Writing by Gary Dexter

I'm Gary Dexter. I’ve published four novels under my own name, and more than 10 non-fiction books under the name Alex Quick. They've been translated into French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Korean, Chinese and Farsi. You can look here to see more details. ​I have appeared reciting poetry requests from memory on national radio and TV (Radio 4's Word of Mouth, Radio 2's Jeremy Vine programme, CBS TV, the Arte Channel and many other stations), and published a book of my experiences reciting poetry (The People's Favourite Poems, Old St 2018). 

I have run novel-writing courses for over fifteen years, both online and off, and taught hundreds of students. Reviews from students are here. A video giving details of the course is here.

Eight-week novel-writing course

I run an 8-week course designed to give you the basics you need to start writing a novel. The course covers research, building character, building plot, themes, point of view, types of prose writing, defeating writer’s block, finding an agent and publisher, and much more, and is based on my book (written under the pseudonym Alex Quick) 102 Ways to Write a Novel. It is limited to only four writers each class for a more intensive experience, and is held online on weekday mornings, for one and a half hours. The fee for eight sessions is £135. 

The sessions currently available start on:

We​dnesday April 30 2025 from 9:30-11:00, and 

Thursday May 1 2025 from 11:30-13:00. 

The sessions are informal and friendly. 

If you'd like to join a course, please fill out the form here to book a place. You can specify which day you would prefer, and pay securely, using the form. If you would like to ask any questions before signing up, please contact Gary by email at info@garydexter.co.uk. I can answer enquiries by email or we can arrange a time for a chat by phone to discuss the course. 

Thank you! 

More information about the course

Is it possible to learn effectively online? Is it possible to interact and make friends? The answer to both questions is yes. Friendships can and do develop during online courses, sometimes leading to real-life meet-ups. 

The course is mainly taught, but there is plenty of room for discussion. I always make sure that everyone has time to talk and contribute if they wish to. 

It is organized in 8 sessions, which take the following form:

Week 1: Before you start. Consider your motives; think about what sort of novel you want to write; how far you should write for a market; the role of the storyteller; making time and space for writing.

Week 2: The Research Phase. Find a subject; the unreliability of inspiration; originality; ways to research.

Week 3: Building Character. Start with characters or start with plot? The ‘character CV’; observe yourself and others; introduce your character; motivation

Week 4: Building Plot. The definition of a plot; conflict; use character to generate plots; understand suspense and mystery; subplots

Week 5: Types of prose writing. Description, exposition, dialogue, action and thoughts; letters, diaries and other media.

Week 6: Language and structure. Adjectives and adverbs, the comma splice, slang and dialect; sense data and imagery; emotional content.

Week 7: Point of View. First, third and second; God’s Eye View.

Week 8: Revising and publishing. Handle and use criticism; present your manuscript, find an agent, find a publisher; online publishing, translation, copyright, royalties.

If you'd like to join a course, please fill out the form here to book a place, or contact me with any questions. You can also watch a video here.