Online Writing Lessons

Confession: I'm a lecture addict. If I had my way, I'd be a full-time student for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I have bills to pay so I cope by listening to lectures on my drive to and from work and watching lessons online while eating dinner.

Here are a few of my favorite sites for other writers:

• Obviously, there's Ted.com with great lectures by the likes of Elizabeth Gilbert (her talk on "genius" is fantastic), Isabelle Allende, Mac Barnett, and so many others. 
• But, did you know that there's a Ted-Ed site? And it has a whole playlist dedicated to writing. It even includes one by Kate Messner on "How to Build a Fictional World."
• And then of course the fantastic editor Cheryl Klein from Scholastic has a podcast called The Narrative Breakdown dedicated to story that she records paired with a screenwriter (a great twist because screenwriting technique is great for writing engaging plots). 
• Over the summer I was lucky enough to attend Breadloaf Writer's Conference, a place that hauls in some of the best writers in the world to teach lovely little classes and larger lectures. What a treat to know that they have the lectures and readings online for everyone to attend. (FYI they don't have a Young Adult program, but the lectures are still wonderful, and it's fascinating to hear from poets and non-fiction writers as well.)
• On the YA front, John Green analyzes the classics and there's a lot to be learned as he articulates what Fitzgerald, Salinger, and others have managed to pull of with language. Go to Crash Course Literature.
• And then there's the classic Coursera. The classes change around as they start and end at different times so you'll have to check it regularly to see its offerings. My favorite course thus far was a marketing 101 class taught by staff at Wharton. While not a writing course, it did give me a number of ideas for marketing myself and any books I'm lucky enough to publish. 

The Genius of TED

I happen to be in love with TED (the lecture series not the profane stuffed bear). Especially when I'm procrastinating. Especially when I get to hear talks about how to whip up a great story, or what it's like to be a teenager. Here are a few of my faves for the next time you want to be inspired:

Pixar genius Andrew Stanton talking about the clues to a great story: http://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_stanton_the_clues_to_a_great_story.html

Neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on the development of the teenage brain:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sarah_jayne_blakemore_the_mysterious_workings_of_the_adolescent_brain.html

THE Amy Tan talks about where creativity resides by saying brilliant things like "We all hate moral ambiguity in some sense, and yet it is absolutely necessary. In writing a story, it is the place where I begin." : http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_tan_on_creativity.html?quote=287

Wish I could've seen all of those live, but did get to attend a local TED x event.
If there's one near you, you may want to check it out!