2025 Scholarship applications are now closed

You can find full Six Month Novel details and regular applications here

Is it time to finally write that novel?

It’s not an easy thing to do but the Six Month Novel is here for you: a clear map to follow, support and help where you need it and deadlines to submit work from people who believe in you and encourage you.

We’re here to help you actually reach the end, and we have one scholarship place open.

The Six Month Novel includes:

Intensive plotting bootcamp to make sure you know your world and characters before you begin and have a map to follow in the writing months.

You’ll get an editorial review of your plot outline to help you make sure it all makes sense before you get 50,000 words in and realise there’s a major plot hole.

During the four months of writing time you’ll check in with us weekly to help you keep on track.

There’s also accountability in the form of weekly check-ins and monthly submissions (NB: we take your privacy seriously, submissions are only used for accountability purposes).

After the writing time you’ll take an intensive editing bootcamp, that will leave you with a plan to continue your edits, and a professional edit of your polished first 3,000 words.

Access to a number of online writing retreats (we’re just confirming details for this, but they usually take place daytime UK time one weekend a month).

Finally, there’s plenty of cheerleading and encouragement in weekly emails and videos from us to help you keep going when things get tough.

Scholarships

We’re giving away one full scholarship spot on the 2025 round of Six Month Novel (Monday 10th March to Sunday 7th September).

But that’s not the only scholarship ‘prize’ up for grabs.

We find so many stories we love and so many writers who think are great and who we’d love to support, but 6MN is a lot of work and we can’t just give all our spaces away. On the other hand, although it’s great value, we do appreciate it isn’t a tiny financial commitment.

So our solution is that instead of giving more than one scholarship, we decided to take the value of what we’d give away and spread it out to give a larger number of writers a little helping hand. So we give discounts on joining us to a number of shortlisted writers who we think 6MN would really help them a discount on joining us.

If you don’t win but you’d like to join us regardless, your scholarship application will count as your main application, you won’t need to fill out forms twice.

How do I apply?

First, check the details on the main page to make sure that 6MN right for you. Then fill in the scholarship application form before midnight UK time on Sunday 2nd Feb 2025. Simple.

As well as some information about you, you’ll need to submit a mini synopsis as part of your form. We want to know:

• Who the main character is
• What they want
• What the central conflict/question is
• Who/what stands against them
• How it ends

Basically we need the broad-brush story arc in 300 words or less, and please, you MUST tell us how you see the story ending. If you aren’t sure yet that’s not a problem, that’s what the bootcamp is for. We do want to know your ideas for how it might end though – this isn’t a back-of-book blurb so please don’t leave us on a cliffhanger.

Terms

•  Applications close at midnight on Sunday 2nd February 2025 (UK time).
• The scholarship consists of one regular place on the Six Month Novel (6MN) programme 2025 from Urban Writers’ Retreat, which runs from Monday 10th March to Sunday 7th September 2025.
• Failure to follow the instructions may lead to disqualification.
• Writers can take part from anywhere in the world, but you will need an internet connection to take part as the course runs online.
• There is no cash alternative, and no date changes or substitutions are possible. You must make sure that you are able and willing to take part in the 2025 6MN programme.
• If the writer we choose is unable to take up their place, we reserve the right to pick another winner.
• Our decision is final, and the decision-making process is private, but we are looking to support a writer that we believe will be able to finish their novel in the time allowed and that will genuinely benefit from working with us.

Perhaps the hardest part of writing a novel is reaching the end of a first draft, bringing into solid being something that doesn’t actually exist yet except as shards of ideas in your mind.

Doing it alone with no support, accountability or people to tell you to just have faith and keep going is even harder, and that’s what the Six Month Novel helps with. it includes:

• 4-week intensive plotting bootcamp
• 4 months of writing time, with weekly motivation and progress check-ins
• Personal monthly accountability to help keep you on track (i.e. you submit your words/count to a real live human)
• 4-week intensive editing bootcamp
• An editorial review of your plot outline
• Professional edit of your polished first 3,000 words
• A forum and supportive team of fellow writers
• Monthly online writing retreat day
• Monday live video hangout session with live mentoring/advice and space to discuss where we all are in the process
• Bottomless cheerleading and encouragement from Amie and Charlie

Prizes Prizes Prizes!

We’re giving away one scholarship spot on the 2024 round of Six Month Novel, which runs from Monday 4th March to Sunday 1st September 2024.

Picking a winner is always difficult for us because we find so many stories we want to see come to fruition and so many writers we’d love to work with. We also know that, even though we designed 6MN to give you support at great value compared to a lot of courses out there, a lot of people apply for a scholarship because they would struggle to join us otherwise.

For this reason, we also offer our shortlisted writers who think 6MN would really help them a discount on joining us. It’s a kind of secondary ‘prize’ that allows us to give a larger number of writers a little helping hand as well as having a main winner.

Obviously not everyone can win, but if you don’t win but you’d like to join us regardless, your scholarship application can count as your main application, you won’t need to fill out forms twice.

How do I apply?

First, check the details on the main page to make sure that 6MN right for you. Then fill in the scholarship application form before midnight UK time on Sunday 28th January 2024. Simple.

As well as some information about you, you’ll need to submit a mini synopsis as part of your form. We want to know:

• Who the main character is
• What they want
• What the central conflict/question is
• Who/what stands against them
• How it ends

Basically we need the broad-brush story arc in 300 words or less, and please, you MUST tell us how you see the story ending. We appreciate that you might not know everything just yet, and that’s fine! Show us your enthusiasm for your idea and tell us what you do know.

Terms

•  Applications close at midnight on Sunday 28th January 2024 (UK time).
• The scholarship consists of one ‘regular’ place on the Six Month Novel (6MN) programme 2024 from Urban Writers’ Retreat. The winner is welcome to upgrade to the handholders option with 1:1 sessions at their own cost if they’d like. The Six Month Novel runs from Monday 4th March to Sunday 1st September 2024.
• Failure to follow the instructions may lead to disqualification.
• Writers can take part from anywhere in the world, but you will need an internet connection to take part as the course runs online.
• There is no cash alternative, and no date changes or substitutions are possible. You must make sure that you are able and willing to take part in the 2024 6MN programme.
• If the writer we choose is unable to take up their place, we reserve the right to pick another winner.
• Our decision is final, and the decision-making process is private, but we are looking to support a writer that we believe will be able to finish their novel in the time allowed and that will genuinely benefit from working with us.

Writing a novel alone with no support, accountability or people to tell you to just keep going and have faith makes a really hard job even harder. Your novel doesn’t exist yet, and some support along the way to making it a reality can make all the difference.

That’s what the Six Month Novel is all about. it includes:

• 4-week intensive plotting bootcamp
• 4 months of writing time, with weekly motivation and progress check-ins
• Personal monthly accountability to help keep you on track (i.e. you submit your words/count to a real live human)
• 4-week intensive editing bootcamp
• An editorial review of your plot outline
• Professional edit of your polished first 3,000 words
• A forum and supportive team of fellow writers
• Monthly online writing retreat day and live video hangout with Charlie and Amie

How do I apply?

First, check the details on the main page to make sure that 6MN is right for you.

Then fill in the scholarship application form (link no longer available) before midnight UK time on Friday 20th January 2023. Simple. SCHOLARSHIP ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED

Do not apply from the main Six Month Novel page. You must use the scholarship application form link on this page (it says scholarship application at the top of the form).

The Six Month Novel runs from Monday 6th March to Sunday 3rd September 2023.

You’ll need to submit a mini synopsis as part of your form. We want to know:

• Who the main character is
• What they want
• What the central conflict/question is
• Who/what stands against them
• How it ends

Basically we need the broad-brush story arc, in 300 words or less, and please, you MUST tell us how you see the story ending.

We’ll also ask you to tell us a bit more about you/your writing and the world of your novel (genre, setting, characters).

Terms

•  Applications close at midnight on Friday 20th January 2023 (UK time).
• The scholarship consists of one place on the Six Month Novel (6MN) programme 2023 from Urban Writers’ Retreat (regular version – the winner is welcome to upgrade to the handholders option with 1:1 sessions at their own cost). The Six Month Novel runs from Monday 6th March to Sunday 3rd September 2023.
• Failure to follow the instructions may lead to your scholarship application being disqualified.
• Writers can take part from anywhere in the world, but you will need an internet connection to take part as the course runs online.
• There is no cash alternative, and no date changes or substitutions are possible. You must make sure that you are able and willing to take part in the 2023 6MN programme.
• The winning writer will need to have completed their research before we begin on 6th March 2023.
• If the writer we choose is unable to take up their place, we reserve the right to pick another winner.
• Our decision is final, and the decision-making process is private, but we are looking to support a writer that we believe will be able to finish their novel in the time allowed and that will genuinely benefit from working with us.

I started running writing retreats in 2008.

2008! There are kids in secondary school who weren’t born when I started running retreats. That’s mind-blowing.

*sobs in grandma*

And I’ve met a lot of writers in 13 years. I’ve seen people who hadn’t even finished a book yet not just finish but go on to get agents, get published, get multiple-book deals, write bestsellers and award-winners, make a living from self-publishing their books, even have their books picked up by major film studios. People who have written entire PhDs. People whose non-fiction books have made them a go-to in their field. People who finally started that blog and are still doing it years later, who are now professional journalists, copywriters, editors etc, or who just still really enjoying sorting through their thoughts on the page all those years later. 

For each of these people who have done amazing things, there was a point… no, let’s get real about this, there have been multiple points and will be more points in the future… when the thought of the dream actually coming true seemed impossible, far too far removed from the current reality to be an option.

But listen to Dory when she says:

Because none of these people were anywhere near those goals when I first met them. One of the cool things about running retreats for so long is being able to see the bigger picture and how things pan out over the years, how hard work and consistency can pay off, how people like you and me can make those big scary dreams happen.

It means when I tell writers they can do it, I’m not just cheerleading to be nice. I know it to be true. I’ve seen it.

Of course, you do actually have to get in the water first. And stay there.

The more you swim though, the stronger (and closer) you’ll get. So keep moving forwards. Forget the big picture and do one small thing. Then do it again. And again.

I believe in you, and you should too.

*Header photo by Fernando Jorge on Unsplash

Hands up if you have a habit of buying nice notebooks…

…that just sit on the shelf because you can’t quite bring yourself to use them? 

Or maybe you have six notebooks, all with only a couple of pages filled. Why do we do this? Often it’s to do with not feeling like your writing is worthy or ‘good enough’ to go in a nice notebook, and that anything less than perfect words in perfect handwriting will ruin it. The Dread is real.

But notebooks aren’t artworks. Their purpose is to be your external brain, to hold your thoughts and ideas and act as a space for discovery, remembering, working out ideas. Not using them for this is much more of a waste than filling themselves with the nonsense in your head. They aren’t supposed to contain beautifully written books – that’s what we have actual books for.

Yes that pristine page is neat and beautiful and filled with possibility, but it’s also boring. Notebooks are only ever interesting because of you and what you put in them, and honestly they’re probably only ever going to be interesting to you so why should it matter if what’s in them is literary or perfectly-spelled? Plus they still look good on a shelf no matter how much nonsense they hold.

A great notebook will bring you joy every day

It’s like never using the nice china or the fancy bedding. You’re short-changing yourself, and for what? Who benefits? Would you rather look back in 5 years and have still never touched your good notebooks, or be searching them for an idea you came up with back in 2021 and remembering how much you loved using it? For less than the cost of a dinner out you can have something that brings pleasure for months. That’s a fairly small investment, and as a bonus, at the end of it you’ll feel great about filling it and get to choose a new one!

Have I convinced you to break into your stash? Start with these steps:

1. Use the cheapest/least favourite of your collection to train yourself.

2. Leave at least one double side blank so anyone picking it up (including you) won’t be immediately faced with the embarrassing contents of your brain.

3. Then a title page, something non-intimidating. I just note the month and year I start in the middle of the page, adding the end date later.

4. Make a contents page. This genius trick means you can always find what you want and it doesn’t matter if your notebooks get messy. It’s a signal that these are scraps projects you’ll want to keep track of and come back to, and it takes the pressure off getting things ‘right’. Some brands like Leuchtturm1917 have this set up, but I’m all for half an hour of legitimate procrastination writing in page numbers every couple of pages.

5. If it will inspire you, start the notebook with something uplifting that you love (a poem, maybe) or a reminder to yourself to play and be creative.

6. Make yourself ruin it and waste some paper. Scribble madly across a couple of pages, fill a page with swear words or crossing-out. Somehow it’s easier to use a notebook once you’ve dented its perfection.

7. Assign a particular task to a notebook. I have ones for cooking experiments, knitting, and goal-setting/weekly reviews. Other good uses are to keep one writing project together or a reading journal.

8. Go the other way and use one notebook for absolutely everything: daily to-dos, journalling, shopping lists, holiday finances, copywriting, doodles, fiction, it all goes in there. It makes that contents page essential but really helps reduce perfectionism.

9. Challenge yourself to fill a notebook in a month, or three months, and really commit to it. Work out how many pages you’d need to use every day/week and go for it. You’re training yourself to fully appreciate the nice thing by using it, so try to take a moment to really enjoy it each time.

Who else is nerdy about notebooks? Post your favourites on Instagram and tag me @urbanwritersretreat.

Perhaps the hardest part of writing a novel is reaching the end of a first draft, bringing into solid being something that doesn’t actually exist yet, except as shards of ideas in your mind.

Doing it alone with no support, accountability or people to tell you to just have faith and keep going is even harder, and that’s what the Six Month Novel gives you. it includes:

• 4-week intensive plotting bootcamp
• 4 months of writing time, with weekly motivation and progress check-ins
• Personal monthly accountability to help keep you on track (i.e. you submit your words/count to a real live human)
• 4-week intensive editing bootcamp
• An editorial review of your plot outline
• Professional edit of your polished first 3,000 words
• A forum and supportive team of fellow writers
• Monthly online writing retreat day and live video hangout with Charlie and Amie

How do I apply?

First, check the details on the main page to make sure that 6MN right for you. Then fill in this scholarship application form before midnight UK time on Friday 29th January 2020. Simple.

The Six Month Novel runs from Monday 1st March to Sunday 29th August 2020.

You’ll need to submit a mini synopsis as part of your form. We want to know:

• Who the main character is
• What they want
• What the central conflict/question is
• Who/what stands against them
• How it ends

Basically we need the broad-brush story arc, in 300 words or less, and please, you MUST tell us how you see the story ending.

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

Terms

•  Applications close at midnight on Friday 29th January 2021 (UK time).
• The scholarship consists of one place on the Six Month Novel (6MN) programme 2021 from Urban Writers’ Retreat (regular version – the winner is welcome to upgrade to the handholders option with 1:1 sessions at their own cost). The Six Month Novel runs from Monday 1st March to Sunday 29th August 2020.
• Failure to follow the instructions may lead to disqualification.
• Writers can take part from anywhere in the world, but you will need an internet connection to take part as the course runs online.
• There is no cash alternative, and no date changes or substitutions are possible. You must make sure that you are able and willing to take part in the 2021 6MN programme.
• If the writer we choose is unable to take up their place, we reserve the right to pick another winner.
• Our decision is final, and the decision-making process is private, but we are looking to support a writer that we believe will be able to finish their novel in the time allowed and that will genuinely benefit from working with us.

Set yourself the right goals for 2021, based on what you really want rather than what you think you should want and what’s realistic within your life.

We’ll start with a review of 2020, celebrating the good and identifying things that aren’t working, then dream into the future before setting goals that matter to you. Then I’ll help you work out exactly what you need to do to get there, both in terms of breaking those goals into manageable chunks so you know the milestones you’ll need to reach and working out what habits and routines will work for you.

2021 Writer’s Planning Workbook

This workbook takes you through the review, goal-setting and planning process – or you can just do the 10 minute quick goal section at the end.

2021 Writer’s Planning Workshop

You can just do the workbook if that’s your style, but sometimes it’s good to put the time aside to really think it through, and to help you actually do it so you don’t reach April and realise you still don’t know what you want this year. That’s where the workshop comes in.

We’ll go through the planner with time to fill in each question, so grab a hot drink, turn notifications off your phone and let’s dive in.

During the workshop I mentioned online retreats and the Six Month Novel  – find out more about them here.