Novel Writers’ Club
Complete that novel!
Do you have an idea for a novel, but actually writing it feels like a daunting task? Or have you started a novel, but life keeps getting in the way of finishing it? Maybe (like so many of us), you find writing an isolating pursuit and want to connect with other writers?
The Novel Writers’ Club can give you the motivation, accountability and support you need to get that novel written! Our helpful writing resources, group feedback sessions and friendly mentors will help you stay on track with your writing project. Most of our meetings are now online, so you can join us from anywhere in NZ (or even further afield!).
Join us and achieve your writing goals!
What you’ll get:
Novel Writers’ Club membership July-November ($250)
- Monthly feedback sessions (online; choose from a Wednesday or Sunday evening) with your mentors and peers, to progress and polish your novel draft
- Mini video class ‘Making the Most of Critique’ ($50 value)
- The Writers’ Cafe Auckland ‘Guide to Editing’ ($20 value)
- Fun writers’ social events in Auckland (optional but priceless!)
- Access to our free writers’ Facebook group
Mentored membership July-November – only FOUR spaces available ($425):
- All of the above
- Monthly sessions with your mentor (online or in person) to work on plot and character development ($175 value)
- Access to our online course ‘Introduction to Writing Fiction’ ($299 value)
Meet your mentors
Ellie Kivinen
Ellie coordinates the Novel Writers’ Club, and you’ll also find her as the tutor on our self-paced video course on creative writing, as well as teaching the occasional workshop. She writes contemporary and young adult fiction.
Nithya Narayanan
Nithya co-leads the Novel Writers’ Club. She is a widely published poet and short story writer, with a background in editing. Her writing tends to focus on family, identity and relationships.
What our members say
“The Novel Writers’ Club is a fantastic group of writers, led by mentors who are very passionate and supportive about writing. The monthly group meetings and critique sessions are powerfully motivating experiences. Through the feedback gained, support from other writers and accountability, my confidence in my writing has grown. An added benefit of the critique sessions is that I usually learn something from other writers’ work that I can apply to my own.”
– Kelly
“Writing a novel can be a long and lonely business. You can feel you’re walking in the dark, unsure if you’re going the right direction. What I like about the Novel Writers’ Club is the community, the ability to give and receive feedback and the constant reminders, hints, and signposts as to the right direction to go in. Importantly for me, it is a motivation to keep going. Giving me deadlines and events to work towards is a way to keep me on track with my goals.”
– Jo
Frequently asked questions
What if I’m new to novel-writing? Can I still join?
You are absolutely welcome at the Novel Writers’ Club! Our members include both novice and experienced writers, and as a newbie you’ll benefit from the friendly advice and insight of those who have already been writing for some time. We recommend you sign up for a mentored membership, because this will give you access to our online creative writing course, as well as regular one-to-one chats with a friendly mentor who can help guide you in those early stages on your writing journey.
Do I need to be based in Auckland?
Nope! Our meetings – with the exception of social meetups – are fully online, so you can join us from anywhere in New Zealand (or even further afield, time differences permitting).
I’d love to join, but I’m writing non-fiction/creative non-fiction/short stories, rather than a novel. Will I feel out of place?
While the majority of our members are working on novels, there’s such variety and diversity among our projects that you won’t feel like the odd one out! Even if you are working on something that doesn’t fit the definition of a novel, you’ll still benefit from the discussions at the feedback sessions. If you are considering a mentored membership, we would recommend getting in contact and telling us a little bit about your writing project, so we can discuss whether the additional resources offered through the mentored membership will be useful to you. It may be that a standard (non-mentored) membership offers better value.
What if I change my mind? Can I cancel my membership?
We only have 12 spaces available in the Novel Writers’ Club, so we do want you to commit to your membership – the peer-to-peer interaction is very valuable to all our writers, and our 6-person group size helps to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the feedback sessions. If you do chance your mind and cancel your membership before your first feedback session, we can offer you a 50% refund. After the feedback sessions start, no refunds are available.
I have another question!
Feel free to email us and we’ll be happy to help.