10 Best MasterClass Writing Classes 2026 (Ranked + Reviewed)

Last updated: May 2026. Written by Josh Hutcheson. See our review methodology.

Why MasterClass for writing specifically?

Writing is the category MasterClass arguably built its reputation on — Aaron Sorkin’s class was one of the first marquee offerings, and the writing roster has grown to include more Pulitzer winners, bestseller-list staples, and Booker nominees than any single platform anywhere.

What you get: a working novelist, screenwriter, or essayist talking honestly about their process. How they outline. How they revise. What rules they follow and which ones they break. The format is documentary-style craft instruction — not a workshop, not a structured curriculum, but the closest thing to spending an afternoon with a master that an online video can deliver.

What you don’t get: feedback on your writing. There’s no instructor who reads your draft, no peer workshop, no graded assignments. Every MasterClass writing class includes downloadable workbooks with exercises, but completing them is on you. If you need accountability and feedback, Skillshare’s writing courses or a structured program like Coursera’s writing specializations are better.

For listening to working writers think out loud about craft — the kind of conversation you’d otherwise pay $5,000 for at a writing residency — MasterClass is the best subscription available.

How we ranked these classes

Each class is scored on:

• Instructor authority — published track record, awards, professional recognition
• Practical applicability — can a working writer actually use the techniques tomorrow
• Lesson depth — lessons + runtime + breadth of craft territory covered
• Genre versatility — how transferable the lessons are beyond the instructor’s home genre
• Workbook quality — the writing exercises that come with each class vary substantially in usefulness

The list below is for writers prioritizing craft instruction over genre-specific tactics. Specialized writers (screenwriters only, kids’ fiction only, etc.) should weight differently.

The 10 best MasterClass writing classes (ranked)

1. Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting

Best for: Anyone writing narrative in any form. Length: 35 lessons, 6h 23m. Lesson focus: Intention vs obstacle, dialogue, character, structure, scene work, the rules he breaks.

Sorkin (The West Wing, A Few Good Men, The Social Network, The Newsroom) teaches screenwriting but the principles travel everywhere. The “intention vs obstacle” framework alone — that every scene must have a character who wants something and another character or thing in the way — is genuinely transformative for anyone writing fiction, plays, or even nonfiction narrative.

This is the most-cited writing class across reviews and writing forums for a reason. If you only watch one MasterClass writing class, watch this one. Even novelists report it changes how they think about scenes.

Read our full Aaron Sorkin MasterClass review for a deeper breakdown.

Watch Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting →

2. Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing

Best for: Literary fiction writers, novelists, anyone working in long-form. Length: 23 lessons, 3h 50m.

Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale, Oryx and Crake, Alias Grace) is one of the most influential literary voices of the last fifty years. Her class covers how to take a great idea and turn it into a strong novel, how she crafts compelling stories that are both timely and relevant, and the disciplines of revision that produce work like hers.

Less practical than Sorkin’s “intention vs obstacle” but deeper in literary craft. Best after you’ve watched Sorkin or if you’re explicitly writing literary fiction rather than commercial.

Watch Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing →

3. Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling

Best for: Writers working across genres — fantasy, literary, comics, screen. Length: 19 lessons, 4h 56m.

Gaiman (Sandman, American Gods, Coraline, Stardust, Good Omens) teaches imaginative storytelling with a generosity of spirit that’s hard to overstate. His class covers his process for absorbing fiction — how to develop original ideas, breathe life into characters, world-build without bogging the reader down. Gaiman has worked across novels, comics, screen, and short fiction, and the class reflects that breadth.

Particularly strong on “where do ideas come from” and the discipline of finishing things. Pairs well with Sorkin (different generation, different medium, complementary craft views).

Read our full Neil Gaiman MasterClass review.

Watch Neil Gaiman Teaches Storytelling →

4. James Patterson Teaches Writing

Best for: Aspiring commercial fiction writers, plot-focused storytellers. Length: 22 lessons, 3h 4m.

Patterson is the bestselling thriller author of the modern era — over 400 million books sold. His MasterClass is the most commercial of the writing roster, focused on what makes thrillers compulsively readable: hook your reader with the first sentence, structure addictive plots, and develop characters that stick.

Patterson is the best teacher on the platform for writers who want to be read at scale. If you’re writing literary fiction and don’t care about page-turning structure, his class is less essential. If you want to finish a novel that strangers will want to keep reading, this is the class.

Watch James Patterson Teaches Writing →

5. Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing

Best for: Nonfiction writers, journalists, essayists, anyone whose writing career depends on holding a reader through ideas. Length: 24 lessons, 4h 15m.

Gladwell (The Tipping Point, Outliers, Blink, Talking to Strangers) teaches the structural and research craft behind narrative nonfiction that connects big ideas to everyday readers. The class is unusual on MasterClass for its focus on research method — how to know which case studies will resonate, how to structure an argument, how to interview a source.

Especially strong for content marketers, knowledge-economy professionals, and anyone whose writing has to make complex ideas accessible. The closest thing to “how to write a New Yorker piece that goes viral” instruction available anywhere.

Watch Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing →

6. David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing

Best for: Playwrights, screenwriters, anyone learning structure for dramatic forms. Length: 26 lessons, 5h 5m.

Mamet (Glengarry Glen Ross, House of Games, The Postman Always Rings Twice) is the playwright’s playwright. His class covers the rules of drama, the nuances of dialogue (his famous “Mamet-speak” rhythm), and practical skills to develop your own voice.

Mamet’s instruction is more theoretical and rule-based than Sorkin’s — if Sorkin teaches the cinematic feel of dialogue, Mamet teaches the structural mathematics of it. They make a good complementary pair if you’re committing to dramatic writing as a discipline.

Watch David Mamet Teaches Dramatic Writing →

7. Joyce Carol Oates Teaches the Art of the Short Story

Best for: Short fiction writers, MFA students, anyone working in the short form specifically. Length: 14 lessons, 3h 4m.

Oates has published over 100 books and is among the most prolific serious literary writers of her generation. Her class is the only one on MasterClass dedicated specifically to short fiction craft — the constraints, the discipline of compression, the rhythm of an opening that has to hook in 200 words.

Niche but essential if short fiction is your form. Less useful for novelists than the Atwood class.

Watch Joyce Carol Oates Teaches Short Story →

8. Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling and Writing

Best for: Literary fiction writers, especially those working with magical realism, historical, or politically charged material. Length: 32 lessons, 4h 35m.

Rushdie (Midnight’s Children, The Satanic Verses, The Moor’s Last Sigh) brings a literary tradition Atwood doesn’t — the postcolonial, the magical realist, the politically embedded fiction. His class covers how he develops characters who carry whole histories, how he handles voice, and how he thinks about the writer’s relationship to the reader.

Best for serious literary writers ready to engage with capital-L Literature as a tradition. Less practical than Patterson if your goal is finishing a thriller.

Watch Salman Rushdie Teaches Storytelling →

9. Shonda Rhimes Teaches Writing for Television

Best for: TV writers, screenwriters, anyone interested in serialized storytelling structure. Length: 30 lessons, 5h 25m.

Rhimes (Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, Bridgerton) built one of the dominant TV writing careers of the modern era. Her class covers how to outline an episodic series, how to write a pilot that sells, and how to manage a writers’ room. More industry-specific than the novelists’ classes, but essential if your goal is Hollywood TV.

Watch Shonda Rhimes Teaches TV Writing →

10. N.K. Jemisin Teaches Fantasy and Science Fiction Writing

Best for: Genre writers, especially in fantasy and sci-fi. Length: 25 lessons, 3h 45m.

Jemisin is the only writer ever to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel three years in a row (the Broken Earth trilogy). Her class is the most current entry in genre-fiction craft on MasterClass — world-building, magic systems, character agency in fantasy contexts, how to handle complex or fraught real-world parallels in genre frames.

Compared to Gaiman, more focused on building fantastical worlds; Gaiman is more focused on storytelling craft generally. Both are worth watching for genre writers.

Watch N.K. Jemisin Teaches Fantasy and Sci-Fi Writing →

At-a-glance comparison

Should you subscribe just for writing classes?

If you’ll watch even three of the writing classes above, the math favors the subscription strongly. At $120/yr Individual, three classes lands you at $40/class — for 5+ hours each of working-master craft instruction. A single university extension writing course covering similar ground typically costs $400-$1,500 with no celebrity instructor.

What MasterClass writing classes don’t replace: the workshop. There’s no substitute for having actual readers respond to your draft, and that’s still on you to create. Many subscribers pair MasterClass craft instruction with a writing group or paid critique service to fill that gap.

Writing-specific alternatives to MasterClass

• Coursera Creative Writing Specialization (Wesleyan) — structured 4-course program with peer review, ~$59/mo via Coursera Plus. More on Coursera certificates.
• Skillshare ($14/mo) — project-based writing classes, more practical exercises, lower-tier instructors but feedback culture
• Writers’ workshops (Tin House, Bread Loaf, Sewanee) — expensive but the only real workshop alternative
• Writing books (Stephen King’s On Writing, Lamott’s Bird by Bird, Gardner’s The Art of Fiction) — cheapest, deepest, but no video and no inspiration jolt

For the broader picture, see MasterClass alternatives or MasterClass vs Coursera for the credentialed alternative comparison.

Final recommendation

If you can only watch one MasterClass writing class: Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting. Universally applicable, dialogue and structure crystallized, transformative for almost any writer.

If you’ll watch three: Sorkin, then either Atwood (if you write literary fiction) or Patterson (if you write commercial fiction), then Gaiman for the breadth.

If you write nonfiction: Malcolm Gladwell as the priority class.

If you write for screen or stage: Sorkin + Mamet as the foundational pair.

If you write genre: Jemisin + Gaiman together cover most fantasy/sci-fi craft territory.

For any of these, you need an active MasterClass subscription. See our worth-it analysis if you’re still on the fence about MasterClass overall, or MasterClass vs Coursera if you’re weighing other learning subscriptions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best MasterClass for writers?

Aaron Sorkin Teaches Screenwriting is the most universally recommended writing class on MasterClass. Despite the screenwriting focus, his “intention vs obstacle” framework and dialogue craft apply to all narrative writing — novels, short stories, plays, and even nonfiction storytelling.

How many writing classes does MasterClass have?

MasterClass offers 15+ writing classes across genres: literary fiction, commercial fiction, screenwriting, dramatic writing, nonfiction, short fiction, fantasy/sci-fi, TV writing, and journalism. New writing classes are added regularly, typically 2-4 per year.

Can MasterClass make you a better writer?

Yes, but with a specific limit. MasterClass exposes you to working masters explaining their craft, which sharpens your understanding and gives you new tools. It does not provide feedback on your writing — for that, you need a writing group, beta readers, or a paid critique service. Many writers pair MasterClass craft instruction with workshop feedback to fill the gap.

Is Aaron Sorkin’s MasterClass worth it for novelists?

Yes. Despite being marketed as screenwriting, Sorkin’s class is the most-recommended writing class for novelists across writing forums and review sites. The “intention vs obstacle” scene framework, dialogue craft, and character work all apply directly to long-form fiction.

Which MasterClass is best for nonfiction writers?

Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing is the strongest pick for nonfiction writers, journalists, essayists, and content professionals. The class focuses on research method, narrative structure for ideas, and how to make complex topics accessible — the kind of craft that drives bestselling popular nonfiction.

Should I take Margaret Atwood’s or Neil Gaiman’s MasterClass first?

Atwood’s class is more focused on novel-length literary fiction craft. Gaiman’s is broader (storytelling, world-building, ideas) and works across genres. If you’re writing literary fiction specifically, Atwood. If you write across forms or in genre, Gaiman. Both reward repeated viewing.

Are MasterClass writing workbooks useful?

Variable. The workbooks include genuine writing exercises, prompts, and frameworks, but they’re not consistently great across the writing roster. Sorkin’s, Patterson’s, and Gladwell’s workbooks tend to be more practical; some others are more inspirational than instructional. The video content is the main draw; treat workbooks as supplementary.

Can I learn screenwriting on MasterClass alone?

You can learn the craft theory but not the industry. Sorkin and Mamet teach how to write a script. Shonda Rhimes teaches the showrunner’s view. None of them teach how to break in — that requires industry-specific knowledge (representation, fellowships, festivals) MasterClass doesn’t cover. Pair with a screenwriting program or industry mentor for the access side.