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




March Courses

Get Your Book Noticed: Writing Loglines That Sell

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March 22 | 1-Day Webinar | $115

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 Zoom workshop.

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Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults

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March 27 | 8 Weeks | $545

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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Onward: Writing the Novel-in-Process

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March 27 | 12 Weeks | $795

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

Let It Rip: The Art of Writing Fiery Prose

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April 3 | 6 Weeks | $445

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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Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack

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April 3 | 10 Weeks | $645

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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Write Your Picture Book!

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April 10 | 6 Weeks | $445

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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Plot Your Novel

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April 17 | 8 Weeks | $545

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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From the Source: Journaling for Self-Knowledge and Creativity

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April 24 | 6 weeks | $445 | NEW!

Journal to discover yourself, find a wellspring of creativity, and produce publication-ready pieces.

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May Courses

The First Fifty Pages of the Novel

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May 1 | 10 Weeks | $645

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

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May 15 | 5 Weeks | $395

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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It Starts with Play: Get (Back) into Writing

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May 22 | 6 Weeks | $445 | NEW!

Harness the joy of creativity in this inspiration-focused class, where we'll uncover new ideas for writing projects and draft loads of new material. 

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June Courses

The Elements of Fiction

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June 19 | 8 Weeks | $545

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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Finding Inspiration in Dreams

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June 26 | 6 Weeks | $445

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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Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry

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June 26 | 4 Weeks | $345

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

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Story Lab: The Story-Subplot Connection

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June 26 | 6 Weeks | $445

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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July Courses

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

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July 10 | 4 Weeks | $345

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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August Courses

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

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August 14 | 10 Weeks | $645

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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Write Your Novel in 16 Weeks!

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August 28 | 16 Weeks | $995 | NEW!

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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September Courses

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

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September 4 | 5 Weeks | $395

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

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September 25 | 6 Weeks | $445

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

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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 | $545 | 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 | $545

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 | $745

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 | The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique

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January 1 | 3 to 7 Weeks | $395

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 | $345

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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Advanced Fiction Workshop with Emily Adrian

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8 Weeks | $545 | NEW!

Build a feedback group and sharpen your novel or short stories for publication in this workshop-oriented fiction class. 

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

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10 Weeks | $645 | 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 | $395

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 | $345

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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Character is the Key: Unlock Your Best Stories

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Single-Day Webinar | $115 | NEW!

If you want to tell a good story, you need to write good characters. Learn how to unlock your best stories in this one-day character development workshop. 

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Crafting a Story or Novel Chapter Using Forward-Moving Tension

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5 Weeks | $395

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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Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop

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5 weeks | $395

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 | $345

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 | $445

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 | $645

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 | $645

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 | $445

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 | $445

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 | $645

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 | $445

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 | $445 | 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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From Memory: Writing Fiction or Memoir from Lived Experience

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4 Weeks | $345 | 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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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 It Done: Fast-Draft Your Novel in 13 Weeks

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13 Weeks | $845 | NEW!

Write a complete first draft of your novel in this 13-week intensive, where you'll learn everything you need to write a successful story. 

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

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10 Weeks | $645

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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Get That Novel Started: A Two-Week Writing Workshop

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3 Single-Day Webinars | $195 | NEW!

Take the plunge! Put your ideas to paper, write and share the opening pages of your novel, and create a plan for writing a full first draft.

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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 Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story

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5 Weeks | $395

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

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How to Write Character-Driven Stories

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6 Weeks | $445

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 | $445

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

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Humor Is The New Black!

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4 Weeks | $345

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

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8 Weeks | $545

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 | $545

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 | $545

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 | $645

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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Look Again: Revision for Novel Writers

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6 Weeks | $345 | 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 | $395

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 | $545

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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Mastering the Elements of Fiction

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10 Weeks | $645

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

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4 Weeks | $345

"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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Penning Passion: Finish the First Draft of your Romance Novel in Ten Weeks

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10 Weeks | $645 | NEW!

In this comprehensive class, you'll learn the ropes of romance writing and finish a first draft of your romance novel. 

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Plot Your Novel with the Three-Act Structure

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6 Weeks | $445

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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Roads Into Writing: Opening New Terrain In Your Work

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6 Weeks | $445

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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Scene Study: Strengthen Your Writing with Compelling Scenes

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5 Weeks | $395

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

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Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, Fantasy, & More

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4 Weeks | $345 | 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 | $395 | NEW!

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

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

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4 Weeks | $345

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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Teen Writers’ Workshop: Discover the Writer You Want to Be

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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195 | NEW!

Give your teens the power of writing and community in this two part workshop, where teen writers will learn the skills to become professional authors.

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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 Complete Beginner’s Guide to Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy

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10 Weeks | $645

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

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

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8 Weeks | $545

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 | $295

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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2 Single-Day Webinars | $195 | NEW!

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 | $395

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 | $395

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 | $545

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 | $545 | 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 | $545 | 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 Autobiographical Fiction

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8 Weeks | $545

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

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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 | $345 | 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 | $545

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 | $345

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 | $545

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 | $545

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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