editor. Engage in real-time discussions, Q&A sessions, and personalised feedback to enhance your writing skills.
• Sessions tailored to the needs of the group to give you skills you can use during the course and long afterwards
• Writing Community: Connect with a community of like-minded writers during each live session. Share your progress, exchange ideas, and receive constructive feedback in a supportive online environment.

Slush Pile Day
2026-05-09 | The Marquis Cornwallis, 31 Marchmont Street, London, WC1N 1AP, United Kingdom
Skip the slush pile. Polish your submission then put it in front of a panel of industry experts at our Slush Pile Day
Saturday May 9th 2026 10.00 am – 6 pm
Bloomsbury, London.
Ever wondered how editors and agents actually respond to submissions? Want to understand the thought process behind the Yes or the No? Want to see how your individual submission is read? Get a personal, instant (anonymised!) feedback your submission from a panel of industry professionals.
In this one day workshop, you will polish your pitch, synopsis, agent letter and those all important first 500 words under the guidance of tutors Alison May and Janet Gover.
Then, skip the slush pile and have those 500 words put directly to a panel of industry professionals for instant feedback. The submission will be anonymous – to keep those nerves at bay. The panel will include Charlotte Ledger from Harper Collins, Publisher of the One More Chapter imprint and Jennie Ayres, publisher at Hera Fiction and other industry representative (tbc).
This day is suitable for anyone who has a book ready (or almost ready) for submission, whether they are currently unpublished, or are a published author seeking to lift their career to a new level.
Price – £89.50 (Attendees can purchase their lunch from the pub, or several nearby coffeeshops and cafes.)
Book before Feb 9th and get a 20% early booking discount, making the day £71.60.
Location : Upstairs at the Marquis Cornwallis, Bloomsbury. The Marquis Cornwallis Pub & Restaurant in London, Greater London (note: access via stairs only)
Places are limited, so book your place now.
One place will be given as a bursary to someone who would find it difficult to meet the cost of the day, and is not currently contracted to a publisher or an agent. If you can afford the place, please leave this bursary only for those who need it. The bursary will cover the cost of the place on the Slush Pile Day, but does not include travel or lunch. To apply please complete this form telling why you need the bursary and what you would expect to get out of the day. The bursary recipient will be decided by Janet and Alison and information provided on the form will not be shared further. Proof of income or finances will not be required. Bursary applications close January 31st2026.

Residential Writing Retreat with Janet Gover
2026-07-07 - 2026-07-11 | Retreats For You, The Court, The Square, Sheepwash, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5NE, United Kingdom
The End is just the beginning: finishing your novel and finding your readers.
Retreats for You – Tuesday July 9th – Sat July 11, Retreats for You , Devon.
This course is aimed at new writers who have finished (or almost finished) a book and want to get it out into the world and at published writers who wish to give their writing career a lift, or take it in a new direction.
Submit work for appraisal and each attendee will have one to one time with Janet, to help you find the heart of your story and prepare it for readers.
Plus there’ll be plenty of writing time, and a chance to talk about books and writing with the only other people who truly understand – other writers.
Tuesday: Arrive 2 pm, in time for afternoon tea. After meeting everyone, there’s time to settle in before the welcome dinner and a getting to know each other chat around the fire.
Wednesday: Morning Session: 9:30-11:00: Finding the best words – that final polish. Using themes and imagery.
Afternoon Session: 2:00-3:30: The first 100 words sell this book. The last 100 words sell the next book. These are the last words you’ll write – then STOP.
Outside the sessions, work on your novel or spend one to one time with Janet.
Evening discussion of all things writerly – let Janet know if you have specific topics you want to talk about.
Thursday: Morning Session: 9.30-11:00: Working with an editor – the dreaded revision letter and publisher edits. When to change the book and when to say no.
Afternoon Session: 2:00-3:30: Working with agents and publishers. What to expect from them and what they will expect from you.
Evening discussion of all things writerly.
Friday: Morning Session: 9:30-11:00: Finding readers – publicity, social media and personal appearances.
Afternoon Session: 9:30-11:00: Staring the difficult 2nd (or 3rd or 10th ) novel. Handling rejection, success and deadlines. Writing as a job rather than just for enjoyment.
Evening discussion of all things writerly.
Saturday: Depart late morning, and follow-up with Janet as appropriate.
