14 Top Online Creative Writing Courses by Published Authors

11/16/2020

Here featured are 14 online creative writing courses by published authors to take your writing to the next level, provide the tools to finish the first draft of your manuscript, or further your career as a successful author.

The following online creative writing courses by published authors are available through MasterClass.

MasterClass is a streaming platform providing video lessons by well-known leading industry experts. As well as writing courses, their comprehensive catalog of courses covers arts and entertainment, business, food, sports and gaming, and more. Learn at your own pace, in your own time, and from anywhere.

Courses can be accessed for an annual fee, and the subscription comes with a 30-day guarantee.

If you’re looking for the ultimate writing course or an online novel writing course to write your book, an online creative writing course by a well-known and established author may help you.

Whether you write fiction, you’re a nonfiction author, a children's book author, a writer of short stories, or you have written a poetry collection, check out these 14 online creative writing courses by published authors.

1. Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing

An online creative writing course from Margaret Atwood, the author of numerous bestsellers, including The Handmaid's Tale, The Year of the Flood, and Alias Grace. In this course you will "explore Margaret's creative process for developing ideas into novels with strong structures and nuanced characters".

The 23 video lessons cover story and plot, structuring your novel, point of view, creating compelling characters, crafting dialogue, prose style and texture, working with time in fiction, and much more.

This online creative writing course is aimed at all levels of writers to learn how to create captivating stories in alternate history, utopian and dystopian fiction, supernatural fiction, and science fantasy.

Check out Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing

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2. Dan Brown Teaches Writing Thrillers

An online course for writing thrillers from Dan Brown whose books, including Angels and Demons, The Da Vinci Code, and Deception Point, have sold over 250 million copies. Discover Dan's "step-by-step process for turning ideas into gripping narratives".

The 19 video lessons cover finding the idea, choosing locations, creating heroes and villains, universal character tools, research, building a story from the ground up, writing chapters and scenes, editing and rewriting, and much more.

For beginners and advanced writers, this online creative writing course to write a thriller teaches the best way to research, how to create believable characters, maintain suspense, and build to a spectacular ending.

Check out Dan Brown Teaches Writing Thrillers

3. James Patterson Teaches Writing

An online writing course from James Patterson who is the author of numerous bestsellers, including Along Came a Spider, 1st to Die, and Jack & Jill. Hear James's advice on "getting your readers invested and making unexpected turns in your work".

The 22 video lessons cover plot, research, writer's block, creating characters, writing dialogue, building a chapter, writing suspense, getting published, and much more.

This online creative writing course is aimed at all levels of writers, beginner, intermediate or advanced, whether you're looking to write a book or have a draft manuscript.

Check out James Patterson Teaches Writing

4. R. L. Stine Teaches Writing for Young Audiences

An online writing course to write for children from R.L Stine, the award-winning author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series. Discover how to "conquer writer's block, develop plots, and build nail-biting suspense that will thrill young readers".

The 28 video lessons cover sources of ideas, getting from idea to plot outline, plot twists and tricks, writing for different age levels, the key to scary writing, how to hook readers right away, mixing horror and humor, and much more.

For all levels of writers, on this online course to write for children you will learn the craft of creating fictional stories for children from an author who has sold over 400 million books.

Check out R.L. Stine Teaches Writing for Young Audiences

5. Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling

An online creative writing course from Neil Gaiman, the bestselling and award-winning author of Good Omens, Stardust, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Learn "how to find your unique voice, develop original ideas, and breathe life into your characters".

The 19 video lessons cover sources of inspiration, finding your voice, developing the story, dialogue and character, worldbuilding, descriptions, editing, and much more.

From beginner to advanced writers, this online course on the art of storytelling teaches Neil's philosophy on what guides a story and keeps it moving forward, and how to harness the creativity and stories within you.

Check out Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling

6. Judy Blume Teaches Writing

An online writing course from Judy Blume, the bestselling and award-winning author for children and adults. Some of her best-known works include Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Tiger Eyes; and In the Unlikely Event.

The 24 video lessons cover finding ideas, idea case studies, writing for younger readers, writing dialogue, creating plot structure, and much more.

Whatever your writing experience, this online writing course from Judy teaches you "how to invent vivid characters, write realistic dialogue, and turn your experiences into stories people will treasure".

Check out Judy Blume Teaches Writing

7. Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing

An online writing course from Malcolm Gladwell, the bestselling author of The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers.

The 23 video lessons cover structuring narrative, reader engagement, research, developing the story, characterization, world building, tone and voice, humor and melancholy, and much more.

From beginner to advanced writers, on this online writing course you will learn how to "craft stories that captivate by learning how Malcolm researches topics, crafts characters, and distills big ideas into simple, powerful narratives".

Check out Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing

8. David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing

An online course on dramatic writing from David Mamet, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Glengarry Glen Ross. Learn "the rules of drama, the nuances of dialogue, and the skills to develop your own voice and create your masterpiece" on this online writing course.

The 26 video lessons cover the purpose of drama, dramatic rules, story ideas, character, structuring the plot, narration and exposition, writing process, the audience, and much more.

For all levels of writers interested in the craft of writing dramatic stories, find out how to turn experience and life's oddest situations into "dramatic art".

Check out David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing

9. Billy Collins Teaches Reading and Writing Poetry

An online poetry writing course from Billy Collins, former US Poet Laureate, whose published works include Whale Day and Other Poems, Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems, The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems. From one of America's most esteemed contemporary poets "learn his approach to exploring subjects, incorporating humor, and finding your voice".

The 20 video lessons cover the pleasure poetry gives us, discovering the subject, writing the poem, the writing process, finding your voice, and much more.

For anyone interested in how to read and write poetry, this online poetry course enables you to find the meaningful in the ordinary and familiar, and how poetry can take you to extraordinary places.

Check out Billy Collins Teaches Reading and Writing Poetry

10. David Baldacci Teaches Mystery and Thriller Writing

An online course on mystery and thriller writing from David Baldacci, the New York Times bestselling author of Absolute Power, Split Second, and True Blue. Discover his techniques for "crafting authentic characters, developing research-based plots, and navigating the world of publishing".

The 18 video lessons cover finding the idea; research methods and sources; constructing chapters; pacing, tension, and suspense; creating compelling characters; crafting dialogue; navigating the publishing business; and much more.

For all levels of writers, this online course on mystery and thriller writing teaches you all about writing clues, red herrings and plot twists, and creating suspense to ensure readers want to keep reading to find out what happens next.

Check out David Baldacci Teaches Mystery and Thriller Writing

11. Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story

An online short story writing course from Joyce Carol Oates, the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, and The Falls. On this course you will "find ideas from your own experiences and perceptions, experiment with structure, and improve your craft, one sentence at a time".

The 14 video lessons cover the principles of writing short fiction, observation techniques, structure and form, writing and revision workshops, and much more.

From beginner to advanced writers, this online short story writing course teaches you how to harness your own storytelling skills and flair.

Check out Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story

12. David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor

An online writing course on storytelling and humor from David Sedaris, the bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, and Calypso. On this course from David you will "learn how to craft attention-grabbing openings, satisfying endings, and meaning from the mundane" as well as using humor to engage readers, and how to apply the hard and sometimes dark from the everyday in your writing.

The 14 video lessons cover observing the world, turning observations into stories, connecting to your reader, writing about loved ones, growing as a writer, and much more.

For all levels of writers, this online writing course on storytelling and humor teaches you "the art of personal storytelling".

Check out David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor

13. Walter Mosley Teaches Fiction and Storytelling

An online writing course on fiction and storytelling from Walter Mosley, the bestselling author of over 60 books, including The Awkward Black Man, Trouble Is What I Do, and White Butterfly. On this course from Walter you will "learn how to choose the right words, structure, genre, and characters to create the novel that’s in you".

The 13 video lessons cover developing fictional characters; story vs plot; descriptive and vivid language; fiction, race, and representation; surviving the publishing industry; discovering yourself through writing; and much more.

Whether you're a beginner or a writer with experience, on this online fiction writing course Walter "shares the elements of storytelling that have helped him along the way".

Check out Walter Mosley Teaches Fiction and Storytelling

14. Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling and Writing

An online writing course on storytelling and writing from Salman Rushdie, the Booker Prize-winning author of Midnight's Children, The Satanic Verses, and The Golden House. On this course you will "learn how to draw from your own experiences to build vivid worlds, authentic characters, and complex plots".

The 19 video lessons cover determining how to tell your story, opening lines with power, drawing from storytelling traditions, conceiving characters, developing your narrative style, building a surrealist story, and much more.

For all levels of writers, this online writing course on storytelling and writing states that "there are extraordinary stories that only you can write—start sharing them".

Check out Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling and Writing

Conclusion

Now you’ve decided to progress your writing skills, learning from an expert and undertaking a professional course to further advance your writing can help to ensure that finalised manuscript becomes a reality.

While you keep writing, learning, and developing, you’ll soon see the results and how much a difference practice and utilizing the information from a writing course can make.

If you make time to write each day, even for just a few minutes, and apply the techniques and tips from a writing class, you will see the improvements and your growth as a writer.