Building Stronger Stories
One Writer At a Time
I’m Maxwell Alexander Drake, but my friends and fans call me Drake. Just Drake. I'm like Madonna, only better looking.
I’m an award-winning novelist and screenplay writer, writing instructor, and the guy people call when their story’s on fire and they need answers fast. I don’t come from an ivory tower. My pedigree isn't even good enough to call a pedigree.
I was born on the anvil of hard work and raised in the fires of revision hell.
I’ve cut entire characters, rewritten books from scratch, and wrestled more plot holes before 9 a.m. than most people do in an entire novel.
If there’s a mistake a writer can make, I’ve probably made it—twice—and then taught a class about it.
And here's what I hear from my students time and again:
“Your class is the first time [insert writing topic] has made any sense to me.”
But that’s what I do. I break these incredibly complex topics down and deliver them in ways anybody can understand.
I teach the why behind the rule and how to actually use it.
If you want theory that sounds good but has no teeth, there are other places for that.
If you want to improve as a writer, welcome to DrakeU.
The Drake Difference
(Why This Isn't Just Another Writing Course Site)
I’ve taken more classes on writing than I care to admit. I’ve read the big, expensive craft books. I’ve sat through the “masterclasses.”
And in almost every one, the instructors were wonderful, knowledgeable, confident. Best of all, I left feeling energized. Filled with wonder and excitement by all I’d “learned.”
But do you know what I really learned? I learned that while most of it sounded impressive, when I got home and actually tried to write using all that wonderful knowledge, none of it was usable.
Because while it sounded great, it was mostly abstract gobbledygook that, in practical terms, meant nothing.
DrakeU is different. I don’t teach academic theory that sounds good on paper. I’m a working fantasy author who writes every day. Everything I teach is built for writers who need to get better at their craft today.
It’s why I say at the start of my classes, “I’m going to teach you things today that you’ll be able to use today to become a better writer today.”
You’ll learn practical, actionable skills you can apply right now to make your stories better. No jargon. No fluff. Just hard-won clarity, broken down so you can actually use it.
Start Learning Today
Who is this course for?
My classes are for writers. All of them. Every skill level. Every Genre. And I've helped a lot of writers in my career. Well of 25,000 at this point.
If you’re just starting out, I will give you the tools you’ll use to build a strong foundation from that will put you miles ahead of most writers. I don’t assume you know anything. I walk you through it in plain language, step by step, and show you exactly how to use what you've learned.
If you’re an intermediate writer, I’ll take you deeper. I guarantee you’ll see things in your writing you’ve never noticed before, and you’ll walk away knowing how to fix them. Not just what’s wrong, but why it matters.
If you’re a pro, you probably already know how to make a story work. That’s fine. But a lot of pros are running on instinct and repetition. My classes will show you what’s under the hood. You’ll sharpen what you’re already doing and probably unlearn a few bad habits while you’re at it.
No matter where you are in the journey, if you want to get better, my classes will help you get there.
Start Learning TodayWhat Real Writers Say About Drake
"Having taken classes and seminars with Drake, I appreciate his approach so much. Always positive yet frank, encouraging yet honest, and with a demeanor that makes you want to get better. I highly recommend any interaction you can acquire."
"Weekly critique pods and monthly classes have taken my writing to the next level. Since joining the Writer's Room in 2024, I've self-published three novels and a short story collection. Supportive yet brutally honest, the critique pods create accountability and the opportunity for continuous growth as a writer."
"Finding an excellent coach that aligns with your goals and has the experience to help you build skills quickly is critical in every discipline. Writing is no different. Drake is that coach. He brings decades of experience to his teaching and the results for me have been fantastic. If you need a solid place to start, and immediate results, look no further."
"I've helped about 25,000 writers in my career. I've put out a call for testimonials. I'll add them here when I receive them."
"I am lucky enough to have discovered Drake early in my transition to being a writer. He changed my understanding of what it means to be a writer, and of what I could do. His insight is brilliant, his talent genuine, and his generosity is enormous. We're all even luckier that he created the Writer's Room where we can not only continue to have access to him, but to a culture of people growing up around him that see things he sees, and who freely give their best to each other the way he does.
"Drake is a good teacher for shaking hardened perspectives. Before, some scenes worked for me, some simply didn’t. Now that I see my POV character as the portal through which my reader experiences the story, it makes sense why some scenes popped. Now I write those scenes on purpose."
"I was a decent writer, then I met Drake. With each class and critique group I am learning to be a better writer. Drake’s straightforward and “brutal” advice is what I needed. When other writing groups notice my improving prose, I tell them about Drake and invite them to join us."
"I've helped about 25,000 writers in my career. I've put out a call for testimonials. I'll add them here when I receive them."
Want a taste of DrakeU?
This free sample gives you the first 20 minutes of my most requested class, Show, Don’t Tell. It's the exact lesson you'll find inside the full DrakeU library.
You'll get a front-row seat to how I teach: direct, practical, no fluff, no filler. Just clear, usable advice you can apply right now to improve your writing.
If it lands for you, come inside. This class and so much more is waiting.
Start Learning TodayTo Make You A Better Writer
Writer's Room
What is the Writer’s Room?
The Writer’s Room is where the real work happens.
Yes, the classes here at DrakeU will level up your writing. But the Writer's Room is where I take you further.
Every week, I work directly with writers inside the Writer’s Room—running live critique groups, hands-on workshops, development groups, focused writing sessions, and so much more. You’ll get feedback, be able to ask questions directly to me, test your ideas, and fix the stuff that’s not working.
It’s not just me, either. It’s a full community of serious writers pushing each other to get better. No ego. No empty praise. Just people who care about craft and want to tell better stories.
If the courses teach you how to write, the Writer’s Room is where you do the writing. Where the rubber meets the road.
Learn More
Drake's Brutal Writing Advice Books
Want to level up your storytelling fast? These three books break down the hardest parts of writing with zero fluff and no apologies. Each one tackles a different piece of the craft—theme, narrative, or prose—and gives you practical tools to make your writing better today.
Dynamic Story Creation in Plain English is the big-picture stuff. What is a story? What does the reader actually want from it? How do you build theme, structure, and character into something that hits hard and stays with people? If you’ve ever felt stuck in the fog of “plot” or “structure,” this is your guide out.
Now we zoom in. Better Writing Through Stronger Narrative is about point of view, narration, and the foundations of strong prose. You'll learn how to write cleaner, clearer, more effective sentences, and how to use the right narrator for the job. It’s the difference between passable and powerful.
The Ultimate Guide to Show Don't Tell is the one that kicks your prose in the teeth. Learn how to write immersive, sensory-rich scenes that pull readers all the way in. No vague advice. This is hands-on technique. I’ll show you exactly how to turn bland exposition into vivid, compelling storytelling that lives on the page.
You can grab them individually, or get the full set and hit every level of the craft at once.
Purchase Today
Releasing Your
Inner Dragon
I co-host this weekly writing podcast with fellow author Marie Mullany. Each episode, we tackle one specific piece of the craft—structure, character, pacing, dialogue—and we don’t just talk about what it is, we dig into how to actually use it.
We drop new episodes every Thursday, and we’re now well into our fifth season with over 180 episodes available. That’s a whole lot of deep dives, writer nerdery, and usable insight just waiting to be devoured.
About once a month, we do a live edit too. Writers send in a page, and we work through it in real time. It’s honest, direct, and loaded with craft lessons.
If you like smart conversation about storytelling without the academic fog, give it a listen. You can find Releasing Your Inner Dragon on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.
Watch on YouTubeListen on SpotifyListen on Apple MusicListen on AmazonListen on Buzzsprout
Ready to Improve Your Writing Skills?
If you are satisfied, then please click any of the "Start Learning Today" buttons and register as a DrakeU.com Student.
You'll then be able to browse all the classes I have available and start your journey to become a better, stronger writer.
Topics Covered Are:
Theme
Point of View
Writing Dialogue
Editing Issues
Worldbuilding
Character Development
Writing Action Scenes
And So Much More...
How long will I have access to the courses?
You'll have lifetime access to the classes you purchase. This also includes any future updates made to them.
Do you provide certificates?
Nope. This isn’t that kind of class, and I'm not that type of teacher.
You won’t get a printable badge or a gold star to hang on your wall. What you will get is better prose, stronger scenes, cleaner edits, and real growth you can see on the page.
The proof isn’t in a certificate. It’s in your writing. That’s what matters here.
What if I find this isn't for me?
First off, you should watch the Free Class available above. That's me. That's how I teach. That's what you can expect inside DrakeU. So... you should know what you're getting into long before you hit the "Buy Now" button.
That being said, I'm not out to take advantage of anyone. So...
If you haven’t started the course you purchased, you can request a no-questions-asked refund within 30 days of purchase. Easy.
But I get it. Sometimes Some things just don't click. So, if you have started the course, I’ll honor one refund per customer, as long as the request comes within 10 days of starting the class.
I'm sorry, but I can offer no refunds after that.
Not because I'm trying to be stingy, but because this isn’t a pair of shoes. Once you’ve watched a class, you’ve got the knowledge. You can’t “return” that back to me. And it wouldn’t be fair to the people who pay for access in good faith.
Bottom line:
I stand by my material, and I want you to get real value out of it. If something’s broken or missing, tell me—I’ll fix it. But if you’re here to learn, we think you’ll find it worth every minute.