In a Nutshell
A compact yet deeply insightful MasterClass, Salman Rushdie’s “Storytelling and Writing” distills decades of literary mastery into transformative lessons for fiction writers.
Who is this Course For?
- Aspiring novelists that want structure, character, and voice guidance
- Fans of magical realism/surrealism that are curious about genre‑specific approaches
- Readers turning writers that want to transition from reader to creator
- Writers seeking inspiration that want to learn foundational mindset and motivation
What you will Learn
- Six essential questions to shape your story structure
- Build believable, motivated figures
- Treat place with emotional depth
- Develop your unique prose style
- Turn everyday details into vivid material
- Rewriting habits and feedback strategies
About the Course
This 19-lesson course (≈ 4h 17m total time) offers a rich tour of Rushdie’s creative approach—from the spark of an opening line to the discipline of rewriting. The lessons are thoughtfully ordered: starting with meeting the instructor, then addressing core narrative questions (“whose story?”, “what’s the engine?”), and building structure and character before moving into style and surrealism.
Key lessons include “Determine How to Tell Your Story”, where Salman guides you through six essential foundational questions that act as your narrative engine. In “Setting as a Character”, he encourages writers to approach place with the same depth as character, even suggesting exercises such as describing without adjectives. “Observing the World” teaches you to sharpen your observational reflexes—listening to speech, noticing overlooked details, and capturing sensory input to enrich prose.
The course also dives into “Building a Surrealist Story”, encouraging experimentation with magical realism and letting imagination flourish. Practical elements follow: “Researching the Novel”, “All Writing Is Rewriting”, and “Editing and Feedback”, providing tools to refine, revise, and gain confidence in sharing your work. The final segment includes Salman’s Global Canon and seven writer tips, grounding technical lessons in philosophical and broader literary context.
Students consistently rate the class around 4.7 out of 5 stars, reflecting strong satisfaction with content and delivery.
The Instructor
Salman Rushdie – Booker Prize–winning novelist behind Midnight’s Children and The Satanic Verses, celebrated for his mastery of magical realism and cross‑cultural storytelling
Conclusion
This is a thoughtfully curated, articulate course ideal for novelists in formation or writers looking to inject structure and depth into their stories. Rushdie’s lessons resonate most deeply for those interested in surrealism, strong narrative architecture, and developing an authentic voice. While seasoned writers may find some fundamentals familiar, the personal anecdotes, global perspective, and mindset coaching make this showering with insight.
Recommended for: beginners and intermediate writers; especially those drawn to literary fiction and magical realism.
Master the Art of Storytelling with Salman Rushdie
