Enroll in a Writers.com online creative nonfiction writing course, and discover nonfiction as powerful literature.
Creative nonfiction includes our memoir and personal essay writing courses as its two main subgenres.
You’ll get weekly instructor feedback on your work, ongoing collaboration with other creative nonfiction writers, and a supportive course structure that will help you deepen and grow as an essayist.
Learn from published authors who have spent decades perfecting their craft, and are dedicated to supporting you and your work. Don’t miss out: find the online personal essay writing class for you today!
Upcoming Online Creative Nonfiction Writing Courses
July
How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story With
July 6, 2022
$325 | 5 Weeks
Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the “mushy middle,” and hello to stories that work. |
Tales From The Memory Palace: 6 to 250 Word Memoirs With
July 6, 2022
$235 | 4 Weeks
If you want to be an in demand storyteller in the digital age, you need to get in, get out and get going. In this “short” four-week memoir writing adventure, you’ll learn to scope out, swoop down and snatch up important memories from your life then speed write them into miniature masterpieces. |
Food Writing: Meals And Manuscripts With
July 13, 2022
$395 | 8 Weeks
Do you collect cookbooks, love to cook, or religiously read anything about food? This course is for you. With award winning writer Jennifer Billock. |
Starting to Write With
July 13, 2022
$395 | 8 Weeks
For those who want to kick start their writing into high gear. |
Introduction to Writing the Lyric Essay With
July 16, 2022
$89 | Single-Day Webinar NEW! 10 A.M to 1 P.M. U.S. Eastern Time.
The lyric essay challenges us to tell authentic stories without concrete forms. Learn the ropes of the genre in this 3 hour workshop. |
Creative Nonfiction Fundamentals: The Art of Telling True Stories With
July 20, 2022
$330 | 6 Weeks NEW!
How do you tell your stories beautifully and authentically? Learn the fundamentals of creative nonfiction with Nicole Hardy. |
August
The Art of Storytelling With
August 3, 2022
$395 | 8 Weeks
It’s an age-old art form—storytelling—and you can learn the craft. |
Write Your World: Express Your Creativity through Article Writing, Blogging, and Essays With
August 10, 2022
$330 | 6 Weeks
Want to write your world, your way? Join us for this six week program on article writing, blogging, and essays. |
September
Creative Nonfiction and the Personal Essay With
September 14, 2022
$460 | 10 Weeks
Gretchen Clark pick axes her way into the volcanic marriage of real life and fiction. Weekly writing with incisive feedback. |
Next-Level Creative Nonfiction: Elevating Essays, Memoir, Travel Writing & Literary Journalism With
September 14, 2022
$460 | 10 Weeks
Elevate your memoir, travel writing, literary journalism, & lyric and personal essays. |
Suspense Sells! Power Up Your Writing With Conflict, Tension and Emotion With
September 14, 2022
$235 | 4 Weeks
Inject suspense into your stories to keep readers turning pages. For writers of all kinds of fiction: thrillers, mysteries, romance, humor, literary and memoir. A four week class with Giulietta Nardone. |
Discover Your Writing Niche With
September 28, 2022
$395 | 8 Weeks
Fiction or nonfiction? Article, short story, or how-to book? Do you want to write for children, teens, adults? There is a type of writing that is best suited for you, and the discovery process can be an adventure. |
October
The Hero's Journey For Storytellers With
October 5, 2022
$460 | 10 Weeks
Structure your story and give it meaning with Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey. |
Unscheduled Online Creative Nonfiction Writing Classes
Browse our full creative nonfiction offerings below. Let us know which creative nonfiction writing courses you're interested in, and we'll contact you with dates when we're ready to put them on our calendar.
How can writers harness the power of dreams? Let your slumber supercharge your creativity in this three hour dream writing workshop.
What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.
When planned right, a blog allows you to share your passion and make money in the process. Learn how to build a blog in this one-day webinar.
How do you write a story that’s compelling to start and satisfying to finish? Sarah Aronson explains in this comprehensive one-day workshop.
Your unconscious can drive your writing or block it. Gloria Kempton will guide you in coaxing your shadow out of hiding.
Throughout her writing career, Gloria Kempton has met many anti-heroes. In this course, you’ll receive feedback on your story antagonists.
The premise line is the only reliable tool that can tell you, BEFORE you start writing, whether or not your story will “work.” In this class participants will learn how to master the process of premise line development—the essential first step in any book or screenplay’s development process.
Banish writer’s block, unearth fresh ideas, and sharpen your storytelling ability with the practice of fast, timed writing.
What are the different types of creative nonfiction? From the personal essay to the hermit crab, learn the ropes of CNF in this 8 week class.
Not sure how to start building a literary career? By the end of this course, you’ll have tackled the author’s bio, C.V., LinkedIn, and more!
Take a four-week writing adventure deep into the core of your story, to find the true theme of your personal essay, short story, or short memoir.
Learn how to write emotionally resonant journeys that stick with the reader, using the power of character transformation.
Turn your experience into fiction, autobiography, or creative memoir. Bring forward stories with a powerful truth at their core. Instructor Anya Achtenberg.
Get tailored advice and inspiration for your fiction or nonfiction stories, in this weekly live workshop with award-winning instructor Margo Perin.
Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.
Go beyond narrow definitions of “journaling” to include visual images and let writing give what is seen a new voice. Surprise yourself.
For writers of memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction, with some experience. Particularly helpful to writers in the midst of a longer work.
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
In this fun, transformative four-week program, get tips and techniques to bring out your courage to publish a story in print or online.
Address the larger issues of writing story through a look at the essential elements of narrative in fiction and memoir.
The food we eat and enjoy tells volumes about our lives and experiences. Write it all down in this food memoir course, with Jennifer Billock.
Explore literary journalism as a powerful means to share fascinating characters, stories, and perspectives. Learn all you need to start pitching, landing, and writing reported essays and features.
Take to the skies in this online travel writing course. We’ll discuss the market, different types of travel writing, and pitching your piece!
How do you get invited to read at literary conferences? Lyzette Wanzer shows you the ropes in this one day workshop.
The summer is the best time to get the ball rolling on your book. Join us if you really want to get your book into the world.
If you’re a caregiver, public servant, or medical professional, this 6 week journaling course is designed to affirm your place in the world, creating a space for hope, gratitude, and meditation.
Create your blog, brand it, create engaging content and successfully promote posts. Taught by journalist, writer and photographer Jessica Festa.
From branding to search engine optimization and advertising, this course puts bloggers on the path to earning an income through their blog.
Ready to add a splash of fun to your writing life? Join us for a four-week humor writing class. We’ll read. We’ll laugh. We’ll write. We’ll experiment.
Want to write about nature like Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, or Annie Dillard? Join us for this six week nature writing course.
Learn how to draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or those of people you know, or want to know, to craft compelling, publishable memoirs, personal essays, autobiographical novels and short stories, and/or narrative poetry.
Draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or “real life” people you know to craft compelling, publishable personal essays. With author Margo Perin.
Join us for this insightful four-week “get the writing done” program, give and receive thoughtful comments from your fellow writers and the instructor, and enjoy heaps of encouragement and writing wisdom along the way.
Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.
No experience is too small or mundane to serve as a foundation for extraordinary poetry and short fiction.
“Who are you to want to write?” Someone great, that’s who! Politely ask Mr. or Ms. Fear to step aside while you sign up for this fun, freeing and functional adventure.
Dig deep into personal ritual while studying narrative poets, short fiction and non-fiction authors, and food writers.
In this 10 week story writing class, Jeff Lyons pairs the Enneagram with story development techniques to revolutionize your writing practice.
Your true story of healing or transformation can captivate and empower your readers. Learn how to balance showing the vivid details of your own journey with telling the broader themes for readers to apply in their own lives.
Gather material through writing and experimenting with journaling, researching and taking notes to develop into poems or prose works.
Explore the literary essay – from the conventional to the experimental, the journalistic to essays in verse – while writing and workshopping your own.
Explore non-traditional and imaginative ways to tell your stories with this ten-week writing course online. Creative nonfiction teacher Gretchen Clark provides detailed feedback on weekly writing assignments that emphasize creative freedom.
Wander through the rooms of your own life to discover stories of deep connection, reconnection or loss of connection and fashion your findings into stories suitable for blog posts, essays, short memoirs, short plays, scenes in screenplays, or chapters of novels.
For any writer wanting to root writing in vision and vision in the body: for poetry, fiction, essay, memoir & pleasure.
Join Susan in two writing circles each week: intimate spaces for writers to free-write together, saying yes to whatever shows up, followed by group read-arounds. These writing sessions are spontaneous, intimate, freeing, and transformative.
The artist’s statement is essential to applying for grants, fellowships, MFA programs and residencies. Writes yours in this one day workshop.
Learn to depart from “what really happened,” and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.
Expressive writing can be a powerful elixir for what ails you. Learn and practice tools for writing expressively, including two virtual writing circles each week, turn raw writing into poetry or prose, and come away with a better understanding of how writing can lead toward wellness.
Writing about grief is a powerful healing tool. Turn pain into power in this personal essay course, with instructor Rudri Patel.
In Creative Nonfiction, place is a character in itself. Deeply explore a narrative and a place of your choosing, and make weekly progress on your essay or memoir.
Articles on Creative Nonfiction Writing
Why Take an Online Creative Nonfiction Writing Course with Writers.com?
- We welcome writers of all backgrounds and experience levels, and we are here for one reason: to support you on your writing journey.
- Small groups keep our online creative nonfiction writing classes lively and intimate.
- Work through your weekly written lectures, course materials, and writing assignments at your own pace.
- Share and discuss your work with classmates in a supportive class environment.
- Your course instructor will offer you direct, personal feedback and suggestions on every assignment you submit.