Write a novel that resonates
Apply for the Mindful Novel Course
If we want people to feel all the emotions when reading our work, we have to feel them too when we are writing and we have to connect deeply with our characters to let them come authentically to life. The Mindful Novel course can help you to write the story that the characters want to tell through you.
“Amanda Saint’s Mindful Novel Course has been a real gift to me. I’m so glad I found it. The course has taken my fiction writing and character building to a whole new level, making my stories deeper and more gripping. Furthermore, it has made my writing more meaningful to me.” —
I have been writing novels and teaching novel writing for many years and this course is the distillation of everything I have learned so far, combined with the insights my mindfulness practice has brought to my life and writing practice. It’s about the novel as an art form and about going deep and slow to let the truth of the story reveal itself.
When I started writing my first novel it was because I had always wanted to write one. I had been an avid reader of fiction since childhood and from a very young age said that I was going to write novels of my own one day. Life happened and I didn’t get started until I was in my thirties. I was filled with joy, with nerves, with excitement. I couldn’t believe I was finally going to do it. The publishing industry was the furthest thing from my mind. It was all about the doing of it. And then it wasn’t.
This course has come from me losing my way with my own writing. And then finding it again. And I’d like to help you find your way with your craft. It’s an opportunity to work with me in a small group to focus on the art and craft of novel writing and create a draft you feel invested in that explores the elements about being human that really matter to you.
I have struggled to write for the last three years and Amanda Saint's Mindful Novel course has enabled me to write again. She has inspired me and the mindfulness techniques have helped remove the pressures I exerted on myself. - Philippa Clarke
How does the course work?
Next start date: 18th September 2025
Application deadline: 31st July 2025
Zoom interviews: August 2025
The course runs for six months and each month there will be an in-depth craft lesson to help you develop your novel along with a Zoom workshop to discuss that month’s course work and share your extracts for feedback. There will be a private forum space to chat and share ideas and responses to the course prompts too and you’ll have access to the Mindful Writer Community too.
The Zoom sessions will take place on the following Saturdays and the time is UK time:
4th October 2025 at 14.00-16.00
1st November 2025 at 14.00-1600
6th December 2025 at 14.00-1600
10th January 2026 at 14.00-16.00
7th February 2026 at 14.00 - 16.00
7th March 2026 at 14.00-16.00
Craft Lessons
Each month's craft lesson will build on the ones that come before.
Month 1: How novels work and ideas for finding your way into the story
Story structure, character arcs, themes and more to set you up to write a compelling story that brings new insights into being human through the themes you explore.
Month 2: Getting to know you
Figuring out who this character is that wants you to tell their story for them. We’ll dig into their past, present and ideas for the future. Their hopes, dreams, fears and foibles to ensure they jump off the page and come alive in yours, and the readers’, minds.
Month 3: Letting characters lead the way
We’ll look at how to set your story up so that it follows structure but that what unfolds in the plot is driven by the journey your character needs to go on to grow and develop as a person by the end of the story. Or not, depending on the kind of story you’re writing!
Month 4: Creating connections
The characters that surround your protagonist need to be just as alive for you and the reader and we’ll look at the ways in which they interact can develop your characters, themes and story in meaningful ways.
Month 5: On location
The world that your novel takes place in needs to be much more than just a backdrop for the action. Us humans experience the world through our senses and our cultural conditioning, our thoughts and our dreams, and we’ll look at how you bring all of that fully alive.
Month 6: Making it compelling
We’ll look at the different tools you can use that will compel your reader on from the start and keep them moving forwards through the story. You’ll discover ways to play with pace and ensure that your reader goes on an up and down journey throughout the course of the novel, discovering what you want them to when it matters most.
How can you join?
Spaces are by application only and are limited to 10 writers.
How much does it cost?
This course is being offered on a dana basis. Dana is a Buddhist concept meaning generosity and mutual support. If accepted for the course you can pay what you feel it is worth.
When offering dana, please consider how much you value Amanda's knowledge, time and input creating the craft content, facilitating the workshops, providing feedback, and bringing you support and inspiration in the course forum.
A suggested minimum dana offering is £65 a month. If you can afford more and believe the course is worth more, then you can offer more. Or you can offer less. You can pay a lump sum for the entire course in one go, or you can set up a monthly payment. The choice is yours.
Why work with me?
I’m an award-winning writer, editor, teacher and publisher who is passionate about making writing accessible for all and using stories to bring more healing, empathy and love into the world. I am houseless but not homeless as home is inside me and my happy, loving marriage. Since 2013, my husband and I have been travelling, housesitting and doing work for accommodation exchanges. Since we got together in 1998, we have moved around all the time and the longest we have ever lived in one house is two years. Find out more here about my nomadic ways.
I have written two novels, As If I Were A River (2016) and Remember Tomorrow (2019), and a novella-in-flash, Pressure Drop (2024). I’ve had many short stories published, placed and listed in competitions. My stories have been selected for the Top in Fiction Substack too. I’m currently working on a novel and developing another novella-in-flash idea.
At my creative venture, Retreat West, which I started in 2012, I provide an online community for writers, design and teach online courses and workshops, and provide editorial services. I also published books from 2018 until 2023 and brought 24 of them to the world in that time. In 2020 Retreat West was named Most Innovative Publisher at the Saboteur Awards (shortlisted 2019) and many of the books I published won awards too. In 2022, I founded an online literary journal, WestWord.
I have been practicing mindfulness for the past decade and it changed my life and my writing. I also have a daily Qigong practice, which I have been committed to for several years now and read a chapter of the Tao Te Ching every day. I love mountains and beaches, birds and forests and lakes, and spend as much time outdoors as I can.
I bring all of this to the courses I create and the writers I work with to help them find the meaning in their work and their ongoing practice.
What people say about working with me
“Amanda isn’t just a writing teacher; she is a mentor and a guide. I unequivocally recommend her courses and coaching if you seek to improve your writing, connect more deeply with yourself and the creative force, and find renewed joy in life and in your writing.” — Loretta Finan
“I wholeheartedly urge anyone who is interested in understanding, improving and refining their writing to work with Amanda. Not only does she give valuable advice about the nuts-and-bolts of storytelling, she digs so much deeper into what your story is about, exposing what is missing but also revealing hidden layers to be explored, helping you craft stories with depth which are meaningful and memorable.” — Sally Curtis
“The Mindful Writer is a beautiful sanctuary to reflect on how writing can become a practice of deep connection and transformation. Amanda teaches and showcases how writers can craft stories with empathy, intention, and purpose. Readers learn to slow down, reflect on their creative voice, and use their writing to inspire and touch hearts.” — Michele Parad