Learn From the BEST Writers
What is MasterClass?
MasterClass is the streaming platform that makes it possible for anyone to watch or listen to hundreds of video lessons taught by 150+ of the world’s best.
That includes writers across genres, such as Neil Gaiman, David Baldacci, James Patterson, Dan Brown, Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan, Margaret Atwood, Shonda Rhimes, and many more.
We're proud affiliates for MasterClass, meaning if you click a link on this page and make a purchase, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We appreciate your support!
We subscribe to and learn from MasterClass and recommend it because we believe in it as a great tool to learn from the BEST about many topics, including writing.
We have included a sample of the fiction writing teachers below. If you want to know more about that teacher's course, click the button next to them to see more detail including their curriculum, trailer for the course, and sample lessons.
So scroll down and take a look, or just click the button to go right to the signup page for MasterClass. You won't regret it! (But if you do, there is a 30-day money back guarantee, so there's no risk).
Check it Out!Neil Gaiman Teaches
the Art of Storytelling
Award-winning author Neil Gaiman has spent more than a quarter of a century crafting vivid, absorbing fiction. Now, the author of Coraline, Good Omens, American Gods, Stardust, The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere, and The Sandman teaches his approach to imaginative storytelling in his online writing class. Learn how to find your unique voice, develop original ideas, and breathe life into your characters. Discover Neil’s philosophy on what drives a story—and open new windows to the stories inside you.
Show Me Neil Gaiman's Class
What Does MasterClass Include?
Every membership includes:
- All 150+ classes and categories in their library
- New classes added every month
- Learn and be inspired anytime, anywhere, including your smartphone, personal computer, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku streaming media players. You can even download your favorite lessons and watch on the plane or listen during your commute in audio-only mode.
Each class includes around 20 video lessons that are 10 minutes long on average, along with an in-depth workbook.
David Baldacci Teaches
Mystery and Thriller Writing
David Baldacci has captivated readers across the world with gripping, suspense-fueled thrillers. Now the New York Times–bestselling author of 38 novels shares his techniques for crafting authentic characters, developing research-based plots, and navigating the world of publishing. Learn how to write a novel with red herrings, clues, and plot twists that will keep your readers turning the pages.
Show Me David Baldacci's Class
Workbooks and Other Resources
The workbooks and other resources included with each class are amazing!
For example, David Baldacci's class includes a 97-page workbook with notes for each of the video lessons plus exercises and challenges.
Baldacci also includes the original handwritten outlines for two of his novels and he reviews them in the video lessons. This is a great example of how these famous, accomplished writers open up and show you behind the curtain how they actually do their work and what they have learned the hard way.
N. K. Jemisin Teaches
Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing
The winner of the Hugo Award for three consecutive years for her Broken Earth Trilogy, N. K. Jemisin has sold millions of books and created new cultures and histories. Now the acclaimed science fiction and fantasy writer is teaching you how to create a world from scratch, develop compelling characters, and get published. Build your craft and share your voice with inclusive fiction that reflects your experience.
Show Me N. K. Jemisin's Class
What Is Your Favorite Genre?
Do you read and write Fantasy & Science Fiction? Or do you prefer Mystery & Thrillers? Perhaps you're not into genre at all. MasterClass has it covered with writers across the spectrum of genres, styles, and experiences.
Amy Tan Teaches
Fiction, Memory, and Imagination
Amy Tan was 33 before she first explored her voice as a fiction author. A few years later, her debut novel, The Joy Luck Club, spent 40 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list. Now she’s showing you her approach to the challenges and joy of self-discovery through writing. Learn how to craft compelling beginnings and endings, find your voice, and embrace your emotional memory to bring powerful narratives to life.
Show Me Amy Tan's Class
Do You Write for Grown-Ups?
Or the Child in Us All?
The wide range of writers you can learn from in MasterClass will let you explore many writing styles for a wide range of audiences. There's something to be learned from each, even those that are outside your current reader and writer comfort zone.
Take the challenge, stretch your mind!
R. L. Stine Teaches
Writing for Young Audiences
Award-winning novelist R.L. Stine wrote jokes and funny stories for 20 years before he switched gears and became a horror-writing legend. Since then, the author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series has sold more than 400 million copies. In his first-ever online writing class, Bob takes the fear out of crafting fiction. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, you’ll learn new ways to conquer writer’s block, develop plots, and build nail-biting suspense that will thrill readers of all ages.
Show Me R. L. Stine's Class
Do You Aspire to Write Commercial Fiction
That Tops the Best Seller Lists?
If you dream about seeing your name on the New York Times Best Seller list (week after week after week), maybe even with several books on the list, then learn from the masters that do it, over and over. They know all the tricks of the trade, and on MasterClass they share them with you.
James Patterson
Teaches Writing
James Patterson, the author of 19 consecutive No. 1 New York Times bestsellers, reveals his tricks of the trade. In his first online writing class, he guides you from the start to the finish of your book.
Show Me James Patterson's Class
Do You Want to Write Impactful Fiction
With Timeless Appeal?
Maybe you're not so into the best seller lists and more interested in telling that one, compelling, impactful, memorable story that leaves a lasting legacy?
Learn from and be inspired by the masters of the writing craft.
Margaret Atwood Teaches
Creative Writing
Called the “Prophet of Dystopia,” Margaret Atwood is one of the most influential literary voices of our generation. In her first-ever online writing class, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale teaches how she crafts compelling stories, from historical to speculative fiction, that remain timeless and relevant. Explore Margaret’s creative process for developing ideas into novels with strong structures and nuanced characters.
Show Me Margaret Atwood's Class
Explore Short Fiction
If you prefer reading — and perhaps you're currently writing — full-length novels (or epic multi-volume series), consider changing the pace and enjoy the bite-sized fun of reading and writing short stories.
There's so much to be learned by the tight focus of short fiction.
Joyce Carol Oates
Teaches the Art of the
Short Story
The author of some of the most enduring fiction of our time, Joyce Carol Oates has published 58 novels and thousands of short stories, essays, and articles. Now the award-winning author and Princeton University creative writing professor teaches you how to tap into your storytelling instincts. Find ideas from your own experiences and perceptions, experiment with structure, and improve your craft, one sentence at a time.
Show Me Joyce Carol Oates's Class
Do You Want to Write for the Stage, Film, or TV?
Or Just Learn How to Write Vivid, Cinematic Prose?
Whether you want to be a playwright or screenwriter or just apply the best from the stage and screen to your novels and short stories, MasterClass brings you the masters of the craft. In addition to Shonda Rhimes (see below), you can learn from Aaron Sorkin ("A Few Good Men", "The West Wing", "Moneyball", "The Social Network"), David Mamet ("Glengarry Glen Ross", "The Untouchables", "The Verdict"), the Duffer Brothers (of "Stranger Things" fame) and filmmakers like David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, and James Cameron to name a few.
Shonda Rhimes Teaches
Writing for Television
When Shonda Rhimes pitched Grey’s Anatomy she got so nervous she had to start over. Twice. Since then, she has created and produced TV’s biggest hits including Bridgerton, How to Get Away With Murder, Scandal and many others. In her screenwriting class, Shonda teaches you how to create compelling characters, write a pilot, pitch your idea, and stand out in the writers’ room. You’ll also get original pilot scripts, pitch notes, and series bibles from her shows. Welcome to Shondaland.
Show Me Shonda Rhimes's Class
And There's So Much More ...
We haven't even scratched the surface of all MasterClass has to offer. There are so many more fiction writers teaching their craft, including Judy Blume (children's, young adult, and adult fiction), Dan Brown (thrillers), Walter Mosley (award winning crime fiction), and Salman Rushdie (literary fiction).
And it's not just classes on fiction writing. Other examples include:
- Poetry - If you want to write poetry or just be inspired to write more beautiful poetic prose, consider Billy Collins's class on reading and writing poetry or Joy Harjo's class on poetic thinking.
- Non-Fiction - Consider Malcolm Gladwell's great class on how to find, research, and write stories that capture big ideas, or Roxane Gay's class on writing for social change.
- Research - For example, if you're writing a thriller that features a hostage negotiation, learn from Chris Voss, the former FBI lead hostage negotiator. If you're writing about a character who is a ballet dancer, but you don't know anything about ballet, take Misty Copeland's class to learn first hand all the inside secrets of a world class ballet dancer. If you're writing about a professional poker player, but you don't know the first thing about poker, take Phil Ivey's class in poker strategy to get the insider's view of the game. The possibilities are endless.
- What Else Do You Want to Learn Today? - Your life is (hopefully) not ALL about writing. MasterClass lets you learn about a wide range of topics. You're guaranteed to discover a treasure trove of fascinating and fun new things to learn in their 150+ classes (with new classes added every month). It's an "all-you-can-eat" learning-buffet, served up by the BEST in their field.
And speaking of guarantees. MasterClass is so sure that you will love the classes that they offer a 30-day guarantee with a full refund, so there's no risk in trying it out.
What Are You Waiting For? Try It Out Today!