I love writing. But something I love just as much as writing is learning how to get better at it. I’ve already posted about some of my favorite books and podcasts on the writing craft (see here for the books and here for the podcasts, though it’s high time I updated both posts), and today I thought I’d share information about courses writers can take to improve their writing. (All of the prices mentioned here are what was posted on websites as of early October 2025.) 

We live in a post-pandemic world, and a lot of great resources have moved online. Here are just a few.

Realtime Online Classes

• The Writers Loft
  • The Writers Loft describes itself as “a year long conference,” with realtime courses pertinent to creative writing. (Their courses can also often be rewatched for a certain amount of time after the class has concluded.)
  • Cost varies by course.
• StoryStudio
  • Local to Chicago, with in-person and live online options, StoryStudio offers everything from free write-ins, to one-night classes, to half-year and full-year courses. 
  • The cost of these classes and courses varies by offering.
• University of Chicago Graham School
  • The University of Chicago Graham School offers a variety of realtime courses (e.g.: poetry, writing for beginners, characters arcs and subplots, creative nonfiction, playwriting, to name a few)
  • Tuition costs $695 per course.
• Writers.com
  • Writers.com offers a variety of realtime online courses for different lengths of time.
  • The cost of each course is dependent on the type of course being offered.
• Gotham Writers Workshop
  • The Gotham Writers Workshop offers asynchronous classes that advance week by week. Students can take the class at their own pace. Classes cover topics like character creation, dialogue, editing, and so on. 
  • Cost varies by class and course.

Online Classes on Demand

• Coursera
  • Coursera partners with universities and companies to provide a crazy variety of things to learn about in on-demand courses, including creative writing.
  • $59/month, or $399/year
• MasterClass
  • MasterClass offers courses taught by individuals who have had success in their individual fields. Writing classes are taught by writers like Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, LeVar Burton, Mindy Kaling, Amy Tan, Judy Blume, James Patterson, and others.
  • Costs $120/year, billed annually
• Skillshare
  • Skillshare offers classes on creative writing from a variety of professionals
  • Free account for limited access to certain classes, or $13.99/month for premium access (one month free)

Free Online Classes On Demand

• Brandon Sanderson’s Course at Brigham Young University, posted on YouTube
  • Brandon Sanderson developed a completely free course on creative writing with an emphasis on writing fantasy and science fiction. The course was filmed at Brigham Young University and posted about 5 years ago.
• Free Online Courses through Harvard University
  • Harvard and a number of other universities make some of their courses available online for free. The topics vary, but they sometimes have courses on creative writing. As of this writing, they have a class called “Rhetoric: The art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking.”
• The Open University
  • Open University offers a free course on writing fiction for beginners.
• Alison.com
  • Alison.com offers twenty free classes on various topics related to creative writing and writing in general.
• ClassCentral.com
  • Class Central publishes “The Report,” flagging free writing courses offered by universities around the world, covering grammar and punctuation, journalism, creative writing, copywriting, academic writing, business writing, and more.

Finding Resources Near You

All of this online stuff is great, but sometimes it’s nice to meet people in-person. Aside from just Googling what might be near you, you could also try visiting your local library to see what they offer, and check your local universities to see whether they offer free courses or courses to audit. Locally owned bookstores are also often able to help writers connect with other writers and local writerly gatherings. And if you’re not finding anything, consider starting your own workshop group! Writers are everywhere, and a lot of them are looking to find other writers.

For more ideas and updates, sign up for my newsletter here.