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!
Upcoming Online Novel Writing Courses
May Courses
Get It Done: Fast-Draft Your Novel in 13 Weeks
with Troy Wilderson
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.
June Courses
The Elements of Fiction
with Jessie Roy
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.
Finding Inspiration in Dreams
with Amy Bonnaffons
Our dreams are fertile fields of inspiration, meaning, and creativity. Learn how to use your dreams as doorways to future writing.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Observing What’s Vivid in Prose and Poetry
with Marc Olmsted
Learn how to spotlight beauty through fresh, vivid, and surprising language, in this four week mindfulness writing course.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Story Lab: The Story-Subplot Connection
with Jeff Lyons
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
July Courses
Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack
with Jack Smith
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!
The Cabin In The (Virtual) Woods: Writing Horror Comedy
with Giulietta Nardone
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.
Plot Your Novel with the Three-Act Structure
with Denise Santomauro
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.
Writing Autobiographical Fiction
with Jack Smith
Learn to depart from "what really happened," and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
August Courses
Rapid Story Development: A Master Plan for Building Stories That Work
with Jeff Lyons
In this 10 week story writing class, Jeff Lyons pairs the Enneagram with story development techniques to revolutionize your writing practice.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Write Your Picture Book!
with Kelly Bingham
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!
Write Your Novel in 16 Weeks!
with Briana Una McGuckin
In this generative novel writing course, we'll go from writing a strong beginning to writing "The End" on your novel's first draft.
September Courses
A Writerly Life: Develop a Writing Routine that Works for You
with Shelby Hinte
What does a writer's life look like? Build a productive writing habit in this course for writers of all backgrounds.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Writing with Consistency and Courage
with Tamara Dean
What makes a successful writer? It's not talent, craft, or even the right connections—it's consistency and courage.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Dread and Desire: Gothic Fiction Techniques to Lure and Horrify Your Readers
with Briana Una McGuckin
This Halloween, learn how to write eerie, haunting moods in this comprehensive course on Gothic writing techniques.
Unscheduled Courses
(Live Workshop) Revising the Novel: Take Your First Draft to the Next Level
with Donna Levin
Ready to start revising your novel? Get rolling in this in-depth webinar.
(Live Workshop) Writing Beginnings and Endings
with Sarah Aronson
How do you write a story that's compelling to start and satisfying to finish? Sarah Aronson explains in this comprehensive one-day workshop.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
(Live Workshop) Writing from a Strong Sense of Place: A Generative Workshop
with Jacquelyn Stolos
Develop powerful and realistic settings in this generative three-hour workshop, with Jacquelyn Stolos.
Fiction, Live Workshop, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
*Private Class | Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.
*Private Class | The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
*Private Class | Using Bullet Journaling to Achieve Writing Goals
with Rudri Patel
Looking to keep your writing goals organized? Make it happen in our bullet journaling course. Learn the art of the BuJo with Rudri Patel!
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
*Private Class | Writing with Tarot
with Sandra Novack
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Advanced Fiction Workshop with Emily Adrian
with Emily Adrian
Build a feedback group and sharpen your novel or short stories for publication in this workshop-oriented fiction class.
Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Use Story and Premise Development for Writing Success
with Jeff Lyons
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Stage and Broadcast
Battling the Blank Page: Writing the First Third of Your Novel
with Elisa Bonnin
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.
Beyond Formula: Writing Love Scenes With Spirit, Passion, Grit And Character Truth
with Anya Achtenberg
Write about love beyond trite sentiment and shallow fictions. Work down to the real thing: deep, powerful, destructive, exalted, fundamental.
Block Buster: Turbocharge Your Creativity with Breakneck Writing
with Gretchen Clark
Banish writer's block, unearth fresh ideas, and sharpen your storytelling ability with the practice of fast, timed writing.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Boost Your Imagination and Reap the Literary Rewards
with Giulietta Nardone
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!
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Character is the Key: Unlock Your Best Stories
with Jessie Roy
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.
Character Transformation Workshop: How to Write Stories that Emotionally Resonate
with Giulietta Nardone
Learn how to write emotionally resonant journeys that stick with the reader, using the power of character transformation.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Crafting a Story or Novel Chapter Using Forward-Moving Tension
with Sandra Novack
How do writers tell stories with tension, action, and emotion? Learn how to write forward-moving tension in this 5 week fiction course.
Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults
with Kelly Bingham
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!
Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop
with Kelly Bingham
Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.
Crafting the Romance Novel
with Jeanne De Vita
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…
De Novo: How to Build Your Own Fantasy or Sci-Fi World
with Elisa Bonnin
Create captivating worlds in this comprehensive worldbuilding course. You'll come away with fantastic settings that make your stories mesmerizing, believable, and real.
Deepening and Organizing Our Stories: Memoir/Creative Nonfiction and Autobiographical Fiction
with Anya Achtenberg
For writers of memoir, creative nonfiction and fiction, with some experience. Particularly helpful to writers in the midst of a longer work.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Drafty in Here: Write Your Novella in Ten Weeks
with
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.
Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Finding the Real Story: Essential Elements of Story in Fiction and Memoir
with Anya Achtenberg
Address the larger issues of writing story through a look at the essential elements of narrative in fiction and memoir.
Finish Your Manuscript: Next-Level Picture Book Mentorship
with Kelly Bingham
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.
First Pages That Will Pull Agents In!
with Troy Wilderson
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.
From Memory: Writing Fiction or Memoir from Lived Experience
with Chin-Sun Lee
In this class, you'll use a nearly infinite resource—your own memory—to craft compelling fiction or nonfiction stories.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
From the Source: Journaling for Self-Knowledge and Creativity
with Amy Bonnaffons
Journal to discover yourself, find a wellspring of creativity, and produce publication-ready pieces.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Get Back to That Book
with Donna Levin
For any number of reasons, the book we want to write gets waylaid. Get back to it in this motivational two part workshop.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel
Get Clear on Your Story and Voice
with Nadia Colburn
What is your story about? What is your voice? Whether you write poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, hone your writing in this 3 hour workshop.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Get It Done: Create the Scaffolding to Start (and Finish) a Writing Project
with Eman Quotah
Get your butt in the chair, your mind roaming freely, and your creative juices flowing in this motivational, all-genres writing class.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Get That Novel Finished! Tools and Inspiration to Complete Your First Draft
with Donna Levin
Finishing a novel requires guts, dedication, and stamina. When you find yourself struggling, our 10-week course with Donna Levin will help!
Get That Novel Started: A Two-Week Writing Workshop
with Donna Levin
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.
Get Your Book Done Intensive! 4 Weeks to Measurable Progress
with Giulietta Nardone
The summer 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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Get Your Book Noticed: Writing Loglines That Sell
with Jeff Lyons
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Graphic Novel Writing Bootcamp
with Cristian Aluas
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.
How to Firm Up the “Mushy Middle” of Any Story
with Jeff Lyons
Ensure a strong middle throughline for any story. Say goodbye to the "mushy middle," and hello to stories that work.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
How to Write Character-Driven Stories
with Lisa C. Taylor
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.
How to Write Great Stories
with Amy Bonnaffons
Learn how to combine character, setting, plot, and other elements of fiction to write powerful, compelling stories.
Humor Is The New Black!
with Giulietta Nardone
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
I’ve Drunk Your Poisoned Nectar: Writing with the Goddess
with Shankar Narayan
Dig deep into the rich mythology of South Asian goddesses to find new inspiration for your work in this generative, open-genre writing class.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction
with Margo Perin
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Intro to Fiction Writing
with Donna Levin
What makes a good fiction story? Learn how to write compelling stories in this eight-week intro to fiction course, with Donna Levin.
Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.
It Starts with Play: Get (Back) into Writing
with Janée Baugher
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Kickstart Your Novel
with Eman Quotah
How do novelists turn an idea into a published book? Gain the confidence to be a novelist in this transformational 3 hour workshop.
Let It Rip: The Art of Writing Fiery Prose
with Giulietta Nardone
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Look Again: Revision for Novel Writers
with Amanda Hosch
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.
Make Your Prose Sing
with Leslie Lawrence
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Manuscript Review for Children’s Writers: Summer Edition
with Sarah Aronson
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.
Manuscript Workshop: Writing For Young Readers
with Denise Santomauro
Author Denise Santomauro leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.
Mastering the Elements of Fiction
with Jack Smith
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.
Onward: Writing the Novel-in-Process
with Sandra Novack
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.
Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks!
with Giulietta Nardone
"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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Penning Passion: Finish the First Draft of your Romance Novel in Ten Weeks
with Jeanne De Vita
In this comprehensive class, you'll learn the ropes of romance writing and finish a first draft of your romance novel.
Plot Your Novel
with Jack Smith
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.
Roads Into Writing: Opening New Terrain In Your Work
with Anya Achtenberg
Write like mad, read brilliant books & deepen your craft while exploring new paths to inspiration. With novelist and poet Anya Achtenberg, .
Scene Study: Strengthen Your Writing with Compelling Scenes
with Susan Pohlman
Great stories are constructed with great scenes. Immerse your reader in your stories by learning the ropes of scene development.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, Fantasy, & More
with Tara Campbell
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.
Story Lab: Story Structure 101
with Jeff Lyons
Structure is essential to great storytelling. Learn how to roadmap any story in this comprehensive story structure class.
Suspense Sells! Power Up Your Writing With Conflict, Tension and Emotion
with Giulietta Nardone
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.
Techwashed!: Writing with AI, Data, and Surveillance
with Shankar Narayan
Raise a mirror against society's relationship to technology in this two part workshop series where we will learn how to write about tech.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Teen Writers’ Workshop: Discover the Writer You Want to Be
with Cara Stevens
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.
Ten Steps to Creating Interesting, In-Depth Characters
with Sarah Aronson
How do you write about people convincingly? Empower your character development in this workshop filled with exercises and character discussion.
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
with Elisa Bonnin
Create fantastical worlds with mythical beings in this comprehensive introduction to fantasy and science fiction.
The First Fifty Pages of the Novel
with Sandra Novack
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.
The Five Ws (and One H) of Drafting Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels
with Amanda Hosch
Asking yourself these six questions will give you the scaffolding for your next young adult or middle grade novel.
The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
The Surprising Sentence: Honing Your Prose Style
with Jessie Roy
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.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Live Workshop, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Turn Up the Heat: How to Write Good Sex
with Jeanne De Vita
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.
Untie the Tropes: Write In-Depth YA Protagonists
with Elisa Bonnin
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.
What to Do When Your Characters Fall in Love: Writing Romance in Any Genre
with Briana Una McGuckin
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.
Write Your Children’s Book!
with Kelly Bingham
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.
Write Your Novel Draft!
with Aatif Rashid
Move far ahead in your novel draft, while learning the craft of novel writing and developing a stronger writing practice.
Write Your Novel: The Art of the Outline
with Aatif Rashid
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.
Writing for Kids: Entering the World of Children’s Literature
with Amanda Hosch
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.
Writing Magical Fiction
with Amy Bonnaffons
In this workshop series, you won't just write using magic in fiction—you'll harness the magic that only fiction can make.
Writing Short Stories with the Empathic Approach
with Troy Wilderson
Great fiction brings deeper understanding. Foster a greater sense of connection and supercharge your stories in this empathy-driven fiction class.
Writing Spontaneously: How to Let Your Stories Surprise You
with Jessie Roy
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.
Writing the Absurd
with
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.
Writing with Tarot
with Sandra Novack
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.