Writing Mastery Fiction For Young Writers

A fun, interactive workshop to help young writers unlock their creativity, improve their craft, and write better stories

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.7

- Unlock your creativity and spark your imagination with lots of fun writing prompts
- Create awesome characters who will jump right off the page and take your stories to the next level
- Write dazzling dialogue that will transform lifeless scenes into vibrant stories

What you'll learn

Unlock your creativity and spark your imagination with lots of fun writing prompts
Create awesome characters who will jump right off the page and take your stories to the next level
Write dazzling dialogue that will transform lifeless scenes into vibrant stories
Build memorable settings that shape the world of your story and bring that world to life
Narrate stories from an engaging and interesting point of view to hook your readers and draw them into your fictional worlds
Develop exciting plots that will keep your stories on track and have your readers on the edge of their seats to find out what happens next!
Expand a single idea into a compelling finished story

* Requirements

* A notebook and pen/pencil or a computer/tablet
* A timer for writing exercises
* A desire to write!

Description

Udemy's "Breakout Instructor of 2016" and International bestselling author, Jessica Brody (author of more than 15 novels for kids and teens) and Joanne Rendell, acclaimed author and writing teacher, share their secrets of writing great fiction in this special, one-of-a-kind creative writing course for young writers.

Writing Mastery: Fiction for Young Writers is a fun and interactive, self-paced workshop designed for ages 10 and up (or advanced students ages 8 and 9) that will teach young writers the essential ingredients of great fiction, so they can improve their writing, tell better stories, write more vivid scenes, and build confidence in their writing abilities.   


"Very solid material, presented in an efficient delightful way! - DAVE H.

"Super Fun and wise! I love it!" - JUAN S.

"inspiring and engaging!" - LESLIE K.

"Wonderfully enjoyable course with lots of meat in it! - DORIS D. 


Jessica Brody is published by several major publishers like Simon & Schuster, Random House, and Macmillan. Her books have been translated and published in more than 23 countries and two are currently in development as major motion pictures. She’s recently been hired by Disney Press to write a book series based on the hit Disney Channel Original Movie, Descendants. Jessica is excited to share her proven storytelling methods with young writers.  

In this course, Jessica teams up with Joanne Rendell, author of three novels published by Penguin Books. Joanne also holds a PhD in English Literature and teaches regular writing classes for kids and teens in New York City. Together, Jessica and Joanne have created a dynamic course to help young writers (beginner to advanced) build a storytelling foundation and nurture their love of writing. 

In this course, you will learn how to:  

  • Unlock your creativity and spark your imagination with tons of fun writing prompts!

  • Create awesome characters who will jump right off the page and take your stories to the next level

  • Write dazzling dialogue that will transform lifeless scenes into vibrant stories

  • Build memorable settings that shape the world of your story and bring that world to life

  • Narrate stories from an engaging and interesting point of view to hook your readers and draw them into your fictional worlds

  • Develop exciting plots that will keep your stories on track and have your readers on the edge of their seats to find out what happens next!

  • Expand a single idea into a compelling finished story



"I've been watching this with my 14 year old daughter and now she's so inspired to write!" - MICHAEL R. 

"My niece Elise,10, is an avid reader and a budding writer -- and she LOVES this course." - JUDY P. 

"[My 9-year-old son] is now full of ideas for his current story." - ZEB M.



This course is jam packed full of:  

  • Examples from popular books and movies that will help you fully understand the elements of great storytelling

  • Loads of fun writing prompts designed to spark your imagination and get your creative juices flowing

  • Tons of practical writing tips and advice to take you on an unforgettable creative journey toward becoming an amazing writer


Jessica’s ten years of professional experience writing commercial fiction for kids and teens combined with Joanne’s in-depth knowledge of classic literature and the writing craft makes for an engaging, humorous, and enlightening class that is guaranteed to remind young writers why they love to write.    

"A lot of great info in this course. I love the writing prompts!" - ERIKA B.

"Loved this course! It has been extremely helpful with my writing!" - FELICITY S. 

"This course is very organized and structured so learning is easy." - LEE S. 



Praise for Other Courses in the Writing Mastery Series:

"Jessica Brody breaks down these concepts with clarity and amazing insight."  - MIKE, UDEMY STUDENT

"Very informative and well worth the time and cost. Jessica has shown me some new ways to approach my storytelling and how to make sure I am telling the best tale I can." - NOEL, UDEMY STUDENT

"Clear, concise, & well-narrated with an abundance of enthusiasm." - CHRISTOPHER, UDEMY STUDENT

"This course is worth far more than the price of admission!" - TALMAGE, UDEMY STUDENT

"Jessica Brody nails all the elements in this course. The exercises are brilliant and very helpful. Thank you for such a great course!" - KIMBERLEY, UDEMY STUDENT

"Jessica Brody has a gift for distilling lots of hard-earned information into concise and tasty bites.KATHERINE, UDEMY STUDENT

"If you write (or plan to write), get this course" - SCOTT, UDEMY STUDENT

"Superb."  - KIMBERLELY, UDEMY STUDENT

"I have learned so much information that has helped me in the writing process." - CHRISTY, UDEMY STUDENT

"Good pacing, great tools, wonderful ideas... loving this course!" - REGINA, UDEMY STUDENT

"Love the videos. Very easy to understand and lots of great tips!" - LISA, UDEMY STUDENT


Who this course is for:

  • All writers ages 10 and up!
  • Advanced writers ages 8 and 9
  • Parents who want to get their kids excited about writing
  • Anyone interested in writing fiction
  • Anyone who likes to write fiction
  • Anyone who wants to improve their fiction writing
  • Anyone looking for writing inspiration
  • Writers who need help finishing a story

Course content

6 sections • 38 lectures

Welcome and What to Expect Preview 02:52

An introduction to what this course is all about.

Running Start! Preview 08:23

Get a Running Start with this fast and fun Speed Writing exercise!

Who We Are and How this Course Will Make You a Better Writer Preview 06:06

Meet your instructors, Jess and Jo, and find out what you're going to learn in this course.

Where to Get Help Preview 00:43

Appearance (What do they look like?) Preview 08:10

Learn how to describe a character's appearance like a pro. 

Mini Lecture: Too Much Information Preview 03:33

Jess and Jo read their "Too Much Information" writing prompts.

Thought (What are they thinking?) Preview 05:12

Learn how to jump inside characters' heads to describe what they're thinking.

Mini Lecture: Jump Inside Their Head Preview 04:19

Jess and Jo read their "Jump Inside Their Head" writing prompts.

Action (What do they do?) Preview 05:34

Learn how a character's action defines who they are and makes them more believable.

Mini Lecture: The Screaming Stranger Preview 04:27

Jess and Jo read their "Screaming Stranger" writing prompts.

Goal/Desire (What do they want?) Preview 04:57

Learn how to use a character's goal or desire to write stronger stories.

Mini Lecture: What do They Want? Preview 04:58

Jess and Jo read their "What Do They Want" writing prompts.

Uniqueness (How are they surprising?) Preview 06:58

Break the stereotypes and learn how to write unique, complex characters that come to life!

Mini Lecture: 5 Surprises Preview 02:55

Jess and Jo read their "5 Surprises" writing prompts.

Dialogue (What do they say?) Preview 09:25

Learn the secrets to writing dazzling dialogue that will transform lifeless scenes into vivid stories!

How to Punctuate Your Dialogue (Optional Lecture) Preview 01:11

Mini Lecture: A Very Bad Conversation Preview 03:53

Jess and Jo read their "Very Bad Conversation" writing prompts. 

Why We Need a Setting Preview 07:45

Learn about the importance of setting in a story. 

Mini Lecture: Setting Overload! Preview 03:32

Jess and Jo read their "Setting Overload" writing prompts.

Familiar Settings (Where your character belongs) Preview 08:34

Learn about familiar settings and how they can help us write better stories.

Mini Lecture: Build a Bedroom Preview 04:43

Jess and Jo read their "Build a Bedroom" writing prompts.

Unfamiliar Settings (Where your character doesn't belong) Preview 07:39

Learn about unfamiliar ("fish out of water") settings and how they can be used to create instant scenes!

Mini Lecture: Instant Scene! Preview 04:46

Jess and Jo read their "Instant Scene" writing prompts.

Who's Telling the Story Preview 06:42

Learn the different types of narrative voice (point of view) and how to identify them.

Third Person Narrative (He, She, It) Preview 10:34

Learn how to write dynamic stories in Third Person Narrative (using he, she, it)

Mini Lecture: Two Characters, One Point of View Preview 03:51

Jess and Jo read their "Two Characters, One Point of View" writing prompts.

First Person Narrative (Me, Myself, and I) Preview 07:43

Learn how to write engaging scenes in First Person Narrative (using I, me, and my)

Mini Lecture: Who Might Say This Preview 03:49

Jess and Jo read their "Who Might Say This" writing prompts.

Multiple First Person Narrative (More than one I) Preview 07:01

Learn how to write complex scenes using Multiple First Person Narrative and have fun exploring other characters' perspectives in one of the most famous scenes in storytelling.

Mini Lecture: Also at the Ball Preview 07:49

Jess and Jo read their "Also at the Ball" writing prompts.

The Story Skeleton (The importance of structure) Preview 05:14

Learn the importance of structure and how looking at story using the Story Skeleton can help you keep track of your story and finish the stories you start. 

Part One: Set-Up (Who's got a problem?) Preview 07:12

Learn how to plot an engaging Set Up (beginning) for your story. 

Part Two: Conflict (Stuff gets messy) Preview 08:13

Learn how to plot an exciting Conflict (middle) for your story.

Part Three: Resolution (Sorting it out) Preview 06:40

Learn how to plot a satisfying Resolution (end) for your story.

Putting it All Together (The rules of 3s) Preview 06:57

Learn how to put your story skeleton together so you can use it to write!

Final Farewell Preview 03:59

More Resources for Writers Preview 00:10

BONUS LECTURE: Continue Your Writing Journey (Discounts on other courses!) Preview 01:09