The best MasterClass writing classes translate the success of guru authors into practically applicable lessons that you can use to write successful literature, whether it’s poetry, fiction, playwriting, or screenwriting. I myself am a bit of a writing craft junkie, having gotten my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts (read my residency recap and my reflections on my first three semesters). But there’s always more to learn, and fortunately you don’t have to shell out MFA level tuition to bone up on your writing knowledge. It turns out, all you need is a MasterClass subscription to access genius-level writing craft wisdom from some of the best writers out there. But who teaches these courses? What lessons do they teach? How much is a WritingClass subscription? We’ll cover all that and more in this list of every MasterClass writing class.
By the way, you might want to check out my list of the 20 best books about creative writing here on the blog for more crafty knowledge.
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What is MasterClass?
MasterClass is a company that combines talented individuals who are leaders in their field with their “master class” on a subject they have expert knowledge of. These courses, which hover around 3-4 hours (at least the writing ones do), are broken up into easily digestible lessons on all kinds of craft topics, everything from writing suspense with thriller authors to writing for young audiences taught by a kid lit maestro. There are 11 categories of class genres and more than 180 courses available, from acting to cooking and more.
How Much Does MasterClass Cost?
MasterClass has three tiers of membership, billed annually. Here’s a screenshot that details their pricing and what you get with each level.
As you can see, the Individual plan is $15 a month ($180 a year billed annually). A Duo plan allows for more than one person to access the courses and costs $20 a month ($240 a year billed annually). And the Family plan is $23 a month or $276 billed annually and covers up to 6 people using the catalog at the same time.
Considering all the content you get, even the most basic plan (which I have) has tremendous value when you think about it. Even if you just go through one course with fifteen lessons, each one prices out to be $1 per lesson. That’s insanely low when you take into account the price of an MFA or more formal education. And the more you use the subscription, the greater the deal gets.
And now for the complete list of MasterClass writing classes!
Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing
3 hours 43 minutes
23 video lessons, including:
- “Creating Compelling Characters”
- “Revealing the World through Sensory Imagery”
- “Working with Time in Fiction”
- “The Door to Your Book: The Importance of the First Five Pages”
- “Research and Historical Accuracy”
Acclaimed author Margaret Atwood is best known for her book The Handmaid’s Tale, but in this first course in this list of MasterClass writing classes, Atwood shares her tips and tricks for writing all types of fiction.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
David Baldacci Teaches Mystery and Thriller Writing
3 hours 46 minutes
18 video lessons, including:
- “Constructing Chapters”
- “Pacing, Tension, and Suspense”
- “Crafting Dialogue”
- “Writing Action”
- “Writing a Series”
Writer David Baldacci, who’s penned the Amos Decker series and the Atlee Pine books along with countless other bestselling suspense novels, teaches a memorable course on writing mystery and thrillers. You know you’re in good hands to learn everything there to know about writing a spellbinding page-turner.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Judy Blume Teaches Writing
4 hours 50 minutes
24 video lessons, including:
- “Finding Ideas: Parts 1 and 2”
- “Writing for Younger Readers: Parts 1 and 2”
- “Creating Memorable Characters: Parts 1 and 2”
- “Writing Dialogue”
- “Creating Plot Structure: Parts 1 and 2”
My childhood would not exist without Judy Blume, who wrote so many of the books I checked out from the library over and over again, like the Fudge Books and the classic Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Blume has also written books for adults, such as Summer Sisters. In her MasterClass, Blume shares her secrets about writing emotionally engaging fiction starring unforgettable characters. Of note, this MasterClass often includes big lessons spread out over two parts, like Blume’s two-part lesson on “Writing for Young Readers.”
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Dan Brown Teaches Writing Thrillers
3 hours 47 minutes
19 video lessons, including:
- “The Anatomy of a Thriller”
- “Creating Heroes and Villains”
- “Creating Suspense: Parts 1 and 2”
- “Writing Chapters and Scenes”
- “Exposition and Dialogue”
Who hasn’t read one of Dan Brown’s celebrated thrillers, like The Da Vinci Code and the other books starring Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon? In his MasterClass, Brown schools you on how to achieve the same success with your thrillers, going over important topics like crafting the perfect hero and the perfect villain, cultivating suspense, and pacing your thriller novel. Brown is a big draw among the MasterClass writing classes.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Billy Collins Teaches Reading and Writing Poetry
3 hours 34 minutes
20 video lessons, including:
- “Working with Form”
- “Discovering the Subject”
- “Sound Pleasures”
- “Playing a Visible Game”
- “Humor as a Serious Strategy”
I’m a fan of poetry and consider myself an amateur poet. And I even have a blog post on here about the best poetry writing books to teach you how to write poetry. But I can’t equal the knowledge and experience of Billy Collins, one of the most lauded and recognizable faces in American poetry whose most recent collection is Musical Tables. In this MasterClass, you get an elite craft seminar in how to read, write, revise, and share poetry. It’s a great course to watch if you’re thinking about dabbling in verse.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling
4 hours 49 minutes
19 video lessons, including:
- “Truth in Fiction”
- “Sources of Inspiration”
- “Finding Your Voice”
- “Developing the Story”
- “Worldbuilding”
It’s no secret I’m a huge Neil Gaiman fan and have even reviewed his books here on the blog (like my recap of his book Art Matters, essential reading for any budding writer). You might know Gaiman from his countless hits, like Neverwhere, American Gods, and Norse Mythology. When I think of Gaiman, I think of a sage of story, which is why it’s such a good fit that his MasterClass is all about the art of storytelling. This class distills Gaiman’s wisdom on crafting memorable and treasured stories. This was my first course I watched in the category of MasterClass writing classes.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Roxane Gay Teaches Writing for Social Change
3 hours 2 minutes
20 video lessons, including:
- “Challenging Ideas and Changing Minds”
- “Consuming and Criticizing Culture”
- “Writing about Trauma”
- “Engaging with Your Readers”
- “Becoming a Good Literary Citizen”
I’ll admit it: I’m a little intimidated by Roxane Gay. She’s just so… well, brilliant, an exceptional critic. In her MasterClass, Gay shows you how to write about social issues not unlike her books Bad Feminist and Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body. You’ll come away ready to tackle writing about society and culture with a critical eye in Gay’s course, one of the best MasterClass writing classes.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing
4 hours 54 minutes
24 video lessons, including:
- “Structuring Narrative: The Imperfect Puzzle”
- “Holding Readers: Tools for Engagement”
- “Structuring Language”
- “Tone and Voice”
- “Humor and Melancholy”
Malcolm Gladwell is a maestro of writing, capable of authoring intriguing nonfiction you can’t let go of. I found that to be the case with his book Talking to Strangers, which I read a few years ago and loved. In his MasterClass, Gladwell schools you on how to engage readers, how to balance humor and melancholy, and how to structure the narrative of your story. The result is a captivating course perfectly suited for nonfiction writers or anyone who wants to tell a good story well.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Amanda Gorman Teaches Writing and Performing Poetry
3 hours 28 minutes
16 video lessons, including:
- “Everyone Can Write Poetry”
- “Before Writing, Read”
- “Finding Your Unique Poetic Voice”
- “Revision, Revision, Revision”
- “The Performance Toolkit”
Poet Amanda Gorman is doubtless the youngest teacher featured here on this list of the best writing MasterClass courses, but she definitely has a strong voice worth knowing. As the Biden Presidential Inaugural Poet, Gorman rose to fame quickly, eventually publishing her debut poetry collection, Call Us What We Carry. Gorman’s MasterClass focuses on instructing would-be poets on writing and performing poetry, two actions that go hand in hand. You’ll learn all about how to be a poet who not only writes exceptional poetry, but also knows how to share it with others, too.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Joy Harjo Teaches Poetic Thinking
2 hours 3 minutes
20 video lessons, including:
- “Listening Comes Before Writing”
- “Going Into Difficult Places”
- “Unblocking Creativity”
- “Imagery and Form”
- “Playing with Song and Poetry”
Here’s another one of the MasterClass writing classes that focuses on poetry. The first Native U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo breaks down how to think as a poet in her MasterClass. Whether it’s her poetry, collected in Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light, or her memoir, Poet Warrior, Harjo demonstrates her unique talent to translate life into poetry, which she’ll teach you how to do.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
N. K. Jemisin Teaches Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing
4 hours 2 minutes
16 video lessons, including:
- “Elements of Worldbuilding”
- “Micro-worldbuilding: Conceiving the Culture and People”
- “Immersing Your Reading: Choosing a POV”
- “The Psychology of Characters”
- “The Hierarchy of Characterization: The Character Arc”
With the MasterClass writing classes, you can even learn about how to write popular subgenres like fantasy and science fiction. Perhaps best known for her Broken Earth Trilogy, sci-fi and fantasy writer N. K. Jemisin is also the mind behind How Long ’til Black Future Month?, a short story anthology I recommend on my list of the best science fiction short story collections here on the blog. Now you can soak up her genius with her MasterClass, which goes over everything you need to know in order to write excellent science fiction and fantasy stories.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing
4 hours 51 minutes
26 video lessons, including:
- “Dramatic Rules”
- “Structuring the Plot”
- “Dialogue”
- “Scenes”
- “The Audience”
The best MasterClass writing classes also includes instruction on playwriting led by a recognized icon in the field. As the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his classic play Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet is a name you can trust when it comes to playwriting. In his MasterClass, Mamet takes you inside the art of writing for the stage, including all kinds of necessary knowledge you need to pen powerful plays.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Walter Mosley Teaches Fiction and Storytelling
2 hours 18 minutes
13 video lessons, including:
- “Story vs. Plot”
- “Narrative Voice, Point of View, and Dialogue”
- “Descriptive and Vivid Language”
- “Fiction, Race, and Representation”
- “Genre and ‘Rules’ of Fiction”
Author Walter Mosley’s beloved Devil in a Blue Dress, the first mystery in his Easy Rawlins series, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. It’s hard to believe Mosley has been around that long, but he has been a player on the mystery and thriller scene for decades. Now you can benefit from Mosley’s experience in his MastetClass on fiction and storytelling. Expect to be schooled on how to write a book that’s just as engrossing as his work.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story
3 hours 21 minutes
14 video lessons, including:
- “Principles of Writing Short Fiction”
- “Journals: Observing the World”
- “Ideas: Exploring Taboo and Darkness”
- “Structure and Form”
- “Form Study: Miniature Narrative”
The best MasterClass writing classes aren’t only for novels or poetry. Short story guru Joyce Carol Oates invites you inside her mind with her MasterClass as she leads you through the essentials of writing short fiction. Oates knows what she’s talking about; the National Book Award winner’s latest collection is The (Other) You: Stories.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
James Patterson Teaches Writing
3 hours 31 minutes
22 video lessons, including:
- “Raw Ideas”
- “First Lines”
- “Building a Chapter”
- “Writing Suspense”
- “Ending the Book”
James Patterson needs no introduction. But just in case you’ve been living under a rock, Patterson’s flagship series is the Alex Cross thriller series, which kicks off with Along Came a Spider. Now, in his MasterClass, Patterson schools you on how to author fiction that’s just as involving and unputdownable. Patterson is definitely a king-maker, so it’s no surprise that he’s assembled a must-watch in the MasterClass writing classes.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television
6 hours 25 minutes
30 video lessons, including:
- “Finding an Idea”
- “Developing the Concept”
- “Creating Memorable Characters: Parts 1 and 2”
- “Pitching Your Show”
- “Writing a Script: Structure”
Grey’s Anatomy. Scandal. Bridgerton. How to Get Away with Murder. The showrunner of all these hit TV shows and the author of Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes is a powerful force in TV writing, making her the perfect instructor in her MasterClass on writing for television. The longest MasterClass in this list, this course by Rhimes goes through the basics of writing television scripts. Rhimes zeroes in on her successful shows as mini seminars in how to apply her knowledge to real-life scripted dramas. This is one example of the best MasterClass writing classes delivering top-tier instruction with an undeniable leader in the industry.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling and Writing
4 hours 17 minutes
19 video lessons, including:
- “Determine How to Tell Your Story”
- “Flesh Out Your Story’s Structure”
- “Opening Lines with Power”
- “Drawing from Storytelling Traditions”
- “Developing Your Narrative Style”
Booker Prize-winner Salman Rushdie is well known for his lyrical literary fiction, such as The Satanic Verses and Midnight’s Children. Take a trip into his writer’s mind with his MasterClass on storytelling and writing, where you’ll learn topics like crafting impactful opening lines, adapting traditional stories like myths, legends, and folklore, and perfecting story structure.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
David Sedaris Teaches Storytelling and Humor
3 hours 23 minutes
14 video lessons, including:
- “Turning Observations Into Stories”
- “Breaking Into a Story”
- “Connecting to Your Reader”
- “Writing about Loved Ones”
- “Ending with Weight”
The humorist David Sedaris has authored several acclaimed collections of essays, including Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. Now you can benefit from his expertise in Sedaris’ MasterClass, which includes instruction on writing about your loved ones, ending with a strong conclusion, and translating your observations into stories.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting
8 hours 2 minutes
35 video lessons, including:
- “Invention & Obstacle”
- “The Audience”
- “Rules of Story”
- “Film Story Arc”
- “Writing Captivating Dialogue”
The MasterClass writing classes aren’t limited to poetry or prose. Aaron Sorkin is the writer behind some of my all-time favorite TV shows (The West Wing) and movies (The Social Network, The Trial of the Chicago 7). In his MasterClass, Sorkin proves to be an expert teacher in all things screenwriting. Follow Sorkin’s course, and you’ll learn the basics to launch your screenwriting career.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
R.L. Stine Teaches Writing for Young Audiences
3 hours 53 minutes
28 video lessons, including:
- “The Idea Store”
- “Outlining: Surprise Endings and Cliffhangers”
- “Writing for Different Age Levels”
- “The Key to Scary Writing: POV”
- “How to Scare Your Readers”
The MasterClass writing classes also discuss writing for younger readers. I was obsessed with R.L. Stine when I was a kid. I devoured his Goosebumps series, reading and rereading and rereading them over and over again. So I was so excited to see he’s contributed a MasterClass on writing for young audiences. This in-depth course includes lessons on writing for different age levels, how to frighten your readers, and the essentials on how to write horror. The result is a one-of-a-kind school on all things writing horror and writing for children and young adults.
How to see it: Find this course on MasterClass
Amy Tan Teaches Fiction, Memory, and Imagination
3 hours 12 minutes
14 video lessons, including:
- “Memory, Truth, and Imagination”
- “Beginning Your Story”
- “Choosing the Right Words”
- “Writer’s Block”
- “How to End Your Story”
And now we come to the last entry in our complete list of the MasterClass writing classes. As the subject of a Netflix documentary called Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir, this author of such hits as The Joy Luck Club and The Kitchen God’s Wife offers unprecedented access to her writing knowledge in this MasterClass. I’d give anything to have Tan teach a seminar I could attend, and in her course on Fiction, Memory, and Imagination I get just that.
