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The Writer’s Center offers hundreds of writing workshops and classes every year. Workshops cover all genres and all experience levels. Join us in person and online.

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Practice sharing yourself and your story. Spend an evening practicing and learning about the art of public speaking. This in-person coaching session will give you the opportunity to bring your […]

How to Tell Your Story

Join us for an hour as we discuss and learn different effective methods towards building and developing your story. This workshop is intended to help with all creative projects and […]

Novel Year with Diane Zinna

Complete your novel and prepare for publication! Novel Year is an intensive, advanced workshop geared toward writers with either a draft of a novel ready for revision or a novel […]

Sonnet Crash Course

What is special about the sonnet? Guided by an award-winning and internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, you’ll first read time-honored sonnets to see how and […]

How Poems Begin

“Let us go then, you and I, where the evening is spread out against the sky like a patient etherized upon a table…” Poets and poems are often remembered for […]

Write Like the News

Become concise as news, precise as law. Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that […]

Writing Picture Books II

Learn how to polish your picture book manuscript before submitting to an agent or editor. You’ve drafted your picture book, what’s the next step? Learn to revise and polish your […]

Creating Novel Characters

When writing a novel, we must know our primary characters inside and out. We need to understand their desires, motivations, and frustrations, their histories and their futures. This workshop will focus on the development of authentic characters. Participants will examine character as both autonomous and residing within the context of the other novelistic elements, and we will examine the challenge of creating and integrating these various elements into a cohesive and credible whole. Participants will explore the main character(s) in their novels-in-progress.

Intermediate Novel: The 8 Cs of Novel Writing

Are you serious about writing a novel but struggling? This intermediate course will examine the eight fundamental elements of the novel to help you find the strengths and weaknesses of your work-in-progress. From Concept to Conclusion, we will study the key components of a novel, with generative and evaluative exercises along the way. Written lessons, curated online resources, and targeted exercises (along with instructor and peer feedback) will help guide you as you continue to draft your novel. (Note: This course is a good follow-up to Tammy Greenwood’s Intro to the Novel workshop.)

Getting Your Poetry Published

Expand the audience for your poetry! This intensive one-day workshop will offer all poets—whether they have yet to submit their first poem to a literary journal or are ready to […]

Creative Courage and Self-Care for Writers

Learn how to navigate all phases of the creative process without burning out. As writers, it’s vital that we nurture our creativity through self-care so we can work with our […]

Story Plus Style

This participation and feedback heavy workshop will tackle all elements of your storytelling from top to bottom. Participants will develop two original pieces of writing. Each piece will be workshopped twice: once with a focus on story structure, and then a second time with a focus on prose mechanics. Participants will learn the fundamentals of story structure and prose mechanics, and will also gain a better sense for how story and prose interact to create compelling writing.

From Idea to Script: A Beginner’s Guide to Screenwriting

Discover how to translate your passion for screenwriting into actionable skills. Every week students will build on the foundations of story, structure, character arcs, the do’s and don’ts, industry standards, and the technical side of writing a script until they have a completed short screenplay that will be workshopped during the last weeks of class. We’ll start with one page scripts, build to a three-page script, and finally five to ten page scripts for the final workshop. Please come to class with a few ideas you’d like to use to create a final script.

Foundations of Poetry

Over the course of six weeks, we’ll discuss four key elements of poems: image, sound, form and realization. Students will produce a variety of poems and learn tips for maintaining the practice of writing. Students will have the opportunity to workshop four poems and will receive personalized feedback on their work.

How to Write a Stand-Up Comedy Act

How do comedians come up with ideas? It all starts with finding the funny in your life and turning it into material. Learn how to recognize a premise, extract the humor and hone it into a stand-up act or funny story. We study comedians and styles and work on your unique voice in a fun and supportive class. This is for people who want to go out and try performing or just want to learn how to polish up their writing with wit and humor. No preparation or experience necessary.

Tips for Revision from the Pros!

In this hands-on, active learning workshop, you will learn some of the various ways writers reshape, rethink, and “re-vision” their pieces. We’ll learn about and try out deep cutting, shifting style or point of view, switching up or mixing genres, and more! By the end of class, you’ll have a variety of revision techniques to try out so that you can choose the approach (or approaches) that will inspire you to take your writing forward.

The Muddle in the Middle

This quick-take session focuses on ways to get yourself unstuck when a story’s middle gets thorny, or you lose your way. A relaxed, informative 90 minutes chockful of information from a multi-published author who often has to fight her way out of the middle of a manuscript…and onward to a completed novel. Loads of tips and tricks for you to take away!

Crafting Fiction: Element by Element

By working through basic craft elements of fiction, participants will build a strong foundation for their writing–be it stories or novels. This 7-week workshop will explore craft elements one at a time and ask participants to practice them through in-class exercises. Reading published fiction will also help us understand how writers regularly employ these elements. You’ll also begin to put the elements together as you start a story. You’ll leave the workshop with the tools you need to write wonderful, authentic fiction.

Fiction II: Refine Your Writing Voice

How do you take an early draft and make it publication-ready? Each week, we will read interviews and essays from established writers in order to learn better editing practices to make our own stories stand out. As a group, we will workshop participants’ short stories or novel excerpts (15 pages or fewer). Each writer will leave the workshop with written feedback from the instructor and the group as well as a more established revision plan for this and future works. We will also discuss strategies for submitting our writing to journals, publishers, and agents. Participants should have a piece of fiction 15 pages or fewer ready to submit by the first workshop.

How Create a Compelling Voice

Agents say it all the time. What sells a manuscript? A standout voice. Acquire the tools you need for developing a compelling voice of your own through the study of entertaining published examples, a clear explanation and writing exercises designed to ignite your unique way of expressing yourself. You will enjoy a sense of excitement in this inspiring and instructive workshop as you successfully translate the voice in your head to the page.

Get an Agent for Your Novel

Perfect your story, novel, excerpt, novella, poem, or query letter before trying to find representation or be published

Process Your Process

Do you feel frantic when you write and guilty when you don’t? Then this workshop is for you! In this supportive space, we’ll reflect on our creative insecurities, develop self-care plans, and design realistic writing routines for who we are and where we are in life.

Writing About Mental Illness

Whether you have experienced mental illness personally or have a loved one with mental illness, writing about it can help you process the challenges and inner conflicts while creating powerful narratives that reduce stigma and stereotypes. In the spirit of healing through storytelling, participants will write about how mental illness has directly or indirectly affected their lives. You will learn creative ways to practice self-discovery through writing and turn personal experience into art, and you will come away with two rough drafts in whatever genre you choose. For inspiration, we will read pieces by Elyn Saks, Bassey Ikpi, Mariah Hornbacher, and more. Please note, this is not a replacement for therapy. It’s an opportunity to explore a difficult topic through a creative lens.

The Power of Structure: Fixing your Table of Contents

Join us for an immersive workshop where we’ll guide you through the art of creating a compelling table of contents. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to organize your ideas effectively, create a roadmap for your readers, and ensure your manuscript flows seamlessly from start to finish. Whether you’re working on a novel, a thesis, or any other project, mastering the table of contents is key to captivating your audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to refine your craft and take your writing to new heights.

How to Write a Key Scene

A key scene is an essential building block in any work of fiction. In this session, you’ll learn tips and strategies for making the scene you see in your head come alive on the page so that your reader is compelled to keep turning the pages, rather than turn out the light. Writing exercises will give class members a hands-on feel for how to add texture, dynamism, and drama to a story. The session also provides practical, hands-on guidance about the rewriting process. An added benefit: giving and receiving critical feedback. You’ll come away from the class with the creative muscle memory to write and revise with confidence.

Writers Listening

One of life’s great joys is finding time to listen — whether to the scattered wonders of conversation or to the many voices of the non-human world: birdsongs, wild wind, river’s sweep. In this two-hour workshop we will identify sources for the listener’s delight, and share ways to grow them into poems, songs, and stories. No experience necessary.

Your First (or Next) Novel

Writing a novel takes commitment, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. Learn how to generate a handful of plots to choose from, methods for effectively planning your story, and simple hacks for fine tuning your basic fiction skills. Participants will initiate a flexible writing plan that will keep their writing flowing. This is a great half-day session for the beginning long-form fiction writer, or for the more experienced author in need of a quick strategy brush-up.

Crafting Short Stories

In this workshop, participants will examine the qualities of good writing and good storytelling. After a recap on the constituent elements of short fiction, we will take a fresh look at contemporary and classic stories alike. Each week, writers will craft a new piece and offer feedback to fellow participants. By the course’s end, writers will have workshopped several stories each and revised them with an eye toward publication.

Plotting Your Novel

Whether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels. Using the three-act structure as a map, we will explore the basic components of a novel’s plot.

Facing Your Writing Fears

Not only is writing a lonely process, it can be downright scary. And, when it comes to mustering the courage to share our work with others, fear can turn to terror. In this session we’ll look at understanding what frightens us — and how to get beyond those fears.

Book Marketing on a Budget

You’ve written – or are writing your book – now fight for it! In this workshop we’ll focus on over two dozen book marketing tips, with a close eye on budgets. From book launches, social media, blogging and podcasting, to writing press releases, creating Amazon Author’s pages, and connecting with publicists, we’ll fill your head, and notebook with ideas; over 30 of them! If you think writing a book is exciting, wait until you feel the thrill of professionally promoting it!

Ekphrastic Poetry

Find new ways to enter your drafts and deepen your revisions by writing poems about the visual arts (ekphrastic poems). We’ll read and discuss a variety of ekphrastic poems to inspire your own writing and enhance your craft skills (line, image, repetition, point of view, etc.). You’ll find new ways to access common themes, explore new terrain, and braid two narratives to enrich your poems. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll be encouraged to visit a local gallery/museum and write about an artwork that moves you. Students will read aloud drafts for feedback of general appreciation and using a writer-focused workshop process, we’ll replace opinions and invasive “fix-its” with specific feedback to best serve the poet and support them in revisions. This class is perfect for poets looking to deepen their own creative process, write about art, and enhance their skills with feedback and revision.

Evoking Reader Empathy

Even when a story is skillfully written, it may not be enough to make the reader care. The key lies in the emotional impact your story has on readers — inviting them to not only invest in your characters, but to embark on an emotional journey of their own. We’ll discuss how to avoid cliché and heavy-handed moralizing; determine the most effective balance of internal thought, scene, and underlying tension; and discover how to let an object or image (your father’s watch, a specific place, work of art, etc.) carry the emotional weight of your story. Reading examples and short exercises will give participants the opportunity to experiment with creating empathy on the page.

Creating Backstory & Flashbacks

Every character has a hidden history from before your story starts. Learn how to masterfully weave in details and experiences that enrich your characters and create believable motivation. Novelists, short story authors, and creative nonfiction writers will all benefit from these twin skills. You’ll see your writing grow in sophistication and depth.

Writing Compelling Historical Fiction

Setting your fictional characters in the real time and place your story occurs makes it a vivid read that will draw readers in and keep them turning pages. The first three workshops will teach participants how to access the broad spectrum of information available in person and online in the unique research institutions that exist in the DC area, including the National Archives; the Library of Congress; Federal Records Centers; Federal agencies’ Public Information Offices; Federal and state courts; libraries specializing in Washingtoniana; foreign embassies; and more. During the last two workshops, every student will present their proposed research plan and critique the plans of their classmates, to ensure that their research will focus on the most helpful institutions and the most valuable topics.

Poetry of the Erotic

For many poets, writing poems about sex can feel intimidating and difficult. Yet for as long as there’s been poetry, there have been poems that celebrate the joys, mysteries, and chaos of erotic connection. This workshop offers an opportunity for poets to write their own poems with Eros at the center, as well as read and study poems featuring a wide range of poets of color, and queer and trans poets. In this workshop we’ll ask ourselves questions like: How can poems about sex gesture toward even larger considerations than sex itself? What might we learn from poetic traditions that blend erotic poetry and spiritual poetry? How does Eros locate the body both within itself, while transcending the self? By the end of this workshop, students can expect to leave with new poems and new insights into their own poetic process. Students should plan to come to the first workshop with a favorite poem by another poet, to share with the group.

How to Write a Novel

A practical plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way through the creative process, with an eye on getting a finished book into the hands of potential fans. We’ll discuss how to transform the nub of an idea into a book-length project, populated with interesting characters, a twisty-turny plot, snappy dialogue, and an interesting setting. We’ll also look at strategies for finding an agent and marketing the finished product. You’ll come away from the class with the encouragement to begin and perfect your writing project.

Plant Writing

This workshop is a mix of botanical science and literary explorations of non-fiction forms of writing that focus on ecology and plants. Together, we’ll discuss and practice writing traditions such as garden writing, science communication, and personal essays with a focus on our relationships to plants and land around us.

The Extreme Novelist

Can’t find the time/energy/inspiration to get your novel written? This popular course, developed by the author of the book by the same name, will help you complete a rough draft in just 8 weeks. Students receive the encouraging guidance of professional writing coach Kathryn Johnson. Each author will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn the tricks pros use to create a productive working environment and meet their deadlines, despite life’s distractions. Classes will include accountability and progress reports from each student, troubleshooting discussions, a brief lecture on some aspect of the fiction craft, and the opportunity to submit portions of the work-in-progress to the instructor for individual feedback and guidance. (Note: This is not a work-shopping course. Further information will be sent to registered students, in advance of the first class.)

Finding Subjects that Move and Entertain

Do you have sensibility of a writer, but your subject eludes you? Have you written many pieces but not the story you were born to tell? Does your subject feel too big, too vague, or perhaps too difficult to confront? Uncertain what genre suits your story? Using published examples, writing exercises, lively discussion, and inspiring instruction, this workshop will distill from memory and imagination the story you are meant to write. Perfect for new writers wishing to explore and for more advanced writers seeking fresh inspiration or a new direction to energize their work.

Experimenting with Form

What do immigration forms, censored letters, and dictionary definitions have in common? They’re all ways to tell a story! In this class, we’ll free our imaginations by writing stories, poems, and essays in expected ways. Come take a risk and see what you discover about your craft, your inspiration, and yourself.

Short Story I

Participants will bring in work which to be workshopped by the entire class. This workshop will teach participnats how to edit other’s work, read like a writer, scrutinize sentences, and how to submit to magazines.

Creating Conflict & Tension

It’s often said that without conflict there is no story. Strengthening the conflict in any type of fiction will bump up the tension and turn limp, ordinary fiction into an extraordinary tale that will keep readers turning pages. Whether you choose to write literary fiction, mysteries, family sagas, thrillers, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy or even creative nonfiction—you can learn techniques for drawing readers into your tales through action, dialogue, setting details, and plot twists that make your work stand out from the crowd. Join us and leave with ideas to apply to your stories.

Write Through It: A Generative Workshop on Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are topics often written about in poetry. In this workshop we’ll read poems about loss and use them as prompts to write our own poems about the people/things/places/ideas we’ve lost or are grieving. Expect to write 2-4 new drafts of poems.

UnClogging Your Brain

Prompts will spark memories, characters, and places, turning them into poems, scenes, dialogues, and stories. During ‘UnClogging’ you will likely come up with an ‘idea’ that you feel compelled to expand on, or perhaps be re-inspired to continue an unfinished work later. Find new perspective and confidence!

5 Women Poets

One outstanding poet will be featured in each class, and as we examine their work we will write 3 or 4 of our own poems, for a total of 15-20 poems during the course. We will share our work as we write it, and in the last class will workshop a few of the most promising pieces by each student. The poets we will learn from are Ada Limón, Linda Pastan, Natasha Trethewey, Denise Levertov, and Elizabeth Bishop—they will guide us with new and old forms, metaphor, voice, subject matter, and more. Note: No meeting July 4.

Freedom With Forms

Here’s an opportunity to shed any misconception that received forms are constricting. Inspired by Richard Moore’s “The Rule That Liberates,” we will do brief writing exercises that use the enchantment of meter and rhyme to liberate your deeper imagination. After exploring several traditional forms, we will experiment with creating improvised (nonce) forms. Participants may leave with at least one new draft poem and ideas for creating more.

Vulnerability in Personal Storytelling

Each of us has the power to look at our lived experiences to find meaning and wisdom that we can transform however we want: into art, into lifestyle, into legacy. In this workshop, you will learn how to view creative vulnerability as generosity, and how to offer up your humanity through story as a gift to yourself and others. You will come away from this workshop with perspective on your unique storyteller type and how grasping it can build courage, as well as best practices for taking care of yourself as you do this introspective work. Writers will produce a rough draft of a personal story.

Inspiration Station–A Multi-Genre Workshop

Helpful exercises and prompts can free your imagination and lead you to surprises in your writing. If you’ve already chosen a genre to pursue, this workshop can help you broaden your approach by using techniques from other genres. If you write poems, perhaps you could write poetic fiction. This will be a positive space in a can’t-fail atmosphere. Your writing is greeted with support and (often) applause from your workshop colleagues. Receive generative tips to take with you. You will leave with a finished poem and flash fiction or memoir excerpts—and the fun you had writing them. Bring your favorite writing instruments. If you have a poem or paragraph you love that makes you want to write, bring that too.

Flash: Beyond the Genre Binary

Poetry or prose? Fiction or fact? Narrative or lyric? Flash doesn’t care about your boundaries. Flash crosses borders at will and steals what works. Flash is fixed on the image, stuck in the moment. Flash is a magnifying glass on a sunny day, aimed at a predictably industrious and utterly unsuspecting ant. Flash speaks in multitudinous vernaculars. Flash is literary, queered. During our time together, we’ll read some pieces resplendent in their brevity, talk about what makes them great flash – or not, and spend some time crafting mad flashes of our own.

Plot Like a Pro

You have a great idea for a story. Do you dive in and just begin writing, or start by drafting an outline? Are you a born planner or a writer who loves to discover stories organically (i.e., a pantser)? Understanding how to structure a well-conceived story around a main character and central conflict, while paying attention to pacing, can make the difference between a finished, publishable manuscript and an abandoned work-in-progress. Plotting provides a safety net that never robs the author of the joy of writing, and always reduces revision time. Think you can’t plot? Join us for this course, and we’ll show you how!

Natural Meter Crash Course

Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here’s an opportunity to improve your ear for meter—a major element of poetic prosody—and to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, this one-day workshop includes scansion of well-known poems, writing exercises, and, if you like, close examination of a poem you’ve drafted prior to class. You’ll leave with new insights about improving the auditory qualities of all your poems and prose.

Picture Book Revision Workshop

Bring your completed picture book manuscript to work on as we complete real-time revision that addresses the big picture, plot and character beats, and line by line strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript.

Poetry Writing and Revision

For some poets, the most difficult part of writing is getting to the page. For others, it is the act of revisiting that first draft. This course will help students not only write new work with ease, but also return to those poems with a keen eye towards revision. To start, participants will respond to weekly prompts with a craft focus, based on readings from poets like Ada Limón, Chen Chen, Jericho Brown, and Natalie Diaz. Mid-way through the course, we will shift our focus to revision, reapproaching the poems from earlier weeks. Readings will outline various revision strategies and techniques aimed at giving students new entry points into their work. By the end of the course, students can expect to have written at least 3-6 new poems, with 3 substantial revisions. There will be 1 opportunity to receive feedback from other students and multiple opportunities for feedback from the instructor, but this is not an entirely workshop-style course. Students should have at least one poem in its early draft stages to begin the course.

How To Write, Pitch, and Place Op Eds

Learn from an expert how to format, write, and pitch your opinion. Second only to the Front Page, the OP ED page is read by more readers than any other. In this class you’ll learn how to write an opening paragraph that pulls readers in, what factual sources editors trust (or don’t), the three questions an OP ED editor needs you to answer, how to take down opposing arguments politely, and end your piece to get results. Each session presents important information, from what words constitute an editor’s red flags to what’s in the contract you’ll sign. Each session presents a lecture with specific examples and offers a workshop to let you practice and receive feedback—if you wish it.

My Favorite Things: Writing About Ordinary Objects and Places

Contrary to what you’ve been told, poetry can be accessible and profound by paying attention to the mundane. In this workshop we will write a new poem each meeting based on odes, praise songs, and, yes, our favorite things to arrive at the pleasures and wisdom of poetry.

How to Write Dialogue That Advances Plot, Scene, and Motive

In each session of this workshop, you’ll hear a brief lecture with examples, and be able to practice a particular technique to understand the why and how it’seffective. Participants who wish to read their practice work aloud for quick feedback may do so.

The Complete Playwright

Dig into the full spectrum of playwriting — with workshops on process, form and technique, and group critique sessions that develop your individual approach to writing for performance. Over eight weeks, we’ll explore playwriting in a wide range of forms: from realism and adaptations to immersive theatre, musicals and verbatim plays. In-depth sessions on writing dialogue, crafting character and dramatic world-building will be paired with weekly critique sessions, giving each writer dedicated time to interrogate your ideas and find your unique style. You’ll come away with a full understanding of the playwright’s tools and techniques and new connections with fellow scriptwriters.

Point of View and Narrative Voice

Do the multitude of Point of View options elude you? We will look at everything from the first person point of view to the editorial omniscient, as well as some of the less traditional points of view, to help you choose the best voice to tell your story.

Intro to the Novel

This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss many elements of fiction (dialogue, scene, etc.) but the emphasis will be on discovering the writing process that works best for each writer.

How to Start a Compelling Story

This workshop will teach writers how to capture readers’ and agents’ attention from the very first sentence and keep them turning pages. We will examine the way successful authors of both fiction and nonfiction draw us in, make us care, and create stakes in which we are immediately invested. By the end of this workshop participants will have created their own compelling story start upon which to build.

Creative Spirit: Infusing Your Writing with Energy and Inspiration

Are you struggling to find your voice as a writer? Do you have a story to tell but feel stuck in the creative process? No matter your beliefs, spirituality and open-mindedness can play a critical role in the creative process if we allow it and nurture it. In a safe and supportive space, reintroduce your childlike wonder around creativity so you can write freely, authentically reclaim your power, and uncover your true gifts. In this workshop you will learn to facilitate a concentrated focus and tap into a higher source of inspiration, whether viewed as the highest self, inner wisdom, or any other entity. You will walk away with efficient ways to set intentions for different writing projects, stay in the present, trust your process, set healthy boundaries, and follow signs and intuition. You will have the information necessary to create a sacred space and ritual for your writing practice, motivating you to enrich your content and deepen your message.

How to Write a Lot

You may think you don’t have the time, energy, or inspiration to write because of your hectic lifestyle. Wrong! Learn what Kathryn Johnson’s Extreme Novelists know about organizing their time, establishing a productive writing routine, and getting their stories written. We’ll share methods EN Grads (and many professional writers) use to complete their books in months instead of years, their short stories in mere weeks. Become the dedicated author you’ve always dreamed of being.

Find the Right Agent for You: Submission Package Workshop Class

To get a book published by a traditional publisher, you need an agent. In this class you will learn how to research agents to find the right one for you. After studying sample query letters, you’ll write your own query to be critiqued by your classmates. We will also workshop everyone’s opening pages and discuss topics such as conference pitch sessions, common query mistakes, and agent red-flags. By the end of the workshop, you will be ready to send query submissions to the agents of your choice. (Although you do not need to bring it to class, you should have a completed manuscript you are hoping to publish through traditional publishing.)

Marketing Your Poetry

This workshop will show you easy hacks for promoting your book. With small presses a popular choice for publishing, more writers are looking for ways to market their books when their publishers don’t have the resources. Courtney LeBlanc has published with small presses and have experience with grassroots marketing. She has successfully gotten her books included in festivals, author events, and into bookstores. The tips she will offer are low/no-cost, which is beneficial for writers on a budget.

Fiction II: Revise, Perfect and Submit!

This course aims to help you experience your work objectively, help you polish your work, and give you tools to submit to either literary journals, competitions, or agents. We will workshop, give and receive constructive, concrete feedback, discuss peer submissions, do writing exercises, critique query letters and talk about all things publishing.

Elements of Writing: Sound & Vision

As Rumi once wrote, “I can’t stop pointing to the beauty. Every moment and place says, ‘Put this design in your carpet!” In this exploratory four-week generative workshop, we will engage multidisciplinary modes of creativity to guide inspiration for writing. Using sound and vision as the aperture to ignite the inner dialogue, each week will integrate these mediums to engage a sensory interplay and weave a tapestry for the written word. Within this collaborative expression, we will utilize visual objects and music as the streaming catalysts for our subconscious intellect.

What a Character!

An introduction to the key elements and craft strategies of fiction, with a focus on creating and refining character-based stories (whether short stories or novels).

Persona Poem Crash Course

In the Persona Poem, or Dramatic Monologue, the poet writes in the voice of another real or imagined person—or even an inanimate object. Guided by a widely published author of persona and other poems, you will read and discuss several time-honored examples, then start new ones of your own. You may find unexpected insights, expanding your poetic range in the process.

Troubleshooting Your Fiction

Revision is a dirty word to some writers. But you needn’t fear the challenges of polishing a manuscript before submission and publication. This fast-paced, half-day class focuses on the ten most common mistakes and concerns, often overlooked by authors before they send their story out into the world. Everything you do to your manuscript after the first draft is what makes the difference between a ho-hum story and a powerful tale that lingers in readers’ minds. Join us for a painless look at the major revision issues for fiction.

Poetry Vs. Trauma

Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry, several class writing exercises, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (Note: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.)

Exercises to Improve Your Writing

Not only will you learn from expert feedback in this workshop, you can continue to learn from this workshop even after it’s over. Exercises offered in this workshop are designed for repeated use in your practice at home—including some tailored to jump-start your inspiration.

August 2024

Diy novel revision.

Do you have a finished draft of a novel but don’t know what to do next? This workshop will take you through the revision and editing process step-by-step. From large-picture issues like plot and structure, characterization, etc… to line editing, we will look at what it takes to revise your own novel without the assistance of a professional editor.

How to Write A Grant Proposal

Learn how to write proposals to request grants from funders. This workshop will cover how to research prospective funders, the elements of a good proposal, and how to approach funders. Proposal writing is a practical skill that, applied to those who work or volunteer for non-profit organizations, can be a good source of freelance writing income. Please come to class with a non-profit or project in mind to use as the focus of your research and proposal. By the end of class, you will have a draft of a proposal to use for fundraising. Note: The workshop will meet August 3, 10, and 17. There will be a fourth meeting on September 14 to review your finished proposal.

Ready, Set, Write! A Generative Fiction Workshop

Join this two-hour generative writing session that will help you shake off your inner editor and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). If you’ve been uninspired in your creativity lately, feel like your work could use a jolt, or just want to give yourself dedicated writing time, this session is structured to encourage creativity and playfulness. A range of prompts, short reading selections, and class discussion—along with in-class writing time—will introduce different craft techniques, styles, and approaches that will pump up your inspiration and get the words flowing. By the end of the session, you’ll have the start for 4-5 new story drafts.

Poetic Memoir

Do you want to approach personal memoir in short, manageable high points rather than attempting a long running narrative? Poems can capture the most meaningful moments of your life and evoke their essence in a reader. In this course you’ll begin to learn how to focus on such moments and present them so they illustrate you in your life and imply its arc. You’ll draft one poem after the first session and have a clear sense of how to revise it by the end of the second.

Book Promotion Through Podcasting

Podcasting is one of the easiest ways to get your book and your voice out there, and we’ll not only be looking at how to find good podcasts and get booked on them, we’ll even talk about how to start your own podcast!

Micro Memoirs

Join us to explore the elements of memoir in small manageable bites. We’ll read and discuss Micro Memoirs, also called Flash Memoir, (50-250 words) to inspire your own writing and enhance your storytelling skills. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll write about a variety of incidents, stories, or memories while building specific craft skills (image, metaphor, point of view, rhetorical strategies to address memory “gaps,” and more). In each class there will also be time for students to read their work out loud, to receive specific appreciations. Using a writer-focused workshop process, we’ll replace opinions and invasive “fix-its” with specific answers to their questions to best serve the writer and support them in revision. This class is perfect for poets and prose writers who want to write about their lives or family histories, get out of their writing ruts, and enhance their skills with feedback and revision.

Best Served Cold: Writing Revenge Poems

This generative workshop will review and discuss poems that serve, in some way, a bit of revenge on someone. We’ll then write our own revenge poems, participants can expect to leave with 2-4 new drafts of poems.

Journaling Techniques for Writing Memories

This workshop is about the pursuit of insight through writing personal memories. Whether you currently keep a journal or want to start journaling to nurture a consistent writing practice, in this two-day workshop you will learn journaling techniques that help you recall significant memories and explore the meaning behind those experiences. We will explore how a memoir writer’s journal differs from a regular journal, how to get your memoir journal started, and how to work with your captured memories to create a single storyline.

Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that will transform your writing. The others: write your readers’ language, be positive (to be both clear and upbeat), lay out logically, be consistent, be precise, be concise and choose strong verbs. (Plus a Speak Like the News skill: avoid “uptalk?”) Emulate the vivid news examples you’ll see in this workshop, and you’ll strengthen your writing voice with lively, engaging news style. At 7 sharp, we’ll critique TheWallStreetJournal.com, seeing how to communicate your main point in just a few words. To cover as much ground as possible, we’ll have just a few writing exercises and most of them will take less than a minute each.

September 2024

Crafting your life into story.

Following a tried-and-true formula (“Once upon a time . . . . Then, one day . . .”), you will learn how to identify, begin, and structure an autobiographical story, whether fiction or non-fiction. Participants will finish the workshop with the plots of at least three new autobiographical works, a two-page beginning of a new essay, story, novel, or memoir, or a revised beginning of their work-in-progress. Participants should bring either paper and pen or a writing device.Part 1: Learn how to begin and structure your new work. Part 2 (two weeks later): Workshop the drafts (5 pages max.) of your new work.

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Top 10 Creative Writing Classes (2024): Can These Courses Get You Published?

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

If you want to transform from aspiring writer to published author, you might be thinking maybe a few creative writing classes would help. But with so many classes out there, which ones should you take? After all, if you're like me, you have a limited amount of time and money to invest in your writing.

Which creative writing classes should you take to give you the best chance of accomplishing your writing goals and getting published?

In this post, we're going to review the top creative writing classes so that you can make an informed decision. We'll also talk about the different types of courses, how to evaluate them, and give you tips to get the most out of the ones you choose to take.

But first, let's talk a little about whether creative writing classes actually work, whether they will  really  help you get published.

Should YOU Take a Creative Writing Class? 5 Benefits of Courses

I used to believe that no one could teach you to become a better creative writer. You either were a good writer or you weren't one (of course, I was a good writer, and was going to prove it).

But that changed when I discovered the power of deliberate practice.

At The Write Practice, we believe anyone can become a great writer and get published if you practice writing deliberately, and creative writing classes can be a great way to do that.

Classes provide structure, give you the chance to learn new things, and can help you get the feedback you need to get better. Most of all, they can be great sources of deliberate practice.

Deliberate practice has five components, and creative writing classes can be evaluated based on how they help creative writers practice deliberately.

• Theory and Knowledge . A good creative writing course should provide essential information on various writing techniques, storytelling principles, and literary devices. This knowledge will help students understand the craft of writing better and improve their skills.
• Practice and Process. Learning isn't enough, though. You also have to do the work! Good courses include a clear process that can guide you to achieve your writing goals. This might involve breaking down larger projects into manageable tasks, providing templates or outlines, or offering techniques for overcoming writer's block. Good courses also can hold you accountable so you actually follow through with the process and complete your projects.
• A coach. You need a mentor who can show you the process. A good coach can provide insights, share their own experiences, and offer guidance to help students navigate challenges and improve their skills. Interaction with your coach can also be a source of accountability and direction.
• Feedback. We all need feedback on what's working in our writing and what's not, both from professional editors and writing peers. Good courses should offer opportunities for you to get feedback on your writing, whether through peer review, one-on-one coaching, or group workshops.
• A team . Writing is hard, and you need encouragement and support from a community of people to help you keep going. A course that encourages collaboration, peer support, and networking can help you stay motivated, share ideas, and learn from your fellow writers.

If you practice deliberately, you'll grow. You'll become a better creative writer. You'll accomplish your writing goals, get published, and perhaps even become a professional writer.

That's why we evaluated the creative writing classes reviewed in this guide based on these criteria.

By the way, did you know we have creative writing classes at The Write Practice designed specifically around deliberate practice? Check out our community and see if we can help you transform from aspiring writer into published author. Check out our classes here.

Types of Creative Writing Classes

There are many different types of creative writing classes available to suit your unique preferences, learning styles, budget, and goals.

That's why it's so important to think through what aspects are important to you, and how to accomplish  your  writing goals with the classes available to you and your budget and time constraints.

To help you choose the right class for you (the write  class?), we've created a pdf worksheet 10 Questions to Consider When Choosing a Writing Class . You can download it here and use it as you make your decision for your next writing class. Get the worksheet »

Here are the different types of creative writing classes:

• Online Classes: These classes are conducted virtually and can offer flexibility, allowing you to complete coursework and engage in discussions from the comfort of your home.
• Creative Writing Certificate Classes: These programs typically consist of a series of courses focused on developing your writing skills in various genres and styles. They may be offered online or in-person and result in a certificate upon completion.
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs in creative writing: These programs are intensive, graduate-level programs that provide advanced instruction and mentorship in various writing genres. They usually require a significant time commitment and culminate in a final thesis or project.
• In-Person Classes: These classes are conducted at a physical location, such as a university or writing center, and often provide more opportunities for face-to-face interaction with instructors and peers.
• Low Residency Programs: These programs combine short, intensive on-campus residencies with online coursework, allowing students to maintain their personal and professional commitments while pursuing a degree or certificate in creative writing.
• Self-Guided Classes: These classes often consist of pre-recorded lectures, reading materials, and exercises that you can complete at your own pace, without direct interaction with an instructor or classmates.
• Writing Type-Based Classes: These focus on specific forms, such as fiction writing classes, poetry, screenwriting, or memoir, and are designed to help you develop skills and techniques relevant to that form.
• Genre-Based Classes: These classes explore the conventions, techniques, and structures of specific genres, such as mystery, science fiction, romance, or historical fiction, helping you hone your skills within your chosen genre.

Which of these class types most interest you?   Let us know in the comments!

Of course, there can also be overlap with each of these types. For example, you might take an online fiction writing class that focuses on writing crime short stories, or a low-residency MFA class that's largely online and focuses on memoir.

Each of these types tend to have different cost ranges as well. For example, in-person MFA programs tend to be more costly than online self-guided ones.

However, I will add that just because a class is more expensive or has a larger time commitment doesn't make it better or more effective. For example, in our 100 Day Book program, we work with many writers doing their MFA who despite their advanced curriculum find they need the accountability and support to finish their books. Sometimes a variety of classes can be most effective.

How to Choose the Right Creative Writing Class

When comparing traditional creative writing programs like the University of Oxford and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop with online programs like Gotham Writers Workshop, MasterClass, and community-based programs like GrubStreet, it's essential to consider various factors, including your personal learning style, goals, time commitment, and budget. Here are some points to consider when evaluating these different types of programs:

To help you choose the right class for you (the write class?), we've created a pdf worksheet 10 Questions to Consider When Choosing a Writing Class . You can download it here and use it as you make your decision for your next writing class. Get the worksheet »

• Format: Traditional programs like Oxford and the University of Iowa typically involve attending classes in-person, providing a more immersive and structured experience. Online programs like Gotham Writers Workshop and MasterClass offer greater flexibility, allowing you to work at your own pace and from the comfort of your home.
• Interaction: In-person programs often allow for more interaction with instructors and classmates, which can foster a sense of community, collaboration, and networking opportunities. Online courses may offer limited interaction, depending on the platform and course format.
• Credentials: Traditional programs, particularly those offered by renowned institutions like Oxford and the University of Iowa, carry a certain level of prestige and recognition in the literary world. Completing a well-regarded MFA program can help establish your credibility as a writer. Online and community-based programs may not carry the same weight, but they can still offer valuable instruction and skill development.
• Cost: Traditional programs, especially those at prestigious universities, can be expensive, and may require a significant investment of time and resources. Online and community-based programs like Gotham Writers Workshop, MasterClass, and GrubStreet tend to be more affordable and accessible, making them an attractive option for those on a budget or with limited time.
• Course offerings: Traditional programs may offer a broader range of courses and specialization options, while online and community-based programs may focus on specific genres or writing techniques. Be sure to review the course offerings for each program to ensure they align with your interests and goals.
• Networking and connections: Traditional programs often provide opportunities for networking with professors, visiting writers, and fellow students, which can be valuable for your future career. Online and community-based programs may offer some networking opportunities, but they may be more limited in scope.

Ultimately, the best program for you will depend on your individual needs, goals, and preferences. Take the time to research each option thoroughly, consider reviews and testimonials, and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, so choose the program that best aligns with your personal objectives and learning style.

Top 10 Creative Writing Classes

The 10 best creative writing classes can vary depending on personal preferences and individual learning styles. However, here is a list of some popular and reputable creative writing classes that have gained recognition for their quality and effectiveness:

1. MasterClass

Some of our favorite authors offer courses on MasterClass, including Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, Aaron Sorkin, Joyce Carol Oates, and Malcolm Gladwell.

We love Masterclasses because each class gives you behind-the-scenes insight into the writing processes and techniques of some of the most successful authors in the world.

We have  lots  to say about Masterclass, more than we have time for here, but you can read our MasterClass review of their best creative writing classes here .

And if you're ready to check them out and sign up, you can do that here .

MasterClass Features:

• Format: Online, subscription based pre-recorded writing classes taught by some of the most successful authors in the world
• Interaction : Limited online interaction
• Credentials : None
• Cost : $180 per year
• Course offerings: behind-the scenes look at the processes of top writers ( view our favorite creative writing MasterClasses )
• Networking and connections: limited

Learn more and sign up here.

2. The University of Iowa Writers' Workshop

This MFA program is one of if not the most prestigious in the world, having produced numerous successful authors, including Flannery O'Connor, John Irving, Marilynne Robinson, Michael Cunningham, and Ann Patchett, among many others.

It offers intensive creative writing courses in fiction and poetry, with an emphasis on peer critique and workshopping, taught by accomplished faculty who focuses mostly on literary writing.

Even better, it is fully funded or close to fully funded, with applicants earning their tuition by teaching or winning a fellowship.

Perhaps that's why it's also one of the most competitive writing programs in the world to get into, admitting fewer than five percent of applicants!

Learn more about the Iowa Writer's Workshop here .

Iowa Writer's Workshop Features:

• Format: In-person residency based MFA program
• Interaction : Highly interactive
• Credentials : Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)
• Cost : fully funded (or close to fully funded) through teaching or fellowship programs
• Course offerings: in depth courses in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction
• Networking and connections: high level of interaction with professors and industry insiders

Learn more and apply here.

3. The University of Oxford

Oxford offers a variety of creative writing classes, both online and on-campus, and both for “credit” or not, as part of their Continuing Education program.

You can take their online classes, sure, but a Summer program in Oxford sounds pretty great, right?

Learn more about the University of Oxford's creative writing classes here.

Oxford Writing Program Features:

• Format:  Online OR In-person classes taught live, some a part-time Masters program
• Interaction : Varies, from low level online classes to high level in-person programs
• Credentials : Varies from non-accredited to Masters degree
• Cost : Varies, from £535 (~$665) for online classes to £11,446 (~$14,200) per year for a two year Masters
• Course offerings: in depth courses in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction ( view courses )

4. The Write Practice

We're biased, of course, but we think The Write Practice's classes are among the best in the world.

Our writing classes use the power of deliberate practice to help transform you from aspiring writer to published author, combining community-based learning (because you learn most from your peers), practical curriculum (because you need to learn through doing), coaching to help hold you accountable, and workshopping opportunities to help you get feedback.

Check out our classes and programs here .

The Write Practice Features:

• Format:  Online classes, taught live and pre-recorded
• Interaction : High-level of interaction and feedback online
• Credentials : Non-accredited (but you will  finish a book by the end of our flagship course, 100 Day Book)
• Cost : $49 / month for unlimited writing classes, $99 / month for classes plus book coaching
• Course offerings:  classes on the writing process, craft, and publishing industry
• Networking and connections: high level of interaction with team and fellow writers

5. Gotham Writers Workshop

This well-regarded writing school offers hundreds of online (and in-person) courses in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and more.

Their faculty is full of usually published and often successful writers, and their courses tend to have a nice balance of theory and practice (although they seem to lean slightly toward theory).

Check out Gotham Writers Workshop here.

Gotham Writers Workshop Features:

• Format:  In-person classes taught live or  Online, a la carte classes, either taught live or pre-recorded
• Interaction : Medium level of interaction, varies by course
• Credentials : Non-accredited
• Cost : varies, usually between $200 to $500 for online classes

6. The Writers' Studio

This writing school was originally founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize winning poet Philip Schultz, and began offering online classes in 2001. Their online and in person creative writing classes are taught with different levels of instruction (e.g. Level 1 Poetry, Level 2 Poetry, etc). Like Gotham Writer's Workshop, they have both an in-person experiences—held in New York City, San Francisco, and Tucson—and online classes.

Their extensive faculty consists mostly of former students of Philip Schultz's classes, ranging from Pushcart nominee Joel Hinman to unpublished authors working on their first novels.

Learn more about The Writers' Studio here.

The Writer's Studio Features:

• Format:  In-person classes taught in New York City, San Fransisco, and Tucson or  Online, a la carte classes taught live
• Interaction : High level of online or offline interaction
• Cost : between $400 to $500 per eight-week class
• Course offerings:  classes on fiction and poetry ( view classes )
• Networking and connections:  varies, but medium level of interaction in online classes and higher level in in-person classes

7. Skillshare Creative Writing Classes

These budget friendly, self-guided, online creative writing classes are from experienced writers and editors and include project-based learning. There's very little interaction (although it's available), but as with Masterclass, the chance to learn from some of the most successful writers in the world is cool.

I also like that they have assignments for each class, which you can post for peer feedback (although the feedback seems quite sparse).

Check out our full review of Skillshare writing classes or sign up for a free trial here .

Skillshare Creative Writing Class Features:

• Format:  Online, subscription based pre-recorded writing classes
• Interaction : Low-level of interaction
• Cost : $19 per month or $99 per year
• Course offerings:  various classes on creative writing, fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry ( view our favorite Skillshare writing classes )
• Networking and connections:  none

8. GrubStreet

This non-profit, Boston-based writing center offers online and in-person classes in various genres and skill levels, including workshops, seminars, and multi-week courses.

Several notable writers have come out of GrubStreet, including New York Times bestselling Jenna Blum, award-winning author Rishi Reddi, and bestselling author Celeste Ng, who was at the center of a controversy featuring GrubStreet around an incident of plagiarism, documented in the New York Times article “ Bad Art Friend ” and subsequent Twitter revelations.

Learn more about GrubStreet here.

GrubStreet Features:

• Format:  Online and in-person (Boston) live seminars and writing classes
• Interaction : Medium to high-level of interaction and feedback
• Cost : $80 for one-day seminars to $600+ for multi-week classes
• Course offerings:  various classes on creative writing, fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry ( view all of GrubStreet's writing classes here )
• Networking and connections:  depends on the class and how involved you get in the community, most (but not all) networking opportunities will be in-person

9. Stanford Continuing Studies

Stanford University's continuing education program offers a variety of online creative writing courses for aspiring writers of all levels.

Learn more about Stanford's classes here.

Stanford Creative Writing Class Features:

• Format:  Online live classes or in-person workshops of less than one month
• Interaction : Medium- to high-level of interaction depending on the course and location
• Credentials : They have an “Online Certificate Program in Novel Writing,” although it's mostly an vanity certificate and wouldn't qualify you for professional advancement
• Cost : $300 to $700 per class
• Course offerings:  various classes on creative writing and publishing ( view all )
• Networking and connections:  Varies depending on the class and format

10. The Kenyon Review Writers Workshop

This annual summer writing program, hosted by the prestigious Kenyon Review literary journal, offers weeklong summer workshops in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, both online and in person. They recently added a winter program as well.

Learn more about The Kenyon Review's program here .

The Kenyon Review Writers Workshop Features:

• Format:  In-person weeklong writing workshop
• Interaction : high-level of interaction, especially at their in-person events
• Cost : $2,395 for in-person summer workshop, $895 for online
• Networking and connections:  high, especially at their in-person workshops

Keep in mind that the “best” course for you will depend on your specific goals, interests, and learning preferences. Be sure to research each option thoroughly and consider any reviews or testimonials to determine which program is the best fit for your needs.

Tips for Making the Most of Creative Writing Classes

These are all great classes and programs. However, even the  best  classes won't work for you if you don't go into them with the right attitude. Here are my best tips to make the most out of the creative writing classes you sign up for.

1. Set Clear Goals

Before starting a creative writing class, set specific goals for what you want to achieve. This could be anything from completing a short story to improving your writing skills. Having a clear goal in mind will help you stay motivated and focused throughout the class.

2. Participate in Class Discussions

Class discussions are a great opportunity to learn from your peers and get feedback on your writing. Be an active participant in these discussions by asking questions, sharing your thoughts, and listening to others. This will help you develop a deeper understanding of the writing process and improve your own writing skills.

3. Give and Receive Feedback

Feedback is an essential part of the creative writing process. Be open to receiving feedback from your classmates and instructors, and be willing to give constructive feedback in return. This will help you identify areas where you can improve your writing and develop a stronger sense of your own writing style.

4. Practice!

Of course  we believe in practice! The more you practice writing, the better you will become. Set aside time each day to write, even if it's just for a few minutes. Try different writing exercises and techniques to help you develop your skills and find your voice as a writer.

By following these tips, you can make the most of your creative writing classes and take your writing to the next level. Remember, writing is a journey, and every step you take along the way is an opportunity to learn and grow as a writer.

Ready to Become a Better Writer?

You  can  become a great writer  if  you practice deliberately. At The Write Practice, we want to help! Check out these resources below and start transforming from aspiring writer to published author today:

Learn more about The Write Practice's Writing Classes Join 100 Day Book: Finally Finish Your Book in this Online Writing Program Top Resources for Writers

How about you? Which creative writing classes have you gotten the most out of?  Let us know in the comments .

Today's post is all about choosing the best class for you. What happens when someone finds themselves in the wrong class? Set your timer for 15 minutes . Write a scene where a character thinks they've signed up for one course, and it turns out that it's not what they expected (in either a positive or a negative way). How will they react? What will they do? Write out the scene.

When your time is up, share your practice in the Pro Practice Workshop here and give feedback to a few other writers. And I hope to see you in class!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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The Writers Studio

The Original School of Creative Writing and Thinking, est. 1987

The Writers Studio New York

IN-PERSON CLASSES

NYC Level 1, 2, and Advanced Poetry classes will be held in person at the Village Community School at 272 West 10th Street in the West Village. Proof of vaccination and masks are required to attend in-person classes.

VIRTUAL CLASSES

For those NYC Level 1 students who prefer a virtual class, there will be a Thursday class held via Google Meet. NYC Level 3/4 and NYC Memoir classes will continue to meet at their scheduled times via Google Meet.

Any NYC classes that meet remotely are open to students from outside of the New York City area.

The Writers Studio, founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Philip Schultz, offers ongoing writing workshops — both on site and online — designed to help students discover and nurture their own voices. We welcome students at all stages, from those who have only dreamed of writing fiction or poetry to those with MFAs hungry for additional serious, ongoing instruction. Students provide the desire to write and the willingness to learn, and we provide the structure, the technical know-how, the professional feedback and the friendly community to enable them to reach their full potential.

Our in-person New York City classes take place in an informal classroom setting in lower Manhattan. We understand how vulnerable students can feel sharing their words with a room full of strangers, so we take care to make everyone feel at home. In just a couple of weeks, a remarkable degree of solidarity and trust tend to develop in each workshop.

In Level 1, the emphasis is on building a solid foundation in craft as students do exercises designed to introduce them to a wide array of new narrative approaches. We also teach students to give constructive, supportive feedback. We work to assure that critiques build on each other, so that students never leave the class with a head full of conflicting reactions and suggestions. As students move up through the levels, the basic structure of the workshops remains the same, but the level of sophistication grows across the board. Assignments become more challenging to meet the increasing skill and understanding of the students. In the upper levels students are generally working on longer pieces, but they continue to do exercises, always honing their skills and deepening their understanding.

All students new to The Writers Studio in New York City start at Level 1. Since we approach teaching with our own method and vocabulary, even experienced writers with publications and/or MFAs will find plenty that is new and challenging in Level 1.

We also encourage our New York City students to take advantage of our other local events: the Craft Class and our ongoing reading series. Each year we showcase the work of favorite literary journals, new and established published authors, and the work of our own students and teachers. Students invite their families and friends to these events, which helps us introduce The Writers Studio to the larger community.

For more information, please call us at (212) 255-7075 or visit us on Facebook .

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The Muse Writers Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your tax-deductible donation will help us continue to grow and serve the Hampton Roads literary community, including offering scholarships and tuition help as well as through our outreach programs to youth, seniors, and the military community.

The Muse Writers Center celebrates creative writing and the literary arts throughout Hampton Roads, Virginia, the nation, and beyond. We offer in-person, online, and hybrid creative writing classes, workshops, and seminars in every genre (fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, songwriting, and comic book writing, as well as craft and professional development) for beginning and experienced writers--whether they be adults, children, or teens. In our Norfolk literary center, we house a library and space for writers to work and meet. We host diverse and culturally relevant literary events, readings, open mics, and special events at The Muse, around the region, and online for every audience. We never turn anyone away from a class because of their financial situation and have provided tuition help and scholarships to more than 4,000 people. Our engaging and creative outreach to youth and schools, senior living communities, and the military community is always expanding.  More about us →

Our Students Say

I think the Muse is brilliant and that Norfolk/Hampton Roads is unbelievably fortunate to have this resource. And that I am beyond fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of it, for which I am incredibly grateful for the Muse’s generosity in allowing me to participate in spite of my current state of very limited income.

Coming around the Muse is the most ‘at home’ I’ve felt in a long time. So glad you all are around.

The Muse keeps me afloat, and is the best community I’ve ever found. Thank you.

The Muse is the place where I can open my mind and let my thoughts out, since I can’t do that anywhere else, like in school. It’s more of a creative place where there are other people like me, and I can share my opinions and views and get feedback as well. I have definitely improved my poetry, and also I have started getting into screenwriting, and the classes give me short story ideas. I want a career as a writer; I aspire to be a professional author and poet.

Thanks for creating an outlet and community for something I’ve always wanted to do. I especially appreciate the rigor that The Muse provides. I’m always impressed by the caliber of the instructors and my fellow students. Keep up the good work!

The Muse is an amazing place and the fact that it is available even when I can’t afford to pay speaks to the true support of writing and all creativity. It is a quality place, and I am learning so much.

Welcome to The Muse!

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Collection: Adult Programs ~ In-person or Online

Our Adult Workshops and Events are an opportunity for writers to explore, learn, and develop their writing skills through specialized lessons and activities. 

Review description details for the workshop or event you are interested in. Specialty Workshops are for ages 13 to adult. In-person or online * Introduction Workshops * Weekly Workshops (Online Only)  * Writing Courses * Grammar Lessons * Package Options * Specialty Workshops * Just Write! Drop-in Sessions * One-on-One Sessions

Write On! Creative Writing Center's Workshops are a time to unleash the imagination and discover the writer within, while developing literacy skills, building confidence, and encouraging creativity.

CALL US TODAY TO REGISTER   ​~  214-915-2155  or  REGISTER ONLINE BY SELECTING OPTIONS BELOW

Adult Writing Course 10 Session Package - In-person Only

Adult writing course individual sessions - in-person only, adult writing course 10 session package - online only, adult writing course individual sessions - online only, intro to write on creative writing workshop for adults, meeting with vicky - one-on-one sessions for novel coaching or creative writing, write on-line weekly writing sessions, just write sessions, the flash weekly workshops package ~ online only, the feature ~ 16 online weekly creative writing workshops online only, the novel weekly workshops for 24 weeks online only, children's book writing for adults intensive workshop, screenwriting specialty workshop, plotting a novel specialty workshop, write on creative writing center gift card, meeting with raul - one-on-one sessions for college entrance, scholarship essay, creative writing, prose and poetry, and finding your writing voice, subscribe to our emails.

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Sackett Street Writers

8,000+ creative writers since 2002 in NYC & ONLINE

In Person Writing Classes

Instructor: Maddie Crum Dates: begins April 2, 2024, meets Tues 7-9pm Location: Park Slope Fee: $700

A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.

Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity.  The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers).  Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates. This class is for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and motivation.

This workshop is open to writers working in all genres, and writers at all levels of skill and experience are welcome to join.

Madeleine Crum  is a writer and editor living in New York by way of Texas. Her recent fiction, narrative nonfiction, and criticism can be found in The Baffler, The Washington Post, Vulture, Vice, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Triangle House, and Joyland Magazine, where she’s an editor for the Northeast section. She teaches writing at The School of the New York Times and Brooklyn College, where she received an MFA in Fiction and the Himan Brown Creative Writing Award.

Instructor: Susie Luo Dates: begins April 10 – meets Wednesday 7-9pm Location: Upper West Side  Fee: $700

A writing sample is required for this class.  Please fill out an application with your contact info and a sample of your writing.

Our Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers who are looking for a community of peers ready to offer insightful, impartial feedback on works in progress. Class time is spent on in-depth discussion of student work and analysis of published writing to inspire and inform.

Writers should have writing and writing class/workshop experience.

Susie Luo is a corporate-escapee turned fiction author. Her debut novel, Paper Names, was published by HarperCollins in May 2023, and was named a Book of the Month Club Pick, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick, and a Reader's Digest Best Book of 2023. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she was an investment banker at Goldman Sachs and an M&A lawyer at a global firm. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell Law School. She lives in New York with her very spirited rescue pup, Delta. She has taught fiction at Columbia's MFA program.

Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity.  The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers).  Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates. This class is for writers looking for inspiration and motivation.

Born and raised in Beijing,  Mengyin Lin  is a Chinese writer living in the US. Mandarin is her mother tongue and she writes in English as her second language. She holds an MFA in Fiction from Brooklyn College where she won the Himan Brown Award and a BFA in Film from New York University. Her work is published or forthcoming in  Ploughshares ,  The New York Times ,  Guernica ,  swamp pink,   Joyland ,  Epiphany ,  Fence ,  Pleiades , and  Best Debut Short Stories 2023 . She is the winner of 2023 Ploughshares   Emerging Writer’s Contest, 2023 swamp pink Fiction Prize, 2023 Pen/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and 2022 Breakout Writers Prize. Her work has been supported by Tin House, Bread Loaf, VCCA, KHN Center for the Arts, Saltonstall Foundation, and more.

Instructor: Xeni Fragakis Dates: begins April 25 | Thurs 7-9pm Location: Brooklyn Heights Fee: $800

A private conference with the instructor is included.

A writing sample is required for this class.  Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample.

Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants will also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction. In-class writing prompts will be used to inspire and motivate students to produce new work.

This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays, and writers should have writing and writing class experience.

Xeni Fragakis earned her Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. There she taught writing and was named an Iowa Arts Scholar. Her work has appeared in the Modern Love section of The New York Times . She is also a storyteller and Moth GrandSlam Champion. Most recently, she was selected to attend the Sewanee Writers’ Conference as a fiction contributor. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, cartoonist Glenn Head.

Instructor: Ly Tran Dates: begins May 23, 2024 | Thurs 8-10pm *no class 7/4* Location: Chelsea Fee: $800

A writing sample is not required but welcome for this class.  Please fill out an application with your contact info.

Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction, and learn to use a full range of literary techniques to tell a compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction. In-class writing prompts are used to inspire and motivate students to produce new work.

This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays.

Ly   Tran  is the author of the memoir,  House of Sticks , chosen as “Best Book of the Year” by NPR and Vogue, and won the New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award. She has been awarded fellowships from MacDowell, Art Omi, Yaddo, and Millay Arts.

Instructor: Beth Morgan Dates: begins May 23, 2023, meets Thurs 7-9pm Location: Park Slope Fee: $525

Instructor: Beth Morgan Dates: begins May 22 – meets Wed 7-9pm Location: Park Slope Class fee: $800

A writing sample is recommended for this class.  Please fill out an application with your contact info and a brief sample of your writing.

Our Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers looking to create a regular practice and master the essentials and are looking for a community of peers ready to offer insightful, impartial feedback on works in progress. Class time is spent on in-depth discussion of student work, and analysis of published writing to inspire and inform.

Writers should have extensive writing and writing class/workshop experience.

Beth   Morgan  is the author of  A Touch of Jen , which she has also adapted for the screen.  A Touch of Jen  was a New York  Times  Editors’ Choice and named a best book of the year by  The Rumpus . Her short fiction has been published in  The Iowa Review ,  The Baffler , and  The Kenyon Review  online.

Instructor: Ted Thompson Dates: begins May 14, 2023, meets Tues 7-9pm *no class wk of 7/2* Location: Carroll Gardens Fee: $1000

A writing sample is required for this class.  Please fill out an application with your contact info and a brief sample of your writing.

Our Master Fiction Workshop is a selective class aimed at writers looking to polish their work for publication. Class is taught by our most experienced advanced fiction instructor whose students have gone on to attend top MFA programs and win prestigious awards. Class time is spent on in-depth discussion of student work and typed feedback from the instructor is included, as well as a private conference.

Ted Thompson  is the author of  The Land of Steady Habits , which was published by Little, Brown and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. The novel was adapted by Nicole Holofcener for a feature film starring Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco and Connie Britton, released in 2017. His short stories have been published in Tin House ,  American Short Fiction ,  One Teen Story  and  Best New American Voices , and he has received fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the MacDowell Colony. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Ted has proudly taught for Sackett for over thirteen years, as well as at Amherst College and in the Brooklyn College MFA program. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.

Instructor: Maddie Crum Dates: begins May 28, 2023, meets Tues 7-9pm Location: Park Slope Fee: $700

Instructor: Sarah Herrington Dates: begins June 3 | Mon 7-9pm Location: Park Slope, Brooklyn Fee: $800

Sarah Herrington  is an essayist, poet, editor and teacher. Her work has appeared in the  New York Times Modern Love ,  Anxiety, Solver Stories  and  OpEd  columns, the  LATimes ,  SFChronicle ,  Tin House,   Slice ,  NYLON ,  Salon,   Los Angeles Review of Books ,  Interview, Entropy,   Vol. 1 Brooklyn,  Poets and Writers  magazine,  Oprah  magazi ne and other publications. She holds an MFA from Lesley University, is currently a Goldwater Fellow at New York University, and teaches at Loyola Marymount University.

Instructor: Ted Thompson Dates: begins June 27, 2023, meets Thurs 7-9pm *no class wk of 7/4* Location: Carroll Gardens Fee: $1000

Ted Thompson  is the author of  The Land of Steady Habits , which was published by Little, Brown and was a finalist for the Center for Fiction Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Prize. The novel was adapted by Nicole Holofcener for a feature film starring Ben Mendelsohn, Edie Falco and Connie Britton, released in 2017. His short stories have been published in  Tin House ,  American Short Fiction ,  One Teen Story  and  Best New American Voices , and he has received fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and the MacDowell Colony. A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Ted has proudly taught for Sackett for over thirteen years, as well as at Amherst College and in the Brooklyn College MFA program. He lives in Brooklyn with his family.

Literary Arts

The Multnomah Arts enter offers a variety of writing classes for adults and youth year-round. Our program consists of a variety of genres and topics, allowing students to build skills as they create a body of work. Students take one-day workshops or ten-week classes to explore their written voice. Quarterly public readings of student and faculty work bring our community together to celebrate the written word.

Literary Arts Coordinator: Patrick Browne

Core Writing Classes

MEMOIR Anyone can write a memoir. We all have stories-young and old, rich and poor, famous and not so. Participants will use prompts and other exercises to trigger and unlock their memories in order to zero in on those moments that are both rich and significant. Draw inspiration and craft secrets from other authors and address and put aside the inner critic, so that you may engage your creative process in a safe and encouraging environment.

FICTION Do you have a story to tell? Have you dreamt up characters who you want to know more about? Do you want to use your imagination to create fictional worlds? Whether you have great ideas for stories but no idea how to start, or drafts of stories that don’t feel quite finished, this class is for you. Together we’ll explore how character, language, and narrative structure work in each other’s writing as well as in published works.

CREATIVE NONFICTION The blank page’s potential can intimidate some writers into silence. Bring an empty notebook and be guided through the writing process from its messiest beginnings to a completed story. This genre includes memoir, essay, narrative journalism, interviews, and all other true stories.

POETRY Poetry as a means of expression, exploration, and experience is available to everyone. Take time in class to write poems in response to prompts, prompts, and more prompts, leaning into your imagination and following the impulses of your right brain. Read and respond to one another’s work in this supportive setting, suggesting and sharing revisions.

Past Offerings

The Writer Within

Writing Our Lives as Story

Reading & Writing About Oregon

Poetry Collage

So, You Want to Write a Novel

Writing the Ten-Minute Play

Revision: Getting Beyond I Like It

Writing Your Spiritual Autobiography

Writing Through Loss

Reading & Writing About Nature

Getting Your Work Out There

Being Your Own Publisher

Writing Characters into life

Interviewing for Personal Histories

Writing from Art

Reading Your Work Out Loud

WRITING CLASSES FOR YOUTH

Writing Creative Stories

Writing Poetry

Young Artists Book Camp

Literary Arts Post

The Literary Arts Post was a collaboration with artists: Jerry Harris, woodwork; Greg Wilbur, metalworks; Christine Colasurdo, calligraphy; Nicole Rawlins, copper etching; and Tracy Wolf-Paquin, glass. Poet Kim Stafford contributed the inscription. Thanks to everyone, including the Multnomah Arts Center Association, for this wonderful addition to our community. Visit the Literary Arts Pole monthly to be inspired by new works from MAC faculty, students, and community members.

CREEES Professional Resources Forum

Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Grad Program: MA in Creative Writing in Russian (Moscow)

Application opens February 2019

For fiction/non-fiction writers in Russian.

MA “Creative Writing”  is:

• Practical and theoretical/historical courses, such as  Creative Writing Workshop ,  Storytelling in Different Media ,  Literary Editing , Poetics of Novel and Screenwriting ;
• Unique professors and teachers, among them famous Russian writers, screenwriters and critics –  Marina Stepnova ,  Lyudmila Ulitskaya ,  Lev Danilkin ,  Sergey Gandlevsky  and  Maya Kucherskaya  as well as prominent philologists, authors of academic and non-fiction books  Oleg Lekmanov ,  Ekaterina Lyamina  and  Alexey Vdovin ;
• Participation in open readings, discussions and  literary expeditions ,  publications in students’ projects ;
• International exchange  – lectures and workshops of the leading specialists in Creative Writing, students’ exchange in the best world universities;
•  Help and support in the process of  employment  in various publishing houses, editorials, Mass Media, high schools and universities and PR;
• Creation and participation in  cultural projects ;
• Flexible timetable  enabling students to work while studying.

Our graduates already work in the best publishing houses, universities and schools in Moscow. Their writing is published in the authoritative literary magazines. Their projects (such as prize  “_Litblog”  for the best literary blogger and first Creative Writing Internet resource in Russian  “Mnogobukv” and collections of prose) have gained much attention.

Language of instruction: Russian

You can apply to non-paid place as a foreign student in February. Looking forward to seeing you at Higher School of Economics!

More information about the programme:  https://www.hse.ru/en/ma/litmaster

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8 Best Creative Writing Classes in Chicago

Showing 8 courses that match your search.

Dialogue Workout with Joseph Scapellato

Story Studio Chicago

This one-session course will take you through a rigorous but playful back-to-the-basics study of dialogue in fiction. We’ll review seven basic forms of dialogue, practice “dialogue on a slant,” and consider the distinct phases of a sequence of dialogue within a larger passage.

Website: https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/classes/dialog...

Categories: Book, Fiction, and Short Story

Start date:

March, 2024

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Manuscript CPR: Reviving Dead Work with Kat Falls

In this interactive session, we’ll go over how to see your manuscript with fresh eyes, get to the heart of what’s not working, and come up with strategies to fix it. This workshop is for anyone struggling with a messy draft or looking to revive an abandoned project.

Website: https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/classes/manusc...

Categories: Book, Fiction, Memoir, and Nonfiction

PJ Seminar: A Master Class on Discovering Your Historical Novel with Samantha Silva

Through playful thought experiments/writing exercises you’ll explore tools you already have (and others that will come in handy) to discover the essential story you want to tell, the themes that animate it (and you), and how to bring it all to propulsive life.

Website: https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/classes/pj-sem...

Categories: Book and Fiction

February, 2024

How to Write a Novel

Your story matters. Unlock your potential with daily video lessons from bestselling ghostwriter Tom Bromley, and finish your first draft in just 3 months. Learn more →

How to Get Published

Chicago Writing Workshop

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the Congress Plaza Hotel. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more.

Website: https://chicagowritingworkshop.com/2023/12/03/the-2024-wr...

Categories: Publishing

Let's Just Write! An Uncommon Writers Conference

Chicago Writers Association

Scheduled for March 22-24, 2024, at the Warwick Allerton Hotel in Chicago, this event is a dynamic gathering for aspiring writers. It includes a welcome reception, two days of workshops, panels, pitch sessions, master classes, and more. The conference aims to inspire and educate, covering a range of topics for writers of all levels. Registration includes meals and a banquet dinner, with an option for agent/publisher pitch sessions.

Website: https://cwa12.wildapricot.org/event-5383207

Categories: Fiction, Essay, Poetry, Nonfiction, Short Story, and Book

Business Case Writing Classroom Training

VistaEduTech

This comprehensive course, offered in Chicago, IL by various organizations like Zillionventure America Inc and VistaEdutech, is designed for professionals aiming to enhance their business case writing skills. The training focuses on practical support and face-to-face instruction, ensuring participants can effectively articulate business strategies and visions through compelling written cases. The course is suitable for a range of dates and venues, with a price range of $495 - $795, making it accessible to a diverse group of professionals.

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-case-writing-classr...

Categories: Business

Open all year round

Business Writing with Positive Impact

Training Connection

In this dynamic 1-day workshop, participants will learn the art of impactful business writing. Guided by professional instructors, students will engage in hands-on activities to master writing informative, persuasive, and effective business communications. The workshop concludes with students equipped to craft clear and audience-targeted letters, proposals, and reports.

Website: https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes-near-me/schools/trai...

Business Writing Training

Academy for Professionals

This one-day, face-to-face training session offers a comprehensive overview of business writing. It covers a range of topics from basic writing concepts to creating various business documents. The course is designed for participants of all levels, with no formal prerequisites. Attendees receive a manual with slides, reference materials, and a course completion certificate​​​​​​​​​​.

Website: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/business-writing-1-day-train...

So you’re looking for creative writing classes in Chicago

In the early twentieth century, critic H.L. Mencken made a case in The Nation that Chicago was the “literary capital of the United States of America.” Though many things have changed about this towering city since then, this aspect hasn’t: Chicago has inspired authors for decades, and will continue to do so in the future. So what better way to ride that wave than to take a writing class in Chicago?

This directory of the best writing courses in Chicago is meant to help you locate the right one for yourself.  We’ve included filters for price and genre so that you can quickly sort through the writing classes. And before you commit to any one writing class, consider the following questions:

• Who is the instructor?
• What is the price of the writing course?
• How far away is the writing course in Chicago? Is there a remote alternative?
• How long could the course last?

Got any questions about finding the right writing class in Chicago for you? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] . Good luck!

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