Romance gets a bad press. It is often dismissed as predictable or synonymous with a very specific kind of paperback where everyone has perfect hair and feelings are neatly resolved by the final page. But real love, the kind we actually live through, is messy, funny, awkward, political and deeply revealing. It is about power, class, ageing, desire, grief, parenthood, sex, loneliness and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are allowed to love and how. In this course, we will explore the short story as a perfect form for writing about modern relationships. The short story does not need a wedding or a happily ever after; it can hold a glance across a room, a badly timed text message, an affair that lasts one afternoon, or a marriage that has been quietly unravelling for years.

Across eight weeks, you will read and write stories that treat romance not as a formula but as a way of looking closely at real lives, drawing on stories from popular modern writers like Miranda July, Curtis Sittenfeld and Raymond Carver.

This course is for anyone who wants to write about connection in a richer, more interesting way. You do not need to believe in happy endings, just be curious about how people fall for each other, mess it up and try, again and again, to be understood.

The course will include two workshopping sessions where you’ll be given feedback from me and the rest of the attendees, and you will also give feedback on their short stories. Guidance and support will be given on how to do this.

You’ll be expected to do a lot of reading and writing in between sessions, and a full course outline and reading list will be sent once you’ve signed up. Places are limited to eight so everyone (and their stories) are given a lot of attention.

Free entry into the Raw Writing Short Story competition (worth £25) when you sign up for this course! The deadline for the Raw Writing Short Story competition is 17th June 2026, the word count is 2000 maximum, and the prize will be a mentoring package (six sessions) with a published writer, a place on a six-month Raw Writing course, and publication in the Raw Writing Anthology.

Session Dates

Wednesdays, 2pm – 3.30pm

• Wed 11 Mar
• Wed 18 Mar
• Wed 25 Mar
• Wed 15 Apr
• Wed 22 Apr
• Wed 29 Apr
• Wed 06 May
• Wed 13 May

About The Tutor

Jo began her writing career in 2009 with the creation of her award-winning lifestyle blog, Slummy Single Mummy. She quickly built a loyal following with her trademark wit and honesty, writing about everything from sex, love and dating to car air fresheners and school packed lunches.

The blog led to Jo’s first book deal with Penguin in 2019, and she has since gone on to become a bestselling author of witty, warm-hearted fiction. She is currently working on the third book in her comedy Christmas crime series, which is a perfect fit for her talent for finding humour and humanity in the most unlikely situations. Alongside this, she is also developing a modern romance about finding intimacy in the strangest of places.

Her published novels to date include Playgroups and Prosecco (Penguin, 2019), Happy Bloody Christmas (HarperCollins/Avon, 2024) and Not Another Bloody Christmas (HarperCollins/Avon, 2025).

Please email Carla at carla@rawwriting.co.uk if you have any questions before booking or call or message her on 07474 116771

www.rawwriting.co.uk

Venue: *room*, Exeter Phoenix

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit. Find out more >>