Best Online Courses To Improve Your Writing

Gary Smailes
Gary Smailes | 18 November 2025
Best online courses to improve your writing

Foundation Writing Craft Courses

Starting with solid fundamentals saves you years of bad habits. These courses teach the building blocks every writer needs, whether you’re drafting your first story or your fifteenth.

MasterClass Writing Series

The celebrity instructors draw you in, but the craft lessons keep you coming back. Margaret Atwood breaks down how to build tension without melodrama. Neil Gaiman explains how ideas become stories. Dan Brown walks through his plotting system step by step.

What works:

What to expect:

Best for writers who learn from watching experts work through problems. The price point makes this a commitment, but you get multiple instructors and polished content that feels like private coaching sessions.

The Writer’s Studio Online

This program treats writing like a serious craft that requires practice and feedback. You’ll work through structured exercises in a cohort of other writers, then workshop your pieces with guidance from published instructors.

The curriculum covers:

Expect homework. Expect deadlines. Expect your writing to improve because the program pushes you beyond your comfort zone. The multi-week format creates accountability you won’t get from self-paced courses.

Good fit for writers ready to commit time and energy to structured learning with peer interaction.

Hugo House Online Classes

Seattle’s Hugo House brings their literary community online with courses taught by working writers. The instructors publish regularly and know current markets, which shows in their teaching.

Course topics include:

The teaching quality stays consistent because Hugo House vets their instructors. You get literary credibility without academic stuffiness. Class sizes stay small, so you receive individual attention on your work.

Perfect for writers who want established literary credentials behind their education.

Writing Cooperative

Affordable access to solid instruction makes this platform worth considering. The lifetime access model means you progress at your own speed without subscription pressure.

Core offerings:

The community forum connects you with other writers working through the same challenges. Instructors participate regularly, answering questions and providing feedback on posted exercises.

The price point attracts beginners, but the content works for intermediate writers who want to strengthen specific skills without enrolling in intensive programs.

Coursera Creative Writing Specialization

University-level instruction delivered online gives you academic rigor with flexible scheduling. Wesleyan University anchors this specialization, bringing MFA-quality teaching to a broader audience.

The specialization covers:

You’ll complete assignments, receive feedback from classmates and instructors, and build a portfolio of polished pieces. The academic structure includes deadlines and grades, which some writers need for motivation.

Financial aid options make this accessible. The university backing adds credibility to your learning record.

Writers.com

Structured programs with individual attention set this platform apart. You work directly with published authors who provide detailed feedback on your submissions.

Program features:

The instructor matching process considers your goals and writing interests. You submit work regularly and receive detailed critiques that identify strengths and specific areas for improvement.

Higher cost than self-paced alternatives, but the personal attention accelerates progress. Best for writers who thrive with regular feedback and structured assignments.

Choosing your foundation course

Consider these factors:

Learning style: Do you prefer celebrity instruction (MasterClass), peer interaction (Writer’s Studio, Writers.com), or academic structure (Coursera)?

Time commitment: Self-paced options (Writing Cooperative, MasterClass) versus structured programs with deadlines (Writer’s Studio, Coursera).

Budget: Free options exist, but paid courses typically provide better support and accountability.

Goals: Literary focus (Hugo House) versus commercial success (some MasterClass instructors) versus academic credentials (Coursera).

Start with one course and complete it fully before adding others. Foundation skills compound when you practice them consistently rather than jumping between programs.

The best course teaches principles you’ll use regardless of what you write. Strong foundations support any genre, style, or publishing path you choose later.

Advanced Technique and Story Development

You know the basics. Now you want sharper tools, deeper reasoning, and a path toward a finished, professional book. These programs move you past beginner moves. They ask more of you, and they give more back.

David Farland’s Daily Kick in the Pants

Farland taught story the way a seasoned pro thinks about readers. Motivation drives scenes. Stakes rise in a measured climb. Payoffs feel earned, not accidental. Lessons focus on commercial appeal, yet the advice fits any style.

What you get:

Try this: write a one‑page outline where each scene raises either risk, cost, or urgency. No repeats in a row. If two scenes raise the same lever, revise one until a different lever moves.

Best for writers who want a results-first approach and are ready to produce pages on a schedule.

Jane Friedman’s Business of Being a Writer

Strong pages need a strong plan. Friedman ties technique to career building, market sense, and professional habits. You learn how publishing works, how to pitch, and how to shape a sustainable life around the work.

What you get:

Try this: write a positioning statement in 25 words. Who you write for, what they get, proof you deliver. Then write a query hook in one sentence. Compare tone. Adjust until both speak to the same reader.

Best for writers who want to stop guessing about business decisions and start acting with intention.

Brandon Sanderson’s BYU Writing Course

Free lectures, packed with practical steps. Sanderson breaks story into learnable parts. Worldbuilding has rules. Magic systems have limits. Structure supports payoff. The tone stays generous and specific.

What you get:

Try this: list three hard limits for your world or system. Then write a scene where the protagonist hits all three. No new rules mid‑scene. Watch tension rise because options shrink.

Best for genre writers, and for anyone who likes methods they can test and reuse.

Writer’s Digest University

Targeted workshops for specific skills. Dialogue. Point of view. Pacing. Genre patterns. You choose a focus, then work through lectures, readings, and assignments with deadlines.

What you get:

Try this for dialogue mastery: write a page where two characters negotiate dinner plans. Ban direct answers. Use subtext and action beats to signal desire and status shifts. Read it aloud. Tighten until each line earns its place.

Best for writers who want to shore up a weak area without enrolling in a long program.

The Novel Writing Workshop

An intensive path from concept to finished draft or revision. Expect weekly submissions, rigorous feedback, and a clear plan for the next stage. The focus sits on manuscript momentum and editorial thinking.

What you get:

Try this: build a scene ledger. Columns for location, on‑page time, goal, conflict source, turn, and fallout. Log ten scenes. If a scene lacks a goal or a turn, fix it or cut it.

Best for writers in the middle of a book, or ready to start one with structure and support.

Story Grid Methodology

A systematic approach to story analysis. You learn to read like an editor. Genre expectations, story values, five commandments for each unit of story, and macro structure. The method asks for precision, not vibes.

What you get:

Try this: pick a scene from a favorite novel. Identify the value at stake, the inciting incident, progressive complications, crisis question, climax, and resolution. Then do the same for your latest scene. Adjust until both share the same structural bones.

Best for writers who want clarity on why a scene works, and a shared language for revision.

Picking the right next step

Use these questions to choose.

One more push. Pick one program. Commit through the finish. Do the exercises, not only the watching and reading. Your future pages will thank you.

Revision and Self-Editing Focused Programs

Revision separates a draft from a book. This is where you trade wishful thinking for clear choices. You learn to see your pages the way an editor does, then you fix the problems in the right order. These programs help you do that work without guesswork.

The Editor’s Eye

Designed to train your internal editor. You study story-level structure, then zoom in to line rhythm, word choice, and logic. Expect checklists, before-and-after examples, and drills that sharpen attention.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who want a clear editing system and proof that the system works on their own pages.

Revision and Self-Editing for Fiction Writers

A full program on reshaping a manuscript. You map character arcs, restructure plot, trim flab, and polish sentences. You also learn how to plan a second draft without burning the whole thing down.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers sitting on a completed draft or a messy middle and ready for serious surgery.

Grammar and Style Intensives

These sessions straighten the nuts and bolts. You study the Chicago Manual of Style, punctuation logic, usage, and common writer tics. The goal is clean, confident prose that lets story carry the load.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who want fewer copyedits and more authority on the page.

Manuscript Critique Workshops

You bring pages. You receive peer and pro notes. You learn how readers respond, which problems repeat, and where the heat lives. The education comes from giving critique as much as receiving it.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who thrive on deadlines and want tested pages, not guesses.

Self-Publishing School’s Writing and Editing Track

A practical path from draft to publishable book. You move through story development, revision, formatting, and proofing. You also get workflows and timelines, which keep momentum high.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for indie authors who want both stronger writing and a straight path to release.

Writers’ HQ Courses

Short, sharp workshops with a sense of humor and a hard deadline. Expect revision bootcamps, weekly tasks, and supportive forums that keep you honest. The tone is no-nonsense, friendly, and focused on finishing.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who like a kick, a checklist, and cheerleaders who also meet their own deadlines.

How to choose your revision path

Ask four questions.

A quick roadmap:

One last exercise for the road:

Do the work in layers. Protect your energy by solving the right problem at the right time. Your draft will stop feeling like a swamp and start reading like a book.

Genre-Specific and Specialized Training

Genre rules are not handcuffs. They are shortcuts to reader delight. Learn them first. Then decide where to push.

Romance Writers of America Courses

Romance runs on courtship, conflict, and payoff. These classes break down subgenres, heat levels, and trope families. Friends to lovers. Enemies to lovers. Second chance. You learn how to set expectations and stick the landing with a satisfying ending.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who want emotion on the page without sentimentality.

Mystery Writers of America Educational Programs

Mystery lives on fair play and surprise. You place clues with care, plant doubts, and close loops. These programs teach clue ladders, red herring design, and reveal timing. You also study subgenres from cozy to noir.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who want readers to smack their forehead on page 300 and say, of course.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association Workshops

Speculative fiction requires rules, limits, and payoff. These workshops cover world systems, technology or magic costs, and language choices. You learn to integrate physics or spellwork without textbook dumps.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers building secondary worlds or near-future labs who want rigor and awe.

Creative Nonfiction Foundation Courses

Truth needs structure. These courses focus on scene, reflection, stakes, and ethics. Memoir, essay, and reportage use the same toolbox, only with different proportions. You learn to braid research with lived experience.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who want honest pages that still breathe on the page.

Children’s and Young Adult Writing Intensives

Writing for young readers demands precision. Voice shifts by age band. Stakes sit closer to home. Gatekeepers matter. These programs sort picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA, then teach voice, rhythm, and page turns.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers speaking to smart readers with zero patience for fluff.

Screenwriting to Novel Adaptation

Film gives you structure and economy. Prose gives you interiority and texture. These courses bridge the two. You learn to translate beats into chapters, expand subtext into thought, and keep pacing tight.

What you get:

Try this:

Best for writers who love cinematic engines and want pages that move.

How to pick a lane

Ask three questions.

Quick guide:

One last exercise:

Pick a lane, learn the moves, then play. Readers feel the difference when you respect the form and bring your voice to the table.

Platform Skills and Writing Business Integration

Good writing opens doors. Good business sense keeps them open. These courses teach you to wear both hats without losing your voice.

Author Marketing University

Marketing feels dirty to writers until bills arrive. This program bridges craft and commerce. You learn to build an audience before you need one, write compelling book descriptions, and create content that serves readers first, sales second.

What you get:

The integration angle:

Every exercise doubles as writing practice. Craft a compelling bio. Write newsletter content with hooks and payoffs. Describe your book in fifty words that make strangers care. You sharpen prose while building business foundation.

Try this:

Write your book pitch in three versions. Thirty seconds for an elevator. Two sentences for social media. One paragraph for a query letter. Notice how constraints force clarity. Marketing teaches compression.

Best for writers who want sustainable careers without selling their creative souls.

Copyblogger Certification

Persuasive writing translates everywhere. Fiction hooks, nonfiction openings, book blurbs, author bios. This certification teaches headline construction, emotional triggers, and reader psychology. You learn to grab attention and hold it.

What you get:

The craft connection:

Every sales page principle applies to chapter ones. Problem, promise, proof. Your opening pages follow the same pattern. Present character trouble, promise resolution, deliver evidence you know the path.

Try this:

Take your opening paragraph. Rewrite it as a product description. What problem does your story solve. Boredom, loneliness, curiosity about Victorian England. Name the reader need, then promise satisfaction. Now blend that clarity back into literary prose.

Best for writers who want readers to finish what they start.

ProWritingAid Academy

Grammar software teaches patterns. This academy goes deeper. You learn systematic editing with technology support. Track overused words, sentence rhythm, readability scores. The courses show you how to interpret reports and apply fixes.

What you get:

The skill transfer:

Professional editors think in layers. First pass for story problems. Second for paragraph flow. Third for word choice. This systematic approach improves your drafting brain, not just your editing speed.

Try this:

Pick five pages of your work. Run them through ProWritingAid. Focus on one report only. Sentence length variation. Fix the monotony. Notice how rhythm changes affect reading experience. Apply the pattern sense to future drafts.

Best for writers who want clean manuscripts that editors respect.

LinkedIn Learning Writing Courses

Business writing teaches clarity under pressure. Tight deadlines, skeptical readers, measurable results. These skills cross over. Emails, proposals, presentations all demand economy and precision.

What you get:

The fiction payoff:

Business writing kills fluff. Every word works or gets cut. Characters speak with purpose. Scenes advance story or disappear. The discipline improves everything you touch.

Try this:

Write a one-page project proposal for your book. Include problem statement, target audience, competitive analysis, and timeline. Notice how structure helps clarity. Steal that organizational thinking for your chapters.

Best for writers who want day job skills that strengthen evening pages.

Udemy Writing and Publishing Bundle

Independent publishing demands multiple skills. Writing, editing, cover design basics, formatting, distribution. These bundled courses cover the production pipeline from manuscript to market.

What you get:

The learning benefit:

Understanding the full process improves your writing choices. You write better book descriptions because you know where they appear. You structure chapters with formatting in mind. You think about series potential during planning.

Try this:

Map your current project through the publishing pipeline. Editing stages, cover concepts, marketing copy, launch timeline. Notice gaps in your knowledge. Pick one weakness and address it now, before deadline pressure hits.

Best for writers who want control over their publishing destiny.

Writer's Market Educational Resources

Submission strategy starts with market research. These courses teach you to match projects with publishers, write query letters that get read, and build relationships with agents and editors.

What you get:

The craft improvement:

Researching markets teaches you audience awareness. Romance readers want different things than literary fiction fans. Mystery magazines have specific submission windows. Understanding expectations helps you write toward reader needs.

Try this:

Pick ten publications that might want your work. Read their recent issues or releases. Note patterns in length, tone, subject matter. Adjust your current project toward those expectations without losing your voice.

Best for writers ready to move beyond the desk drawer.

Integration strategies

Pick courses that layer skills. Marketing plus craft. Business writing plus fiction technique. Software training plus editorial thinking. Each hour should strengthen multiple abilities.

Warning signs to avoid:

Quick assessment:

Match training to pressure points. Scared of marketing, start with Author Marketing University. Drowning in revision, try ProWritingAid Academy. Need income now, explore business writing skills.

One productivity tip:

Every business skill you learn reduces future stress. Time spent now on platform basics pays compound interest later. Better to build slowly than scramble when opportunity knocks.

Remember the goal. These courses serve your writing, not replace it. You want business skills that free up creative time, not consume it. Pick training that multiplies your efforts without multiplying your workload.

The best career move: become the writer who understands both sides of the equation. Craft plus commerce. Art plus audience. Publishers and readers both need writers who get it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I choose the right writing course for my stage — foundation, advanced technique or revision?

Match course type to the problem you most need to solve. Take a foundation course (MasterClass, Coursera, Hugo House) if you need core craft habits; choose advanced technique and story development (Story Grid, Sanderson, David Farland) if your basics are solid and you want repeatable systems; pick a revision and self‑editing programme (The Editor’s Eye, Revision and Self‑Editing for Fiction Writers) when you have a full draft and need a disciplined pass order.

Use quick diagnostics — a reverse outline, a one‑page revision brief, and a Two‑Job Test on several scenes — to decide whether to invest in a cohort with deadlines or a self‑paced series of lectures.

What factors should I consider when picking between cohort‑based classes and self‑paced courses?

Assess learning style, time commitment and accountability needs. Cohort‑based programmes (Writer’s Studio, Writers.com, Writers’ HQ) deliver deadlines, feedback and peer workshop experience — ideal if you need momentum. Self‑paced offerings (MasterClass, Writing Cooperative, BYU Sanderson lectures) suit flexible schedules and repeated review of lessons.

Also weigh cost and desired outcomes: if you want manuscript pages and critique, favour structured workshops; if you want conceptual frameworks or inspiration, self‑paced video courses may be better value.

How do I test a programme before committing — what should I ask or sample?

Request a syllabus, sample lesson or short excerpt of feedback so you can see the teaching voice and level of detail. Ask whether the course includes hands‑on assignments, instructor feedback, and what kind of deliverables (for example, a scene ledger, a one‑page revision brief, or a full manuscript critique).

Also check refund and access policies, cohort size, and whether the programme offers a sample edit or assessment. A one‑hour trial exercise or a two‑page sample edit reveals much about whether the instructor’s approach will move your draft forward.

Can I combine craft training with platform and business courses, and how should I prioritise them?

Yes — combine craft and platform training strategically. Prioritise craft (structure, scene work, line editing) while you’re creating the manuscript; add platform skills (Author Marketing University, Copyblogger, Writer’s Market) as you near submission or publication so marketing work doesn’t compete with drafting energy.

Integrate small, transferable business tasks into writing practice (write a 50‑word pitch, draft newsletter content, or map a publication pipeline). That lets you build platform skills without losing creative momentum.

Which genre‑specific or specialised courses are worth considering for my project?

Choose genre training that addresses the form and reader expectations you must meet: RWA programmes for romance mechanics and heat, MWA for clue placement and red herrings in mysteries, SFWA for world rules and speculative limits, and Creative Nonfiction for ethical sourcing and scene‑driven truth. Children’s and YA intensives sharpen voice, vocabulary and page‑turn mechanics for young readers.

Pick the lane that aligns with your comp titles and promise to the reader; genre‑specific workshops speed up learning because they teach conventions you’ll repeatedly use in draft and edit passes.

How do software‑based trainings like ProWritingAid Academy fit into revision and copyediting?

Software training teaches you to read your manuscript with tool‑driven reports — sentence length variation, repeated words, readability scores — and to apply systematic fixes without losing authorial intent. Use ProWritingAid or similar to run targeted sweeps (filters, −ly adverbs, “there is/are”) after you complete structural and line passes.

Remember: these tools expose patterns but don’t replace judgement. Combine report insights with your style sheet and read‑aloud checks to make effective, consistent edits before sending to a copyeditor.

What practical steps help me apply course lessons directly to my manuscript?

Turn lessons into short, measurable exercises tied to your revision brief: build a reverse outline, run the Two‑Job Test on ten scenes, create a scene ledger, prototype two openings, and keep a change log of moves with reasons. Time‑box each exercise (40–90 minutes) and update your style sheet as you lock decisions.

Pair course homework with reader tests — one or two fresh readers on a revised chapter — so you get immediate external signal. That loop (learn, apply, test) turns course theory into durable improvements on your manuscript.

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