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!
Upcoming Online Novel Writing Courses
January
Writing Autobiographical Fiction With January 13, 2021 $315 | 8 Weeks Learn to depart from “what really happened,” and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.  |
Writing with Tarot With January 13, 2021 $315 | 8 Weeks 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.  |
Humor Is The New Black! With January 20, 2021 $215 | 4 Weeks 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.  |
Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack With January 20, 2021 $360 | 10 Weeks 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!  |
In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction With January 27, 2021 $350 | 8 Weeks 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.  |
Plot Your Novel With January 27, 2021 $315 | 8 Weeks 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.  |
February
The Next Fifty Pages of the Novel With February 3, 2021 $415 | 10 Weeks 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.  |
The Ongoing Fiction Workshop With February 10, 2021 $415 | 10 Weeks Many students have attended this 10-week online fiction workshop with Shelley Singer multiple times, completed novels, and come back to finish more books.  |
Essentials of Character Development: How to Create Characters that Move and Breathe and Can't Stop Talking With February 10, 2021 $315 | 8 Weeks Bring your characters to life in this in-depth character development class with Gloria Kempton.  |
How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story With February 17, 2021 $250 | 5 Weeks Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the “mushy middle,” and hello to stories that work.  |
Mastering the Elements of Fiction With February 17, 2021 $360 | 10 Weeks 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.  |
Plan On It: Essential Novel Planning Workshop With February 24, 2021 $260 | 6 Weeks NEW! Set your novel up for success! In this six-week workshop, instructor Dennis Foley will help you craft a plan to handle the essential demands and choices you’ll face as you write your novel.  |
The "I've Always Wanted To Write Fiction" Workshop With February 24, 2021 $250 | 5 Weeks Learn the basics of fiction writing and submit weekly writing for feedback from Shelley Singer, author of 13 novels. It’s time to start.  |
March
The Art of Storytelling With March 3, 2021 $315 | 8 Weeks It’s an age-old art form—storytelling—and you can learn the craft.  |
Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults With March 17, 2021 $300 | 5 Weeks 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!  |
April
Anatomy of a Premise Line: Story and Premise Development for Writing Success With April 14, 2021 $250 | 5 Weeks 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.  |
Unscheduled Online Novel Writing Classes
Browse our full novel offerings below. Let us know which novel writing courses you're interested in, and we'll contact you with dates when we're ready to put them on our calendar.
For novelists ready to write daily and intensively to finish the first draft of their novel in ten weeks.
Voice: What is it and how do you find yours? Instructor Gloria Kempton offers feedback on assignments in this 3-week online class.
Write about love beyond trite sentiment and shallow fictions. Work down to the real thing: deep, powerful, destructive, exalted, fundamental.
Banish writer’s block, unearth fresh ideas, and sharpen your storytelling ability with the practice of fast, timed writing.
In-depth character development using an ancient personality study of human motivation–the Enneagram.
For writers of memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction, with some experience. Particularly helpful to writers in the midst of a longer work.
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.
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.
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.
Can you translate the movement of a dance into a poem? What happens when you write a story in the form of a multiple-choice quiz? Learn to take your work in rich and unexpected new directions by subverting and blending genre conventions.
Address the larger issues of writing story through a look at the essential elements of narrative in fiction and memoir.
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.
The holiday season 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.
Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.
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.
Author Sarah Aronson leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.
A course for intensive practice and feedback in scene writing skills.
“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.
A course covering both plotting and outlining for the novelist, with Dennis Foley.
Write like mad, read brilliant books & deepen your craft while exploring new paths to inspiration. With novelist and poet Anya Achtenberg, .
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.
As a prison volunteer for 20 years, Gloria Kempton has met many anti-heroes. In this course, you’ll receive feedback on your story antagonists.
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.
Structure your story and give it meaning with Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
For young writers (ages 10-15) who want to learn more about creating their own stories: Four video seminars and direct one-to-one coaching with Sarah Aronson!
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.
A novel writing preparatory course for the first-time novelist.
Articles on Novel Writing
Why Take an Online Novel 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 novel 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.