If you’re exploring online playwriting courses, you’re already on the right track. More writers than ever are choosing to learn online — not because they have to, but because it genuinely works.
Indeed, the best online playwriting courses don’t dilute the experience of learning in a room—they enhance it. They widen access, deepen discussion, and make high‑quality teaching available to anyone with a laptop and a story to tell.
In this article, I’ll show you how online playwriting courses work, why they’re just as effective (and often more effective) than travelling to a physical venue, and how WriteForTheStage has built a global community of writers through live, interactive online teaching.
From a Salford Pub to a Global Classroom
WriteForTheStage has been running playwriting courses since 2013, helping hundreds of playwrights develop their craft, finish scripts, and build confidence in their creative voice. For years, those courses took place at The Kings Arms in Salford — a brilliant, characterful venue that has become a creative hub for emerging writers across the North West.
But as the courses grew, something became impossible to ignore: people were travelling a long way to get there. Writers from Liverpool, Leeds, Preston, Chester, and beyond were making weekly journeys to sit in that upstairs room.
And while the commitment was inspiring, but the travel wasn’t always sustainable.
Pioneering Online Playwriting Courses
That’s when the shift to online playwriting courses became not just practical, but exciting.
The goal wasn’t to replace the intimacy of in‑person teaching — it was to expand it. To keep the open discussions, the work sharing, the sense of community… while removing the barriers that stopped people from joining.
And the result has been extraordinary.
Online Summer Schools and Digital Writing Retreats
Our Summer School and Digital Writing Retreats have welcomed writers from Australia, Germany, Spain, New York, and all across the UK. People who would never have been able to travel to Salford now join the room with the same energy, curiosity, and generosity as those who once gathered above the pub.
The reviews from those retreats say it all — writers describing the experience as “transformative”, “supportive”, “energising”, and “the perfect balance of structure and freedom”.
That kind of feedback proves that online learning isn’t a compromise. It’s an opportunity.
How Online Playwriting Courses Actually Work
One of the biggest misconceptions about online learning is that it’s passive — that you sit back, watch a video, and hope something sticks. But the best online playwriting courses are nothing like that.
At WriteForTheStage, our courses are built around live Zoom sessions, where writers and tutors meet face‑to‑face in real time. These sessions mirror the structure of an in‑person workshop, with:
- Live teaching
- Interactive presentations
- Group discussions
- Writing exercises
- Work sharing and feedback
Finding Starting Points
Not sure if learning online is for you? Well, try our pre-recorded Finding Starting Points course. You’ll get a taste of the types of presentations we use, the exercises we encourage, and the tangible outcomes you leave with.
Finding Starting Points is a course designed to help writers:
- Generate ideas
- Develop characters
- Build the foundations of a compelling script.
Each session combines a guided presentation, practical tasks, and opportunities to share work. Writers can ask questions, challenge ideas, and explore their creative instincts in a supportive, collaborative environment.
The only difference? You can do it from your living room, your kitchen table, or a quiet corner of a café — without losing the sense of being in a room full of fellow creatives.
And once you’re comfortable with online learning, join our live course, Top of the Stack, starting in January 2026.
Why Online Learning Is Just as Effective — If Not More
There’s a reason online playwriting courses have become so popular: they work. And in many cases, they work betterthan traditional in‑person classes. Here’s why.
1. No travel, no stress, no barriers
Removing the need to travel opens the door for writers with busy schedules, caring responsibilities, mobility challenges, or long commutes. Learning becomes accessible, not exhausting.
2. A wider, richer community
In-person classes draw from a small geographic area. Online courses bring together writers with different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives — which leads to more dynamic discussions and more interesting work.
3. A more comfortable environment for sharing
Many writers feel more confident sharing their work when they’re in a familiar space. Being at home can reduce anxiety and help people take creative risks.
4. Better access to resources
Screensharing allows tutors to present slides, scripts, examples, and exercises instantly. Writers can screenshot, save, or revisit materials without scrambling for notes.
5. The same personal touch
Live conversation, breakout rooms, group feedback, and face‑to‑face interaction mean the human connection is still at the heart of the learning experience. Nothing is lost — and much is gained.
A New Chapter: Top of the Stack
The evolution of WriteForTheStage’s online programme continues in January with Top of the Stack, a new course designed to help writers develop a polished, submission‑ready script.
Whether you’re aiming for competitions like the opportunities offered on BBC Writers (formerly WritersRoom), or preparing your script to send to theatres or development schemes, this course gives you the structure, accountability, and dramaturgical support to get your work to the top of the reading pile.
Top of the Stack builds on everything that makes online playwriting courses so powerful: live teaching, collaborative discussion, and a community of writers who push each other to grow. It’s the next step for anyone who wants to take their writing seriously — without needing to travel or rearrange their life to do it.
The Future of Playwriting Education Is Accessible, Connected, and Online
Online playwriting courses aren’t a temporary solution or a lesser alternative. They’re a vibrant, effective, and increasingly essential way for writers to learn their craft. They remove barriers, expand communities, and make high‑quality teaching available to anyone with a laptop and a story to tell.
From the early days at The Kings Arms to the global classrooms of today, the heart of WriteForTheStage has stayed the same: real conversations, real craft, and real connection. The only difference is that now, the room is bigger — and everyone has a seat.
If you’re ready to start your writing journey, develop your skills, or finally finish that script, there’s never been a better time to explore what online playwriting courses can offer.
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