32 Best Fantasy Creative Writing Classes in 2024

This immersive six-week program is designed for emerging writers, offering a chance to learn in a close-knit community environment. Each week, participants are guided by a different esteemed author or editor, focusing on critiques, writing techniques, and professional concerns. The workshop, held in a vibrant Seattle setting, includes community gatherings, readings, and opportunities to connect with authors and alumni​​.

Clarion offers an intensive six-week summer program specifically tailored to the writing of science fiction, fantasy, and horror short stories. Recognized as a leading training ground for aspiring writers in these genres, the program focuses on fundamental aspects unique to speculative fiction. Students benefit from the guidance of highly respected and experienced writers and editors active in the field.

Let’s see how far our imaginations can take us! This workshop is for writers interested in genres within the speculative fiction umbrella. Genres that ask “what if?” are all welcome including sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, horror, dystopian fiction, and surrealism.

Futurescapes is an intensive, exclusive workshop, offering writers an unparalleled chance to work with top authors and agents in speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal).

The key to any unforgettable work of prose resides in the quality of its scenes. In this class, we’ll look at some of the best scenes ever written and investigate what it takes to write a scene that keeps readers on the edges of their seats.

In this one-day workshop, facilitated by author and story developer Gabiann Marin, explore the history and the foundational theories of mythic and fairytale writing to develop your own unique fairytale or folkloric storyline, character or structure—as well as finding ways to incorporate these elements in your writing.

If you’d like to bring more elements of science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror (and their many subgenres) into your poetry, this class is for you! In this class, we’ll explore speculative poetry and its possibilities through short craft readings, example poems, and generative writing.

Ideal for fantasy enthusiasts, this 11-week online course teaches students to construct imaginative worlds, create compelling characters, and develop innovative plots. It emphasizes genre-specific elements like world-building, character development, and narrative structure, catering to those eager to experiment with the fantasy genre​​.

This workshop offers a unique opportunity for writers to submit up to 4000 words of their work for critique in a group setting, led by industry professionals including Arley Sorg and Cat Rambo. The program includes pitch sessions to an agent, one-hour workshops, and panel presentations on various writing and publishing topics. It's a chance to polish the first pages and chapters of your project, with optional casual gatherings to network with other writers, editors, and agents​​​​.

Odyssey is a respected workshop for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror. It offers an intensive, personalized, one-on-one online workshop experience. The program includes lectures, readings, critiques, and individualized assignments, with options for six, twelve, or eighteen-week sessions. Each session accepts only four writers, ensuring deep mentoring.

This six-week course delves into the world of fantasy writing. It includes weekly two-and-a-half-hour seminars with experienced writers, one-on-one tutor sessions, and expert talks. Topics covered range from world-building to character development, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of fantasy writing​​​​​​​​​​.

Tailored for aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy, this 10-week workshop covers the basics of the genre. It includes lectures, exercises, and critiques, making it a great starting point for beginners or a refresher for those already familiar with the basics.