I’m an experienced creative writing tutor, having tutored for the Creative Writing Summer School at the University of St Andrews for ten years and for the Open College of the Arts for eight years. I now work freelance, offering one-to-one creative writing mentoring services, so whether you’re a beginner looking to get started with creative writing, or have a piece almost ready to submit to agents/editors that you’d like to polish, I would be delighted to work with you.
In June, July and August I’m going to run three Saturday Masterclasses ( Zoom, 9.00am-1.00pm) on ‘Writing Historical Fiction’, ‘Writing Great Dialogue’ and ‘Experimental Writing’. These will be £50 each (or £125 if you sign up for all three) and capped at 20 participants per class. If you’re interested in signing up do send me a message via the contact page or on Twitter.
A half-day workshop on the pleasures and pitfalls of writing historical fiction including managing the research process, setting and description, style and structure, writing what you don’t know, and anachronisms. We’ll look at examples of historical fiction and do lots of writing exercises. Beginners welcome!
A half-day workshop on writing dialogue in fiction, including how to make speech sound natural (but not too natural!), differentiating between characters, ensuring dialogue is serving the story, and different ways of formatting dialogue. We’ll look at examples of effective dialogue in published stories and novels, and do lots of writing exercises. Beginners welcome!
What is experimental writing? In this half-day course we’ll look at what it means to experiment in writing and how trying new approaches can help you to develop as a writer and overcome a fear of failure and writers block. We’ll look at published examples of experimental writing and do lots of writing exercises. Beginners welcome!
In Autumn 2024 I’ll be running an 8-week online personal essay writing course, ‘What Can An Essay Do?’ Each week we’ll read a contemporary essay and discuss it, followed by writing exercises and prompts. At the end of the course, participants can send me a personal essay (3000 words max) for detailed feedback.
The fee is £250 and the course is capped at 12 students. Writers studied are likely to include Janet Malcom, Geoff Dyer, Teju Cole, Chris Arthur, Maggie Nelson and Anne Carson. Dates: tbc.
If you’re interested and would like to be kept up-to-date about the course, do send me a message via the contact page or via Twitter.
As a writer of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction, I work with writers in all forms and genres. As well as mentoring and editing services, I also offer one-to-one Zoom/phone chats, so if you’d like to discuss any aspect of the creative process – including finding time to write, getting ideas, redrafting, etc. then I can offer you a one-to-one conversation focused on your needs. Or perhaps you’d like to find out more about the professional side of being a writer – entering competitions, placing your work with journals and magazines, querying agents or getting a publishing deal.
I’m also available for readings, Q&A sessions, workshops and residential courses. I’ve taught for Moniack Mhor and been a Guest Reader for the Arvon Foundation, as well as leading workshops at many book festivals. I’m registered with the Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Database and give talks and writing workshops for a wide range of community groups – and I am happy to devise workshops and courses to fit with existing interests.
To connect with me about any aspect of my tutoring services, please get in touch via the contact page.
“Victoria’s approach to editing and storytelling is rigorous, considered and comprehensive, yet also brings with it her own personal brand of enthusiasm, kindness and her vast reservoir of experience as teacher and writer. She is a joy to work with, leaving one with a precious sense of uplift and possibility afterwards.”
— Lauren Mackenzie, mentee (debut novel The Couples published by John Murray, 2023)
“Writing a novel is a lonely experience and I was suffering from ‘imposter syndrome’, convinced that I was wasting my time. What I liked most about working with Vicky was that her feedback was so encouraging and inspired me to keep going but, at the same time, she also provides an honest and useful appraisal. I would highly recommend Vicky’s critique services to any writer at any stage of their writing process.”
— Gemma Al-Khayat, mentee
“Vicky is a very accomplished editor with a sharp eye for factual, grammatical and stylistic detail as well as a strong sense of the overall manuscript. Her comments on rhythm, sound, and my verbal tics helped me to polish my style. Her readings of my characters and plot were sensitive and thoughtful. This gentle but rigorous approach made it easy for me to absorb any constructive criticisms, knowing that Vicky had faith in my overall project and my ability to achieve it.”
— Charlotte Clutterbuck, mentee