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5 Best Writing Classes You Can Take Online

PSA: You don’t need a higher education or an MFA to become a great writer. Truth be told, you don’t need any form of classes—only your paper and pen—to get started on the next bestselling novel. Curriculum and instruction can help though, especially when you find yourself stuck in a writing rut or eager to learn more about your craft.

The list below includes a few of our favorite online writing classes, perfect for writers of all levels and genres. Consider gifting yourself a bit of structured creative time in 2023 and maybe some Zoom rooms you’ll actually want to hop into. We can’t wait to read what you write!

For more creative writing inspiration, try these 52 creative writing prompts .

1. Catapult

Best For | Zoom classes and virtual workshops led by renowned instructors Starting At | $75 for a 1-day seminar Catapult offers one of the most extensive lists of online writing workshops and classes, and many of the instructors are renowned authors or literary magazine editors. Our team has taken a six-week essay course, a one-day editing seminar, and a creative nonfiction class—all online—and each one has far exceeded our expectations. Catapult is also excellent for connecting with other writers (the workshop component is one of the best we’ve experienced), and we’ve made and maintained relationships with writers all around the world. With online courses of all lengths and covering various genres, it’s perfect for everyone.

Browse Catapult Writing Classes

2. masterclass.

Best For | Self-led courses with the world’s best writers Starting At | $15/month billed annually (access to all courses) While you won’t get a workshop component with these courses, MasterClass is one of our favorite websites for learning about all things, including writing. The instructor list packs a serious punch, with big names like Shonda Rhimes, Margaret Atwood, David Sedaris, and Roxane Gay. This is a great option if you want courses you can take at your own pace and videos you can revisit again and again.

Browse MasterClass Writing Classes

3. one story.

Best For | Short story and fiction writers Starting At | $55 (three-day intensive) One Story is a publication bringing people together through reading, writing, and learning about short fiction. In addition to its mission of publishing one short story at a time, the org offers affordable online writing workshops and classes throughout the year. Read one of the recent One Story issues here , and then browse the upcoming workshops to find the best fit for you.

Browse One Story Workshops

4. sackett street writers.

Best For | Small-group writing workshops, advanced workshops Starting At | $450 for 6-week courses Another team favorite, Sackett Street Writers has been called a “top alternative to MFA programs” by Poets & Writers. The 8-week workshops offered online throughout the year are perfect for taking your craft to the next level. Most are in small group settings (9-10 writers), and while Sackett offers courses for all levels, some of the advanced workshops require a writing sample and application. This may sound a bit daunting, but it actually creates a challenging environment and an excellent cohort of writers to workshop with, so give it your best shot!

Browse Sackett Street Writing Workshops

5. write or die magazine.

Best For | Mentorships, self-guided classes Starting At | $12 for a self-guided course “Writers need writers” — ain’t that the truth! Write or Die Magazine is an online hub offering writers resources, inspiration, and connection and accountability. The website has plenty of freebies and affordable self-guided classes to help you build a sustainable writing practice and overcome common fears and doubts associated with writing. If you have a serious project in the works, the platform also includes one-on-one mentorships and coaching. Sign up for the weekly newsletter for upcoming class announcements.

Browse Write or Die Magazine Classes

Bonus: story club with george saunders.

Best For | Ongoing interaction with writers and lessons from George Saunders, of course! Starting At | $6/month (or $50/annually) While not a traditional writing workshop per se, we love Story Club with George Saunders for the writing MFA we never applied for. Wrestling with the concept of story in a continuation of his latest book A Swim in a Pond in the Rain , each email (hosted by Substack and sent twice a week) includes guided readings and is both interactive and rigorous. You can also anticipate writing exercises and prompts, examples from Saunders’ vaults of files, and comment discussion threads about craft and writing life. Learn more about the structure and see past posts here .

Browse Story Club with George Saunders

Kayti Christian (she/her) is a Senior Editor at The Good Trade. She has a Master’s in Nonfiction Writing from the University of London and is the creator of Feelings Not Aside , a newsletter for sensitive people.

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In our new monthly classes, you'll transform from aspiring to writer through deliberate practice.

Transforming from an aspiring writer to a published author takes practice. 

Specifically, it takes deliberate practice.

At The Write Practice, we believe that everyone  can become a published author and share their writing with the world through deliberate practice. But what is deliberate practice though? 

Deliberate practice has five components:

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If you focus on each of those five things, you'll become a better writer, finish your book, and accomplish your writing goals.

Through our Writing Classes, we want to help you learn the craft.

At The Write Practice, our mission is to create experiences that help you transform from aspiring writer to published author. 

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How to Write Like Louise Penny: A Still Life Book Study for Writers

by Joe Bunting

Louise Penny is one of the world's most successful living mystery writers, selling more than 10 million copies of her bestselling  Inspector Gamache  series. 

How do her books work  though? And in general, how do you write a mystery novel?

In this class, we're going to study Louise Penny's debut novel,  Still Life , which she published when she was 47 years old, and discuss the ways she tackles the mystery genre and even surpasses it.

Louise Penny is one of the world's most successful living mystery writers, selling more than 10 million copies of her bestselling Inspector Gamache series.  How do her books work though? And in general, how do you write a mystery novel? In this...

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Find out what classes we have planned for the following year. Note: This schedule is subject to change.

Book Writing Tools Instructor : Bestselling author Joe Bunting

Characters Instructor : Sue Weems

Book Study:  Still Life by Louise Penny (mystery) Instructor: Bestselling author Joe Bunting

Dialogue Instructor : Jeff Elkins, the "Dialogue Doctor"

Book Sales Tactics Instructor: Jamie L. Biggs

Book Study: Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (fantasy) Instructor : Bestselling author Joe Bunting

Plot Type Mastery Instructor : Bestselling author Joe Bunting

Book Study: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (literary) Instructor : Bestselling author Joe Bunting

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Better Characters, Faster is a 2-part class designed to help you create your best characters. Whether you're tackling your first novel or diving into revisions, this workshop will help you create characters that readers fall in love with and want to follow till the...

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There are certain tools that pro writers won't even start writing a book without, tools that make write, publishing, and even marketing their books so much easier. Now, in this new class from The Write Practice and bestselling author Joe Bunting, you'll learn how to...

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The Boys in the Boat is one of the most successful historical nonfiction books of all time and was recently adapted into a blockbuster film by George Clooney. How does the book work though? And what can writers learn by studying this bestselling book?

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Have an idea? Ready to write? Learn everything you need to get started the write way so you can actually finish your book.  By the end of this 3-part class taught by bestselling author and founder of The Write Practice, Joe Bunting, you will be ready to...

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Do you know which of the 9 types of story you're writing? Do you know how plot type works with form to create stories that just work? Learn everything you need to understand what's really going on at the heart of your story. By the end of this class taught...

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I don't know if I can make it to the live lessons. Will they be recorded?

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The Best Online Writing Workshops: How to Succeed in Creative Writing Workshops

Sean Glatch  |  May 3, 2024  |  2 Comments

Creative writing workshops can take your writing to the next level. The chance to experiment with your writing in a community is invaluable, and getting live feedback on your work will propel you through your writing career. But with so many online writing workshops out there, how can you tell which ones are worth taking?

There are plenty of writing workshops where writers get less than what they bargained for. Finding the right group of writers to workshop with is a slow process—no different than dating or finding a therapist. Where can you find the best online writing workshops for you?

Consider this your go-to guide for navigating the internet of online creative writing workshops. We’ll talk about different workshopping models and how they might work for you, and we’ll also look at how to get the most from your fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writing workshops.

But first, we ought to define this particularly nebulous aspect of creative writing education. What is a creative writing workshop?

Looking for the best online writing workshops?

If you’re looking for the best online writing workshops, look no further. Writers.com has been running online creative writing workshops since 1995. View our upcoming calendar to view the best writing workshops for you!

You can also navigate our courses by category:

• Short Story
• Personal Essay
• Lifestyle and Wellness
• Single-Day Zoom Sessions

What is a Writing Workshop?

People use the phrase “writing workshop” differently in different contexts, although it’s a rather vague term that writers use inconsistently. Here are some common ways you might see the term used:

• Online , a workshop is a complete writing course, including both lecture materials and opportunities for feedback from fellow students.
• In universities and MFA programs , a workshop is the aspect of a writing workshop where students give feedback to one another to improve their writing overall.
• At some online writing schools , a workshop is specifically a single-day Zoom-based workshop.

That said, “writing workshop” is a rather nebulous term that has a lot of applications. A workshop is any space where writers come to grow as writers. In short, a writing workshop is an open-ended term that describes different styles of creative writing education.

What is a writing workshop? An open-ended term that describes different styles of creative writing education.

For the purposes of this article, we are addressing multi-week online writing classes, as well as single-day webinars that have a workshopping component. Basically, we’re looking at any type of online learning space where students share their work, receive feedback, build new craft skills, and engage with a writing community.

Here’s what online writing workshops might look like, as well as tips for finding the best ones!

12 Things to Look For In the Best Online Creative Writing Workshops

Are you thinking about enrolling in a creative writing workshop? The best online writing workshops have these 12 things in common:

1. The Best Online Writing Workshops Have Well Respected Teachers

At most online writing schools, the instructor is the person who sets the syllabus, writes the workshop, and gives feedback to students. As a result, a good writing teacher makes all the difference in online writing workshops.

You want to be excited to learn from an instructor.

In addition to being a great writer and teacher, a great workshop instructor will be community-oriented, empathetic, and capable of tailoring their teaching to your writing needs.

Before you enroll in a writing workshop, do some research on the writer teaching it. Most professional writers and teachers will have a website, where you can peruse their work, degrees, and teaching history.

Some questions you might ask:

• Does the instructor have a terminal degree? (M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., etc.)
• What do prior students say about this instructor?
• Does the instructor have a significant publication history?

On terminal degrees—they’re not necessary for running good creative writing workshops. But, they do indicate a certain level of craft training and teaching experience. Many terminal degree programs require students to learn how to teach creative writing. While you don’t need an M.F.A or Ph.D. to publish or teach writing, they certainly help.

Most importantly: are you excited about this instructor’s work? Do you like it? Do you connect with it? You want to be excited to learn from an instructor. They’re not just teaching craft, they’re teaching you their approach to crafting good writing.

2. The Best Online Writing Workshops Have a Clear Description

Enrolling in creative writing workshops involves a certain level of trust. If you haven’t taken a class with the organization before, you might not know how they run their classes or what you’ll get out of working with them. Writing programs should honor their side of the bargain by telling you exactly what you’ll get from their writing workshops.

Writing programs should honor their side of the bargain by telling you exactly what you’ll get from their writing workshops.

The descriptions for online writing workshops should tell you the following:

• What will you learn and write during the workshop?
• Who’s teaching the workshop, and what have they accomplished?
• How will your time be spent while taking the workshop?
• Who is this for? At what stage of your writing should you be in?

It helps to know what you’re looking for from your workshop. If you have certain goals in mind or ways you want to grow as a writer, be clear about these goals, and don’t spend money on workshops that simply won’t fit your needs. (That said, it can also be fun to enroll in random workshops and learn new writing skills—you’d be surprised what you’ll learn from a class that has nothing to do with your projects.)

If the description of the writing workshop aligns with your goals and needs, it should be a good fit. And, if you’re on the fence, it never hurts to ask the program administrators before you enroll. They’ll be glad to hear from you!

3. The Best Online Writing Workshops Prioritize the Student

Creative writing workshops place your experience front and center. The goal of a workshop is to expand your learning, work, and writing journey. If a writing course doesn’t promise to uplift your writing life, why would you take it?

If a writing course doesn’t promise to uplift your writing life, why would you take it?

A good writing school will acknowledge the risk involved in taking an adult writing workshop. Since online schools can’t confer college credit, and since you probably haven’t interacted with the workshop instructor before, you’re spending your time and money on a program that you haven’t used before.

So, why wouldn’t that school prioritize you ? You want to be confident that your writing, your creativity, and your time will be valued, otherwise you’re wasting your money on an experience you hardly learned from.

Check to see if the program itself has a student promise before you enroll in their writing workshops. If it doesn’t seem like the school will center your learning and growth as a writer, don’t take the risk—there are plenty of other schools to choose from.

4. The Best Online Writing Workshops Give Constructive Feedback

The feedback you receive in creative writing workshops will often prove the most valuable aspect of the course. Because most workshops are run by writers with Masters or Doctoral degrees, they’ve spent a fair amount of time giving and receiving feedback in competitive and community settings. As a result, they know a ton about the craft skills that make for good literature, and they know how to transmit those skills to their students.

Most importantly, a good writing instructor will tell you what you’re doing well in your writing.

The feedback you receive in online writing workshops will vary by the scope of the workshops and the backgrounds of the instructors. You might receive feedback on:

• Where the writing is effective
• Word choice that isn’t clear to the reader
• Ideas that can be expanded or shortened
• Sentences that are too long or too short
• Corrections in spelling and grammar
• Opportunities to improve the writing structure
• Feedback related to the elements of fiction , nonfiction, or poetry

Most importantly, a good writing instructor will tell you what you’re doing well in your writing. When you write a really great simile , have well developed characters , or find a moment of deep insight, your instructor will highlight this.

While it’s good to know what needs to be improved, writers can’t begin to improve until they also know what works in their poems and stories. This is how you build a foundation for good writing: start with what works, and sculpt from there. Writing workshops are the best spaces to build this foundation!

5. The Best Online Writing Workshops Focus on Craft

The best online writing workshops are centered around the craft of writing. Unlike English and composition classes, which focus on grammar, literacy, and the mechanics of language, creative writing workshops look at using these mechanics to write compelling, effective stories. And, in a writing workshop, you don’t just use the rules, you get to break them!

In a writing workshop, you don’t just use the rules, you get to break them.

The craft elements you focus on will vary based on the kind of course you’re in. If you’re taking poetry writing workshops, for example, you’ll focus on employing effective literary devices and studying different forms of poetry .

Likewise, in novel writing workshops, you might study elements like plot , point of view , and the art of storytelling .

Good writing workshops will break down great literature into the components that make it great, allowing you to read like a writer and employ these craft skills in your own work. And, learning the craft of creative writing helps you with everyday tasks, like sending emails or expanding your vocabulary.

6. The Best Online Writing Workshops Respect Your Creativity

The workshop is a space of unfettered creativity. Writers get to share their ideas, their experiences, and their creative, collaborative minds in the same space, making workshops the place to experiment with ideas. Of course, this is only possible if the workshop respects your creative authority.

We don’t “earn” the title of “writer,” we simply are writers, and a good writing course will uphold your integrity and creative vision, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

What does respect for your creative authority mean? It means that no one judges, criticizes, or condemns you for your writing and ideas. The best writing workshops will:

• Help you explore your ideas, rather than impose ideas upon you.
• Teach you the ropes of writing craft without telling you what to write.
• Show you what you’re already doing well in your work.
• Point out opportunities where the writing can be expanded, restructured, or clarified—in ways that help you carry out your creative vision.

Most importantly, this is true no matter how “new” you are to creative writing workshops . Whether you’ve submitted the first poem you’ve ever written or your thousandth, you deserve the same level of respect as everyone else in the room. We don’t “earn” the title of “writer,” we simply are writers, and a good writing course will uphold your integrity and creative vision, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

In a writing workshop, you may encounter many different ideas, but you also encounter the freedom to accept or reject those ideas. It’s your writing. You get the final say!

7. The Best Online Writing Workshops Create Community

What is a writing workshop without community? Writing can be a lonely practice, but a writing community makes all the difference. The best creative writing workshops foster a sense of community. In fact, many writers have come away from our courses with friends and writing partnerships that last for years and years!

A writing community can give you the motivation to create, the license to experiment, and the potential to learn even more about the craft of writing.

A writing community can give you the motivation to create, the license to experiment, and the potential to learn even more about the craft of writing. Because we all have very different literary backgrounds, we all have studied different authors and elements of the writing craft. When we write in a community, we naturally share what we’ve learned with one another, creating a culture of growth and inspiration.

Additionally, a strong writing community creates valuable feedback. When you write alongside people who know and enjoy your work, it is much easier to give and receive feedback, especially when these writers know what you’re trying to accomplish.

Many well-known authors throughout history have been a part of valuable writing communities, such as The Beat Poets, Stratford-on-Odeon, and these famous writing groups . Writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and when you enroll in community-oriented online writing workshops, you foster the kinds of relationships and connections that can sustain your literary career.

8. The Best Online Writing Workshops Motivate You to Write

Because writing is often solitary, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get work done. Taking online writing workshops pushes you to put words on the page.

Sometimes, the biggest barrier is beginning, but creative writing workshops will spark your writing practice.

For one thing, these classes cost money, and when you’re spending money to write and learn about writing, you’re more likely to actually write and learn about writing.

But, it’s not just the monetary transaction that motivates writers in adult writing workshops. Your course might provide you with:

• Creative writing prompts
• Daily journaling assignments
• Helpful revisions
• Inspirational readings
• Ideas to combat writer’s block
• Different approaches to writing

Some writing workshops are even designed to motivate you, such as our class Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack . Sometimes, the biggest barrier is beginning, but creative writing workshops will spark your writing practice.

9. The Best Online Writing Workshops Jumpstart a Writing Habit

Because writing workshops require you to submit work every week, students will have to set up a consistent writing practice in order to meet these deadlines. Not only does this prepare you for your life as a published author (where deadlines are less flexible), but this also helps you master a key aspect of the writing life: a consistent writing habit.

To make the most of creative writing workshops, try to find time to write every day.

Writing every day isn’t just good advice, it’s essential to building a writing life. Writers who want to build careers out of their work, or at the very least publish books some day, will have to dedicate time every day to their work. When you engage with language each day, you build the skills necessary to write good books, and you also keep yourself creatively motivated. This is true especially for the days that are hardest to write on.

Of course, most of us lead very busy lives. How do we steal time as artists? Here are some ideas:

• Write with your morning coffee.
• Keep a journal on your phone during work and lunch breaks.
• Write on your commute to and from work. If you’re driving, keep an audio journal, where you write by speaking into your phone’s recorder.
• Write on your phone while running on the treadmill.
• Put pen to paper while taking a bath.
• Journal for 15 minutes before you go to bed.

These ideas won’t work for everyone, and it all depends on your schedule and lifestyle. Nonetheless, to make the most of creative writing workshops, try to find time to write every day. It’s best to write at the same time every day, but if your schedule doesn’t allow this, sneak time wherever you can. Balancing a career, a family, and a writing life isn’t easy, but when the work calls, you’ll find time to answer!

10. The Best Online Writing Workshops Broaden Your Literary Horizons

As writers, it’s important for us to know our literary history. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to read every piece of classic literature to start writing—in fact, many books published in the 19th century could never be published today.

If you want to publish your own work some day, it’s important to know what else is being published today.

But it does mean knowing the craft skills that went into both classic and contemporary books. It especially means having a sense of the contemporary literary zeitgeist. If you want to publish your own work some day, it’s important to know what else is being published today.

The best creative writing workshops broaden your literary horizons. When you read classic literature, you get a sense of the foundations of contemporary writing, and the ways that writers before us expanded the possibilities of literature as a whole. When you read contemporary literature, you get a sense of today’s publishing landscape and what people are looking for in the writings of today.

(If you plan to publish books by querying literary agents , reading contemporary work is crucial, because you need to have good comps in your query letter . Comps are books that have been published recently and are similar, in some ways, to your own.)

Now, this doesn’t mean you need to write like other authors. In fact, far from it. It’s better that you learn to write like yourself , because your most valuable asset as a writer is your voice. But, when you expand your literary horizons, you engage with literature and make decisions on what you do and don’t want to do in your work.

What do you like to read? What do you want to never read again? The more you read, the more you hone your own voice as a writer. Great writing workshops introduce you to literature that provokes these kinds of questions.

11. The Best Online Writing Workshops Provide a Creative Outlet

One of the best reasons to take online writing workshops is that they give you an outlet for feelings and creativity.

Writing workshops are a great supplement to a healthy writer’s life.

This is the result of the various reasons listed above for taking writing classes. By building community, creating a writing practice, and engaging with literature, you inevitably nourish your creativity. In doing so, you nurture a healthy space to explore your ideas and emotions—an essential aspect of any writer’s life.

Now, even the best online writing workshops can’t replace the benefits of therapy. We’re not saying you should ditch your therapist for a Writers.com class. But we are saying that writing workshops are a great supplement to a healthy writer’s life, because they create safe spaces for you to experiment with your work and explore your emotions freely on the page.

This is true even for writers of genre fiction or persona poetry. It’s true for participants in fiction writing workshops and memoir writing workshops. We gravitate to writing in part for its emotional release, and a great online class in creative writing will nurture this release. Between the prompts, community, and writing habits that a creative writing workshop fosters, you’re sure to come away from your workshop with renewed emotional health.

12. The Best Online Writing Workshops Provide Next Steps

The best creative writing workshops are the beginning of your writing life, not the end. When your workshop ends, you should come away with new ideas for writing, new publication opportunities to pursue, and new friends and mentors to nurture your writing journey.

The best creative writing workshops are the beginning of your writing life, not the end.

Throughout the workshop, you’ll find new opportunities for continuous growth. You might find a list of literary journals to submit to, new readings to stimulate your writing, further creative writing workshops to attend, or simply the emails and social media accounts of students you really enjoyed working with.

If you’re ready to move on to the next level of your writing, your instructor will provide you with next steps. And, if you want to learn more outside of the classroom, contact the instructor about this. We’re always excited by writers who want to keep learning and learning!

The Best Online Writing Workshops

Of course, we’re partial to our own workshops at Writers.com . Since 1995 we’ve offered the best fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and book writing workshops around the internet, inspiring thousands of writers to embark on their writing journeys, find their voices, and get published.

We offer both single-day webinars and multi-week workshops in all genres, and also offer opportunities for private coaching with our instructors. If you’re looking for the best, you’ve already found it. Drop us a line if you have any questions!

Check out our full schedule of upcoming classes here.

In addition to Writers.com, here are some online writing workshops that we’ve found offer fantastic creative writing education:

• Loft Literary
• Brooklyn Poets
• Creative Nonfiction

In Creative Writing Workshops…

You get to find great literature, meet fellow scribblers, build a writing habit, and, most importantly, take your writing journey to the next level. Why wait? Enroll in an online writing workshop today!

Sean Glatch

Thanks for the information it’s really enlightening

So glad I found this writing site. I have more exploring to do. I’m sure I will be back.

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11 Best Creative Writing Classes in Austin

Showing 11 courses that match your search.

Write Away Day

The Writing Barn

We’re going above and beyond the experience of spending the day writing at a café—enjoy complimentary coffee, tea and water, chat with local creatives and maybe even find a new writing partner and friend!

Website: https://thewritingbarn.com/class/write-away-day-april-14-...

Categories: Nonfiction and Fiction

Start date:

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Mastering the Submissions Process to Get a Literary Agent

Austin Writing Workshops

Many new writers hoping to become published authors often ask themselves, I’ve written a book…now what? Chances are, the first thing they need is a literary agent. This class focuses on the correct methods of obtaining a literary agent and helps simplify the process.

Website: https://writingworkshops.com/collections/the-best-online-...

Categories: Book and Publishing

October, 2024

Everything You Need To Know About Writing Nonfiction Picture Books (From Those Who Do It)

In this fast and fun, 90 minute event we will cover every facet of the creation process from research and ideas to creating and selling your book. Above all, you will discover how to take known facts and transform them into a true story that is uniquely yours.

Website: https://thewritingbarn.com/class/everything-you-need-to-k...

Categories: Book and Nonfiction

March, 2024

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Demystifying Show, Don’t Tell – Enhancing Your Writing 4-Week Zoom Class

The writer’s mantra – and the bane of most writers’ existence – is Show, Don’t Tell. In this workshop, writers will get down and dirty with ways to show and how to identify in their drafts where they are telling and how to enjoy transforming that telling into showing.

Categories: Short Story, Book, and Fiction

The Weekend Short Story Intensive

Led by Kritika Pandey, this class meets over two consecutive weekends (December 2-3 and December 9-10, 2023). It focuses on various aspects of short story writing, including passing time in fiction, structural unity, and dialogue. The course includes in-class generative writing, editing, and selected readings from authors like Donald Barthelme and George Saunders. Participants will have a revised short story by the end of the workshop.

Categories: Short Story

Finding Your Voice

A 6-week online Zoom class, designed to help writers discover and develop their unique voice through personal essays and poems. Taught by author Lynne Golodner, this course encourages mining life experiences for powerful stories, offering guidance in writing with purpose to leave a lasting legacy. It's suitable for those wanting to write for personal fulfillment or to inspire others​​.

Website: https://writingworkshops.com/products/finding-your-voice-...

Categories: Fiction, Essay, and Poetry

Open all year round

Writing Comedic Personal Essays

Austin Bat Cave

Conducted by Sophia Benoit, a writer featured in GQ and The Guardian, this seminar delves into blending personal essay writing with comedic storytelling. It's perfect for those looking to use humor to make personal stories universally relatable, and for writers wanting to enhance their humor writing skills.

Website: https://austinbatcave.org/product/writing-comedic-persona...

Categories: Comedy and Essay

Suffering the Consequences: Building Exciting Plot through Consequential Action

Led by award-winning author Manuel Gonzales, this fiction seminar explores crafting engaging plots through characters' decisions and actions. Focusing on how characters drive plots, the course aims to build organic and compelling narratives. Ideal for writers interested in character-driven storytelling

Website: https://austinbatcave.org/product/fiction-suffering-conse...

Categories: Fiction and Adult

Serial Poetics

Led by author and editor Ted Dodson, this seminar delves into the serial poem format. It offers a cross-medium approach, incorporating literary, video, and visual art techniques. Ideal for writers seeking new challenges or developing ideas for a poetry collection, the course examines works by various influential poets.

Website: https://austinbatcave.org/product/serial-poetry/

Categories: Poetry

Flash Fiction

Taught by Hilary Leichter, author and Columbia University instructor, this seminar explores the art of flash fiction. Participants learn about the form’s history, analyze works by prominent authors, and engage in class exercises. It's open to writers at all levels, from beginners to seasoned poets venturing into prose.

Website: https://austinbatcave.org/product/flash-fiction-hilary-le...

Austin Public Library

Dive into the realm of storytelling with Austin Public Library's writing workshops. Featuring sessions like 'Write with Spike: Writing Workshops with Spike Gillespie,' this series welcomes all, with a special 2-hour session on December 5, 2023. Explore writing basics across genres in a supportive community, with no prerequisites required, making it an accessible literary venture

Website: https://library.austintexas.gov/events/writing

Categories: Fiction, Essay, Poetry, Nonfiction, Short Story, Free, and Book

So you’re looking for creative writing classes in Austin

Austin: the City of the Violet Crown, the live music capital of the world, and a haven for artists down South. In the writing world alone, Austin has been home to countless famous authors, from Julie Powell to Katherine Anne Porter. By taking a creative writing class in Austin, you could join their ranks.

This directory of the best writing courses in Austin is meant to help you locate the right one for yourself.  We’ve included filters for price and genre so that you can quickly sort through the writing classes. And before you commit to any one writing class, consider the following questions:

• Who is the instructor?
• What is the price of the writing course?
• How far away is the writing course in Austin? Is there a remote alternative?
• How long could the course last?

Got any questions about finding the right writing class in Austin for you? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] . Good luck!

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Train across India offers window into voters' views

By SHEIKH SAALIQ Photos by Manish Swarup video by Rishi Lekhi

Published MAY 21, 2024

ABOARD THE THIRUKKURAL EXPRESS, India (AP) — The 1,800-mile (2,900-kilometer) journey south from New Delhi to Kanyakumari is one of the longest train rides in India, passing through cities, villages, scrub forests and deep ravines.

The 22-car Thirukkural Express is a microcosm of India, carrying passengers from different castes and religions and with wide-ranging ambitions and grievances — from migrants crammed into sweltering no-frills cars to well-heeled families luxuriating in air-conditioned sleeper cabins, and everyone in between.

Passengers can also be divided by their politics, a topic that is top of mind with a consequential election underway . The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is likely to win and reappoint Prime Minister Narendra Modi — the leader for the past decade — for another five years.

India's economy has grown rapidly under Modi, but the strong-arm tactics he has deployed to push his Hindu-nationalist agenda has sharpened religious divisions in the country of 1.4 billion people – roughly 200 million of whom are Muslim – and raised fears of a slide from secular democracy toward religious autocracy.

The Associated Press recently made the 48-hour train journey to interview Indian voters about the election, whose results will be announced on June 4. Below are some highlights:

THE GENERAL CLASS

Many passengers who bought the cheapest tickets available are domestic migrants. Sitting on steel benches, standing in doorways, or lying on the floor, they traveled between the thriving capital and villages in the countryside, or to other cities, in search of work.

Pardeep Kumar, a bespectacled man who runs a food stall in New Delhi, said the ruling Modi government isn’t doing enough for the poor.

Like millions of Indians scraping by in the informal economy, Kumar has felt the sting of rising food prices.

He appreciates the five kilograms of free grains he receives every month from the government, part of a program to alleviate poverty and help large numbers of unemployed. But he would prefer the government focus more on improving education, and providing better health care.

“We don’t want free food,” said Kumar, who traveled with his family to their village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. With better education, he said, “we can then earn on our own and feed our families.”

Kumar is rooting for the opposition party, the Indian National Congress, which he knows faces an uphill battle against the ruling BJP.

“For ten years all (the BJP) did was talk about Hindus and Muslims, temples and mosques,” Kumar said. “And if you raise your voice against this, you’ll be arrested.”

A few berths down, Rishipal Chaudhary, wiry and goateed, disagreed.

Chaudhary, a locomotive driver traveling to the southern city of Madurai for work, believes Modi has improved the country. For example, he said, crime against women is down, and schools are being given better teachers and facilities, changes that have benefitted his daughter.

“I love him from the beginning,” Chaudhary said, an opinion shared by many passengers crowded around him.

THE SLEEPER CLASS

As the train cruised through the heartland of India, passing through Agra, a city famous for the 17th century Taj Mahal mausoleum, a man moved through the aisles, shouting: "Tea! Tea! Get your tea!”

A notch up from basic service, the more comfortable — and only slightly less affordable — sleeper cars were filled with passengers sitting in its lower berths. Some were perched on top of the foldable bunks. They discussed politics to pass the time.

“The times have changed. Ten, twenty years ago we were one, but now we have been divided,” Haji Abdul Subhan said, his flowing beard buried in the newspaper he was reading.

Subhan, a 74-year-old former railway employee who is Muslim, was traveling to the city of Bhopal.

Many Muslims have experienced discomfort since Modi took office, and Subhan enumerated some of the indignities carried out by the government: razing the homes and shops of Muslim activists as a form of punishment ; banning Islamic schools in some states; and restricting the volume of loudspeakers at mosques.

“There is an effort to create problems for us. We can’t even speak freely,” he said.

His voice is cut short by Santosh Kumar Aggarwal, a man in a cotton vest who sat cross-legged on the upper berth and listened to Subhan’s concerns.

“He is talking the language of Pakistan,” said Aggarwal, taking a swipe at Muslims, who make up 14% of the population. The stinging suggestion: if you’re unhappy with the government, move to Muslim-majority Pakistan.

A Hindu, Aggarwal has been voting for the BJP for decades. Under Modi, he said, India is reaching new heights.

What about Subhan's concerns?

“You see, (Muslims) might be facing problems,” Aggarwal said. “We don’t have any problems at all.”

And the razing of Muslim properties?

“They (Muslims) grabbed public land under previous governments. That’s why they are crying now,” he said.

THE AIR-CONDITIONED CLASS

As the train chugged south, the terrain was greener, the farms bigger. The homes of the affluent stood out as the landscape rushed by.

On board for a few hours more, the highest-paying passengers pulled freshly starched white bedding from brown paper bags delivered to their berths.

Nikunj Garg, a medical officer, is worried about rising unemployment and trouble in the education system. She believes the quality of life should be improved for all Indians. “It is the small things that matter the most,” she said.

A berth ahead, Samodhra Meena questioned the government's supposedly female-friendly policies, such as access to clean drinking water and cooking gas, that are a hallmark of Modi administration, saying they didn’t benefit her family. “I want a change in the government,” she said.

In the same carriage was Mahadev Prasad. Along with his family, Prasad was going to Madurai, one of the most ancient cities in India known for its Hindu temples. He carried with him holy water from the Ganges River as an offering for one of the temples.

Prasad is confident Modi is coming back to power for a rare third term. He hailed the government’s decision to revoke the semi-autonomy of Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region. And he supports Modi’s increased spending on infrastructure and the decision to build a Hindu temple on top of a razed mosque.

Has his life as a businessman improved?

“All the industries have slowed down. Some are even getting closed in my area,” he said. Yet, for Prasad, Modi has achieved something important.

He draws on a widely accepted theory among Modi supporters to make his pitch: “In the past, Indians didn’t get much respect while travelling abroad. But now we are being respected.”

Vinoth Kumar, who was seated next to Prasad, didn’t seem quite impressed.

Kumar, a 32-year-old telecom engineer from the southern Indian city of Tiruchirappalli, is scathing of the Modi government. He said divisions based on language, ethnicity and religion are rising because of Modi’s Hindu-first agenda.

Kumar predicts that if Modi wins another term "the country will not be secular.”

At the end of another day, the clamor in the train gave way to quiet whispers. More passengers disembarked before the train made its final stop at Kanyakumari’s sprawling beaches that were getting crowded with hundreds of men and women stepping into the water’s edge.

They looked to the east, hands pressed together, as the sun rose from the horizon.

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2024 online creative writing classes at writingworkshops.com, filter and sort.

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6 Month One-on-One Fiction Mentorship for Story Writers & Novelists with Alyssa Songsiridej, Starts July 24th, 2024

Screenwriting 4-Week One-on-One Mentorship with Meredith Alloway: Apply Now

One-on-One 3-Month Mentorship for Autofiction, Fiction, or Memoir, Apply Now!

Write Your Novel 3-Month One-on-One Mentorship Program with Swan Huntley, Apply Now!

Fiction Technique in Memoir 8-Week Zoom Workshop, Starts Thursday, May 23rd, 2024

Exploring Strategies for Story Beginnings with Karen E. Bender 1-Day Fiction Master Class (Zoom), Saturday, May 25th, 2024

How to Conceive & Structure Personal Essays Zoom Seminar, Saturday, June 1st, 2024

Tragedy Plus Time: Nonfiction Zoom Seminar with Elissa Bassist, Sunday, June 2nd, 2024

A Nature Poet’s Field Guide 4-Week Online Workshop, Starts Monday, June 3rd, 2024

What They Don’t Tell You About Publishing: Submitting to Agents and Editors Zoom Seminar, Monday, June 3rd, 2024

Book Proposal Boot Camp: Create the Business Plan For Your Book in 6-Weeks (Zoom), Starts Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

Writing About Mental Illness 8-Week Zoom Workshop, Starts Thursday, June 6th, 2024

Let Your Style Bloom! A 4-Week Generative Poetry Workshop (Zoom), Starts Monday, June 10th, 2024

The Artist's Way 10-Week Zoom Class, Starts Tuesday, June 11th, 2024

As Tears Go By: Poetry & Film 6-Week Zoom Workshop, Starts Wednesday, June 12th, 2024

Writing Real Female Rage 4-Week Zoom Seminar, Starts Wednesday, June 12th, 2024

So, You Want to Attend a Writing Residency? Zoom Seminar, Thursday, June 13th, 2024

Demystifying Show, Don’t Tell – Enhancing Your Writing 4-Week Zoom Class, Starts Thursday, June 13th, 2024

Writing with James Baldwin and Toni Morrison 4-Week Zoom Class, Starts Saturday, June 15th, 2024

Toying with The Truth: A Generative Nonfiction 9-Week Zoom Class, Starts Monday, June 17th, 2024

5-Day Challenge: Use Fiction Elements to Energize Your Nonfiction (Zoom), June 17th - 21st, 2024

Poems of Gratitude: Celebrating The Summer Solstice Zoom Seminar, Thursday, June 20th, 2024

Building Writer Confidence & Dealing with Self-Doubt Zoom Seminar, Saturday, June 22nd, 2024

Threads: Writing Dreamscape, Writing Disaster 6-Week Multi-Genre Zoom Workshop, Starts Thursday, June 27th, 2024

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