Writing Classes and Workshops

As I mentioned above, I decided 2025 will be the year I start writing more fiction. To help me on my way, I enrolled in a one-term only Masterclass on Fiction Writing out of CAE in Flinders Lane. In our eight sessions, we:

• talked about the different aspects of character, dialogue and setting

• read and analysed readings our teacher, a lovely woman called Kate Ryan, distributed from writers who did this very well

• wrote pieces for homework and in class, then discussed them with each other

• received suggestions for books to read to help develop our story ideas; and

• interacted with each other and chatted about our lives.

I approached the Workshop as a way to get me started in a field of writing that I haven’t worked in since school. This meant I found it a really valuable and inspirational experience.

But maybe I just got lucky? I have also attended an online seminar about reviewing and critiquing writing hosted by a breath-takingly unpleasant, uninterested woman. She started off by saying she didn’t care what other people thought of her writing. It went downhill from there. Good thing it was free.

So today, I ask - are writing classes or workshops helpful? What should you look for if you decide to invest your time and often quite a bit of money in one?

Are writing classes and workshops helpful?

In short, it depends.

Every writing teacher worth their salt will tell you the best way to be a better writer is to a) read widely and often; and b) keep on writing. You can do that for free with a library card and a spare hour or two a day.

If you’re self-motivated or don’t have the money for a class right now, you can read heaps of free articles online, watch YouTube videos (Brandon Sanderson is recommended), join writing-themed Facebook groups, borrow copious amounts of books from the library, and keep on writing without going to a class or workshop.

its going to depend on how you learn. Only you know the answer to that. I’m the type who learns from in-person experience: going to the lectures, doing all the homework, engaging with people while I’m there. But no class or workshop is going to get me to just sit down and write that story idea. That’s up to me.

How to decide on a writing workshop

A workshop usually involves a practical component where you either write something in the class that other people critique, or you bring something along.

The first thing to do is formulate a clear idea of what you’re wanting learn more about. Perhaps you’re wanting to learn the practicalities of a new genre, like screen-writing. Or maybe a specific skill, such as how to write sex scenes or create a different voice for different characters. Work this out and then look for workshops that reflect this desire.

Next: look at the What You Will Learn section. If there is not one available, then it is not the one for you. This sections shows the teacher has a very clear idea of what they’re teaching you. The What You Will Learn section should break down your chosen topic into digestible chunks. For the historical fiction class I’m attending it looks like this:

• What works and what doesn’t in historical fiction

• Creating credible people from the past

• World-building for historical fiction and historical-based fantasy

• Approaches to voices and dialogue

• Research tips, tools and information sources

• How to integrate research and imagination (subtly, of course).

This was pretty much spot-on on what I needed help with, so I decided to go for it.

Next: Google the teacher. Few authors make a living selling books; running workshops is their bread and butter. But if they’ve got some published writing under their belt then they usually know what they’re doing.

Finally, check the schedule fits with yours. A writing workshop can be quite an investment of time as well as money. Although it sounds obvious, make sure you can attend all of the sessions.