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How to Teach Creative Writing | 7 Steps to Get Students Wordsmithing

“I don’t have any ideas!”

“I can’t think of anything!”

While we see creative writing as a world of limitless imagination, our students often see an overwhelming desert of “no idea.”

But when you teach creative writing effectively, you’ll notice that  every  student is brimming over with ideas that just have to get out.

So what does teaching creative writing effectively look like?

We’ve outlined a  seven-step method  that will  scaffold your students through each phase of the creative process  from idea generation through to final edits.

7. Create inspiring and original prompts

Use the following formats to generate prompts that get students inspired:

• personal memories (“Write about a person who taught you an important lesson”)
• imaginative scenarios
• prompts based on a familiar mentor text (e.g. “Write an alternative ending to your favorite book”). These are especially useful for giving struggling students an easy starting point.
• lead-in sentences (“I looked in the mirror and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Somehow overnight I…”).
• fascinating or thought-provoking images with a directive (“Who do you think lives in this mountain cabin? Tell their story”).

Don’t have the time or stuck for ideas? Check out our list of 100 student writing prompts

6. unpack the prompts together.

Explicitly teach your students how to dig deeper into the prompt for engaging and original ideas.

Probing questions are an effective strategy for digging into a prompt. Take this one for example:

“I looked in the mirror and I couldn’t believe my eyes. Somehow overnight I…”

Ask “What questions need answering here?” The first thing students will want to know is:

What happened overnight?

No doubt they’ll be able to come up with plenty of zany answers to that question, but there’s another one they could ask to make things much more interesting:

Who might “I” be?

In this way, you subtly push students to go beyond the obvious and into more original and thoughtful territory. It’s even more useful with a deep prompt:

“Write a story where the main character starts to question something they’ve always believed.”

Here students could ask:

• What sorts of beliefs do people take for granted?
• What might make us question those beliefs?
• What happens when we question something we’ve always thought is true?
• How do we feel when we discover that something isn’t true?

Try splitting students into groups, having each group come up with probing questions for a prompt, and then discussing potential “answers” to these questions as a class.

The most important lesson at this point should be that good ideas take time to generate. So don’t rush this step!

5. Warm-up for writing

A quick warm-up activity will:

• allow students to see what their discussed ideas look like on paper
• help fix the “I don’t know how to start” problem
• warm up writing muscles quite literally (especially important for young learners who are still developing handwriting and fine motor skills).

Freewriting  is a particularly effective warm-up. Give students 5–10 minutes to “dump” all their ideas for a prompt onto the page for without worrying about structure, spelling, or grammar.

After about five minutes you’ll notice them starting to get into the groove, and when you call time, they’ll have a better idea of what captures their interest.

Did you know? The Story Factory in Reading Eggs allows your students to write and publish their own storybooks using an easy step-by-step guide.

4. Start planning

Now it’s time for students to piece all these raw ideas together and generate a plan. This will synthesize disjointed ideas and give them a roadmap for the writing process.

Note:  at this stage your strong writers might be more than ready to get started on a creative piece. If so, let them go for it – use planning for students who are still puzzling things out.

Here are four ideas for planning:

Graphic organisers

A graphic organiser will allow your students to plan out the overall structure of their writing. They’re also particularly useful in “chunking” the writing process, so students don’t see it as one big wall of text.

Storyboards and illustrations

These will engage your artistically-minded students and give greater depth to settings and characters. Just make sure that drawing doesn’t overshadow the writing process.

Voice recordings

If you have students who are hesitant to commit words to paper, tell them to think out loud and record it on their device. Often they’ll be surprised at how well their spoken words translate to the page.

Write a blurb

This takes a bit more explicit teaching, but it gets students to concisely summarize all their main ideas (without giving away spoilers). Look at some blurbs on the back of published books before getting them to write their own. Afterward they could test it out on a friend – based on the blurb, would they borrow it from the library?

3. Produce rough drafts

Warmed up and with a plan at the ready, your students are now ready to start wordsmithing. But before they start on a draft, remind them of what a draft is supposed to be:

• a work in progress.

Remind them that  if they wait for the perfect words to come, they’ll end up with blank pages .

Instead, it’s time to take some writing risks and get messy. Encourage this by:

• demonstrating the writing process to students yourself
• taking the focus off spelling and grammar (during the drafting stage)
• providing meaningful and in-depth feedback (using words, not ticks!).

Reading Eggs also gives you access to an ever-expanding collection of over 3,500 online books!

2. share drafts for peer feedback.

Don’t saddle yourself with 30 drafts for marking. Peer assessment is a better (and less exhausting) way to ensure everyone receives the feedback they need.

Why? Because for something as personal as creative writing, feedback often translates better when it’s in the familiar and friendly language that only a peer can produce. Looking at each other’s work will also give students more ideas about how they can improve their own.

Scaffold peer feedback to ensure it’s constructive. The following methods work well:

Student rubrics

A simple rubric allows students to deliver more in-depth feedback than “It was pretty good.” The criteria will depend on what you are ultimately looking for, but students could assess each other’s:

• use of language.

Whatever you opt for, just make sure the language you use in the rubric is student-friendly.

Two positives and a focus area

Have students identify two things their peer did well, and one area that they could focus on further, then turn this into written feedback. Model the process for creating specific comments so you get something more constructive than “It was pretty good.” It helps to use stems such as:

I really liked this character because…

I found this idea interesting because it made me think…

I was a bit confused by…

I wonder why you… Maybe you could… instead.

1. The editing stage

Now that students have a draft and feedback, here’s where we teachers often tell them to “go over it” or “give it some final touches.”

But our students don’t always know how to edit.

Scaffold the process with questions that encourage students to think critically about their writing, such as:

• Are there any parts that would be confusing if I wasn’t there to explain them?
• Are there any parts that seem irrelevant to the rest?
• Which parts am I most uncertain about?
• Does the whole thing flow together, or are there parts that seem out of place?
• Are there places where I could have used a better word?
• Are there any grammatical or spelling errors I notice?

Key to this process is getting students to  read their creative writing from start to finish .

Important note:  if your students are using a word processor, show them where the spell-check is and how to use it. Sounds obvious, but in the age of autocorrect, many students simply don’t know.

A final word on teaching creative writing

Remember that the best writers write regularly.

Incorporate them into your lessons as often as possible, and soon enough, you’ll have just as much fun  marking  your students’ creative writing as they do producing it.

Need more help supporting your students’ writing?

Read up on  how to get reluctant writers writing , strategies for  supporting struggling secondary writers , or check out our huge list of writing prompts for kids .

Watch your students get excited about writing and publishing their own storybooks in the Story Factory

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How to teach writing online with Teachable

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Share what you know. Teach writing online.

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In my own words

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Share what you know in three simple steps

Create your online writing course.

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Customize your website with your own unique branding. Tailor the look and feel of your school to make it your own—no coding skills required.

First, you will want to get clear about what exactly you’re teaching and who you’re teaching to. Get really specific about the type of art you want to teach and tailor it to a niche of students, for instance acrylic pouring , foundations of oil painting , or watercolor techniques . To teach virtually, you will need to create some form of content—generally videos and supplemental materials, such as worksheets, presentations, etc. for your students. When creating content, it’s a good idea to consider the logistics of your online class such as filming in a place with good lighting, promoting it on social media, etc. With Teachable’s powerful yet easy to use platform, you can easily upload your content and customize your web page. You also have the freedom to create your sales page, collect payments from students, schedule coaching sessions, and teach art online your way. Find out how to create an online course , and start teaching art today for free.

Teaching art lessons online is a great way to share your gifts with the world—while earning income doing what you love. With Teachable, you can charge money and collect payment for your online courses. We even make it easier to handle the business side of things with Teachable Payments. ‍ Thanks to our native payment gateway, we can take some of the responsibility of running a business off your shoulders. From streamlining the US sales tax and EU VAT process to helping support you with chargebacks and risk detection, Teachable Payments is our solution to making your course creation process seamless, so you can get back to doing what you love most—teaching art. Learn more about setting your prices and marketing your course .

With Teachable, you can start right where you’re at. You don’t need a degree; all you need to start teaching beginner art classes is a willingness to share your wisdom and knowledge with others. The only expertise you need is your own. You don’t need to know how to code a custom website or have highly technical marketing or accounting skills. Once you’ve narrowed down exactly what you’d like to teach, we’ll help you set up your course and find the right students for you.

Want to learn more?

Check out these helpful resources.

How to stop procrastinating and launch your business

A 5-step guide to effective content calendar strategy

Tips for writing your brand mission statement and about page

Inspiring Ink: Expert Tips on How to Teach Creative Writing

The world of creative writing is as vast as it is rewarding. It’s a form of expression that allows the writer to explore different worlds, characters, and narratives – all within the power of their pen.

But what exactly is creative writing and why is it important? Let’s explore the value of creative writing and how to inspire young (or old!) minds to embark on the curious and exciting journey of writing creatively – it’s easier than you think!

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing, in its simplest form, is writing that goes beyond the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature.

It’s characterized by its emphasis on:

• narrative craft
• character development
• the use of literary devices

From poetry to plays, scripts to sonnets, creative writing covers a wide range of genres . It’s about painting pictures with words, invoking emotions, and bringing ideas to life . It’s about crafting stories that are compelling, engaging, and thought-provoking.

Whether you’re penning a novel or jotting down a journal entry, creative writing encourages you to unleash your imagination and express your thoughts in a unique, artistic way. For a deeper dive into the realm of creative writing, you can visit our article on what is creative writing .

Benefits of Developing Creative Writing Skills

The benefits of creative writing extend beyond the page.

It’s not just about creating captivating stories or crafting beautiful prose. The skills developed through creative writing are invaluable in many aspects of life and work.

1. Creative writing fosters creativity and imagination. 

It encourages you to think outside the box, broaden your perspective, and explore new ideas. It also enhances your ability to communicate effectively, as it involves conveying thoughts, emotions, and narratives in a clear and compelling manner.

2. Creative writing aids in improving critical thinking skills.

It prompts you to analyze characters, plotlines, and themes, and make connections between different ideas. This process activates different parts of the mind, drawing on personal experiences, the imagination, logical plot development, and emotional intelligence.

3. Creative writing is also a valuable tool for self-expression and personal growth.

It allows you to explore your feelings, experiences, and observations, providing an outlet for self-reflection and introspection. By both reading and writing about different characters in different situations, readers develop empathy in a gentle but effective way.

4. Creative writing skills can open up a host of career opportunities.

From authors and editors to content creators and copywriters, the demand for creative writers is vast and varied. You can learn more about potential career paths in our article on creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

In essence, creative writing is more than just an art—it’s a skill, a craft, and a powerful tool for communication and self-expression. Whether you’re teaching creative writing or learning it, understanding its value is the first step towards mastering the art.

The 3 Roles of a Creative Writing Teacher

Amongst the many facets of a creative writing teacher’s role, three vital aspects stand out: inspiring creativity , nurturing talent , and providing constructive criticism . These elements play a significant role in shaping budding writers and fostering their passion for the craft.

1. Inspiring Creativity

The primary function of a creative writing teacher is to inspire creativity.

They must foster an environment that encourages students to think outside the box and explore new possibilities . This includes presenting students with creative writing prompts that challenge their thinking, promoting lively discussions around various topics, and providing opportunities for students to engage in creative writing activities for kids .

Teachers should also expose students to a range of literary genres , styles, and techniques to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the craft. This exposure not only enhances their knowledge but also stimulates their creativity, encouraging them to experiment with different writing styles .

2. Nurturing Talent

Nurturing talent involves recognizing the unique abilities of each student and providing the necessary support and guidance to help them develop these skills. A creative writing teacher needs to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each student and tailor their approach accordingly.

This means:

• offering personalized feedback
• setting realistic yet challenging goals
• providing opportunities for students to showcase their work

Encouraging students to participate in writing competitions or to publish their work can give them a confidence boost and motivate them to improve. Furthermore, teachers should educate students about various creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree . This knowledge can inspire students to pursue their passion for writing and explore career opportunities in the field.

3. Providing Constructive Criticism

Providing constructive criticism is a critical aspect of teaching creative writing. It involves assessing students’ work objectively and providing feedback that helps them improve .

Teachers should:

• highlight the strengths of the work
• address the areas that need improvement
• suggest ways to make the piece better

Constructive criticism should be specific, actionable, and encouraging . It’s important to remember that the goal is to help the student improve, not to discourage them. Therefore, teachers need to communicate their feedback in a respectful and supportive manner.

In essence, a teacher’s role in teaching creative writing extends beyond mere instruction. They are mentors who inspire, nurture, and shape the minds of budding writers. By fostering a supportive and stimulating environment, they can help students unlock their creative potential and develop a lifelong love for writing.

3 Techniques for Teaching Creative Writing

When it comes to understanding how to teach creative writing, there are several effective techniques that can help inspire students and foster their writing skills.

1. Encouraging Free Writing Exercises

Free writing is a technique that encourages students to write continuously for a set amount of time without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or topic. This type of exercise can help unleash creativity, as it allows students to freely express their thoughts and ideas without judgment or constraint.

As a teacher, you can set a specific theme or provide creative writing prompts to guide the writing session. Alternatively, you can allow students to write about any topic that comes to mind. The key is to create an environment that encourages creative exploration and expression.

2. Exploring Different Genres

Another effective technique is to expose students to a wide range of writing genres. This can include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, fantasy, mystery, and more. By exploring different genres, students can discover their unique writing styles and interests. This variety also offers the chance to expand their writing skills and apply them to various writing formats.

To facilitate this exploration, you can assign writing projects in different genres, conduct genre-specific writing workshops, or invite guest speakers who specialize in different genres. You can also encourage students to critically analyze how different authors approach their work.

3. Analyzing Published Works

Analyzing published works is a powerful way to teach creative writing. This technique allows students to learn from established authors by studying their:

• writing styles
• narrative structures
• use of language.

It also provides a practical context for understanding writing concepts and techniques.

As a teacher, you can select diverse pieces of literature for analysis , ranging from classic novels to contemporary short stories. Encourage students to identify elements they admire in these works and discuss how they can incorporate similar techniques into their own writing.

These techniques for teaching creative writing are effective ways to inspire creativity, encourage self-expression, and develop writing skills. As a teacher, your role is crucial in guiding students through their creative journey and helping them realize their potential as writers.

Creative Writing Workshops and Exercises

One effective method on how to teach creative writing is through the use of targeted workshops and exercises. These interactive sessions can stimulate creativity, foster character development , and help in understanding story structures .

Idea Generation Workshops

Idea generation is a crucial aspect of creative writing. It is the starting point that provides a springboard for writers to explore and develop their narratives. Idea generation workshops can be an interactive and fun way to help writers come up with fresh ideas.

Workshops can include brainstorming sessions , where writers are encouraged to think freely and note down all ideas, no matter how unconventional they may seem. Another method is the use of writing prompts , which can serve as a creative spark.

A prompt could be:

• even an image

Editor’s Note : Encourage children to create a big scribble on a scrap piece of paper and then look for an image in it (like looking for pictures in the clouds). This can be a great creative writing prompt and students will love sharing their writing with each other! Expect lots of giggles and fun!

Character Development Exercises

Characters are the heart of any story. They drive the narrative and engage the readers. Character development exercises can help writers create well-rounded and relatable characters.

Such exercises can include character questionnaires , where writers answer a series of questions about their characters to gain a deeper understanding of their personalities, backgrounds, and motivations. Role-playing activities can also be useful, allowing writers to step into their characters’ shoes and explore their reactions in different scenarios.

Story Structure Workshops

Understanding story structure is vital for creating a compelling narrative. Story structure workshops can guide writers on how to effectively structure their stories to engage readers from start to finish .

These workshops can cover essential elements of story structures like:

• rising action
• falling action

In addition to understanding the basics, writers should be encouraged to experiment with different story structures to find what works best for their narrative style. An understanding of story structure can also help in analyzing and learning from published works .

Providing writers with the right tools and techniques, through workshops and exercises, can significantly improve their creative writing skills. It’s important to remember that creativity flourishes with practice and patience .

As a teacher, nurturing this process is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching creative writing. For more insights and tips on teaching creative writing, continue exploring our articles on creative writing .

Tips to Enhance Creative Writing Skills

The process of teaching creative writing is as much about honing one’s own skills as it is about imparting knowledge to others. Here are some key strategies that can help in enhancing your creative writing abilities and make your teaching methods more effective.

Regular Practice

Like any other skill, creative writing requires regular practice . Foster the habit of writing daily, even if it’s just a few lines. This will help you stay in touch with your creative side and continually improve your writing skills. Encourage your students to do the same.

Introduce them to various creative writing prompts to stimulate their imagination and make their writing practice more engaging.

Reading Widely

Reading is an essential part of becoming a better writer. By reading widely, you expose yourself to a variety of styles, tones, and genres . This not only broadens your literary horizons but also provides a wealth of ideas for your own writing.

Encourage your students to read extensively as well. Analyzing and discussing different works can be an excellent learning exercise and can spark creative ideas .

Exploring Various Writing Styles

The beauty of creative writing lies in its diversity. From poetic verses to gripping narratives, there’s a wide range of styles to explore. Encourage your students to try their hand at different forms of writing. This not only enhances their versatility but also helps them discover their unique voice as a writer.

To help them get started, you can introduce a variety of creative writing activities for kids . These tasks can be tailored to suit different age groups and proficiency levels. Remember, the goal is to foster a love for writing, so keep the activities fun and engaging .

Have Fun Teaching Creative Writing!

Enhancing creative writing skills is a continuous journey. It requires persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone. As a teacher, your role is to guide your students on this journey, providing them with the tools and encouragement they need to flourish as writers – and most of all – enjoy the process!

For more insights on creative writing, be sure to explore our articles on what is creative writing and creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

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Enriching Creative Writing Activities for Kids

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Creative writing workshops can take your writing to the next level. The chance to experiment with your writing in a community is invaluable, and getting live feedback on your work will propel you through your writing career. But with so many online writing workshops out there, how can you tell which ones are worth taking?

There are plenty of writing workshops where writers get less than what they bargained for. Finding the right group of writers to workshop with is a slow process—no different than dating or finding a therapist. Where can you find the best online writing workshops for you?

Consider this your go-to guide for navigating the internet of online creative writing workshops. We’ll talk about different workshopping models and how they might work for you, and we’ll also look at how to get the most from your fiction, nonfiction, and poetry writing workshops.

But first, we ought to define this particularly nebulous aspect of creative writing education. What is a creative writing workshop?

Looking for the best online writing workshops?

If you’re looking for the best online writing workshops, look no further. Writers.com has been running online creative writing workshops since 1995. View our upcoming calendar to view the best writing workshops for you!

You can also navigate our courses by category:

• Short Story
• Personal Essay
• Lifestyle and Wellness
• Single-Day Zoom Sessions

What is a Writing Workshop?

People use the phrase “writing workshop” differently in different contexts, although it’s a rather vague term that writers use inconsistently. Here are some common ways you might see the term used:

• Online , a workshop is a complete writing course, including both lecture materials and opportunities for feedback from fellow students.
• In universities and MFA programs , a workshop is the aspect of a writing workshop where students give feedback to one another to improve their writing overall.
• At some online writing schools , a workshop is specifically a single-day Zoom-based workshop.

That said, “writing workshop” is a rather nebulous term that has a lot of applications. A workshop is any space where writers come to grow as writers. In short, a writing workshop is an open-ended term that describes different styles of creative writing education.

What is a writing workshop? An open-ended term that describes different styles of creative writing education.

For the purposes of this article, we are addressing multi-week online writing classes, as well as single-day webinars that have a workshopping component. Basically, we’re looking at any type of online learning space where students share their work, receive feedback, build new craft skills, and engage with a writing community.

Here’s what online writing workshops might look like, as well as tips for finding the best ones!

12 Things to Look For In the Best Online Creative Writing Workshops

Are you thinking about enrolling in a creative writing workshop? The best online writing workshops have these 12 things in common:

1. The Best Online Writing Workshops Have Well Respected Teachers

At most online writing schools, the instructor is the person who sets the syllabus, writes the workshop, and gives feedback to students. As a result, a good writing teacher makes all the difference in online writing workshops.

You want to be excited to learn from an instructor.

In addition to being a great writer and teacher, a great workshop instructor will be community-oriented, empathetic, and capable of tailoring their teaching to your writing needs.

Before you enroll in a writing workshop, do some research on the writer teaching it. Most professional writers and teachers will have a website, where you can peruse their work, degrees, and teaching history.

Some questions you might ask:

• Does the instructor have a terminal degree? (M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., etc.)
• What do prior students say about this instructor?
• Does the instructor have a significant publication history?

On terminal degrees—they’re not necessary for running good creative writing workshops. But, they do indicate a certain level of craft training and teaching experience. Many terminal degree programs require students to learn how to teach creative writing. While you don’t need an M.F.A or Ph.D. to publish or teach writing, they certainly help.

Most importantly: are you excited about this instructor’s work? Do you like it? Do you connect with it? You want to be excited to learn from an instructor. They’re not just teaching craft, they’re teaching you their approach to crafting good writing.

2. The Best Online Writing Workshops Have a Clear Description

Enrolling in creative writing workshops involves a certain level of trust. If you haven’t taken a class with the organization before, you might not know how they run their classes or what you’ll get out of working with them. Writing programs should honor their side of the bargain by telling you exactly what you’ll get from their writing workshops.

Writing programs should honor their side of the bargain by telling you exactly what you’ll get from their writing workshops.

The descriptions for online writing workshops should tell you the following:

• What will you learn and write during the workshop?
• Who’s teaching the workshop, and what have they accomplished?
• How will your time be spent while taking the workshop?
• Who is this for? At what stage of your writing should you be in?

It helps to know what you’re looking for from your workshop. If you have certain goals in mind or ways you want to grow as a writer, be clear about these goals, and don’t spend money on workshops that simply won’t fit your needs. (That said, it can also be fun to enroll in random workshops and learn new writing skills—you’d be surprised what you’ll learn from a class that has nothing to do with your projects.)

If the description of the writing workshop aligns with your goals and needs, it should be a good fit. And, if you’re on the fence, it never hurts to ask the program administrators before you enroll. They’ll be glad to hear from you!

3. The Best Online Writing Workshops Prioritize the Student

Creative writing workshops place your experience front and center. The goal of a workshop is to expand your learning, work, and writing journey. If a writing course doesn’t promise to uplift your writing life, why would you take it?

If a writing course doesn’t promise to uplift your writing life, why would you take it?

A good writing school will acknowledge the risk involved in taking an adult writing workshop. Since online schools can’t confer college credit, and since you probably haven’t interacted with the workshop instructor before, you’re spending your time and money on a program that you haven’t used before.

So, why wouldn’t that school prioritize you ? You want to be confident that your writing, your creativity, and your time will be valued, otherwise you’re wasting your money on an experience you hardly learned from.

Check to see if the program itself has a student promise before you enroll in their writing workshops. If it doesn’t seem like the school will center your learning and growth as a writer, don’t take the risk—there are plenty of other schools to choose from.

4. The Best Online Writing Workshops Give Constructive Feedback

The feedback you receive in creative writing workshops will often prove the most valuable aspect of the course. Because most workshops are run by writers with Masters or Doctoral degrees, they’ve spent a fair amount of time giving and receiving feedback in competitive and community settings. As a result, they know a ton about the craft skills that make for good literature, and they know how to transmit those skills to their students.

Most importantly, a good writing instructor will tell you what you’re doing well in your writing.

The feedback you receive in online writing workshops will vary by the scope of the workshops and the backgrounds of the instructors. You might receive feedback on:

• Where the writing is effective
• Word choice that isn’t clear to the reader
• Ideas that can be expanded or shortened
• Sentences that are too long or too short
• Corrections in spelling and grammar
• Opportunities to improve the writing structure
• Feedback related to the elements of fiction , nonfiction, or poetry

Most importantly, a good writing instructor will tell you what you’re doing well in your writing. When you write a really great simile , have well developed characters , or find a moment of deep insight, your instructor will highlight this.

While it’s good to know what needs to be improved, writers can’t begin to improve until they also know what works in their poems and stories. This is how you build a foundation for good writing: start with what works, and sculpt from there. Writing workshops are the best spaces to build this foundation!

5. The Best Online Writing Workshops Focus on Craft

The best online writing workshops are centered around the craft of writing. Unlike English and composition classes, which focus on grammar, literacy, and the mechanics of language, creative writing workshops look at using these mechanics to write compelling, effective stories. And, in a writing workshop, you don’t just use the rules, you get to break them!

In a writing workshop, you don’t just use the rules, you get to break them.

The craft elements you focus on will vary based on the kind of course you’re in. If you’re taking poetry writing workshops, for example, you’ll focus on employing effective literary devices and studying different forms of poetry .

Likewise, in novel writing workshops, you might study elements like plot , point of view , and the art of storytelling .

Good writing workshops will break down great literature into the components that make it great, allowing you to read like a writer and employ these craft skills in your own work. And, learning the craft of creative writing helps you with everyday tasks, like sending emails or expanding your vocabulary.

6. The Best Online Writing Workshops Respect Your Creativity

The workshop is a space of unfettered creativity. Writers get to share their ideas, their experiences, and their creative, collaborative minds in the same space, making workshops the place to experiment with ideas. Of course, this is only possible if the workshop respects your creative authority.

We don’t “earn” the title of “writer,” we simply are writers, and a good writing course will uphold your integrity and creative vision, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

What does respect for your creative authority mean? It means that no one judges, criticizes, or condemns you for your writing and ideas. The best writing workshops will:

• Help you explore your ideas, rather than impose ideas upon you.
• Teach you the ropes of writing craft without telling you what to write.
• Show you what you’re already doing well in your work.
• Point out opportunities where the writing can be expanded, restructured, or clarified—in ways that help you carry out your creative vision.

Most importantly, this is true no matter how “new” you are to creative writing workshops . Whether you’ve submitted the first poem you’ve ever written or your thousandth, you deserve the same level of respect as everyone else in the room. We don’t “earn” the title of “writer,” we simply are writers, and a good writing course will uphold your integrity and creative vision, no matter where you are in your writing journey.

In a writing workshop, you may encounter many different ideas, but you also encounter the freedom to accept or reject those ideas. It’s your writing. You get the final say!

7. The Best Online Writing Workshops Create Community

What is a writing workshop without community? Writing can be a lonely practice, but a writing community makes all the difference. The best creative writing workshops foster a sense of community. In fact, many writers have come away from our courses with friends and writing partnerships that last for years and years!

A writing community can give you the motivation to create, the license to experiment, and the potential to learn even more about the craft of writing.

A writing community can give you the motivation to create, the license to experiment, and the potential to learn even more about the craft of writing. Because we all have very different literary backgrounds, we all have studied different authors and elements of the writing craft. When we write in a community, we naturally share what we’ve learned with one another, creating a culture of growth and inspiration.

Additionally, a strong writing community creates valuable feedback. When you write alongside people who know and enjoy your work, it is much easier to give and receive feedback, especially when these writers know what you’re trying to accomplish.

Many well-known authors throughout history have been a part of valuable writing communities, such as The Beat Poets, Stratford-on-Odeon, and these famous writing groups . Writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and when you enroll in community-oriented online writing workshops, you foster the kinds of relationships and connections that can sustain your literary career.

8. The Best Online Writing Workshops Motivate You to Write

Because writing is often solitary, it can be hard to motivate yourself to get work done. Taking online writing workshops pushes you to put words on the page.

Sometimes, the biggest barrier is beginning, but creative writing workshops will spark your writing practice.

For one thing, these classes cost money, and when you’re spending money to write and learn about writing, you’re more likely to actually write and learn about writing.

But, it’s not just the monetary transaction that motivates writers in adult writing workshops. Your course might provide you with:

• Creative writing prompts
• Daily journaling assignments
• Helpful revisions
• Inspirational readings
• Ideas to combat writer’s block
• Different approaches to writing

Some writing workshops are even designed to motivate you, such as our class Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack . Sometimes, the biggest barrier is beginning, but creative writing workshops will spark your writing practice.

9. The Best Online Writing Workshops Jumpstart a Writing Habit

Because writing workshops require you to submit work every week, students will have to set up a consistent writing practice in order to meet these deadlines. Not only does this prepare you for your life as a published author (where deadlines are less flexible), but this also helps you master a key aspect of the writing life: a consistent writing habit.

To make the most of creative writing workshops, try to find time to write every day.

Writing every day isn’t just good advice, it’s essential to building a writing life. Writers who want to build careers out of their work, or at the very least publish books some day, will have to dedicate time every day to their work. When you engage with language each day, you build the skills necessary to write good books, and you also keep yourself creatively motivated. This is true especially for the days that are hardest to write on.

Of course, most of us lead very busy lives. How do we steal time as artists? Here are some ideas:

• Write with your morning coffee.
• Keep a journal on your phone during work and lunch breaks.
• Write on your commute to and from work. If you’re driving, keep an audio journal, where you write by speaking into your phone’s recorder.
• Write on your phone while running on the treadmill.
• Put pen to paper while taking a bath.
• Journal for 15 minutes before you go to bed.

These ideas won’t work for everyone, and it all depends on your schedule and lifestyle. Nonetheless, to make the most of creative writing workshops, try to find time to write every day. It’s best to write at the same time every day, but if your schedule doesn’t allow this, sneak time wherever you can. Balancing a career, a family, and a writing life isn’t easy, but when the work calls, you’ll find time to answer!

10. The Best Online Writing Workshops Broaden Your Literary Horizons

As writers, it’s important for us to know our literary history. Now, this doesn’t mean you need to read every piece of classic literature to start writing—in fact, many books published in the 19th century could never be published today.

If you want to publish your own work some day, it’s important to know what else is being published today.

But it does mean knowing the craft skills that went into both classic and contemporary books. It especially means having a sense of the contemporary literary zeitgeist. If you want to publish your own work some day, it’s important to know what else is being published today.

The best creative writing workshops broaden your literary horizons. When you read classic literature, you get a sense of the foundations of contemporary writing, and the ways that writers before us expanded the possibilities of literature as a whole. When you read contemporary literature, you get a sense of today’s publishing landscape and what people are looking for in the writings of today.

(If you plan to publish books by querying literary agents , reading contemporary work is crucial, because you need to have good comps in your query letter . Comps are books that have been published recently and are similar, in some ways, to your own.)

Now, this doesn’t mean you need to write like other authors. In fact, far from it. It’s better that you learn to write like yourself , because your most valuable asset as a writer is your voice. But, when you expand your literary horizons, you engage with literature and make decisions on what you do and don’t want to do in your work.

What do you like to read? What do you want to never read again? The more you read, the more you hone your own voice as a writer. Great writing workshops introduce you to literature that provokes these kinds of questions.

11. The Best Online Writing Workshops Provide a Creative Outlet

One of the best reasons to take online writing workshops is that they give you an outlet for feelings and creativity.

Writing workshops are a great supplement to a healthy writer’s life.

This is the result of the various reasons listed above for taking writing classes. By building community, creating a writing practice, and engaging with literature, you inevitably nourish your creativity. In doing so, you nurture a healthy space to explore your ideas and emotions—an essential aspect of any writer’s life.

Now, even the best online writing workshops can’t replace the benefits of therapy. We’re not saying you should ditch your therapist for a Writers.com class. But we are saying that writing workshops are a great supplement to a healthy writer’s life, because they create safe spaces for you to experiment with your work and explore your emotions freely on the page.

This is true even for writers of genre fiction or persona poetry. It’s true for participants in fiction writing workshops and memoir writing workshops. We gravitate to writing in part for its emotional release, and a great online class in creative writing will nurture this release. Between the prompts, community, and writing habits that a creative writing workshop fosters, you’re sure to come away from your workshop with renewed emotional health.

12. The Best Online Writing Workshops Provide Next Steps

The best creative writing workshops are the beginning of your writing life, not the end. When your workshop ends, you should come away with new ideas for writing, new publication opportunities to pursue, and new friends and mentors to nurture your writing journey.

The best creative writing workshops are the beginning of your writing life, not the end.

Throughout the workshop, you’ll find new opportunities for continuous growth. You might find a list of literary journals to submit to, new readings to stimulate your writing, further creative writing workshops to attend, or simply the emails and social media accounts of students you really enjoyed working with.

If you’re ready to move on to the next level of your writing, your instructor will provide you with next steps. And, if you want to learn more outside of the classroom, contact the instructor about this. We’re always excited by writers who want to keep learning and learning!

The Best Online Writing Workshops

Of course, we’re partial to our own workshops at Writers.com . Since 1995 we’ve offered the best fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and book writing workshops around the internet, inspiring thousands of writers to embark on their writing journeys, find their voices, and get published.

We offer both single-day webinars and multi-week workshops in all genres, and also offer opportunities for private coaching with our instructors. If you’re looking for the best, you’ve already found it. Drop us a line if you have any questions!

Check out our full schedule of upcoming classes here.

In addition to Writers.com, here are some online writing workshops that we’ve found offer fantastic creative writing education:

• Loft Literary
• Brooklyn Poets
• Creative Nonfiction

In Creative Writing Workshops…

You get to find great literature, meet fellow scribblers, build a writing habit, and, most importantly, take your writing journey to the next level. Why wait? Enroll in an online writing workshop today!

Sean Glatch

Thanks for the information it’s really enlightening

So glad I found this writing site. I have more exploring to do. I’m sure I will be back.

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Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online

DOI link for Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online

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As the online world of creative writing teaching, learning, and collaborating grows in popularity and necessity, this book explores the challenges and unique benefits of teaching creative writing online.

This collection highlights expert voices who have taught creative writing effectively in the online environment, to broaden the conversation regarding online education in the discipline, and to provide clarity for English and writing departments interested in expanding their offerings to include online creative writing courses but doing so in a way that serves students and the discipline appropriately.

Interesting as it is useful, Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online offers a contribution to creative writing scholarship and begins a vibrant discussion specifically regarding effectiveness of online education in the discipline.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 | 9  pages, don’t short circuit the muse, chapter 2 | 7  pages, teaching creative writing online without tears, chapter 3 | 14  pages, when the way you read is who you are, chapter 4 | 10  pages, making the write impression, chapter 5 | 16  pages, navigating trauma in the online creative writing classroom, chapter 6 | 14  pages, software and hardware tools for teaching creative writing and self-editing online, chapter 7 | 17  pages, zoom in and zoom out, chapter 8 | 13  pages, digital pedagogy in the online creative writing classroom, chapter 9 | 18  pages, designing peer review, chapter 10 | 10  pages, taking the poetry exercise online, chapter 11 | 10  pages, a sense of openness, chapter 12 | 10  pages, motivate, accommodate, and emulate, chapter 13 | 15  pages, using flash fiction as a pedagogical tool in teaching creative writing online.

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Stanford Continuing Studies' online creative writing courses make it easy to take courses taught by instructors from Stanford’s writing community. Thanks to the flexibility of the online format, these courses can be taken anywhere, anytime—a plus for students who lead busy lives or for whom regular travel to the Stanford campus is not possible. These courses are open to all adults, and we encourage all levels of writers to enroll.

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Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online

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As the online world of creative writing teaching, learning, and collaborating grows in popularity and necessity, this book explores the challenges and unique benefits of teaching creative writing online. This collection highlights expert voices who have taught creative writing effectively in the online environment, to broaden the conversation regarding online education in the discipline, and to provide clarity for English and writing departments interested in expanding their offerings to include online creative writing courses but doing so in a way that serves students and the discipline appropriately. Interesting as it is useful, Theories and Strategies for Teaching Creative Writing Online offers a contribution to creative writing scholarship and begins a vibrant discussion specifically regarding effectiveness of online education in the discipline.

Table of Contents

Tamara Girardi is Associate Professor of English at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College in their Virtual Learning unit, where she teaches exclusively online. Her primary research interests are creative writing studies, young adult literature, and online education. Dr. Girardi is also an editor for the Digital, Multimodal, and Multimedia section of the Journal of Creative Writing Studies . She writes children’s literature. Abigail G. Scheg currently serves as a Styling Team Lead for Stitch Fix. She has taught online and face to face at multiple institutions as well as serving as an administrator in academic and student service roles.

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Providing Support for Writers and Teachers of Writing

The Magic of Teaching Creative Writing Online: Build a Stellar Virtual Classroom

Hey there, future digital educators! Are you ready to dive into the exciting world of online creative writing? Perfect, because we’re about to reveal the secret sauce that makes this whole online teaching thing a piece of cake. You’ve probably heard the buzz about how technology is transforming education, right? Well, strap in because teaching creative writing online is more than just a buzz. It’s about blending the art of storytelling with technology, in a way that’s super inclusive and flexible. We’re talking global classrooms where everyone’s welcome, and creativity knows no bounds.

Unleashing Creativity in a Virtual Space

First things first. How do you get the creative juices flowing in a virtual classroom? Easy peasy! Make your virtual space a safe haven for ideas. Encourage your students to express their wildest thoughts, because, guess what? There are no wrong answers in creative writing. Encourage exploration, experimentation, and even a little bit of rule-bending. After all, breaking the rules is half the fun in creative writing, right?

Keeping the Engagement High: Interactive Exercises and Prompt Writing

Keeping your students hooked online can be tricky. The trick lies in interactive exercises and prompt writing. You know how they say ‘practice makes perfect’? Well, they weren’t kidding. Regular writing exercises keep the mind sharp, and who knows, they might just strike gold in one of these sessions. Prompts, on the other hand, are like nudges to their imagination. It could be a word, a picture, or even a song—anything that could spark a storyline. The best part? It’s loads of fun!

For more information about using writing prompts, check out our article: “How to Inspire Your Students: Creative Writing Prompts That Ignite Imagination.”

Feedback: The Constructive Bridge

Let’s be real. Writing can be a lonely journey, and feedback is like a lifeline in this vast ocean of words. It’s essential for growth, and it lets them know they’re not alone in this. A simple, “Hey, I loved how you described the sunset in your story,” could mean the world to them. And remember, it’s all about constructive feedback. It’s not about pointing out what they did wrong, but about how they can do it better.

Mastering the Art of Online Collaboration

You know what’s cooler than writing a story? Writing a story together! Online collaboration tools are the key to unlock this fun aspect of creative writing. It promotes team spirit, shared creativity, and the joy of co-authorship. It’s like a virtual brainstorming session where ideas bounce off each other, creating something truly unique and beautiful.

The Great Balancing Act: Structure and Freedom

Teaching creative writing online is like walking a tightrope. On one side, you’ve got structure—lesson plans, learning objectives, timelines, and all that jazz. On the other side, you’ve got freedom—the wild, untamed spirit of creativity. Striking the right balance between the two is what makes this journey exciting and fruitful.

Frequently Asked Questions about Teaching Creative Writing Online

Absolutely, you can! Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Transitioning from a physical classroom to a virtual one can be a bit daunting, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a breeze. Plus, you get to reach out to students all over the globe. Pretty cool, huh?

It’s a valid concern, but we’ve got you covered. The key is keeping things interactive and fun. Use writing prompts, encourage collaborative projects, provide constructive feedback, and you’ll see your virtual classroom buzzing with energy and creativity in no time.

No worries! There are plenty of user-friendly platforms out there, like Zoom or Google Classroom, that make setting up a virtual classroom a piece of cake. You can also find plenty of how-to guides online that walk you through the whole process step-by-step. Trust us, you’ll be a whiz in no time.

Final Thoughts

The magic of teaching creative writing online lies in its endless possibilities. It’s a space where art meets technology, where the traditional confines of a classroom melt away, giving way to a vibrant, global community of learners. It’s challenging, rewarding, and incredibly fulfilling. So, are you ready to wave your magic wand and create your virtual classroom?

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Learn Creative Writing, earn certificates with paid and free online courses from University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins, UC Irvine, UC Berkeley and other top universities around the world. Read reviews to decide if a class is right for you.

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Creative Writing

Creative writing: the craft of plot, neil gaiman teaches the art of storytelling, complete creative writing - all genres - the full course, creative writing for all: a 10-day journaling challenge, relato corto de ficción: escribe desde tu experiencia personal, write your book: start strong and get it done, writing: the craft of story, creative writing: crafting personal essays with impact, start writing fiction.

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Eight Free Creative Writing Lessons

February 17, 2012 by Ami 17 Comments

I know I throw around the word favorite all the time. But this is the truth: teaching creative writing lessons is my favorite. 

I have taught creative writing enrichment for summer school students. I have taught creative writing in various homeschool settings and co-ops. I have taught big students and little students. And I love it. 

Since I love to share homeschool co-op class ideas , I have compiled the creative writing lessons from a co-op class that I taught. 

Creative Writing Lessons for a Homeschool Co-op Class

First, please remember that any teacher can use these creative writing lessons. You don’t need to be teaching homeschoolers. You can be a classroom teacher or a homeschool teacher at home with one student. You can even be a librarian who needs a fun program series.

Second, I used these creative writing lesson plans with upper elementary students (with maybe a few 7th graders thrown in). However, you can adapt and use them for older students or younger students!

Creative Writing Lesson Plans

Creative writing lesson one.

The first lesson focuses on cliché and metaphor. It prompts students to consider how words matter.

Grab lesson one here .

Creative Writing Lesson Two

The second lesson teaches students about sensory details: why they are important and how to include them in their writing. Students will begin using sensory details to evoke smells and sounds and sights.

Grab lesson two here.

Creative Writing Lesson Three

The third lesson introduces showing vs. telling. Students learn how to recognize authors who utilize showing, and students are able to articulate the difference between showing and telling.

Grab lesson three here.

Creative Writing Lesson Four

The fourth lesson teaches students how to capture images. We use examples of poetry and prose to discuss this important writing skill.

Grab lesson four here.

Creative Writing Lesson Five

The fifth lesson introduces the story elements of character and conflict.

Note: You may choose to split this lesson into two lessons since it covers two big elements. I only had nine weeks with my students, so I had to jam character and conflict together.

Grab lesson five here.

Creative Writing Lesson Six

The sixth lesson introduces the students to point of view and perspective. We have fun reading poems and using pictures to write descriptions from different points of view.

Grab lesson six here.

Creative Writing Lesson Seven

The seventh lesson puts everything we’ve learned together. I read the students some fractured fairy tales, and we watch some, too. Students then use the prewriting activities and their imaginations to begin drafting their own fractured fairy tales.

Grab lesson seven here.

Creative Writing Lesson Eight

The eighth lesson focuses on revision. After a mini-lesson, students partner up for peer editing.

Grab lesson eight here .

For our final class day, students bring revised work, and I host coffee shop readings. This is a memorable experience for students (and their teacher).

Creative Writing Lessons FAQ

Since posting these creative writing lessons, I have had lots of questions. I decided to compile them here in case you have the same question.

Q: What are copywork quotes? A: Copywork quotes are simply great quotes that students copy as part of their homework assignments. You can use any quotes about writing. I’ve included my favorites throughout the printable packs.

Q: Can I use this with a younger or older student? A: Absolutely! Just adapt it to meet the needs of your student.

Q: Can I use this for my library’s programming or my homeschool co-op class? A: Yes! I just ask that it not be used for profit.

Do you have any questions about teaching creative writing? What’s your biggest hang-up when it comes to teaching creative writing? I’d love to hear from you and help you solve the issue.

January 7, 2016 at 1:57 pm

Hi Theresa,

As long as you are not profitting from using them, they are yours to use! Enjoy! Wish I could be there to help facilitate all those young writers! 

[…] Creative Writing Class […]

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So You Want to Teach an Online Writing Course?

This post was originally written in 2017 and updated in February 2021.

My first exposure to online writing education—for adults outside of degree programs—was Writers Online Workshops, a division of Writer’s Digest. Prior to that, my experience and prepared curriculum was entirely centered around the traditional classroom.

As I gained experience managing and evaluating online education through Writer’s Digest—and teaching online courses myself—I began to field more questions from authors who were curious about doing it themselves, but didn’t know where to start. And so I came up with the following tips.

One big caveat is that I am not an expert in curriculum design or creative writing pedagogy (either online or offline!). So I invite those who have more formal study and knowledge to share suggestions in the comments.

The primary motivation for adult writers who take online classes is to:

• Acquire new skills
• Complete a writing project (be motivated and be held accountable)
• Get personalized feedback and instruction

People also appreciate the immediacy of online education in serving their needs. Freedom and flexibility are often critical for adults deciding to take an online course—more important than even price.

A course’s success depends greatly on understanding or anticipating the needs of students, creating and delivering material that leads to learning and engagement, and thus producing the outcomes they most desire.

Deciding What to Teach

Here are some starting questions for those who have never taught online before.

• What will the course focus on? If you’re new to online teaching, choose a class you’ve taught multiple times, where you have confidence in your approach and knowledge base. It’s also easier from a marketing perspective to teach topics you’re well-known for, that you have demonstrated success in, or that you know would interest your community or clients.
• How long will the course run? Unless you’re enthusiastic about “boot camp” style courses that run in a weekend or a week, I recommend a minimum of four weeks and a maximum of twelve weeks for a craft/technique course. You could also choose to create a self-study, but this post focuses on writing courses with a specific start and end date. (The best writing classes typically have interaction and engagement with an instructor who can offer feedback/critique.)
• How much personal attention will be offered?  This would include critique/feedback, live office hours of some kind, forum discussion, or even an in-person component. The more interactive the course, the more expensive it generally is, but obviously the more time the instructor must commit.

Course Benefit and Structure

With writing courses for adults, it’s important to focus on what the students will achieve or have in hand at the finish line. The course might focus on one large-scale project (first 25 pages of a manuscript, a completed essay or story) that is worked on and submitted to the instructor for feedback; or it might focus on completing a series of smaller assignments.  While readings can help illustrate important principles or lessons of craft and technique, any energy devoted to group discussions about readings are almost never a good use of student time and energy.

Most online courses are best when there’s one goal, focus, or lesson per week. More often, and students won’t be able to keep up; less often, and students will become disengaged.

All courses to be effective must incorporate regular opportunities for Q&A with the instructor—basically, office hours. I recommend about one live session per week, whether through text-based chat or audio/video conference.

Course Lessons or Lectures

An online writing course should avoid relying on student production of material for critique (as in a traditional university writing workshop). The instructor should offer writing instruction in some form, usually on a weekly basis. What constitutes a lecture can be very flexible. It might be:

• A live video conference session using software such as Zoom (and recorded for students who can’t attend). This is usually the most intimidating for new online instructors, as well as experienced—it’s more or less like doing a live webinar. I don’t recommend that you be merely a talking head, but that you have visuals to share, and budget plenty of Q&A/break time.
• Recorded audio or video lessons using software such as Camtasia or Screenflow. 
• Written lecture: using PowerPoint or Keynote helps incorporate visuals (preferable for some types of material), but text only can work well.

Always build in next steps or actions. Students will learn better if they’re given a specific task or action after watching a lecture or series of lectures. Make them put what they’ve learned to work, or get them writing. By incorporating action steps into your curriculum, you will see satisfaction skyrocket, because people feel like they are accomplishing, creating, or learning something. Progress toward goals is very inspiring.

Course Community and Discussion Area

Students will find a course more valuable if they meet other like-minded people with whom they might even continue a relationship after the course ends. For this to happen, the course needs a discussion and community area for posting. The easiest method by far is to create a private Facebook group for the course, but you could also create a private WordPress site with forum capability through a plugin such as BBPress.

Instructor Critique and Engagement

Instructor feedback or interaction is critical to a writing-focused course. A critique can be written or audio recorded and delivered in private, and/or done in a more traditional workshop manner, where all students can see and benefit from observing the instructor’s critique of the work. 

I’ve found that—unless students are in a university program—it’s very hard to mandate that other students give feedback. And usually, it’s not desirable to mandate feedback unless the students are insightful in giving it. Good feedback doesn’t happen by accident, and writers need training in how to give it, which may be outside the purview of the course being taught. In any event, in most non-degree writing courses, the students are seeking the insights of the instructor, and not the other students.

Student satisfaction is often tied directly to how they feel the instructor interacted with their work, their forum/discussion posts, and/or their questions during office hours. Responding in the forum or otherwise being present in the forum, proactively posting questions and doing check-ins, and in general “showing up” is vital. Students can tell when you’re phoning it in, or just posting lessons then disengaging.

Protecting Instructor Time

I recommend two levels of registration for any class involving critique:

• Basic registration: All curriculum, lessons, community discussion features, instructor office hours or Q&A opportunities, plus a basic amount of critique/feedback
• Premium registration (usually limited in number): Everything in the basic, but allows for more material to be critiqued, more revision and feedback, or more one-on-one time with the instructor

Students love having a choice because they may not have the time or ability to produce a large amount of work during a particular time, and/or may be mainly interested in the curriculum.

Recommended Technology

I favor the following tools for online courses.

• I use the Restrict Content Pro plugin installed on WordPress, although this isn’t an ideal solution for the average instructor (it requires considerable customization to work for online learning). A better beginner tool would be a plugin like LearnDash, specifically suited to online courses. When students register for a course, they receive login credentials and can immediately access curriculum on a schedule you determine. There are other teaching platforms available, some with extensive and robust features, such as Teachable, Zippy Courses, and Podia. Which tool you choose is mainly about your budget, your comfort level with technology, and how much customization you require.
• Zoom: This is a great tool for office hours, live lectures, or webinar-style classes. It allows everyone to see and hear each other (assuming you have a webcam), plus you can share your screen and do text chat. Students can dial in through a phone number for audio only, and you can record sessions for students who miss. 
• Camtasia or Screenflow: both are excellent tools for recording and editing audiovisual lectures.
• Private Facebook groups work great for the discussion and community aspect of an online course because nearly everyone is familiar with it and logs in at least once a day.

For Video-Based Lectures or Lessons

These are some of the principles I encourage you to adopt.

• For audiovisual lecture delivery: Hopefully, you already use PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, or some other slide-based presentation tool to accompany your lectures. If not, I suggest you develop slides unless you have other visuals. Ideally, your lecture doesn’t consist solely of audio with a static visual (or a talking head); this leads to student boredom and distraction. Use summary lists, imagery, graphics, and other visuals to reinforce the points you’re talking about. Images help engagement a lot . When you can’t think of anything, add a cat GIF. Attention will skyrocket. (Only half joking.)
• Break up your lectures into 3-6 minute increments. If you’ve ever used Lynda, you know the model. It’s less daunting to tackle a video lecture when things are broken down into their smallest steps or components. (For efficiency, when you record a lecture, you can certainly do it all in one take, while giving yourself a pause between lessons or sections. Later on, using Screenflow or Camtasia, you can break up a long video into the intended lessons.)
• For live lectures, build in question breaks. Almost every live lecture should leave 5-10 minutes at the end for student questions. I typically build in at least one additional opportunity for students to ask questions. This might be halfway through, but you should base it on when you think the most questions are likely to arise (e.g., during the most confusing or complicated material). If it makes sense, build in a third break for questions.
• Rather than using your computer’s built-in external microphone , you may need to purchase an external microphone for best possible results. Apple’s standard-issue earbuds—the ones with a built-in microphone—also work very well.
• Find an enclosed room where you will not be interrupted. Unplug your phone and turn off your cell phone ringer. If necessary, post a sign on the door that says, “Recording in progress.” There is nothing worse than being distracted during a live session or recording, trust me.
• Be prepared to share your slides in PDF form. This will depend on the nature of the session, but one of the first things students will ask for is a copy of your lecture. If you’re uncomfortable doing this, you should prepare a handout with the key ideas, lessons, resources, websites, or tips from your presentation. Having something in writing, like a tip sheet, is very helpful with online courses, so that students don’t have to search through recordings to find that 1 minute when you referenced a particular resource.

It’s Your Turn

If you’ve taught online writing courses, I’d love to hear what has worked (or not) for you and your students. And if you’ve been a student in an online writing course, tell us about any positive experiences—what made the course valuable to you?

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet , the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.

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Thanks for this great post, Jane! After teaching for many years in MFA programs, in addition to teaching online for a Bay Area University, I now teach online novel writing courses and introductory fiction courses through my own online school. I earn my primary income as a writer, and enjoy teaching but not driving to a campus! Zoom works great for my classes. I tend to provide a lot of video and written lessons, using a range of media. The challenge is finding ways to keep students engaged in online discussion boards.

I find that assignments directly related to the lessons, along with targeted discussion questions and video Q&As, go a long way toward helping students learn and keeping them engaged. I also provide weekly writing assignments to keep students on track with specific projects.

Thank you, Michelle! Really appreciate hearing about your approach.

I am skeptical of the benefits of any kind of formalized instruction when it comes to writing, especially writing books.

Granted, there are tons of good materials out there for people wanting to learn: podcasts, conferences, books, etc. But the only education that is going to make a lick of difference for the apprentice writer is the self-motivated kind. Formalizing that education, with assignments and the like, is like dissecting the frog: it can technically be done, but the thing dies in the process.

Hi Alan – Are you similarly skeptical of feedback and guidance on your work (presumably from someone qualified to know what they’re talking about)?

I don’t think the problem is formalised instruction when it comes to writing books. How dry or how inspiring a class is depends on who’s teaching and who’s learning. I think the real challenge for fiction writers these days is to resist having their unique voice—not style or narrative voice (point of view), but their writing voice—usurped by sets of rules mostly adapted from screenplays and play writing. That said, no one can drive a car without becoming skilled in the art of driving without having to think about the mechanics of the art. The driver’s attention must be free enough to pay attention to the road and the destination they intend to reach, otherwise, they will likely cause an accident. The same is true of writing. The mastery of craft is as important to the writer as talent, and the desire to write.

The driving analogy may appear simplistic but it is exactly how mastering craft in any art form works. Just as the driver no longer thinks about how to drive their car long before they slip behind the steering wheel and turn on the ignition, so it is with a writer who no longer has to think about craft when they sit down to write. Then the issue becomes how best to use words, which are tricky, to convey what is most important to the writer, in a way that makes it equally important to the reader.

Self-motivation is a key factor in accomplishing anything. But there is no concert pianist who learned to play highly complex compositions without practicing scales and other exercises for years, in addition to memorising musical notation. Concert pianists still have to practice the pieces they intend to perform until these are committed to both body and mind memories; and they may resort to practicing certain exercises in order to master a particularly difficult passage.

No one has ever become great without a great deal of practice, unless they are that rare anomaly of the gifted mind, such as Mozart or Shakespeare.

I am currently teaching a class online to writers who are all deeply grounded in craft and who are all strong writers. My class focuses on understanding why a writer’s voice can never be wrong although the story’s voice may not be the right one for the story. This distinction between story voice and writer’s voice is rarely made, but I feel it is critical for a writer’s words to be true to the writer’s intent.

For the new as well as experienced writer, that practice may come, as Ray Bradbury advised, in the form of one short story a week, if dissecting frogs is anathema. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W-r7ABrMYU

[…] A course’s success depends on anticipating and understanding the needs of writing students and producing the outcomes they most desire.  […]

Thanks for this interesting post, Jane. It might be worth mentioning that there are some good free platforms out there for online courses. I’m not saying Zippy Courses is not good value, I haven’t used it, but for someone putting a first toe in the water a free one might be a better option. I created a rather innovative online novel writing course and used Eliademy.com as my platform. It’s a free online school software designed for philanthropic reasons by two former Nokia executives. I found it more than adequate for my needs, and seemed to work well. The real difficulty was promoting the course and attracting students. But then that is the difficulty with everything, isn’t it? It was easy to start with, I just mails hotted all my former students and filled two classes right off. After I’d exhausted that resource it became much more difficult. I also teach Writing Fiction’ online for Oxford University (www.conted.ox.ac.uk) and they use Moodle which is open source software, and in my opinion a bit of a user-experience (and tutor experience) mess.

Hi Malcolm – Thanks so much for the platform/tech recommendations. I’m familiar with Moodle (and its limitations, as you seem to have experienced), but not Eliademy. Will check it out! I also just recently became aware of Wet Ink, which isn’t free, but ideal for courses where workshopping is a critical component.

I wanted to teach an online writing course but when I gauged interest, I found most writers want to know about branding, marketing or publishing rather than actual writing. As I’ve been teaching graphic design for five years, I’m going to offer a short course on branding for authors 🙂 I was half tempted to actually do a course on teaching methods and learning styles to help other course creators!

Very interesting! I’ve had the opposite experience, but we’re likely reaching different segments of the community. 🙂

Jane, these are great tips. I wished I’d read this before I taught online courses (also for Writer’s Online Workshops, among others)!

One issue I had with teaching online classes, which eventually led me to give it up, was that if the instructor and participants’ motivation or “drive” aren’t synchronized, it’s difficult to develop the online relationship. Of course, many students are proactive and actively responsive — doing the work, participating, critiquing others’ work. However, many students also leave their assignments until the last minute and then expect the instructor to work around the clock to respond to them all. This situation would have been remedied by more frequent, shorter, or more real-time activities. With a “bricks and mortar” class, you have a concrete (sorry, pun intended) start time; with an online class, the time constraints are often looser. I’m also a morning person, so when students wanted to chat or submitted their work at midnight, I wouldn’t see it until the next morning.

Two of my favorite relationships, however, were *because* of our different physical time zones. One of my students was a soldier deployed in Iraq, and another was the wife of a soldier stationed in Germany. We all went out of our way to find times when we could connect in real-time, despite the time our clocks displayed.

For people wanting to teach online workshops, go for it. Just make sure everyone’s expectations about response time are clearly understood.

Great insights, Wendy – thank you.

I particularly liked this. Especially in the current climate of uncertainty and exclusion in the world at large.

Basic registration: All curriculum, lessons, community discussion features, instructor office hours or Q&A opportunities, plus a basic amount of critique/feedback Premium registration (usually limited in number): Everything in the basic, but allows for more material to be critiqued, more revision and feedback, or more one-on-one time with the instructor Great points, Jane. Last year I signed up for Course Builders Lab to turn my years of editing into writing workshops. They suggest first learning what people want help with (in your field) rather than focusing on what you THINK they want. They teach ways to hone in on “problem language” to discover your course niche. Then how to BETA test it. I discovered writers wish they had a handle on how to create a viable plan for writing a series, which correlates with my expertise. I BETA tested and agree with you: Zoom (a great way everyone can “meet” each other); Q&A is essential; instructor feedback invaluable; and a specific goal with distinct assignments important. However, I found student participation sketchy—some very interested and others not at all. Only half of my students were FaceBook enthusiasts, so I’d gone the WordPress route, but found that awkward. I’m now using Thinkific (vs. Zippy) which provides all the elements I need, including a better discussion format.

Hi Sandra – Thanks for sharing your experience! I’ve also found that student participation is incredibly variable – some fall behind right away or don’t even intend on participating from the start. I avoid making any promises in the course description as to peer critique, review, feedback, discussion, and so on. Unless the course is somehow graded/evaluated for credit, I haven’t found an effective way to mandate that students engage with each other (or even with me!). So I accept this dynamic as part of non-degree classes, but usually there are at least three to five VERY engaged students (and maybe 10 rather engaged) who get a lot out of the interactions.

Will check out Thinkific!

These are great tips! Thanks, Jane. I have taught lots of in-person writing courses and along the way took lots of online classes. My motive for the latter, I’ve realized, was at first an audience, then largely community, and finally fellow readers and stealing ideas/materials for my own teaching.

With rare exceptions, feedback from fellow students came to seem poor or irrelevant to my actual work and struggles. And relationships were rarely made or lasted—I think a real hurdle for online relationships is that humans seem to require knowing that the other person is “okay,” basically a good person. (This would also seem to be another irrelevancy or something that could be taken for granted but isn’t; I think this affects even submissions to journals.)

I agree what everyone wants is instructor feedback. That’s where the hard work is on the teacher’s part, so much concentrated, risky effort. The two-tier enrollment is a great idea and practice for everyone, reducing teacher and student burden overall. Mostly I have experienced great teachers, which basically means generous, organized, trying.

Here’s a pet peeve. Instructors typically say the class is about new work, but in practice favor obviously polished work. Who can help it? And I’ve been less stressed when I’ve used classes for work already in progress. New work is rough, has problems by definition, but it’s a real art to balance feedback with encouragement. As you know, it can take years for something to find its form, which makes so much feedback irrelevant (that word again!) or possibly harmful.

Hi Richard – Great to get your insights here, thank you. In all my writing courses, the weakest feedback was from my peers. To be fair, I think some of that problem can be put on instructors’ shoulders – constructive critique/feedback needs to be taught and modeled for students; it is not intuitive. (Makes me think I should put together a course on exactly that topic!)

Hi Richard,

You wrote: Here’s a pet peeve. Instructors typically say the class is about new work, but in practice favor obviously polished work. Who can help it? And I’ve been less stressed when I’ve used classes for work already in progress. New work is rough, has problems by definition, but it’s a real art to balance feedback with encouragement. As you know, it can take years for something to find its form, which makes so much feedback irrelevant (that word again!) or possibly harmful.

I think the key to looking at new work is not to critique it but to ask questions. Even so, this too can be difficult. I realised several years ago that when I put my work out there for a response too early I became defensive when the responses came because I hadn’t finished articulating everything I felt but hadn’t yet found the way to say it. Especially questions for which I didn’t yet have the answers! But once I knew I had done my very best, I was (I am) completely open to any and all feedback. Once I know I’ve done everything I can and said everything in exactly the way I want, I am no longer attached to the writing itself. I have a clear sense of what is helpful feedback and what is not, and I feel no need to defend any of my words. However, not every writer is like me. Some are fine with putting up brand new work; and I suspect, in my case also, depending on the nature of the writing, it would also be fine to put up a rough example of a new work. The key, I think, to writing well is to know oneself and what one wants or needs in terms of feedback.

I have a writer in my current class who is working on the first draft of a story idea she’s tried in earlier drafts before but that didn’t work for her. So this is like a new draft altogether, even though she’s been working on the idea of the story for sometime. I basically leave her alone. She knows she can show me something if she wants my help. I talk with her about things I think may help her overall to strengthen her writing process.

Also, I do not believe every exercise is the right exercise for every student. In my class I put up exercises and students can do them or not. However, I’m teaching a class on the writer’s voice, and there really aren’t any formal ways of teaching something that cannot essentially be taught.

Recently I put up an exercise for my students in which I selected the first 200 or so words of openings of two writers they said they admired (each student had different choices; as much because they’re writing in different genres); and then I selected the first 200 or so words of their openings so that they could see how near or how faraway they are from writing the kind of story that calls to them, and draws them, in as a reader. I think a great deal about writers whose work inspires me. I think about what draws me to their work and how I can put that feeling of attraction into my own work with my voice, which is, in my way of making language my own.

[…] So You Want To Teach An Online Writing Course? – via Jane Friedman – Jane Friedman gives tips on how to teach a writing course online. She discusses what to teach, course structure, critique and engagement, discussion opportunities, and recommended technology for teaching. […]

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Best Websites for Teaching & Learning Writing

Our favorite free and paid writing resources across the web!

Writing is one of the most important skills students can learn in school. Writing skills are linked to reading skills and to overall academic achievement. Luckily, there are loads of interesting and engaging websites to help make writing instruction fun. To help you get started, here’s a list of the best writing websites for teaching and learning.

With 9 million members and 800,000 participating K-12 classrooms, Storybird  is the world’s largest language arts program. With Storybird, students can create short, visual stories on their own or with friends. In addition, this writing curriculum is aligned with Common Core standards and offers over 600 lessons, quizzes, and writing prompts created by seasoned educators and authors.

Cost: Free trial, subscription

Writing A-Z

With thousands of downloadable and projectable resources for writing instruction, as well as a collection of interactive online writing tools, Writing A-Z helps teachers meet the needs of every student at every learning level. In addition, teachers can track students’ progress, making individualized instruction a snap.

Story Jumper

StoryJumper is a free storybook creation site for students in grades 1-8. Students create their own original stories, then add their own artwork or access images from StoryJumper’s library. Kids can write alone, collaborate with classmates or even connect with students around the world. In addition, the site includes teacher guides, writing projects, templates, and more.

Cost: Free, Prices vary for printed books

Features an expansive, curated collection of story-starts created by renowned authors such as Jeff Kinney (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Jeff Bruel (Bad Kitty). Students read the first chapter of a story, then write, edit and revise the next chapter themselves online. As a class project, teachers can assign all students the same story starter. Once all the stories are written, students can anonymously read other entries and peer assess and vote for the best version of the story.

Cost: $12.99 per book

Write About

An authentic classroom writing community and publishing platform built by teachers for teachers. Access units and lessons, free choice and creative writing tips, journaling lessons, quick writes, and more for students K-12.

Cost: Free, Premium and Premium Plus versions

Storium.edu

This innovative, collaborative writing game revolves around digital story cards that represent different aspects of storytelling and character development. Along with visual cues, the cards serve as writing prompts, helping students figure out what to write next at each step of the game. Students take turns playing story cards and adding to the story. Paragraph by paragraph, they collaboratively write their own original story simply by playing the game.

Elementari integrates coding into writing as students create and publish simple interactive and animated digital stories. Using the online platform, students write and code, share, and remix interactive stories using professional illustrations and sounds. Teachers can monitor progress and offer personalized feedback to help students grow as writers.

Access 1000+ writing assignments and prompts organized by collection, genre, or grade level with Writable. Scaffold instruction and motivate your students to become purposeful, proficient writers. Also available: Skills activities, graphic organizers, quick writes, response to reading, and much more

Magnetic Poetry

Just like the fridge magnets we all know and love, this tool offers a selection of words and screen space for students to create their own poetry. They can request more words, start over and even share their poetry electronically. Magnetic Poetry is a perfect choice as a writing station or an option during creative play.

Make Beliefs Comix

Students of all ages love creating their own worlds through comic strips. MakeBeliefs Comix provides story ideas and comic starters as well as a gallery of comics for inspiration. Students choose from a wide cast of characters with different looks and moods and then write the words and thoughts for them. Also featured on this site: videos, writing tools, lesson plans, a special needs section, and an ideas exchange.

Read, Write, Think

Sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English, this site offers high-quality, standards-aligned education materials for students K-12. Featuring hundreds of lesson plans, calendar resources, printouts, and interactive tools such as story maps, plot diagrams, timelines, and more.

PicLits is an e-learning website that utilizes photography and keywords to improve students’ literacy skills with an emphasis on interactive, visual learning. Inspired by an image, students create a caption, sentence, story, paragraph, poem, or even a quotation to capture the essence, story, and/or meaning of that image.

iWrite offers free online creative writing and illustration activities for kids in grades 1-8. In addition, they help writers take advantage of innovative online writing clubs, camps, workshops, and publishing opportunities. iWrite TV offers videos on topics like brainstorming, genre and theme, setting and description. and more.

Grammarly for Education

Grammarly helps students polish up their communication skills. A great student writing aid, it allows students to check their writing for typos, commonly confusing words, tricky sentence structure, and more. And Grammarly has hundreds of informative blogs such as H ow to Write a Research Paper, How to Write a Poem, and Grammar Tips.

Cost: Free basic plan, Subscription Education options.

StoryboardThat

StoryboardThat is an easy drag-and-drop creation platform with cross-curricular applications for writers K-12. With over 3,000 lesson plans and activities , teachers can create materials and lessons for their classes which will help students can take ownership of their voice and learning.

Grammar Girl

One of Writer’s Digest’s 101 best websites, Mignon Fogarty offers “Quick and Dirty Tips” with blogs and videos such as Top Ten Grammar Myths and Can You Start a Sentence with And to help students become the best writers possible.

NaNoWritMo Young Writers Program

NaNoWritMo’s Young Writers Program supports young writers and K-12 educators as they participate in National Novel Writing Month each November and offers smaller writing challenges year-round. Kids can track their word-count goal for the month and draft their novel right on the site. Plus, they can get support from published authors and an international community of fellow novelists.

Power Poetry

The largest online poetry community in the world and a safe, creative, free place for teen poets and teachers. Chock full of resources, there are lesson plans, classroom activity guides, and printable worksheets to help you in the classroom.

Poetry Foundation Teen Section

The Poetry Foundation offers a variety of articles, videos and podcasts to help teens in all aspects of poetry. You’ll find tips on understanding and writing poems along with featured poems by famous poets. The Poetry Foundation also has a Children Section as well as a Teacher Section.

Time4Writing

Free writing resources for students K-12 in seven main categories. Each category includes a selection of fun writing games, instructional videos, printable writing worksheets, and other writing tools. This site also offers online courses with writing instruction by certified teachers.

Cost: Free resources, Fees for online courses

What are your favorite writing websites for the classroom? Share in the comments below!

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A writing room: the new marketplace of writer classes, retreats, and collectives.

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A Writing Room is one of the fast-growing writer collectives. The four co-founders (left to right): ... [+] Reese Zecchin, Director of Production; Jacob Nordby, Director of Writer Development; A. Ashe, Creative Director; Claire Giovino, Community Director.

The past decade has brought an explosion in the number of books published each year in the United States (an estimated three to four million annually). In turn, this explosion is bringing a growing and evolving marketplace of writer classes, retreats and collectives. It is a marketplace creating new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities—both for mainstream tech, marketing and managerial workers, as well as for writer/artist denizens of America’s bohemia.

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The number of book sales in the United States remains healthy, though it has leveled off in the past four years. In 2020, 756.82 million book unit sales were made in the US alone. This number climbed to 837.66 million in 2021, before falling slightly to 787.65 million units in 2022 and 767.36 million units in 2023.

What has changed dramatically has been the number of books published. Steve Piersanti of Berrett-Koehler Publishers estimates that three million books were published in the US, up 10 times from the number only 16 years ago . Other estimates put the number of published books annually at closer to four million .

The main driver of this growth in books published has been self-publishing. According to Bowker , which provides tools for self-publishing, an estimated 2.3 million books were self-published in 2021. Up through the 1990s (now the distant past in publishing), writers of all types of books, fiction and nonfiction, were dependent on convincing publishing houses to publish their work. As the technology for self-publishing and print on demand grew in the early 2000s, writers could publish on their own, and a very large number of Americans began to do so.

Fueling growth also is the level of affluence and discretionary income that an increasing segment of American society is reaching. For centuries, theorists across the political spectrum have envisioned a society, freed from basic economic needs, pursuing creative activities, with writing as a primary activity. In The German Ideology , Karl Marx could write about the economy of abundance in which individuals pursue writing as one of a series of daily activities—hunt in the morning, fish in the afternoon, write criticism in the evening. John Maynard Keynes in a 1930 essay, “ Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren” , envisions a time a hundred years forward (2030) in which writing is no longer the province of the upper classes. Contemporary theorists on the future of work, such as John Tamny, similarly see a blooming of creative and artistic activities by the average citizen.

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, a writing room, and the emerging marketplace of writer training.

A marketplace of writing coaches, classes and retreats expanded throughout the late twentieth century and first years of the twentieth century. Published authors and even recently-minted graduates of MFA programs hung out shingles for individual coaching and small classes. Colleges expanded their writing programs and certifications, and writer retreats multiplied. Co-working and literary event spaces were established in major cities ( The Writers Room in New York, The Writers Grotto in San Francisco). But the marketplace continued to bump up against geographic and logistical limitations.

Then, along the came the internet, and its evolution.

Today, hundreds of businesses throughout the country offer assistance to aspiring writers. Many continue to offer some in-person assistance through coaching, classes or retreats. But as in other fields, the internet has allowed for a nationwide (worldwide) reach that these businesses are taking advantage of to scale. The major pre-internet writer assistance companies, such as The Writers Studio , added online courses and instruction, and the early internet-based companies from the 1990s, such as Writers.com (a pioneer in the internet field), steadily expanded their offerings. New enterprises are springing up on a regular basis, including the writer collectives.

A Writing Room is one of the fastest growing of the writer collectives, and its suite of services illustrate the how the field is evolving.

A Writing Room has its roots in the writing classes that novelist Anne Lamott had been teaching for some years, and her interest by the early 2020s in creating a larger on-going community of writers. Lamott connected with a team of four entrepreneurs who had experience with previous start-ups and expertise in online tools. In early 2023 they set out to develop A Writing Room.

Novelist Anne Lamott, one of the partners in A Writing Room.

A Writing Room launched in June 2023, and followed a few months later with an inaugural writers retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Though hastily arranged, the retreat attracted more than 400 in person attendees and over 1600 attendees online. In the first half of 2024, the company set up a membership structure of monthly and annual memberships. Within months, over 550 writers had joined.

The products that members can access are aimed in part at teaching the craft of writing. In a recent author discussion (with close to 400 participants joining online) Lamott discussed the craft of writing with novelist Donna Levin . Both started publishing in the 1980s. They noted how much publishing and the role of the writer have changed, but emphasized the fundamentals that have remained over their forty years, related to craft and the responsibility of the writer: the daily commitment, the careful development of plot and characters, the numerous rewrites (as many as you think you need, and one more).

A Writing Room offers a series of on-demand courses, online discussions with authors and publishing professionals, and daily writing prompts, built around writing as craft. It further offers instruction on the paths to and options for publication, building a following of readers.

At its center, A Writing Room is about being part of a community of writers, giving and receiving regular feedback from other members, as well as feedback from writing mentors and coaches. In an interview earlier this year, Lamott explained:

The great myth about writing is that it's an entirely solitary activity. This really isn't true. Every book I've ever written has been with a lot of help from my community. I wouldn't be the writer I am today — and wouldn't even want to write — without people to share the process and finished work. Writing is a process, but it doesn't have to (and really shouldn't be) done in total isolation.

The writing process can feel overwhelming. It often does for me. Believe me, a trusted writing friend is a secret to life.

Other emerging writing collectives also emphasize community and cooperation. Levin underscored this point in the recent online discussion: “Writing can be such an isolated activity, and to some extent needs to be. You want to seek out a community that can give you the support you need and also the honest feedback.”

How the New Marketplace Is Evolving And Jobs Created

The founders of A Writing Room know that the marketplace for writer assistance is fast changing, and they need to be quick to adapt to increased competition. Already, several developments are driving change in the field:

· The entrance of major online education companies (i.e. Masters Class , Coursera, Udemy ).

· Faculty recruitment of writers with built-in audiences of sizable twitter and other social media followings.

· Partnerships with the major publishers and agencies, who hold out the promise of publication to participants of the classes, retreats and collectives.

· Specializations by race and ethnicity, gender, geography and genre.

· Market segmentation, and attention to higher income consumers.

A number of these developments reflect the changes in the broader publishing world and are likely to continue. Overall, the marketplace itself will be expanding, as publishing technology advances, along with discretionary income.

The jobs being generated by this new marketplace are a mix of tech, administrative, and writing coach positions. At A Writing Room, recent hires include a community liaison, video editor, customer support, and a “beta reader” providing feedback to writers on their drafts. The hiring process is sweeping up into jobs not only workers who have been in the regular economy, but also residents of America’s bohemia: writers and artists who previously were outside of (and often scornful of) the market system. What can be better than that.

In his 2023 book, The Novel, Who Needs It , Joseph Epstein, former editor of American Scholar , offers a paean to fiction as above all other intellectual endeavors that seek to understand human behavior. But what he says of fiction is true of other writing (memoir, history, even forms of self-help) that arouses the mind.

Yes, there are way too many books published each year, and yes only a very small percentage of writers will earn any significant income from their writing. But who knows what individual book will succeed commercially or critically, or add to our shared knowledge or wisdom. And really, why not encourage the craft of writing. How much does America benefit from most of the paper-pushing, meetings and e-mails that now pass for work in our economy of affluence.

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