Online Writing Class Review and Recommendations

Over the years I’ve taken a lot of online writing classes and I highly recommend them. However it’s important for a writer to take classes that work with and, at the same time, challenge their skill level.

Here’s a quick overview of a few online writing classes which I’ve taken and my thoughts on who might most benefit from them.  This is only a small sampling of the classes available. All these writing sites have been established for quite a number of years.

1. Coffee House for Writers.  Classes for beginner to intermediate skill level. 2-day mini-workshops and longer 4 and 5-week workshops. Experienced teachers.  Good interaction with teachers. The amount of interaction with fellow students depends on the students themselves, can range to from none to moderate camaraderie. Great classes for writers who want to improve specific aspects of their writing or simply need a kick start. The variety of classes is somewhat limited, but fun.  http://www.coffeehouseforwriters.com/courses.html

2. Writers College. Classes for beginner to intermediate skill levels (some of the classes appear to be advanced, however they do not require as much experience as other classes I’ll mention later in this post).  4 to 6 week classes.  Interaction level with teachers is good, but can vary. Writers College has some amazing teachers who have been there a long time and others who are less experienced.  Student interaction depends on the students in the class, can range from none to moderate camaraderie. Great classes for writers looking focus on a specific topic. Writers College has a large selection of classes, some of which are quite unique. http://www.writerscollege.com/

3. Writing In Depth with Caleb Warnock. Classes for beginners to advanced skill level. Small groups, private 8-week classes. Moderate prices.  Interaction level between both students and teacher is high. Great classes for writers wanting to take the step from dreaming about writing to becoming a professional. Limited selection classes, with some flexibility.  Specialty classes sometimes available. This link has information on Caleb Warnock, his experience, success stories, upcoming classes and links to more information. http://calebwarnock.blogspot.com/p/forgotten-skills-of-self-sufficiency-of.html for an example of Caleb’s successful teaching style, listen to this 3-first-page-critique http://writingsnippets.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/ws-30-caleb-warnock-3-first-page-critique-part/

4. WriterUniv. Com. Classes for intermediate to advanced writers. These classes may be helpful for intermediate writers, but are best for those with pro-level skills.  2-4 week duration. Fast pace, challenging classes with lots of reading and homework. Experienced teachers. Student interaction is friendly, but minimal. Interaction with teacher is exceptional. Class topics are advanced and great for working on specific writing issues or for developing general skills. The amount a student gets out of these classes is directly related to the time put into reading the teachers comments on other students’ homework--and classes are large. Their website is a bit lacking, but the classes aren’t http://www.writeruniv.com/  For more information: http://www.marybuckham.com/Onlineclasses.html

Have you taken any online classes? Any recommends or problems? Any questions?