“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”
– Ernest Hemingway
Whether you’re a beginner, pro, or somewhere in between, we have the class for you.
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- Intro to Creative Writing: Let Your Words Out!“The imagination knows all stories before they are told,” wrote the poet William Carlos Williams. “What that says to me,” says instructor Katharine Harer, “is that all of us, whether we already think of ourselves as writers or we’re just starting to explore the craft, are primed for creative writing...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
February 17 - March 175 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Crafting Authentic Women CharactersAt long last, the damsel in distress has been retired, along with the evil stepmother, nagging wife, and blonde bimbo. Stories that feature authentic, multi-dimensional women characters are finally in demand. But writing these characters is not as easy as one might think...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
February 18 - March 043 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Writing in Community“When we write together and share what inspires us,” says instructor Amy G. Latham, “we see our work in new ways, discovering questions we hadn’t thought to ask and creative voices we didn’t know we had...more
Instructor: Amy G. Latham
February 18 - March 043 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)7:00pm - 9:30pm
Berkeley, CA - Intro to Creative Nonfiction: Let Your Story Unfold“Have you always wanted to write but are stumped by the way to tell your own story?” asks instructor Jennifer Lewis. “In this remote class, by exploring different types of creative nonfiction, you will find the unique way to bring your story to life”...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
February 22 - March 225 Sundays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Playing with Poetic Forms“Form in poetry is like a jungle gym which can give structure to the swinging impulses of your mind and strengthen and lengthen your poetic muscles,” says instructor Alison Luterman...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
February 23 - March 235 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Shape Your True Story“Have you started drafting a nonfiction story and now crave fresh insight?” asks instructor Ann Guy. “In this supportive workshop, thoughtful feedback will help you clarify your intentions, refine your drafts, and bring your true story to life...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
February 26 - April 026 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Writing Through the Canvas: Sparking Creativity with Visual ArtIn this half-day class, we’ll play with three different approaches to writing—narrative, lyric, and dramatic—to connect with visual art in fresh and interesting ways...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
March 011 Sunday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Fiction Craft: Laying the FoundationIn this class, you’ll develop concrete skills and narrative techniques through fun writing exercises designed to help you master your craft. At the end of five weeks, you’ll have a better grip on how to use these techniques (for developing character, setting, and plot) as tools for building your story...more
Instructor: Junse Kim
March 03 - March 315 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Short and Sweet: Prose Poems, Flash Fiction and Mini-MemoirsIn this online class we’ll look at examples of short pieces from practitioners such as Lydia Davis and Russell Edson, and we’ll explore how to incorporate techniques like free association and juxtaposition into our work. Then we’ll write, share, and write some more...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
March 05 - March 193 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Write Now!: Salon SaturdaysFor 25 years, The Writing Salon has used the power of writing prompts to coax out writers’ work in its raw form—work that would later become novels, personal essays, poems. Write Now! will showcase a Writing Salon teacher’s favorite paths to the source of inspiration...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
March 071 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Daily Write March Round RobinJane Underwood had a unique vision when she developed the Round Robin class. By combining several elements—partnering, repetition, practice, feedback, and dedication—she created not just a writing course, but an actual community, one that has continued and grown for over a decade...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
March 08 - March 293 WeeksAll Day
Online - Fiction and Creative Nonfiction Mentorship with Junse KimIn this remote mentorship, through reflections on your own fiction or creative nonfiction pieces, craft-focused readings of published works, and Junse’s feedback on your work in progress, you will develop your craft application skills and hone your critical analysis...more
Instructor: Junse Kim
March 30 - June 019 WeeksAll Day
Online - Poetry StudioPoetry Studio offers a space for poets to refine existing work, read and discuss contemporary and classic poems, and generate new writing. Workshops form the heart of the experience, where participants’ poems are read and discussed with depth and care...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
March 30 - May 046 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Creative Writing 101: Awakening the Muse“Writing begins in curiosity, an impulse toward discovery, a feeling that something wants to be expressed,” instructor Jennifer Lewis says. “This class will give you the inspiration and encouragement you need to follow that impulse and to discover the stories that are already within you...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
April 04 - May 095 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Write Now!: Salon SaturdaysFor 25 years, The Writing Salon has used the power of writing prompts to coax out writers’ work in its raw form—work that would later become novels, personal essays, poems. Write Now! will showcase a Writing Salon teacher’s favorite paths to the source of inspiration...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
April 041 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Discover Poetry: Unlock Your Emotional TruthsIn this class, we will explore poetry together, none of us traveling to precisely the same place, but all of us keeping one another company on the journey. By the end of five weeks, you’ll be able to uncover the emotional truths that most compel you to write...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
April 06 - May 045 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Your Story, Your Life: Memoir & Personal Essays“By writing memoir and personal essays, we give form to our histories and make something of meaning and beauty that is uniquely ours,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “I love this genre because you can be yourself, complete with your idiosyncrasies, strong opinions, flashes of wisdom and crazy moments...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
April 07 - May 055 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Art of Writing Great ScenesIn both literature and film, there are moments that resonate across generations. The most powerful are transformative, immersive, emotional, and filled with memorable imagery and subtext. They give the writer a chance to “show vs. tell” and allow the reader to experience a story firsthand...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
April 08 - April 223 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Prose Studio: Developing Character MotivationsThe Writing Salon’s Prose Studio classes offer a space for writers to refine existing work, read and critically analyze published pieces, and generate new writing. Workshops form the heart of the experience, where participants’ fiction and creative nonfiction works are read and discussed with depth and care through the lens of each Studio’s topic...more
Instructor: Junse Kim
April 08 - May 136 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Prose Feedback CircleIn the Writing Salon’s Feedback Circle classes, students will gain a vision and vocabulary to make craft decisions in creative pieces, for both early drafts and developed work, and to guide classmates through their own process. While there will be some generative writing activities in class, the bulk of time will be spent sharing creative pieces and giving and receiving feedback...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
April 09 - May 075 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Berkeley MeetupOccurring on a seasonal basis, Writing Salon meetups are designed to provide an intentional and facilitated space to help you keep a finger on your own creative pulse. At the same time, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with a community of other like-minded writers...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
April 111 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 3:30pm
Berkeley, CA - Daily Write Spring Round RobinJane Underwood had a unique vision when she developed the Round Robin class. By combining several elements—partnering, repetition, practice, feedback, and dedication—she created not just a writing course, but an actual community, one that has continued and grown for over a decade...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
April 12 - May 246 WeeksAll Day
Online - Poetry Mentorship with Brian TierneyThis remote poetry “class” offers a unique opportunity for personal and intimate poetry instruction. Students will work with Brian Tierney one-on-one, via written correspondence over two months, during which students will compile and send three “packets”...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
April 13 - June 159 WeeksAll Day
Online - Screenwriting and Storytelling Mentorship with Kate Montgomery“You can read all the how-to books and ask your friends and family for feedback. But if you’re serious about getting produced or published, you will ultimately need professional guidance,” says instructor Kate Montgomery...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
April 13 - June 159 WeeksAll Day
Online - FLASH: Big Stories, Tight Language“Concise, intense, and urgent, flash fiction sits at the crossroads of storytelling and poetry,” says instructor Jennifer Lewis. “Flash pieces are designed to elicit a strong emotional response in a single sitting, often capturing a moment, an epiphany, or a turning point...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
April 14 - April 283 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Discover Fiction: Telling Stories, Inventing WorldsIn this 5-week class, we’ll learn how to build engaging fictional worlds, whether we’re aiming for the fantasy of JRR Tolkien or the “reality” of Jhumpa Lahiri...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
April 15 - May 135 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Write from Real Life: Personal Essays and MemoirsIn this remote class you will plunge into the personal themes that make your real life stories uniquely yours. In the first half of this class, instructor Alison Luterman will give you writing exercises carefully designed to elicit the undertones and overtones that elevate events and anecdotes into the realm of art...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
April 15 - June 109 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Writing at the Edge of Knowing“How do we write about moments that defy easy explanation, like waking from a vivid dream that quickly fades or unexpectedly meeting a long-lost friend on a crowded street?” asks instructor Lauren Krauze. “In this class, we’ll dive into memories and experiences that may elude us, treating them as rich sources for creative exploration...more
Instructor: Lauren Krauze
April 16 - April 303 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Earning Dramatic EmotionIn this 5-week process class we will dissect the intricate concepts of how emotions are developed in fiction and creative nonfiction, and master how to recognize and apply narrative craft that develop dramatic emotions in ways that can move our readers...more
Instructor: Junse Kim
April 21 - May 195 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Discover Creative Nonfiction: Shape Stories from Your Own LifeIn this class, through weekly, prompt-driven writing exercises, we’ll sift through our memories, everyday experiences, and preoccupations with a sense of adventure and curiosity. To make our stories vivid and captivating, we’ll learn about essential craft elements and practice applying them to our own lives...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
April 23 - May 215 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Creative Writing Workshop: The Process Is EverythingThis online creative writing workshop will enable class members to deepen reflection on their own work, receive focused feedback from classmates and instructor, and inspire development toward class members’ finest hopes for their writing projects...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
April 26 - June 076 WeeksAll Day
Online - Feral Poetry: Risk-Taking on the PageIn this 3-week class, we’ll look at poems by risk-taking poets like Diane Seuss, Danez Smith, and Chen Chen, among others. We’ll use these poems as jumping-off points for our work, doing prompt-driven writing inspired by what we find there...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
April 28 - May 123 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Write Now!: Salon SaturdaysFor 25 years, The Writing Salon has used the power of writing prompts to coax out writers’ work in its raw form—work that would later become novels, personal essays, poems. Write Now! will showcase a Writing Salon teacher’s favorite paths to the source of inspiration...more
Instructor: Ben Jackson
May 021 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Creating a Writing Practice“In my years as a writer and teacher but especially as director of The Writing Salon, I’ve wondered how other writers build and sustain their writing practice,” says Ben Jackson. “While there’s no one magic formula that works for everyone, I’ve found there are particular components that lead to ongoing passion, productivity, and purpose...more
Instructor: Ben Jackson
May 05 - May 122 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Witness, Reflect & Write: Responding Artfully to Our Political Moment“What gnaws at you about the times we’re living in? What enrages, confuses and saddens you?” asks instructor Katharine Harer. “This class will provide a safe and encouraging space where we can write creatively about what is happening in our communities, our country, and the world...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
May 091 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Turn Your Fragments into Finished WorksIf you’ve been writing for a while, especially if you’ve participated in Round Robin classes, you’ve likely amassed bits of stories, essays, and poems, promising pieces that you haven’t developed further or don’t quite know how to expand. In this 6-week class, we’ll build from those starts, fragments, and sketches to create more fully realized works of art...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
May 13 - June 176 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Discover Creative NonfictionYour life is full of stories worth telling—moments that shimmer with meaning, people who’ve left their mark, experiences that won’t let you go. In Discover Creative Nonfiction, you’ll learn how to turn those stories into engaging narratives that come alive on the page...more
Instructor: Lauren Krauze
May 14 - June 115 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Prose Feedback CircleIn the Writing Salon’s Feedback Circle classes, students will gain a vision and vocabulary to make craft decisions in creative pieces, for both early drafts and developed work, and to guide classmates through their own process. While there will be some generative writing activities in class, the bulk of time will be spent sharing creative pieces and giving and receiving feedback...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
May 19 - June 165 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Intro to Fiction: To Begin at the Beginning“Big Secret Number One to writing fiction is that you have to make a mess. Many messes,” says instructor Steve Mitchel. “You have to throw truckloads of words down onto the page knowing full well that most of them will end up in the compost...more
Instructor: Steve Mitchel
May 20 - June 175 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Short and Sweet: Prose Poems, Flash Fiction and Mini-MemoirsIn this online class we’ll look at examples of short pieces from practitioners such as Lydia Davis and Russell Edson, and we’ll explore how to incorporate techniques like free association and juxtaposition into our work. Then we’ll write, share, and write some more...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
May 28 - June 113 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - From Memories to Memoirs: The Moments That Make Your StoryIn this 3-hour class, through writing prompts carefully chosen by David, you’ll pinpoint the memories that drive you to the page, ones that thrill, haunt, and comfort you. You’ll write, reflect, and write some more...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
May 301 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Story MappingGot an idea for a novel, a movie or a TV series? “That’s great!” says instructor Kate Montgomery. “Now it’s time to roll up your sleeves and organize it into a layered, well-structured story that’s engaging from start to finish...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
June 06 - June 132 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Write Now!: Salon SaturdaysFor 25 years, The Writing Salon has used the power of writing prompts to coax out writers’ work in its raw form—work that would later become novels, personal essays, poems. Write Now! will showcase a Writing Salon teacher’s favorite paths to the source of inspiration...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
June 061 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Daily Write June Round RobinJane Underwood had a unique vision when she developed the Round Robin class. By combining several elements—partnering, repetition, practice, feedback, and dedication—she created not just a writing course, but an actual community, one that has continued and grown for over a decade...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
June 07 - June 283 WeeksAll Day
Online - Submit, Repeat, Publish: Landing Your Work in Literary Journals and Small PressesFor beginning through more experienced writers, this class aims to demystify the sometimes confusing process of getting published while offering real-world insights and inspiration for success...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
June 071 Sunday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
Online - Tiny Kingdoms: Writing the VERY Short StoryHow short can a story be? Consider Ernest Hemingway’s six-word classic: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” A tale told quickly can offer untold riches, which swell inside a reader long after the telling...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
June 131 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA