Save your cash for now. This is yet another way to part writers from their money. However big the name, there is no guarantee that what worked for them will work for you.
As to whether you should take any or all of the classes—It depends, I think, on what you expect to get out of the classes. If you're beginning your writing career and are looking for tools, the masterclasses won't provide that. The classes are billed as "access to genius" and according to the reviews that's pretty much what they are
Seconding what's in bold.
I did a spit take on the "access to genius" line. THAT is pure marketing hype. Ignore it. Some of those names are not my idea of genius. They sold a lot of books, doesn't mean they can write.
I have had access to genius: being in the same room as Ray Bradbury. I saw he was a kind and generous man and that there was no way I'd pin him down with writing questions. There was no need. All I had to do was read his books and stories to learn from him.
where the authors found inspiration for their most famous works (Atwood: The Handmaid's Tale), their writing philosophies, and some stories about how they got into writing. (I understand Margaret Atwood also shares her research for The Handmaid's Tale.)
That's a big problem for me: biography instead of actual help with writing. I've seen people praise Stephen King's book
On Writing, so I caved and read a library copy and found it was absolutely useless as instruction. Instead of writing about writing, it was biographical stuff about his life and hard times. Since it was not my property I could not throw it across the room.
I was going through a bad dry patch then and short tempered.
Thank goodness the library had Lawrence Block's books on writing. His books were actually helpful and got me working again.
You want writing instruction from a master?
http://lawrenceblock.com/series/books-for-writers/
They'll be at the library and via Inter Library Loan.
Minimum bio, no philosophical essays, but solid nuts and bolts. It'll be refreshing.
Maybe some of the writers there will have similar stuff, but it'll cost you to find out. If none of it works for you, it'll be a waste of your cash and time. There are so many no cost resources available on the 'Net, you don't need to bother with them.
This is all free, and the info applies to all writing genres, not just S.F.
https://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/
I've found that people who are skilled at something (like writing) aren't always very good at teaching that thing.
Seconding this!
In short--and I learned this from Job Bob Briggs, the Drive-In Movie King:
"If you can explain how to write a book, then you don’t know how to write one. If you can write a book, then you won’t be able to explain how you did it. It’s stupid, but it’s true."
That's from his Joe Bob's America column from the 90's. I'd get asked all the time, "How did you write that book?" and I choke on any reply. I'd have to go to a quick quip or be there for months walking them through the process.
But Joe Bob had the answer:
"
The way you become a writer is you write. Every day. No exceptions.
"Nobody believes this. Everybody wants to believe in something called talent or inspiration or the knack for it. Maybe there is such a thing, but it has nothing to do with becoming a writer.
"So when someone says “I wanna be a writer--what do I do?” The first thing I say is “Go and write for two hours a day for two weeks, and then bring me what you’ve written.”
"To a professional writer, this is a very light writing schedule. But ninety-nine percent of them vanish forever.
"It’s too mundane. Nobody believes it."
I will add my humble addition: read 100 books for each one you want to write. Read all kinds of books, even ones you think you won't like. Read ones you hate, because you can learn what not to do!
Bradbury read his local library because he couldn't afford college. It worked out for him.
Don't be tempted by marketing hype. Keep your cash. I wish I had the Net back in the day with its resources.
Like this:
https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2007/05/victoria-strauss-learning-ropes.html
Now get out of here, start reading and butt-in-chair writing, and be awesome at it!
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