I finally bit the bullet and signed up for Masterclass.  It was great being able to hear from some of the most prominent writers and entertainers of our time—James Patterson, Dan Brown, Joyce Carol Oates, Judy Blume, Walter Mosley, Malcolm Gladwell, Salman Rushdie, and many more.

Whether novelists, screenwriters, journalists, or comedians, they all offered valuable insights on storytelling.

Here are the key takeaways and themes I learned from these masters:

1. Fiction vs. Nonfiction? It’s All Storytelling

One unexpected revelation: fiction and nonfiction writers follow the same storytelling principles. Whether you’re inventing a plot or recounting real events, the goal is the same, to craft a compelling narrative that keeps the reader turning pages.

2. Writers read

The majority of authors find that reading is essential, with Walter Mosley being the exception. His view is that everybody can tell a story.  It’s built into us. If you tell a joke you are essentially telling a story. Gossip is really story telling. Still, most agree that reading fuels the craft. A lot of them call out poetry in particular.

3. Writing Habits: Be Ruthless with Routine

• Write every day, even when you don’t want to.
• Leave yourself a cliffhanger or a prompt for the next session. Dan Brown calls it “setting the table for breakfast.”
• If you’re stuck, type “TBD” and move on. Momentum matters more than perfection in that moment.

4. The First Draft is Trash but that’s OK.

Don’t worry about making your first draft good, just make it exist. Expect to throw out a lot of what you write. That’s a normal part of the process.

5. Respect the Reader’s Time

Good writing is tight writing. Shorter is almost always better. Clarity and brevity show respect for your reader and force you to sharpen your ideas.

6. Storytelling is a Muscle

Like going to the gym, you get stronger by doing the reps. Writing regularly conditions your narrative instincts and builds your tolerance for discomfort, especially when facing the blank page.

It’s also interesting to note that many writers mention physical movement (like walking) helping to unlock creative breakthroughs.

7. What Drives a Story?

Keep an open question alive throughout the narrative. Ask yourself:

• Who is my hero?
• What do they want?
• Why can’t they have it?

That tension is what drives the story and keeps the reader engaged.

8. Your Job Is to Entertain

Even literary giants like David Mamet stress this: if you’re not entertaining the reader, they’ll stop reading. Keep them engaged.

9. Dialogue Is Action

The best dialogue:

• Reveals character
• Sparks conflict
• Offers surprises

Avoid dialogue where characters agree. Instead, make characters argue, push back, or reveal something new.

10. Build Your Villain First

Just like you can’t have a front without a back or dark without light, a strong antagonist shapes a strong protagonist. As one Masterclass teacher put it: “Villains define the hero.”

11. Less Is More (Characters Included)

Too many characters muddle the story. Keep your cast lean so the characters, and their desires, stays clear.

12. Endings: Surprise and Inevitability

Two tips stood out:

• Brainstorm every possible ending, then pick the most outrageous one that still makes sense.
• As David Mamet says: “The end should be surprising and inevitable.”

13. Rewriting Is Writing

No one nails it the first time. Revision is where the magic happens:

• Read your work aloud
• Let it sit for a few weeks
• Be willing to cut ruthlessly

14. Feedback: Use It Wisely

Don’t send your manuscript to everyone at once. Send it to one trusted reader at a time. As you really only get one opportunity for their full attention for that particular story. Sequential readers also allows you to progressively make changes, so the story gets better each time you send it to someone for feedback.

Every writer in the Masterclass series had different styles, and voices but they all agreed that storytelling is craft and skill; the more you practice, the better you get.

So, set your table for tomorrow’s writing session. Get your reps in. And don’t be afraid to write badly. You can always rewrite it later.

Let me know what you think in the comments below. Have any of you signed up for Masterclass? If so, what was your experience and who were some of your favorites?

-James