Online Novel Writing Courses

Our online novel writing courses are here to support you, whether you have a novel idea you're burning to write, a work-in-progress you wish to move forward, or a completed manuscript to polish and refine.

You’ll get weekly instructor feedback on your work, ongoing collaboration with other novelists, and a supportive course structure that will help you set and meet your writing goals.

Learn from published novelists who have spent decades perfecting their craft and are dedicated to supporting you and your work.

Our online novel writing classes are filling fast. Find the right course for you today!

online novel writing courses

Upcoming Online Novel Writing Courses




January Courses

A Writerly Life: Develop a Writing Routine that Works for You

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January 3 | 5 Weeks | $345

What does a writer's life look like? Build a productive writing habit in this course for writers of all backgrounds.

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Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack

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January 3 | 10 Weeks | $595

Get a good start on a novel in just ten weeks, or revise a novel you’ve already written. Free your imagination, move steadily ahead and count the pages!

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Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Use Story and Premise Development for Writing Success

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January 10 | 5 Weeks | $345

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.

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The First Fifty Pages of the Novel

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January 10 | 10 Weeks | $595

The first 50 pages sets up plot, characters, and voice, and it lays the groundwork for your book's overall structure and success. Receive critical, supportive feedback on your book's start from novelist Sandra Novack.

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Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry

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January 17 | 4 Weeks | $295

Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.

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Plot Your Novel with the Three-Act Structure

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January 17 | 6 Weeks | $395

The 3 act structure gives us the scaffolding we can hang our stories off of. Come away from this class with a fully plotted novel and a plan to write it.

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Writing Autobiographical Fiction

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January 17 | 8 Weeks | $495

Learn to depart from "what really happened," and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.

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Finding Inspiration in Dreams

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January 24 | 6 Weeks | $395

Our dreams are fertile fields of inspiration, meaning, and creativity. Learn how to use your dreams as doorways to future writing.

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Crafting a Story or Novel Chapter Using Forward-Moving Tension

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January 31 | 5 Weeks | $345

How do writers tell stories with tension, action, and emotion? Learn how to write forward-moving tension in this 5 week fiction course.

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How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story

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January 31 | 5 Weeks | $345

Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the "mushy middle," and hello to stories that work.

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Humor Is The New Black!

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January 31 | 4 Weeks | $295

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.

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Plot Your Novel

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January 31 | 8 Weeks | $495

Over eight weeks, you'll develop a solid basis in the fictional elements—protagonist, setting, secondary characters, point of view, plot, and theme—while you develop the outline of your novel. You'll receive feedback at all stages from your fellow writers and your instructor.

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February Courses

Scene Study: Strengthen Your Writing with Compelling Scenes

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February 1 | 5 Weeks | $345

Great stories are constructed with great scenes. Immerse your reader in your stories by learning the ropes of scene development.

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Mastering the Elements of Fiction

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February 7 | 10 Weeks | $595

In this course, you’ll work with the basic elements of fiction--the fundamentals that drive the story and determine the quality of the work.

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From Memory: Writing Fiction or Memoir from Lived Experience

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February 21 | 4 Weeks | $295 | NEW!

In this class, you'll use a nearly infinite resource—your own memory—to craft compelling fiction or nonfiction stories.

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March Courses

Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults

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March 27 | 8 Weeks | $495

Even if you’ve never written poetry before, you can begin the rewarding process of crafting a poetry novel for Young Adults. Is there a market for novels written in verse? Are they well received? Yes, there is, and yes, they are!

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The Next Fifty Pages of the Novel

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March 27 | 10 Weeks | $595

Only 3 seats left!

So now that you have your opening novel pages, what next? Get detailed, constructive feedback on your work-in-progress, wherever you're at in writing it.

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April Courses

Write Your Picture Book!

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April 10 | 6 Weeks | $395

Picture books have changed greatly over the last few decades, and the market is wide open for fresh ideas. Join us in this six-week intensive where we’ll take that idea of yours and turn it into a manuscript!

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September Courses

Dread and Desire: Gothic Fiction Techniques to Lure and Horrify Your Readers

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September 25 | 6 Weeks | $395

This Halloween, learn how to write eerie, haunting moods in this comprehensive course on Gothic writing techniques.

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November Courses

Write Your Novel in 12 Weeks!

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November 6 | 12 Weeks | $695

In this generative novel writing course, we'll go from writing a strong beginning to writing "The End" on your novel's first draft.

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Unscheduled Courses

These online writing classes don’t currently have a next session on our calendar, but will soon. If you see a course you’re interested in, use the “I’m Interested” button to let us know, and we’ll follow up with you when the course is on our calendar next.

Want to reach us or our instructors with questions about our online writing courses? Contact us at writers@writers.com, or visit the contact form.

(Live Workshop) Get Clear on Your Story and Voice

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.

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(Live Workshop) Writing Beginnings and Endings

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

How do you write a story that's compelling to start and satisfying to finish? Sarah Aronson explains in this comprehensive one-day workshop.

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*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity

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January 1 | 6 to 10 Weeks | $495 | NEW!

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work

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January 1 | 6 to 10 Weeks | $495

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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*Private Class | Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction

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January 1 | 10 to 14 Weeks | $695

Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.

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*Private Class | Story Lab: Writing Loglines That Sell

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January 1 | 2 Single-Day Webinars | $295

Your logline helps you query agents, market your book, and figure out the story itself. Hone your logline and set your book up for success in this two-part private Zoom workshop.

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*Private Class | The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique

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January 1 | 3 to 7 Weeks | $345

Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.

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*Private Class | Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals

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January 1 | 3 to 7 weeks | $295

Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!

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Battling the Blank Page: Writing the First Third of Your Novel

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10 Weeks | $595 | NEW!

If the blank page daunts you, conquer it in this comprehensive novel writing course, where you'll end with over 1/3 of a first draft written.

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Beyond Formula: Writing Love Scenes With Spirit, Passion, Grit And Character Truth

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5 Weeks | $345

Write about love beyond trite sentiment and shallow fictions. Work down to the real thing: deep, powerful, destructive, exalted, fundamental.

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Boost Your Imagination and Reap the Literary Rewards

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4 Weeks | $295

It happens to all of us: life gets in the way and our creativity falters. Get back on track with this four-week creativity boosting class!

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Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop

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5 weeks | $345

Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.

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Crafting the Romance Novel

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4 Weeks | $295

More than happily ever after. Writing a romance novel is about more than just telling the story of how two characters meet, fall in love, and ride off into the sunset of happily ever after. A romance novel follows the same structure as powerful novels in other genres and employs the building blocks of great…

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De Novo: How to Build Your Own Fantasy or Sci-Fi World

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6 Weeks | $395

Create captivating worlds in this comprehensive worldbuilding course. You'll come away with fantastic settings that make your stories mesmerizing, believable, and real.

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Deepening and Organizing Our Stories: Memoir/Creative Nonfiction and Autobiographical Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

For writers of memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction, with some experience. Particularly helpful to writers in the midst of a longer work.

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Drafty in Here: Write Your Novella in Ten Weeks

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10 Weeks | $595

Write the entire first draft of a novella-length story, with plenty of feedback from stage to stage, and finish with a plan for revising toward a publishable manuscript.

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Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity

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6 Weeks | $395

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work

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6 Weeks | $395

Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.

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Finding the Real Story: Essential Elements of Story in Fiction and Memoir

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10 Weeks | $595

Address the larger issues of writing story through a look at the essential elements of narrative in fiction and memoir.

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Finish Your Manuscript: Next-Level Picture Book Mentorship

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6 Weeks | $415

During this six week program, you will work closely one-on-one with Kelly to finalize, refine, and polish your picture book into a manuscript ready to submit for publication or representation.

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First Pages That Will Pull Agents In!

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6 Weeks | $395 | NEW!

Polish your opening pages in this novel intensive, where you'll make your first pages so perfect, your readers will need to know what comes next.

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Get Back to That Book

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195 | NEW!

For any number of reasons, the book we want to write gets waylaid. Get back to it in this motivational two part workshop.

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Get It Done: Create the Scaffolding to Start (and Finish) a Writing Project

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195 | NEW!

Get your butt in the chair, your mind roaming freely, and your creative juices flowing in this motivational, all-genres writing class.

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Get That Novel Finished! Tools and Inspiration to Complete Your First Draft

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10 Weeks | $595

Finishing a novel requires guts, dedication, and stamina. When you find yourself struggling, our 10-week course with Donna Levin will help!

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Graphic Novel Writing Bootcamp

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Single-Day Webinar | $149

Put pen to graphing paper in this workshop on crafting the graphic novel. By the end of the Zoom call, you'll have an 8 page graphic short story that's ready to illustrate.

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How to Write Character-Driven Stories

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6 Weeks | $395

Characters don't just drive the story, they are the story. Learn how to craft character-centered fiction and give life to the people on your page.

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How to Write Great Stories

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6 Weeks | $395

Learn how to combine character, setting, plot, and other elements of fiction to write powerful, compelling stories.

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I’ve Drunk Your Poisoned Nectar: Writing with the Goddess

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8 Weeks | $495

Dig deep into the rich mythology of South Asian goddesses to find new inspiration for your work in this generative, open-genre writing class.

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In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction

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8 Weeks | $495

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.

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Intro to Fiction Writing

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8 Weeks | $495

What makes a good fiction story? Learn how to write compelling stories in this eight-week intro to fiction course, with Donna Levin.

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Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction

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10 Weeks | $595

Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.

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Kickstart Your Novel

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1 day workshop | $115 | NEW!

How do novelists turn an idea into a published book? Gain the confidence to be a novelist in this transformational 3 hour workshop. 

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Let It Rip: The Art of Writing Fiery Prose

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6 Weeks | $395

Only 2 seats left!

You'll write prose that gets folks so hot and bothered they won't be able to put it down, even if it isn't about sex.

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Look Again: Revision for Novel Writers

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6 Weeks | $295 | NEW!

Most novels become great through the power of revision. Learn how to turn a rough draft into a swoon-worthy manuscript that readers and publishers will love.

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Make Your Prose Sing

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Enrich your prose with techniques from poetry. Bring paper and pens; leave with a better ear and lots of ideas about how to make your prose sing.

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Manuscript Review for Children’s Writers: Summer Edition

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5 Weeks | $345

Instructor Sarah Aronson welcomes all writers who are working on manuscripts for kids and teens. This advanced workshop will focus entirely on the participants' own work in progress.

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Manuscript Workshop: Writing For Young Readers

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8 Weeks | $495

Author Denise Santomauro leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.

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Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks!

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4 Weeks | $295

"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.

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Rapid Story Development: A Master Plan for Building Stories That Work

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10 Weeks | $595

Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.

In this 10 week story writing class, Jeff Lyons pairs the Enneagram with story development techniques to revolutionize your writing practice.

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Roads Into Writing: Opening New Terrain In Your Work

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6 Weeks | $395

Write like mad, read brilliant books & deepen your craft while exploring new paths to inspiration. With novelist and poet Anya Achtenberg, .

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Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, Fantasy, & More

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4 Weeks | $295 | NEW!

Speculative fiction isn't (only) warp drives and magic wands; it's anything that examines human lives and relationships through alternate realities. In this course, learn how to wield the fantastic in your fiction.

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Story Lab: Story Structure 101

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5 Weeks | $345 | NEW!

Structure is essential to great storytelling. Learn how to roadmap any story in this comprehensive story structure class.

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Story Lab: The Story-Subplot Connection

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6 Weeks | $395

Subplots are key to maintaining narrative pace and tension in a story. Drive your story forward with this deep dive into the elements of good storytelling.

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Suspense Sells! Power Up Your Writing With Conflict, Tension and Emotion

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4 Weeks | $295

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.

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Techwashed!: Writing with AI, Data, and Surveillance

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2 Saturday Workshops | $205

Raise a mirror against society's relationship to technology in this two part workshop series where we will learn how to write about tech.

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Ten Steps to Creating Interesting, In-Depth Characters

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

How do you write about people convincingly? Empower your character development in this workshop filled with exercises and character discussion.

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The Cabin In The (Virtual) Woods: Writing Horror Comedy

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4 Weeks | $295 | NEW!

The line between horror and comedy is a lot thinner than you think. In this class, make your readers laugh in one sentence and cower in the next.

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The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

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10 Weeks | $595

Create fantastical worlds with mythical beings in this comprehensive introduction to fantasy and science fiction.

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The Elements of Fiction

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8 Weeks | $495

Good fiction writing can feel like juggling as you balance all the different elements of storytelling. By the end of this course, you'll be an expert juggler.

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The Five Ws (and One H) of Drafting Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels

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8 Weeks | $495

Asking yourself these six questions will give you the scaffolding for your next young adult or middle grade novel.

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The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique

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3 Weeks | $245

Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.

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The Surprising Sentence: Honing Your Prose Style

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1 day workshop | $115

Great sentences stack up into great stories. Learn how to hone your style and voice at the most basic unit of writing, the sentence, in this workshop.

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Turn Up the Heat: How to Write Good Sex

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195

How do you write sex scenes that are both erotic and realistic? Make your reader's heart race in this webinar on writing good sex.

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Untie the Tropes: Write In-Depth YA Protagonists

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5 Weeks | $345

Do you want to write YA, but you're terrified of teenagers? Learn how to write authentic teen characters without tropes in this generative YA course.

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What to Do When Your Characters Fall in Love: Writing Romance in Any Genre

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5 Weeks | $345

Relationships are an important feature of fiction—and not just romances! If your non-romance work has love involved, learn the ropes in this 5 week course, open to writers of all genres.

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Write Your Children’s Book!

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8 Weeks | $495

If you’re looking for accountability, support, enthusiasm, feedback, and a chance to make progress on your Children's Book or YA story, then this is the place for you.

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Write Your Novel Draft!

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8 Weeks | $495 | NEW!

Move far ahead in your novel draft, while learning the craft of novel writing and developing a stronger writing practice.

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Write Your Novel: The Art of the Outline

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8 Weeks | $495 | NEW!

Structure and start your novel in this comprehensive class. You'll come away with a skeleton for your story and at least 20 pages written.

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Writing for Kids: Entering the World of Children’s Literature

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Learn the fundamentals of writing for children in this one day workshop, and write the kinds of stories that kids simply can't put down.

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Writing Magical Fiction

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $295 | NEW!

In this workshop series, you won't just write using magic in fiction—you'll harness the magic that only fiction can make.

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Writing Short Stories with the Empathic Approach

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8 weeks | $495

Great fiction brings deeper understanding. Foster a greater sense of connection and supercharge your stories in this empathy-driven fiction class.

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Writing Spontaneously: How to Let Your Stories Surprise You

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

Some of the best stories don't follow a specific plot structure; they develop organically. Learn how to hone spontaneity in your fiction writing and come away surprised by your work.

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Writing the Absurd

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8 Weeks | $495

If you turn on to the absurd in life—to the ironic, edgy, bizarre, and grotesque—this is the course for you. Learn the key techniques of writing absurdist fiction, dark fiction, and satire.

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Writing with Consistency and Courage

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Single-Day Webinar | $115

What makes a successful writer? It's not talent, craft, or even the right connections—it's consistency and courage.

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Writing with Tarot

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8 Weeks | $495

Jump-start your creative juices, and explore a world of divination, symbolism, and imagery right at your fingertips: learn short story and novel writing through Tarot.

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