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Creative Writing Classes Online

Unleash your creativity and become a master storyteller with online creative writing classes. Discover the art of crafting compelling narratives, enhancing your writing skills, and unlocking your full imaginative potential.

38 classes have spots left

Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

Gotham Writers Workshop @ Zoom Conference

Unleash your creativity and explore the world of creative writing with confidence in this immersive course. Dive into the power of observation, imagination, and language as you learn to craft compelling fiction and nonfiction narratives. Discover your unique voice and embark on a journey that will ignite your passion for storytelling.

Monday Jan 8th, 6:30–9:30pm Eastern Time

 (6 sessions)

$364

6 sessions

Resistance Smackdown: A Creative Writing Restoration

Writing Pad

Resistance Smackdown: A Creative Writing Restoration Workshop Having trouble getting your derrière in the chair, battling a vicious inner critic or compulsively reorganizing your fridge to avoid the blank page?  If so, you’ve got a resistance problem. Fortunately, we’ve recruited stellar author and essayist Erika Schickel to help you debunk your literary funk. She’ll give you concrete tools for organizing your time and reframing your...

Saturday Jan 13th, 10am–1pm Pacific Time

Creative Writing Workshop - All Genre

Los Angeles Writers Group

Unleash your creativity and explore new genres in an online writing workshop. Unlock your potential with surprising prompts, craft discussions, and positive reinforcement from fellow writers. Join us from anywhere and start crafting pages you never thought possible.

Saturday Dec 2nd, 10am–12:30pm Pacific Time

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Creative Writing Weekly via Zoom

The Writing Studio @ Live Online via Zoom

Unleash your creativity and find your unique voice through the power of writing. Join a supportive community of writers as you explore the art of storytelling and unlock your hidden potential. Whether you're a seasoned writer or new to the craft, this class will guide you on an inspiring journey of self-expression and literary discovery.

Monday Dec 4th, 6:30–9:30pm Pacific Time

 (4 sessions)

Now:
$180
Was:
$200

4 sessions

Saturday Creative Writing Workshop

The Writing Studio @ Live Online via Zoom

Unleash your creative potential and embark on a transformative writing journey in the peaceful atmosphere of The Writing Studio's inspiring workshop. Through meditation and constructive feedback, this Zoom-based class invites both experienced and beginning writers to explore the realms of memoir and fiction, while surprising themselves with the extraordinary material they produce.

Saturday Dec 16th, 9:30am–6:30pm Pacific Time

Online Level 1 Intro to Fiction

The Writers Studio

Our Online Level I workshop is an introduction to the philosophy on which The Writers Studio was founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize winning poet, Philip Schultz. Persona writing, a method of borrowing the voice and temperament of accomplished writers, offers writers the imaginative distance and perspective they need to overcome their negative inclinations, their fear of self-exposure and endless doubt. This method also helps writers try on different...

Monday Feb 26th, 9–10pm Eastern Time

 (8 sessions)

$435

8 sessions

Online Level 1 Intro to Fiction and Poetry

The Writers Studio @ Google Meet

Unlock your most intimate and private stories through personal writing in this online workshop. Develop narrative and lyric voices to turn even the most difficult subject matter into inspiration for your fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction. Broaden your sense of what is possible in your own work and receive constructive critiques from teachers and fellow students.

Thursday Jan 4th, 6–8pm Eastern Time

 (8 sessions)

$435

8 sessions

The 90-Day Novel Telecourse

L.A. Writers' Lab

Discover the transformative power of storytelling with The 90-Day Novel workshop. Join Alan Watt for a live-on-Zoom experience that will guide you from the initial idea to the completion of your novel's first draft, tapping into your subconscious genius and marrying imagination with structure. Unlock the magic of narrative and connect to a community of fellow writers on this 90-day journey.

Monday Jan 8th, 12–1:30pm Pacific Time

 (14 sessions)

$750

14 sessions

Online Level 1 Intro to Poetry

The Writers Studio

Unlock your most intimate and private stories through persona writing and develop your narrative and lyric voices in this introductory poetry workshop. Broaden your sense of what is possible in your work as you explore various literary styles and approaches. Join us online to deepen your understanding of the technique and receive constructive critiques from both teachers and fellow students.

Thursday Jan 25th, 7:30–8:30pm Eastern Time

 (8 sessions)

$435

8 sessions

Fiction Writing Level 1: 10-Week Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop @ Zoom Conference

Unlock your imagination and learn the art of crafting captivating fiction stories in this immersive workshop. Discover the secrets of effective storytelling and gain valuable insights into the human experience. Join us and embark on a journey to bring your stories to life.

Monday Jan 8th, 6:30–9:30pm Eastern Time

 (10 sessions)

$464

10 sessions

Finish that Novel!

Santa Monica College

Unlock your inner author and bring your unfinished manuscript or story idea to life in a supportive and professional environment. Get expert feedback, personal critiques, and a winning strategy for completing your novel to your satisfaction at Santa Monica College. Don't miss your chance to make your writing dreams a reality.

Tuesday Jan 2nd, 6:30–7:30pm Pacific Time

 (6 sessions)

$108

6 sessions

Mystery Writing Level 1: 10-Week Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop

Unleash your inner detective and learn the art of crafting captivating mysteries. Join us at Gotham Writers Workshop and uncover the secrets behind creating suspenseful plots, intriguing characters, and thrilling twists that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Develop your skills in the mystery genre and master the techniques needed to captivate any audience.

Tuesday Jan 9th, 12am–11:45pm Eastern Time

 (2 sessions)

$464

2 sessions

Comics and Graphic Novels 2-Day Intensive

Gotham Writers Workshop @ Zoom Conference

Comic books (and their movie adaptations) aren’t just for kids anymore; they have zoomed to the forefront of popular culture. Meanwhile, graphic novels have blossomed into a legitimate form of literature. These illustrated stories embrace everything from super-hero tales like The Dark Knight, to literary novels like Ghost World, to memoirs like Fun Home. To tell these tales, it’s essential to understand the interdependence of art and text. Here...

Saturday Jan 27th, 1–4pm Eastern Time

 (2 sessions)

$200

2 sessions

Reading Fiction: 6 Weeks

Gotham Writers Workshop

Unleash your inner writer by dissecting the secrets of great fiction with the best in the business. Dive into the minds of renowned authors as you analyze their masterpieces from various angles. Elevate your fiction writing skills and let the experts show you the way at Gotham Writers Workshop.

Wednesday Jan 17th, 12am–11:45pm Eastern Time

 (2 sessions)

$364

2 sessions

Poetry Writing Level 1: 10-Week Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop

Unleash the power of poetry as you learn to pack a maximum punch with a minimum of words. Discover specialized techniques, demands, and forms of poetry, and master the art of writing exquisite verses that captivate the soul. Whether you write for publication or simply for yourself, this workshop will guide you toward creating poetry that resonates and inspires.

Tuesday Jan 16th, 12am–11:45pm Eastern Time

 (2 sessions)

$464

2 sessions

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Discover the Best Creative Writing Classes Online

Have you ever had a great idea for a novel or a screenplay that could make you a million dollars—if only you could write it in the first place? Writing is a mysterious process to those whose literary efforts since college haven’t extended beyond text messages and business emails, but learning to string words together is very much like learning to string steps together when learning to walk. There are, of course, mechanics to writing that novel or screenplay that you have to know, but they can be learned, and there are classes and workshops aplenty that can help you unleash your writerly creativity. You may not necessarily be able to sell that novel or screenplay for a million dollars, but you certainly can learn to write it.

Why You Should Learn Creative Writing Online

Self-expression is a wonderful thing, and the ability to express yourself in written words can be a wonderful and freeing experience. People journal for precisely this reason, but creative writing can have the same effect on its practitioners. You get to make up worlds of your own, fill them with characters of your own design, and tell stories about them. Although, unless you’re really lucky, writing fiction is a hobby more than a career, that’s no reason not to take pen in hand and flex a little literary muscle.

Although Simon & Schuster might not buy your first novel (or Netflix pick up your first screenplay), you can easily publish your work on your own today. Things like Kindle Direct Publishing, Amazon Publishing, and just putting your short stories on your own website (or even your Facebook page) make it possible for your work to reach an audience. The entire nature of a vanity press has been entirely transformed since Proust was obliged to cover the substantial publication costs of Swann’s Way. Your work no longer has to sit in your bottom drawer, totally ignored by the world until it’s discovered after your death, and you achieve posthumous fame.

Another reason for taking a creative writing class would be simply to improve your writing. You don’t need to worry about plot or characters when writing for business, but the fact is that the more you write, the better you get at it. The better you write for work, the better you’re going to look. As a bonus, your storytelling skills developed by writing fiction can even come in handy when you’re called upon to create “story”-based presentations.

Virtual Creative Writing Classes 

Although there are in-person live creative writing classes to be found in most major cities, the fall of the cards is such that an extensive selection of online creative writing classes is available. Nothing could be simpler than taking an online class: fire up your computer, kick off your shoes, log onto Zoom, and Bob’s your uncle. The advantages in terms of convenience are considerable and make it easy to pick up new skills. Creative writing is a hobby that’s very easily learned across the internet: if you want to learn, say, weaving online, you’re going to have to get a loom and thread before you can get started. All you need for creative writing is the computer you already have with which to go online and maybe a pad of paper and some sharpened pencils. With that very modest equipment, you’ll be all set to begin an adventure into the realms of your own imagination.

Among the virtual options at your very real fingertips is a very good place to begin, How to Write a Novel. Given by Santa Monica College’s Community Education division, the eight-session class teaches aspiring novelists how to create a coherent plot, sympathetic characters, and effective conflict that will keep readers engaged. Classroom reviews of students’ work are done in a highly supportive environment. Participants will emerge from the program with a completed outline and possibly even a first chapter to show for their efforts.

If you’ve already started on a masterpiece of narrative fiction and either got stuck or lost interest, Santa Monica College’s online program also offers a class called Finish that Novel! In seven sessions, the course points students towards completing their unfinished efforts.

Participants get a chance to offer their work for (strictly supportive) critique and have the option of staying for 30 minutes after class for a more extended review of what they’ve written.

If that idea you can’t get out of your head is for a screenplay rather than for a novel, you might consider Write Your Screenplay. Offered by Jacob Krueger Studio in New York, the four-session workshop brings students to an approach to screenwriting very different from that taught in most film schools. The idea is to develop an idea from the inside rather than imposing external rules on your ideas. In-class writing exercises form a large part of the curriculum, which also includes feedback from your fellow aspiring screenwriters and even advice on how to avoid procrastination and find the discipline required to make writing a regular part of your life.

The Writers Studio in New York proposes an Online Level 1 Intro to Fiction class. Based on the school’s underlying concept of Persona Writing, the class encourages students to cast off their inhibitions by assuming the styles of various professional authors and, through this process, refine their own individual voices. Feedback is delivered by the teacher in writing to the students, a detail often overlooked in creative writing classes. There is also an optional additional session each week during which the teacher discusses literary technique via Google Meets.

If your ambitions are on a smaller scale, Writing Pad has Short Story 1: Short Story Writing Workshop on tap for those who wish to learn to write a good, solid piece of short fiction. If not the most commercial of forms, the short story makes an excellent learning experience for any writer. The course combines in-class writing exercises and talks about writerly craft, and by the end of five three-hour sessions, students will have a polished short story in their hands and have received practical advice on how to get it published.

Webcast live from the Flatiron Building in Manhattan is something altogether different, a class in Meditative Writing. This is a technique that weds guided meditation to the creative process and has participants using meditation as a means of developing characters by simulated experience rather than by rational thought, resulting (the method presumes) in more adventurous writing. The class is suitable for writers in all genres at all levels of development.

Private Online Group Creative Writing Classes

Managers are always looking for a great new team-building event that’s actually fun and that achieves its goal of bringing team members together. Why not try a creative writing workshop? Guided writing exercises can dip into participants’ creative sides, help them to realize the pleasure of writing, and maybe come away with the beginnings of a short story.

CourseHorse can arrange for creative writing classes for private groups online for all your team members, wherever they may be located. This type of event is particularly felicitous for organizations whose teams are scattered to the remote four winds and has the further advantage of requiring no special equipment. Use the contact form on the CourseHorse website to obtain further particulars or to plan your event.

CourseHorse has a whole world of further online group classes that can help teams bond and give them a few hours’ fun in the process. If you’re not sure about the creative writing class, perhaps you’d be interested in putting your team’s literary capabilities to use in a different way: the Virtual Team-Building Improv Workshop has participants interact in creative (and, yes, funny) ways while painlessly trying on new listening and collaboration strategies.

Booking your next group event through CourseHorse has many advantages, including your not needing a finalized headcount at the time of booking. There is also an extremely forgiving cancellation policy, and you’ll have the event fulfillment team at your disposal to answer questions and take care of details until the minute the event begins. You’re also not locked into using Zoom for virtual events: multiple platforms are supported, giving you the choice of how the event is delivered to your team.

Online vs. In-Person Creative Writing Classes

Choosing between a live in-person and a live online class can be the source of some perplexity. On one level, nothing can take the place of a live in-person class. Unless you were in school during the COVID Years, live in-person is the way you learned growing up, and it’s the way your brain was taught to learn. Live classrooms are familiar settings, and you’re likely to absorb more there than in any other environment. Having to sit up and pay attention means you’ll get the most out of the class, and nothing can replace direct face-to-face contact with a human teacher.

The live online course, on the other hand, offers a degree of convenience that simply is not to be found in an old-fashioned brick-and-mortar classroom. There’s no commute to school to worry about, and you can follow the online class from the most comfortable and familiar of surroundings. Moreover, people who have had their fill of traditional learning environments and who dread the idea of sitting in a conventional classroom ever again will find that online classes are tailor-made for them. The final choice depends ultimately on your personal learning style, as well as, of course, the availability of live in-person classes in your vicinity. If you like being in groups, by all means, go for the in-person class; if you prefer your own company, perhaps online learning is right for you.

Can I Learn Creative Writing for Free Online?

YouTube is awash with videos with tips for creative writers. Some of these video tutorials contain useful information, exercises, and tips and tricks that can help you as a writer. Can these, in the aggregate, make a fluent writer out of you? Probably not. While they can help put you on the right path, the impossibility of feedback from a canned tutorial is highly problematic when it comes to learning something like creative writing, especially for beginners who have yet to develop the means to evaluate their own work. Thus, if you’re serious about writing, you’ll need to do more than dabble in YouTube videos and seek out a class in which you and your work can receive the kinds of human attention they both require and deserve.

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