Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown teaching free writing class during lockdown

Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh was swamped by tourists after becoming the setting of Brown's Da Vinci Code novel. Photo / Getty Images

"Everyone has a book in them," goes the old adage. With "lockdown" or some form of travel restrictions issued to 2.6 billion people worldwide, all those extra hours inside might be the perfect time to let that book out on the page. It would make quite a library.

To help you realise this goal novelist Dan Brown, is offering free writing courses online.

The Da Vinci Code author is responsible for seven thrillers in two decades and knows how to keep readers hanging on every word.

What better teacher could you ask for to overcome the first bout of writer's block than this prolific paperback novelist. Dan Brown has turned out words at an impressive 190 pages a year since 1998.

As for armchair travel, few writers have helped boost interest in mysterious tourist destinations quite like Brown's Robert Langdon novels.

Rosslyn Chapel in Edinburgh saw a surge in visitors since the publication of the 2003 Da Vinci Code. His books about travel and unravelling the mysteries of romantic settings such as Seville and Paris, are just the kind of armchair travel we need right now. There are certainly enough pages to keep you occupied.

The masterclass will be broadcast at midday tomorrow, 16th April, with Brown answering live questions from the audience on writing a page-turner.

Author Dan Brown has put out books at an impressive rate since 1998. Photo / Supplied

The video lecture will cover thriller writing, a toolkit for suspense and lessons in disciplining your writing habit. Discipline is something we could all do with a masterclass on, three weeks into a national lockdown.

Hosting the free series is the online lecture and learning platform MasterClass. The live series which is being broadcast via Youtube, is part of a "mission to democratise access to the world's best," says David Rogier, the CEO of MasterClass.

If writing isn't your thing, other experts signed up to conduct their own lectures in the series include interior designer Kelly Wearstler and the "Gangster Gardener" Ron Finley.

"The Live sessions are free and across a wide range of topics from scientific thinking to interior design so everyone has a chance to learn from the best," said Rogier in a statement on the Live series.

The series will be available for watch back online on YouTube or at the MasterClass website, but this could be your chance to ask Brown your most burning questions. He will be responding to questions submitted in the live commentary or via the hashtag #MasterClassLive on Twitter.

MasterClass's paid-for subscription usually costs $310, and includes courses in Science from Neil deGrasse Tyson, photography by Annie Leibovitz and cooking form Gordon Ramsey.