How do I know when I'm ready to move to the next level?

Our Level I and II curriculum is designed to cover the target techniques and learning objectives for each level over the course of two eight-week terms. On average most writers take three courses at each level, but everyone is different. We find that most students need two terms to master the foundational skills and techniques that subsequent levels build on.

As a returning student, you’ll be given an extra challenge in each exercise. You may also find yourself in a more leading role in the class discussion.

And don’t worry, provided you sign up at least a month in advance, we'll make sure you get a different syllabus / set of exercises so that no example text is repeated. You may also benefit from switching teachers as each teacher has their own unique perspective and experience even though all teachers teach the same syllabus in a term. You can see all of our available Level I courses here: https://internationalwriterscollective.com/courses/level1-course/ or in the main course directory.

The decision to move to the next level is made by the student in consultation with the teacher. To be ready for Level II, a student needs to be consistently nailing the exercises and able to see where their fellow writers have successfully applied the techniques being studied and provide useful feedback on what's working and what isn't in their exercise.

To be ready to move from Level II to Level III, a student needs to be able to tackle complex exercises with confidence, work on their own to turn exercises into finished pieces, and provide their fellow writers with a strong technical preamble with specific questions to guide their critique of the work.