Creativity is one of the essential things about being human. So you don’t have to apologize for it. It’s something human beings do.

Margaret Atwood, MasterClass Chapter 1: Introduction

As soon as I finished Neil Gaiman’s MasterClass I dove straight into Margaret Atwood’s. (I want to get the most out of my month’s all-access pass after all. If you have the time to be a bit intensive with the courses, the all-access monthly pass is a fantastic deal.) Mararet’s class was also absolutely lovely. Even though they covered similar topics, Margaret has a different approach to the class than Neil and the contents of both classes are unique.

A few of Margaret Atwood’s lessons really stood out to me. In the Story and Plot lesson Margaret has lovely insights on how to use old myths that are embedded in our cultural unconscious. Her discussions on Structuring Your Novel as well as Prose Style and Texture have great advice on technique. The lesson on Research and Historical Accuracy also has wonderful advice for how to ensure accuracy without getting bogged down by never-ending research. Finally, the Writer’s Path discussion has excellent food for thought on the definition of success in writing.

All in all, the course has lots of interesting content and I’m glad I took the class.

The wastepaper basket is your friend. It was invented for you, by God.

Margaret Atwood, MasterClass Chapter 6: Point of View Case Studies

There’s no shame in backtracking, there’s no shame in revision.

Margaret Atwood, MasterClass Chapter 15: Writing the Middle and Ending

My sole criticism is that each topic has a fairly short discussion (each lesson is about 10-15 minutes long). In several of the lessons, Margaret covered basic writing principles that I was already familiar with. Don’t get me wrong – what she said was valuable, but there wasn’t always much that was new. That’s not necessarily bad. Good advice gets repeated, and if you’re relatively new to writing classes you’ll find this course especially worthwhile. You just need to go in knowing what to expect.

One of my favourite parts about MasterClass is learning about the personality of master creators and their approach to their craft. I found learning about Margaret herself just as interesting as learning about writing craft. Every author has her own story, and I find hearing those stories fascinating too.

So, if you’re new to formal writing classes, are interested in learning about writing techniques, or simply want to get to know one of your favourite authors, I wholeheartedly recommend Margaret Atwood’s MasterClass.

I’m nearing the end of my trajectory. So this is sort of my last shot at, ‘Here are some things that maybe you, down the line, may find useful.’

Margaret Atwood, MasterClass Parting Words