Text-Based
In these courses, you will join text-based course software for course content, writing assignments, and feedback.
These courses do not include live video meetings (such as weekly Zoom calls).
Upcoming Courses
May Courses
The First Fifty Pages of the Novel
with Sandra Novack
The first 50 pages sets up plot, characters, and voice, and it lays the groundwork for your book's overall structure and success. Receive critical, supportive feedback on your book's start from novelist Sandra Novack.
In Brief: Explorations in Short Story Forms
with Sandra Novack
Explore the intricate world of short prose forms. Experiment with story forms from one-syllable micros to full-length short stories, and complete six new story drafts.
Writing Paranormal Flash Fiction: Adventures With Angels, Spirits and Ghosts
with Giulietta Nardone
Create captivating stories about characters who live by rules different than our own. A fun, supportive foray into imaginative fiction, with an eye to publication.
Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Join us for this workshop on creating powerful poems—poems that are clear and organized, fresh and moving, full of life.
June Courses
Ordinary to Extraordinary: Turning Everyday Experiences into Poetry
with Tina Barry
No experience is too small or mundane to serve as a foundation for extraordinary poetry and short fiction.
The Watching Eye/Thinking Mind: Writing Flash Fiction
with Barbara Henning
In this ten-week workshop with poet and novelist Barbara Henning, write tiny fictions while experimenting with first and third person points of view and analyzing how point of view affects the craft of fiction writing. Barbara will provide practical instruction and assignments, suggestions for revision, and lectures and and articles.
The Literary Essay
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Explore the literary essay - from the conventional to the experimental, the journalistic to essays in verse - while writing and workshopping your own.
Creative Nonfiction: The Art of Telling True Stories
with Nicole Hardy
How do you tell your stories beautifully and authentically? Learn the fundamentals of creative nonfiction with Nicole Hardy.
The Elements of Fiction
with Jessie Roy
Good fiction writing can feel like juggling as you balance all the different elements of storytelling. By the end of this course, you'll be an expert juggler.
July Courses
Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack
with Jack Smith
Get a good start on a novel in just ten weeks, or revise a novel you’ve already written. Free your imagination, move steadily ahead and count the pages!
The Cabin In The (Virtual) Woods: Writing Horror Comedy
with Giulietta Nardone
The line between horror and comedy is a lot thinner than you think. In this class, make your readers laugh in one sentence and cower in the next.
Writing Autobiographical Fiction
with Jack Smith
Learn to depart from "what really happened," and write compelling fiction from your own life experiences.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
August Courses
Crafting Poems in Form: Rhyme, Meter, Fixed Forms, and More
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Working within the guidelines of a fixed poetic structure can make your poetry more creative, not less. Find freedom in form in this 8 week workshop.
Write Your Picture Book!
with Kelly Bingham
Picture books have changed greatly over the last few decades, and the market is wide open for fresh ideas. Join us in this six-week intensive where we’ll take that idea of yours and turn it into a manuscript!
September Courses
Creative Nonfiction and the Personal Essay
with Gretchen Clark
Gretchen Clark pick axes her way into the volcanic marriage of real life and fiction. Weekly writing with incisive feedback.
Dread and Desire: Gothic Fiction Techniques to Lure and Horrify Your Readers
with Briana Una McGuckin
This Halloween, learn how to write eerie, haunting moods in this comprehensive course on Gothic writing techniques.
Unscheduled Courses
*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
*Private Class | Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
*Private Class | Food Writing: Meals And Manuscripts
with Jennifer Billock
Do you love cookbooks, cooking, or reading anything about food? This food writing course is for you. With award winning writer Jennifer Billock.
*Private Class | Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.
*Private Class | Poetry Workshop: Bring Your Poems to Life
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Join us for this workshop on creating powerful poems—poems that are clear and organized, fresh and moving, full of life.
*Private Class | The Craft of Poetry
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.
*Private Class | The Literary Essay
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Explore the literary essay - from the conventional to the experimental, the journalistic to essays in verse - while writing and workshopping your own.
*Private Class | The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
*Private Class | Writing the Short Story
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
*Private Class | Writing with Tarot
with Sandra Novack
Jump-start your creative juices, and explore a world of divination, symbolism, and imagery right at your fingertips: learn short story and novel writing through Tarot.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
30 Poems in 30 Days
with Ollie Schminkey
This National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo), build community and get feedback on your work while writing a poem every day.
Battling the Blank Page: Writing the First Third of Your Novel
with Elisa Bonnin
If the blank page daunts you, conquer it in this comprehensive novel writing course, where you'll end with over 1/3 of a first draft written.
Block Buster: Turbocharge Your Creativity with Breakneck Writing
with Gretchen Clark
Banish writer's block, unearth fresh ideas, and sharpen your storytelling ability with the practice of fast, timed writing.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Boost Your Imagination and Reap the Literary Rewards
with Giulietta Nardone
It happens to all of us: life gets in the way and our creativity falters. Get back on track with this four-week creativity boosting class!
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
But What Is Your Story Really About? Finding the Core of Your Short Memoir, Story, or Personal Essay
with Giulietta Nardone
Take a four-week writing adventure deep into the core of your story, to find the true theme of your personal essay, short story, or short memoir.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Personal Essay, Short Story
Character Transformation Workshop: How to Write Stories that Emotionally Resonate
with Giulietta Nardone
Learn how to write emotionally resonant journeys that stick with the reader, using the power of character transformation.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Crafting a Story or Novel Chapter Using Forward-Moving Tension
with Sandra Novack
How do writers tell stories with tension, action, and emotion? Learn how to write forward-moving tension in this 5 week fiction course.
Crafting the Poetry Novel for Young Adults
with Kelly Bingham
Even if you’ve never written poetry before, you can begin the rewarding process of crafting a poetry novel for Young Adults. Is there a market for novels written in verse? Are they well received? Yes, there is, and yes, they are!
Crafting the Poetry Novel: Advanced Workshop
with Kelly Bingham
Want to make headway on your poetry novel? This workshop offers the structure and resources to get it done, with instructor Kelly Bingham.
Creating the Visual Journal
with Lissa Jensen
Go beyond narrow definitions of “journaling" to include visual images and let writing give what is seen a new voice. Surprise yourself.
Creative Nonfiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Personal Essay
Creative Writing & Storytelling Techniques For Business Professionals
with Giulietta Nardone
Good writing helps business connect deeply with the clients they're hoping to work with. Learn how to hone the power of story in your professional career.
Drafty in Here: Write Your Novella in Ten Weeks
with
Write the entire first draft of a novella-length story, with plenty of feedback from stage to stage, and finish with a plan for revising toward a publishable manuscript.
Embodied Writing: Improve Your Writing with Full-Body Creativity
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Embodied Writing: Somatic Practices to Improve Your Work
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Have a grand time with specific physical exercises that honor your health, generate imaginative ideas, explore deeply and make your creative writing entertaining.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Even Smaller: Adventures in Short-form Writing
with Tina Barry
Less is more in this bite-sized writing class, where you'll learn how to tell complete stories under the tightest word counts.
Find Your Brave: Publishing As An Act Of Courage
with Giulietta Nardone
In this fun, transformative four-week program, get tips and techniques to bring out your courage to publish a story in print or online.
Flash Fiction: Writing the Short-Short Story
with Barbara Henning
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Text-BasedWrite 1–3-page flash fiction in this online course with Barbara Henning, drawing on classic, poetic & experimental elements. Read the form’s masters.
Food Writing: Food-Focused Memoir
with Jennifer Billock
The food we eat and enjoy tells volumes about our lives and experiences. Write it all down in this food memoir course, with Jennifer Billock.
Creative Nonfiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Personal Essay
Food Writing: Meals And Manuscripts
with Jennifer Billock
Do you love cookbooks, cooking, or reading anything about food? This food writing course is for you. With award winning writer Jennifer Billock.
Fundamentals of Travel Writing
with Jennifer Billock
Take to the skies in this online travel writing course. We'll discuss the market, different types of travel writing, and pitching your piece!
Get Your Book Done Intensive! 4 Weeks to Measurable Progress
with Giulietta Nardone
The summer is the best time to get the ball rolling on your book. Join us if you really want to get your book into the world.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Growing Smaller: The Art of Micro- and Short Fiction
with Tina Barry
Course full. Contact us to join waitlist.
Text-BasedLess is more. Learn the ropes of flash and micro-fiction in this 4-week course and hone the art of the short-short story.
Humor Is The New Black!
with Giulietta Nardone
Ready to add a splash of fun to your writing life? Join us for a four-week humor writing class. We’ll read. We’ll laugh. We’ll write. We’ll experiment.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
In Your Own Words: Transforming Life Into Memoir and Fiction
with Margo Perin
Learn how to draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or those of people you know, or want to know, to craft compelling, publishable memoirs, personal essays, autobiographical novels and short stories, and/or narrative poetry.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Introduction to Writing Genre Fiction
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Take the whirlwind tour! Learn the conventions of eight major fiction genres, try them out, and figure out your niche.
Let It Rip: The Art of Writing Fiery Prose
with Giulietta Nardone
You'll write prose that gets folks so hot and bothered they won't be able to put it down, even if it isn't about sex.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story
Let’s Get Personal: The Art and Craft of the Personal Essay
with Margo Perin
Draw inspiration and material from your life experiences or “real life” people you know to craft compelling, publishable personal essays. With author Margo Perin.
Manuscript Review for Children’s Writers: Summer Edition
with Sarah Aronson
Instructor Sarah Aronson welcomes all writers who are working on manuscripts for kids and teens. This advanced workshop will focus entirely on the participants' own work in progress.
Manuscript Workshop: Writing For Young Readers
with Denise Santomauro
Author Denise Santomauro leads this intermediate/advanced workshop on writing for children. It offers support, structure and detailed feedback on manuscripts.
Mastering the Elements of Fiction
with Jack Smith
In this course, you’ll work with the basic elements of fiction--the fundamentals that drive the story and determine the quality of the work.
Next-Level Creative Nonfiction: Elevating Essays, Memoir, Travel Writing & Literary Journalism
with Wendy Call
Elevate your memoir, travel writing, literary journalism, & lyric and personal essays.
No More Excuses! Four Weeks to Finish and Submit Your Personal Essay or Short Memoir
with Giulietta Nardone
Join us for this insightful four-week “get the writing done” program, give and receive thoughtful comments from your fellow writers and the instructor, and enjoy heaps of encouragement and writing wisdom along the way.
Onward: Writing the Novel-in-Process
with Sandra Novack
So now that you have your opening novel pages, what next? Get detailed, constructive feedback on your work-in-progress, wherever you're at in writing it.
Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks!
with Giulietta Nardone
"Who are you to want to write?" Someone great, that's who! Politely ask Mr. or Ms. Fear to step aside while you sign up for this fun, freeing and functional adventure.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Lifestyle and Wellness, Memoir, Novel, Personal Essay, Short Story, Stage and Broadcast
Plot Your Novel
with Jack Smith
Over eight weeks, you'll develop a solid basis in the fictional elements—protagonist, setting, secondary characters, point of view, plot, and theme—while you develop the outline of your novel. You'll receive feedback at all stages from your fellow writers and your instructor.
Poetic Prose: The Prose Poem
with Barbara Henning
Explore the border between prose poetry and flash fiction. For writers of fiction, poetry, essay and memoir.
Speculative Fiction: Sci-fi, Fantasy, & More
with Tara Campbell
Speculative fiction isn't (only) warp drives and magic wands; it's anything that examines human lives and relationships through alternate realities. In this course, learn how to wield the fantastic in your fiction.
Style and Sense: Bring Your Writing to Life
with John Gottberg Anderson
How do we transport our readers to vivid worlds? In this course, learn the skills that evoke the senses and bring your writing to life.
Tales From The Memory Palace: 6 to 250 Word Memoirs
with Giulietta Nardone
If you want to be an in demand storyteller in the digital age, you need to get in, get out and get going. In this "short" four-week memoir writing adventure, you'll learn to scope out, swoop down and snatch up important memories from your life then speed write them into miniature masterpieces.
Telling Your Food Story
with Hannah Howard
Let's write at the kitchen table together, as we explore using food as a lens to tell our stories.
The Craft of Poetry
with Jonathan J.G. McClure
Poetry is alive and well. Contemporary poets can be touching, terrifying, and laugh-out-loud funny. Join us for an exploration of writing and reading poems.
The Five Ws (and One H) of Drafting Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels
with Amanda Hosch
Asking yourself these six questions will give you the scaffolding for your next young adult or middle grade novel.
The Lyric Essay
with Gretchen Clark
Explore non-traditional and imaginative ways to tell your stories with this ten-week writing course online. Creative nonfiction teacher Gretchen Clark provides detailed feedback on weekly writing assignments that emphasize creative freedom.
The Micro-obstacles/Flow Technique
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
The Sixth Sense: Writing Horror with a Message
with Giulietta Nardone
Looking to write the substance of nightmares? Learn the ropes of horror writing in this spine-chilling fiction course.
The Soundtrack of Your Life: Writing About Music, Memories and Mix Tapes
with Giulietta Nardone
In a song inspired class, write several essays about the music that has moved you through life: the emotions, the relationships, the events, the outcomes.
The Wandering Heart: Tales of Connection
with Giulietta Nardone
Wander through the rooms of your own life to discover stories of deep connection, reconnection or loss of connection and fashion your findings into stories suitable for blog posts, essays, short memoirs, short plays, scenes in screenplays, or chapters of novels.
What’s So Funny? Writing Poetic Humor
with Ollie Schminkey
Can a poem make the audience laugh out loud? Learn how to harness poetic humor in this class about knocking the reader's socks off.
Word Flashes & Eye Snapshots: Sketching Your Life Awake
with Marc Olmsted
For any writer wanting to root writing in vision and vision in the body: for poetry, fiction, essay, memoir & pleasure.
Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Memoir, Personal Essay, Poetry, Short Story
Write into Mystery: Writing Flash Memoir on Wonder and the Unexplained
with Joanna Penn Cooper
We often encounter wonder, mystery, and the unexplained in our everyday lives. Turn those experiences into flash essays in this community-centered course.
Write Your Children’s Book!
with Kelly Bingham
If you’re looking for accountability, support, enthusiasm, feedback, and a chance to make progress on your Children's Book or YA story, then this is the place for you.
Writing the Short Story
with Rosemary Tantra Bensko
Create new work with fresh language, universal themes, sustained mystery and memorable characters. Stimulate your imagination.
Writing with Tarot
with Sandra Novack
Jump-start your creative juices, and explore a world of divination, symbolism, and imagery right at your fingertips: learn short story and novel writing through Tarot.