Private tuition cannot offer the positive communal aspects of a writing workshop. I would encourage anyone to give some kind of workshop a try, whether casually arranged among friends or members of your local community, or formally scheduled within a university. For creative writers in university programmes, private tuition could interfere with the instruction offered by your lecturers and course facilitators. My recommendation to writers in that position would be to get as much value as you can from the resources available on your course. In most cases, a student will not be able to repeat that experience. And you should engage with your university programme, on which you’ve likely spent significant time and money, as much as possible without looking elsewhere for support. If you are having trouble keeping up with your programme, your first port of call should be your course leaders. (Upon completion of your course, however, if you feel you would enjoy or benefit from further tuition, I would encourage your application.)

What private tuition can offer that sometimes goes amiss in workshops and university courses is focused, on-going attention to detail. The average UK-based creative writing Master's programme will likely offer around one hour of one-to-one tuition per module, with the average Master's programme offering six modules. Of course, many faculty members are generous with their time, and may well offer addition support. On paper, however, you will only receive around six hours of one-to-one tutorial time throughout an MA. During these tutorials, much of the time will be dedicated to discussing subjects that are not strictly about your creative writing, such as critical work and essay writing, submissions standards and expectations, and your overall student career. In my own experience, the hands-on, technical practice of writing can often get lost in these discussions. Ordinarily, a handful of faculty members will be responsible for up to fifty students or more, leaving them little time to spend with each as individuals. This is not a criticism of creative writing programmes, which I encourage anyone to undertake. And while the faculty may not have lots of spare time, their collective expertise is more than worth your efforts. There are few experiences as fulfilling as the successful completion of Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral degree in creative writing. And for those wishing to take that route, but who may be unsure how to do so, I offer guided, short-term tuition on preparing an application and portfolio for UK-based creative writing programmes.

Where university is not an option, I aim to provide the highest quality tuition, comparable to the standards expected of university students from Bachelor's to Doctoral standards, dependent upon your current skill level. This can range from one-off lessons for those looking for temporary tuition and encouragement for short pieces, up to on-going, long-term support for substantial long-form projects. A range of learning options are available, which can be scheduled at your convenience, including week days, evenings, and weekends. 

Next: Early-Stage, Intermediate, or Advanced?