The Novel

“The Novel” weekend is all about technique. We’ll work on:

defining your writing strengths (dialogue, character, voice, plot, etc.)
deploying those strengths in the novel form
knowing your genre or subgenre
generating material more fluently
finding a balance between structure and form
solving writing problems native to the novel
revising a book-length manuscript

During the weekend, you’ll get an overview of what it takes to complete a novel. You do not need to be working on a book to attend the workshop. Whether you’re a beginner or an established writer, you’ll be able to solicit the information and insights to get the words on the page.

Beginners and non-native speakers of English are welcome.

December 13 & 14, 2025, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Taught by Lisa Friedman
Venue: Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, or online - get directions
Register for this workshop (Fee: €150)
Have questions about this workshop? Call us +31 (0) 62 502 0817 or send us an email.

You may participate in person or online.

Workshop times listed are in Amsterdam time (CET).

Other workshops

Writing about Food (November)
Writing Memoir (December)
Simply Writing (January)

What people are saying about this workshop

“One of the biggest take-away from the workshop is how much what I read impacts my writing. Having now begun working more intensely on my novel, I understand just how powerful this idea really is.”

Livina, October 19, 2024

“What did I learn? That even a fragment that is part of a work in progress reveals so much about a writer’s style, voice and engagement. I value the encouragement as well as the ‘room for improvement’ feedback, and that all of this takes place in a safe space.”

Nandini, October 19, 2024

“I refreshed my existing knowledge and learned new insights, which helped me to look at the prose through different lenses. There was a lot of care and attention given to both my story and to me as a writer. After the workshop, I started treating my own writing differently. I also felt more inspired to write.”

Dariya, June 10, 2023

“Lisa Friedman’s workshops help me stay on course. If I am losing my way with my writing – or if I am out of practice – the workshops inspire me to keep going. Lisa is a hugely experienced workshop leader and coach. She manages to keep everyone in the group focused and energised whilst sharing her insight. Our work is anonymously read out loud and feedback is always constructive, which helps me feel motivated and confident to share my writing with the group.”

Kerrie, November 28, 2021

Writing a novel is often a marathon experience. The challenges are in starting; in keeping the faith; and, of course, in finishing.

Other workshops