158 Best Fiction Creative Writing Classes in 2024

In this one-day structure clinic, TV writer Alicia Carroll will help you apply the toolset of the scribe to root your story in a clearly defined genre, give it a rock-solid spine and compelling arcs that launch your pilot firmly into series.

Writing for games requires an understanding of structure that goes beyond linear storytelling. In this course, you will explore the nature of interactive stories by working in different formats (choose your own adventure, virtual novels, the Telltale style, etc.) and writing games that exemplify the fundamental concepts of branching narrative.

Each writer completing the four-day intensive will come away with a captivating hook, a serviceable proposal, a deeper understanding of publishing houses, editors and agents; a template for navigating the submission manuscript process; and connections to a broader writing community.

This six-week course is perfect for anyone getting started on their path to becoming a screenwriter. Each class offers a broad-strokes introduction to a different writing format, which includes Feature Film, Television Specs and Television Pilots, as well as a rotating list of specialized forms.

In this workshop, we’ll do exercises to identify your core strengths, themes, narrative building blocks, and values. Then we’ll explore how those elements define you as a writer, what they imply about your writing from character arcs to genre, and how to use this knowledge to generate new ideas that play to your strengths.

Are you interested in writing and submitting fiction to both “literary” and “speculative” markets? This webinar will cover submission practices and expectations for both fields, and will discuss key differences and similarities.

Your book cover is a crucial marketing asset, and it can often make or break a sale to a curious reader. In this class, award-winning illustrator Grace P. Fong gives students the tools needed to find and communicate effectively with artists so they can bring your story to life.

Folkloric expression is rich and varied in cultures around the world, both traditional and modern. Authors of fantastic fiction often draw on folkloric traditions to enrich their worldbuilding, but this needs to be approached carefully. In this class, we will explore some concepts from folkloristics, or the study of folklore, to examine the traditional structuring of narratives.

Crafting a believable religion requires more than just a list of gods and their spheres of influence. Come explore the subtler facets that make up a plausible, lived-in faith, and how those can enrich the world of your story.

In this class, I'll explore some iconic monsters of the page and the screen, discuss what real-world fears they connect with, and share tips and tricks for bringing your own gnarly creatures to vivid life for readers, leaving ample time for Q&A and discussion of the scary citizens of your own stories.

Trilogies seem to dominate sci-fi and fantasy series, both on the screen and on the page. However, writing a trilogy isn’t quite as simple as extending the principle of the three act structure. Fonda Lee presents an in-depth examination of how to plan and write trilogies.

In this course, a professional librarian will teach you basic and advanced techniques to carry out research online, with a focus on free tools and resources.