Creative Writing in Berlin:
A Practical Guide to the 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers from a writing mentor, published author, and filmmaker based in Kreuzberg
By Matan Tal
Berlin attracts writers the same way it attracts filmmakers and musicians: the promise of time, space, and a city that doesn't judge you for taking your work seriously.
I've been here seven years. I've written narrations, essays, scripts, and fiction from cafés, studios, and a Filmbüro in Kreuzberg. I've mentored writers across Europe and the US — online, in person, and through the Hebrew Writers Roundtable I run in Berlin. I published my first book at age 10.
So when writers ask me about the craft, the city, and the process — I have some answers. Not theory. Not encouragement. Answers.
1. What creative writing workshops are available in Berlin in English?
More than people think.
The Reader Berlin and the Berlin Writers Workshop are the two main institutions. Both run English-language workshops regularly, across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. They've been around for years and have real communities around them.
Beyond that, there are independent teachers — myself included — who offer one-on-one mentorship and small group workshops. These tend to be more personal, more flexible, and less structured around a fixed curriculum.
If you want community and a cohort: the institutions. If you want focused, project-based work on your specific writing: find a mentor.
2. What's the difference between a creative writing workshop and one-on-one mentorship?
A workshop puts you in a room with other writers. You share work, you give and receive feedback, you learn by hearing other people's problems as well as your own. The energy of a group is real and useful.
Mentorship is different. It's about your specific project, your specific blocks, your specific voice. There's no group to hide inside. It's just your work, and someone who has to be honest with you about it.
Most writers need both at different times. Early stages: workshop, for community and direction. When you have a project you're serious about finishing: mentorship.
3. How much does a creative writing workshop or mentor in Berlin cost?
The Reader Berlin and Berlin Writers Workshop charge roughly €200–400 for a 6-week group course.
One-on-one mentorship varies. Online you'll find rates between €25–60 per session. Working directly with an independent mentor in Berlin, expect €40–80 per session depending on experience.
One practical note: many Berlin employers will cover workshops as Weiterbildung — professional development. It's worth asking before you pay out of pocket.
4. Do I need writing experience to join a creative writing workshop in Berlin?
No.
Every workshop I've seen in Berlin explicitly welcomes beginners. The Reader Berlin says it. The Berlin Writers Workshop says it. I say it.
The real question isn't experience. It's commitment. Are you willing to show up, write, and share work that isn't finished yet? That's all that's required.
Experience helps with craft. It doesn't help with courage. And courage is what a workshop actually demands.
5. Can I use Weiterbildung funds to pay for a creative writing workshop in Berlin?
Often yes — and it's underused.
Many Berlin employers have professional development budgets that can cover workshops, courses, and coaching. Creative writing counts, particularly if you frame it as communication, storytelling, or professional writing skills.
Ask your HR department or Betriebsrat before assuming you'll pay out of pocket. Berlin Writers Workshop explicitly mentions this on their site.
6. What's the difference between a writing workshop and a writing course?
A course teaches craft systematically — structure, point of view, dialogue, scene-building. It has a syllabus. You move through it whether or not your specific project demands it.
A workshop is less about teaching and more about feedback. You bring work, other people respond, and you revise. The learning happens through the writing, not through instruction.
Neither is better. They serve different needs. A course is useful if you're building foundational skills. A workshop is useful if you're already writing and need outside eyes.
Mentorship is a third thing: a combination of both, shaped entirely around one writer and one project.
7. How do I find a creative writing mentor or coach in Berlin?
Three honest options.
Online platforms: large platforms, many teachers, read reviews carefully. The quality varies significantly.
Word of mouth: ask writers you respect. Berlin has communities — The Reader, the Berlin Writers Workshop, writing groups on Meetup. Someone always knows someone.
Direct search: a well-written website from a teacher who publishes their own work is usually a good signal. If they write and they teach, they probably know the difference between the two.
The one filter worth applying: do they talk about your writing or about themselves? A good mentor makes your work the center of every conversation.
8. Is there one-on-one creative writing coaching available in Berlin, in person?
Yes — though most coaching moved online during the pandemic and stayed there.
I offer in-person sessions in Berlin-Kreuzberg, which I think matters more than people admit. Sitting across from someone with your manuscript on the table is a different experience than a Zoom call. The accountability is physical. The conversation goes deeper.
That said: online works well for most writers, especially for ongoing sessions between bursts of in-person work.
9. What should I look for in a creative writing teacher?
Someone who writes. Not someone who used to write, or who studied writing academically, but someone actively producing work.
Someone who gives direct feedback. Vague encouragement is easy and useless. "This is interesting" tells you nothing. "This scene loses tension because your character has no stakes" tells you something.
Someone who makes the work the center. Not their methodology, not their credentials, not their philosophy. The work.
And honestly: trust your gut after the first session. You'll know within an hour whether someone is making your writing better or just making you feel better about not finishing it.
10. Are there creative writing workshops in Berlin for non-native English speakers?
Yes — and Berlin is actually an ideal city for this.
The international community here means most workshops are full of non-native speakers writing in English. French, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, German — I've worked with writers in all of these situations.
Writing in your second language is not a disadvantage. Sometimes it forces a precision and simplicity that native speakers have to work hard to find. The distance from the language can be an asset.
What matters is not which language you grew up in. What matters is whether you have something to say and the will to say it clearly.
Working on a writing project in Berlin?
I offer one-on-one writing mentorship in person in Berlin-Kreuzberg and online worldwide — for writers at any stage, in any genre.
I also run small group writing workshops in Berlin, capped at 8 participants.
→ Find out more about working with me
About the Author
Matan Tal — Film Essayist & Filmmaker
I have written this guide to clarify the art life in Berlin, based on my experience, teaching, and practice in independent cinema.