Welcome!
Whether you want to write your novel, perfect your screenplay, or craft your memoir, Writer’s Digest University can help you get your writing career underway. Our expert instructors will provide advice, specific instruction, real-world experience, expertise, and the motivation and drive to help you achieve your goals.
Upcoming Workshops
Let's get writing!
Our writing online workshops cover every aspect of writing, from how to get started all the way to getting your writing published. Writer’s Digest University features writing classes online for every skill level of writer and our professional instructors are dedicated to helping you achieve your writing goals.
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More About WDUDon't know where to get started? Â
These featured events and courses are starting soon!Â
Screenwriting 101 for Novelists
October 8
Ever dreamed of seeing your idea, story, or novel on the screen? With so many platforms for screen story telling, there’s never been a better time to make the transition to screenwriting. This seminar covers screenwriting basics – structure, formatting, pitching, and selling. Taught by Hollywood-based film and TV scribe, Jennifer Dornbush, who has penned feature films, developed several television series, adapted scripts to novel (and vice versa), and created a kid’s TV show.
Self Editing: Take Your Manuscript to the Next Level
October 15
More and more in a saturated industry, standards are higher. Acquiring editors and agents are looking for novels far closer to publication-ready than ever before. In this live webinar, a long-time editor, agent, and author will use her knowledge of the industry and her experience with countless feedback from top-name acquisition houses to help you best approach a story that will elevate your place in an agent or acquiring editor’s slush pile. For those interested in self-publishing, the live webinar will give you the tips and tricks necessary to begin preparing your novel to build a lasting, wide readership.
5th Annual Horror Writing Virtual Conference
October 17
 Writer’s Digest University is pleased to present a one-of-a-kind online event for horror writers! On October 17, 2026, our annual Horror Writing Virtual Conference will provide expert insights from bestselling horror authors. Spend the day learning techniques for honing your craft, then optionally receive a personalized critique of your query letter from a participating literary agent.
Experience the education, camaraderie, and opportunities provided by a live writing conference without ever having to leave your home!
Making True Stories Real: Bringing Nonfiction to Life
October 1 - January 7
Readers love true stories—even if the truth exists only to a certain degree and gets stretched some (or a lot). Regardless of whether you’re trying to adhere strictly to what really happened or you’re wanting to capture an audience with a story based on or inspired by actual events, you need to know how to make the story “real.”
Personal Essay Writing 101: From Insight to Impact
October 1 - November 12
Personal essays merge lived experiences into meaningful stories. In this six-week course, you’ll learn how to move from insight to impact by shaping your experiences into clear, engaging narratives.
Beginning Television Writing
October 1 -Â October 29
Last chance to sign up! This course will not be offered in 2027.
In this four-week course, an established executive producer/showrunner will give you an inside look at the world of dramatic, episodic television. You will explore—and practice—the actual process involved in successfully writing a spec episodic script that will open doors across Hollywood.
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