<bi-shortcode id="disclaimer" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="insiderpicks"> </bi-shortcode><p><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/6048ffed9942cf001865d95e-840/1601958260-MA_fb_image_%281%29.png" border="0" alt="1601958260 MA_fb_image_%281%29" data-mce-source="MasterClass"></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><ul class="summary-list"><li>As a fan of "The Handmaid's Tale" author Margaret Atwood, I took (and loved) her <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fmargaret-atwood-teaches-creative-writing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Creative Writing MasterClass</a>.</li><li id="recirc">Like her writing, the course is engaging, sharp, and fast-moving. It addresses both the abstract and practical aspects of writing.</li><li>A MasterClass annual membership is $180 (or $15 a month). With it, you can access every course on MasterClass.</li></ul><bi-shortcode id="table-of-contents-sticky" class="mceNonEditable" data-type="h2">Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky</bi-shortcode><p> </p><p>Margaret Atwood, creator of such bestselling works as "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Handmaids-Tale-Margaret-Atwood/dp/038549081X'&linkCode=ll1&tag=biip_031021_margaret-atwood-masterclass-review-20&linkId=654f6ab5bd5c577bb2d8ed364b873aa3&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">The Handmaid's Tale</a>" and "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Oryx-Crake-MaddAddam-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B000FC1BNI'&linkCode=ll1&tag=biip_031021_margaret-atwood-masterclass-review-20&linkId=4b0bb01401677796b5f7d146157d79e4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Oryx and Crake,</a>" is beloved for her ability to spin eerily prescient fables out of meticulous research and shrewd observations. Despite <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/12/margaret-atwood-bears-witness/600796/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objections to the "science fiction" label</a> (Atwood focuses on crimes against humanity that resemble real-life events), her work is one of literature's best examples of creativity in relation toreal, imaginary, or anticipatoryhardship, particularly in society.</p><bi-shortcode id="commerce-link" class="mceNonEditable" data-cardtype="medium" data-pid="5fbedbb283bd0b29f11bf519" data-purchase-option="">Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing (medium)</bi-shortcode><p>So, as a break from <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/emily-in-paris-and-the-rise-of-ambient-tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ambient television</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-audiobook-apps-subscriptions-audible-libby-scribd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">audiobooks</a>, I took <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fmargaret-atwood-teaches-creative-writing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Atwood's Creative Writing MasterClass</a>. <strong>It felt like a great way to do something fun and creative in a time that has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/feeling-stuck-in-life-tips" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">stagnant, predictable, and exhausting</a>.</strong> Atwood's pieces often deal with dystopia and its impact on the individual, but it's her Canadian sensibility and tell-you-how-it-is nature that made this online course feel most useful. All in all, I can't recommend it enoughbut, then again, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/masterclass-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I'm a big fan of MasterClass</a>.</p><h2>MasterClass fast facts:</h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">MasterClass</a>'s annual subscription is $180 (broken down to $15 a month) <strong>and gives you unlimited access to its 85+ classes.</strong> The courses and experts run the gamutfrom gardening with activist <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fron-finley-teaches-gardening" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Ron Finley</a> to photography with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fannie-leibovitz-teaches-photography" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Annie Leibovitz</a> to film with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fdavid-lynch-teaches-creativity-and-film" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">David Lynch,</a> with new classes added every month. You can find a full <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/masterclass-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MasterClass review and FAQ here</a>.</p><bi-shortcode id="commerce-link" class="mceNonEditable" data-cardtype="small" data-pid="5eb5afc8204ad37ea20e8e88" data-purchase-option="">All-Access Pass (small)</bi-shortcode><h2>What the Margaret Atwood creative writing course is like as a student:</h2><p><strong>Anatomically speaking, the course is 23 videos (about 4 hours of Atwood lectures) and a 90-page PDF workbook. </strong>The workbook is optional; it just provides refreshers of the lessons as well as recommended readings and assignments.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fmargaret-atwood-teaches-creative-writing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/6048f4619942cf001865d8f5-1200/Masterclass Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing.jpg" border="0" alt="Masterclass Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing" data-mce-source="Masterclass"></a></p><p>In terms of topics, Atwood covers the general points of interest for writershow to get started, handle the middle of a story, develop characters, craft dialogue, and address writers' blockas well as more specific queries, like research and maintaining historical accuracy.<br><br><strong>She even addresses some deeper existential questions,</strong> <strong>like what you can expect from a writing career</strong> (AKA, not necessarily nabbing a six-figure book contract) and common roadblocks. "If you really do want to write, and you're struggling to get started," Atwood says in the second chapter, "you're afraid of something. What is that fear'" To me, it felt like an excellent blend of the concrete and the abstract. You can't really fully address creative writing without touching on both.</p><p>The formatting is also very convenient. You can access the classes on multiple devices, online or (when downloaded) offlineand in video or solely audio form. Audio-only doesn't work as well for MasterClasses with lots of visual directionsuch as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fcategories%2Fculinary-arts" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">cooking classes</a>but with this course, I was able to transform Atwood's lessons into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-audiobook-apps-subscriptions-audible-libby-scribd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a great audiobook</a>; <strong>I listened to the classes while handling all the other tasks of the week: cleaning, cooking, showering, and walking outside for my daily endorphin infusion.</strong></p><p>It's also pretty customizable. Whether you're looking for edu-tainment and prefer to listen to the videos only and ignore the homework, I think you'll still find the class easily absorbable. Atwood is, after all, an iconic storytellerand this class is not immune from that magic. Her practical advice is layered over sharp anecdotes about her life and upbringing in Canada, as well as her processwriting first drafts swiftly and urgently, like a "downhill skier" for the best flow, for instance. I genuinely looked forward to listening. On the other hand, <strong>if you do want a more hands-on experience, you can use the workbook, complete assignments, and participate in an on-site discussion with other members.</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out'u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.masterclass.com%2Fclasses%2Fmargaret-atwood-teaches-creative-writing" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored"><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/60494663f196be0018beebad-1145/Screen Shot 2021-03-10 at 5.19.58 PM.png" border="0" alt="Screen Shot 2021 03 10 at 5.19.58 PM" data-mce-source="MasterClass/Mara Leighton"></a></p><p><strong>However, if you're looking for a more traditional classroom setting, that's not MasterClass's appealand not its strong suit. </strong>The discussion forums are less lively than you may find on a larger platform like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/edx-overview-faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">edX</a> or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-coursera" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coursera</a>. Plus, many writers really benefit from deadlines, direct peer feedback, and evaluating classmates' work.</p><p>Having said that, I find MasterClass's entertaining approach <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/masterclass-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more luxe and engaging</a>. Personally, I was ok with missing out on some class discussions for the intrigue of listening to Atwood<strong> and the high production value of the MasterClass operation (meaning gorgeous lighting, smooth video editing, and musical cues).</strong> </p><h2>The bottom line</h2><bi-shortcode id="commerce-link" class="mceNonEditable" data-cardtype="medium" data-pid="5fbedbb283bd0b29f11bf519" data-purchase-option="">Margaret Atwood Teaches Creative Writing (medium)</bi-shortcode><p>Atwood addresses the nuts and bolts of writingstory, plot, characters, dialogue, genredirectly.<strong> She also infuses each lecture with the same dry humor and sharp insight into the human condition that her fans prize in her novels.</strong> If you're an especially avid Atwood reader, you can also look forward to hearing anecdotes about her childhood and personal life. In the same way that you may bond with podcast hosts after a few hours of listening to them, by the end, Atwood feels more like a grandmother who wouldn't be afraid to tell me I have lipstick on my teeth than a stranger. </p><p>All in all, I found the class as attention-grabbing as it was useful. Atwood is so talented a storyteller that, most of the time, <strong>I felt more like I was sitting rapt in a lecture hall than pacing on a treadmill, staring at my phone.</strong></p><p>If you're looking for practical advice on the art and business of writingand you appreciate Atwood's dark humor and keen observationsthis class will be special and worthwhile. </p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/margaret-atwood-masterclass-course-review#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p>
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