A community novel is made by a local writing group and other participants from their wider community. Previous experience of creative writing is not essential, people can learn as they go along.

Participants take part in lots of different ways: for instance by writing, researching, meeting to share ideas, develop characters and setting, and plan the story. A community novel can include pictures and photographs. It can be written with pens, laptops, and apps on smartphones.

A writer-facilitator or a group leader guides the process. They will have skills and knowledge about how novels are written: how to plan, write, revise, and edit a novel, and how to support a group of people as they work together.

The Joined Up Writers used a mix of traditional and digital methods to write, edit and share Trevow as it grew. They took inspiration from their local area, and their own experiences and memories, but the events and characters in Trevow are entirely fictional.

Trevow took almost a year to plan, plot and start drafting. The writing and editing took a further year and and a half, including working together on Zoom during the Covid 19 pandemic lockdowns. Find out more about the process here.