Ready to write that book or screenplay?
We can walk beside you.
You promised you’d start that book or screenplay this year – but you’re stuck, or have no idea where to start. Or you’ve begun but need guidance.
Our Mentoring Programme is tailored to each writer’s needs and provides encouragement, support, substantial feedback and advice every month. It is suitable for writers of fiction and creative non-fiction for the page or the screen.
This programme will help you start – and finish – your book, collection of short stories or screenplay. We can also work with you to develop your ideas into a television series, and to craft an outline or proposal. We can help you turn a book into a screenplay, or vice versa. We hold your hand and walk you through the process.
Testimonials
The All About Writing course taught me more about the elements of creative writing (plot, structure, dialogue, characterisation, story) than nine years at university and my other writing courses combined.
– Keryn Clark, Gold Coast Australia
Working with Jo-Anne and Richard has been an inspiration. Critical input, insight, humour and encouragement are all part of the magic.
Linda Price, Stow-on-the-Wold
Discovering the course has been one of the most satisfying landmarks in my life and certainly in my writing journey… [They] offer I believe an unequalled forum for prospective writers of all skill levels. I am hooked.
– Clive Goodchild-Brown

Here’s a summary of the programme:
- You sign up for a bloc of hours to be used over six or twelve months at a time.
- At the start of the programme we will, depending on the nature of your project and your needs, assign either Jo-Anne or Richard (or in some cases Michele Rowe or Fred de Vries) as your mentor.
- The programme is run through a private mentoring group on our online course platform, which is hosted by Ning. This is where you submit your writing and where Jo-Anne and Richard post their feedback.
- We use Zoom for brainstorming and the monthly group discussions and the write-ins.
- Every month you are entitled to up to two hours of your mentor’s time.
- The hours can be used in a variety of ways and depending on your needs, this will be something along these lines:
- Written feedback: If you are working on a book, you can submit up to 5000 words of your developing manuscript per month or a total of 30000/60000 words over six/twelve months to which we will respond with detailed notes.
- Brainstorms: You might need a brainstorm in readiness for writing your book or screenplay, or if at any stage you find yourself stuck. For accounting purposes 5000 words of narrative = 2 hours
- You can get one-on-one help with developing character, story, or the structure of your narrative or screenplay.
- Your monthly time might be a combination of the above – a one hour brainstorm with either Richard or Jo-Anne and a submission of 2500 words.
- Or for complex story problems you might need a one hour brainstorm with both Jo-Anne and Richard.
- If you’re working on a screenplay, you’ll submit scene breakdowns/scenes for feedback. In this case we won’t count words, just time.
- Depending on your skill level, there will be a preparation phase where you’ll work through our comprehensive creative writing (or screenwriting) course or, if you’ve done the course, we’ll send you our comprehensive ten-step master class to work through. This is to ensure you have the skills you’ll need to see you through your writing project.
- Before you get too far into the process, we strongly suggest you prepare by working with Jo-Anne and/or Richard on your story idea and character development.
- Your credit expires after six or twelve months. If you have any credit left over it can be carried forward if you sign up for another tranche.
In addition as a free bonus
- We invite you to join the monthly group Zoom sessions where everyone is entitled to individual time (up to half an hour) to talk through the feedback and next steps. This is always the Tuesday following your submission date at 16:00 GMT / 18:00 SAST.
- And, we offer a monthly two-hour “write-in” session in which writers on the mentorship programme are invited to work together (virtually) and discuss with us any writing problems they’re having.
- You also have the opportunity to ask Richard and Jo-Anne’s opinion on urgent problems at the monthly write-in or via the online forum.
Submission dates
- We have two submission groups and we’ll assign you to one of the groups when you start.
- Submission days are always on Tuesdays, once a month, except in October when we’re in Venice for our annual writing retreat. You are invited to make a double submission in November to make up for this and if you don’t, we simply extend your end date by a month.
- When you join, we’ll give you a list of the upcoming submission dates. It’s unlikely, but we might occasionally change these dates in which case you’ll have advance warning of this.
We ask participants to commit to:
- Reading and commenting, in a supportive way, on at least some of their colleagues’ work.
- Playing an active part on the online forum, monthly Zooms and/or write-ins.
- Taking responsibility for submitting every month
- Submitting by the deadline. The only exception is if you submit substantially more than 5000 words then you agree to submit a week before the deadline.
- Understanding that your credit expires at the end of the six/twelve month period. If you sign up for another tranche we’ll carry your credit forward.
How to apply:
The programme is selective and prospective candidates are asked to supply the following:
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Your name, address and phone numbers.
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A one-page synopsis of your proposed project or no more than one page describing your idea as far as you have developed it.
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A covering letter detailing why you feel the programme would be of benefit and listing any creative writing courses you have completed and/or writing experience.
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Please also include character descriptions if you have them, anything you wish to share related to the story as well as the first chapter or two if you have started writing. If you are still in the process of developing your idea, jot down your thoughts, even in their sketchiest form. Submit a maximum of 5000 words including your synopsis.
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If you are accepted onto the programme, you’ll receive full feedback on this submission (which will officially be your first submission) and it will be what isdiscussed at your first Zoom meeting.
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Please email to: trish@allaboutwritingcourses.com
Internationally published novelist, Jo-Anne Richards, has published five books and has a PhD in Creative Writing. Her first novel, The Innocence of Roast Chicken, was originally published by Headline Review in the UK, and has recently been rereleased as one of the prestigious Picador Africa Classics collection.
Story consultant and scriptwriter Richard Beynon has had a long and accomplished career in the film and television industry. He has conceived, shaped and written scores of documentaries, has written over twelve hundred scripts, and has led numerous storytelling teams in devising story for soaps and drama series.
In 2007, Richard and Jo-Anne established All About Writing and have since then advised hundreds of writers on their work. They’ve helped brainstorm stories for both novice and established writers. And they’ve helped reshape and restructure stories at all stages of development. They’ve mentored scores of writers through the writing process – and have won the trust of publishers who frequently call on them for help with both manuscripts and writers.
Money back guarantee
We’ve seen our students get results time and time again so we’re proud to stand behind our courses. But your satisfaction is important to us, which is why we offer a 21-day refund period for our online Creative Writing Course and a 10-day refund period for our virtual Creative Writing Course. To be eligible for a refund, you must complete the first three modules of the course, attend all live sessions, as well as submit all exercises and assignments either in the class or online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I miss one of the live sessions?
Should loadshedding or any other reason prevent you from joining the class, we’ll record it and send you the link to watch and listen at your leisure. (Besides the full notes you’ll get the next day as well.)
How long do I have to complete the online course?
We know that life tales unexpected turns so we allow you a year to complete the course.
How long do I have to complete the online course?
We know that life tales unexpected turns so we allow you a year to complete the course.
Banish banality and let your creative self out
Stories are life-changing – often for the reader, always for the writer.
All About Writing’s Creative Writing Course prepares you for the writing journey.
Over ten modules with extensive feedback at every stage, it trains your eye and hones your craft. (And in the process saves your soul.)
Start today on a journey that’ll last a lifetime.
Sam had a successful career in the corporate world. At 43, though, she regretted losing touch with what she once thought of as her essential creative self. She took our Creative Writing Course and rediscovered the joys of writing. Now, just eight months on, she’s deep into the novel she always dreamt of writing.
“I know it sounds unbelievable,” she says, “but doing that course really did change my life.”