Creative Writing Classes
If you enjoy reading The Caffeinated Writer, you might also enjoy one of my online creative writing classes. I offer live online classes two or three times per year. I also offer asynchronous and on-demand classes in fiction writing and writing for Substack.
All of the courses are designed and taught by me, a New York Times bestselling author with more than two decades of teaching experience. I’ve taught in the MFA programs in creative writing at the University of San Francisco, California College of the Arts, and Notre Dame de Namur University, and have designed and taught online creative writing courses for Stanford Continuing Studies.
Whether you want to start your novel, publish short stories, or build your author platform with a Substack newsletter, you’ll find a course to meet your needs.
*Due to limited enrollment space, all of my live classes are by application only. Applications are always free and take about two minutes to complete.
Second Act Story Workshop: a live, small-group workshop for writers over 50
I’m excited to announce a live, five-week workshop exclusively for writers fifty years and older. If you’re working on a novel, novella, short stories, memoir, or personal essays, and if you would like to make real progress in a small group setting, I encourage you to apply.
You can watch the course intro video here.
Apply now to be considered for the next session, which begins January 14, 2026.
The First 50 Pages: 8 Weeks to Get Your Novel off the Ground
Learn how to write a great first chapter, create a memorable protagonist, establish the ground rules of your novel, choose the best point of view for your story, structure your novel, and more in this eight-week, on-demand course.
Transform your idea into a novel-in-progress, with 50 solid pages and a plan for the next phase of writing.
Fundamentals of Fiction Writing: Master the Short Story
Get the tools you need to write and publish short stories in this eight-week on-demand course. learn how to create complex characters, craft a compelling plot, write dramatic and believable dialogue, choose the best point of view for your story, draw readers into your fictional world with description, and hone your narrative voice.
Every module includes video and written lessons, recommended reading, and related assignments to help you practice what you've learned and deepen your understanding of fictive craft. In the final module, we discuss revision and how to submit your stories for publication.
If you've always wanted to write fiction but don't know where to begin, this course is for you.
Substack for Authors
Launch your author Substack, write posts that resonate, and reach new readers. This six-week on-demand course walks you through the steps of creating your Substack from the ground up.
This course was incredibly useful. Michelle gave us an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process for setting up our Substacks. Thanks to the videos that accompanied the lessons, I could see exactly what I needed to do. She also gave us lots of great ideas for posts. I'm so glad I took this class. I sign up for a lot of online classes, and this one was by far the most useful. Great class! -Cynthia Gentry, author of seven nonfiction books, creator of The Mind Reels
Michelle Richmond's Writing for Substack course is superb. I had tons of ideas but zero structure in my head, and Michelle was an excellent guide...The lessons are very well structured, informative, easy to follow, and packed with excellent advice (that you don't get anywhere else) on writing in general and writing for Substack specifically. Plus, I have found Michelle to be extremely supportive, kind, welcoming, and inspiring. I can't recommend this course enough! - Andres Celati, The Vinyl Room
Flash Fiction Intensive
Learn the art of flash fiction, get inspired, and write twelve flash fictions in four weeks in this on-demand course. You’ll get daily flash fiction reading and exercises, as well as valuable craft lessons. You’ll also learn how and where to submit your flash fiction for publication.
Foundations of Novel Writing
Do you want to write a novel but aren't sure how to begin? Maybe you have a story to tell but don't yet have a clear understanding of plot, structure, and point of view. Maybe you have an idea for a great protagonist but aren't sure how to bring the character to life on the page. Maybe you read great novels and find yourself wondering, "How did the author do that?"
If this sounds like you, you might enjoy Foundations of Novel Writing. In this course designed for beginning novelists, you will learn the building blocks of narrative and start writing your novel.
Plotting the Novel
Learn how to plot and structure your novel in this eight-week course. We will read Patricia Highsmith's classic suspense novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and analyze techniques you can apply to your own work. You will learn how to create suspense in any genre, how to craft a compelling first chapter and midpoint reversal, how to write your novel's climax, and more. YIncludes video lessons, written lessons, downloads, and plot templates.