Online writing classes

 

With February winding down, we’re almost two months into 2015, and most of your New Years resolutions may have fallen to the wayside. If you made a resolution to write more in 2015 or started the year determined to finish your crime fiction novel, now is a great time to kick start your motivation with an online writing class. Online writing classes will not only strengthen your writing skills, but they’ll encourage you to write regularly by establishing deadlines and giving you concrete goals. Here are a few options to help you get started.

Gotham Writers’ Workshop is one of New York’s greatest writers’ resources and the country’s largest adult-education writing school. If you don’t live in New York, you can still get in on the fun with one of the workshop’s online writing classes. There are plenty of options targeted specifically toward mystery writers – including 10 mystery writing workshops for beginning and intermediate writers. These courses teach everything from solid fiction skills to the tricks of the trade for crime fiction and are sure to help you on your path to writing your own crime fiction novel.

If you want to take a course from someone who’s been there and done that, acclaimed mystery writer David Corbett offers a “Literary Bootcamp” through Delve Writers. His series of three online seminars and workshops focuses specifically on “Characters in Conflict,” helping you to create a memorable and authentic hero for your next thriller. Along with helping you to create your characters motivation and develop it through your story, you’ll also learn pitfalls to avoid and techniques for carrying conflict throughout your story.

Many colleges and universities also offer a ever-changing roster of creative writing classes, and both the Continuing Education program at Stanford and the UCLA extension program are great options. Both programs frequently offer online writing classes focused specifically on how to writer mysteries taught by established authors. Make your crime fiction villain more believable with Stanford’s The Art of Characterization class, or take your skills to the next level with UCLA’s Novel Writing V Workshop. You can also check out the online course offering at local universities in your area for affordable online writing classes – like the University of Wisconsin’s writing class about how to create cliffhangers.

Don’t despair if your New Year’s resolution to write more has stalled. Online writing classes are a great way to get right back on the horse – or back on the crime fiction train, as they case may be. Whether you enroll to bolster your resolve, to develop your writing skills, or just to get into a regular writing routine, you’ll probably wind up doing all three. Happy Writing!