Course Testimonials

Testimonials for

Creative Nonfiction: Compelling Memoir

with Lily Dunn

‘I enjoyed Lily’s passion and knowledge for the subject. Everything felt authentic. I also liked that Lily used her own writing experiences as examples, and that she wasn’t afraid to be self-critical. Her feedback was thoughtful and always on time.’

‘This course felt less ‘distant’ than some of the other online courses I’ve attended. I think this is because of Lily’s dedication and professionalism.’

‘Lily is a really lovely teacher. She’s both well informed and encouraging.’

“I felt really supported and guided by Lily. The course was well paced and I felt secure with its structure.’

‘Lily is incredibly professional! – her course was organised and structured really well, but also everyone felt comfortable enough to speak and be listened to.’

‘I felt Lily’s ability to touch on her own negative experience a powerful tool in allowing others to feel comfortable talking about themselves.’

Testimonials for

Folk Tales in New Fiction

with Zoe Gilbert

‘I loved the way we explored a different theme each week through the readings, but guided by Zoe’s thoughtful questions. Those questions encouraged us to challenge and think about the theme, the work, and then to do the same with our own writing. I also loved the way that the group worked together, sharing thoughts, ideas and critiques.’

‘In terms of discussions and feedback, Zoe provided gentle guidance, whilst enabling others to fully participate. It very much felt Zoe was holding the space for the group, without intruding upon it.’

‘I haven’t attended other online courses, but my feeling is that this would be an example of how to do it really well! From the technology, to the course structure, to the final piece of written feedback, everything just worked.’

‘I can already feel the influence of the course on the rest of my writing, and unlocking parts of my novels that I am stuck with.’

‘Zoe was fantastic – very engaged and present throughout, and gave really useful feedback and comments on submitted work and in online discussions.’

‘I have learnt a great deal from this course and would thoroughly recommend it to anybody interested in adapting folklore and story telling. Thank you so much.’

Testimonials for

Write Your Self Foundation Programme

with Katie Watson

“A very enriching and healing experience.”

“I think the course was true to its description. It was a good integration of theory, experimental learning with an increased level of shared reflection time for members who chose to pursue this. A great deal of emphasis was put on safety and choice and this too was appreciated. We were given lots of support between sessions and a variety of media to explore our writing from. Katie, you were generous, thoughtful, boundaried, clear, consistent and respectful of all our needs. A fantastic communicator and enabler who was inspiring to work with. The writing exercises were varied and related to the theme of each week’s workshop. I felt the format suited Zoom well.”

“I have learnt that I can write. I was very nervous about writing before I did this course. I actually didn’t enjoy it. Now, I am. I’m enjoying watching my writing and myself flourish as I go on.”

“Thank you Katie for a wonderful course. I feel that I am at the start of an exciting adventure through writing! Thanks for holding the space so well for everyone…you are a marvellous and inspiring role model.” 

“The content was rich, stimulating and appropriate to our needs. The structure was clear and regular so that we knew what to expect. As a participant, I liked that regularity as it gave me a framework within which I felt safe when I wrote. I found the powerpoint presentations of high quality and a great accompaniment to the course which was delivered online.” 

“Really amazing course leading. Thank you.” 

Testimonials for

Short Story Bootcamp

with Ruby Cowling

‘The course was very well planned and structured and Ruby is extremely encouraging and supportive.  The opportunity for Q&A was very welcome and Ruby’s responses were excellent and very thorough.’

‘I wish I had a Ruby on my shoulder every time I got stuck.  I never felt like she was pushing me into writing her way, but instead helped me to realise my own.  And it was good to know that she brought so much experience to the course.  She was hardworking and felt like she was always there in case we needed to ask any questions.’

‘The feedback from Ruby was very valuable and helped me improve my story. But I also appreciated the writing exercises and the various reading samples. I have a whole new list of short story collections to read now!’

‘Writing is frightening.  Ruby gave us tips and tricks on how to make it less so.’

‘In addition to the craft Ruby was also very candid and open about her career as a writer.  She talked about the difficulties, the highs and lows.  She talked specifics. I had a much better idea about the career of a short story writer than before I started.’

‘Encouraging, invaluable and enjoyable.’

Testimonials for

Self-Adaptation: Making the Personal Publishable

with Lily Dunn

‘Just to say this is my second Lit Lab course and I just feel that this closeness of experience gives the writer a lot which sometimes is missing in other courses. Lily and Zoe really care about their participants and it shows.’

‘With this group, I felt we all bonded and were very open very quickly. Maybe that’s the Lit Lab effect?.’

‘Lily is incredibly measured and thoughtful. She is encouraging while noticing where things can be improved. Also, her breadth of knowledge is great and therefore she brought great insight to the course.’

‘Lily is articulate, appropriately challenging in her comments and thoroughly professional.’

‘I found Lily’s knowledge and passion for the craft of memoir & personal essay very inspiring and learnt a lot from her reflective questions and gentle steering of the group that brought out some really stimulating discussions among the participants, which I really enjoyed and learnt a lot from.’

‘I’ve really enjoyed doing the course but more importantly I am leaving with greater confidence and belief in my writing and a renewed determination to keep going. It’s been a real pleasure to learn from and along with fellow writers who are so encouraging and supportive.’

Testimonials for

Wild Inside: More Folk Tales in Fiction

with Zoe Gilbert

‘Just thank you again for a great course which is terrific value for money, and which inspires the participants to write – brilliant seeing how many pieces from the previous course have ended up published.’

‘The comments on the assignments are invaluable and perceptive and generous in time, given how many of us/assignments there are, and the detailed feedback on the last assignment is terrific.’

‘Zoe has managed to create a lovely, non-judgemental atmosphere, which made it easier to ‘dare’ with my writing. Her feedback was brilliant – I felt she understood what I was trying to do. It’s clear that she has a passion for her subject and a deep knowledge of it. She’s skilled at getting others to share and interact. It also felt like she was ‘there’ – her feedback came really quickly and she felt ‘present’ throughout the course. All in all it was a very positive experience, and I will be recommending her (and Lit Lab) to my writing friends.’

‘I really got the impression that Zoe loves this material and is interested in how others engage with it, which was itself very stimulating.’

‘Inspiring, bewitching, engaging!’

‘I would definitely recommend this course to others as there is something very fresh about the approach.’

Testimonials for

Finding your Voice: Reclaiming the Inner Writer

with Kylie Fitzpatrick

‘Kylie is generous and attentive in her advice to writers. She manages a rare blend of gentle thoughtfulness and rigour, and has a gift of patient, kind intelligence. Kylie possesses a unique ability to perceive a given writer’s vision for a specific project, and to then tailor her guidance in that light. She is always sensitive, and has the highest degree of integrity and care.’

‘Kylie is an extremely wise and encouraging mentor. She brings her considerable experience of writing and the publishing world to her feedback, which is subtle and sure-footed, but always sensitively delivered. She’s exactly the person you want on your team.’

‘I benefited greatly from her insightful and encouraging editorial suggestions. Kylie has a keen ear for the rhythm of language and a sensitive appreciation of character.’

​‘It’s a lucky writer who falls into the hands of Kylie Fitzpatrick. Astute, capable, experienced and with a fantastic intuition for drawing out the soul of a manuscript, Kylie is able – with great gentleness – to guide you in the right direction.’

‘I was lucky enough to work with Kylie Fitzpatrick on my first novel, and what I learned has informed all of my subsequent work. She has the uncanny ability to see exactly what a writer is trying to achieve, pinpoint areas which may be hindering the overall vision, and to suggest new paths to explore in order to strengthen the work as a whole. If you require a sensitive yet precise look at your writing, then I can’t recommend Kylie enough.’

Testimonials for

Enchantment in Fiction

with Zoe Gilbert

‘I loved reading Zoe’s well researched notes, which helped target what to look out for in the extracts and pulled the reading and writing prompts together really well.’

‘Zoe asks really thoughtful questions in her feedback which help you re-evaluate your piece and add depth. She’s generous in her feedback which sets a nice tone.’

‘This was my third LLL course. I especially enjoy the fairytale / magical realism aspects of the courses, which you don’t get elsewhere.’

‘The reading material inspired me a lot, because it was well thought out as a support for the tasks, but most inspiring for me was the framework and stimulus offered by Zoe for each of the writing assignments.  I found the the scaffolding and build up to the main assignment incredibly helpful.’

‘I have SO ENJOYED this course! It’s really opened up new ways of writing for me. Thank you so much for the work you’ve put into creating it and for the great feedback you’ve provided.’

‘Thanks for an amazing course, I’ve really enjoyed all of it. I especially looked forward to reading your course notes every fortnight.’

Testimonials for

How to Plot a Page-Turner

with Anna Freeman

‘I’ve studied creative writing in lots of different forms. This was one of the best courses I’ve done. Exceeded expectations.’

‘I’ve never used Slack before and really enjoyed the social aspect, and I liked the way Anna set up informal prompts and questions as a chance to interact with other students and introduce our projects to get a bit of a sense of where we were all coming from.’

‘Anna is masterful. I’ve read a lot of ‘novel structure’ material and thought a bit about form before but I’d never been taught quite like this. For me personally, it was great how her method suits literary fiction as well as pure commercial.’

‘100% – this was one of the most thoughtful, considered, and useful writing courses I have ever been involved in. I can say without exaggeration it was more helpful to me in these short weeks than my year-long M.Phil in Creative Writing.’

‘Being taught by Anna on this course was perfect.’

‘I’ve attended a few courses, but found this one very supportive, responsive to queries and tailored in feedback in a much better way than some of the others. I can’t stress enough how valuable specific, objective, clear feedback is. Anna not only provided feedback but also gave alternative examples of how things could be improved.’

‘Anna gives thorough assignments and detailed feedback, rather than just workshops with no structure or guidance. Other classes have felt like a bunch of people who have never played piano teaching each other how they bang on the keys with open palms, and here comes someone who teaches you notes and chords and how to read music….’

Testimonials for

Summer Seminars: Fantastic Literature

with Zoe Gilbert

‘Zoe is welcoming, supportive, and clearly interested in the students’ learning experience. I enjoyed her sense of humour, open mind, intellectual discussion and down to earth nature. I have taken a handful of courses over the past few years with a wide variety of teaching styles (and abilities) and in my experience Zoe is firmly among the best of the teachers.’

‘I thought the balance between reading published stories and reading those written by people in the group/submitting our own for feedback worked really well.’

‘The range of stories chosen for us to read was great, and I enjoyed the mix of stories and a theory piece each week.’

‘I really value Zoe’s feedback. It is measured and eloquent and kindly given.’

‘Hearing the views of the other people on the course, and how they responded to the stories was fascinating. The selection of course reading was great too, introducing me to so many new writers and forms.’

‘Stimulating, fascinating and challenging’

Testimonials for

Hybrid Writing: Unbox your Words

with Tania Hershman

‘Great introduction to hybrid forms, I found it very useful in just having a go at doing something different without any fear of getting it wrong. Permission to go weird, wacky and silly was very freeing! I ended up with a written piece that I never would have written had it not been for this course.’

‘Tania’s feedback on the final assignment was invaluable. Very encouraging and very positive while also being constructive.’

‘I’ve never used Slack before, so I found it great to have a mini community set up all in one easy to find forum. It felt like just the right pace for learning, with a week to write and post, followed by a week of review and critique.’

‘Tania’s great, very encouraging, and her examples and prompts were brilliant. I thought she was very organised and feedback was both timely and helpful.’

‘I was very happy with the way that the course materials and assignments were presented in text.  The style was really conversational and very similar to an in-person presentation.’ 

‘This course has been absolutely brilliant- I’ve definitely had a breakthrough with my writing and how to approach it differently (I was feeling so stuck). The group, Tania, London Lit Lab, all been absolutely fantastic, thank you!’

Testimonials for

Science-Flavoured Writing

with Tania Hershman

‘WONDERFUL. Tania is inspiring, interesting and generous.’

‘I have produced work with Tania that I am more pleased with than on any other workshop or course.’

‘Such interesting subject matter, less ‘how to write’ and more ‘stretch your writing in new directions’.’

‘Tania has really helped me to explore new ground and has given my imagination a huge boost of energy.’

‘The material is very well judged and reasons for doing what we’re doing are clear. As a non-science-y person, I’ve loved the challenge of the writing exercises.’

‘A big thank you to Tania! I’ve come away with work that I probably would never have written otherwise.’

Testimonials for

Flash Fiction: The Tiniest of Stories

with Tania Hershman

‘I found the tasks imaginative and as I said very liberating – I am someone who endlessly polishes and never finishes anything but I think Tania’s approach might have cured me! My confidence has increased because of this course and her thoughtful feedback.’

‘I felt this course was very thoughtfully prepared and led in a spirit of warmth, good humour and encouragement.  I always felt in safe hands, never felt exposed or insecure, and I enjoyed the collegiate feeling of peer reviewing.’

‘I like Tania’s approach of giving some guidance but with room for leaving us to find out for ourselves what moves/inspires us.’

‘I found writing to a brief with specific constraints like word count very liberating.’

‘I liked that we had to comment on each others’ work. It really helps to focus on one’s own development by looking at others’ strengths and weaknesses and hearing feedback on new pieces we have written. I learnt a lot from this experience.’

‘Tania’s comments on my pieces at the end of the course were very helpful and appreciated. She took the time to go deep and offer meaningful feedback.’

Testimonials for

From Memory to Publication: How to Write a Compelling Memoir Proposal

with Lily Dunn

‘Lily was great! Clear, patient and inspiring. The main thing was her generosity in sharing her personal experience not only as a writer but in the process of being published. I am closer than I have ever been to understanding what my proposal needs to be, and in some areas I feel confident I have it mastered to near-final draft. The structure was clear and measured. The exercises were interesting, varied, enriching, achievable, and relevant.’ JB

‘My proposal has come on in leaps and bounds and I’m moving forward with a feedback group that I made through this course. Most inspiring was Lily sharing her own proposal and progress – it’s been very hard to find real-life examples online of successful proposals. I like the interactive element and that it’s not just a webinar where you email in your submissions. Practical. Encouraging. Friendly.’ TH

‘Seeing the real-life example of how Lily had written her own proposal was inspiring. I found her text comments on my draft and revised draft immensely helpful. This experience was more intimate than other online writing courses, with a small group working intensively together. Seeing others’ work was informative and inspiring.’ FM

‘Lily is fantastic! She’s very attentive, cares and clearly an expert. Bringing in her own experiences of proposal writing and the publishing process was very interesting and insightful. I found sharing a personal and sensitive story in a small group of like-minded people really helpful. It was a good way to get some exposure and feedback in a safe setting. Reviewing other people’s work was very useful and a great way to learn from each other. Stimulating, Unique and Fascinating.’ S