Make Your Script's Opening Pages Stand Out

March 20

The opening pages of a script matter far more than you think. They are the chance a busy Literary Manager, Agent, Producer, or Actor gives you to impress them with your command of craft, story and above all, characters. If you can impress those people with your skills in those pages, there’s a great chance they’ll keep reading. And that is the first hurdle to overcome in the obstacle course that is a screenwriting career. Get them to keep reading.

Mystery & Thriller Virtual Conference

March 21 - 23

Writer's Digest University's 11th Annual Mystery & Thriller Virtual Conference is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about the craft of this genre directly from bestselling Mystery and Thriller authors. This event includes SEVEN all-new, one-hour webinar presentations!

Experience the education, camaraderie, and opportunities provided by a live writing conference without ever having to leave your home.

Irresistible First Chapters

March 27

First pages and chapters carry a lot of weight: They must introduce characters and give readers a reason to care about what happens to them; set up enough suggestion of conflict or friction to intrigue; create questions that keep us turning pages; while giving readers enough information to orient us to the story and set up the journey to come.

In other words, they have to hook your readers, whether that’s your ultimate audience for your book or the gatekeepers of the industry.

Copyediting Certificate Program

March 27 - June 19

Writer's Digest is proud to offer our Copyediting Certificate Program. This course will provide training for aspiring copy editors in order to give them practical and marketable workplace skills. As a student in this certification course, you will progress from the fundamentals of grammar, form, and composition to advanced copyediting skills. Students who complete all the assignments and pass the comprehensive test will receive documentation from Writer's Digest of their completion of the Copyediting Certificate Program.

Submission Coaching: Everything You Need to Know to Get Published

March 27 - May 1

Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, having a fully fleshed-out proposal package will make all the difference! Proposals are NOT just for non-fiction. But most authors can get overwhelmed by the things they are being asked for. If this is you, you are not alone. Most authors feel like they are shouting down a deep well and only hearing their own echo back.This 5-week class will give you the tools you need and that agents and publishers are looking for when considering taking on an author.

Novel Writing Toolkit

April 4 - June 12

Writing a novel can be a long and arduous process. It takes time. It's not like a short story where you might be able to crank it out in a single sitting. A novel can takes weeks, months, or even years of work. How can you maintain your momentum, enthusiasm, and thoughts all moving in the same direction over the course of that entire time? For me, I've found building a tool kit for each book is what gets me through those difficult scenes, unforeseen transitions, and soggy middles. This class will take you through the methods of building that tool kit and get you ready to build your novel.