what is creative writing workshop

10 Essential Lessons You’ll Learn in a Creative Writing Workshop

by Melissa Donovan | Jul 11, 2023 | Creative Writing | 9 comments

What can you learn in a creative writing workshop?

When I look back over all my years of formal education, from preschool through college, only a few classes stand out as truly educational in a life-changing way.

In sixth grade, we did a section on space, which fascinated me. I retained a lot of what I learned. Later, I took astronomy and learned even more about the universe. A class on women writers exposed me to a whole world of literature I didn’t know existed. And two writing workshops (poetry and creative writing) put me on the path to becoming a professional writer.

The main difference between a regular class and a workshop is that a workshop is interactive. You work together with your fellow students, critiquing each other’s work, asking questions, and exchanging insights. Whatever you can learn from a single instructor is multiplied by all the knowledge and wisdom you gain by sharing ideas with a roomful of your peers.

What You Can Learn from a Creative Writing Workshop

I only took one creative writing workshop, and I’m sure they are not all equal. At an accredited school, you can usually sit in on the first couple of sessions to see if a class or workshop is right for you before you commit. If you find a good workshop, you’ll reap the benefits:

1. Discover yourself and your path. One day, while sitting in creative writing workshop, I was overcome by the strangest sensation. The best way I can describe it is that I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. It was the moment I knew without a doubt that I would be a writer.

2. Find out what your writing strengths are. The best part about receiving critiques from your peers is that they tell you what you’re doing right, which is reassuring. When you know that your writing skills have a solid foundation, it’s easier to accept that you still have work to do.

3. Accept the weaknesses in your writing. No matter how good your writing is now, there are things you can do to improve it. When ten of your classmates agree that certain elements in your prose need touching up or that you need to hit the grammar books, all you can do is accept it and dig your heels in.

4. Learn to handle critiques of your work. The first few critiques might be a bit rough, but once you see how all the suggestions make your writing better, you’ll start looking forward to them. You’ll learn how to separate yourself from your work, and you’ll be able to not only handle but actually embrace (and look forward to) critiques. This will also prepare you for real-world critics and their reviews.

5. Help others improve their work. When other writers put your suggestions into action or express appreciation for your recommendations and then tell you that your feedback helped them improve their writing, it feels good, especially when the arrangement is reciprocal.

6. Meet people who share your passion. There’s nothing like sitting in a room surrounded by people who are just as excited about writing as you are. It’s not only inspiring, it’s comforting. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to meet like-minded people, some of whom may become lifelong friends, writing partners, or your future writing group.

7. Improve your writing. This, of course, is the main reason most people take a creative writing workshop. The ultimate goal is to become a better writer , and a workshop will definitely do the trick. You’ll also put a lot more effort into everything you write because you know it will be scrutinized, and this builds excellent writing habits .

8. Adopt new writing techniques. Between the instructor and your peers, you’ll discover all kinds of interesting new writing tools and techniques, often simply through the course of discussion as well as through observing everyone’s work.

9. Get access to a mentor. The person running the workshop should be knowledgeable and experienced in the world of writing. Maybe the instructor is a published author, or maybe it’s someone who’s worked as an agent, editor, or publisher. This access to a mentor is priceless. Take advantage of it!

10. Gain experience and get a lot of creative writing practice. This is one of the most valuable benefits of a creative writing workshop. When writers work on their own, they tend to procrastinate, get distracted, and generally don’t finish most of the projects they start. But in a workshop, you’re forced to get it done. This gives you lots of great experience and practice, and it also builds good writing habits.

Thinking About Taking a Creative Writing Workshop?

I definitely recommend taking a creative writing workshop if you can find a good one that suits your schedule, budget, and writing needs. If you’ve already taken a creative writing workshop or class, share your experiences by leaving a comment. Did you learn or gain anything? Would you do it again?

You have spoken along these lines before, Melissa, and this entry is, as all your posts, fascinating and carries a great deal of sense. However, and I know I am repeating myself, I am quite unable to allow others to trample over my work, however poor it is and however noble their (expressed) motives.

I cannot help but think of the vast number of ‘real’ writers, men and women who would not have entertained the thought that writing could be learned, like arithmetic, in a classroom.

I am a poor writer and have come to accept the fact I shall always be a poor writer; it is my belief that some things – like arithmetic – can be ‘brought to heel’ by sheer hatd work, while others, like music, painting and writing, will remain ever beyond the reach of some.

Further, I have seen very promising young tennis players taken up by organisations such as the LTA and coached, every shred of flair and originality brutally ‘ironed out’ of them, and my fear is that, for many of us, attending a writer’s workshop would be a similarly dulling experience.

I also realise, however, that there are those of a temperament to survive – and evn thrive in such conditions. Sadly, I am not one of them.

Again, my thanks for a fascinating and informative blog and may it go on to even greater success, but I think you should make it clear that not everyone who has pretensions of being a writer will see their dream come true.

I believe anyone can become a writer. It starts with believing in yourself. I would add that successful authors demonstrate a range of writing skills. Even a “poor writer” (which you are not) can eke out a career in writing. I’ve seen it done. The only way to be sure you will never succeed is to never try.

Writing can be intended for a wide audience but it’s reason for being is that the writer cannot bear not to write. Whether you are a Eudora Welty, basking in prayers se or an Ethel Jackson whose writing fills notebooks only she has seen, your work has much value

Our local university has leisure learning classes that are workshops. We not only get feedback on our work, but we also learn how to workshop a piece, looking parts of the writing process with a discerning eye. The instructors keep the focus on the work, not the author. It’s so helpful for all the reasons you mentioned, but also to learn how to look constructively at my own work before anyone else ever reads it. Being inspired by fellow writers talking about writing is my favorite part. I’m sorry that opsimath feels that way. Whose to say what’s poor writing or good writing? Of course, some is obvious, and the above comment isn’t bad writing. I found it to be well-crafted and conveyed what the author intended. Not everybody is Stephen King or F.Scott Fitzgerald, and there are some who would argue even they aren’t good writers. I had the fear that I would lose myself in critique, but even in that it’s a good exercise. One of my best lessons is that no matter what others said, it’s still my writing. I can choose to take their advice or not. Workshops are only helpful when the focus is on the work, though. It’s a criitique, not a criticism. I’ve been in bad ones and they can hurt more than help. I got out of them quick.

Yes! Everything you said is spot-on. Your experiences in workshop give all of us reason to feel optimistic about finding good writing workshops and the benefits that we’ll gain from them. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I hope it inspires others to take the plunge and try workshopping for themselves.

You have talked thusly some time recently, Melissa, and this section is, as every one of your posts, interesting and conveys a lot of sense. On the other hand, and I know I am rehashing myself, I am very not able to permit others to trample over my work, however poor it is and however honorable their (communicated) thought processes.

I really want to think about the incomprehensible number of “genuine” essayists, men and ladies who might not have entertained the prospect that written work could be learned, similar to math, in a classroom.

I am a poor essayist and now acknowledge the actuality I should dependably be a poor author; it is my conviction that a few things – like math – can be ‘conveyed to heel’ by sheer hatd work, while others, similar to music, painting and composing, will remain ever past the compass of some.

Further, I have seen extremely encouraging youthful tennis players taken up by associations, for example, the LTA and instructed, each shred of energy and innovation mercilessly ‘resolved’ of them, and my trepidation is that, for a significant number of us, going to an author’s workshop would be an also dulling knowle

Hi Shamit. Receiving feedback and critiques is not the same as people trampling all over your work. A good critique is designed to make your writing better. If you want to be a better writer, you can certainly work toward that. It’s your choice. There are people who have a natural talent for writing. However, great writing requires a lot of different skills (grammar, storytelling, word-craft, etc.). Even the most talented writers will find some area of the craft where they need to learn skills they don’t possess. The idea that writing can’t be learned is simply not true, as evidenced by thousands upon thousands of people who worked hard to learn the craft and then became successful. The myth that talent is a requirement is an unfortunate one.

A writer is someone who writes. However, the object of writing is not necessarily to get published or make a living by writing. Read, for example, the notebooks of Thomas Edison. One of the best writers I knew was my grandmother, who maintained weekly correspondence with seven high school girlfriends for over 50 years.

That’s true, Ann. People write for many reasons and not only for professional purposes.

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Writing Workshop: Can a Writing Workshop Help You Become a Better Writer?

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

How do you write beautiful, award-winning novels, memoirs, and short stories? One tried-and-true way is through a writing workshop, a program with other writers who can give encouragement, feedback, and support as you write, edit, and publish your writing.

But maybe you don't know how to join a writing workshop, can't afford the steep admission fee a masters-level creative writing program costs, or you don't live near one.

That's where an online writing workshop like The Write Practice Pro can help in.

In this post, I’m going to share what a creative writing workshop is and how you can use it to improve your writing habits, get feedback on your creative writing, and go on to publish award-winning writing. Then we’ll talk about how to find a writing workshop, whether online or locally, and how to get the most out of it.

What Is a Creative Writing Workshop?

Writing workshop is a method of guiding people through the creative writing process with a focus on publishing and/or sharing their writing.

The Six Elements of a Writing Workshop

There are six parts to writing workshops:

• Lessons on the creative writing process.
• Structured time to plan your writing piece and brainstorm story ideas
• Structured writing time
• Getting feedback from editors/teachers and other students/writers
• Revision time based on content/grammar/flow
• Publishing or sharing

The Limitations of Most Creative Writing Workshops

In the past, creative writing workshops haven’t been accessible to everyone. Here’s why:

1. Location Dependent

Generally creative writing workshops are done in school settings, from a Masters in Fine Arts (MFA) creative writing program to a middle school creative writing unit.

For example, one of the most famous workshops is the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, which is in Iowa City, Iowa. Hundreds of award-winning novelists and memoirists have either graduated from or taught at this program, including Pulitzer Prize winners Marilyn Robinson, Michael Cunningham, John Cheever, and more.

The problem is if you’re going to participate, you need to be in a specific location, namely Iowa.

Iowa isn’t the only excellent creative writing program (Poets and Writers has a full list of MFA programs ), and there are low-residency programs, where you can go in-person for just a few weeks per semester. But all creative writing programs require you to be in a specific location for at least several weeks and often several years.

If you can’t move your life to Iowa or some other city with a program, that rules out the possibility of improving your writing through this method.

2. High Cost

The average cost at an MFA creative writing workshop for a single class is over $3,300. The total cost can be as low as $27,000 and up to $108,000. That’s a lot!

If you don’t have an extra $50k lying around (and if you do, call me!), participating in a creative writing workshop is probably not possible.

3. Lack of Focus on Publishing

Writers write for readers. One drawback of some creative writing workshops is they spend so much time focusing on writing for other writers, professors, and a handful of university-funded literary magazines that they forget who their real audience is.

Without a strong focus on publishing, a creative writing workshop can get lost in the weeds of craft that sounds good in theory but doesn’t serve readers.

Can Regular People Participate in Creative Writing Workshops? Yes, in 3 Ways

There is huge value to the creative writing workshop process for all writers and aspiring writers, regardless of whether they’re in a formal school setting or not.

The great news is that now anyone can participate in this process and use it to improve their writing and get published.

There are three main ways that people can get involved with creative writing workshops, apart from local school settings:

• Local writing critique groups
• Online writing classes
• Online writing critique groups

Let’s look at two of those, local writing groups and online writing groups.

Pros and Cons of Local Writing Groups and How to Find Them

Local writing groups are groups of people interested in writing who meet regularly (often weekly) to critique each other’s chapters and short stories and talk about the writing process.

Sometimes these groups are filled with amateur writers working on their first books and pieces, but established writers often belong to writers’ groups too.

Famous examples of local writers’ groups include the Inklings , J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis’s writing group in Oxford; the Bloomsbury Group , Virginia Woolf and T.S. Eliot’s group in London; and the more informal Lost Generation , Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s group in Paris.

The benefit of local writers’ groups is that they give you a great chance to build relationships with other writers, and these writing friends can help you with more than just improving your chapters, but also how to get published and how to market your writing.

Here are some ways you can find a local writers’ groups:

• Google for local writing groups in your area
• Ask other writers you know locally if they are part of a group or know of groups
• Create your own

The drawback of local writers’ groups is that these groups only provide one aspect of the creative writing workshop experience: feedback.

Getting good feedback might be a valuable part of becoming a published writer, but it’s certainly not the only part. Structured brainstorming, structured writing time (like deadlines), focusing on revision, publishing opportunities, and even lessons on creative writing are also important parts of growing as a writer.

On top of that, you might not connect with your local group (I never have!). You might not be a good fit in terms of career level, with people either far ahead of you or behind you.

Even worse, what if you don’t live in an area with a local writers’ group at all?

If a local writers’ group isn’t a good solution for you, how can you get the full creative writing workshop experience?

That’s where online creative writing workshops like The Write Practice Pro can help.

How an Online Writing Workshop Like The Write Practice Pro Works

There are several online writing workshops that overcome the hurdles we talked about above. One of the best groups is The Write Practice Pro.

The Write Practice Pro is an online creative writing workshop dedicated to helping you become a better writer, write award-winning books and short stories, and ultimately become a bestselling author.

Here’s how it can help you get the full creative writing workshop experience:

1. Lessons on the creative writing process

At The Write Practice, we believe everyone can become a great writer through deliberate practice, and one of the most important aspects of deliberate practice is solid lessons.

Through The Write Practice Pro, you can get daily writing lessons, writing prompts, and exercises to help you become a better writer. For example, click here for the top 100 creative writing lessons .

We also host regular writing courses , like 100 Day Book , where you can connect with a mentor who will walk you through the process of writing a first draft (or second draft) of a novel, memoir, or non-fiction book.

2. Planning your writing and brainstorming ideas

It can take hundreds of hours to write a book, sometimes even thousands. If you’re going to invest that time into the writing process, you want to make sure that you’re working on the right idea.

That’s why getting feedback on your idea, not just your actual writing, is so important.

In The Write Practice Pro, you can go to the Book Ideas group , share your idea, and get feedback from other writers on whether the idea works or not.

3. Structured writing time

As someone who struggles with structure, one thing I’ve learned is that if I don’t have structured writing time, I will never finish my writing! I’ve written over ten books, but I wouldn’t have finished any of them if I hadn’t leaned into structure.

The best way I know to build structure for writing is to create deadlines that I can actually keep, and in The Write Practice Pro, we have a sacred deadline that the whole community lives by. We call in The Write Practice Pro challenge:

Write one chapter, story, article, or poem per week by Friday at midnight.

If you’re in one of our writing classes, like 100 Day Book or Write to Publish, you follow this deadline. And if you’re in The Write Practice Pro, you follow it too.

Why? Because as writers, we need deadlines. Even more importantly, we need a community that will encourage us to hit the deadline even if we don’t want to.

4. Getting feedback, from editors and other writers

At The Write Practice, we believe everyone can become a great writer through deliberate practice, and one of the most important aspects of deliberate practice is feedback.

To grow as a writer you need feedback both from your peers (other writers) and from experts (an editor or teacher).

Why does feedback work? Because good writing is rewriting. But studies have shown that when you rewrite without feedback, you generally focus on surface-level edits like fixing grammatical errors and typos. However, if you get feedback, you’ll focus on content-level edits, like rewriting a section to make it more readable or restructuring the piece entirely.

The amazing thing that these studies have shown is that peer feedback is almost as effective as professional feedback. So as important as it is to get professional feedback, even feedback from writers at your same level will help you become a better writer.

Below I’ll share how to get peer and professional feedback on your writing on The Write Practice Pro.

How to Get Feedback on The Write Practice Pro

1. Start by going to The Write Practice Pro groups screen . The Write Practice Pro is organized into several different critiquing groups, including a group for short stories and a group for novels.

2. Follow the group for your piece. If you’ve written a short story or writing practice, click “Follow” next to the Writers Workshop: Short Stories group. If you’ve written a chapter of a novel, click “Follow” next to the Writers Workshop: Novels and Books group.

I’m writing a Pirate Story and so I’m going to be sharing in the Short Stories workshop .

3. Click to your group and then copy and paste your piece into the editor. Then click submit and wait for your piece to publish!

I copied and pasted my Pirate Story (from Pirate Ipsum ) into the Short Story Workshop below. Once the story is published, my story will be assigned to other writers and I can start to get feedback.

4. Complete your critiquing. Some groups in The Write Practice Pro, like the Short Story Workshop, pair you with other writers to critique. This is a great way to get to know the work of other writers and make new writer friends. Here’s what a match looks like:

Now, I will follow the links to those three stories, read them, and give feedback to the writer.

Other groups, like the Novel and Books Workshop, allow you to choose whom you will critique.

But all groups ask you to read and give feedback on three other pieces in your group before you can view the critiques on your own story (this requirement expires after fourteen days). That way everyone gets the feedback they need to improve their writing!

There are two ways to give feedback:

• Critique the story as a whole, following our critiquing guidelines and using the Oreo Method .
• Give inline feedback by highlighting text and clicking the comment icon. This is great for spotting typos, grammatical errors, or other inline issues.

After I finish my matched critiques, I will be able to view feedback on my own story.

5. Upgrade for Professional Editor Feedback. If you want a professional critique, click the “Upgrade” button (see screenshot below) and send your story to The Write Pro’s team of Story Grid certified editors for a content-based critique.

I want an editor’s feedback on Pirate Story, so I click the upgrade button. Then I’m taken to a page describing the kind of feedback I’ll receive and the cost, which is 1.5¢ per word.

I can also enter any special area of focus for the critique. After I click submit, a member of The Write Practice Pro’s team will follow up and I will receive my professional critique within one to three weeks.

5. Revisions Based on Content, Grammar, and Readability

After you get feedback, you need to edit your writing and revise it based on content, grammar, and readability.

Often this is the hardest part of the writing process, and I usually have my biggest struggles and moments of self-doubt during the revision process.

However, that’s why it’s so great to have an encouraging community of other writers. When you feel stuck, share your struggles with the community in The Write Practice Pro’s Café group. This is a great way to get tips and encouragement from the community.

6. Publishing or sharing

This is the end goal. As writers, we don’t just write . We share our writing with the world.

The Write Practice Pro makes it easy to publish. Through their partnership with Short Fiction Break literary magazine , you can publish your writing instantly on the website, sharing your writing with the world.

Here’s how it works:

How to Publish Your Writing on Short Fiction Break Literary Magazine

Note: publishing is currently only available for pieces posted in the Short Stories Workshop.

1. After your piece has been thoroughly edited, navigate to your writing piece on The Write Practice Pro . If you can’t find it, go to your profile and find your story in your feed.

When I click on my profile, I can easily find my story in my activity feed.

2. Click the “Publish” button beside the story title. Note that you must complete your three critiques before the “Publish” button will appear.

After you click Publish, a dialogue box will appear, asking if you agree to Short Fiction Break’s publishing guidelines and terms. When you confirm you’re ready to publish, you will see this message with a link to your story:

Here’s the story LIVE on Short Fiction Break:

That was easy! Maybe I should write a real story now!

Will the Writing Workshop Process Help You Become a Better Creative Writer?

So what’s the verdict? Will participating in the Writing Workshop process help your writing?

Yes! Even if you only participate in a local writers’ group and just get feedback, that feedback will help you become a better writer.

Even better, if you enroll in an MFA program or join an online writing workshop like The Write Practice Pro and go through all six steps of the workshopping process, you will become a better writer even faster.

One thing to remember, though: these workshops do not make the writing process easier. In fact, in some ways it will be harder, because you are growing in each step in the writing process.

After all, growth never comes without discomfort.

But if you follow the process and press in to that discomfort, you will become a better writer.

Ready to start the writing workshop process? Join The Write Practice Pro and get started now. Click to join The Write Practice Pro .

What is your favorite part of the writing workshop process? How has being part of a workshop helped you? Let me know in the comments .

Ready to practice the writing workshop process? Here’s a writing prompt to help:

Write about a writing critique group gone wrong. Maybe two of the members are dating and get into a massive fight. Maybe one member can’t take feedback and erupts in anger. Maybe the teacher is secretly gaslighting everyone.

Whatever your writing group gone wrong looks like, write about it for fifteen minutes . When your time is up, participate in the workshopping process by posting your practice in the comments section for feedback. And if you do post, please be sure to give feedback on at least three other pieces.

Happy writing!

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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How to Lead a Creative Writing Workshop

A writing workshop has been described as a class that teaches itself. At their best, they can create an experience that exceeds everyone’s expectations – including the leader’s! Here’s how to give your next workshop the best chance of making that happen.   

As writers who have both attended and conducted writing workshops, we’ve seen firsthand how they can work well – and how they can fall apart. Every writing workshop is unique, and there is no magical formula to ensure success. But there are lots of things you can do to set up the session to have the best chance of generating some truly creative magic.

So much about your workshop’s success depends on the participants and how they work with each other as well as the exercises they are given. Even as the workshop leader, you won’t have complete control over these variables. But you can do your best to provide the right environment, ideas and support for the creative spark to ignite.

Choose a Conducive Venue

Getting the setting for the workshop right, if it’s not already determined as part of another event, is essential. You want a space that’s easy for people to find, with practicalities like parking, accommodations and refreshments covered. At the same time, it needs to be a quiet, self-contained space where you and your fellow creative writers won’t be disturbed.

If you are running the workshop to generate revenue, you may need to factor in costs like venue rental and hiring extra help. Training providers and creative companies will often be willing to rent out an unused meeting room at a reasonable rate, and libraries or even church halls can make good locations, too. So it’s a good idea to ask around before springing for an option that will look very swish, but will erode your profits.

Set Expectations

Give participants a good idea of what to expect before they arrive at the workshop. Let them know that they’ll be asked to write something during the session, and that their writing will be discussed in a nonjudgmental way by the group.

It’s important to communicate this up front, because some writers – however experienced – may be uncomfortable with the idea of writing spontaneously and sharing in a group setting. The writers that gain the most from workshops are likely to be those that are ready to take on a challenge and to push beyond their comfort zones in the hopes of developing their craft.

Lock Down the Practicalities

Inform participants about the length and overall structure of the session. A decent length of time per session is about two hours, typically broken down into an hour of writing followed by another hour of reading and feedback. Make sure the time and location are both clearly communicated beforehand, and that you have confirmation of the number of writers who will be attending.

In terms of numbers, five is probably about the ideal group size for this kind of workshop and timeframe. Many more than that, and there is the risk of running out of time before everyone’s had a chance to receive feedback on their work. Less than four participants, and it can start to feel a bit too intense, and lacking in varied opinions.

People sometimes forget to bring writing materials, too, so make sure you have a stock of spare pens and pads handy.

How to Structure Your Workshop

There are a number of different ways to structure a workshop, but whichever approach you use, don’t brief participants on the specific exercises you intend to give them. It’s vital that they arrive without any preconceptions about what they will try to write.

Warm-up and Rapport

Before starting any exercise, it helps to have a way to break the ice and generate a bit of group rapport, especially as some attendees may be strangers to each other and will understandably feel a little nervous about diving in.

A simple way to do this is to get the group to pair off and chat briefly about why they’ve come to the workshop and what sort of writing they do. Then, you bring everyone back together and ask each person to introduce not themselves, but whomever he or she talked to. Inevitably, the subject of each intro will want to chip in and clarify or supplement a few facts, and in this way people warm up and start interacting more freely.

From there, it’s straight into the exercise section!

The Single-exercise Approach: Pros and Cons

We’ve attended writing workshops where, after a brief introduction, everyone launches straight into a single, hour-long exercise. This approach has both benefits and drawbacks.

The main benefit is that it gives participants the time to attempt something ambitious and unconstrained. It’s comforting to know that you can always abandon your piece if it isn’t working, and still be able to produce something halfway decent by the end of the session.

The drawbacks are that, firstly, you’ve barely taken off your coat and uncapped your pen (or fired up your laptop) and you’re immediately expected to be creative – often the mind can freeze in such situations. Secondly, if you’re not inspired by the exercise you’ve been given, you’re basically stuck. So, this can be quite the risky approach, and we’d advise breaking up the writing part of the workshop into a number of different exercises to take some of the pressure off your participants.

The Multi-exercise Approach

A more common approach in writing workshops is for participants to begin with a short and simple warm-up exercise to get the creative juices flowing. This could be, for example, spending a minute writing down all the sounds they can hear. They could then extend this to imagine themselves in a forest or on a busy street and write down what they think they could hear now that they’ve extended the setting.

Another simple exercise to get people in the writing mood would be to ask them to use a couple hundred words to describe a recent meal, their journey to the workshop, or a room in their house or a view from a window. For an extra challenge, tell them they have to do it without using the word “I.”

These limited and circumscribed exercises can be followed by a more open kind of writing challenge, such as:

• Write a story in which each sentence begins with a different letter of the alphabet
• Write a letter to your younger self
• Think of someone you know well and write a scene from his or her perspective

Other classic workshop exercises require some preparatory work on the leader’s part. You might, for example, provide a list of odd and mismatched words and ask the participants to write a story containing all of them. Or, you might hand around images cut out from a magazine as inspiration for a story. There are lots of other weird and wonderful prompts you could draw on here, too.

The Cumulative Approach

Personally, we prefer to structure writing exercises so that the results flow into one another and contribute to, and help shape, a larger story.

For example, you might start off by inviting participants to select one object out of a variety: a hat, a pair of shoes, an umbrella, a pair of glasses, a walking stick, a wristwatch, etc. They would then be asked to write a paragraph describing their chosen object in detail. In the second exercise, the challenge is to describe the person who owns or regularly uses the object, including that person’s personality and life story. The next task is to describe the person’s relationship with the object – how it was acquired, why it’s important to the owner, how it’s used, how it can be personalized, and how it’s changed its owner.

Finally, after briefly discussing what the participants have developed so far, they are asked to begin a story featuring the person and the object. This could be the origin story of how the two first came in contact, a moment of triumph or pride when the object helped the owner achieve something, a significant event when the object first became important, or a moment of crisis or loss. With this approach, the exercises feed naturally into one other, with each adding to the next, giving writers momentum, so that when it comes to the final exercise, they have fewer doubts about the stories they wish to write.

The Feedback Session: Balancing Praise and Critique

When the writing part of the workshop is over, the leader will invite participants to read out some or all of what they have written. No one should feel compelled to read – although it might be worth gently reminding reluctant participants that a big part of the value of any workshop is the feedback one receives from one’s peers.

The leader usually facilitates the discussion that follows a reading by offering his or her views, which should always be positive and constructive to set the right tone. Everything written in the pressure cooker environment of a workshop is deserving of sincere and wholehearted praise, after all. We praise primarily to show that we understand what the writer intended and can appreciate the work from the writer’s perspective, on his or her terms.

When it comes to the critique part of the workshop, you have to be careful how you express things. Avoid speaking in definitive or objective terms (“this is bad writing”) and refer instead to aspects that didn’t work for you as a reader, or what the writer might expand on, with suggestions of things he or she might do differently or try in the future.

It’s important that the leader doesn’t dominate the feedback session, but also encourages the other participants to give their responses to the readings. The leader’s main role, after offering an informed opinion, is to keep the discussion positive and on-topic, to challenge harsh or unfair criticisms, and to sum up at the end. The leader should also keep an eye on the clock to ensure that discussions don’t run on too long and everyone gets a fair share of feedback time. Once everyone has shared his or her thoughts on the readings, or there is no more time left for the workshop, the leader should bring the session to a close with a few final summarizing remarks.

Watch the Benefits Emerge

Often the real benefit of a workshop will only become apparent after the fact. The exercises, along with the feedback, may have sown the seeds of a potential story, or maybe even a novel. The experience might encourage a participant to work on and improve an aspect of his or her technique. The exercises themselves can be reused or adapted as writing prompts in the future.

In short, no one can be sure exactly what will be gained from a creative writing workshop until jumping in and doing one! The simple act of writing spontaneously and then discussing the results will always throw out surprises, and the leader is likely to learn as much, if not more, than the participants.

About the author

Alex Woolf and Dan Brotzel are co-authors of a new comic novel, Kitten on a Fatberg (Unbound). As a reader of this website, you can pre-order Kitten on a Fatberg for a 10% discount – simply quote promo code KITTEN10.

Alex has written over 100 books for children and adults, published by the likes of OUP, Ladybird, and Heinemann and Watts.

Dan Brotzel

Dan Brotzel is the winner of the latest Riptide Journal short story competition, was runner-up in the 2019 Leicester Writes contest, and was highly commended in the Manchester Writing School competition 2018. Other competition shortlists include Flash500, Sunderland University/Waterstones, To Hull and Back, Wimbledon BookFest, Fish, Dorset Writers Award and Retreat West. He has words in places like Pithead Chapel, Ellipsis, Reflex Fiction, Cabinet of Heed, Bending Genres, The Esthetic Apostle, Spelk, Ginger Collect, and Fiction Pool. His first collection of short stories, Hotel du Jack, will be published early 2020. He is also co-author of a comic novel, Kitten on a Fatberg, now available to pre-order at Unbound (discount code Kitten10).

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The 10 Most Prominent Writers’ Workshops in America

The University of Iowa :

The University of Iowa is home to the most prestigious writers' workshop in the nation. A key factor in that prestige is that the program is one of the oldest, starting nearly three decades before any other writing workshop in the U.S. It was also the first program in the country to offer an MFA in English. Students in the Iowa Writers' Workshop take a small number of classes each semester, the most important of which is a weekly class where students share work and engage in roundtable discussions with teachers and peers to provide constructive criticism and feedback for the author. Having top-notch faculty certainly helps the writing process and in past years the school has boasted literary greats like Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, and John Irving as faculty members. Whatever the secret of its success, the program is doing something right: alumni of the school have won seventeen Pulitzer Prizes, a handful have been Poet Laureates, and dozens more have won other prestigious awards.

Columbia University :

Columbia's creative writing program boasts some pretty impressive alumni, among them J.D. Salinger, Federico Garcia Lorca, Carson McCullers, Eudora Welty, Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, and Allen Ginsberg, though that's hardly a complete list. Surrounded by the sights and sounds of the city, the school is situated amid a living, breathing source of inspiration that has helped many great authors to launch successful careers. Of course, the city alone isn't what helps Columbia's students to produce high-quality work; the rigorous writing workshops it requires of MFA candidates, whether they want to become a screenwriter, novelist, or poet, are likely of greater importance. Through the workshops, students work closely with award-winning faculty and their peers to write, edit, and, hopefully, to create work that makes it into publication, a goal many a Columbia grad has achieved.

Boston University :

When it comes to poetry, few schools can compete with the impressive array of graduates produced by Boston University's writing workshops. Boston University's alumni include poetic greats like Anne Sexton, Sylvia Plath, and George Starbuck and present and past faculty members are prestigious in their own right, like Robert Pinsky, Robert Lowell, and Ha Jin. The program is notoriously intense, critical, and structured, and is designed to get students used to the harsh criticisms they'll face in the real world and help them to build the skills to produce great work. While students will take an assortment of literature courses, the crux of the program are the writing workshops, offered in fiction, poetry, or drama, where most of the writing and critiquing takes place.

Florida State University :

This Tallahassee school offers students the chance to work with Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning professors in intensive workshops. The school may not boast the same high-profile alumni as others on this list, but that's in part because the writing program has seen a near complete reinvention over the past two decades under the leadership of the programs's top-notch professors and dedicated administrators. In 1997, FSU's writer's workshops languished at 37th in the U.S. according to U.S. News and World Report rankings. Today, FSU is ranked among the best places in the nation for writers to hone their skills, and as time goes on, the program will undoubtedly produce some big names in literature as its workshops hone the skills of America's aspiring writers.

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor :

The University of Michigan is among one of the best public universities in the United States, so it should come as no surprise that the school also boasts one of the top writing programs. The MFA program at the university takes two years to complete, much of which is spent in writing workshops and crafting a master's thesis. All students also get a $6,000 stipend for the summer semester that allows them to spend time writing and honing their skills rather than having to worry about working to pay bills and rent. The school's workshops have produced a number of notable writers, with some even winning National Book Awards. Many of Michigan's successful writers have specialized in science fiction and fantasy writing, making it an ideal place for students interested in those genres to hone their skills.

University of California, Irvine :

The UC Irvine programs have some seriously high-profile alumni among their ranks, some of whom produced successful works while students still in the school's MFA program. Michael Chabon's MFA thesis would get him a book deal and he would later go on to win a Pulitzer Prize. Alice Sebold's memoir about her rape began as a writing assignment in her Irvine courses, and would later be published after her graduation. Other notable alumni include Pulitzer winners Robert Ford and Yusef Komunyakaa, with many other grads going on to score book deals and win awards. The high profile of the program allows it to be selective, accepting just 10 to 12 writers into its programs each year, though applications can sometimes number 500 or more. Workshops at UC Irvine aren't just for grad students, however as the school also offers writers' workshops to undergrads who are interested in becoming professional writers.

New York University :

A big part of the prestige of NYU's writers' workshops comes from the professors who guide them, among them E.L. Doctorow, Yusef Komunyakaa, Sharon Olds, and Zadie Smith with elite visiting writers like Jonathan Safran Foer, Charles Simic, and Anne Carson also lending a hand. While prestigious faculty help the workshops at the school stand out, so does progressive coursework and a wide range of specializations that allow students to tailor their writing instruction to their particular goals and styles. To graduate from the program, students must take at least four creative writing workshops and use them to help to produce a creative thesis, either a novel, collection of short stories, or a group of poems. With reading, writing, and editing at the core of the program, many grads go on to produce works that make it into publication.

University of Virginia :

With a 1% acceptance rate, the University of Virginia's creative writing program is one of the most selective in the United States. Its selectiveness, as well as the high esteem both graduates and faculty are held in, have made it one of the most prestigious programs in the U.S. Alumni of the program include Char Harbach and Charles McLoed, both successful fiction writers, though UVA is most famous for its poetry writing workshops, which provide intensive instruction that has helped numerous aspiring writers get their works published. Named by Poets & Writers magazine as the third best school in the nation for getting an MFA in creative writing, UVA takes educating its students seriously, requiring 12 hours of workshopping and 24 hours of research related to the construction of a creative thesis.

University of Wisconsin, Madison :

The MFA program at UW Madison is relatively new, having been started in 2002, though the school had offered other graduate degree studies in English previously. It's unique among many other writing programs because of its alternating admissions, accepting fiction students in odd-numbered years and poets in even-numbered years. Further distinguishing it is that students can take workshops outside of their area of concentration, studying fiction, poetry, nonfiction, playwrighting, and screenwriting as it strikes their interest. This flexibility is perhaps why the school's program is held in such high regard, and has been ranked among the best in the nation for several years running. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have prize-winning faculty, generous financial aid, and a great track record of published alumni either.

University of Texas, Austin :

While not an alum, author James Michener played a major role in shaping the creative writing program at UT Austin. Michener founded the MFA program in writing at the school, which is now named after him, and left the school a generous donation that has enabled it to provide substantial fellowships to admitted students. The result has been the establishment of a prestigious program that allows students to work closely with published authors and their classmates in workshops throughout their three years at the school, focusing on either fiction, poetry, screenwriting, or playwriting with the opportunity to choose a second area of interest as well. Alumni of the school have done well, capturing elite fellowships, prizes, and awards for a wide range of work and the program is consistently ranked as one of the best in the nation for creative writing.

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Creative Writing Workshops & Camps

Writopia Lab is a national community of teen and young writers and thinkers.

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In addition to running workshops at our labs, we work with community-based organizations, the NY Public Library, Homes for the Homeless, and public and private schools across the country.

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“My son’s instructor perfectly understands his strengths and weaknesses. Indeed, they work amazingly together: she is helping Markian blend in with the other classmates, build his confidence in expressing his thoughts from a structural standpoint and encouraging him to productively put ideas on paper line after line. Everyone is enjoying this class and the time just flies by… Thank you!” Lilya

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"My son has never liked writing before but after taking Writopia’s private workshops, I find him writing on his own! From poetry to fantasy to non-fiction, he looks forward to every session!" Megan Hahn, Writopia Parent

Thank you so much for the kind feedback about Jeeya. This was her first experience with debate and she had no clue how an actual debate is conducted until the first debate on electoral college and she definitely has a better understanding of it. This class is the highlight of her week and she has taken immense interest in the actual elections because of the debate Classes. We will definitely be signing up for the winter sessions. Vidhi B., Parent

The hallmark of a productive debate is not persuasion, but insight. In a good argument, you're as motivated to learn as to convince. You can declare victory when everyone involved has deepened their understanding, broadened their knowledge, or evolved their thinking. Adam Grant, Author

We can not express enough gratitude for having the opportunity to engage with such a diverse and fun group of debaters across the globe. You gave us a magical night, and our kids now already exhibit a transformational attitude towards debate. We just want to say a big thank you for everything you have done! Many thanks. Tiffany Lee, Founder of Wit and Wisdom Academy, Taiwan

My daughter worked with Writopia for her Common App essay and it was an absolutely wonderful experience. She benefitted immensely from the individual work with her Writopia instructor who made her feel valued and confident. As a result, my daughter was able to write an essay that clearly communicated who she is both as a student and a person. Our only mistake was not starting to work with Writopia earlier. Karen - Writopia Parent

The staff from Writopia created a personalized, genuine writing experience for our students. They patiently guided students through the anxieties surrounding college admission essays, validated students' experiences, and motivated them to turn those experiences into eloquent, personal statements. The students walked away feeling confident about the essay writing process, and so did I. I highly recommend their services! Chano LaBoy - Director, College Bound - Chess in the Schools

Our teen is thoroughly enjoying Writopia, and we are seeing it translate into better work at his school. His teachers are commenting on how good his writing is this year, and he seems to be much more confident in his abilities... so thank you! Mother of 13-year-old

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2024 News and Announcements

Check out the list of recognition and publications earned by our students and staff this year!

School Year Enrollment is Open

Politics and Pens

Write legislation, arguments, and speeches for a fictional scenario, participate in a mock session of Congress, and meet a real elected official!

July 15th to 19th, 2024 (UWS)

Connecting Across Cultures Book

A Collection of Writing by Ten Jewish and Muslim American Teens.

The culminating anthology of pieces written in our Connecting Across Cultures program.

Workshops for Kids 4-6

Language Play is an innovative program designed to inspire and enhance your 4- to 6-year-old's imagination and language usage in a fun, interactive environment.

Workshops offered this summer at our Upper West Side lab.

"Loved Your Essay" Second Edition

We've added nine new essays to our collection of the most fiercely individualistic college essays from Writopians, available on Amazon!

Playwriting & Performance Summer Camp

In the morning, playwrights develop new plays or musicals. In the afternoon, they dive into the world of performance, culminating in a live showcase of their one-act plays.

Upper West Side

Monday, July 29th to Friday, August 2nd, 2024

Sports Writing

New Summer Program: Sports Writing! Explore every form of sports writing, from reviews and features to op-eds and personal essays.

July 22nd to 26th, 2024 (Online)

BOOKed for the Summer

Dedicate time this summer to reading! In this workshop we'll read, discuss, and write about everything from short stories to poems, screenplays, and more!

July 22nd to 26th (UWS & DC) July 29th to August 2nd (Online)

Teen Open Mics in NYC

Teen writers are welcome to share their poetry, songs, or short prose on stage within a supportive environment of Writopia educators and peers.

Saturday, July 13th, 2024

27 Writing Workshops You'll Love

Writing workshops are one of the best ways to fine-tune your writing and reach your highest potential. 

Do you want to finish your novel? Write a memoir? Get into writing poetry for the first time? A writing workshop can help you achieve your unique goal.

Choosing the right writing workshop for you can be challenging. There are a lot out there and each of them address different kinds of writing in their own unique ways. Today, I will help you find the best option for you—and luckily it all boils down to two questions!

First, what kind of writing workshop do you want to do?

Poetry? Non-fiction? A super cool sci-fi novel set in space in the year 2400? Regardless of your writing goals, there is always a workshop for you! Today, I’ll be highlighting workshops for an assortment of writing types:

• Workshops for beginners
• Novel writing
• Fiction writing
• Nonfiction writing
• Blog writing
• Poetry writing
• Memoir writing
• Playwriting
• Screenwriting

Second, what is your goal?

Having a clear goal is a great way to get the most out of the writing workshop (or workshops!) you choose. It allows you to consume the course content in a way that prioritizes what you want to accomplish while still getting the most out of the course itself. 

Additionally, if your chosen course happens to include one-on-one discussions with an instructor, a specific goal can help them navigate you in the right direction.

As long as you know your genre and have a particular goal in mind, choosing the writing workshop that works best for you can be super simple! 

Now, onto the fun part—choosing a writing workshop! As previously mentioned, they are all organized by genre—from workshops for beginners to workshops on fiction writing, there is something here for everybody. 

Even if you don’t see something that fits exactly what you’re looking for (hey, you’re allowed to be picky!) most of the people that host these workshops have other opportunities for writers that may not be listed here, so don’t be afraid to take a look around these websites and see what you can find!

I’ve put 3 Stars next to courses I’ve either done myself or have friends who’ve taken them so can highly recommend them.

The teal titles are links, but these are not affiliate links – just regular links to help you find the best writing workshops for you and your writing goals. Happy writing!

Writing Workshops For Beginners

Firefly creative writing “begin here” workshop ***.

This writing workshop by Firefly Creative Writing is an excellent choice for new writers who aren’t ready for intense critique or strict guidelines. Instead, the “Begin Here” workshop inspires you and focuses on your writing voice. You’ll finish this writing workshop with confidence in yourself and your writing!

Writer’s Digest University “Creative Writing 101” Workshop

The “Creative Writing 101” workshop by Writer’s Digest University is great for writers who know what they want to do, but don’t know where to start. In this writing workshop, you’ll learn the essentials and get excellent help in achieving your goals!

Novel Writing Workshops

Stay motivated story intensive with traci skuce ***.

Are you writing a novel and feel stuck or lost? Are there complications you’re struggling with, hills you can’t quite climb? Then this course is an excellent choice for you. You’ll get the support you need to finish your project and the course even includes a lifetime membership to Traci Skuce’s Freewrite Community, plus some other goodies as well!

How to Write Your Novel, with Emma Dhesi ***

Writing a novel is, without a doubt, incredibly difficult. This writing course by Emma Dhesi makes that journey easier. Through modules, videos, and other files, it focuses on aligning your personal life and writing life in a productive manner so you can finally finish that novel you’ve been thinking about!

The Book Incubator with Mary Adkins ***

This 12-month writing program by Mary Adkins will leave you with an amazing novel that you’ll be proud of. You’ll be taught how to write, edit, and pitch your novel by a published author who has helped so many novels come to life!

Other Fiction Writing Workshops

Firefly creative writing “the fiction workshop” ***.

If you want to make some amazing progress on your fiction work, then this workshop is perfect for you. You’ll flourish creatively and end the workshop with an abundance of ideas and workshopped pieces. 

Sarah Selecky Writing School “The Story Course” ***

This writing course is perfect for those who want a self-paced environment that helps you flourish creatively and focus on your fiction work. You’ll end the program with a first draft you’re proud of, new writing abilities you can use for future projects, and so much more! 

Gotham Writers Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Classes

Remember that super cool sci-fi novel set in space in the year 2400 that I mentioned? This writing workshop is perfect for that. Much like the previous Gotham Writers class I mentioned, this option includes two 10-week levels—and it also includes intensives if the 10-week classes don’t align with your schedule. 

Non-fiction Writing Workshops

Gotham writers nonfiction book proposal classes.

This 4-week seminar from Gotham Writers focuses on helping you sell your nonfiction book to a publisher. Most nonfiction books are sold to publishing houses via proposals, so this workshop focuses on those proposals instead of the nonfiction work itself. It’s still a very important part of the publishing process, so definitely take a look!

Not ready to propose your nonfiction book yet? Want to focus on making your nonfiction book the best it can be? No problem! The Stay Motivated Story Intensive by Traci Skuce is perfect for nonfiction work as well as novels. It’s a win-win!

Blog Writing Workshops

Myblogschool’s “find your blogging spark” workshop ***.

This self-directed course by author and long-time blogger, Kerry Clare, is perfect for bloggers anywhere on the spectrum of experience! Whether you’re a beginner or have years of blogging behind you, this writing workshop will help you make the most out of your blog and leave you feeling fulfilled and happy with the work you’ve done. 

Gotham Writers Blog Writing Classes

Gotham Writers has so many amazing writing classes, and this blog writing class is one of them! This 6-week class helps your blogging skills flourish, and much like some of the previous Gotham Writers classes I’ve mentioned, it also includes an intensive course if you don’t have the time in your schedule for a 6-week class.

Poetry Writing Workshops

George murray’s “walk the line” workshops and membership ***.

These workshops and memberships offered by George Murray are excellent for poets who want to work on their skills and become the best poets they can be. There are a variety of options and I definitely recommend reading some of the amazing reviews from course alumni and subscribers! I’ve done these courses myself and even repeated them in order to get more poems written. I'm also a member of his Front of the Line membership for poets.

Firefly Creative Writing “Lift Off” workshop

If you’re new to poetry or feel unsure about it, this writing workshop is for you. Over 6 weeks, you’ll learn about poetry, write your own poems, and leave with a more confidence perspective towards the art itself!

Memoir Writing Workshops

Nicole breit’s “spark your story” program ***.

The first step to writing a story is wanting to write it. In Nicole Breit’s “Spark Your Story” programs, you’ll learn how to turn that “want” into something that will make you proud and help you flourish. You can choose between the “Spark Your Story” lab or the intensive—regardless of your choice, you’ll end up with results you’ll be grateful for!

Firefly Creative Writing “The Life Stories Workshop”

You have a story in your mind—that’s why you’re reading this blog! This Firefly Creative Writing memoir-writing workshop will take you from someone with a story to someone who can tell that story confidently and with pride!

Gotham Writers Memoir Writing Classes

The Gotham Writers memoir writing classes are excellent for those who want something levelled and thorough to help them create their memoir. There are three 10-week classes available and, as usual, includes an intensive option as well!

Playwriting Workshops

Gotham writers playwriting classes .

Playwriting is a beautiful form of writing that can result in you watching your work come to life on stage. These classes by Gotham Writers can help you get there! Through two 10-week workshops or an intensive, playwrights can get one step closer to seeing their art on stage, starting with learning how to create an amazing piece of writing. 

The National Theatre Playwriting Intensive

If you live in London, England, and want a structured intensive that teaches you essential playwriting skills, then this intensive is for you. Over the course of 4 days, you’ll learn the most important parts of a play and how you can make your work the best it can possibly be. (And hey—if you don’t live in England, it’s a great excuse to go on vacation there!)

Screenwriting Workshops

Aaron sorkin teaches screenwriting, via masterclass.

This class by Aaron Sorkin, an Academy Award-winning writer, is a thorough course that teaches writers about screenwriting and how to create something beautiful. It’s taught through Masterclass, a subscription-based platform with over one-hundred classes spanning a variety of topics. Do this one, and head over to the Masterclasses by Neil Gaiman or Margaret Atwood.

Gotham Writers Screenwriting Classes

You know the drill—whether or not you want 10-week, multi-levelled workshops, or an intensive that fits better into your schedule, this screenwriting class by Gotham Writers provides students with the skills and techniques necessary to create an amazing, memorable script.

Editing and Revision Workshops

Kimmy beach editing “editing your own prose” e-course.

You have a manuscript. Now what? This e-course by Kimmy Beach is what! With this writing course you will learn how to perfect your manuscript, make it professional, and have it ready for publishers to read.

Rachel Thompson “Revision Love” Course ***

Need to edit your work, but don’t know where to start or what to do? The “Revision Love” course by Rachel Thompson is what you need. This self-guided course will help you be confident while editing and teach you how to get your work ready for publication. This course makes the editing process less intimidating and improves your editing skills.

Joan Dempsey’s Self-Editing for Writers program

Want to become a self-editing superstar? This course by Joan Dempsey can help you become just that! It’s thorough and convenient—you can complete it at your own pace without any pressure adding on to what you may already feel thanks to the daunting nature that self-editing can cause. 

Book Editing Blueprint with Stacy Juba ***

Editing can be difficult. You may not know where to start, or perhaps you feel overwhelmed by it all. The Book Editing Blueprint by Stacy Juba can help alleviate this pressure by breaking the editing process down and providing an easy and convenient structure that makes editing way less daunting!

Oh, and I guess I would be remiss if I didn’t mention MY OWN online programs for writers, LOL. 

First Book Finish

This program opens up 2-3 times each year and is a 12-week small group coaching intensive AND online course to help you finish the book you started but have been struggling to finish on your own. You can join the Waiting List here .

The Writer’s Flow Studio

This is my monthly membership program, designed to take writers from a state of fear and anxiety to a state of FLOW in their writing lives so that they can write consistently and achieve their writing goals. The end result: a writing life you absolutely love! Membership is $47/month and you can cancel anytime. Learn more and register here .

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Creative Writing

Creative writing (poetry), professor/instructor.

Practice in the original composition of poetry supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript each week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Creative Writing (Fiction)

Practice in the original composition of fiction supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript at least every other week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Creative Writing (Literary Translation)

Practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript each week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Introductory Playwriting

This is a workshop in the fundamentals of writing plays. Through writing prompts, exercises, study and reflection, students will be guided in the creation of original dramatic material. Attention will be given to character, structure, dramatic action, monologue, dialogue, language

Creative Nonfiction

This is a workshop in factual writing and what has become known as literary non-fiction, emphasizing writing assignments and including several reading assignments. Students will examine masterpieces about social inequality and to what extent it is possible for authors to know the struggles of their subjects, and to create empathy for them. One three-hour seminar.

Advanced Creative Writing (Poetry)

Advanced practice in the original composition of poetry for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. Prerequisites: Two 200-level CWR courses.

Advanced Creative Writing (Fiction)

Advanced practice in the original composition of fiction for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings.

Advanced practice in the original composition of fiction for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. Prerequisites: Two 200-level CWR courses.

Advanced Creative Writing (Literary Translation)

Advanced practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Prerequisites: 205 or 206 and by application.

Advanced practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Prerequisites: 205 or 206 or by Program permission.

Playwriting II: Intermediate Playwriting

A continuation of work begun in Introductory Playwriting, in this class, students will complete either one full-length play or two long one-acts (40-60 pages) to the end of gaining a firmer understanding of characterization, dialogue, structure, and the playwriting process. In addition to questions of craft, an emphasis will be placed on the formation of healthy creative habits and the sharpening of critical and analytical skills through reading and responding to work of both fellow students and contemporary playwrights of note.

Special Topics in Creative Writing

Students gain special access to the critical understanding of literature through their involvement in the creative process. Topics include autobiography, prosody, non-fiction, revision and point of view. Students are expected to prepare a manuscript at least every other week. Specific topics and prerequisites will vary. By application.

Advanced Creative Writing Tutorial

Tutorials in the original composition of fiction, poetry, or translations, open to those who have demonstrated unusual commitment and talent through four terms of creative writing or who provide equivalent evidence of their capacity for advanced work. Open also to qualified graduate students. Individual conferences to be arranged.

Special Topics in Screenwriting

This class will familiarize students with the complex use of metaphorical, emotional, and visual threads in long form screenplay writing. Analyzing examples of international, independent, and classical structures, students will be exposed to the rhythms and demands of the process of conceiving and writing a long form narrative film. Prerequisite: Introduction to Screenwriting and by application.

Advanced Seminar in American Studies

Advanced seminars bring students into spaces of collaborative exploration after pursuing their individual paths of study in American studies, Asian American/diasporic studies, and/or Latino studies. To students culminating programs of study toward one or more of the certificates offered by the Effron Center for the Study of America, advanced seminars offer the important opportunity to integrate their cumulative knowledge.

Princeton Atelier

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• Creative Writing

The vital presence of creative writing in the English Department is reflected by our many distinguished authors who teach our workshops. We offer courses each term in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and television writing. Our workshops are small, usually no more than twelve students, and offer writers an opportunity to focus intensively on one genre. 

Apply to Creative Writing Workshops

Workshops are open by application to Harvard College undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and students from other institutions eligible for cross registration. Submission guidelines for workshops can be found under individual course listings; please do not query instructors.  Review all departmental rules and application instructions before applying.  

Fall 2024 Application Deadline: 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Spring 2025 Application Deadline: TBD

Please visit our course listings for all the Fall 2024 workshops.

Our online submission manager (link below) will open for Fall 2024 applications on Friday, March 22 , 2024.

Students who have questions about the creative writing workshop application process should contact Case Q. Kerns at [email protected] .

Featured Faculty

Teju Cole  is a novelist, critic, and essayist, and is the first Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice. "Among other works, the boundary-crossing author is known for his debut novel “Open City” (2011), whose early admirers included Harvard professor and New Yorker critic James Wood." 

Faculty Bookshelf

Find me by laura van den berg (2015).

Snow Hunters by Paul Yoon (2014)

A Life Apart by Neel Mukherjee (2010)

The Mountain: Stories by Paul Yoon (2017)

Creative Writing Workshops

• Spring 2024

English CACD. The Art of Criticism

Instructor: Maggie Doherty Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

This course will consider critical writing about art–literary, visual, cinematic, musical, etc.—as an art in its own right. We will read and discuss criticism from a wide variety of publications, paying attention to the ways outlets and audience shape critical work. The majority of our readings will be from the last few years and will include pieces by Joan Acocella, Andrea Long Chu, Jason Farago, and Carina del Valle Schorske. Students will write several short writing assignments (500-1000 words), including a straight review, during the first half of the semester and share them with peers. During the second half of the semester, each student will write and workshop a longer piece of criticism about a work of art or an artist of their choosing. Students will be expected to read and provide detailed feedback on the work of their peers. Students will revise their longer pieces based on workshop feedback and submit them for the final assignment of the class. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a letter of introduction (1-2 pages) giving a sense of who you are, your writing experience, and your current goals for your writing. Please also describe your relationship to the art forms and/or genres you're interested in engaging in the course. You may also list any writers or publications whose criticism you enjoy reading. Please also include a 3-5-page writing sample of any kind of prose writing. This could be an academic paper or it could be creative fiction or nonfiction.

English CACW. Advanced Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Paul Yoon TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Advanced fiction workshop for students who have already taken a workshop at Harvard or elsewhere. The goal of the class is to continue your journey as a writer. You will be responsible for participating in discussions on the assigned texts, the workshop, engaging with the work of your colleagues, and revising your work. Supplemental Application Information:   * Please note: previous creative writing workshop experience required. * Please submit ONLY a cover letter telling me your previous creative writing workshop experience, either at Harvard or elsewhere; then tell me something you are passionate about and something you want to be better at; and, lastly, tell me why of all classes you want to take this one this semester. Again, please no writing samples.

English CBBR. Intermediate Poetry: Workshop

Instructor:  Josh Bell   Monday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Barker 018 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

Initially, students can expect to read, discuss, and imitate the strategies of a wide range of poets writing in English; to investigate and reproduce prescribed forms and poetic structures; and to engage in writing exercises meant to expand the conception of what a poem is and can be. As the course progresses, reading assignments will be tailored on an individual basis, and an increasing amount of time will be spent in discussion of student work. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a portfolio including a letter of interest, ten poems, and a list of classes (taken at Harvard or elsewhere) that seem to have bearing on your enterprise.

English CCEP. Ekphrastic Poetry: Workshop

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Lamont 401 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site What can a poem achieve when it contemplates or even emulates a work of art in another medium? In this workshop, we'll read and write poems that engage with other art forms--and we'll test out what a foray into another artistic practice allows us to carry back over into the formal methods and behaviors of poetry. With poems by Keats, Rilke, Auden, Hughes, and Brooks, as well as Kevin Young, Evie Shockley, Ama Codjoe and other contemporary voices. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCFC. Poetry Workshop: Form & Content

Instructor: Tracy K. Smith Tuesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: Sever 112 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site

In this workshop, we’ll look closely at the craft-based choices poets make, and track the effects they have upon what we as readers are made to think and feel. How can implementing similar strategies better prepare us to engage the questions making up our own poetic material? We’ll also talk about content. What can poetry reveal about the ways our interior selves are shaped by public realities like race, class, sexuality, injustice and more? Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26)   

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a writing sample of 5-10 poems and an application letter explaining your interest in this course.

English CCIJ. Intermediate Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Jesse McCarthy Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: Barker 269 Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This is an intermediate course in the art of writing literary fiction. Previous experience with workshopping writing is encouraged but not required. The emphasis of the course will be learning how to read literature as a writer, with special attention given to the short story, novella, or short novel. We will read these works from the perspective of the writer as craftsperson and of the critic seeking in good faith to understand and describe a new aesthetic experience. We will be concerned foremost with how literary language works, with describing the effects of different kinds of sentences, different uses of genre, tone, and other rhetorical strategies. Together, we will explore our responses to examples of literature from around the world and from all periods, as well as to the writing you will produce and share with the class. As a member of a writing community, you should be prepared to respectfully read and respond to the work of others—both the work of your peers and that of the published writers that we will explore together. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Saturday, August 26) Supplemental Application Information:  This course is by application only but there are no prerequisites for this course and previous experience in a writing workshop is not required . In your application please submit a short letter explaining why you are interested in this class. You might tell me a bit about your relationship to literature, your encounter with a specific author, book, or even a scene or character from a story or novel. Please also include a writing sample of 2-5 pages (5 pages max!) of narrative prose fiction.

English CCFS. Fiction Workshop

Instructor: Teju Cole Spring 2024: Tuesday, 6:00-8:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD This reading and writing intensive workshop is for students who want to learn to write literary fiction. The goal of the course would be for each student to produce two polished short stories. Authors on the syllabus will probably include James Joyce, Eudora Welty, Toni Morrison, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Diane Williams.

Supplemental Application Information:   Please submit a cover letter saying what you hope to get out of the workshop. In the cover letter, mention three works of fiction that matter to you and why. In addition, submit a 400–500 word sample of your fiction; the sample can be self-contained or a section of a longer work.

English CLPG. Art of Sportswriting

Instructor: Louisa Thomas Spring 2024: Tuesday, 9:00-11:45am | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

In newsrooms, the sports section is sometimes referred to as the “toy department” -- frivolous and unserious, unlike the stuff of politics, business, and war. In this course, we will take the toys seriously. After all, for millions of people, sports and other so-called trivial pursuits (video games, chess, children’s games, and so on) are a source of endless fascination. For us, they will be a source of stories about human achievements and frustrations. These stories can involve economic, social, and political issues. They can draw upon history, statistics, psychology, and philosophy. They can be reported or ruminative, formally experimental or straightforward, richly descriptive or tense and spare. They can be fun. Over the course of the semester, students will read and discuss exemplary profiles, essays, articles, and blog posts, while also writing and discussing their own. While much (but not all) of the reading will come from the world of sports, no interest in or knowledge about sports is required; our focus will be on writing for a broad audience.  Supplemental Application Information:  To apply, please write a letter describing why you want to take the course and what you hope to get out of it. Include a few examples of websites or magazines you like to read, and tell me briefly about one pursuit -- football, chess, basketball, ballet, Othello, crosswords, soccer, whatever -- that interests you and why.

English CALR. Advanced Screenwriting: Workshop

Instructor: Musa Syeed Spring 2024: Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBA Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

The feature-length script is an opportunity to tell a story on a larger scale, and, therefore, requires additional preparation. In this class, we will move from writing a pitch, to a synopsis, to a treatment/outline, to the first 10 pages, to the first act of a feature screenplay. We will analyze produced scripts and discuss various elements of craft, including research, writing layered dialogue, world-building, creating an engaging cast of characters. As an advanced class, we will also look at ways both mainstream and independent films attempt to subvert genre and structure. Students will end the semester with a first act (20-30 pages) of their feature, an outline, and strategy to complete the full script.

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a 3-5 page writing sample. Screenplays are preferred, but fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, and plays are acceptable as well. Also, please write a short note to introduce yourself. Include a couple films/filmmakers that have inspired you, your goals for the class, as well as any themes/subject matter/ideas you might be interested in exploring in your writing for film.

English CNFR. Creative Nonfiction: Workshop

Instructor: Darcy Frey Fall 2024: Wednesday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students. Course Site Spring 2025: TBD

Whether it takes the form of literary journalism, essay, memoir, or environmental writing, creative nonfiction is a powerful genre that allows writers to break free from the constraints commonly associated with nonfiction prose and reach for the breadth of thought and feeling usually accomplished only in fiction: the narration of a vivid story, the probing of a complex character, the argument of an idea, or the evocation of a place. Students will work on several short assignments to hone their mastery of the craft, then write a longer piece that will be workshopped in class and revised at the end of the term. We will take instruction and inspiration from published authors such as Joan Didion, James Baldwin, Ariel Levy, Alexander Chee, and Virginia Woolf. This is a workshop-style class intended for undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of experience. No previous experience in English Department courses is required. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:   Please write a substantive letter of introduction describing who you are as writer at the moment and where you hope to take your writing; what experience you may have had with creative/literary nonfiction; what excites you about nonfiction in particular; and what you consider to be your strengths and weaknesses as a writer. Additionally, please submit 3-5 pages of creative/literary nonfiction (essay, memoir, narrative journalism, etc, but NOT academic writing) or, if you have not yet written much nonfiction, an equal number of pages of narrative fiction.

English CKR. Introduction to Playwriting: Workshop

Instructor: Sam Marks TBD | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students This workshop is an introduction to writing for the stage through intensive reading and in-depth written exercises. Each student will explore the fundamentals and possibilities of playwriting by generating short scripts and completing a one act play with an eye towards both experimental and traditional narrative styles. Readings will examine various ways of creating dramatic art and include work from contemporary playwrights such as Ayad Aktar, Clare Barron, Aleshea Harris, Young Jean Lee, and Taylor Mac, as well established work from Edward Albbe, Caryl Churchill, Suzan Lori-Parks, and Harold Pinter. Supplemental Application Information:  No experience in writing the dramatic form is necessary. Please submit a 5-10 page writing sample (preferably a play or screenplay, but all genres are acceptable and encouraged). Also, please write a few sentences about a significant theatrical experience (a play read or seen) and how it affected you.

English CACF. Get Real: The Art of Community-Based Film

Instructor: Musa Syeed Wednesday, 12:00-2:45pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 student Course Site

“I’ve often noticed that we are not able to look at what we have in front of us,” the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami said, “unless it’s inside a frame.” For our communities confronting invisibility and erasure, there’s an urgent need for new frames. In this workshop, we’ll explore a community-engaged approach to documentary and fiction filmmaking, as we seek to see our world more deeply. We’ll begin with screenings, craft exercises, and discussions around authorship and social impact. Then we each will write, develop, and shoot a short film over the rest of the semester, building off of intentional community engagement. Students will end the class with written and recorded materials for a rough cut. Basic equipment and technical training will be provided.

Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a brief letter explaining why you're interested to take this class. Please also discuss what participants/communities you might be interested in engaging with for your filmmaking projects. For your writing sample, please submit 3-5 pages of your creative work from any genre (screenwriting, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc.)

English CAFR. Advanced Fiction Workshop: Writing this Present Life

Instructor: Claire Messud Thursday, 3:00-5:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site Intended for students with prior fiction-writing and workshop experience, this course will concentrate on structure, execution and revision. Exploring various strands of contemporary and recent literary fiction – writers such as Karl Ove Knausgaard, Rachel Cusk, Chimamanda Adichie, Douglas Stuart, Ocean Vuong, etc – we will consider how fiction works in our present moment, with emphasis on a craft perspective. Each student will present to the class a published fiction that has influenced them. The course is primarily focused on the discussion of original student work, with the aim of improving both writerly skills and critical analysis. Revision is an important component of this class: students will workshop two stories and a revision of one of these. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm ET on Sunday, April 7)

Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit 3-5 pages of prose fiction, along with a substantive letter of introduction. I’d like to know why you’re interested in the course; what experience you’ve had writing, both in previous workshops and independently; what your literary goals and ambitions are. Please tell me about some of your favorite narratives – fiction, non-fiction, film, etc: why they move you, and what you learn from them.

English CAKV. Fiction Workshop: Writing from the First-Person Point of View

Instructor:  Andrew Krivak Tuesday, 9:00-11:45 1m | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course is a workshop intended for students who are interested in writing longer form narratives from the first-person point of view. The “I” at the center of any novel poses a perspective that is all at once imaginatively powerful and narratively problematic, uniquely insightful and necessarily unreliable. We will read from roughly twelve novels written in the first-person, from Marilynne Robinson and W.G. Sebald, to Valeria Luiselli and Teju Cole, and ask questions (among others) of why this form, why this style? And, as a result, what is lost and what is realized in the telling? Primarily, however, students will write. Our goal will be to have a student’s work read and discussed twice in class during the semester. I am hoping to see at least 35-40 pages of a project —at any level of completion—at the end of term.  Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please write a substantive letter telling me why you’re interested in taking this class, what writers (classical and contemporary) you admire and why, and if there’s a book you have read more than once, a movie you have seen more than once, a piece of music you listen to over and over, not because you have to but because you want to. Students of creative nonfiction are also welcome to apply.

English CCSS. Fiction Workshop: The Art of the Short Story

Instructor: Laura van den Berg Tuesday, 12:00-2:45 pm | Location: TBD Enrollment: Limited to 12 students Course Site This course will serve as an introduction to the fundamentals of writing fiction, with an emphasis on the contemporary short story. How can we set about creating “big” worlds in compact spaces? What unique doors can the form of the short story open? The initial weeks will focus on exploratory exercises and the study of published short stories and craft essays. Later, student work will become the primary text as the focus shifts to workshop discussion. Authors on the syllabus will likely include Ted Chiang, Lauren Groff, Carmen Maria Machado, and Octavia Butler. This workshop welcomes writers of all levels of experience. Apply via Submittable  (deadline: 11:59pm EDT on Sunday, April 7) Supplemental Application Information:  Please submit a letter of introduction. I’d like to know a little about why you are drawn to studying fiction; what you hope to get out of the workshop and what you hope to contribute; and one thing you are passionate about outside writing / school. Please also include a very brief writing sample (2-3 pages). The sample can be in any genre (it does not have to be from a work of fiction). 

Write an Honors Creative Thesis

Students may apply to write a senior thesis or senior project in creative writing, although only English concentrators can be considered. Students submit applications in early March of their junior year, including first-term juniors who are out of phase. The creative writing faculty considers the proposal, along with the student's overall performance in creative writing and other English courses, and notifies students about its decision in early mid-late March. Those applications are due, this coming year, on TBA . 

Students applying for a creative writing thesis or project must have completed at least one course in creative writing at Harvard before they apply. No student is guaranteed acceptance. It is strongly suggested that students acquaint themselves with the requirements and guidelines well before the thesis application is due. The creative writing director must approve any exceptions to the requirements, which must be made in writing by Monday, February 7, 2022. Since the creative writing thesis and project are part of the English honors program, acceptance to write a creative thesis is conditional upon the student continuing to maintain a 3.40 concentration GPA. If a student’s concentration GPA drops below 3.40 after the spring of the junior year, the student may not be permitted to continue in the honors program.

Joint concentrators may apply to write creative theses, but we suggest students discuss the feasibility of the project well before applications are due. Not all departments are open to joint creative theses.

Students who have questions about the creative writing thesis should contact the program’s Director, Sam Marks .

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• university of new orleans
• m.f.a. in creative writing - creative writing workshop

Creative Writing Workshop (M.F.A.)

Request information.

REQUEST HERE

Be sure to select 'Creative Writing MFA' and note your genre of interest in the text box.

Where you write matters! Come to New Orleans and master your craft. Write in one of the most vibrant, diverse cultures in North America, home to writers, outsiders, and artists of every stripe.

Our graduates publish! For over 25 years, the Creative Writing Workshops have trained writers to thrive in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and drama.

The Creative Writing Workshop Offers

• Interdisciplinary study. Writers can explore multiple genres, academic work, and theatre/film to match their needs
• High faculty support with lots of one-on-one attention
• Value. We have one of the lowest tuition MFAs in the country
• Accomplished alums (over 100 published books and many produced plays)
• Lauded as a “Program to Watch” by Publishers Weekly and named a “Top 25 Underrated Program” by The Huffington Post
• Lauded faculty with strong nation reputations for both popular and critical success
• Evening classes to accommodate study/work/life balance
• Study abroad opportunities in Austria, Japan, and Mexico

Active in the New Orleans literary community:

• Monthly reading series at The Gold Room
• Visiting writers’ series (recent guests include Lisa D’Amour, Katy Simpson Smith, Keith Lee Morris, C. Morgan Babst, Laura Mullen)
• Literary journal experience through Bayou Magazine
• Involvement with the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival
• Internship opportunities with local theatres and publishers
• Teaching opportunities with the Department of Language and Literature at UNO 
• Publishing experience through UNO Press’s Publishing Institute

Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes specify what students will know, be able to do, or be able to demonstrate when they have completed a program of study.

View Outcome

Academic Highlights

• Average workshop size:  7-10 students (capped at 12)
• Average literature seminar size:  8-12 (capped at 14)
• Average incoming cohort:  5 Poetry, 5 Non-Fiction, 8 Fiction, 4 Playwriting
• Average time to complete degree:  3 years (6 semesters)
• UNO Graduate School
• Creative Writing Books
• Bayou Magazine
• Summer Residencies Abroad
• About New Orleans

Creative Writing Workshop

With few writing programs that cater exclusively to students in high school, Smith’s Creative Writing Workshop allows you to explore your writing in a creative and supportive environment. This program will foster your love of writing in a variety of mediums. All of our classes apply the design model to writing: Rather than trying to craft perfect texts, we teach an open, multidraft process that embraces the unpredictable that occurs when we stop trying to control our writing. So while you will learn how to edit your own and others’ work, our primary goal is for you to learn a powerful, flexible approach that eliminates writer’s block and gives you access to your full creativity.

The 2024 application has closed.

Program at a Glance

July 6–19, 2024

Tuition: $4,745 Deposit: $950 Application Fee: $50

Fiction, poetry, science fiction, screenwriting, and more!

Find Your Voice

High school students from around the world gather together to hone their writing skills in a highly creative, but nonjudgmental, environment. There is something empowering about hearing your own lines being read in a supportive way that gives you a chance to let your full voice out. The equation is simple: you, your talent and what you want to write about. The sum total: Magic!

Program Details

Instructors are published writers who have been trained in this methodology and who provide a supportive, strengths-based classroom environment. In addition to individual feedback from your instructors, you will also become part of an international writing community, as the program accepts students from all over the world.

In the evenings, students can take part in activities such as open mic night and improv, or attend workshops on publishing, finding an agent and creating an author website.

At the end of the program, you will have the start of an online writing portfolio, an anthology with writing samples from all of the students and professional contacts in the literary world.

Smith Precollege Programs are open to students entering 9th-12th grade in the fall of 2024. Smith is a residential women’s college. Our Precollege Programs offer a Smith experience for high school students. Review our  Codes of Conduct for students and parents/guardians to ensure that this program is the right fit for you. College credit is not offered.

Deposit due within two weeks of acceptance.

To learn more, see the Apply to Summer Programs webpage .

2024 Schedule

Classes are Monday–Friday. Students will participate in one morning class and one afternoon class.

2024 Courses

Morning sessions.

Students will participate in one of the following morning sessions.

• Collapse all

Writing Fantasy

Morgan Sheehan Bubla

Course Description

Do you write (or aspire to write) fiction unencumbered by what’s “realistic”? Are you inspired by fairytales, mythology, fantasy, science fiction, ghost stories or dreams? Do your characters sometimes have magical abilities? This workshop is for writers interested in exploring modes of storytelling other than realism while simultaneously learning how to strengthen all of the traditional elements of fiction. The first week, we’ll generate new work in response to a number of imaginative prompts and writing exercises. We’ll also look at short, masterful excerpts from authors who challenge realism, with special attention to the types of fabulist distortions used and the real-world truths they get at. We’ll turn an eye to questions of craft: What makes a compelling plot? How do we create characters so alive we can feel them breathing? How do we build tension from the first lines? The second week, you’ll receive feedback from the group on one story, and we’ll focus on revision and next steps in your writing journey. You’ll leave with lots of new work as well as tools and techniques that will help you continue to write and explore reality-bending stories on your own.

Writing on the Edge of Reality

Erin butler.

Sometimes, we can understand reality better by writing just beyond what is real. In this two-week workshop, we’ll study what it means to write fiction that is rooted in, but not constrained by, reality. During our first week, you will read excerpts by some of the best writers who innovate by writing in the realm of the creepy, the otherworldly, the uncanny, and the psychologically complex. Then, you will generate lots of new work by responding to writing prompts that help you explode and extend what is realistic. During our second week, you will receive feedback on the story you’ve built and provide feedback on your peers’ work. Throughout the course, you’ll be asked to challenge your assumptions, extend your thinking, and consider what you might find beyond the borders of what you know and experience.

Realistic Unreality: A Science Fiction Workshop

James l. cambias.

We live in a science fiction world, where billionaires build rocket ships and a new virus threatens civilization. The dreams and nightmares of science fiction writers are mundane reality, and nobody dismisses the genre as “Buck Rogers stuff” any longer. Realistic Unreality is a workshop for aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy. We will focus on how to make stories which are good as fantastic fiction and good as literature. During the first week, students create stories, helped and inspired by writing prompts and readings from some of the field’s masters. Brief lectures address the fundamentals of character, plot, world building and voice. In the second week, the class will jointly critique stories and get practical advice on submitting stories, publishing and the business of writing.

Jordana Frankel

Get inspired by the timeless allure of mythology, the fantastical nature of fairy tales, and the tragic undoings of our favorite epic heroes. In this two-week workshop, we'll explore how contemporary screenplays, poems, and novels remix our favorite stories throughout history to bring modern audiences new insight. We will read from Madeline Miller's bestselling novels, examine how the Charmed reboot reinterprets Medusa, and explore myth-inspired poetry by Sylvia Plath, Nikita Gill, and Louise Gluck, among others. Then, we will attempt to understand the universal and thematic enchantment audiences seem to have with certain stories and characters. During the first week, you will take inspiration from a number of different epics until you find either a story you'd like to retell or a tale that personally resonates. You may mine from the daily drama that unfolds in the current world, dig up the messy, beautiful stuff of your life, or reimagine a journey taken by a mythic character. You will then reflect on these characters and stories through a modern lens through various prompts and exercises. This is your week for inspiration, trial, and error. In the second week, you will deepen your understanding of your chosen narrative and, through constructive group feedback, mold it into an inspiring poem, story, or essay that deftly utilizes those universal themes discussed in the first week. Expect deep connection to the mythic foundations of yesteryear and, most importantly, an ultimate recognition that your life, from the mundane to the heart-wrenching to extraordinary, is also the stuff of myth.

Fiction: Building Skills to Excel in Any Genre

Jennifer jacobson.

Are you writing about talking cats in one story and a skate park showdown in another? Do your characters live in dandelion forests, or are you infatuated by a teahouse from the past? If you said yes to these questions, then this workshop is for you! We’ll start each day with a prompt to tap the muse and build our writing portfolios. In week one, we’ll discuss ways to handle point of view, what makes a dynamic plot, creating memorable characters, and more. By strengthening these skills you can write in any genre. In week two, we’ll read each other’s work, offer constructive feedback, and consider ways to revise our work based on what we learned about craft. We’ll also spend time talking about careers in writing, ways to get published, and creating a “writing life.” You’ll leave our community with a better understanding of craft and genre, lots of revision strategies to strengthen any writing you do, and ways to move forward with your writing goals. This workshop is for writers at every level who want to strengthen skills, generate new work, apply revision strategies, and create a supportive writing community.

From Pirates to Potter: Creating Historical and Fan Fiction

Bailly morse.

For centuries, authors strove to answer the question: what was life like in the past? From The Iliad to Ivanhoe , to Shanghai Girls to The Underground Railroad , writers breathe life into decades past and find new and groundbreaking ways to bring history to life for their readers. So what does historical fiction have to do with fan fiction? These genres have more similarities than you might think. Both create new stories from previously established people, events, and worlds. Both expand beyond what we have known to create new and exciting narratives. And both shed light on what might have been, if only we allow ourselves to wonder “what if?”

In this intensive course, we will explore key craft elements that apply to both historical fiction and fan fiction. We’ll discuss characterization, dialogue, setting, and the three-act structure, so that you can hone your ability to create a compelling story. Additionally, you will learn about research methods and resources that will guide you as you write. See why historical fiction still fascinates us and why fan fiction might just be the future of diverse and accessible stories.

In our first week, students will explore world-building in these respective genres by reviewing examples and utilizing unique writing prompts to generate their own new material. In our second week, students will have the opportunity to have their stories peer-reviewed and to receive constructive feedback that they can use to improve their work. Students will leave the class with a better understanding of craft elements and how to apply it to future writing, and with a first draft to inspire them to keep going!

Strange Realms

Alex terrell.

Weird worlds, peculiar places and eerie environments! That’s where we’ll find ourselves in this two-week workshop. We will explore what it means for something to be weird, mythical and magical. We will create and destroy worlds. We will become cruel gods and puppeteers pitting our characters against mythical creatures, disastrous events and maybe even apocalypses. This workshop is for writers who enjoy fiction with fantasy elements, so bring your heroines, your monsters, your ghouls, your ghostbusters, your stranger things and creatures that may live in the Upside-Down. The first week, we will engage in imaginative writing prompts, world-building exercises and generate new material as we work to create a shared knowledge of common craft elements such as writing compelling characters, choosing the right setting and story structure. The second week, we will workshop each other’s stories, provide constructive feedback and apply the tools we learned in week one to help strengthen each other’s work. You’ll leave the workshop feeling energized to tell the stories you’ve always wanted to tell!

Risk Without Consequence

Denise orenstein.

The goal of this fiction writing workshop is to complete a short story chapter or longer piece of fiction by the end of two weeks, one that can be polished and revised in the future. During our time together, we will experiment with voice, form and content while sharing our work in a comfortable and safe setting. We will learn from one another, take risks with our craft, and approach our efforts in new, exciting ways.

This workshop is based on the premise that the best writing often comes from content we prefer to avoid. The very subject about which we don’t want to write can be rich with meaning, originality and impact. Although our work will be ‘fiction’, our personal experiences will be mined as the source for character and story development.

Workshop activities will also include in-class prompts, responding without stopping to think or edit; this work will be saved as inspiration for future, fully developed stories. Other in-class exercises will offer the opportunity to hone our descriptive skills regarding originality and specificity: important fiction writing goals. Students will also participate in peer-editing, at which time work will be shared and discussed in small groups.

Sharing writing can be daunting but is pivotal to appreciating the lens of others. This workshop will be an opportunity to learn from one another in a community where creative risks can be taken without anxiety or consequence.

Jonathan Ruseski

What does poetry look like in the year 2023? Why do we write it? Who are we writing for? What is it ‘about’? This workshop will approach these questions by exploring Emily Dickinson’s idea of the ‘Flood Subject,’ that one idea you always return to, as a means for developing a coherent body of poetic work. We will discover and explore our own Flood Subjects as a way to engage with important questions about identity, citizenship, history, origin, family, gender, sexuality, the body, love, loss, grief, joy and all the other conditions that affect our relationship to the larger world around us. We will experiment with imagery, narrative and editing techniques; and collaboratively support each to arrive at our own understanding of craft, voice and form. We will work together to take a deeper look at the complexity of poetry, not as a puzzle to be solved, but as an exciting venue to expand our capacity for language and ideas.

Afternoon Sessions

Students will participate in one of the following afternoon sessions.

Writing Poems

Is a song lyric a poem? Is a grocery list? Could you make a poem in the form of a grocery list?  What makes a “good” poem vs. a “bad” poem? Does poetry have rules? What happens if a writer breaks those rules? We will ask these questions and more while exploring both traditional and non-traditional poetic forms and examining how poetic elements combine to create successful poetry. We will experiment through our own writing generated and shared in class. We will also analyze published poetry to understand how meaning is shaped.

Fundamentals of Screenwriting

Afreen seher gandhi.

This course provides a basic and introductory exploration of screenwriting as a vehicle for drama development, cinematic presentation and storytelling. Students will apply their skills in the development of improvised scene work. The course will culminate with a finished working draft of either a short film or a lengthier complete scene sequence, which will then be presented through a dramatic narration and/or staged presentation. The final working draft of the script will have a complete beginning, middle and end. This course examines scenes and short films from across the world giving insight into the various different tools which can be used to create subtext in narrative. You will learn about basic screenwriting terminology, the qualities a screenwriter must have, how to format your screenplay through a screenwriting software, the difference between plot and story, creating characters and building an intriguing narrative for your initial story idea employing dialogue, action and characters.

Playwriting

Phil o’donoghue.

In playwriting, students will have the opportunity to write and develop their own, original scripts. Starting with writing prompts, students will learn how playwrights nurture their own ideas into fully realized theatrical experiences. Students will have the opportunity to see and read scenes from famous plays, and then take their own ideas and out them into action. We will constantly stress that theatre is to be seen, and thus, students will integrate all facets of theatre—acting, lighting, set design, and costume design- into their scripts. All scripts will be read, discussed, reworked and performed. The goal is to have our students not only develop an appreciation of dialogue, but also to leave the workshop with a script they further develop and perform.

Screenwriting

Wade wofford.

Consider a strange form of writing...where the words on the page are but the first step to an end product that is not based in words at all! The screenwriter uses words to illicit images, thus guiding readers to "make a mind movie" (and hopefully an *actual* movie in the future).  In this course, we will study the three-act structure of film as a medium, then use our understanding of that structure to craft screenplays of our own.  We will explore the use of tone, character voice, dialogue and action as vehicles to drive our scripts. By the end of the class, each student will have created a concept, written an outline for a full feature, and penned three sequences from that film (one from each act). 

So You Want to Be a Journalist?

We’re all reporters now, even if we just post on social media. But if we really want to uphold journalistic tradition, we aim to share information in a way that engages readers and helps them make informed decisions in our democracy. We may give a voice to the voiceless, hold authorities accountable, and deepen our readers' understanding of the communities they live or participate in. Or maybe we just want to lighten up people's lives and inspire them with thoughtful or entertaining writing. Together, we'll learn to use the journalism formula proven to engage readers and the standard Associated Press Style for punctuation, abbreviations, numbers, dates and other information. We'll learn how to interview, asking thoughtful, probing questions, identifying key details and finding "quoteworthy" quotations that must always be 100 percent accurate. First, we’ll interview and write about each other and guest speakers. Then, we’ll venture into our geographical "beat" of Northampton to visit City Hall, the courts and cover an event. We'll also learn how to "pitch" one of our stories or an opinion piece to an editor at one or more publications.

Writing Into the Heart

Heather richard.

What if your writing could lead you deeper into knowing of who  you are, what  you  really feel and value—and even into healing stresses in your life, so that you could show up as yourself more fully and freely? We  can write our way through the relentless chatter of the mind to the knowing of our heart. While all this may sound super serious—in actuality there is little as truly joyous and fulfilling as the self-awareness and discovery that can come from this kind of writing.  

In the safe and lively space of this workshop, you will be offered a variety of writing sparks daily to ignite your imagination and writing. You will also be free to ignore the sparks and instead to write  into whatever is calling to you, be that a question or issue you wish to explore, or a memory, conversation, or event you choose to unpack in the glorious space that writing can offer.  All forms of writing will be welcome, including letters, poems, fiction, journaling, and what former students of mine dubbed “rants”, i.e. going off any topic at all. We will have the option to share what we have written and respond to each other—also from the heart, which just means genuinely. A bonus of writing authentically like this: it can strengthen the quality of the other writing you do.

Climate Futurism

Ethan myers.

Enough sad polar bears! Enough oil-slicked sea birds. Enough blistering post-apocalyptic scenes of wildfires incinerating forests and homes.  

There’s a place for showcasing the horrors of a changing climate. That place isn’t this class. Instead, we will draw inspiration from forward-looking, love-preaching, justice-oriented thinkers, activists, and changemakers like Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, adrienne maree brown, and Leah Penniman to imagine  what if?  What if in this moment of violence, we imagine peace? What if, amidst racial strife, we imagine equality? What if we imagine healthy, vibrant communities? What if we imagine coming together to deal with the raging effects of climate change? 

In addition to our readings, we will spend time outside, we’ll compose poems, lyrical essays, and autobiographical stories that center our experiences in nature, and that imagine vibrant futures.

Instructors

Summer Precollege Programs Creative Writing Instructor

Assistant Director of the Jacobson Center; Writing Enriched Curriculum Specialist

Writing Instructor & Technology Specialist; Lecturer in English Language & Literature

Peter Sapira

Academic Director, Creative Writing Workshop; Writing & Public Speaking Instructor; Lecturer in English Language & Literature

Morgan Sheehan-Bubla

Request Information

If you are interested in finding out more about Smith’s Precollege Programs, please contact our office or fill out the form below. You may also request a copy of our brochure.

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591 Best Creative Writing Classes in 2024

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Intro to Book Publishing/Book Publishing Overview

Austin Writing Workshops

In this 2-hour session, gain valuable insights into the entire journey a manuscript takes from the author's desk to the reader's hands. Guided by an experienced industry professional, explore the key stages of the publishing process, starting with manuscript submission and the critical role of editing in refining your work.

Website: https://writingworkshops.com/collections/the-best-online-...

Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, and Publishing

Start date:

November, 2024

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Query Letters 101: A Workshop with Eric Smith

Join literary agent and author Eric Smith for this 3-hour workshop on writing query letters, the first step toward getting your manuscript published. Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, this three-hour workshop will cover all the basics and dig into complex questions.

Website: https://www.bluestoop.org/summer-school/p/8-14-summer-school

Categories: Book, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Publishing

August, 2024

Stories That Stand Still: A Masterclass with Carmen Maria Machado

In this talk, we’ll explore the craft of writing fiction that doesn’t move—fiction contained in a single, discreet space as large as a house, and as small as a bed—and the implication it has for our understanding of gender, characterization, plot, and time.

Website: https://www.bluestoop.org/summer-school/p/8-22-summer-school

Categories: Fiction, Book, and Short Story

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 →

On Giving Up (Or Going On): A Masterclass with Julia Phillips

A 2-hour session dedicated to processing and reckoning with the notion of "giving up" on a story, on a project, on a dream. What does "giving up" really look like in practice—what does it mean? And when might it actually be the right thing for us to do?

Website: https://www.bluestoop.org/summer-school/p/8-4-summer-school

Categories: Fiction, Book, and Nonfiction

Brave Writer 102: Learning to Revise

Brave Writer

For parents struggling to help their children with writing, this course provides guidance on navigating the revision process. Learn how to offer constructive feedback without discouraging your child, balancing encouragement with practical writing advice.

Website: https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/brave-writer-102-l...

Categories: Kids

October, 2024

Prerequisites: Students are recommended to take Brave Writer 101 before this course.

Writing the Short Story

In this five-week course, each student will conceive and draft a short story of up to 1,200 words. We will begin with a triggering image and build from there, reading examples, working with myths and fairy tales, drafting and revising, and exploring how to begin and how to end.

Website: https://bravewriter.com/online-classes/writing-the-short-...

Categories: Kids, Fiction, and Short Story

Beyond Legibility: The Image:Text Poem

Brooklyn Poets

In this five-week, online workshop, we'll read and respond to poets who use text and image in interesting ways, from Victoria Chang's use of personal artifacts to Renee Gladman's study of the line as architecture.

Website: https://brooklynpoets.org/workshop/p/beyond-legibility-th...

Categories:

Prerequisites: A writing sample of 5 pages of poems is required.

Thrills & Chills: Horror Story Writing With Nino Cipri

Atlas Obscura

Trace the roots of the horror genre and begin crafting a story of your own. In this seminar, award-winning author and lifelong horror fan Nino Cipri will guide students through the process of writing horror, from generating ideas to the final revision and submission process.

Website: https://www.atlasobscura.com/experiences/horror-writing-c...

Categories: Book, Fiction, and Short Story

Poets Studio: Summer Session w David Biespiel

Attic Institute

Poets Studio is based on the idea that focusing on goals is the key to lasting growth as a poet. It is designed to give form and focus to your poetry writing.

Website: https://atticinstitute.com/node/2733

Categories: Poetry

Working Characters

In this seminar, we will read writing samples Karen Bender, Jim Shepard, Zadie Smith, Lucia Berlin, and Raymond Carver, which exemplify the ways work influences our characters' lives, decisions, and perceptions. We will also write together from an extended prompt which brings the work-a-day world into our stories.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/working-characters-fa24

September, 2024

Backstory and Flashback

In this craft session, we’ll analyze key passages from fiction in order to answer questions such as: What’s the difference between backstory and flashback? Are there artful ways to use these techniques that help the reader understand your character’s central motivation?

Website: https://grubstreet.org/seminar/backstory-and-flashback-fa24

Prerequisites: Come prepared to write, and bring a brief one to two paragraph description of your project.

Jumpstart Your Writing

Through a series of engaging writing exercises, we will mine our experiences and imagination for material and bring what we find to life on the page, constructing characters and settings, shaping vivid dialogue, creating imagery, and exploring the nuances of voice.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/jumpstart-your-writing-su...

Categories: Book, Fiction, Memoir, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Prerequisites: For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY.

What is creative writing?

Creative writing is often best understood through a description of what it’s not : it is not business, journalistic, academic, or technical writing. 

Here is what creative writing is : it is the art of telling stories through written mediums. To many people, the novel is the most obvious form of creative writing, but it can also be found in essays, screenplays, poetry, memoirs, and much more. 

As you can imagine, one of the common threads that connects all forms of creative writing is, well, imagination. In fiction, this is embodied in the creation of the story itself; in nonfiction, it’s inherent in the way that the author chooses to present (and engage with) facts and real events to create a compelling narrative. 

Why is creative writing important?

We might as easily ask: why is it important to tell stories? Because that’s just what people do. It’s our way to make sense of the world and ourselves, and share it with others. History abounds with the art of the story. Look anywhere on a world timeline, and you’ll find examples of creative writing fulfilling our need for creative expression, from Homer’s epics in 800 B.C. to Dante’s inferno to modern essays shared on the Internet today. 

Nothing suggests that it will ever disappear, either! In fact, creative writing is arguably even more important in the age of AI, in which we must continue to tell powerful human stories instead of outsourcing such a fundamental task to soulless machines. 

How do creative writing courses teach creative writing?

If you’ve decided that you want to invest in your own creative writing, that’s great! Get ready to embark on a lifelong learning path. Like all art forms, creative writing is a skill that you must constantly train in order to improve. 

Learning creative writing, of course, can be as simple as you want. All you need is pen and paper — or, these days, a computer with a writing app. 

You can also take a creative writing class if you’re interested in a certain writing topic, or if you simply want an experienced instructor to point out the way for you. A course can fast-track your writing progress by teaching you something about the art of writing in one day that might otherwise take a year for you to pick up by yourself. They also often specialize in a specific area of creative writing, for instance:

• Character development, i.e. the way that characters change from beginning to end of a story.
• Genre conventions and tropes, i.e. what conventions you should write to in a certain genre — and what you can (and perhaps should) subvert.
• Story structure, i.e. the order of plot points and key events that a story should take in order to be compelling.
• Writing voice, i.e. the unique writing style that only you can bring to a story. 

Because there are thousands of aspects to creative writing, there are thousands of creative writing classes. That’s why we built this directory of the best creative writing courses. We’ve made it filterable by genre, price, and more to make it easier for you to find the perfect class for your needs. 

But what are the best creative writing classes?

The best creative writing course depends on you , and your own profile! We always recommend that you thoroughly do your research to personalize your choice for yourselves. 

With that said, below are some recommendations to kick you off. 

The best creative writing classes for beginners

If you’ve got a book idea, and you’re willing to invest some money to write it, then Reedsy’s How to Write a Novel could be a great place for you to start. Over three months, this full-fledged course will take you step-by-step from your idea to your first draft — and give you a supportive writing community to boot. 

💲 Cost: $1,000+  👨‍🏫 Type: Video

The best in-person creative writing classes 

Gotham Writers, the biggest adult-education writing school in the US, is based in New York City and offers in-person classes. With self-paced courses, write-ins, and several free events per term, it emulates the university feel wherever possible.

💲 Cost: $165 - $450  👨‍🏫 Type: In-person

The best free creative writing classes 

Reedsy Learning is composed of bite-sized modules that are emailed to you once a day for ten days. They can be read in five minutes — and best of all, they’re free! Each module is packed with practical tips, additional resources, and exercises to sharpen your skills. 

💲 Cost: Free  👨‍🏫 Type: Email

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The Creative Writing Project

The Creative Writing Project is a series of workshops designed to provide adult writers of all levels with opportunities to explore the art of creative writing. Each month-long series puts participants amongst a community of writers and educators, offering instruction and guidance from a diverse group of local and published writers. Throughout the series, writers will produce a piece of their choosing, exploring methods such as poetry, nonfiction, and prose.

Series Costs (5 sessions): This program is sold together as a 5 session series. Registration for the series is required through Passage . $125 for Non-Members, $80 for CAC Members or students.

Ticket Registration

2024 Series Dates at the CAC:

February 3 - Alison Taylor

February 10 - Annette Januzzi Wick

February 17 - Stacy Sims

February 24 - Desirae Hosley

March 2 - Jamie Lee Elizabeth Morris

Inspired by the CAC exhibition, And above the beautiful commune , each 2024 workshop centers around body inspired themes.

Contact the CAC's Education Team if you have any questions.

Included in the Series:

• 5 sessions (1 per week) that explore the creative writing process with a diverse group of local writers.
• The opportunity to submit work to a literary magazine.
• An embossed notebook with guided writing prompts.
• Coffee and refreshments
• Class size is limited, ensuring participants are given time for individual attention.

Past Events

02 March 2024

24 February 2024

17 February 2024

10 February 2024

03 February 2024

18 March 2023

11 March 2023

04 March 2023

25 February 2023

18 February 2023

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What Is Writing Workshop?

An essential part of the responsive classroom.

If you’re new to teaching writing, you may have heard discussion about writing workshop but not be entirely sure about what it is or how to use it in your classroom. WeAreTeachers is here with the answer.

What is writing workshop?

Writing workshop is a student-centered framework for teaching writing that is based on the idea that students learn to write best when they write frequently, for extended periods of time, on topics of their own choosing. 

To develop skills as a writer, students need three things: ownership of their own writing, guidance from an experienced writer, and support from a community of fellow learners. The writing workshop framework meets these needs and streamlines instruction in order to meet the most important objective: giving kids time to write. The workshop setting supports children in taking their writing seriously and viewing themselves as writers. 

The four main components of writing workshop are the mini-lesson, status of the class, writing/conferring time, and sharing. There is not a prescribed time limit for each component, rather they are meant to be flexible and determined by students’ needs on any given day. 

1. Mini-lesson (5 – 15 minutes)

This is the teacher-directed portion of writing workshop. Mini-lessons should be assessment-based, explicit instruction. They should be brief and focused on a single, narrowly defined topic that all writers can implement regardless of skill level. According to writing guru Lucy Calkins , mini-lessons are a time to “gather the whole class in the meeting area to raise a concern, explore an issue, model a technique, or reinforce a strategy.” 

Sources for mini-lessons can come from many places. Many teachers follow the scope and sequence of a prepared curriculum or use the state or national standards as a guide. Ideally, topics for mini-lessons come from your observations as you conference with your students and become aware of their needs. 

The four parts of a mini-lesson:

• Connection (activating students’ prior knowledge)
• Teaching (presentation of the actual skill or topic)
• Active engagement (giving students time for supported practice of the skill)
• Link (helping students figure out how the topic pertains to their individual writing piece).

For a helpful description of the mini-lesson process, read Writing Workshop Fundamentals by Two Writing Teachers.

2. Status update (3 – 5 minutes)

Meant to be a quick check-in, status update is a way to find out where your students are in the writing process— pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, evaluating, or publishing.

Status of the class doesn’t have to happen every day and it needn’t take up much class time. It can be a quick verbal check-in or “whip” around the classroom. Or you may want to use a clip chart, notebook, or a magnet chart.

SOURCE: Polka Dots and Pencils

Another great idea is to use a pocket chart. Students show which step they are on by putting the appropriately colored card in their pocket.  

SOURCE: Teaching My Friends

Status update lets you as the teacher evaluate how your students are progressing. It also creates accountability for the students and motivates your community of learners.

3. Writing (20 – 45 minutes)  

The majority of writing workshop is devoted to simply giving students time to write. During this time, teachers can either be modeling the process by working on their own writing or conferencing with individual students. In all reality, the majority of your time will be observing and helping students. A good goal during a typical week of writing workshop is to aim to work individually with every student in the class at least once.  

Remember, the main priority of conferencing is to listen, not to talk. But to prompt your students to share their progress with you, here are a few questions to ask from Teaching That Makes Sense . 

Once your students get the hang of what a helpful conference looks and feels like, they can use peer conferencing to help one another. 

4. Sharing (5–15 minutes)

It can be tempting, when time is running short, to skip this last element of writing workshop, but don’t!  It can be the most instructionally valuable part of the class, other than the writing time itself. When students grow comfortable seeing themselves as part of a writing community, they are willing to take more risks and dive deeper into the process. In addition, kids often get their best ideas and are most influenced by one another. 

Some tips to keep sharing time manageable: 

• For whole-class sharing, keep a running list of who has shared and when, and h ave students share only a portion of their writing—maybe what they consider their best work, or a part they need help with.
• Let students share in pairs—one reads aloud and one listens. 
• Have students swap work and read silently to themselves. 

At first the concept of writing workshop may seem overwhelming. But once you establish your routine, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to implement. Because writing workshop gives students so much time to write, their writing skills will improve dramatically. And hopefully, being part of such a dynamic writing community will instill in your students a lifelong love for writing.

Got any hot tips for using writing workshop in your classroom? We’d love to hear about them in our WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook.

Plus, check out 5 Peer Conferencing Strategies that Actually Work .

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Join the Club: Creative Writing Club Explained

My name is Debbie, and I am passionate about developing a love for the written word and planting a seed that will grow into a powerful voice that can inspire many.

What is Creative Writing Club?

Benefits of joining a creative writing club, activities and workshops offered by creative writing clubs, how to find and join a creative writing club, tips for maximizing your experience in a creative writing club, advantages of joining creative writing clubs:, opportunities for publication:, networking and building connections within a creative writing club, frequently asked questions, future outlook.

Our Creative Writing Club is a community of passionate writers who come together to share their love for storytelling and hone their craft. Whether you’re new to writing or a seasoned wordsmith, our club offers a supportive and inspiring environment where you can explore your creativity, develop your writing skills, and connect with fellow writers.

In our club, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• Participate in writing exercises and workshops: Join us as we engage in various writing activities designed to stimulate your imagination and develop your writing techniques.
• Receive feedback on your work: Share your writing with other club members and receive constructive feedback to help you improve your storytelling abilities.
• Explore different genres and styles: Be exposed to a wide range of writing styles and genres through our discussions and workshops, allowing you to expand your writing horizons.
• Connect with like-minded individuals: Forge meaningful connections with fellow writers who share your passion for the written word. Exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and support each other on your writing journeys.

Join our Creative Writing Club and unleash your creativity while growing as a writer. Whether you’re seeking inspiration, feedback, or simply the camaraderie of other writers, we welcome you to become a part of our vibrant community.

Introduction to the World of Imagination:

Joining a creative writing club opens up a world of imagination and possibility. It offers a platform for aspiring writers to explore their creativity and develop their writing skills among a supportive community of like-minded individuals. Through engaging workshops, group discussions, and constructive feedback sessions, members can broaden their horizons by stepping into the shoes of various characters, exploring different genres, and experimenting with diverse writing styles. The club serves as a safe space for writers to express themselves freely, fostering a sense of self-discovery and personal growth.

• Creative Inspiration: The creative writing club provides an environment that inspires and motivates its members to pursue their writing ambitions. By regularly interacting with fellow writers and sharing ideas, participants can tap into a wealth of creativity and inspiration. The club’s members often engage in stimulating writing exercises and prompts, sparking new ideas and breaking through writer’s block. This constant flow of creative energy nurtures a fertile ground for imagination to flourish.
• Constructive Feedback: One of the greatest advantages of joining a creative writing club is the opportunity for constructive feedback. By participating in workshops and critique sessions, members can receive valuable insights and suggestions to improve their writing. This feedback is invaluable in identifying strengths and weaknesses, polishing writing skills, and refining one’s literary voice. With the constructive guidance of fellow writers, club members can gain a deeper understanding of the art of storytelling and hone their abilities to captivate readers.

Joining a creative writing club offers an exciting array of activities and workshops that nourish your writing skills and ignite your imagination. Here are some of the captivating opportunities that await you:

• Writing Prompts: Get those creative juices flowing with a myriad of thought-provoking prompts designed to push your boundaries and inspire unique story ideas. From surreal scenarios to character-driven dilemmas, these prompts will challenge you to explore new genres and writing styles.
• Feedback Sessions: Engage in constructive discussions with fellow writers who are enthusiastic about fine-tuning their craft. Share your work-in-progress and receive valuable feedback, allowing you to identify strengths, improve weak points, and develop your unique voice in a supportive environment.
• Guest Speaker Events: Attend exclusive talks by established authors, editors, and literary agents. Gain insight into their writing processes, listen to captivating anecdotes from their career journeys, and learn valuable tips and tricks to enhance your own craft. These events offer a unique opportunity to interact with industry professionals and expand your network within the literary world.

But that’s not all! Creative writing clubs provide a platform for various enriching workshops that cover a range of topics, such as:

• Character Development: Learn techniques to create compelling and well-rounded characters that resonate with your readers.
• Plot Structure: Explore different plot structures and discover how to add suspense, build tension, and craft captivating story arcs.
• Worldbuilding: Dive into the intricacies of building fictional worlds, from designing unique settings to establishing believable rules and cultures.
• Editing and Revision: Acquire essential skills for revising and polishing your work, ensuring your writing shines before it reaches an audience.

By immersing yourself in these activities and workshops, creative writing clubs provide an inspiring community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for storytelling. Joining a club today will not only improve your writing skills but also offer a supportive space to nurture your creativity and connect with fellow writers on your journey toward literary success.

Joining a creative writing club can be a fantastic way to connect with like-minded individuals, improve your writing skills, and get valuable feedback on your work. If you’re wondering how to find and join the perfect club for you, here are a few tips:

1. Research Online: Start by doing a quick search on the internet to find creative writing clubs in your area. Look for clubs that align with your interests and goals. Check out their websites or social media pages to get an idea of their activities and the type of writing they focus on.

2. Local Libraries and Bookstores: Visit your local library or bookstore and ask if they have any creative writing clubs or if they can recommend any in the area. These establishments often have community bulletin boards where clubs advertise their meetings or workshops, so keep an eye out for any notices.

3. Online Writing Communities: Don’t limit yourself to physical clubs! There is a wealth of online writing communities where you can connect with writers from all around the world. Platforms like Meetup, Goodreads, and Reddit have dedicated spaces for writers to share their work, give feedback, and even arrange virtual meetups or workshops.

4. Attend Open Mic Nights: Open mic nights are not only a great way to showcase your own writing talent, but they can also be an opportunity to meet other writers and learn about local creative writing clubs. Strike up conversations with fellow writers during these events, and you might find yourself on the path to discovering the perfect club to join.

Ready to dive into the world of creative writing? Joining a creative writing club is one of the best ways to sharpen your skills and connect with fellow writers who share your passion. To ensure you make the most out of your experience, here are some invaluable tips to keep in mind:

• Embrace diversity: One of the most exciting aspects of a creative writing club is the diversity of writing styles, genres, and perspectives. Embrace this diversity! Engage in discussions and workshops with an open mind, appreciating the unique approaches of your fellow writers. This exposure will not only broaden your own writing horizons but also foster a supportive and inclusive community within the club.
• Consistency is key: To truly maximize your experience in a creative writing club, consistency is crucial. Attend meetings regularly and actively participate in writing exercises, critiques, and group discussions. Consistency not only helps you stay accountable in your writing journey but also allows you to build strong connections with other club members. Remember, the more you invest in the club, the more you’ll benefit from the invaluable insights, feedback, and inspiration that your fellow writers can offer.

Exploring Opportunities for Publication through Creative Writing Clubs

Joining a creative writing club can be a fantastic way to unlock opportunities for publication and share your written work with a wider audience. In these clubs, you’ll find a supportive community of fellow writers who understand the struggles and joys of the creative process. Together, you can cultivate your skills, gain valuable feedback, and discover a variety of avenues for showcasing your talent.

One invaluable benefit of creative writing clubs is the opportunity to participate in writing competitions and literary magazines. Many clubs organize regular contests, providing you with a chance to submit your work and potentially win recognition for your creativity. Additionally, these clubs often collaborate with schools, local organizations, and literary publications, increasing your exposure and facilitating potential publication. By participating in these activities, you not only enhance your writing abilities but also establish connections within the writing community.

• Gain inspiration and motivation from like-minded writers
• Receive constructive feedback to improve your writing skills
• Expand your network by connecting with professionals in the literary field
• Participate in writing workshops and learn new techniques
• Access valuable resources and recommendations for editors and agents
• Submit your writing to contests organized by the club
• Showcase your work in club-sponsored literary magazines
• Collaborate with local organizations and schools for publishing opportunities
• Connect with established literary publications through club affiliations
• Explore self-publishing options with the support and guidance of fellow club members

Being a part of a creative writing club not only allows you to explore your writing skills, but it also provides an exciting opportunity to network and build connections with like-minded individuals. Building connections within the club can open up doors to new perspectives, collaborations, and even potential publishing opportunities. Here are some ways you can network and build connections within the creative writing club:

• Participate in club events and activities: Attending club events like writing workshops, open mic nights, or book discussions is a fantastic way to interact with fellow writers and exchange ideas. Engage in conversations, actively participate, and be open to receiving feedback on your work. These events provide the perfect platform to connect with writers who share your passion.
• Form writing critique groups: Establishing a writing critique group within the club can be highly beneficial. This allows you to regularly share your work with a smaller, dedicated group of writers who can provide valuable feedback and help you improve your writing skills. By actively engaging in critique sessions, you not only strengthen your bonds with other writers but also enhance your own writing abilities.
• Utilize online platforms: Many creative writing clubs have online platforms or social media groups where members can connect and interact outside of physical meetings. Take advantage of these platforms to share your work, provide feedback to others, initiate discussions, and seek advice. The online space provides a conducive environment for networking and building connections with writers beyond the boundaries of the physical club.

In conclusion, can significantly enrich your writing journey. By actively participating in club events, forming writing critique groups, and utilizing online platforms, you can foster meaningful relationships with fellow writers, gain valuable insights, and open doors to exciting writing opportunities.

Q: What is a creative writing club? A: A creative writing club is a group of individuals who share a passion for writing and come together to foster creativity, hone their writing skills, and receive feedback on their work.

Q: Why should I join a creative writing club? A: Joining a creative writing club can be a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow writers, gain inspiration, and receive constructive criticism on your writing. It provides a supportive community that can help you grow and improve as a writer.

Q: How does a creative writing club work? A: The structure of creative writing clubs can vary, but most typically include regular meetings where members share their writing and receive feedback. Some clubs may also host workshops, writing exercises, guest speakers, or even organize writing competitions or publishing opportunities.

Q: Do I need to have previous writing experience to join a creative writing club? A: Absolutely not! Creative writing clubs welcome writers of all levels, from beginners to experienced authors. The focus is on nurturing creativity and providing a space where writers can develop their skills, regardless of their experience level.

Q: Can joining a creative writing club improve my writing skills? A: Yes, joining a creative writing club can significantly enhance your writing skills. Through regular feedback and critique sessions, you’ll receive valuable input from fellow writers, helping you to identify your strengths and areas for improvement. The exposure to different writing styles and techniques shared by club members can also inspire and enhance your own writing.

Q: How can I find a creative writing club to join? A: There are several ways to find a creative writing club. You can check with your local community centers, libraries, or universities, as they often host such clubs. Alternatively, online platforms and forums dedicated to writing can provide information about virtual writing clubs where you can participate from anywhere.

Q: What are the benefits of joining a creative writing club? A: Joining a creative writing club offers numerous benefits. Apart from receiving valuable feedback on your work, you’ll find a supportive community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for writing. This sense of camaraderie can boost your motivation and provide a platform for networking and collaboration with fellow writers.

Q: Is it necessary to share my writing with others in a creative writing club? A: Sharing your writing with others is typically encouraged in a creative writing club but is not mandatory. Many clubs provide a safe and nurturing environment where you can share your work and receive valuable feedback. However, if you prefer to simply absorb the discussions and critique of others without sharing your own writing, that is usually respected as well.

Q: Can I join multiple creative writing clubs? A: Yes, you can join multiple creative writing clubs if you wish. This can provide you with a wider range of perspectives and feedback to help improve your writing. However, do keep in mind that joining too many clubs might divide your time and attention, so find the balance that works best for you.

Q: What is the most important thing to remember when joining a creative writing club? A: The most important thing to remember when joining a creative writing club is to approach it with an open mind and a willingness to learn and grow. Be respectful towards your fellow club members, embrace constructive criticism, and actively participate in discussions and activities. This will help you make the most of your experience and nurture your growth as a writer.

In conclusion, joining a creative writing club offers a supportive community, valuable feedback, and endless opportunities for growth as a writer. Explore your creativity and meet like-minded individuals today!

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At Creative Writing Prompts, we believe in the power of words to shape worlds. Our platform is a sanctuary for aspiring writers, seasoned wordsmiths, and everyone. Here, storytelling finds its home, and your creative journey begins its captivating voyage.

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What is a Creative Writing Workshop?

A workshop is not an academic lecture; instead, it's a group session, led by an instructor, that focuses on student writing.

Hands-On Learning

Here, in a hands-on learning approach, students critique each others' work, discussing areas of strength and making constructive suggestions about aspects of writing that could be improved upon, all in a supportive environment. Students learn to articulate their response to writing in a way that is useful for both the person whose work is being critiqued and the person who makes the comments.

Valuable Skills

The workshop method of teaching allows students to develop the critical thinking skills needed for revising their own work, as well as the interpersonal skills necessary to participate in upper level and graduate level workshops in university. Creative Writing workshops focus on the development of style and the treatment of content, not on writing skills. An appropriate level of writing skill is required.

Creative Writing Workshop with Emerging Technologies

Introduction:

With the advent of GenAI, people have been questioning and exploring what creativity means for humanity itself. The skills of “asking good questions” to explore topics of our interest and validate the information generated by AI have also become increasingly important. In the new era of AI, creative learning should prioritize nurturing individuals to focus on the exploration and experimentation process itself. There is no singular way of solving problems. Creativity starts with forming our own perspectives and establishing our own way of problem-solving. This entails engaging in an inquiry-based learning experience and allowing learners to reflect on their unique creative and problem-solving journeys. Each step in the thinking process contributes a unique ingredient to creativity. The creative writing workshop aims to empower learners to unlock their imagination, explore their own creative processes, draw insights from the explorations of others, and contemplate what creativity truly means to them.

Key objectives:

• Improve learners’ inquiry skills to help them effectively explore their ideas with GenAI
• Help learners surface their thought process for deeper reflection on their approach to the problems and ideas
• Help learners synthesize the information during their exploration and brainstorming to create their own way of problem-solving

Rationale: A process-oriented pedagogy for creative writing (Peary & Hunley, 2015)

• The “process movement”: Creative writing’s traditional pedagogy has been the workshop model, which tends to focus on critiquing products rather than understanding process. The process movement brought more attention to how writers discover and develop ideas through drafting.
• Bringing more attention to process in creative writing could involve using invention exercises and assignment sequences that engage students in different stages of drafting and revision. Focus can shift from evaluating products to understanding and evaluating engagement with process.
• Issues of grading creative writing in a process-focused pedagogy can be addressed by basing grades on whether students complete process-focused assignments rather than judging quality of products.

Source: Peary, A., & Hunley, T. C. (2015). Creative Writing Pedagogies for the Twenty-First Century . Carbondale, [Illinois]: Southern Illinois University Press.

Approach: On a high level, the workshop contains 3 main modules:

• Introduce the concept of Big C creativity and Little C creativity to help learners shift their focus to the creative process itself, rather than focusing solely on the end product
• Equip students with an understanding of prompts, probing questions and training GenAI tools
• Brainstorm ideas, collect questions and formulate directions with GenAI
• Do research on the intended characters and context with GenAI
• Planning and outlining – develop story structure and characters
• Testing rough draft with GenAI tools
• Facilitate group discussions and deep reflections on the thought process, including communications with AI tools
• Flesh out ideas into a final product (e.g. a creative story, a screenplay, a play script, etc.)
• Share reflections on the creative process with others

Process-oriented evaluation:

• Abundant documentations on the creative process, including conversations with ChatGPT, to surface thought process
• Journals to reflect on the learning journey and synthesize the thought process
• Sharing with peers to learn how other people approached their ideas, what questions they asked, what they think of the questions, what’s their reflection and takeaways of the exploration process, etc.

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7 Steps to a Great Writing Workshop

Would you like to make your classroom a stimulating community of writers and learners? Set up a writing workshop! This instructional approach truly engages students by letting them write, read, interact, mentor, and take risks—all at their own pace. Follow these simple steps to create a writing workshop in your classroom.

Step 1: Set up a writing workshop framework.

A typical writing workshop session has four parts.

Step 2: Be a writer!

Teach by example, showing not only how you write, but also how to collaborate, respond to other writers, and make improvements based on responses.

Step 3: Create a writing community.

Help your students work side by side, learning from each other in much the same way that artists do in studios or cooks do in the kitchen. Provide spaces for individual work and spaces for small-group work.

Step 4: Provide many models and topic choices.

Models help students see how other writers have shaped their ideas in essays and stories. They also serve as springboards for minilessons and class discussions about specific writing strategies. ( See student models .)

Your students need to write about topics that interest them. When students have strong feelings about their topics, they stay with their writing longer and do their best work. ( See writing topics .)

Step 5: Let students work at their own pace.

On any given day, some students may be researching a topic; others may be drafting or revising; and still others may have finished one piece of work and started on another. As workshop manager, your job is to make sure that everyone is gainfully working on a project.

Step 6: Invite peer responses.

Your students need the feedback of their peers to develop strong writing and feel part of the writing community. Help them carry out peer response groups. ( See the peer response minilesson .)

Step 7: Offer your support.

Hold brief (2- to 3-minute) conferences with students as needed during independent writing time. During these conferences, don’t act as a fixer but rather as someone who listens and suggests and offers next steps.

Final Thoughts:

Effective classroom management is the key to implementing a successful writing workshop. You need to establish specific goals (such as the number of pieces to be completed per quarter), keep students on task (via the work check), and look for teachable moments to introduce specific minilessons.

Writing Workshop Resources

Writing Workshop: The Essential Guide by Ralph Fletcher and JoAnn Portalupi

About the Authors: Writing Workshop with Our Youngest Writers by Katie Wood Ray

In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning by Nancie Atwell

The 9 Rights of Every Writer by Vicki Spandel

The No-Nonsense Guide to Teaching Writing by Judy Davis and Sharon Hill

www.writingproject.org (National Writing Project)

Teacher Support:

Click to find out more about this resource.

Standards Correlations:

The State Standards provide a way to evaluate your students' performance.

• LAFS.K12.W.1.1
• LAFS.K12.W.1.2
• LAFS.K12.W.1.3
• LAFS.K12.W.2.4
• LAFS.K12.W.2.5
• LAFS.K12.W.2.6
• LAFS.K12.W.3.7
• LAFS.K12.W.3.8
• LAFS.K12.W.3.9
• LAFS.K12.W.4.10

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Events Calendar > Writers Workshop: Creative Writing 101

Writers Workshop: Creative Writing 101

Thursday, July 11, 2024

6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Hone your writing skills at free workshops in Bryant Park's outdoor Reading Room.

Produced in partnership with Gotham Writers .  

Dip your toe into the waters of creative writing in this quick introductory workshop. You’ll learn a little craft, do a little writing, and get to hang out with your fellow writers in the heart of the city.

Justine Teu  has published short fiction in  Passages North ,  Storm Cellar ,  The Offing ,  Pidgeonholes ,  VIDA Lit ,  LEVEE  magazine, and  Pigeon Pages , among others, and her essays have appeared in  Craft Literary , the  Binghamton Journal of History , and  Binghamton Writes . She has taught for WriteOn and for BuzzFeed. She holds a BA from the State University of New York-Binghamton and an MFA in Fiction from the New School.

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Discover New Entry Points into Your Writing

Register for this Zoom class here!

Are you struggling to begin a creative piece or has the revision process left you lost on how to move forward? Paying attention to our inner and outer worlds and connecting the two using intuition as a guide can help us work through creative blocks. Using techniques based on the work of author and psychoanalyst Christopher Bollas, we will tune into objects in the outside world to help us dig into deeper parts of ourselves so we can get unstuck and add depth to our writing. In this three-part, open-genre workshop, we will learn how to use not only writerly craft from a variety of genres, including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, but also our landscape of feeling and thought, memory, and experience to create a more deliberate artistic practice. Students will draft new work and revise existing pieces, using a process that combines intuition and craft.

WORKSHOP DATES: Thursdays, July 11, 18 & 25, 6:30-8:30pm CST, on Zoom

COST: $140; Member: $120; Student/Educator/Mil $75

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Reginald Gibbons, Frances Hooper Professor of Arts and Humanities at Northwestern University, is a poet, fiction writer, translator, and literary critic. His books of poems include Last Lake (University of Chicago Press), Creatures of a Day (LSU Press), and Slow Trains Overhead: Chicago Poems and Stories (University of Chicago Press). Three bilingual selections of his poems have been published: in Spanish and English, Desde una barca de papel (2010, Littera Libros [Spain]); in Italian and English, L’Abitino Blu (translated by Piera Mattei, 2012, gattomerlino/superstripes); and in French and English, Je Pas Je (translated by Nathanael, 2014, e-book, recoursaupoeme.com).

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2024 Torch Fellows Reading

• Presented By: Torch Literary Arts
• Dates: July 25, 2024
• Location: George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural & Genealogy Center
• Time: 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
• Price: Free

Join Torch Literary Arts for our second annual 2024 Torch Fellows Reading on July 25th at the Carver Museum! Eight creative writing fellows will read from their works-in-progress across poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and script including poet laureates, NEA fellows, Poetry Magazine features AND MORE. Our 2024 Torch Fellows are: Poetry: Destiny Hemphill and m. mick powell Fiction: Deborah Mouton and Ester Okonkwo Creative Nonfiction: Meredith King and DW McKinney Script: Sandra Jackson-Opoku and Elizabeth Brown A reception with refreshments by Mashae's Catering will follow the reading. Torch Literary Arts is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established to publish and promote creative writing by Black women. We publish contemporary writing by emerging and experienced writers alike. Programs include the Torch Wildfire Reading Series, creative writing and professional development workshops, retreats, and special events.

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The Call Is Coming from Inside the House: A Personal Essay Workshop with Alysia Abbott

Main Library 449 Broadway Cambridge, MA 02138

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Description

Do you suspect the most urgent story you have to tell is your own but fear being self-indulgent or upsetting family members? How do you evoke the past in ways that will feel alive and meaningful to readers? In this an instructor-facilitated, peer-driven workshop we’ll explore the complexities of writing about family--the opportunities, the challenges, and the benefits.

Drawing on work by Grace Talusan, Justin Torres, Victoria Chang, Jonathan Letham, and others, we’ll investigate how different writers achieve the distance necessary to bring themselves and family members to life while also making meaning out of these stories. Then we’ll use a mix of generative exercises and on the spot feedback to write our own. The two-hour course meets once a week for three weeks and is designed both for those who are just beginning to write nonfiction and those who have drafts they want to deepen.

Note: This is a 3-week series. Please plan to attend all 3 sessions.

Alysia Abbott is the author of Fairyland, A Memoir of My Father , which was a New York Times Book Review  Editors' Choice and an ALA Stonewall Award winner, a winner of the Madame Figaro Prix Heroine, and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Awards. In 2022, she was awarded an artist grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She grew up in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, the only child of gay poet and writer, Steve Abbott. As a journalist, essayist, and critic, she's written for  The Boston Globe, The Guardian, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Vogue, Marie Claire, TheAtlantic.com, TriQuarterly and Psychology Today,  among other publications. She holds an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from New School University and was a contributing producer at WNYC Radio.

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