5 Weeks, 7-9:30 p.m. (this class is not currently scheduled, but the 1-day version IS)
$185 members/$215 non-members San Francisco

“I plan to write more books whenever I can find the appropriate writing attire and color-coordinated pen.” ~ Miss Piggy

You want to write but…you’re afraid. Or too tired. Or uninspired. Or don’t have the time. Or ________________ (fill in the blank with your own favorite “but”).

Here’s what I suggest: Just get your buts to class! That’s it! Once you’re here, I’ll help you achieve the following goals: 1) start (or get back to) your writing,  2) experiment with new ways to approach and vary that writing, 3) write with more ease, and 4) write with a better ear for hearing and appreciating your innate writer’s voice (yes, you do have one; it already exists).

This class will focus primarily on in-class writing. It will, in fact, be an in-class writing extravaganza. The aim will be for you to generate fresh new material that you can later shape and mold into finished pieces — fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose. It doesn’t matter what genre you’re interested in. It doesn’t even matter if you don’t yet know what genre you’re interested in. What matters is that you will write, and that you will learn by doing so.

At every class, I will give you an assortment of timed writing exercises and jumpstarts that will help you explore the world of creative writing. You’ll have the opportunity (option) to share  “snippets” of what you’ve written. The purpose of sharing will not be to get advice or critiques from me or other class members on how to improve your writing. Rather, it will be to find out what we appreciated about what you wrote, just as you wrote it.

Every now and then, I will talk about craft. Sometimes I’ll do this when explaining why I gave a particular exercise. Other times I’ll do it when someone shares something that creates an opening for me to talk about a specific aspect of writing. But the main focus of this class won’t be on what I tell you about writing; it will be on you, doing your in-class writes.

Please bring the following to class: 1) Paper and a pen, or a laptop with a fully charged battery (electrical outlets are limited), 2) A willingness to explore, experiment, discover, create, and share.

Jane Underwood, founder and director of the Writing Salon, has been a writer, editor and teacher for more than 30 years (and also leads the popular “Daily Write Round Robin” class). Her poetry, prose, erotica, articles and essays have appeared in numerous print and online periodicals, anthologies, and on stage. She has a masters in creative writing, and is also an avid photographer, with a special affection for urban trees,  fallen leaves, and quirky San Francisco stairways.

Testimonials for Jane’s Classes