Editing and Revising Your Creative Writing



Overview

It’s a truism that ‘writing is rewriting’ — but how do you rewrite? Using a blend of short lectures, readings, class discussions, and practical exercises, this course will  present you with the knowledge and tools for effective self-editing, from the first pass to the final polish. We will contextualise editing within the wider process of creative writing, divide the process of editing down into smaller, more manageable steps, experiment with a collection of techniques and exercises that can make tackling each of those steps less daunting, and synthesise the results into a workable plan for editing a current piece-in-progress.

Whether you tend to tinker eternally with the same lines, or aren’t sure how to progress once you’ve finished a first draft, this course will present you with tools and techniques to navigate around your writer’s block and bring your draft closer to your vision. 

Programme details

Courses starts: 21 Apr 2026

Week 1: What is editing?

Week 2: The five stages of writing

Week 3: Your draft, your plan

Week 4: Story level edits: Genre, Character, Point of View

Week 5: Story level edits: Beginnings, Endings, Structure

Week 6: Line level edits: Pacing and balance

Week 7: Line level edits: subtext and consistency

Week 8: Every word the perfect word

Week 9: Creative blocks

Week 10: Putting it into practice

Certification

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail. Please follow this link for more information on Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) points

Digital Certificate of Completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Please note students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Dr Sara Taylor

Sara Taylor is a product of Virginia and the homeschooling movement, transplanted to England in 2012. A graduate of the University of East Anglia's Creative Writing MA and PhD, their novels explore the social construction of identity, sexuality, and family. They were elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2018.

Course aims

This course provides an introduction to the theory and practice of self-editing for writers of prose fiction. 

Course objectives:

  • To understand the purpose and potential of editing within the context of the writing process.
  • To develop the theoretical knowledge and critical reading skills to assess where one’s own draft is in the process and make a cohesive plan for its development.
  • To experiment with a variety of techniques and exercises in order to develop a personal toolbox of editing strategies. 

Teaching methods

This course is taught through a combination of short craft lectures, class discussions, in-class exercises, and assigned readings. Students will be encouraged to complete the set readings ahead of the relevant sessions, and to discuss aspects of their own work and practice in order to engage fully with the in-class discussion. Selected readings will serve to support or illustrate the material covered in lectures and discussions, while short exercises will allow for the practical application of the material. Short exercises will also provide opportunities for tutor and peer feedback that may support the development of the formative and summative submissions. 

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • Assess where in the writing process a work-in-progress currently sits
  • Identify their purpose for that piece and create a plan for bringing the work-in-progress into line with that plan
  • Execute their plan using a selection of techniques introduced in the course that align with their strengths and approach. 

Assessment methods

The module is assessed through a formative and summative assignment. The formative assignment is an opportunity to get feedback on a piece of work and does not contribute to your final grade. Summative assessment contributes to 100 % of the final grade. There is no examination element to the module.

Formative assignment: A choice of either a plan for the essay option, or one extract from the portfolio option of the Summative assessment (500 words)

Summative assignment: A choice of either an essay detailing the student’s plans for editing their personal project, or a portfolio of extracts demonstrating their editing approach (1,500 words) 

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation will submit coursework.

 

Application

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment form for short courses | Oxford University Department for Continuing Education

Students who do not register for assessment and credit during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

To get the most out of this course, it is strongly recommended that students have prior experience of writing prose, whether in the classroom or independently, and have a piece of writing that they are ready to edit. This course is centred on the writer's relationship with their own work, and so exercises will involve engaging with that work. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support