James Patterson Vs Neil Gaiman Vs Margaret Atwood MasterClass: Which is Better?

Authors often feel like God because they create a whole new world based on their life experiences. Watching lines of ink come to life when people read it is fascinating. Nothing makes a writer happier than finding out how the characters they created impact the readers.

So, what’s the secret behind those stories that reel us in and never let go?

I have completed the MasterClass lessons on writing from James Patterson, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood.

Which of the three legends has the best class? Do they succeed in helping the learners complete a novel? James Patterson, Neil Gaiman or Margaret Atwood, who’s writing MasterClass is better? Let’s find out. I am so excited, are you?

Quick Summary: James Patterson Vs Neil Gaiman Vs Margaret Atwood MasterClass

Criteria	James Patterson	Neil Gaiman	Margaret Atwood
Content Quality	4.8	4.7	4.5
Engagement Level	4.6	4.5	4.3
Instructor Expertise	4.8	4.8	4.7
Practicality	4.6	4.6	4.5
Value for Money	4	4	4
Overall Rating	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.4/5

Who are James Patterson, Neil Gaiman, & Margaret Atwood?

James Patterson is a brilliant fiction writer with the Guinness Record for most No.1 New York Times Bestsellers. It is often noted that his books’ pages turn themselves. He is well-known for his collaborative work and willingness to mentor promising new talents. And, he is my favorite. But don’t worry, I won’t let my bias show (at least, I hope so).

Neil Gaiman is a fantastic and versatile writer. Some of his well-known works are Coraline, The Graveyard Book, American Gods, The Sandman series, and Stardust. Gaiman excels at using allusions in his works.

Margaret Atwood is best known for speculative fiction. She contributed to the Future Library Project, as it keeps alive the hope that a hundred years from now book lovers will still be there. Atwood is a significant figure in Contemporary writing and her decades of experience have only made her stories even more fantastic.

Content Comparison

All writing classes have some things in common. However, we are interested in what sets these MasterClasses apart and how they differ in their approach. Which class would suit you best? Will you finally have that first draft of a novel you have been wrestling with for years? What do these master crafters teach to help you become a better writer?

Creating Compelling Characters

Atwood doesn’t believe there is a distinction between character-driven and plot-driven stories. To her, the characters reacting to the events is the story. She provides a helpful character questionnaire to help you understand the characters you create. However, I don’t think it is the best way to understand character needs and wants.

Gaiman has a better take on this. He knows how to play with the characters and make them interact in a way that makes the story deeply interesting. Still, Patterson has the best advice for developing realistic, interesting characters. He understands what the readers want – a character that looks at the world differently. But how do you make such a character relatable? He has some great tips for that, too. 

Dialogue

Neil Gaiman firmly believes dialogue and characters are intricately woven together. After all, you can’t write dialogue without revealing quirks and traits of the characters. He opines ‘listening’ to your characters will help you move forward with the story if you feel stuck. Atwood feels dialogue should be believable and move the plot forward. Patterson shares Atwood’s view but provides more tips to write dialogue that keeps the readers glued to the page.  

Narrative Voice

This is one of the few sections where all three say the same thing: write in whichever point of view/narrative voice that feels right for the story or the scene. You can use multiple POVs if that’s what works best. They recommend you try writing the same scene in different narrative voices to determine which is the best approach.

WorldBuilding

James Patterson doesn’t have much to say here except that you must research a lot. Because if you get something wrong accidentally, you will lose the readers even if what you got wrong was trivial. Atwood explores it a bit more when explaining what speculative fiction is. Her discussion about utopian and dystopian worlds is interesting. However, it is Neil Gaiman who shines here. He has an entire video lesson dedicated to worldbuilding filled with wonderful and practical tips.

Structure

Gaiman doesn’t speak about the story structure in his class. Atwood talks about opening lines, the frustrating middle and endings. But, she doesn’t explain them in depth. The James Patterson MasterClass is the best for understanding the structure and developing an outline. He walks you through each part carefully yet expediently.

Editing

Patterson, Atwood, and Gaiman all agree that you need to power through your first draft before editing/changing what you wrote. They provide different tips for getting it done though. Even the way they look at it differs though all of them think about it positively. A book only gets better with each revised draft. Gaiman cautions against striving for perfection though.

Collaboration, Publishing, and Marketing

Margaret Atwood opines once you finish the novel, that’s it, the rest is up to the publishing and marketing industry. She doesn’t touch upon collaboration. Gaiman discusses collaborating with other artists for his comics and co-writing Good Omens with Terry Pratchett. But doesn’t explore it in detail. He doesn’t talk about publishing and marketing other than to say that we should keep writing once the first novel is sent out (even if it only getting rejected repeatedly).

James Patterson explores collaboration, publishing, and marketing to give us a good grasp on those concepts. He explains what the requisites of a good collaboration are, how the publishing industry works from an author’s point of view, and the marketing nuances involved. He has wonderful advice for getting an agent, picking great titles and book covers, and using the social media to promote your books. 

Teaching Style

James Patterson is funny, to the point, and frank while teaching. His sense of humor and genuine desire to help us bring to life the story we have been aching to tell is endearing. He has a unique way of making us see what the reader would want. 

Neil Gaiman’s open, thought-provoking, and humble teaching approach is enviable. We learn how to write full-length novels, short fiction, and comics; and yet, not once does he make us feel intimidated. On the contrary, we feel like it’s possible to be just as fantastic as him at writing stories.

Margaret Atwood has a dry sense of humor. And, she doesn’t mince words. Her teaching approach is practical, inspiring, and realistic sprinkled with humor. Her guidance hones your ability to look at things differently, which in turn, helps you come up with fabulous ideas. 

Key Takeaways

Each author has something unique to say. But the key takeaways are similar. Here are some of those that stayed with me:

• Write every day; your writing gets better with practice.
• Dialogue needn’t be realistic, but should drive the plot forward.
• Keep things interesting by raising the stakes. Create conflict.
• How the readers feel and react to the story is out of your control.
• Don’t be afraid of editing.

Pros and Cons

All three authors are capable of writing spell-binding stories. However, their MasterClass doesn’t fully reveal the workings of their brains. So, let’s see what each class teaches you best and what detracts from the learning experience.

MasterClass	Pros	Cons
James Patterson	✅ Focus on thriller/suspense. ✅ Great tips for writing an ending that evokes feelings. ✅ Excellent suggestions for keeping the readers on their toes.	❌ Formulaic approach. ❌ Can feel too fast-paced for some learners. ❌ Too much emphasis on commercial success.
Neil Gaiman	✅ Focus on worldbuilding. ✅ Interesting case studies. ✅ Helpful answer to the question of the millennium: where do ideas come from?	❌ The class is too lengthy. ❌ Inconsistent pacing. ❌ Metaphors aren’t everybody’s cup of tea.
Margaret Atwood	✅ Focus on research. ✅ Useful tips for creating characters. ✅ Helps overcome ‘completion fear’.	❌ Lacks depth. ❌ Slow pace. ❌ More theoretical than practical.

Impact on Writing Community

With three marvelous authors sharing their wisdom, techniques, and tricks (albeit in separate classes), MasterClass is truly an excellent resource for aspiring writers. But, what kind of impact did these classes have and what is the extent of such impact? The one thing all three instructors accomplish is to get the learners to start writing without fear. Once the hold fear has on young writers loosens, their creativity flows freely. And, isn’t that everything we need?

Patterson, Gaiman, and Atwood bring their unique perspectives and techniques to the table. Therefore, the classes perfectly complement each other, making up for what is lacking in one class and reinforcing what’s best taught in the other. The result? Learners understand the nuances of the writing process, the struggles that come with writing, and the coping mechanisms to combat them. 

Not everyone can be a successful writer, but that shouldn’t stop you from writing what you love. All three writers help you see that. They provide similar tips to deal with writer’s block. So, most learners leave at the end of the videos with confidence, motivation, and the will to complete their novels. In short, the authors have done the writing community the biggest favor they possibly could.

MasterClass Subscription Cost

You can access all three MasterClass programs (from Patterson, Gaiman, Atwood) and many more useful personal development classes with an active MasterClass membership.

Depending on the number of devices you want to use simultaneously and whether you need the offline mode, you can choose between the three MasterClass subscription plans. The Standard plan costs $120, the Plus plan costs $180, and the Premium plan costs $240. All plans are charged annually.

MasterClass provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, no refund is available for automatic renewals.

Final Verdict: James Patterson Vs Neil Gaiman Vs Margaret Atwood MasterClass

As I keep saying, the classes complement each other and enhance the learning experience. But if you twist my arm, I would pick James Patterson’s class as the best, followed by Neil Gaiman’s and Margaret Atwood’s (precisely in that order). However, it is important to stress that there is no wrong choice here. If you are still unsure whose class to take, just read their novels. See whose style is similar to yours. Learn from them.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long is Neil Gaiman’s MasterClass? 
Gaiman’s Art of Storytelling is 4 hours and 49 minutes long consisting of 19 videos. Some (including me) think trimming the lessons would improve the class. However, most people are not bohtered by the run time (probably because listening to him talk feels good for some reason).

2. Is the Margaret Atwood MasterClass worth it?
It is useful for understanding frame stories, research required for writing accurate novels, and the realities of life as a writer. However, it isn’t the best writing class I have taken.

3. How does James Patterson write so fast?
As he reveals in his MasterClass, Patterson doesn’t battle with scenes that doesn’t feel quite right. He moves on to the next scene or chapter and comes back later to finish the problematic one. Once he completes the first draft, he takes out what he doesn’t like and adds in new things. Not dwelling on the imperfect lines lets him focus on completing the novel and tackle it later with a fresh mind. No wonder he writes so fast.

4. What is the best writing class on MasterClass?
Well, the consensus seems to be that Neil Gaiman’s Art of Storytelling is the best. But, I prefer James Patterson’s and R.L. Stine’s classes.