David Baldacci MasterClass Review: Is It Worth It?

David Baldacci is a very successful author. He is a New York Times bestseller who is very well known for his work writing thrillers. He knows everything there is to know about writing and publishing, as he has published 38 books himself. 

David Baldacci has his own writing MasterClass which aims to help you to publish your novel, it also gives you some support in how to write the novel.

This article will give you a detailed David Baldacci MasterClass review so that you can decide whether it will work for you.

Who Is David Baldacci?

David Baldacci is a very successful author who is known for his bestselling mystery and thriller writing novels. If you’re looking into his MasterClass, then it is likely that you have some idea of who he is. David is best known for his novel Memory Man. 

He started out his career as a lawyer and then proceeded to write novels. In 1996 he published his first novel named Absolute Power. 

Baldacci has sold more than 150 million copies of his book all over the world. He is popular in lots of different countries, and he has had his books published in over 80 different countries.

What Does The MasterClass Entail?

If you take part in David Baldacci MasterClass you should expect to learn a lot about how to write and publish a book. Although David Baldacci teaches mystery, you will learn the following: 

Important aspects of the thriller genre

The ‘writer’s prism’ theory by Baldacci

Coming up with ideas for your novel

Coming up with methods for researching your book

Chapter construction

Writing dialogue and action

How to navigate the publishing world (publishing business)

Who Is This Course Best For?

This course is great for writers who are hoping to complete a novel and get it published. It is for those who want to take their writing career to the next level, and who are serious about writing and publishing novels. 

Pros
Learn lessons from a very successful author
The lessons are detailed and contain examples
Publishing Industry knowledge and research

Cons
Quite fast-paced and can be difficult
Only has experience in the thriller genre

Background Information On MasterClass

MasterClass was founded in 2015 and it is a fantastic online learning platform. The platform contains lots of video lessons, with the total number of lessons reaching 100. 

MasterClass is best known for being taught by lots of different celebrities. This is why it is so popular because you will always be receiving lessons from those who are experts in their fields.

For instance, some of the dramatic writing courses available include learning about Sleep Science by Matthew Walker, or Interior Design by Kelly Wearstler. 

Mystery writing Masterclass courses are a very good idea, and they are great for a lot of people.

However, some people find it quite difficult to learn in the way that the lessons are presented. Let’s have a look at some more details surrounding David Baldacci’s MasterClass and learn some new writing skills

How Is The Course Laid Out?

This MasterClass is 3 hours and 46 minutes long. It is split up into 18 different lessons, each of which is available online. You will also get a 97-page workbook to go through which will help you to understand each lesson.

The course is split up into different sections. These are: 

Introduction And Finding The Idea: Lessons 1 And 2

The MasterClass kicks off with Baldacci going through some of the areas that he will look at throughout the course. These include things like how to find the right pace for your novel, how to find time to write, and how to craft dialogue. 

This chapter also addresses some common doubts that writers have when they are just starting out with writing a novel. It will help you to dispel these doubts.

At this stage of the Masterclass, you will also be introduced to the ‘writer’s prism’. This is Baldacci’s idea that explores the concept of needing to explore the world in a different way as a writer. 

You will learn how to begin your successful novel, understand what your novel needs, and understand the topics that you are hoping to explore in this stage of the MasterClass.

You will be encouraged to take part in an exercise that will help you find the initial ideas for your thriller novel.

Research Methods And Sources: Lessons 3 And 4

The next part of this course is focussed on research techniques.

This involves learning and researching the topics that you are considering creative writing about. You want to have done plenty of research if you want to write an authentic thriller novel.

You will learn in these lessons how you can use research to make you a better writer, how you can choose locations to service your stories, and how to balance creativity and research. 

This section includes lots of close readings of Baldacci’s novels, as he shows you how he has used research to create some success stories like Tony Robbins. This will help you to understand why the research stage is useful and essential to a good novel. 

Constructing Chapter: Lessons 5 And 6

The next stage of the course looks at how to construct chapters in your novel. You will understand how to manage the outline of your story into chapters and allow your story room to evolve and change.

Pacing And Suspence: Lesson 7

This next lesson looks at how to put the traits of a thriller novel into your novel. These are the first steps to writing your book, setting up the plot twists and creating movement in your work.

Creating Characters: Lesson 8 

At this stage of the course, you will learn how to make your characters human. Baldacci works through how to do this by creating character flaws and using characters to drive the story. 

Crafting Dialogue: Lesson 9 

This lesson looks at how you can create and improve your dialogue by using the characters that you have just created.

You will learn the art of making sure that every word has a reason to be there. You will learn through some of the exercises that Baldacci sets out for you in this lesson. 

Writing Action: Lesson 10

This is the section where the real writing begins. You will learn how and why Baldacci likes to write action stories and some tips on how to improve writing action scenes. 

Writing Process: Lesson 11

You will learn how to find the time to write in this lesson, and how to make sure that you dedicate the time to your project.

Baldacci has some great views on this and is very realistic when it comes to writing about other commitments.

He doesn’t believe in setting yourself targets, instead believing that you should just write until you need a rest. 

Lessons 12 to 18

These lessons run through the revision and editing stages, as well as the publishing stages. They are essential when it comes to getting your novel out there.

What To Take Next?

If you are thinking of improving your writing skills further, then we suggest that you also take the following Masterclass courses as well:

Margaret Atwood MasterClass
Malcolm Gladwell Masterclass
Billy Collins Masterclass
Salman Rushdie Masterclass
Aaron Sorkin Masterclass
James Patterson MasterClass

Final Thoughts

David Baldacci’s MasterClass is great for those who are looking to make something of their writing. It will help you with the whole editing process from writing to publishing the novel.