best online writing classes reddit

The 19 best online writing classes led by famous authors, including Malcolm Gladwell, Neil Gaiman, and Judy Blume

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• Strong communication and writing skills will help you succeed in any profession.
• Online classes are an affordable way to learn writing tips and receive feedback on your work.
• All the classes on this list are taught by award-winning writers with decades of experience.

Good writing skills can take you far (just take it from a business major who wormed her way into an editorial career). Strong written communication skills can help you land a job or move up in your career , but good writing doesn't come easily or instinctively to everyone. As with any skill, you won't get any better at writing simply by reading books or watching videos about it.

Online classes from e-learning platforms like MasterClass and Skillshare are affordable, flexible ways to not only learn the proper strategies but also practice and receive feedback on your writing. And who better to learn from than actual published authors, writers, and editors?

The following classes are all taught by accomplished, award-winning writers who have decades of experience in communicating ideas, telling stories, and captivating audiences. Some specialize in fiction, while others employ storytelling tricks to make even the driest facts shine.

If you see the word "creative" in the title, don't immediately dismiss the class. All the courses have valuable lessons to learn for making your writing more effective, whether you're in a creative industry or not.

19 writing classes taught by experienced authors, writers, and editors:

Neil gaiman's masterclass on the art of storytelling.

The teacher: Award-winning writer Neil Gaiman (" The Sandman ," " Coraline ," " American Gods ") has dabbled in everything from novels and comic books to film and audio theatre. The course: Gaiman covers the fundamentals of storytelling, from finding your voice to fleshing out your characters. The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

Joyce Carol Oats' MasterClass on the Art of the Short Story

The teacher: Joyce Carol Oates is the author of over 58 novels (" We Were the Mulvaneys ," " Blonde ," " The Accursed "), as well as countless short stories, essays, and articles. She is also a former professor of creative writing at Princeton University .

The course: Oates' class helps students finetune their storytelling instincts for short story writing, from learning how to observe the world around them to nailing down structure and form.

The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

Judy Blume's MasterClass on Writing

The teacher: Judy Blume's beloved children's books (" Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret ," " Superfudge ") have sold millions of copies, and Blume has written over 25 novels. She's also the recipient of the 2004 National Book Foundation medal for distinguished contribution to American letters, as well as numerous other awards.

The course: With a focus on writing for young readers, Blume's course dives into developing ideas, creating plot structure, and even pitching book ideas to editors, and even dealing with issues like rejection or censorship. The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

N.K. Jemisin's MasterClass on Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing

The teacher: NK Jemisin, a Hugo Award winner for three consecutive years for her " Broken Earth " trilogy, is an an acclaimed science fiction and fantasy author. The course: Jemisin's course, geared towards sci-fi/fantasy writing, teaches students how to build a believable world from scratch (including macro and micro details), create characters that truly feel relatable even in fantastical settings, and find a literary agent. The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

Creative Nonfiction: Write Truth with Style

The teacher: Susan Orlean has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1992 and is the author of eight books, including New York Times bestseller " Rin Tin Tin " and " The Orchid Thief ," which was later adapted into Spike Jonze's "Adaptation," (in which Meryl Streep portrayed Orlean). The course:  The best nonfiction makes facts compelling and interesting to read, but it's not easy to do this. This course takes students through Susan Orlean's writing process, from finding a topic to making final edits, and helps them polish their own creative processes. The class project is a 1,000-word profile on someone you find mysterious.  The price: Free with 14-day Skillshare trial; $8.25 per month or $19 per month after trial ends.

Malcolm Gladwell's MasterClass on Writing

The teacher:  Malcolm Gladwell has written for "The New Yorker" since 1996. His fascinating books, which include " The Tipping Point ," " Blink ," and " Outliers " reveal the most unexpected insights into our world. "The Tipping Point" was named as one of the best books of the decade by Amazon customers, The A.V. Club, and The Guardian, and was Barnes & Noble's 5th bestselling nonfiction book of the decade. 

The course: In 24 lessons, you'll learn how to find, research, and write stories that capture big ideas. This is Gladwell's first-ever online class, where he analyzes his own works to reveal his unique creative process. He also answers select student questions during virtual office hours. 

Roxane Gay's MasterClass on Writing for Social Change and Creative Writing: Crafting Personal Essays with Impact

The teacher: On top of writing bestselling memoirs like " Bad Feminist " and " Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body ," Roxane Gay is a professor and New York Times columnist , making her as experienced an author as she is an educator. The course: If you want to see change in the world, strong storytelling skills can help you get there. Gay's MasterClass teaches you how to tap into your identity, figure out your voice, and write about emotionally hard subjects with care, so that you can get people on board with the broader visions you have for improving the world.

Roxane Gay also teaches a short Skillshare class on crafting impactful personal essays from start to finish. You can read a review of it here .

The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership. Free with 14-day Skillshare trial; $8.25 per month or $19 per month after trial ends.

Daniel José Older's Storytelling 101: Character, Conflict, Context, Craft

The teacher:  Daniel José Older is the bestselling author of the " Bone Street Rumba " urban fantasy series and the YA novel " Shadowshaper ." "Shadowshaper" was a "New York Times" Notable Book of 2015 and named one of Esquire's "80 Books Every Person Should Read." Older's short stories and essays have appeared in the Guardian, NPR, and a number of other sites.  The course:  This short 40-minute class breaks down the fundamentals of narrative storytelling and what makes a story different from a mere anecdote. Learn the "4 C's" of storytelling and see them in action in one of the teacher's own short stories. The fun final project is to write a short story about something that happened on a single block in your hometown over the course of one hour.

The price: Free with 14-day Skillshare trial; $8.25 per month or $19 per month after trial ends

Steven Heller's The Designer's Guide to Writing and Research

The teacher:  Steven Heller writes the Visuals column for the "New York Times Book Review" and is the editor of the AIGA Journal of Graphic Design. A former "New York Times" art director , he is the author, co-author, or editor of over 170 books on design and popular culture , and also regularly contributes to design publications.  The course:  Geared towards designers, this course illuminates the parallels between writing and design. You'll learn about the professional importance of research and writing to designers today, best practices for developing your voice, and creative ways to communicate. The final project is a 500-word essay on an object in your wallet, bag, or pocket. 

David Sedaris’s MasterClass on Storytelling and Humor

The teacher: If you want to inject your writing with a dash of comedy, David Sedaris — "The New Yorker" essayist and author of " Me Talk Pretty One Day ," " Calypso ," and " The Best of Me " — is one of the best people to teach you how to do it.

The course: Beyond covering tips and tricks for writing eye-grabbing openings and endings with huge payoffs, Sedaris also gives his advice on finding humor in the darkest moments of our lives.

Amy Tan's MasterClass on Fiction, Memory, and Imagination

The teacher: Most known for her bestselling novel " The Joy Luck Club " (which spent 40 weeks on the "New York Times" bestseller list), Amy Tan is an inspiration to anyone who's started exploring their writing voice later in life — she started at age 33 and published her famed debut novel a mere few years later. Tan went on to write many other books, including " The Bonesetter's Daughter " and " The Kitchen God's Wife: A Novel ." The course: With a focus on utilizing your most powerful memories, this course teaches you how to find your voice as well as sharpen your story with compelling beginnings and endings. The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

Shani Raja's Writing With Flair: How To Become An Exceptional Writer

The teacher: Shani Raja  is a former Wall Street Journal editor who has written for The Economist, Financial Times, and Bloomberg News. He has also taught advanced writing skills to professionals and edited for leading global companies like Microsoft, IBM, and PwC. The course:  Another bestseller from Shani Raja, this course promises to "dramatically improve the quality of your writing in as little as days or weeks" through a few key principles. Both new students and experienced writers have benefitted from the course, which teaches you how to sharpen your words and command the reader's attention.

Raja also has a Udemy course on the four levels of writing mastery .

The price: Both of Raja's Udemy courses are $109.99 each.

Margaret Atwood's MasterClass on Creative Writing

The teacher: Of " The Handmaid's Tale " fame, Margaret Atwood has been titled the "Prophet of Dystopia" for works such as " Oryx and Crake " and the "Handmaid's Tale" sequel, " The Testaments: A Novel ." The course: Atwood's MasterClass "covers the general points of interest for writers — how to get started, handle the middle of a story, develop characters, craft dialogue, and address writers' block — as well as more specific queries, like research and maintaining historical accuracy," according to Insider senior reporter Mara Leighton. You can read her full review of the course here . The price: $180 ($15 per month) for an annual MasterClass membership.

Simon Van Booy's The Writer's Toolkit: 6 Steps to a Successful Writing Habit

The teacher:  Simon Van Booy's short story collection " Love Begins in Winter " won the 2009 Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. He has written two other short story collections as well as three anthologies of philosophy, and his work has been translated into over a dozen languages throughout the world. In 2013, he founded Writers for Children, a project that helps young people build confidence in their storytelling abilities through annual awards. The course:  Writing should be approachable and fun, not torturous. By optimizing your space for your writing style, creating a daily writing routine, and acting on inspiration, you can build a long-term writing process to rely on for years to come. This short video course teaches you how.

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's Finding Your Writing Voice: How to Express Your Unique Self in Your Work

The teacher:  Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is a former Entertainment Weekly writer and current TV columnist for BBC Culture who has also written for The New York Times Book Review, Fast Company, New York's Vulture, and The Verge. She wrote the New York Times bestseller " Seinfeldia: The Secret World of the Show About Nothing that Changed Everything ." The course: You don't have to lose your unique personality when you write; in fact, it's what will make your writing stand out in the crowd. Using pop culture icons like Beyoncé and Britney Spears, the class discusses different voices and explores ways to take chances with your writing. 

The price: Free with 14-day Skillshare trial; $8.25 per month or $19 per month after trial ends.

Salman Rushdie’s MasterClass on Storytelling and Writing

The teacher: Winner of the Man Booker Prize, Salman Rushdie is known for his mystical world-building and genre-bending plotlines as seen in books like " Quichotte ," " Midnight's Children ," and " Shame ."

The course: Rushdie provides tips on creating fleshed-out characters, believable surrealist worlds, and an air-tight plot. This is a great course for those who have lots of fantastical ideas but struggle to ground them into a cohesive story.

Clare Lynch's Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro

The teacher: Dr. Clare Lynch is a former Financial Times journalist who teaches academic writing and professional communication at the University of Cambridge. She has written for organizations like Deutsche Bank, Microsoft, and UBS and is the author of the business-writing blog Good Copy, Bad Copy .  The course: Learn powerful principles that can be applied to all types of writing, including emails, speeches, news writeups, and even presentations. The course takes you through fundamentals from techniques to beat writer's block to lessons on getting readers hooked and creating a clear, persuasive angle. 

The price: $109.99.

Joyce Maynard's Writing Your Story

The teacher: The author of 17 books (including novels and memoirs), Joyce Maynard has worked as a "New York Times" reporter and a contributor to outlets like NPR and "Vogue." Her books include " Labor Day ," " The Good Daughters ," and " Under the Influence ."

The course: Focusing on memoir writing, Maynard explains the difference between simply retelling events that happened to you and exploring your journey as a protagonist. She also covers some of the biggest questions that come up when writing about yourself, from what to cut to dealing with fears of judgment so that you can present a narrative that's authentic to readers.

The price: $89 for the course, or $11 per month for a CreativeLive membership.

Wesleyan University's Creative Writing Specialization

The teachers :   Salvatore Scibona was named one of "The New Yorker's" "20 under 40: Fiction Writers to Watch" and is the author of 2008 National Book Award finalist " The End ," the research for which he conducted while on a Fulbright Fellowship. 

Amy Bloom , author of two "New York Times" bestsellers and three collections of short stories, has written for "The New Yorker," "The New York Times Magazine," and "Vogue," among many other publications, and has won a National Magazine Award for Fiction. Her work has been translated into fifteen languages.

Brando Skyhorse is an Associate Professor of English at Indiana University in Bloomington who won the 2011 PEN/Hemingway Award and the 2011 Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction for his debut novel " The Madonnas of Echo Park ." 

Amity Gaige is the author of three novels, " O My Darling ," " Sea Wife ," and " Schroder ," which was shortlisted for The Folio Prize in 2014. To date, "Schroder" has been published in eighteen countries.

The course:  This specialization created by Wesleyan University consists of four courses (each taught by a teacher listed above) and covers elements of three major creative writing genres: short story, narrative essay, and memoir. It culminates in a challenging capstone project in which you'll draft, rewrite, and complete a substantial original story in the genre of your choosing.  The price: Free with 7-day Coursera trial; $49 per month to keep learning after trial ends.

• Main content

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Blog • Perfecting your Craft , Understanding Publishing

Posted on Nov 19, 2018

15 of the Best Online Writing Communities for Aspiring Authors

As enjoyable and fulfilling as writing can be, the truth is that it’s often a solitary endeavor. While we might romanticize the focused artist typing away while imaginary worlds and narratives swirl inside their minds — authors know the truth: writing can get lonely. And moreover, when you’re working on a one-person project, it can be hard to remain motivated and accountable. That’s where writing communities come in.

Writing communities are the perfect place to find answers to your writing questions and to discuss the ins and outs of the writing life with people who actually understand what you’re talking about.

So, if you are tired of listening only to the voices in your head, take a look at our list of top online writing communities. (And if you're hungry for more, check out our more exhaustive list of the very best writing websites !)

Top online writing communities

1. absolute write water cooler.

With over 68,000 members, this is a large and highly active community. Here you can find threads on every genre imaginable, as well as discussions about freelance writing , the publishing industry, pop culture, writing prompts and exercises, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who are looking for a large and active community.

2. AgentQuery Connect

While this forum will come in handy for any writer, it’s especially helpful for authors who have already completed their manuscript and are wondering what to do next. The site boasts a wealth of information on publishing topics such as querying agents, self-publishing tips, and book promotion advice.

Perfect for: writers who are looking to connect with agents and learn more about the publishing industry.

3. Camp NaNoWriMo

If you’ve ever wanted to go to a writer’s retreat but can’t afford it just yet, then this site might help scratch your itch. Holding online “camp sessions” in April and July, Camp NaNoWriMo offers a digital space to encourage and empower writers at any point of their career. Here you can work on drafts, revisions, short stories, or any other writing project that involves word-count goals.

Perfect for: writers who can’t wait until November to crack their writing goals .

4. Critique Circle

Feedback should be a vital part of any writer’s process, and this is exactly what Critique Circle offers. This members-only site allows authors to post stories in exchange for feedback on other people’s writing. You can also find storyboarding tools , writing prompts , workshops, name generators , games like hangman, and much more.

Perfect for: writers who want honest feedback on their writing.

5. Chronicles

As the world’s largest Science Fiction and Fantasy online community, Chronicles offers writers the opportunity to get together and discuss the latest books, news, and pop culture in the Sci-Fi and Fantasy world. This is an active community with thousands of threads that include genre-specific challenges, workshops, critiques, and even publishing and industry information.

Perfect for: writers interested in Science Fiction and Fantasy writing.

6. Facebook Groups

If social media is more your style, don't miss the chance to interact with your fellow writers by joining Facebook groups in your own niche. Look for groups with a strict "no self-promotion" rules so that it remains supportive and useful to your writing goals.

There are a lot of groups out there in a variety of topics that range from genre-specific writing tips to traditional and self-publishing industry news. Here are just a few of them:

The Street Team — Reedsy's own book marketing group for self-publishing authors. 10 Minute Novelists — a group for the time-crunched writer. Calls for Submissions  — for writers looking for publication opportunities. Fiction Writers Global — a great resource for information about traditional and self-publishing. Writers Unite! — an active group with plenty of support and motivation for novice and experienced writers alike.

Perfect for: writers who prefer using social media.

FREE WRITING APP

The Reedsy Book Editor

Set goals, track progress, and establish your writing routine in our free app.

7. Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Whether you are a debut or seasoned author, there’s no doubt that writing a book can be intimidating and rife with bouts of self-doubt. The Insecure Writer’s Support Group aims to help you overcome those insecurities by hosting a community of like-minded authors.

Perfect for: writers who have doubts about their writing and are in need of encouragement.

8. The Next Big Writer

This is an international forum where writers can receive feedback on their writing and support on every other part of the creative process from drafting to publishing and marketing. The critiques are often thorough and many come from published authors. Keep in mind that there is a monthly cost associated with the membership, but it might be worth it to be able to bend the ear of published authors.

Perfect for: writers seeking in-depth critiques from an international audience.

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.  

NEW REEDSY COURSE

How to Write a Novel

Enroll in our course and become an author in three months.

More than just a single writing community, Reddit has countless ‘subreddits’ where writers of all genres, interests, and levels of experience flock. While it may not offer workshops or tools, members can find niche threads that relate to their interests, critique other people’s work, and discover helpful sources of information.

There are so many different subreddits that you can get lost browsing them, but here are a few of the most popular ones:

r/writing — for general writing purposes. r/writingprompts — for user-submitted writing prompts. r/destructivereaders — beware, if you don’t like harsh criticism this may not be the best fit. But if you are willing to endure it, you will come out a better writer at the end. r/worldbuilding — user submitted fiction worlds. r/fantasywriters — for anybody interested in the fantasy genre. r/characterforge — the place to be for character building. r/writerchat — for those interested in talking with fellow writers. r/selfpublish — for anybody interested in self-publishing. r/logophilia — “the love of words and word games,” and that’s exactly what you’ll find here. r/freelanceWriters — for anybody interested in a career in freelance writing . r/books — because reading is just as important as writing if you want to be a successful author.

Perfect for: writers who want niche threads based on a particular interest or need.

10. Scribophile

One of the largest communities in the world, Scribophile offers workshops, tutorials, and critiques for authors in just about any genre imaginable. While it is free to join, only users who pay for a membership get access to all their features.

Perfect for: authors whowant to take part in writing workshops alongside writers of all experience levels.

11. She Writes

With over 30,000 members, this is the largest writing community exclusively for women. Here you can find articles on writing, editing, and marketing for every genre. There are forums tailored to specific needs, like travel writers, writing about trauma, NaNoWriMo, and many other topics.

Perfect for: women writers who want a place to connect and learn from fellow writers.

12. Talentville

If your passion lies in screenwriting, then you’ll want to book a one-way ticket to Talentville. Here you can get feedback on your writing and learn the skills necessary to perfect your screencraft. Plus, you can work on and build your network of contacts: the site is also a frequent stop for industry professionals (like agents, managers, and producers) on the lookout for new talent.

Perfect for: writers whoare interested in screenwriting and networking.

13. Underlined

A writing community by Penguin Random House. While any author can find helpful information on this website, it’s geared more towards younger writers. It has a well-designed platform, quizzes, genre-specific information, the latest news on book releases, Q&As with authors, and even some giveaways and excerpts as perks.

Perfect for: younger writers who are looking for genre-specific information and bookish perks.

14. Writers Helping Writers

This is a free-to-register community where you can find resources for writers, teachers, and editors alike. They offer a vast array of tools to perfect your craft, no matter your level. Their extensive creative library includes webinars, free writing and marketing tools, a thesaurus collection, story maps, idea generators, and more.

Perfect for: writers, editors, and teachers who are looking to build up their writing toolbox.

15. #WritingCommunity

Sometimes, all you need is a hashtag. And indeed, Twitter's own #WritingCommunity is one of the most robust writing collectives on the web. Ask a question, and it'll almost certainly get answered (without a lot of Twitter's trademark snark). The key here is to keep your questions concise, reply often to others, and don't go crazy with other hashtags. The community can tell if you're just thirsty for RTs. Perfect for: writers who are finally ready to use Twitter for good — and not just for procrastinating.

Do you belong to a writing community? Which one is your favorite one? Add yours in the comments below!

13 responses

27/11/2018 – 22:42

Very useful post. Thanks for this. I will be linking to it on my blog.

Dr Jack Edward Effron says:

18/02/2019 – 16:40

You left out taylz.com. It’s truly free. They are not going to give you a rubbish service to make you join their pay site because they have no pay site. Your story can be 8,000 words. They are not going to force you into flash fiction of 3,000 words. One critique out, one critique in: no mucking about with “karma” or critiquing 5+ stories to get one critique. The great new idea whose time has come! And it’s British, not American.

marieseltenrych says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Reedsy, thank God you are here! I want to ask a question to other authors or self publishers here: I have been approached by OmniScriptum to publish my books (research) with them. I cannot find much about this company online, so wondered if anyone has published with them recently? Thanks Reedsy in anticipation. Marie

↪️ Reedsy replied:

08/05/2019 – 12:29

Hi Marie! Sounds potentially very shady to me. If you haven't already, check out our post on predatory companies in publishing. One of the rules of thumb is that if a publisher contacts you first, be very wary. I just did 20 seconds worth of Googling and found some people who had a bad experience.

Eunice Brownlee says:

I am a member of illuminate, which is a group designed around supporting women who want to share their stories but don't know how. The majority of us write non-fiction essays and memoirs, but we have a few poets and fiction writers in the mix as well. The overall goal is to support each other, especially through those harder moments of not wanting to write, or not knowing where to start. There are monthly themes and prompts, a weekly exercise inside the Facebook group, and cross-sharing of what we're working on. My favorite feature is the expert review, where you can submit any piece you're working on each month and you'll get quality feedback from one of the editors that manage the group. This group is perfect for anyone who is just getting started writing.

↪️ Brittani B replied:

11/02/2020 – 19:27

I tried the link multiple times both from this page and separately searched and was unable to access the site.

Harry says:

05/06/2019 – 07:51

Personally I think you missed out the best writing community: https://community.jerichowriters.com/ Jericho Writers is a free writing community that writers can safely share thought, make friends, swap work and get advice

Christian says:

08/08/2019 – 12:21

I only recommend Scribophile if you enjoy being coerced into groupthink. If you hope to get meaningful critique that will help you, look elsewhere. The critiques here are mostly SPAG, and it's forbidden to discuss your work on the main forums, except in the broadest, vaguest way.

Randy says:

18/08/2019 – 06:11

I have all my dads writing research and copyrights to 18 different books....all this was before the digital world .... many negatives photos ....every major story from all over the world with his .copyright . These are huge stores and his books are really well written ....what should I do with them .....incredible spy work as well

Ratih says:

27/08/2019 – 03:50

As a new writer this article is really useful for me. Thank you reedsy

Jennifer says:

02/09/2019 – 14:15

Hi guys! Great blog! Just wanted to let you know that we linked to you in a blog on the Peaceful Living Wellness Online Magazine :) It will be published on Friday, September 6th, 2019

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

17/09/2019 – 09:04

Thanks! We appreciate that!

Kaylee Downey says:

14/02/2020 – 19:09

Um...what about Wattpad?

Comments are currently closed.

Continue reading

Recommended posts from the Reedsy Blog

450+ Powerful Adjectives to Describe a Person (With Examples)

Want a handy list to help you bring your characters to life? Discover words that describe physical attributes, dispositions, and emotions.

How to Plot a Novel Like a NYT Bestselling Author

Need to plot your novel? Follow these 7 steps from New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt.

How to Write an Autobiography: The Story of Your Life

Want to write your autobiography but aren’t sure where to start? This step-by-step guide will take you from opening lines to publishing it for everyone to read.

What is the Climax of a Story? Examples & Tips

The climax is perhaps a story's most crucial moment, but many writers struggle to stick the landing. Let's see what makes for a great story climax.

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Writing Cozy Mysteries: 7 Essential Tips & Tropes

We show you how to write a compelling cozy mystery with advice from published authors and supporting examples from literature.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Masterclass Review: Is It Worth It?

Masterclass review.

• Production quality
• Affordability
• Relevance of course materials
• Ease of use

MasterClass Review Verdict

MasterClass is a great choice if you want to learn new skills from high-quality celebrities, professionals, and thought leaders in almost any industry. It’s all but impossible to learn from many of these celebrity instructors otherwise. At $180 per year, it’s a bargain.

• High-quality production value
• Offers access to top-level creators and industry leaders
• Includes succinct materials
• New courses added regularly
• Produces high-quality video
• Posts new courses regularly
• High-calibre instructors
• Excellent Masterclass mobile app
• Not all classes are relevant to everyone
• Less suitable for technical topics
• Community forums are hit and miss
• Students need an affinity with their teacher
• Join Masterclass

Is  Masterclass  worth it? Find out in this 2023 MasterClass review, where we review its most popular online classes.

I joined  MasterClass  several years ago and spent dozens of hours taking its courses. In this review , I share my thoughts about this online learning platform for creative professionals. Over the past few years, I completed over a dozen  MasterClass courses  by teachers like Steve Martin, Malcolm Gladwell, Gordan Ramsay, Anna Wintour, Helen Mirren, Samuel L. Jackson and James Patterson. In this MasterClass review, I’ll explain how the platform works and profile its most popular courses. 

Learn from the world's best teachers and instructors about writing, business, creative pursuits and more. It's affordable and includes dozens of hours of high-quality lessons that you can't get anywhere else. It costs just $10 per month.

What is MasterClass?

Who owns masterclass, who is masterclass for, who are the masterclass instructors, does masterclass offer a discount, is there a masterclass free trial, masterclass annual subscription benefits, how masterclass works, course workbook, masterclass community, the masterclass app, what is a masterclass like, my favorite masterclass courses, most popular masterclass course reviews, 1. david sedaris teaches storytelling and humor review, 2. steve martin masterclass review, 3. malcolm gladwell’s masterclass review, 4. neil gaiman masterclass review, 5. david lynch masterclass review, 6. aaron franklin teaches texas-style bbq review, 7. judd apatow teaches comedy, 8. bill collins teaches reading and writing poetry, 9. bob iger teaches business strategy and leadership, 10. thomas keller teaches cooking techniques, pros of masterclass, cons of masterclass, masterclass alternatives, is masterclass actually good, why you can trust us, review of masterclass testing criteria, can i watch masterclass on my t.v., how long is each class on masterclass, is there any writing masterclass for children, does masterclass offer classes in basic programming or coding, why is masterclass so expensive, how can i cancel masterclass, can you pay for masterclass monthly, which is the highest-rated masterclass.

MasterClass  is a San Francisco-based online learning platform for creative professionals. Of course, you don’t have to travel to San Francisco to take a MasterClass . You can watch MastercCass courses using your computer or phone and consume the materials on the go. Just open the online class and get started. It’s an online learning experience from top creators you would not usually have access to.

Entrepreneur Aaron Rasmussen and film editor and director David Rogier started MasterClass in 2015. A private company, it has acquired hundreds of thousands of students worldwide.

MasterClass is for writers , photography enthusiasts, chefs, artists, musicians, painters, creative professionals, and those interested in entrepreneurship. It’s ideal for students who are happy to learn at their own pace using a computer from celebrities and well-known industry leaders.

Many other online courses I’ve taken help students to learn business skills like marketing or a more practical skill like coding or web development basics. MasterClass isn’t ideal for people who thrive in classroom environments and prefer a more hands-on approach from teachers. When I first joined MasterClass , it mainly focused on the craft of writing and the creative arts. Since I joined, MasterClass has rolled out numerous updates that should help students.MasterClass covers a range of categories, including:

• Cooking and culinary arts
• Film and T.V.
• Music and entertainment
• Sports and games
• Design, photography, and fashion
• Business, politics, and society
• Science and technology
• Entrepreneurship
• Interior design

The MasterClass online learning platform instructors are celebrities and world-renowned experts in their craft. Expect filmmakers like Martin Scorcese, advertising gurus like Jeff Goodby and Rich Silverstein, famous authors and even former presidents! Here are some of its most popular courses:

Best MasterClass Courses

How Much Is MasterClass?

A  MasterClass  annual membership pass costs $180 per year of $15 per month. For this price, you get unlimited access to every class on the learning platform and any new ones that launch that year. It includes access to the official MasterClass app for iOS and Android. MasterClass also offers Duo and Family pricing, cost $20 and $23 per month respectively. Duo enables the usage of 1 account on two devices at once. Family enables the use of one account on six devices at once.

No, MasterClass doesn’t offer discounts. You can save money by paying annually instead of monthly or by buying a Duo or family pass.

MasterClass doesn’t offer free trials. However, the annual membership pass has a 30-day money-back guarantee for unhappy students  who want a refund .

With an annual membership pass, you can access every class in MasterClass and any new ones. You can watch any MasterClass lesson as many times as you’d like. Login to your account. Go to the class enrollment page for the course you want to enroll in. Click “Take the Class”. Click on the instructor tiles to find the enrollment pages.

A  MasterClass  course typically contains 25 video lessons. Each video is five to 30 minutes long (most are 10 minutes long). In some cases, the teacher speaks straight to the camera. In others, the instructor works with their students’ efforts in front of the camera. Some  MasterClass  videos also include extracts from the teachers’ works.

You can take a MasterClass lesson online and watch them on your computer or phone using the MasterClass app. Each one comes with background material, downloadable worksheets, and reading lists. You may find your new favorite story.

Each lesson provides a workbook that helpfully summarizes the critical points in each video. Plus, the workbook provides additional reading materials and space to write lesson notes on the craft. Although MasterClass doesn’t offer a membership for lifetime access, they always allow users to access the lesson workbook for each course they’ve taken.

MasterClass  emphasizes the community aspect of its online learning. They’ve created an interactive student Hub to discuss and ask questions about the classes. You can also post some of your work.

For example, one student posted his lesson notes and takeaways from David Mamet ’s rules for screenwriting. Although I spent little time in the Hub, it’s a valuable resource for students who value learning from other students.

Since I joined MasterClass , the team has rolled out many improvements to the Hub that go way beyond basic video lessons. Masterclass also features office hours. Here, students can ask their teachers questions. For example, one student, John Zucker, asked Martin how to find your voice and received a reply.

The  Masterclass.com  app works on an Android, iPhone, and even an Apple T.V. I used it on my iPhone and iPad while researching this review . You can speed up or slow down the hours of videos. It supports closed captioning or subtitles. You can select whether you want to watch MasterClass videos or listen to the audio. You can also save lessons from offline viewing.

MasterClass will indicate if a particular online class is best suited to a video or audio format. It depends on whether the instructor is demonstrating something in front of the camera or talking straight to the camera.

A specialty of the annual membership pass is that if you pause watching a video lesson, it shows you suggestions of related segments from other courses. This feature is similar to NetFlix‘s and is called a Quick List. Editors compile a few classes related to the same theme using a quick list.

So, if you were watching chef Gabriela Camara’s lesson on cooking Tacos al Pastor, you may be recommended a cooking lesson from another chef. For example, a lesson on knife skills from Gordon Ramsay‘s MasterClass or a  MasterClass video on Sous Vide cooking by chef Thomas Keller.

MasterClass Snapshots presents a single class or lesson from the chosen MasterClass straight in the app for iOS and Android. This will give you an idea of what a MasterClass looks like and if the teacher is right for you before you invest hours of your time in a particular craft. One particular snapshot worth watching is Creating the Illusion of Control by  Chris Voss , a former FBI hostage negotiator. 

MasterClass videos are well-produced videos ranging between five and 10 minutes long. A course is usually several hours long and includes exercises, worksheets, and reading materials.

That length was digestible enough for me to watch a playlist at lunch. I’ve admired Steve Martin’s comedy and films over the years and took his course first. In this online course, he condenses everything he has learned about the craft of comedy and draws on many anecdotes from his colorful career.

That’s a lot of insights, as he’s in his 70s! In the real world, it isn’t easy to get access to quality materials like this. Steve Martin’s  MasterClass course contains 25 lessons and takes about five hours to complete

Over the past few years, Masterclass has broken into other areas beyond writing and the creative arts. Need examples? Here are plenty of them:

• American tennis sensation Serena Williams teaches tennis as part of her MasterClass.
• Academy award-winning  Hans Zimmer  teaches film score
• Werner Herzog  and Martin Scorsese teach filmmaking
• Annie Leibovitz teaches her philosophy of photography in her photography MasterClass. 
• Chris Hadfield teaches space exploration.
• Neil deGrasse Tyson teaches scientific thinking
• Garry Kasparov teaches chess
• Shonda Rhimes (creator of Grey’s Anatomy) teaches T.V. writing
• Stephen Curry  teaches basketball
• Herbie Hancock teaches jazz
• Jimmy Chin teaches photography

It’s hard to imagine a student will be interested in all these MasterClass , no matter how great the topics are. So while I found the writing classes helpful, I’m unlikely to learn country music from Reba McEntire anytime soon, no matter how talented she is. While you could take the “James Patterson Teaches Writing” MasterClass without knowing much about his books, you will learn far more if you’ve read some of his thrillers. So, which MasterClasses should you choose?

Should you learn about writing fiction like Neil Gaiman, making a BBQ like Aaron Franklin, adventure photography like Jimmy Chin, or picking up a skill like cooking from chef Gordan Ramsey? Start by exploring the classes by structure, discipline, or topic. A writer, for example, should take the following on MasterClass :

• James Patterson Teaches Writing
• David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing
• Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting
• Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing

You’ll get tips and advice about writing your story, and you will hear in Malcolm’s lecture that your account will undoubtedly change as you develop it. After these classes, writing thrillers will no longer look like a feat.

Meanwhile, a musician looking to advance her skill set is more likely to take “Deadmau5 Teaches Electronic Music Production”, “Herbie Hancock Teaches Jazz”, “Christina Aguilera Teaches Singing”, or “Usher Teaches the Art of Performance.” If you’re still unsure what MasterClass to buy on this online learning platform, ask yourself, “Do I like this teacher and his or her materials?”

I’ve read several of David Sedaris’s books over the past few years, including the popular book Me Talk Pretty One Day and his 2018 book Calypso. I enjoy David Sedaris’ essays and how he always inserts color and humor into personal stories. So I was delighted to see he’s released a MastercCass where he gives insights into his writing process and how he finds ideas for his stories.

She talks about David’s writing and how it impacted their family life, which was fascinating. David struck me as likable, but I was particularly interested to hear about some of his sacrifices during his writing career. For example, he explains all the late nights out that he skipped and the parties that he didn’t go to so he could write his essays. He also talks about what it was like to get rejected as a young writer and eventually find a book deal.

Verdict: If you’re interested in writing stories or colorful pieces, Sedaris’s MasterClass is ideal.

I was familiar with Martin’s comedy. I’ve read his autobiography, Born Standing Up, and watched many of his stand-up shows.

Martin was a teacher I could learn from. In his MasterClass , Martin talks about how to find your comedic voice and how he writes and delivers jokes. It was fascinating to hear Martin talk about his early days in comedy and how he got started. The comedian also provides several practical takeaways. For example,

“Don’t be intimidated starting with nothing. In fact, if you start with nothing, the workaround can lead you to originality.”

Martin’s workshop includes materials from aspiring comedians and turns some 5/10 jokes into 9/10 laugh-out-loud jokes. This MasterClass was a fun insight into how the comedian Steve Martin approaches comedy writing. He also reflects on his career on stage and screen.

Each lesson was relatively short and included supporting PDFs, reading materials, and next steps. Martin is an engaging instructor too. If you take this class, I’d recommend reading his book Born Standing Up so you have some context to what he teaches. My biggest takeaway from Steve Martin’s MasterClass was how he learned to overcome his failures and successes. He says:

“It was only until the late 80s, I kept thinking I was going to go away. But I never went away. So why am I wasting all that grief? I survived somehow by the skin of my teeth. Some of that is luck.”

Verdict:  I recommend taking this MasterClass if you want to improve your comedy writing skills or are a fan of  Steve Martin ’s work. Read our  Steve Martin MasterClass review

I took the Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing MasterClass almost as soon as they released it in 2018. I write a lot of non-fiction and am a big fan of Gladwell’s work, including his books Blink and Outliers.

Malcolm Gladwell’s MasterClass is structured similarly to Steve Martin’s. I learned a lot about how Gladwell approaches his research and how he markets his writing and books. (Tip: don’t over-rely on Google!) Gladwell said he found himself in a curious position when others often misconstrued the book’s ideas and arguments. He added,

“Once you’ve written something, it no longer belongs to you. It belongs to your readers. When your readers buy your book, they really buy your ideas and your ideas become theirs.”

Verdict:  this  MasterClass class will improve your research and non-fiction writing skills. Read our  Malcolm Gladwell Masterclass review

I started taking this writing  MasterClass class earlier in 2019. Amusingly, it’s set in a secluded cabin in the woods. What better place to write a great novel than somewhere holed away from society with no interruptions? Ok, so that’s not real life, but I enjoyed the look and feel of this class.

In the first lecture of the  MasterClass class, Gaiman sums up exactly why I like MasterCllass. Gaiman is a professor of the arts at Bard College in New York, where he lectures about writing. Gaiman teaches 24-26 students a year, which he “loves.” However, through MasterClass :

“I can say the same things that I would say to them to millions of people. I know there are millions of people who want to write because they come to me and they ask me…I try and answer those questions on Tumblr and on Twitter and on my blog. [MasterClass] just seems to me like an incredibly efficient way to say everything I have to say to everybody.”

Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling contains 19 lectures that cover everything from writer’s block (a myth!) to editing to the rules for writers . The classes average between 14 and 25 minutes long. They also come with downloadable PDFs, writing exercises, and supplementary reading materials. For example, one activity in this  MasterClass class offers the following task to students:

“Choose a page of writing you did recently—or use the story you rewrote in the first writing exercise of this chapter—and condense it by at least a third. If necessary, rewrite it completely, imagining a more economical way to tell the story.”

Verdict:  If you want to write a novel, hone your storytelling, or enjoy Neil Gaiman’s baritone voice and ideas (what writer doesn’t?), start here. Read our  Neil Gaiman MasterClass review .

In 2019, MasterClass released this course with David Lynch. Each lesson in this Masterclass averages between fifteen and twenty-five minutes in length. Although I’m not a filmmaker, I was interested to hear where Lynch, director of films like Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, gets his ideas from. David Lynch’s MasterClass is shot in a film studio that looks a little like one of his offbeat films (with creepy music and all).

Lynch is an upbeat teacher with an intriguing insight into the creative process. The MasterClass is broken up with snippets from his films and T.V. shows, and art. He covers topics like:

• Catching Ideas

Staying Through to Your IdeasCreativity and the Writing Process

Verdict: David Lynch Teaches Creativity and Film had fewer downloadable materials and PDFs than other MasterClasses.

However, I particularly enjoyed his bonus lecture about the power of transcendental meditation, even if he was short on specifics about how to get started with this practice. Want to learn more? Read our full David Lynch MasterClass review .

In 2019, I traveled to Austin, Texas. The queue for the famous Franklin’s BBQ restaurant was over 90 minutes long. Over there, I tried beef brisket. When back in Ireland, I took this MasterClass out of curiosity. I learned what goes into a good BBQ, what wood to use, and how to cook a decent steak on a grill. Franklin prepares and cooks before the camera and even cracks open a beer. A BBQ course should be hands-on, so I watched this one on my mobile while firing up a BBQ.

Verdict: It was a great cooking class, fun, and an excellent alternative to my usual writing classes. 

I enjoyed hearing about how Judd Apatow transitioned from writing stand-up comedy to screenwriting. He recounts how he came up with ideas for hit films like Trainwreck and Knocked Up and goes through his iterative writing process for each film.

Apatow also guides ideal writing habits for aspiring screenwriters and is a big believer in the vomit draft. After learning he was Apatow’s mentor, I watched a documentary about Garry Shandling. He’s one of the warmer, funnier teachers on MasterClass . Much like his films, this is a long one with 32 lessons to watch!

Verdict: Ideal for comedy and screenwriters. An appreciation or understanding of Apatow’s films helps.

I hadn’t heard of Collins till enrolling, and it took me a few weeks to get through all twenty video lessons. Since high school, he wanted to be a poet and began his career by following around with words.

I also enjoyed hearing about Collins’ journey as a poet. He offers some good advice about rejection and what to do when you finally get published. I used some insights from Collins to write Haiku for my next book.

Verdict: an accessible poetry course for beginners.

This is one of the shorter MasterClass video courses. I got through all 13 lessons in just over a week by watching them at lunch. Iger’s MasterClass covers similar ground to his book. He recounts acquisitions of Marvel and Pixar and properties like Star Wars.

I’m unsure if I will learn much about becoming a corporate CEO (hardly my dream). I got more from his advice about the importance of brand value and how Disney views its identity. He also talks a little about focus and goal setting.

Verdict: a lot like Iger’s autobiography. Also, relatively short.

Gordan Ramsay’s Masterclass was one of the company’s most popular courses. So they followed up with this course from American chef and restauranteur Thomas Keller. It’s quite a short course and focuses on meat dishes like sauté chicken and wiener schnitzel.

I felt inspired to watch many of these great professionals discuss the creative process, their techniques, art, books, and more. In some cases, they were condensing a lifetime’s experiences. MasterClass videos are also produced first-rate and are of high quality. They are shot in high definition and tightly edited.

The production quality of Masterclass is first-rate. It aims to become the Netflix of e-learning. It regularly adds new classes from instructors at the top of their game, like “Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing”, which I immediately added to my watch list. Some of the best MasterClass courses for writers include:

• Neil Gaiman Teaches The Art of Storytelling
• Dan Brown Teaches Writing Thrillers
• Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing

Each online class and lecture is unique to the techniques and methods of the instructor. For example, Margaret Atwood includes a speculative fiction case study of the story A Handmaid’s Tale, while Dan Brown includes a character case study of the Da Vinci Code. I also liked the MasterClass App for the iPhone. It was easy to use, and I could save lessons as favorites, adjust the playback speed, and watch them over a cup of coffee at lunch.

Compared with other creative courses, MasterClass is also affordable. For example, you can spend thousands of dollars on an MFA. Or you can spend several hundred dollars taking online writing classes. With MasterClass , you can start learning for as little as $180 a year.

The creators are going after a broad audience. Sometimes, teachers spoke to many people with different interests. Some of the classes felt like the teacher was riffing on the topic.

I’ve taken several in-person writing classes. MasterClass is excellent, but it isn’t easy to replace the one-to-one feedback you can get from a teacher in a classroom environment. Unlike some online courses, it doesn’t allow users to download video lessons. Still, it’s a good deal for just $180 a year.

Alternatives to MasterClass include the Great Courses, LinkedIn Learning, Skillshare, Coursera, Udemy, and Creative Live. These vary by price point, curriculum, and ideal audience. However, none offer celebrity instructors like Neil Gaiman, Natalie Portman, or Gordan Ramsay.

You can buy individual Great Courses from their site for approximately $39.99. They also offer a dedicated app. It’s suitable for those who want to take in-depth courses about science and the arts from academics. The courses on Great Courses are also much longer. A typical lecture on this online education platform is 35 to 40 minutes.

CreativeLive is an online education alternative to MasterClass for bloggers and entrepreneurs. It focuses on creative skills like photography and blogging. For more, read our CreativeLive review . Skillshare is another popular online learning platform. However, it’s more suited to bloggers, YouTubbers, content creators and aspiring coders. For more, read our Skillshare review .

LinkedIn Learning offers affordable courses ideal for professional development, for example, professional development. For more, read our LinkedIn Learning review . The production quality of courses on Skillshare, Udemy and Khan Academy varies greatly and doesn’t compare favorably.

MasterClass is good if you’re happy learning at your own pace. The sheer depth of courses means makes it easy for students to learn from someone they admire. It’s all but impossible to learn from many of these celebrity instructors otherwise. MasterClass is a particularly good choice for creatives and professionals.

Pick one course and see if this method is learning relevant new skills . The annual membership pass is helpful if you plan to take more than one class this year. You can invest a modest amount in your craft and learn from current experts and Hollywood icons without spending thousands of dollars on a fancy MFA. If you don’t like it, take advantage of their 30-day money-back guarantee.

Whether you are a chef looking for new ways to use white truffle, part of a band of musicians interested in dance music, or a writer seeking a lecture on writing thrillers, MasterClass has a variety of courses on offer for learners, each with a workbook for your benefit. Think of it as a blend of YouTube, a structured online education platform, and NetFlix – you get a great entertaining learning experience!

I’ve written and published dozens of articles for newspapers, magazines and online publications, including, Forbes and Lifehacker. I’m also a best-selling non-fiction author , a trained journalist and a copywriter.

I’ve spent thousands of dollars taking writing courses in college and online. Taking classes on platforms like MasterClass is crucial to my development as a writer and online entrepreneur. I also sometimes commission other writers to review these courses to get another point of view.

We became a customer in 2017 and have an annual MasterClass subscription. We regularly update this MasterClass review as new courses are released. Along with the help of a team of writers , we take and review popular MasterClass writing courses on mobile and desktop devices and even on T.V. We take notes about these courses and consider who they’re for and their strengths and weaknesses.

Yes. Use a Google Chromecast with the Masterclass or dedicated Apple T.V. apps. MasterClass is also available on Amazon Fire T.V., Android T.V., and Roku devices.

Some of the older MasterClass lectures last for five to ten minutes. The class lasts one to four hours. You can adjust the playback speed of a lecture. The newer ones, like Neil Gaiman’s, are longer. One lesson I took was approximately 30 minutes.

R.L. Steine teaches how to write for young audiences.

No. They emphasize softer creative skills, like writing, music, cooking, etc.

Arguably, it’s not. An annual membership pass costs about $180. Many premium online courses cost over $2000.

You can cancel via your account settings before your annual membership pass expires. They also have a 30-day refund policy. Email support at [email protected] or cancel via the settings section in your account.

MasterClass offers an annual membership pass that costs $180 per year.

Chris Voss Teaches the Art of Negotiation is the most popular MasterClass with over 22 million views. It’s closely followed by Neil deGrasse Tyson Teaches Scientific Thinking and Communication, and Dr. Jane Goodall Teaches Conversation. Some other popular MasterClass courses include those from Neil Gaiman, Gordan Ramsey and Christina Aguilera.

Are you looking for the best online creative writing courses? You may have found some promising classes online, but you may also be unsure if the course is actually good. How can you know you’ll benefit from the course without spending your money first?

The good news is, there are creative writing courses out there for everyone, and they’re sure to improve your writing. Even better news, the best online creative writing courses share many of the same qualities.

If you want to learn how to write creatively, or if you simply want to improve your everyday writing, the best online creative writing courses can transform your writing abilities. Let’s explore what you might learn in creative writing classes, and how they help writers of all skill levels.

The Best Online Creative Writing Courses: Contents

What do you do in a creative writing class?

• Reputable Instructor
• Clear Course Description
• Promise of a Great Experience
• Constructive Feedback
• Focus on Craft
• Respect Your Creative Autonomy
• A Writing Community
• Motivate You to Write
• Jumpstart a Writing Habit
• Broaden Your Literary Horizons
• Offer a Healthy Creative Outlet
• Give You Next Steps

How to Make the Most of Online Creative Writing Courses

Every online creative writing class is unique, and different courses emphasize different things. We have classes that are entirely generative, meaning the focus is on writing new poems, essays, stories, or making headway into a novel or memoir project. Other courses might have more of a workshop component, in which you share your work with the class and receive feedback on how to improve your writing.

Some online writing courses also focus on specific skills or types of writing. You might take a class focused entirely on learning the tools for revision, or on learning the elements of fiction writing so you can later employ them in a story or novel.

In short, the best online writing courses typically include the following:

• Lectures and discussions on a topic of creative writing craft.
• Assignments that help you generate new work or revise old work.
• Opportunities to give and receive feedback with your fellow classmates.
• Feedback on your work from the instructor, who themselves is a successfully published author of the type of writing you’re producing.
• A weekly video call. Some courses, including ours, are entirely text-based and asynchronous, but many classes meet at least once a week on Zoom.

In addition to all of this, you will make new friends and connections in the best online creative writing classes. Writing is often a lonely experience for writers, and the bonds you make in creative writing workshops can last a lifetime.

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

The best online creative writing courses will sharpen your writing skills, help you find your confidence, and introduce you to new communities of writers. How do they do it? Here’s 12 things to look for to make sure you’re spending your money on the right online writing class. 

1. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Have a Reputable Instructor

Your course is only as good as the instructor who teaches it. For online writing classes to teach you the craft, they need to have reputable, trustworthy instructors. A great instructor will also be empathetic, community-oriented, adaptive to your writing needs, and a great writer themselves.

A great instructor will also be empathetic, community-oriented, adaptive to your writing needs, and a great writer themselves.

Do some research on the course instructor: they should have a terminal degree in their field (M.A., M.F.A., Ph.D., etc.), as well as a significant publication history. A reputable instructor will make all the difference in your course: as part of their education, the instructor should have undergone dozens of writing workshops, submitted to countless literary journals, and had their work scrutinized by critics and book lovers alike.

In order for an instructor to help you develop your creative writing skills, they need to be successful on their own. The best instructors are what make the best online creative writing courses.

2. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Have a Clear Course Description

What does the course teach you, and what will you learn week by week? In addition to listing a reputable instructor, the course description should tell you exactly what you’ll gain from taking the course.

In addition to listing a reputable instructor, the course description should tell you exactly what you’ll gain from taking the course.

Be sure you know exactly what you’re getting out of your online creative writing course, including what you might learn and write in the process. Consider what will help you the most as you embark on your writing journey: entering a course with certain goals or learning objectives will help you make the most of the course’s lectures and writing assignments.

There should be no ambiguity: if you’re paying for the course, you deserve to know exactly what you’re paying for. And, if you have questions, ask the program administrator before you enroll. They should be happy to hear from you!

3. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Promise a Great Experience

The best online creative writing courses prioritize one thing: YOU! Your learning, your goals, and your writing should be at the center of your experience. And, your course should guarantee that experience.

The best online creative writing courses prioritize your learning, your goals, and your writing.

Creative writing classes can be a risk, since they probably won’t confer university credit and you probably haven’t interacted with that instructor before. You want to be confident that your learning is guaranteed, otherwise you’ll only waste your time, money, and creativity.

Before you enroll in an online writing course, look to see if the program administrators have a student promise . Your experience in the course should be the number one priority of the instructor and administrators; otherwise, you’re better off looking elsewhere for the best online creative writing courses.

4. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Offer Constructive Feedback

In addition to useful lectures and assignments, creative writing courses give you access to helpful, instructional feedback. Most instructors hold Masters or Doctoral degrees in English or creative writing and, as a result, they have ample knowledge of what works in literature, as well as tons of experience in giving feedback.

Creative writing courses give you access to helpful, instructional feedback.

In the best online creative writing classes, an instructor will both inspire you to write and guide you towards being a better writer. Their feedback will cover the many aspects of great writing. For example, your instructor might comment on:

• Unclear language
• Ideas that need to be expanded
• Sentences that are too wordy or passive
• Opportunities to use more engaging vocabulary
• Places to improve writing structure
• Grammar and spelling corrections

Finally, an instructor will tell you what you are already doing well in your writing. When you write a really great metaphor , use interesting word choice, or find a moment of great insight, your instructor will tell you—highlighting the creative writing skills you have already mastered.

5. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Focus on Craft

You might be wondering how creative writing classes are different from high school English. The big difference is that, where a typical English class focuses on basic grammar and literacy skills, creative writing classes focus specifically on craft.

Creative writing classes focus specifically on craft: the elements of language and storytelling that make a work of prose or poetry successful.

What is creative writing craft? Craft involves the elements of language and storytelling that make a work of prose or poetry successful. Focusing on craft is how creative writing classes primarily improve your writing.

Your writing class might focus on the structure of a short story, the different types of literary devices , the importance of effective word choice , or the elements of storytelling . A writing class should break down successful works of literature into the components that make it work, giving you the tools to practice your own creative writing skills.

Additionally, craft-focused writing helps you with everyday writing. From improving your vocabulary to structuring an email, the creative writing practice translates to improved writing in every aspect of your life.

6. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Respect Your Creative Autonomy

One of the benefits of creative writing classes is the perspective you get from different writers. No two writers are working on the same projects, and in your course, you’re likely to work with students of different genres and writing styles.

your creative authority should be respected no matter how new you are to creative writing.

With so many different writing philosophies in one class, the new ideas you encounter can help strengthen your own writing. But in the worst-case scenario, a student or instructor might try to force their writing philosophy onto you. This is always unfair, as there is no one-size-fits-all writing advice, your creative authority should be respected no matter how new you are to creative writing .

For example, let’s say you’re writing a poem about your childhood cat, and the instructor thinks it should be a poem about your experiences growing up. No matter how many times you explain you want this poem to be about your cat, the instructor keeps telling you to write more about your childhood. By ignoring your goals for the poem, the instructor is not respecting your creative autonomy, because they think they know your writing needs better than you do.

No matter where you are in your writing journey, you are a writer, and you deserve respect and compassion as such. Every writer is on a constant journey of growth and discovery; your instructor and course should acknowledge and respect that. In your course, you will encounter many different ideas, but you should also encounter the freedom to accept or reject those ideas. It’s your writing: you get the final say!

7. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Foster a Writing Community

A creative writing course fosters a creative writing community . This community gives you the motivation to create, as it creates a safe environment to experiment, take risks, and grow in your writing practice.

A writing community gives you the motivation to create, as it creates a safe environment to experiment, take risks, and grow in your writing practice.

For even the most solitary of writers, writing doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Participating in a community of word enthusiasts can jog your creativity and give you useful feedback on your work. Additionally, the feedback you provide other writers in the community also helps you learn. It’s a self-fulfilling, self-sustaining process, where members of a writing group can continuously grow, improve, and fine-tune their love of the craft.

In fact, well-known authors throughout history have been a part of valuable writing communities, such as The Beat Poets, Stratford-on-Odeon, and other famous writing groups .

When you enroll in creative writing classes, you also take part in a writing community. Foster relationships, make new writing friends, and forge your own writing group—it may one day be famous, too!

8. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Motivate You to Write

Writing is a skill that you can only develop through practice. For anyone just starting on our writing journeys, the best online creative writing classes keep you motivated and accountable.

The best online creative writing classes keep you motivated and accountable.

Every instructor works differently, but you can expect the following in a creative writing class:

• Creative writing prompts
• Daily journaling assignments
• Helpful revisions
• Inspirational readings
• Ideas to combat writer’s block
• Different opinions on how to write creatively

Some courses are even designed to motivate you, such as our course Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack . Sometimes, the biggest struggle is simply to begin, and creative writing courses help you do that.

9. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Jumpstart a Writing Habit

The best online creative writing courses will get you into a writing habit. By combining lectures with thought-provoking assignments, one of the primary goals of a writing course is simply to get you writing.

You’ll gain the most from your creative writing courses if you block out the time to write every day.

To make the most of your creative writing classes, 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 where you can.

Here are some ways you can steal time as a writer:

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

These ideas won’t work for everyone, and it all depends on your schedule and lifestyle. Nonetheless, you’ll gain the most from your creative writing courses if you block out the time to write every day, no matter how brief that time is. And, your course should help you find the time to write!

10. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Broaden Your Literary Horizons

You need to read great writing to produce great writing. The best online creative writing courses will introduce you to great literature, giving you additional opportunities to explore the writing craft.

The best online creative writing courses will introduce you to great literature, giving you additional opportunities to explore the writing craft.

In creative writing classes, you might read both classic and contemporary literature. As writers, it’s good to have knowledge of both worlds. Classic literature introduces you to the bedrock of modern writing, including the devices and rhetorical strategies that make for effective poetry and prose.

Contemporary literature, on the other hand, gives you a glimpse into today’s literary zeitgeist. It’s important to understand today’s publishing landscape and the type of work that’s being published, even if you don’t intend to write like contemporary authors.

In fact, it’s better if you don’t try to write like anyone else! Reading other writers shows you what works in literature and what doesn’t, giving you opportunities to experiment with form and style. But, at the end of the day, your writing is for you, not for publishers or particular writing schools.

Use your creative writing classes as opportunities to explore literature, experiment with words, and discover what you’d like to write yourself.

11. The Best Online Creative Writing Classes Offer a Healthy Creative Outlet

Creative writing classes offer a healthy outlet for your creativity and emotions.

A healthy writing space can supplement your emotional health and wellbeing.

How is that so? With a space to put thoughts to paper, many writers inevitably reach breakthroughs about their own feelings and experiences. This is true regardless of whether you write poetry, fiction, plays, articles, or creative nonfiction.

Now, even the best online creative writing courses can’t replace the benefits of therapy. But, a healthy writing space can certainly supplement your emotional health and wellbeing. Between the prompts, community, and writing habits that a creative writing class fosters, you’re sure to come away from your course with renewed emotional health.

12. The Best Online Creative Writing Courses Give You Next Steps

Your education doesn’t end at the end of your course. If anything, the best online creative writing courses are only the beginning of your writing journey!

The best online creative writing courses are only the beginning of your writing journey!

The best online creative writing courses give you opportunities for continuous growth. Those opportunities can take many forms, such as: a list of literary journals to submit to, further readings on a topic of interest, future creative writing classes, or even simply the instructor’s email.

If you’re ready to move on to the next level of your career, your instructor should provide you with next steps. And if you crave more learning, ask the instructor!

A creative writing course is much like life: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Being an active participant will teach you as much about creative writing as the instructor will, because engaging with language is how you grow as a writer. Actively working with suggestions and ideas, keeping a daily writing practice, and offering other students constructive feedback will all boost your creative writing skills.

A creative writing course is much like life: the more you put into it, the more you get out of it.

Additionally, do your research before you enroll in the course, or you might end up taking a class that isn’t suited to your needs. Look up the instructor for the course, their teaching style and previous publications, and how much experience they have as a writing coach. If they don’t seem well suited towards your learning style, they might develop your creative writing skills, and they won’t be worth the cost.

Find the Best Online Creative Writing Courses at Writers.com!

Are you looking for a writing community? Are you ready to get writing? Check out some of the upcoming courses at Writers.com , the oldest creative writing school on the internet.

Sean Glatch

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Writing Masterclass: Best Masterclass Courses for Writers (2024)

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

I’m a huge fan of MasterClass . You’ve probably heard of it: it’s a library of online classes taught by the best people in their fields (like Serena Williams for tennis, Steph Curry for basketball, and Steve Martin for comedy).

The MasterClass Courses

As a writer, I’m most interested in learning from other authors, like Malcolm Gladwell, Margaret Atwood, James Patterson, and Neil Gaiman.

Each author’s MasterClass gives you a chance to learn directly from a bestselling writer. And these classes are masterfully designed (if you’ll pardon the pun.)

They include dozens of hours of video lessons, exclusive downloads (like the authors’ own edited drafts of their writing!), practical homework assignments (writing prompts from the experts!), and even interactive office hours where you can ask the authors questions and get feedback.

Find out more about MasterClass here.

But with so many classes available, which ones are worth your time? Here at The Write Practice, we're attending and reviewing each author's MasterClass to help you decide whether it's the class for you.

The Write Practice's MasterClass Reviews

Check out all our MasterClass reviews:

Neil Gaiman's MasterClass

Dan Brown's MasterClass

James Patterson's MasterClass

Joyce Carol Oates's MasterClass

R. L. Stine's MasterClass

Aaron Sorkin's MasterClass

Try MasterClass Yourself

Interested in taking a course (or several courses) from authors you love? An annual membership is $180 and gives you access to every MasterClass for a year.

That means you can take classes from all the authors on MasterClass (and hey, maybe pick up some cooking skills from Gordon Ramsay while you’re at it).

Best of all, right now MasterClass is holding an amazing sale: buy one annual membership, and you'll get a second annual membership free. There's never been a better time to join MasterClass.

This sale ends tonight, though, so if it sounds interesting to you, don't wait!

Want to learn from bestselling authors? Join MasterClass with an annual membership.

Join MasterClass »

Have you tried MasterClass? Which courses have you taken, and what did you think? Let us know in the comments .

Imagine a class taught by an expert you admire—but an unruly student has brought a frog into the class. Who's the expert? And what do they do with the frog?

Take fifteen minutes to write the scene. When you're done, share your writing in the Pro Practice Workshop , and be sure to leave feedback for your fellow writers. Not a member, yet? Check it out here . 

And don't forget to check out MasterClass ! Good news: MasterClass courses are guaranteed not to include students' unexpected frogs. (Unless you bring your own, of course.)

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

• The MasterClass Sale: Which MasterClass Courses Should Writers Take? | | Home Improvement WA - […] post The MasterClass Sale: Which MasterClass Courses Should Writers Take? appeared initially on The Write Practice […]
• Judy Blume MasterClass Review: Will This Class Help You Master Writing? - […] you’ve seen one of my previous MasterClass reviews, you’re probably familiar with MasterClass and how it works. If not,…

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

Disclosure: MyeLearningWorld is reader-supported. We may receive a commission if you purchase through our links.

The 10 Best Online Creative Writing Courses (2023 Rankings)

Published on: 03/22/2023

By Fatima Mansoor

• Share on Facebook
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Pinterest

With the best online creative writing courses, you can learn the techniques and skills you need to become a better writer.

Do you feel like your writing has hit a plateau?

Are you struggling to convey your ideas and bring your stories to life?

Are you tired of staring at a blank page?

It is normal for writers to feel stuck, discouraged, and doubt their writing skills.

In the past, the solution was to enroll in a creative writing class at your local college or join a writing group. But these options are often either expensive, time-consuming, or inconvenient — or all of the above.

These days, though, there are lots of great creative writing courses online that let you learn from some of the world’s top experts all from the comfort of your own home.

You can learn how to write compelling stories, craft convincing dialogue, create vivid characters, understand structure and pacing, and much more, while enjoying the flexibility, convenience, and affordability of online learning.

Whether you’re looking to become the next bestselling author or you just want to write for fun, these courses will give you the tools you need to take your writing to the next level.

We’ve reviewed and ranked the best online creative writing courses based on a number of key criteria, including content, instructor credentials and experience, price, student reviews, and more.

This guide is fully updated for 2023 to include the best current course options so you can make an informed decision for investing in your writing passion.

Disclosure:  Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost for you, we might get a commission if you click the link and purchase.

How We Chose the Best Online Courses for Creative Writing

With hundreds of online creative writing classes out there, we wanted to help people like you find the ones that are truly the best of the best.

We reviewed dozens of creative writing courses online, and ranked them based on the following criteria:

• Curriculum quality– We carefully reviewed the curriculum of each course to make sure it was up-to-date and comprehensive.
• Instructor reputation– We checked the background and reviews of the instructor to gauge whether or not they had the experience and expertise needed to teach a great creative writing course.
• Student reviews– In addition to forming our own opinions of these courses, we also looked carefully at the reviews and ratings left by other students to get a feel for what others had to say.
• Value– Finally, we compared the cost of each course to the quality of instruction to determine which ones had the best value for what was being offered.

After going through this in-depth process, we came up with a list of what we believe are the 10 very best online creative writing courses available today.

What are the Best Online Creative Writing Classes?

Here are our picks for the top creative writing courses online in 2023…

1. Creative Writing Bootcamp: Start a Brand New Story (Skillshare)

Skillshare offers a One-Month Free Trial . After that, a Skillshare subscription is around $165 per year for unlimited access to all courses. See our Skillshare review  for more info.

14 video lessons, 1 hour

This course is designed to help aspiring authors of all skill levels launch their creative writing careers. Myla Goldberg, a renowned author, teaches this course, covering everything from character and plot development to dialogue writing.

Students will participate in various interactive activities and writing prompts throughout the course to evaluate their current performance and navigate their way upwards. Each lesson builds on the previous one, guiding students through creating a completely new story from start to finish, from idea generation to writing captivating opening lines.

Students can take advantage of Myla’s guidance on overcoming writer’s block, her insights into the publishing industry, and how to get their work noticed by agents and publishers.

2. Creative Writing: Crafting Personal Essays with Impact (Skillshare)

Skillshare offers a One-Month Free Trial . After that, a Skillshare subscription is around $165 per year for unlimited access to all courses.

11 video lessons, 1+ hours

This course by Roxane Gray gives you the tools to tell your story with impact. It will help you craft compelling personal essays whether you’re looking for an introduction to essay writing or an experienced writer needing a refresher course.

You’ll learn how to brainstorm essay topics, structure your essays for maximum impact, and revise your work so it’s polished.

The course also emphasizes the importance of storytelling and using specific, vivid details to bring essays to life. It will give you useful strategies for engaging your target audience and making a lasting impression, whether you write for personal or professional reasons.

Overall this course comprises a step-by-step process for writing a personal essay that captures your unique personality. You’ll also develop the skills and self-assurance you need to keep writing and hone your craft.

3. The Creative Writer’s Toolkit: Writing a Character Study (Skillshare)

5 video lessons, about 30 minutes

If you’re looking for rigorous training related to character development, this course will be the right fit for you! It is taught by a famous Wattpad writer, Lindsey Summers, who provides a detailed guide in translating vague ideas into interesting characters.

Over the course of 5 insightful video lessons, Lindsey will discuss the core aspects of character development, such as using an archetype in the right context and using character flaws to drive the story.

Whether a novice or an aspiring author, you can sign up for this course to study character creation and upskill yourself to use unique approaches in different scenarios.

4. Teaching Writing For Television (Masterclass)

Plans starting at $15/month billed annually

30 video lessons, about 6.5 hours

Shonda Rhimes’ Masterclass course on writing pilot scripts is another empowering and informative course.

Rhimes has been working in television for over 20 years and has created some of the most popular shows on TV today, including How to Get Away With Murder, The Catch, Grey’s Anatomy, etc. Her experience working with writers of various genres qualifies her to teach you how to write a catchy pilot script.

The course covers everything from developing your idea into a pitch to writing your first draft.

Rhimes walks you through each step of the process, providing clear instructions and examples from her own experiences and those of other writers with whom she has collaborated over the years. All these real-life examples give you a good head start, shed light on common pitfalls, and accelerate your growth as compared to learning on your own. She also gives you time estimates for each section of your script so you can plan accordingly.

This course is ideal for anyone interested in learning more about writing television shows but is intimidated by the process or lacks access to an experienced professional who can provide feedback on their work.

5. Creative Non-Fiction Writing – You Can’t Make This Stuff Up! (Udemy)

Regularly priced at $19.99

27 lessons, 1 hour and 50 minutes

If you’re a writer who’s fond of writing biographies, history, and philosophy, this course will make you a pro at the non-fiction genre. Led by the mastermind of the non-fiction genre, Trace Crawford, this course will teach you the primary concepts of creative non-fiction writing.

You will learn to develop story plots, use literary devices to make content more impactful, and structure a narrative. Trace believes comprehending practical aspects of the non-fiction genre makes you an outstanding writer. Topics such as primary and secondary research and navigating ethical concerns when writing about people and events are all crucial to convey your work to the target audience.

Apart from the core concepts, this course includes skills such as pitching, submitting work to publishers, and using the right medium to create your brand in the market.

In essence, this course is an excellent opportunity to learn non-fiction writing, whether you want to pursue it as a side hustle or a profession.

6. Secret Sauce of Great Writing (Udemy)

Do you feel like your mediocre writing is holding you back? Look no further than the “Secret Sauce of Great Writing” course on Udemy by former Wall Street Journal editor Shani Raja!

Shani teaches you the insider secrets to great writing that only a seasoned professional could know. He discusses the four main ingredients of great writing: simplicity, clarity, elegance, and evocativeness. With his years of experience in the industry, Shani knows exactly what it takes to write content that hooks your readers.

You’ll also get the chance to brush up on some basics, such as sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, style, tone, and storytelling. With Shani’s guidance, you’ll become a pro at writing informational and commercial content.

7. Creative Writing Specialization (Coursera)

Included with 7,000+ other courses with Coursera Plus subscription ($59/mo).  Try Coursera Plus free for 7 days.

About 10.5 hours of video lessons

Are you a budding writer yearning for a community that values the art of creative writing and supports your journey of self-expression? This Creative Writing Specialization on Coursera is the perfect course for you.

You will learn different forms of creative writing, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and screenwriting. What makes this program unique is the exceptional instructors who are experts in their fields and passionate writers.

The program’s peer review process enables participants to share their work with other writers and get regular feedback. Such interactive lessons foster a sense of belonging and the opportunity to grow no matter your proficiency level.

You’ll also learn how to create engaging stories that capture readers’ attention, write poetry, develop characters, develop intriguing dialogues, and write descriptive settings that readers can relate to.

The program’s main learning outcomes include gaining a deep understanding of the different genres of creative writing and developing the necessary skills to write effectively within each genre.

You’ll also learn practical tips on how to get published and build your portfolio.

Overall, this specialization on Coursera is more than just an online course; it’s a community of writers who understand the struggles and joys of creative expression.

Students have the option to audit the course for free. However, you’ll have to pay a fee if you want a certificate upon completing the class.

8. Writing Your Story (CreativeLive)

Plans starting around $13 per month

26 video lessons, 5+ hours

Another area of non-fiction writing is memoirs. Many people are willing to write about their personal experiences and memorable moments. This is where Joyce Maynard comes in and sheds light on the skills needed to write a profound memoir.

The primary motive of this course is to discuss the outline of memoirs and the right methodology to inculcate drama, relevance, and authenticity. Joyce teaches how to organize your writing and use sensory devices to make your memoirs engaging.

Overall, this course gives you all the knowledge needed to pen down your personal perspective. You’ll be able to write a memoir that strikes a chord with the audience and leaves a lasting impression.

9. Grammar Lion: A Grammar Refresher (Grammar Lion)

100+ lessons

Essentially, this course covers the fundamental English grammar lessons to enable budding writers to polish their language and avoid frequent mistakes. After all, a competent writer must be proficient in grammar.

Students will learn parts of speech, sentence structure, and punctuation. They will also learn how to compose sentences and paragraphs and rectify common grammar mistakes.

Apart from grammar, you will also improve your analytical and critical thinking abilities via various case studies, which can be useful in both academic and professional situations.

This is the perfect course for anyone wishing to enhance their communication and writing skills in general.

Overall, these lessons will provide the foundation necessary to write with clarity, precision, and assurance.

10. Creative Writing: How to Start a Writing Habit (Skillshare)

Skillshare offers a One-Month Free Trial . After that, the  Skillshare price is around $165 per year for unlimited access to all courses.

7 video lessons, about 11 minutes

Becoming a proficient, creative writer requires effort, determination, and guidance. If you are just getting on the bandwagon and looking for a well-defined roadmap, this course on Skillshare will be a worthwhile investment.

A renowned writing coach, Whitney Strong, offers actionable advice to help you hone your creative thinking skills and gives you direction to develop a writing habit.

Strong encourages students to maintain a notebook from the beginning of the course. In this way, one can establish a writing routine that fits their lifestyle and goals and learn techniques for writing down impactful ideas.

The abundance of practical advice by Strong makes this course stand out. She does not only focus on the methodology of writing engaging stories or dialogues but also emphasizes conceptual learning.

She discusses abstract concepts and provides students with specific writing exercises and prompts to help them overcome common writing obstacles and develop their writing voice. Whitney also shares her writing experiences, providing insights into the creative process and the challenges that all writers face.

The course is appropriate for writers of all levels, from novices looking to improve their skills to seasoned writers looking to establish a writing practice.

A Final Word on the Best Online Creative Writing Courses

With so many great online creative writing classes, it’s easier than ever to study from acclaimed authors, receive insightful comments, and interact with a community of professional writers who share your interests.

Remember, most of these course providers offer free trial periods, giving you a great chance to check out classes at no cost to see which ones you like best.

Have any questions about our guide to the best online creative writing courses? Leave a comment below to let us help.

The 9 Best Zoom Alternatives for Meetings & Conferences (Free & Paid)

How to elevate your presentations for school or work, leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

BloomTech’s Downfall: A Long Time Coming

Your source for the latest news and trends in online education.

600 Free Google Certifications

Most common

Popular subjects.

Software Development

• Data Analysis

Popular courses

Competencias para buscar, mantener y promocionar en un empleo

Lean Production

Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence

Class Central

• classcentral.com
• Browse Courses
• Write a Review
• About Class Central
• Best Courses
• Free Certificates
• Best Free Online Courses of All Time
• Most Popular Online Courses of All Time
• Featured Articles
• Online Learning Guides
• Student Voices

Disclosure:  Class Central is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

9 Best Copywriting Courses for 2024

Transform your writing skills into profit: discover the best copywriting courses to launch a lucrative career or start a side hustle.

As someone who was once addicted to creating clickbait titles, I understand its appeal. But just throwing words together to grab readers’ attention and drive traffic without considering the value of your content might actually do more harm than good. Also, in this day and age, relying too much on techniques won’t help you stand out since most of them are overused and sort of annoying.

So, if you are a digital marketer or content creator who wants to truly understand copywriting, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve searched the internet to find the best online courses that teach how to use copywriting ethically and effectively.

In this Best Courses Guide (BCG), I’ll share with you the top online Copywriting courses that are designed to help you create copy that engages your audience and drives conversions. This guide is designed to be diverse, from novice copywriters to small business owners, and other professionals interested in developing a new skill.

Click on the shortcuts for more details:

What is Copywriting?

Courses overview, why you should trust us, how we made our picks and tested them, here are our top picks.

Related Guides

• Social Media Marketing
• Creative Writing
• Content Marketing
• SEO Optimisation
• Youtube Marketing

Recommended Guides

• Instagram Marketing
• Tiktok Marketing
• Microsoft Excel
• Marketing Analytics

Trending Guides

• Graphic Design
• American Sign Language (ASL)

Copywriting is the use of persuasive and emotional language to convince your target audience to take action through the written form. It’s commonly used in various online mediums like web content, social media, emails, and banners with the main purpose of selling a product or service.

But how do you create the perfect copy? It starts with a basic understanding of your niche and the right toolkit, including AI-powered copywriting software. With a few weeks of practice, you can already achieve some results. If you want to go beyond, learning fundamentals of marketing , creative and content writing , and SEO optimization can improve your results even further.

The copywriting market is at an all-time high; Experts say finding the right niche is key , and with remote work becoming more common, job offerings for experienced copywriters to work from home are plentiful.

• Together, they account for 569K enrollments and 817K YouTube views.
• LinkedIn Learning is the most featured provider in the guide.
• The single most popular course has over 209k enrollments.
• One course is entirely free, eight courses are paid.

Best Free Course on Copywriting Fundamentals (Copy That!)

This 5-hour free course offers a comprehensive syllabus, practical examples, and abundant resources, all taught by an engaging instructor. It’s perfect for beginners, providing a solid foundation or a helpful review of the fundamentals. If you’re looking to learn the secrets of copywriting and how to make money with your writing skills, then you should definitely check out The Secrets of Copywriting .

In this course, you’ll learn:

• How to become an effective copywriter, from the power of copywriting and its role in marketing
• The different schools of advertising and the importance of research
• How to plan and structure your copy
• How to craft compelling headlines and generate leads
• How to edit and improve your copy for maximum impact.

To make the most of this course, be sure to take advantage of the resources provided, including two templates available on Google Docs and the Copy That! Discord channel . You’ll also want to pay attention to the tips and tricks offered throughout the course, which can help you apply the concepts you’ve learned and make your writing more effective. By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge to kick off your copywriting projects.

Best Practical Intro to Copywriting (LinkedIn Learning)

Learning to Write Marketing Copy provides detailed content with a practical project example. Even though the course content is introductory and short, you can learn loads of new concepts about marketing copywriting. It also works as a helpful checklist to revisit when necessary.

In this course, you’ll:

• Work on a project from initial brainstorming to completed result
• Learn basic typography to work with a designer or do it yourself
• Make your copy really work visually
• Learn how to write copy what will help you win customers.

The course includes exercise files with examples of famous successful copy, the provided samples used in the course, and a blank formatted file for you to get started.

Best Copywriting Course for Emails, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (Udemy)

In Modern Copywriting: Writing copy that sells in 2024 by Evan Kimbrel, you will learn how to strategically deliver words that get people to take action using copywriting. The material is comprehensive with worksheets and templates. By the end of this course you will know how to write copy for emails, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn — with handouts, case studies, and activities. It’s a great course for beginners, but still good for intermediates.

What you’ll learn:

• The fundamentals of copywriting and its importance in marketing
• Techniques for understanding your audience, competition, and your brand’s voice
• Strategies for using structure, persuasion, and emotion to enhance your copy
• How to apply proven copywriting formulas to eliminate guesswork
• The differences between B2B and B2C copywriting and how to approach each
• Crafting compelling headlines and copy for various projects like landing pages, CTAs, emails, and social media.

Also Great Intro to Copy for Social Media (Domestika)

Copywriting for Social Media is a high-quality course that provides up-to-date and relevant instruction on copywriting for social media. While it covers the basics, it is perfect for small business owners or novice copywriters. If you have little to no experience with copywriting for social media, this is the right course for you. Even if you have some experience, you can benefit from learning Paul’s approach and gaining a professional perspective on the matter.

Paul is an excellent teacher and communicator who inspires you to find your own voice.

• The basics of effective copywriting and how to apply them to social media
• Techniques for generating and developing ideas that resonate with your audience
• Strategies for creating engaging and impactful social media campaigns for your brand
• Insights from Paul Anglin’s extensive experience with leading global brands.

Also Great Concise Course for Social Media Copy (LinkedIn Learning)

Marketing: Copywriting for Social Media is designed to teach you the ins and outs of social media copywriting. You’ll learn how to tailor your message to fit the unique formats and preferences of each platform, as well as discover useful tools to simplify your workflow. The course is organized in a way that allows you to revisit any topic whenever you need a refresher. Overall, it’s an excellent course for anyone looking to dip their toes into the world of social media copywriting.

What learners will gain:

• Techniques to create engaging and persuasive social media copy
• Strategies for tailoring content to different platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• Insights into establishing a brand voice and creating buyer personas
• Knowledge on using tools for spelling, grammar, readability, and headline analysis
• Skills in A/B testing and leveraging audience feedback to optimize post performance.

Best Copywriting Course for Websites and Landing Pages (Skillshare)

Copywriting For Beginners: How To Write Web Copy That Sells Without Being Cheesy is a concise copywriting course for beginners focused on websites and landing pages. You can learn various techniques to improve your landing page including: speaking your audience language, writing a good headline, and building trust with your targeted audience.

Jesse Forrest, the instructor, does a great job in explaining copywriting in an easy way. When he presents a new concept, he follows it up with several real-life examples of businesses that applied that concept and how and why it benefited them. This allows students to think about their own business goals and clearly envision how they can follow the instruction in real life. You won’t be a professional copywriter after this, but it’s a great starting point.

This course is also available on Udemy .

• The fundamentals of effective web copywriting, including crafting landing pages, emails, and more
• Create attention-grabbing headlines and meaningful sub-headlines using proven templates
• How to deeply understand and connect with your audience using an 8-point research questionnaire and a free research tool
• Write compelling copy with fill-in-the-blank templates for headlines, sub-headlines, and call-to-action buttons
• Differentiate content writing from copywriting and understand the significance of each
• Transform product or service features into irresistible benefits with simple questioning techniques
• Overcome writer’s block with three easy exercises, ensuring continuous writing progress.

Jesse has other copywriting courses: Landing Page Design and Copywriting: Build Pages That Convert in 2020 and How To Start A Successful Freelance Writing Career .

Also Great Copywriting Course for Optimizing Landing Pages (Udemy)

The Landing Page Design & Conversion Rate Optimization 2018 teaches landing pages copy and applying psychological marketing techniques to increase conversion rates. To complete the technical part of the course, you will need to purchase Unbounce or a similar landing page design tool to achieve the same results presented in the course.

Isaac, the instructor, is known for his storytelling approach to teaching, avoiding the typical bullet-point format. This course provides both advanced and beginner concepts of landing page design, making it valuable for learners at any level. Additionally, the course explores the human psychology aspect, which helps learners understand the fundamental principles that drive people to take action. Overall, this course is highly detailed and thorough, offering a comprehensive guide to improve your landing page design skills.

• Skills to design high-converting landing pages without coding
• Knowledge to double or triple conversion rates using design principles
• Ability to run A/B tests and apply psychological persuasion in design
• Techniques to write compelling headlines and calls to action
• Insights into conducting usability tests and understanding the buyer’s journey
• Strategies for creating professional logos and improving website traffic conversion.

Also Great Course for Web Pages and Emails (LinkedIn Learning)

In Learning Conversion Copywriting you will learn how to use conversion copywriting to create basic web pages and emails that convert. Conversion copywriting is Joanna’s proprietary method that infuses data-driven insights into copywriting to optimize conversion rates.

What you’ll learn:

• Techniques to research and understand the voice of the customer (VOC)
• How to use persuasive frameworks and formulas to optimize offers and awareness stages
• Crafting compelling web and email copy that resonates with your audience
• Editing strategies to enhance your copy’s effectiveness and conducting tests to validate clarity and conversion potential.

Best Copywriting and Content Writing Course for Bloggers (CreativeLive)

Build a Successful Creative Blog is a comprehensive guide on how to create and market a successful blog, covering from content planning to selling your brand to readers. A significant portion of the course focuses on copywriting, while the remainder dives into details on creating visual content and promoting it on social media.

If you are interested in creative blogging, you can view 2 hours of sample videos to determine this is a good fit for you. The course features high-quality visuals and in-depth discussions, making it the longest course on the list with over 16 hours of content.

• Strategies to develop and refine a unique blogging voice and style
• Techniques for creating compelling content and engaging headlines
• Best practices for blog marketing, including SEO, social media, and email list building
• Solutions to common blogging challenges, such as writer’s block and maintaining balance.

Class Central , a Tripadvisor for online education, has helped 60 million learners find their next course. We’ve been combing through online education for more than a decade to aggregate a catalog of 200,000 online courses and 200,000 reviews written by our users. And we’re online learners ourselves: combined, the Class Central team has completed over 400 online courses, including online degrees.

Trying to find “the best” can be daunting, even for those of us who live and breathe online courses. Here’s how I approached this task.

First, I combed through Class Central’s Catalog and the internet to find a variety of free and paid open courses, some with certificates. You don’t need to enroll in a university to learn about copywriting.

When choosing courses, I considered the following factors:

• Renowned Institutions : I looked for recognized institutions in copywriting
• Instructor experience : I sought instructors with extensive experience in copywriting and engaging presentation styles
• Popularity : I checked numbers of enrollments and views to find popular courses
• Course content : I examined courses that covered a range of topics and presentation styles, including the basics and more advanced topics. I watched some course videos to sample courses I hadn’t already taken
• Learner reviews : I read learner reviews (when available) to get a sense of the quality of each course, leveraging the Class Central database with its thousands of course ratings and reviews written by our users as well as available course provider reviews.

Then, I defined the scope for these recommendations. A copywriting course can cover various topics, so I chose top courses from a range of sub-fields.

Ultimately, I used a combination of data and my own judgment to make these picks. I’m confident these recommendations will be a reliable way to learn about copywriting.

Fabio Dantas

Leave a reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Browse our catalog

Discover thousands of free online courses from top universities around the world like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard.

Computer Science 13,168 courses

• Artificial Intelligence
• Algorithms and Data Structures
• Internet of Things
• Information Technology
• Computer Networking
• Machine Learning
• Deep Learning
• Cryptography
• Quantum Computing
• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Distributed Systems
• Blockchain Development
• Operating Systems
• Computer Graphics
• Automata Theory
• Digital Image Processing
• CSS Animation
• Morph Transition

Business 21,417 courses

• Management & Leadership
• Entrepreneurship
• Strategic Management
• Industry Specific
• Business Intelligence
• Human Resources
• Project Management
• Design Thinking
• Business Software
• Customer Service
• Nonprofit Management
• Operations Management
• Corporate Governance
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Management Consulting
• Business Math

Humanities 8,301 courses

• Language Learning
• Grammar & Writing
• Linguistics
• Library Science
• Crisis Management
• Emergency Management
• Language Arts

Data Science 4,791 courses

• Bioinformatics
• Data Mining
• Data Visualization
• Jupyter Notebooks
• Process Mining
• Text Mining
• Topological Data Analysis

Personal Development 5,702 courses

• Communication Skills
• Career Development
• Self Improvement
• Presentation Skills
• Self-Acceptance
• Mental Toughness
• Self-Doubt Management
• Personal Empowerment
• Habit Tracking

Art & Design 20,638 courses

• Digital Media
• Visual Arts
• Design & Creativity
• Art Therapy
• Art Composition

Get the Reddit app

Welcome to our vibrant community of academic writers for hire! Are you passionate about crafting compelling essays, conducting thorough research, or perfecting scholarly papers? Join us and become part of a collaborative space where talented writers come together to offer their expertise. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out, our community provides a supportive environment to share insights, exchange tips, and connect with clients seeking top-notch academic assistance.

Consider the best for your online classes and exams

More From Forbes

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

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

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.

The Drivers of Growth in Book Publishing

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.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

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.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's  Terms of Service.   We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

• False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
• Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
• Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
• Content that otherwise violates our site's  terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

• Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
• Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
• Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
• Actions that otherwise violate our site's  terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

• Stay on topic and share your insights
• Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
• ‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
• Protect your community.
• Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's  Terms of Service.

• Coupon Not Working?

• _Development
• _Finance & Accounting
• _IT & Software
• _Office Productivity
• _Terms of Use
• _DMCA Policy
• _Privacy Policy

Build & write Best Resume / CV & Application Covering Letter [Free Online Course] - TechCracked

Help for CV / Resume building and writing for job search using LinkedIn Profile ; Formats for Resume and Letter writing

This course includes :

• 2 hours on-demand video
• Assignments
• 13 articles
• 16 downloadable resources
• Access on mobile and TV
• Full lifetime access
• Certificate of completion

What you'll learn

• Understand how preparing a Great CV sets you apart from the rest of the applicants
• Learn to analyze a recruiter's needs and craft your resume to match those needs.
• Understand from a Recruiter's Point of View why most CVs get rejected.
• Build a Killer Resume and increase your chances of getting shortlisted in your dream company.
• Rectify the mistakes in your resume by following the Mantra for drafting Great Resumes from real-life CV reviews
• Strategies to get your CV through ATS
• Draft your own CV and get it reviewed by the Instructor himself.
• Have access to Job Descriptions of various Diverse Job Fields of 50+ companies and increase the likelihood of your selection
• CV Building Websites
• Links to Related Resources that can help you get the dream job
• Sample Resume CV
• Resume CV Template in Word
• Application Covering Letter Template in Word

Description

Are you facing challenges in getting a job because of your CV (Resume) not getting shortlisted for the job interviews? Do you not only want to learn a new way to write a more Targeted Effective Resume but also get help in writing one for yourself?

Look at this Udemy course where you will

• Learn a new way to write Great Professional CV(Resume) for every job you want to get shortlisted by creating a Master CV (Resume) which you can quickly modify to make it a more Targeted Effective Resume
• Unlike other courses, you can take my help, with no extra charge, in creating such a Resume with right format and content for your self by submitting one assignment each on creating Master CV and Modifying it for one role of your choice!
• See the right resume format with a lot of resume tips and resume writing techniques
• Many additional resources for your career development and career advancement
• Gain Practical Experience by doing the real life assignments

Preview many of  lectures for FREE

When I was working with IIM Udaipur as a Career Advisor many students approached me for their CV not getting short listed. As I started digging deeper with them for the reasons, I started discovering what would make it happen. Things like right and appealing format, CV customized to meet the JD requirements started surfacing as the critical thing needed to get the CV shortlisted. But biggest realization was the preparing a Great CV takes a lot of good feedback on what will make it great. It is like playing cricket; you need to work on it, keep taking feedback till you get it right! And that is the focus of this course- to not only tell how to prepare a great CV but help you do it!

You may like these posts

Advertisement, featured post.

Complete Review of Zero To Mastery : Is Andrei Neagoie ZTM Academy worth it? - TechCracked

About techcracked.

TechCracked is a platform that provides 100% Off Coupons for Udemy Courses. We also cover FREE online courses from more platforms like edX, Coursera, Udacity, and more.

Popular Posts

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner [Free Online Course] - TechCracked

[FREE] Oracle Generative AI Professional Certification and Course - TechCracked

Complete Ethical Hacking Masterclass: Go from Zero to Hero [Free Online Course] - TechCracked

Microsoft Excel - The Complete Excel Data Analysis Course [Free Online Course] - TechCracked

Python programming with MySQL database: for Data Science [Free Online Course] - TechCracked

Menu footer widget.

Watch CBS News

CDK Global calls cyberattack that crippled its software platform a "ransom event"

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: June 25, 2024 / 9:06 AM EDT / CBS News

CDK Global is now calling the  cyberattack that took down its software platform  for its auto dealership clients "a ransom event." 

In a note to clients Saturday, CDK for the first time acknowledged that the hackers that made its dealer management system, or DMS,  unavailable to clients for days , are demanding a ransom to restore its systems. 

"Thank you for your patience as we recover from the cyber ransom event that occurred on June 19th," CDK said in a memo to clients on Saturday, according to a copy of the email obtained by CBS MoneyWatch . 

CDK added in the note that it has started restoring its systems and expects the process of bringing major applications back online "to take several days and not weeks."

Beware of phishing

In its memo, the company also warned car dealerships to be alert to phishing scams, or entities posing as CDK but who are in fact bad actors trying to obtain proprietary information like customers' passwords. 

A CDK spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch that it is providing customers "with alternate ways to conduct business" while its systems remain inoperative. 

The cybercriminals behind the CDK attack are linked to a group called BlackSuit, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing Allan Liska of computer security firm Recorded Future. In a June 21 story , the media outlet also said the hackers were demanding tens of millions of dollars and that CDK planned to pay the ransom. 

Liska didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. CDK itself hasn't pointed to any group behind the attack on its system that  has disrupted car dealerships across the U.S.  since last week. Companies targeted in ransomware schemes are often reluctant to disclose information in the midst of negotiations with hackers on a payment.

"When you see an attack of this kind, it almost always ends up being a ransomware attack," Cliff Steinhauer, director of information security and engagement at the National Cybersecurity Alliance, told the Associated Press. "We see it time and time again unfortunately, [particularly in] the last couple of years. No industry and no organization or software company is immune."

"Doing everything manually"

The hack has left some car dealers unable to do business altogether, while others report using pen and paper, and even "sticky notes" to record transactions. 

Tom Maoli, owner of Celebrity Motor Car Company, which operates five luxury car dealerships across New York and New Jersey, on Monday told CBS MoneyWatch his employees "are doing everything manually."

"We are trying to keep our customers happy and the biggest issue is the banking side of things, which is completely backed up. We can't fund deals," he said. 

Asbury Automotive Group, a Fortune 500 company operating more than 150 new car dealerships across the U.S., in a statement on Monday  said  the attack has "adversely impacted" its operations and has hindered its ability to do business. Its Koons Automotive dealerships in Maryland and Virginia, however, which don't rely on CDK's software, have been able to operate without interruption, the company said.  

Ransomware attacks  are on the rise. In 2023, more than 2,200 entities, including U.S. hospitals, schools and governments were directly impacted by ransomware, according to  Emisoft , an anti-malware software company. Additionally, thousands of private sector companies were targeted. Some experts believe that the only way to stop such attacks is to ban the payment of ransoms, which Emisoft said would lead bad actors to "quickly pivot and move from high impact encryption-based attacks to other less disruptive forms of cybercrime."

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of State  offered $10 million in exchange for the identities  of leaders of the Hive ransomware gang, which since 2021 has been responsible for attacks on more than 1,500 institutions in over 80 countries, resulting in the theft of more than $100 million. 

• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
• Cyberattack

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

More from CBS News

CDK cyberattack outage could lead to 100,000 fewer cars sold in June, experts say

Boeing announces plan to buy most of subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems

Nelly Korda withdraws from London tournament after being bitten by a dog

Should you refinance your home equity loan this summer? Here's when it may make sense

2024 NHL Draft 1st-round results, analysis

Complete coverage of all 32 selections from Las Vegas, beginning with Sharks at No. 1

© Nicholas J. Cotsonika

• Link copied

LAS VEGAS -- The first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft was held at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday. NHL.com deputy managing editor and draft guru Adam Kimelman was in Las Vegas to provide information and analysis on 32 first-round picks.

1. San Jose Sharks -- Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 1 (north american skaters).

Celebrini was third in the NCAA with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games as a freshman at Boston University and won the Hobey Baker Award as the top men's player in NCAA ice hockey, becoming the youngest player to win the award and the fourth from Boston University, joining Jack Eichel  (2015), Matt Gilroy (2009) and Chris Drury (1998). Celebrini, the youngest player in NCAA hockey this season, didn't turn 18 until June 13 but was named rookie of the year and player of the year in Hockey East, becoming the fourth player to win both awards in the same season, joining Eichel (2015), Paul Kariya (1993) and Brian Leetch (1987). Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Celebrini opted to advance his development playing Tier 1 AAA hockey for the San Jose Junior Sharks, prep school hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Minnesota and with Chicago of the United States Hockey League before joining BU this season. He'll determine whether or not he'll return to college after the draft.

"He competes with himself, competes with others, but that's just how he is," BU coach Jay Pandolfo said. "I think that's what makes him a special player, but I think that's going to serve him very well in the National Hockey League."

NHL.com analysis: The Sharks finally make official what's been assumed since the draft lottery with the selection of Celebrini. His skill set and work ethic has been compared to former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby . If Celebrini signs and joins the Sharks this season, he'll join Will Smith, the No. 4 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, to form the foundation of what the Sharks hope will be a return to contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Celebrini reacts to being picked No. 1 by the Sharks

2. Chicago Blackhawks -- Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 2 (north american skaters).

The right-handed shot (6-2, 205) was named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and earned spots on the All-Big 10 First Team and All-Freshman Team. The 18-year-old, the third-youngest player in men's college hockey, ranked second among NCAA freshmen defensemen and tied for ninth among all defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games. He led the Big 10 with a plus-27 rating while playing on the top defense pair all season. Levshunov looks to become the third player and first defenseman from Michigan State to be selected among the top three picks after forward Joe Murphy went No. 1 to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1986 NHL Draft, and forward Craig Simpson went No. 2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1985 NHL Draft.

"He's a player who can be defensive and also bring offense and I think that's why he brings so much value," Michigan State coach Adam Nightingale said. "He's very gifted offensively. He's very good on the power play, he's got deception, he can shoot through screens and put it on guys' tape. But he really values defending. He wants to play in the NHL and wants to play meaningful minutes, and to play meaningful minutes you got to do it on both sides of the puck."

NHL.com analysis: The Blackhawks got their building block at forward at the 2023 NHL Draft with Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard , and this year shift the focus to building their defense with Levshunov. He has NHL-ready size, and has said he'll wait until after the draft to decide if he wants to play another season of NCAA hockey or jump to the NHL. Either way, Levshunov projects to be a top-pair defenseman and be the lynchpin of a young group that saw Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic make big strides last season, and 2022 first-round pick Sam Rinzel (No. 25) is close to being pro-ready.

3. Anaheim Ducks --- Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 13 (north american skaters).

The 18-year-old has good size (6-3, 182), strength and skills, and those combined with his hockey sense help him consistently generate quality scoring opportunities. Sennecke had 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists), scored seven power-play goals and led the Generals with seven game-winning goals in 63 regular-season games. During the Ontario Hockey League playoffs he tied for fourth with 10 goals in 16 games. Sennecke is an all-around 200-foot player with a positive work ethic at both ends of the ice.

NHL.com analysis: The Ducks make the first surprise pick of the draft, but Sennecke projects to be a top-six wing who can provide a great running mate to one of their emerging young centers, Mason McTavish , Leo Carlsson or Trevor Zegras . Sennecke is a strong skater and knows how to pull pucks out of traffic and make plays in tight, and he's got a great shot. It will take time for him to fill out his frame, but with another season or two of development should have him join the Ducks' flock of other top-end prospects they've accumulated the past few seasons.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets -- Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 3 (north american skaters).

Lindstrom (6-3, 213) is a powerhouse who remained a top forward option for the draft despite missing the final 36 regular-season games because of injuries to his back and hand. The 18-year-old had 46 points (27 goals, 19 assists) in 32 games prior to leaving the lineup Dec. 16. After recovering from surgery for a back injury, he returned March 29 and had two points (one goal, one assist) and 17 shots on goal in four Western Hockey League playoff games.

"Lindstrom is an elite NHL prospect that any NHL club would covet, and the NHL projection does not change due to the fact that he has missed time due to injuries that were not deemed to impair his future career," Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "Central Scouting chose to rank him in the same position because he remains one of the best prospects in this class and we haven't filed any reports to displace him."

NHL.com analysis: The Blue Jackets clearly are confident the back issue that sidelined Lindstrom for the entire second half of Medicine Hat's season is behind him. Lindstrom did his rehabilitation work with an NHL team doctor, and all 32 teams have been updated on his condition. Lindstrom is a goal-scorer with great speed helped by his track background, and an impressive nasty streak. A 1-2 center punch of Lindstrom and Adam Fantilli  gives the Blue Jackets a strong foundation as they try to climb back into Stanley Cup Playoff contention.

5. Montreal Canadiens -- Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg Jr. (RUS-JR)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 2 (international skaters).

Demidov is a tremendous skater and excellent puck-handler capable of playing right wing, left wing and center. The left-handed shot (6-0, 192) led St. Petersburg's team in the MHL, Russia's junior league, with 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists), and had six game-winning goals and 144 shots on goal in 30 games. The 18-year-old averaged 18:06 of ice time and 4.8 shots on goal per game during the regular season, and had 28 points (11 goals, 17 assists) and averaged 17:37 of ice time with 4.5 shots on goal in 17 MHL playoff games. Demidov also played four games with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League but did not have a point.

"I think he's a better player than [Matvei] Michkov (Philadelphia Flyers, 2023 NHL Draft, No. 7)," TSN director of scouting and NHL analyst Craig Button said. "He's [Nikita] Kucherov to me. He can pass, he can shoot. He's brilliant. Like Kucherov, they [both] step out onto the ice and they're immediately dangerous. The puck ends up on their stick and it's like, buckle up, pay attention, you're going for a ride."

NHL.com analysis: Some scouts believe Demidov is the second-most talented player in this year's draft after Celebrini. He dominated Russia's junior league, and likely will spend at least one more season developing in the Kontinental Hockey League next season. But his dynamic skill set and skating has the chance to bring the kind of wow factor the Canadiens have not had in a long time.

Ivan Demidov drafted by Montreal Canadiens

6. Utah Hockey Club -- Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 9 (north american skaters).

Iginla (6-0, 191), who turns 18 on Aug. 4, has taken many lessons from his father, Hockey Hall of Fame forward Jarome Iginla , on and off the ice. Combined with his skill and the competitive verve that was so prevalent in his dad, Tij led the Rockets this season with 47 goals and was second with 84 points and 11 power-play goals in 64 games. The left-handed shot, who led Kelowna in the Western Hockey League playoffs with nine goals and tied for the lead with 15 points in 11 games, is recognized as a goal-scorer with a big shot and good hands around the net. His competitiveness and hockey sense also are big attributes of his game.

NHL.com analysis: The first pick for Utah is a forward with an elite shot and the kind of hockey IQ that comes from growing up in the same home as a Hockey Hall of Famer. Iginla excelled playing center and the wing with Kelowna this season but expects to move back to center full-time next season. Iginla should be a fantastic addition to the emerging core in Utah led by Clayton Keller , Dylan Guenther and Logan Cooley .

Iginla interviewed after being selected by Utah

7. Ottawa Senators --- Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary (WHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 11 (north american skaters).

The right-handed shot (6-3, 202) led Western Hockey League defensemen with 30 goals and was fifth with 71 points in 66 regular-season games. Yakemchuk set a Calgary record for most goals in a season by a defenseman and is one of three WHL defensemen in the past 10 seasons to score 30 goals, along with Olen Zellweger (32, 2022-23) and Connor Hobbs (31, 2016-17). Yakemchuk also had 31 power-play points (10 goals, 21 assists) and three game-winning goals. The 18-year-old was the first NHL draft-eligible WHL defenseman to score 30 in a season since Ian White with Swift Current in 2001-02.

NHL.com analysis: The Senators find a defenseman to build around with Yakemchuk, their first pick in the first round since 2021. Yakemchuk had a fantastic offensive season with 30 goals, and said his offseason focus will be getting stronger to improve his skating and defensive-zone efficiency. When he fills out physically, he profiles as a top-end offensive presence at 5-on-5 who can lead a power play.

8. Seattle Kraken -- Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 8 (north american skaters).

Catton (5-10, 175) led Spokane and was fourth in the Western Hockey League this season with 116 points (54 goals, 62 assists) in 68 games. He was the third draft-eligible WHL skater since 2000 to top 115 points in a season, joining Connor Bedard  (143 points in 2022-23) and Nic Petan (120 in 2012-13). Catton also won 53.4 percent of his face-offs, led the WHL with seven short-handed goals and was third on his team with 30 power-play points (13 goals, 17 assists). The 18-year-old generates plenty of scoring chances off the rush and possesses great awareness in all three zones. Catton had 10 points (eight goals, two assists) in five games to lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He was named the WHL U.S. Division Player of the Year.

NHL.com analysis: The Kraken's offensive struggles this season -- they averaged 2.61 goals per game, 29th in the NHL -- could be a short-term problem with Catton's dynamic skill set. Seattle has stockpiled some strong forward prospects, among them Shane Wright , Eduard Sale and Jagger Firkus, the Canadian Hockey League player of the year. Catton has speed and a 200-foot game that allowed him to produce offensively even when his team was short-handed. Once he fills out physically, the thought of Catton and Matty Beniers  as a 1-2 center punch could make the Kraken a very difficult team to play against.

9. Calgary Flames -- Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 5 (north american skaters).

Parekh (6-0, 178), climbed to No. 5 from No. 10 in Central Scouting's midterm rankings in January. He's a transitional defenseman who can quarterback the power play. The right-handed shot led Ontario Hockey League defensemen and set Saginaw records for goals (33) and points (96) by a defenseman in 66 regular-season games. Parekh also scored 10 power-play goals, two short-handed goals and six game-winning goals. He had 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 13 OHL playoff games, and had five points (one goal, four assists) in five games to help Saginaw win the Memorial Cup. The 18-year-old has been compared to Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson  because of his dynamic offensive skills.

"His upside is huge," Nick Smith of Central Scouting said. "He never gets rattled, is full of poise and confidence, and has the skills and the brain ... just a smart, smart player. He can score, he's got a good touch, he's got good vision, and he competes. A real high-end prospect."

NHL.com analysis: The Flames get an electric offensive-minded defenseman that makes the comparisons to Karlsson very apt. But what also makes Parekh stand out is his hockey IQ and determination to disprove the doubters who believe he won't be able to defend at an NHL level. Parekh had the work ethic to graduate high school at 16; it's easy to see him putting that kind of effort into becoming a better defensive player.

10. New Jersey Devils -- Anton Silayev, D, Nizhny Novgorod (RUS)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 1 (international skaters).

Silayev (6-7, 211) had 11 points (three goals, eight assists), 103 shots on goal, 74 blocked shots and was second on his team with 98 hits in 63 regular-season games. The 18-year-old left-handed shot, who was No. 2 on Central Scouting's midterm list in January, had the most points by an under-18 player in Kontinental Hockey League history; Vladimir Tarasenko  is second (10 points for Novosibirsk in 2008-09). Perhaps most impressive was how Silayev adapted to the physical style of the game as a teenager in the KHL while averaging 14:54 of ice time per game.

"He seems to always be alert and able to quickly get pucks to his forwards in transition," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He can carry the puck and has a great release. His personal skills are still a bit raw, but his ceiling is high."

NHL.com analysis: The Devils select one of the most unique prospects in this year's draft. Silayev is an outstanding skater for a player his size, which has earned him comparisons to Tampa Bay Lightning star Victor Hedman . His offensive upside at the NHL level is unknown, but his skating and physicality would make him the perfect complement to New Jersey's other young top-end defenseman prospects, Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec .

11. San Jose Sharks (from BUF) -- Sam Dickinson, D, London (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 7 (north american skaters).

The left-handed shot (6-3, 203) finished fourth among Ontario Hockey League defensemen with 70 points (18 goals, 52 assists) and third with 11 power-play goals in 68 regular-season games. His 70 points ranked third among draft-eligible defensemen from London, behind Evan Bouchard  (87 points, 2017-18) and Rob Ramage (73, 1976-77). The 18-year-old logged a ton of ice time for a team already stocked with NHL drafted players, and played the point on the first power-play unit for a team that had the best power play in OHL at 32.6 percent. He also had 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 18 OHL playoff games. Dickinson displayed his outstanding skating all season, including at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 23, when he finished first in 30-meter forward skate with puck and 30-meter backwards skate with puck, and second in transition ability among all players tested.

"One of the things I noticed with him this year is that he's really improved his defensive zone exits," Central Scouting's David Gregory said. "He likes to skate it out, but when that passing opportunity is there, he finds it and he can do it on the backhand as good as anyone I've seen."

NHL.com analysis: After taking a foundational piece at forward with Celebrini at No. 1, the Sharks use their second first-round pick on Dickinson, who has a calm, poised, 200-foot skill set that is reminiscent of Alex Pietrangelo . One scout called Dickinson "the safest pick" of this year's draft because of the way he's able to control the pace of the game with his skating and his all-around ability.

12. Minnesota Wild (from PHI) -- Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 4 (north american skaters).

The Wild traded a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Philadelphia Flyers to move up one spot to take Buium. The National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year led NCAA defensemen and was fifth among all freshmen with 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) in 42 games for the NCAA champion. Buium (6-0, 186) also was named to the NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. The 18-year-old was the second-youngest player in men's college hockey after Boston University center Macklin Celebrini, who was taken No. 1 by the San Jose Sharks. Buium also had five points (three goals, two assists) and a tournament-best plus-11 rating in seven games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

NHL.com analysis: The Wild traded up one spot to make sure they got the No. 1 defenseman from the NCAA championship team. Minnesota has a shortage of top-end prospects at the position, but Buium has a mature game, an outstanding skill set and high-end athleticism. He'll likely play one more season in college but it won't be too long before he's sharing the ice with Brock Faber as a foundational piece on the Wild's back end.

13. Philadelphia Flyers (from MIN) -- Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 20 (north american skaters).

Luchanko (5-11, 187) led Guelph with 74 points (20 goals, 54 assists) in 68 games, and won the William Hanley Trophy as the most sportsmanlike player in the Ontario Hockey League. He tied for second in the OHL with 30 power-play assists was ninth in face-off wins (663). Luchanko finished in the top three in four categories in the 2024 OHL Western Conference Coaches Poll, placing second for Smartest Player, Hardest Worker and Best Skater, and third for Best Shootout Shooter (he went 2-for-4 this season). The 17-year-old also finished first in the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game fitness testing in January, placing among the top five in six of 10 on-ice categories. The right-handed shot has been compared by some scouts to Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki .

NHL.com analysis: The Flyers move back one spot in a trade with the Wild and are able to fill a need for young center prospects. Luchanko is an explosive skater who projects to contribute on the top power play and penalty kill. It might not take long before Luchanko and Matvei Michkov become two-thirds of Philadelphia's top line.

Jett Luchanko drafted by Philadelphia Flyers

14. Buffalo Sabres (from PIT via SJS) -- Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit (FIN)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 3 (international skaters).

The 18-year-old right-handed shot (5-11, 189) had 36 points (14 goals, 22 assists) and five power-play goals, won 50.2 percent of his face-offs and averaged 16:57 of ice time in 51 games for Jukurit in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league. He had the most points by an under-19 player in Liiga this season. Helenius had two points (one goal, one assist) and 13 shots on goal in seven games for fourth-place Finland at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, averaging 19:12 of ice time in a second-line role. He was the youngest player (17 years old) at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, where he centered Finland's top line with Mikael Granlund (San Jose Sharks) and Valtteri Puustinen (Pittsburgh Penguins). He's been compared by some scouts to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point .

"He's a complete hockey player, a coach's dream in many cases, because you can trust him in several situations," said Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, NHL director of European Scouting.

NHL.com analysis: Olli Jokinen, Helenius' coach the past two seasons, said Helenius is in the "top three percent of the players talent-wise," and could envision him playing in the NHL as soon as next season. Helenius already has excelled against older, more physically developed players in Liiga and at the World Championship, and has said being in the NHL is his offseason focus. Whether he's in the Sabres lineup in October or not, he projects to be a 200-foot center who can be a fantastic playmaker for some of the emerging young wings they've drafted, including Matt Savoie, Jiri Kulich and Zach Benson.

15. Detroit Red Wings -- Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (SWE-2)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 5 (international skaters).

Brandsegg-Nygard (6-1, 207) was born in Oslo, Norway, but plays for Mora in HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden's second division, where the 18-year-old had 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 41 regular-season games. His 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 games during the Allsvenskan playoffs were a record for an NHL draft-eligible player. He had five points (three goals, two assists), nine shots on goal and averaged 17:22 of ice time in five games for Norway at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. Brandsegg-Nygard is the highest-selected Norway-born player ever, surpassing forward Marius Holtet, a second-round pick (No. 42) of the Dallas Stars in the 2002 NHL Draft. Brandsegg-Nygard plays an advanced game, skates well and has a great shot.

"He plays a very mature game and is one of the best prospects from Norway in many years," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He's physically strong to play men's games, is hard-working and has a great attitude. He wants to be a difference-maker."

NHL.com analysis: The Red Wings make history by making Brandsegg-Nygard the first player born in Norway to be selected in the first round. What Detroit is getting is a strong skater who is very good on the forecheck and fearless when it comes to physical play. He'll return for one more season in Sweden, with Skelleftea in the Swedish Hockey League, but he projects to be a power forward that should open space for his linemates. After taking centers with their first pick at the draft in 2022 (Marco Kasper) and 2023 (Nate Danielson), Brandsegg-Nygard should be a fine complement on the wing.

16. St. Louis Blues -- Adam Jiricek, D, Plzen (CZREP)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 4 (international skaters).

The right-handed shot (6-2, 167) sustained a right knee injury while playing for Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship on Dec. 26, had surgery and missed the remainder of the season. He expects to be ready for the start of the 2024-25 season. Jiricek, who turned 18 on Friday, had one assist in 19 games in the top professional men's league in the Czechia this season. He is the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek .

NHL.com analysis: The Blues certainly need an infusion of youth at defense and must have gotten the information they needed to hear about Jiricek's health after he missed the second half of the season with a knee injury. He'll likely need at least one more season playing in the Czechia, but if he can get back to the level he was before the injury, and continue to develop the offensive side of his game, he could be a solid top-four defenseman who can contribute on the power play.

17. Washington Capitals -- Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George (WHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 15 (north american skaters).

Parascak (6-0, 179) led Western Hockey League rookies in goals (43), points (105) and short-handed goals (four) in 68 regular-season games. It was the most points by a WHL rookie since Pavel Brendl had 134 with Calgary in 1998-99. During the WHL playoffs, Parascak led rookies with six goals and was second with 14 points in 12 games. The 18-year-old is composed under pressure and has shown a consistent ability to finish scoring chances around the net.

NHL.com analysis: The Capitals take one of the smarter players in this year's draft. Parascak doesn't have the kind of skill set that pulls fans out of their seats, but he has a great ability to find soft spots in defensive coverages and use a dynamic shot that stands out for its deception.

18. Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI) -- Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 16 (north american skaters).

Boisvert will further his development at the University of North Dakota next season and possibly become the program's first Quebec-born player (Trois-Rivieres). Boisvert's size (6-2, 183) paid off during his second season with Muskegon. The 18-year-old was fifth in the United States Hockey League with 36 goals and tied for 11th with 68 points in 61 games, after he had 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games as a rookie in 2022-23.

NHL.com analysis: The Blackhawks could use some size through the middle of the ice after taking centers on the smaller size the past two years at the draft in Connor Bedard (5-10, 185), Oliver Moore (5-11, 188) and Frank Nazar  (5-9, 175). In addition to a bigger frame, Boisvert has greatly improved his skating, which allowed him to become more of a 200-foot player. If he stays in the middle or slides to the wing, he profiles as a power forward who is able to create extra room for one of those dynamic centers while also being able to finish chances at the net.

19. Vegas Golden Knights -- Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 6 (north american skaters).

Connelly (6-1, 160) was second in the United States Hockey League with 78 points (31 goals, 47 assists) in 52 games and is committed to play at Providence College. One scout said an NHL comparable could be Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson , but how Connelly answers questions about his on- and off-ice discipline could determine how quickly the 18-year-old reaches the NHL.

"He's an explosive player that seems to impact every game he plays," Central Scouting's Pat Cullen said. "... I've not walked away from any games with Trevor in the past two years where I was disappointed. He's a guy that when you go to the rink, it's fun to watch him play because he can score, he can skate, he's unselfish. He just has a lot of qualities that make him a really attractive forward for NHL clubs to be looking at."The past is the past. We don't get involved in that. He's just a really, really good, complete player and he's done it at every level the last couple years."

NHL.com analysis: Connelly's skill set is unquestioned, with explosive skating and a dynamic offensive presence. But there have been questions about his maturity on and off the ice, including an illegal check to the head playing for the United States against Canada in the third period of the gold-medal game at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship that allowed Canada to score three power-play goals and turn a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead en route to a 6-4 victory. Connelly will head to Providence College in the fall, and if he can grow physically as well as emotionally, he could be a steal at this point in the draft.

20. New York Islanders (from TBL via CHI) -- Cole Eiserman, LW, USA U-18 (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 12 (north american skaters).

Eiserman (6-foot, 197 pounds) scored 58 goals in 57 games with USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team this season, and became the program's all-time leader with 127 goals in 119 games. He had 17 points (10 goals, seven assists) in 12 games against NCAA Division I competition and 34 points (25 goals, nine assists) in 24 games against teams in the United States Hockey League. Eiserman also had 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in seven games to help the United States win the silver medal at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. His dynamic shot is what makes him a top-end NHL prospect, but there is concern about whether the 17-year-old can round out his game. He'll continue to improve that area next season at Boston University.Those who know Eiserman best believe his work ethic will allow him to get his game where it needs to be to have success in the NHL.

"Whether it's fair or not, he's been labeled as a one-dimensional player, but it's a very important dimension," Central Scouting director Dan Marr said. "In the National Hockey League, scoring is one of the best parts of the game. That's what he's going to bring to the table with the team.

"When I look down the road, I can see him impacting an NHL club like a Chris Kreider. A guy that can score goals on a consistent basis, score timely goals, help teams win games. I think he just needs to be coached up a bit and he'll get that in college hockey. That just comes with experience and maturity."

NHL.com analysis: Eiserman has the best shot in the 2024 draft, but questions about the other elements of his game made him one of the more divisive prospects in the minds of scouts. But TSN resident director of scouting Craig Button remembers his father, longtime NHL scout Jack Button, telling him stories about scouts having the same concerns about Mike Bossy before the Islanders selected him in the 1977 NHL Draft. No one is comparing Eiserman to Bossy, but Eiserman has displayed a commitment to become more of a playmaker and earn the trust of his coaches with his play away from the puck. He'll have time to work on those areas of his game at Boston University, and has said he's got a chip on his shoulder when it comes to the teams that passed on him.

Cole Eiserman drafted by New York Islanders

21. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK) -- Michael Hage, C, Chicago (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 10 (north american skaters).

The 18-year-old right-hand shot (6-1, 188) won the 2024 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence , given to the NHL draft prospect who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism. Hage began his junior career with Chicago last season by sustaining a dislocated right shoulder on his first day of training camp and missing more than six months following surgery. He eventually played 13 games. This season he was fourth in the league with 75 points (33 goals, 42 assists) in 54 regular-season games and had four points (two goals, two assists) in two playoff games. He climbed nine spots to No. 10 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 draft, from No. 19 in the midterm ranking in January. His father, Alain, died in a swimming pool accident last summer, and Hage dedicated this season in his honor. He's committed to play at the University of Michigan next season.

"I think what stands out to me about Michael is he has the size, he has the speed, he has the skill, he has the shot, but he's competitive," Chicago coach/general manager Mike Garman said. "He's a really high-IQ player on top of it. He has, I think, a really unique combination of so many amazing assets."

NHL.com analysis: Finding depth at center is an organizational need and Hage has the sort of skill set and competitiveness that makes him a standout player. Hage also has a rare level of mental toughness from missing most of one season with a dislocated shoulder and then dealing with the death of his father last summer. He'll need time to fill out and refine his skills starting in the fall at the University of Michigan, but his playmaking and physicality project well to the next level.

22. Nashville Predators -- Egor Surin, C, Yaroslav Jr. (RUS-JR)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 22 (international skaters).

Surin (6-1, 197) had 53 points (23 goals, 30 assists) in 43 games in Russia's junior league. The 17-year-old is considered a hard-worker who already got some experience playing three games in the Kontinental Hockey League with Yaroslavl.

NHL.com analysis: Predators general manager Barry Trotz has not been shy about believing Nashville needs more young centers in the development pipeline. Patience will be needed before Surin is ready to come to North America but the reward could be significant. He's a hardworking two-way forward regarded for his compete level, and showed during his league's playoffs that he could elevate his game in big moments.

23. Anaheim Ducks (from TOR) -- Stian Solberg, D, Valerenga (NOR)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 20 (international skaters).

The Ducks traded the No. 31 pick and No. 58 pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs to move up to 23 and select Solberg (6-1, 205), who is a competitive two-way left-handed shot capable of playing a physical game. He had 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 42 regular-season games and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 17 playoff games in Norway's top professional league. Solberg has been compared by some scouts to Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov . The 18-year-old is expected to play for Farjestad of the Swedish Hockey League in 2024-25.

NHL.com analysis: The Ducks traded up with the Maple Leafs to select the second Norway-born player taken in the first round after the Detroit Red Wings took Michael Brandsegg-Nygard at No. 15. Solberg opened eyes with a great turn at the 2024 IIHF World Championship but adds a physical element to his offensive game. The Ducks have stockpiled young offensive-minded defensemen, among them Tristan Luneau, Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov . Solberg has the potential to be a tremendous complementary piece on a top defense pair.

24. Utah Hockey Club (from COL) -- Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 25 (north american skaters).

Utah traded the No. 38 pick, No. 71 pick and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to the Colorado Avalanche to move up to 24 and take Beaudoin (6-2, 210), who is a physical specimen who stood out during the fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine. The 18-year-old had 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 67 regular-season games, five points (two goals, three assists) in six Ontario Hockey League playoff games and helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship with four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games. Beaudoin patterns his game after Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner .

"He just has an unmatched work ethic," Nick Smith of Central Scouting said. "Nobody's outworking that kid. And he does the elite things well. He's already a pro the way he approaches the game. Especially at a young age. He's got underrated hockey sense with some offensive skills that teams overlook. They maybe see him as a hard-working kind of guy, but he puts up numbers and score goals and is just a great kid."

NHL.com analysis: Utah jumped back into the first round to select Beaudoin, a fantastic athlete who impressed scouts with his fitness testing numbers at the NHL Scouting Combine. Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said his team's strong prospect base and the 13 picks the team began the day with would allow him to be creative. It remains to be seen if Beaudoin stays in the middle or slides to the wing, but either way he profiles as a high-compete power forward with a strong set of offensive skills.

25. Boston Bruins (from OTT via DET and BOS) -- Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrews College (HIGH-ON)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 23 (north american skaters).

Letourneau (6-6, 214) led all players at the NHL Scouting Combine with at 83.25 inches. He was a dominant player at the prep school level with 127 points (61 goals, 66 assists) in 56 games, but questions about the level of play he faced made evaluating the 18-year-old challenging. However scouts were intrigued by the raw skills they saw, which will be challenged when he starts at Boston College in the fall.

"I think it’s hard to find a player with his size and length to have soft hands and good feet," Nick Smith of Central Scouting said. "He can make plays with sense and vision with a scoring touch around the net. He still has a ton of filling out to do as well."

NHL.com analysis: Center is an area of need for the Bruins, and Letourneau has a very intriguing upside. He dominated against prep school competition, but that level is a bit of a drop-off from the competition he would have faced had he played in the Canadian Hockey League or the United States Hockey League. It's a bit of a risky pick, and his play next season at Boston College will go a long way toward determining if that risk is worth the reward.

Dean Letourneau drafted by Boston Bruins

26. Los Angeles Kings (from WPG via MTL) -- Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 14 (north american skaters).

Greentree is a big forward (6-2, 215) who has become effective at driving the net and finding space to shoot the puck. He's also a proven leader; the 18-year-old was named the 59th captain in Windsor history on Jan. 15. He scored a goal and was one of the more active players in the tough areas of the ice in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on Jan. 24. Greentree was tied for 11th in the Ontario Hockey League with 90 points (36 goals, 54 assists) and was fourth with four short-handed assists in 64 games. He could go higher than most expect in the draft because of his combination of toughness and skill, assets NHL scouts and general managers covet. Greentree worked on keeping a positive mindset as Windsor finished 19th among 20 teams in the OHL by drawing a smiley face on his sticks before each game.

NHL.com analysis: Teams always look to bring good people as well as good players into their organization, and Greentree checks both boxes. His maturity earned him the captaincy in Windsor as an underage player, and he stayed positive despite Windsor finishing as the second-worst team in the OHL. He's the kind of player who will get better with better players around him. And as one NHL scout said, "I think he's a beast right now. Imagine him in two years. He's going to be dominant for sure."

27. Chicago Blackhawks (from CAR) -- Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 17 (north american skaters).

The Blackhawks got another pick in the first round by trading picks Nos. 34 and 50 to the Carolina Hurricanes to take Vanacker (6-0, 178), who led Brantford with 82 points (36 goals, 46 assists) in 68 games. The 18-year-old scored one goal in six games to help Canada win the gold medal at the World U-18s. Most impressive was he played almost the entire season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He had surgery in June and is expected to need 4-6 months to recover.

NHL.com analysis: The Blackhawks jump back into the first round to make their third selection. Vanacker's numbers are even more impressive because of the season-long shoulder injury he played through. When healthy, Vanacker is an agitating forward capable of changing momentum with a big goal or a timely hit. That element of skilled meanness and physicality is something the Blackhawks are going to need as they work their way back to playoff contention.

28. Calgary Flames (from VAN) -- Matvei Gridin, RW, Muskegon (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 21 (north american skaters).

Gridin (6-1, 189) began playing hockey at age 3 in his hometown of Kurgan, Russia. It was there his father, Andrey, began teaching him the fundamentals. He played for St. Petersburg and Omsk in Russia's development leagues before being chosen by Muskegon in the 15th round (No. 223) of the 2022 United States Hockey League draft. The 18-year-old led the USHL with 83 points (38 goals, 45 assists) in 60 games, a vast improvement on the 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) he had in 40 games in 2022-23. Committed to play at the University of Michigan next season, Gridin knows how to play to his strengths, which include his intelligence, playmaking and one of the quickest shot releases Muskegon coach Parker Burgess said he has ever seen.

NHL.com analysis: After addressing their needs on defense with Parekh, the Flames select leading scorer in the USHL in Gridin. Scouts like Gridin's hockey sense, which allows him to be dangerous on the penalty kill. The Flames have started to tilt more toward younger, more athletic forwards with Matt Coronato and Connor Zary expected to get more playing time next season, and 2023 first-round pick (No. 16) Samuel Honzek and Gridin could be right behind them.

29. Dallas Stars -- Emil Hemming, RW, TPS (FIN)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 6 (international skaters).

Hemming (6-1, 205), who turned 18 on June 27, had 11 points (seven goals, four assists), 73 shots on goal and averaged 10:04 of ice time in 40 games with TPS in his first season in Liiga, Finland's top professional men's league. He also had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 11 playoff games with TPS' team in Finland's junior league, and had nine points (four goals, five assists) for third-place Finland to tie for the team lead at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August.

"Emil is a scorer by nature and a natural sniper, always hungry to find a way to score," NHL director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He has size, a good physical presence, is hard to knock off the puck, and likes to shoot it. He has a quick release and knows where to target his shots."

NHL.com analysis: The Stars have found their success through smart drafting, but the one area they do lack a bit is size among their prospect group. Hemming had a great season in Liiga, and combined his strong offensive skills with strength on the puck and a willingness to work in the dirty areas of the ice.

30. New York Rangers -- EJ Emery, D, USA U-18 (USHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 39 (north american skaters).

Emery (6-3, 183), committed to the University of North Dakota in 2024-25, had 16 assists in 61 games with the NTDP U-18 team this season, including six assists and a plus-15-rating that tied for the tournament lead in seven games for the United States at the 2024 U-18 Worlds. The 18-year-old is a model of consistency among stay-at-home defensemen of this draft class, can transition well and knows how to close and defend while covering a lot of space with his length and speed.

NHL.com analysis: Emery was a vital part of the NTDP U-18 team's success this season even though he didn't score a goal. He might not be a big offensive contributor at the NHL level, but his skating, reach, work ethic and athleticism has the chance to give him a long, successful professional career as a top-four defenseman, likely as the defensive-minded complement to a team's top offensive-mind defenseman.

Emery drafted by New York Rangers

31. Toronto Maple Leafs (from ANA via EDM) -- Ben Danford, D, Oshawa (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 35 (north american skaters).

Danford (6-1, 191) stepped up offensively in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 21 games, after he had 33 points (one goal, 32 assists) in 64 regular-season games. The 18-year-old right-handed shot is viewed as a smart, dependable defenseman who could develop the offensive side of his game.

NHL.com analysis: The Maple Leafs needed to address their prospect depth at defenseman, and traded with the Ducks to make get into this spot. Danford stands out for his smarts, skating and dependability in all areas of the ice. His biggest attribute will be his defensive play, but his vision and passing ability should allow him to contribute to the offense as his game matures.

32. Edmonton Oilers (from PHI via FLA) -- Sam O'Reilly, RW, London (OHL)

Nhl central scouting ranking: no. 24 (north american skaters).

The Oilers traded their first-round pick either in 2025 or 2026 to the Philadelphia Flyers to snag the last pick of the first round this year. With it, they took O'Reilly, a right-handed shot who only made the shift to forward three years ago, moving from defenseman to right wing while playing in the Greater Toronto Hockey League. O'Reilly (6-1, 184) was third among Ontario Hockey League rookies with 56 points (20 goals, 36 assists) in 68 games. The 18-year-old led OHL rookies during the playoffs with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 16 games to London win the league championship.

NHL.com analysis: The Oilers moved into the first round to select O'Reilly, who seemed to get more ice time as the season went on with London, and was a big part of their run to the OHL championship. With one pick in the first four rounds entering the day and a depleted prospect base from trades that helped them get to the Stanley Cup Final this season, Edmonton likely couldn't pass on a chance to add a smart, skilled, strong skater in O'Reilly when they saw he was available at this point in the draft.

Related Content

Celebrini selected No. 1 by Sharks in 2024 NHL Draft

Eiserman eager to prove Islanders right following selection at 2024 NHL Draft

2 Norway-born players make history as 1st-round picks at 2024 NHL Draft

Sennecke 'shocked' to be selected No. 3 by Ducks at 2024 NHL Draft

Levshunov ‘total package’ for Blackhawks with No. 2 pick in NHL Draft 

Sphere welcomes 2024 NHL Draft picks with spectacular show

Music legend Dion announces Canadiens draft pick

Michael Buffer announces Flyers 2024 NHL Draft pick in Vegas

A drone's view of the Sphere

Behind the scenes of NHL Draft with Celebrini

2024 NHL Draft commentary

Iginla drafted No. 6 by Utah

Latest news.

Top NHL free agent forwards: Stamkos, Marchessault among best

Reinhart signs 8-year contract with Panthers

Stamkos era may be closing with Lightning

Guentzel signs 7-year, $63 million contract with Lightning

Color of Hockey: 2024 NHL Draft boasts diverse class

Kane signs 1-year contract with Red Wings

Free agency live tracker by NHL.com

Domi signs 4-year, $15 million contract to remain with Maple Leafs

Qualifying offers extended to NHL restricted free agents

Durzi signs 4-year contract to stay with Utah Hockey Club

2023-24 NHL Trade Tracker

Liljegren signs 2-year, $6 million contract with Maple Leafs

Panthers overcome bad weather to celebrate Stanley Cup victory

Maurice shows off custom shirt with his cats at Cup parade

Skinner has final 3 years of contract bought out by Sabres

Campbell to have final 3 years of contract bought out by Oilers

Free agent buzz: Hayes, pick traded to Penguins by Blues

Panthers, fans make most of rain delay before parade