Two Trusty Online Fiction Writing Venues
Where I would go if writing my first novel
The best way to improve at the craft of writing novels is through reading and writing. Read the kind of fiction you want to write and write as much and often as you can manage.
Still, there IS a place for writing courses and workshops. I’ve taken a couple myself and they can serve as helpful introductions to or refreshers on fiction writing elements like setting, plot, character development, and conflict. Writing courses also provide structure, discipline, and motivation for those who need it–and we all do from time to time.
Finally, courses can help writers become better at evaluating their own work more objectively. Some online classes even offer feedback from the instructors as well as opportunities to develop connections with other writers with whom they can exchange thoughts and ideas.
Something to look out for: if you're trying to publish a novel be sure to choose instructors who’ve written and published novels themselves. A surprising number of those teaching these courses have never been published. They may have written a novel or parts of a novel, but that doesn’t really count.
Think about it. If the instructor has never actually been PUBLISHED or even successfully self-published with a proven record of sales, you have no way of determining whether they know how to write something that is publishable and will sell. Lots of people write; far fewer actually publish.
This may sound harsh but there are plenty of successful, published authors out there ready and willing to teach and share what they know. Why go with anyone who hasn’t published?
Below are two online venues with multiple offerings for those writing or aspiring to write a novel. Their instructors are legit professionals who have published multiple books. These are the places I would consider if I were starting out, given their long-standing reputations. One I’ve checked out myself, and I’m personally acquainted with an instructor in the other.
Masterclass
You’ve probably heard of them as they offer instruction on a wide range of topics from cooking to music to gaming, as well as more than 15 courses on writing fiction. You can only take these classes by purchasing an annual membership, and payment plans range from $120/year to $240/year, but they both allow you to take any of the more than 200 courses offered during that time.
And they really are taught by those who are masters in their fields like Gordon Ramsey (cooking), Ava DuVernay (leadership), John Legend (song writing), Yo-Yo Ma (music), Nas (hip-hop storytelling), Martha Stewart (success), and Mark Cuban (business). The offerings on fiction writing are vast and the instructors equally impressive–James Patterson, Amy Tan, N.K. Jemisin, Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, David Baldacci, Margaret Atwood, and on and on.
There’s a catch though. Although inspiring and offering deep insight, the classes are actually more like lectures. There are no assignments or handouts, and you won’t get personal instructor feedback. So you need to bring a lot of self discipline. For this reason, Masterclass training is probably best suited to those who have done some writing and simply need motivation or guidance to hone their craft.
https://www.masterclass.com/homepage/writing
Gotham Writers Workshop
They’ve been around for more than 20 years, offering courses in creative and business writing. Training is in-person in New York City, online, and live through Zoom.
The online workshops and classes are taught using images and text for a specific period of time such as six- or ten weeks. Class sizes are kept small and offer personal attention from instructors.
Zoom classes are taught in real time with live interaction and feedback from the instructors and other students. Classes include lectures, assignments with deadlines, and writing prompts.
The fiction writing classes offered include novel writing—beginning and advanced—plot mechanics, character development, how to get published, romance writing, mystery writing, and much more. As an example, Fiction Writing 1 is for beginning writers and is a prerequisite to other more advanced classes. This 10-week workshop includes lectures, exercises, and critiques of your writing.
The instructors are successful published authors. Some have worked as editors at major publishing houses. I’m personally acquainted with one of them and she’s well experienced.
Workshop and class prices vary depending on the length and generally range from the low to mid- hundreds of dollars. Some of them can be taken one-on-one for a higher price.
A great deal of information is available on the website.
https://www.writingclasses.com