Best Creative Writing Classes in 2023

The Classic Course will ensure your story is packing all the ingredients of a plot readers will find spellbinding; from a cracking opening line that grabs the reader’s attention to ensuring their emotional attachment to complex main characters, clever plot development and writing that will capture the reader’s imagination page after page.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

Categories: Book, Adult

Level: Beginner

Class size: Unlimited

Price: $599.00

Start date: Open all year round

Website: https://www.thenovelry.com/courses/the-classic-course

In this online version of our classic one-day Start to Write course, novelist Marcel Theroux presents a starter kit for writers at the beginning of their writing lives.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

Categories: Book

Level: Beginner

Class size: Limited

Price: £100.00

Start date: May, 2023

Website: https://faberacademy.com/product/start-to-write-online-20...

As Jeanette Winterson has said, 'There are millions of readers who are not writers, but there are no writers who are not readers.' With this in mind we look at examples of strong fiction and learn how to read like a writer. What is being done here? How is it done? By the end of the course you should be beginning to find your voice – the material and style which belong to you.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: London

Categories: Book

Level: Beginner

Class size: Limited

Price: £395.00

Start date: July, 2023

Website: https://faberacademy.com/product/getting-started-beginner...

How do we ignite the spark of a story to fire up a fully-realised novel? What are the key decisions we need to consider when writing long form prose fiction? This course will dive into story-telling possibilities and explore the ‘big picture’ questions all novelists need to know, equipping writers with extensive knowledge of novel writing techniques and the confidence to get that book started.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

Categories: Book

Level: Beginner

Class size: Limited

Price: £595.00

Start date: July, 2023

Website: https://faberacademy.com/product/kickstart-your-novel-3-j...

Each session of this stimulating, deep-dive course will include timed writing exercises and group discussions on the topic at hand, whether that’s self, memory, or story. Three members of the group, in rotation, will share their work with the group so that we can discuss successes, difficulties and how to move our work forward.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

Categories: Memoir

Level: Intermediate

Class size: Limited

Price: £795.00

Start date: June, 2023

Website: https://faberacademy.com/product/memoir-and-life-writing-...

The six-week speculative fiction workshop can give you time away from everyday distractions and encourage you to experiment and take artistic risks. The critique sessions are the heart of the workshop: you learn not only by receiving critiques, but by reading others’ work and constructing your own critiques. Instructors, who are among the best writers and editors of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, work directly with students to present group critiques of newly written stories. Next open for applications in December 2023.

Prerequisites: A sample of your work is required.

Location: Online

Categories: Fantasy, Science Fiction

Level: Intermediate

Class size: 15

Price: $3,200.00

Start date: June, 2023

Website: https://www.clarionwest.org/programs/summerworkshop/

Milford is a gathering of authors who write speculative fiction (in its widest sense). It is not a school for beginners; there are no "teachers" or "students". It is not an elitist in-group. Invitations are extended to any SF author - from relative newcomers to those may only dimly recall what rejection slips look like. Please note this residential event takes place in Milford, North Wales.

Prerequisites: You must have made 1 fiction sale to a professional or semiprofessional market.

Location: London

Categories: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Level: Intermediate

Course length: 7 (Full day)

Class size: 15

Price: £899.00

Start date: Open all year round

Website: http://www.milfordsf.co.uk/about.htm

The course is meeting together once a week for a two-and-a-half-hour seminar session delivered by experienced fantasy writers, as well as to get to know each other, work in groups and discuss in plenary with fellow fantasy enthusiasts. We will also have a selection of very special guests, experts on the Inklings, Lewis and Tolkien, editing and fairy and folk tales.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

Categories: Fantasy

Level: Beginner

Class size: Limited

Price: $530.00

Start date: Open all year round

Website: https://oxfordcentreforfantasy.org/online-fantasy-writing...

Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity. The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers). Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: Online

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

Level: Any

Class size: 10

Price: $550.00

Start date: June, 2023

Website: https://sackettworkshop.com/writing/2022/11/05/8-week-onl...

If you have been thinking about beginning to write your life stories or if you have already begun writing memories of your life experiences and would like to continue exploring more ideas, this is the class for you! Through stimulating writing exercises in a supportive group, we will revisit and write about the important moments in our lives.

Prerequisites: This class is open to people over the age of 50.

Location: Online

Categories: Memoir, Adult

Level: Intermediate

Class size: Limited

Price: $580.00

Start date: Open all year round

Website: https://slc.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassInfo.Class...

Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity. The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers). Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Location: New York

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

Level: Any

Class size: 10

Price: $600.00

Start date: May, 2023

Website: https://sackettworkshop.com/writing/2023/01/04/8-wk-in-pe...

Our Advanced Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers who have mastered the essentials and are looking for a community of peers ready to offer insightful, impartial feedback on works in progress. Whether you’re a writer looking to polish work for publication or simply missing the motivation and comradery only workshop can offer, our Fiction Workshop is designed to get you writing.

Prerequisites: A writing sample is required for this class.

Location: Online

Categories: Book

Level: Advanced

Class size: 10

Price: $600.00

Start date: June, 2023

Website: https://sackettworkshop.com/writing/2022/11/05/8-week-onl...