Best Creative Writing Classes NYC: Find Courses & Onsite Training

NYC Creative Writing Courses by School

Here are some of the top NYC schools offering Creative Writing training, including Gotham Writers Workshop (3 courses), Studio 45 (1 course), and Alaa Al Aswany Creative Writing Workshop (1 course). We’ve also included 2 schools that offer live online courses you can take from anywhere, including NYC.

92nd Street Y

NYC location: 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10128 US

92Y is a world-class cultural and community center in New York City. Founded in 1874, it is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and offers a wide range of classes and programs in the arts, entertainment, and conversation. With over 4,000 classes and programs each year taught by some of the most talented professionals in the world, 92Y is a great place to learn new skills, meet new people, and explore your interests. It is a non-profit organization committed to enriching the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds.
92nd Street Y’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Reading to Write with Myla Goldberg
  - 4 Weeks, 1 hr/wk
  - $185
  This "Reading to Write with Myla Goldberg" course enables participants to become more comfortable reading and writing creative poetry. Through this unique online offering, students will be introduced to an array of poetic forms and learn the basics of craft such as rhyme, rhythm, tone, and metaphor. Participants will also explore the power of their inspiration and create thought-provoking poetry that speaks to their individual experiences.
Studio 45

NYC location: 213 Troutman St, Brooklyn, New York, 11237 US

Studio 45 is a New York-based art school offering a range of creative courses. Experienced industry professionals teach painting, digital photography, drawing, and web design classes. The school aims to foster creativity, collaboration, and communication among its students.
Studio 45’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Zine Club
  - 2 Hours
  - $15
  This is a unique club designed to strengthen participants' creative writing and publishing skills, with a focus on creating short, self-published works. Individuals will explore a diverse range of topics and styles, including personal reflections, popular culture, and more, developing not only their creative writing, but also their editing, design, and printing skills. The club offers an empowering, inclusive platform for expression and a great way to connect with a community of like-minded creatives.
Alaa Al Aswany Creative Writing Workshop

NYC location: 159 20th St, Brooklyn, New York, 11232 US

Alaa Al Aswany Creative Writing Workshop offers online courses with experienced instructors that provide detailed instruction in the art of creative writing and literary criticism. Students have the opportunity to explore the essentials of good fiction writing, from plotting and characterization to storytelling techniques, and even advanced topics such as period-style writing and the marketing of published works. In addition, they can review essential elements of literature in a range of genres, including poetry, drama, and nonfiction.
Alaa Al Aswany Creative Writing Workshop’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Intensive Creative Writing Weekend
  - 12 Hours
  - $2,500
  This course focuses on a comprehensive approach to honing creative writing skills over a weekend-long program. It emphasizes understanding and developing your creative process, building a critical vocabulary for discussing and analyzing literary works, and providing individualized feedback to create effective writing. It offers a hands-on, interactive experience suitable for aspiring writers of all skill levels.
Gotham Writers Workshop

NYC location: 555 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10018 US

Gotham Writers Workshop is a New York-based school offering a range of creative writing classes suited for all levels. Courses are offered in a variety of formats, such as online and in-person classes, workshops, and seminars covering genres such as fiction, poetry, and more. With its expert instructors and extensive library of resources, Gotham Writers Workshop is an ideal environment for budding writers to hone their craft.
Gotham Writers Workshop’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Creative Writing 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks
  - 6 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $360
  This interactive course, offered in New York City, offers a stimulating introduction to the art of creative writing. Participants will garner practical experience in various writing styles, such as fiction, non-fiction, and poetry while engaging in weekly critique workshops to refine their craft. It’s an ideal starting point for those seeking to discover and develop their creative writing abilities.
- Creative Nonfiction 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks
  - 6 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $360
  This course offers individuals an opportunity to refine their creative nonfiction writing skills. Providing an in-depth exploration of various forms of creative nonfiction including memoirs, personal essays, literary journalism, and more, it focuses on enhancing skills such as crafting a compelling narrative and developing one's unique voice. It is suitable for both aspiring writers and those aiming to improve their writing abilities.
- Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks
  - 18 Hours
  - $380
  At Gotham Writers Workshop, Creative Writing 101 is a six-week course designed for beginners and those seeking a refresher, providing a blend of lectures and writing exercises covering fiction and creative nonfiction techniques. This course promises to guide participants through a journey of self-expression and literary exploration, helping them to discover their unique voices and gain confidence in their writing abilities.
- Creative Writing 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks
  - 6 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $344
  This six-week online creative writing course is perfect for aspiring writers looking to learn the fundamentals. Participants will hone basic writing techniques, including plot, structure, dialogue, and setting, and learn to contextualize their writing in larger works. Instruction in revision will help beginning writers develop an eye for detail.
The Writers Studio

NYC location: 272 W 10th St, New York, New York, 10014 US

The Writers Studio is a renowned school in New York dedicated to creative writing. From individual courses to 12-week programs, they offer classes in fiction, memoir, personal narrative, poetry, and more. Through their unique approach, students are taught the skills needed to become better writers and discover their true writing style.
The Writers Studio’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Level 1 Intro to Fiction and Poetry
  - 8 Weeks, 2 hr/wk
  - $435
  Embark on a literary journey of self-discovery with Level 1 Intro to Fiction and Poetry at The Writers Studio. Learn the art of persona writing, borrowing the voices of accomplished writers to unlock your most intimate stories and turn challenging subjects into creative inspiration. Over 8 sessions, deepen your understanding of technique, broaden your literary style, and unleash your creative potential.
West Side YMCA - Community Arts

NYC location: 5 W 63rd St, New York, New York, 10023 US

West Side YMCA - Community Arts is dedicated to nurturing healthy bodies, minds, and spirits through diverse arts programs. With a 4.7-star rating, the center emphasizes arts education, professional training in the performing arts, and the development of life skills and creativity in a supportive environment.
West Side YMCA - Community Arts’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses
- Writing Poetry for Everyone
  - 12 Hours
  - $345
  Unlock the poetic muse within you in the Writing Poetry for Everyone class at the West Side YMCA - Community Arts. Explore the art and craft of poetry, from sculpting ideas to sharing stories with musical language, in a supportive environment suitable for both beginners and advanced writers. Join us to make your words sing and culminate your journey with a poetry reading event to share your creations with the world.
Learn Beyond The Book, LLC

Los Angeles location: 23857 The Old Rd, Santa Clarita, California, 91321 US

Learn Beyond The Book, LLC offers a unique learning experience to kids who are curious about technology and beyond. Their one-of-a-kind courses teach children coding, robotics, 3D printing, and a variety of other STEM topics. With a focus on small group sizes and problem-solving activities, these courses provide a fun and engaging atmosphere for all learners.
Learn Beyond The Book, LLC’s Top Live Online Creative Writing Courses
- Literature Discussions & Creative Writing
  - 16 Weeks, 1 hr/wk
  - $395
  This online course is designed for children aged 8-12. It focuses on developing strong literature analysis skills, fostering imagination and creativity through writing exercises and activities, and creating and leading group discussions based on literature. Participants will gain an understanding of key literary concepts and themes, explore different writing techniques, and build their communication and critical thinking skills.
The Writing Studio

Los Angeles location: Near the intersection of La Brea &, Los Angeles, California, 90036 US

The Writing Studio is a professional school based in Los Angeles offering comprehensive writing courses, including creative writing, business writing, and non-fiction writing. Their instructors specialize in different writing styles and topics, and classes are designed for everyone, from beginner-level writers to seasoned professionals. With personalized teaching styles and flexible scheduling, The Writing Studio provides education for a variety of writing needs.
The Writing Studio’s Top Live Online Creative Writing Courses
- Creative Writing Weekly via Zoom
  - 4 Weeks, 3 hr/wk
  - $200
  This creative writing course explores various writing exercises, from brainstorming to multiple drafts, so that participants can gain confidence in their writing. Participants will learn techniques to help them find their voice and how to edit work for an improved final product. Through guided instruction, they will exercise their creativity to develop innovative ideas and discover the power of writing.
- Saturday Creative Writing Workshop
  - 9 Hours
  - $160
  This creative writing course is designed to open the window to an imaginative and creative realm through exercises and activities. Participants will learn methods for developing their fiction and nonfiction stories, including character development, plotting, setting, dialogue, and revision. This is an ideal opportunity to explore and expand one’s writing capabilities.

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Learn More About NYC Creative Writing Courses

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is the art of putting ideas into words, be they stories, poems, memoirs or anything in between. While most people think of writing novels when they think of creative writing, the skill encompasses any form of creative or persuasive expression, so you won’t need to restrict yourself if you want to learn creative writing. Learning creative writing can be an ideal way to express yourself, find your creative muse, use your words as a tool of persuasion or just better understand your own thoughts and feelings as you write. There are also numerous practical benefits to being able to write in a more concise, persuasive manner.

What Kinds of Creative Writing Can You Learn?

Unlike a lot of skills you might enroll in a class to learn, creative writing courses tend to focus on specific genres or styles of writing. While they are likely to all teach students practical skills for organizing, brainstorming and meeting their writing goals, most of the lessons will emphasize the specific characteristics of the style of writing that students want to pursue, since writing a collection of poems is very different from writing a novel or a screenplay.

Short Fiction

Most writers get their start in the world of short fiction, if only because it is the best place to start experimenting with the form and everyone has a basic understanding of the form. Short fiction tests a writer's ability to get their point across in a limited space and some of the most renowned short stories of the last two-hundred years only run a few pages in total. Writers like Edgar Allan Poe, James Baldwin and James Joyce pioneered the form and the legacy of the short story continues with writers like Alice Munro, Alice Walker and Jhumpa Lahiri. Short fiction is about maximizing word economy and making every choice that a writer makes count and these courses will help students build the skills they need to write short works that are perfect for collections, sequences or even literary magazines.

Long Fiction

Long-form fiction (usually novels, but other forms do exist) is the kind of creative writing that most people are familiar with (and that most people think of) when they think of the creative writer sitting at a computer (or a typewriter). Long fiction is more complex and time consuming to write than most other forms of creative writing, but it is also the most prestigious, so writers looking to make a name for themselves tend to gravitate towards this style. Dating back to the early 17th century, this is the genre of Dickens, Atwood and Smith and it is the genre that most writers who want to see their books in stores and on the NYT Bestsellers list will want to pursue.

Genre Fiction

While it is often derided in literary circles, genre fiction is immensely popular, as evidenced by the amount of money made by paperback sales at airport lounges. Enrolling in a genre fiction course will teach you the structure and style associated with specific genres, such as romance novels, military thrillers, YA coming-of-age stories, epic fantasy and science-fiction. Audiences have expectations with these stories and you’ll learn how to satiate those expectations without sacrificing your creative flair, while also learning how to create genre fiction that is every bit as complex and nuanced as literary-fiction.

Poetry

Arguably the oldest surviving form of creative writing, poetry has been described by Samuel Taylor Coleridge as “the best words in the best order.” Poetry is defined by its rhythmic prosody, being structured around syllabic patterns and stanza structures and it is the genre of creative writing most directly associated with personal performance. Whether you want to write radical free-verse poetry or highly structured sonnets, enrolling in a poetry class will help you better understand what you want to do and how to achieve those goals. Learning poetry can be a way to express your emotions, feelings or political beliefs in a lyrical way and it is the mode of fiction that offers the largest canvas for artists to utilize.

Plays and Screenplays

If you aspire to write for Hollywood or enter a TV writers room, you’ll want to learn how to write screenplays (or their ancient ancestors, stage plays). Writing for the screen or stage is a very different process from writing for the page, not the least because it requires you to give words and actions to real human beings (or animators) to transform into a reality. Writing for performance will require you to learn how to guide actors and use your words to set scenes (including stage direction, which can be minimal or precise). You’ll also need to learn how to work within the bounds of your production budget (since you can’t just have characters decide to go to exotic locales when people would actually have to go to them) and the collaborative nature of working with other members of the production staff or other writers in a writers’ room setting.

Memoir and Creative Non-fiction

Whether you call it creative non-fiction, memoir writing, personal essay writing or anything else, this is the art of taking your own life experiences and transforming them into creative works. This can take many forms, but all of them aim to produce creative expressions of the author’s life and history, whether that be to explore something about their identity, their politics and morals or just the way that their lived experience has shaped them. Learning this mode of creative writing will involve taking deep dives into your own past and sense of self in order to find the bits and pieces that can be reconstructed into a coherent, compelling narrative.

Op-eds and Persuasive Essays

Not all creative writing aims to entertain, but rather to instruct and persuade. Rhetoric, the art of persuasion, is among the oldest remaining forms of art and it has become a big industry as the internet makes blogging and vlogging far more accessible to new writers. If you want to learn how to write in such a way as to persuade or proselytize, you can enroll in a course that is specifically geared towards teaching the fundamentals of rhetoric and debate. There, you will learn what techniques you need to utilize to make your argument, present your case and convince an audience of the validity of the position you’ve staked.

What Kinds of Jobs Make Use of Creative Writing?

If you are looking to find a job that makes use of creative writing, there are a few options, mostly depending on your specialization and formal training. While the job most commonly associated with creative writing is, unsurprisingly, a professional writer (be they poet, novelist or playwright), and, if you are interested in using your creative writing skills to make a living, this is one of the best ways to do it. That said, this isn’t really a job you apply for, since you are going to need to write something that becomes popular or successful in order to find steady work (which is why becoming trained in creative writing is so important).

In addition, many creative writers are brought onto work on scripted projects that need revisions or punch-ups in order to get them ready for the final stages (and release). This includes people who find work as script doctors or who are brought onto projects to punch up jokes or action beats (since those are their specialties). Teams of writers may get brought in to help write award ceremonies, gala events or other specials requiring a lot of scripted speeches and many comedians pay teams of writers to help them workshop jokes. Finally, some writers may find work as ghostwriters, working alongside celebrities or other non-writers to produce books and materials under an assumed name.

There are also a wide range of positions for creative writers who specialize in rhetoric and persuasion, such as speechwriters, op-ed columnists and even advertisers and content writers. So long as there is scripted content that is attempting to make an argument or an appeal, it is probable that one or more professional creative writers will be involved in the process (up to and including this article you are reading right now).

What Industries use Creative Writing?

Creative writing is used in virtually every industry that even touches upon persuasion or entertainment, since, at its core, creative writing is about using language and ideas as a tool to help achieve a goal of some kind. Obviously, the film and television industry needs to hire writers who can produce scripts and the publishing industry needs to pay for the work of writers (since this tends to be their main way of acquiring content to sell to consumers), but this only begins to scratch the surface. Writers work on live shows, video games, songs, music videos, online content creation and even things like social media posts like professional Instagram influencer pages and TikToks. If you are hoping to break into the entertainment industry, learning specific creative writing skills can be incredibly useful.

In addition, creative writing is utilized in almost all industries that aim to persuade an audience of virtually anything. This ranges from political campaigns who employ speech writers to advertising agencies who employ commercial writers to advocacy groups who pay writers to produce content to use in their materials. Persuading audiences is an important aspect of creative writing and, since there are so many public facing companies and institutions interested in putting their message front and center, creative writers can find work in any of these industries.

Finally, creative writing is also an important part of public outreach and communication. While you may not think of things like messaging surrounding cancer screenings or charity fliers advertising upcoming events would fall under the purview of a creative writer, they are often handled by content creation teams whose purpose is to refine a message and ensure that communication is clear and targeted. Even if you aren’t looking to find a career as a “creative writer,” anyone in a field like outreach or public relations stands to benefit from learning how to write engaging, persuasive content.

What Kind of Skills Might You Learn in a Creative Writing course?

When enrolling in a creative writing course, you can expect to spend time learning the skills you need to make the process consistent, efficient and productive. Very few great works are poured directly onto the page from the muses themselves and most take a lot of time, effort and energy to get right. Thus, most creative writing courses spend less time assuming they need to teach you how to be creative and more time teaching you how to do the dirty work involved completing a creative writing project

Brainstorming

One of the first things that new creative writers need to learn is how to get ideas flowing and how to start putting words onto the page. There are a lot of different strategies and techniques for brainstorming, but all of them focus on training writers to avoid staring at a blank document and being more aware of how to jumpstart the process.

Editing

One of the most essential skills that a creative writer needs to learn is how to edit their work. This comes in three major varieties. Writers need to know how to edit their work for accuracy and clarity (learning the basics of grammar and structure), how to respond to feedback from other writers or professional editors and how to return to their work again and again to rewrite it as the need arises. Going back to edit your work is often significantly harder than writing it in the first place, so many creative writing courses aim to help students become accustomed to this part of the process.

Navigating the Publishing Industry

Once you’ve got a completed manuscript, you aren’t quite done, since you have to take steps to get your work into the hands of a company that is actually willing to publish it. While there are self-publishing options, these services tend to be far too expensive and impractical for most writers. Often, you’ll spend time in a creative writing course learning how to reach out to publishers, work with literary agents, negotiate deals and understand how to get the best offers possible for your work. In addition, you’ll likely learn about other venues for advertising and publishing your work, especially if you are hoping to get your work accepted into literary or poetry journals.

Conventions of Genre and Style

If you are enrolled in a course that deals with a specific style or genre of writing, you are, unsurprisingly, going to spend time becoming familiar with what makes that kind of creative writing unique relative to others. For example, you may learn how to write convincing genre topoi in a class on writing romance novels and in a class on long-form literary fiction, you’ll learn about plot and pacing. These specific skills lessons are essential for anyone looking to break into a specific kind of writing, particularly if it is something relatively uncommon, like a songwriting or a screenwriting class.

How do Creative Writing Classes Differ from Professional Writing Classes?

One of the things you may want to consider is whether or not you will benefit more from a creative writing course or a professional writing course. In a creative writing course, you’ll spend most of your time working on learning how to write for artistic, expressive or persuasive projects, like how to write stories, novels, television shows and advertisements. In a professional writing course, you’ll learn skills like editing, grammar and punctuation as well as strategies for making everyday writing (things like emails, memos and business reports) read well and clearly communicate their intent to their audience. Professional writing classes focus more on the writing you’ll undertake during regular business hours, making it ideal for white-collar works, particularly those in management.

To learn more about business writing classes, please explore the Business Writing section of Noble’s Classes Near Me page.

Creative Writing Classes and Schools in NYC

If you are looking to learn creative writing skills in New York City, you can enroll in a range of courses offered by providers who aim to help students become more adept at writing for the page, stage or screen.

Gotham Writers Workshop

The Gotham Writers Workshop provides in-person and online writing training in a variety of different subjects, with courses teaching everything from how to write novels and memoirs to how to edit at a professional level or how to write songs. These courses can be taken as short introductory seminars or as immersive, multi-week workshops aimed at helping students become more adept at all aspects of the writing process. All of the courses include opportunities for students to read one another's work and receive critique and feedback on their own writing. These courses aim to ensure that students have the guided training and personalized support they need to get their own writing projects off the ground.

92nd Street Y

The 92nd Street Y is a New York institution and one of the oldest and most storied cultural centers in the city. They offer everything from sewing and dance classes to professional and creative writing courses hosted by local and nationally renowned authors. These courses tend to run sporadically (since they are often taught by guests with limited availability), but it is worth considering keeping an eye on the course offerings. Not only do they have regular offerings in skills like writing for novels, comics and television, but they also teach such a wide range of other skills that you may find some other class that is worth your energy to enroll in.

The Writers Studio

Operating since the late 80s, The Writers Studio aims to provide students with focused skills workshops that will help them develop as writers and professionals. They offer beginner-friendly classes and more immersive training workshops for writers who know what they want to do with their creative works. Courses are offered in-person and online, giving students additional options for receiving assistance and feedback on their work. Beginner courses include introductions to genres like fiction, poetry and memoir and they offer more advanced classes in immersive writing for those same genres. They have also, in the past, hosted writing workshops aimed at students working on specific subjects, such as narratives of the immigrant experience or life in the wake of the #MeToo movement.

New York International Screenplay Awards

If you are looking to learn how to write a screenplay, you should consider the focused writing instruction you will receive in a course from the instructors at the New York International Screenplay Awards. In these classes, you’ll learn how to write and sell screenplays that appeal to audiences and critics alike. The courses are private writing sessions where you will have the chance to work alongside a professional screenwriter for a few hours punching up the script, getting advice and receiving feedback on your work. These one-on-one sessions are a great way to ensure that you are getting the help that is best suited for your needs and your stage of the writing process.

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Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Key Insights

NYC Creative Writing Courses by School

92nd Street Y’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Reading to Write with Myla Goldberg

Studio 45’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Zine Club

Alaa Al Aswany Creative Writing Workshop’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Intensive Creative Writing Weekend

Gotham Writers Workshop’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Creative Writing 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks

Creative Nonfiction 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks

Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

Creative Writing 101 Level 1: 6 Weeks

The Writers Studio’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Level 1 Intro to Fiction and Poetry

West Side YMCA - Community Arts’s Top NYC Creative Writing Courses

Writing Poetry for Everyone

Learn Beyond The Book, LLC’s Top Live Online Creative Writing Courses

Literature Discussions & Creative Writing

The Writing Studio’s Top Live Online Creative Writing Courses

Creative Writing Weekly via Zoom

Saturday Creative Writing Workshop

NYC Creative Writing Corporate & Onsite Training Noble Desktop

Creative Writing Training Locations in or Near NYC

Learn More About NYC Creative Writing Courses

What is Creative Writing?

What Kinds of Creative Writing Can You Learn?

Short Fiction

Long Fiction

Genre Fiction

Poetry

Plays and Screenplays

Memoir and Creative Non-fiction

Op-eds and Persuasive Essays

What Kinds of Jobs Make Use of Creative Writing?

What Industries use Creative Writing?

What Kind of Skills Might You Learn in a Creative Writing course?

Brainstorming

Editing

Navigating the Publishing Industry

Conventions of Genre and Style

How do Creative Writing Classes Differ from Professional Writing Classes?

Creative Writing Classes and Schools in NYC

Gotham Writers Workshop

92nd Street Y

The Writers Studio

New York International Screenplay Awards

NYC Creative Writing
Corporate & Onsite Training