“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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- Creating Found Poetry: A Generative Poetry ClassIn this three-week class, we’ll find and collect words and passages from other pieces of text and mix these and our own words together to experiment with new voices, phrasings, and vocabularies in our own poems...more
Instructor: Thea Matthews
April 01 - April 153 Saturdays, (PDT)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - How to Become a Published AuthorThis course is perfect for writers at any stage of their writing life or career (from beginner to advanced) who want a better understanding of how the publishing world works and how to navigate it to their advantage...more
Instructor: John J. Geoghegan
April 01 - April 153 Saturdays, (PDT)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Fearless Poetry WorkshopNow celebrating 19 years at The Writing Salon, this workshop keeps drawing people who want to jumpstart their poetry practice and to keep the engine oiled...more
Instructor: Julie Bruck
April 02 - April 305 Sundays, (PDT)2:00pm - 4:30pm
San Francisco, 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 03 - June 059 Mondays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Advanced Fiction Workshop: From Seed to FlowerHave a finished story draft but don’t know where to take it next? Or maybe you have an idea for a story but don’t know how to get it on the page. In Advanced Fiction Workshop, students will generate new material and refine already drafted stories...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
April 04 - May 096 Tuesdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Nomad with a Notebook: Writing about TravelWhether you’ve just returned from Paris or Sacramento or you’re dreaming of a trip, this class will help you transform your observations into vivid and lasting images. Katharine will provide tips on how to carefully observe and record your impressions of new places and cultures...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
April 04 - May 025 Tuesdays, (PDT)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 06 - May 045 Thursdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Selecting and Ordering Poems for Submission and Publishing“Whether you’re submitting poems to journals or putting them together for a book,” says instructor Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, “learning how to order and present your work can give you a deeper understanding of how that work is received – and of what sets your poems apart...more
Instructor: Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet
April 06 - April 203 Thursdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Daily Write 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: Allison Landa, Kathy Garlick
April 09 - May 216 WeeksAll Day
Online - Raw WritingIn this 3-week version of The Writing Salon’s Raw Writing series, David will lead you through prompts and exercises that indulge your senses, tickle your intellect, and mine your memory. You’ll engage in writing exercises using your favorite pieces of literature, music, and other art forms...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
April 10 - April 243 Mondays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Your Singular Life“Writing memoir is like being a miner, shining a light into the nooks and crannies of our lives,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “We think we know what we’ll find, but we’re often surprised by the depth and complexity we uncover...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
April 15 - April 293 Saturdays, (PDT)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - She Said WHAT?: Character Voices and DialogueInstructor Jessica Litwak says, “I started out my working life as an actor, so I write and teach writing from the inside, embodying story and character with passion, specificity and joy. I work to inspire and guide my students towards strong and clear written expression, particularly through character and dialogue...more
Instructor: Jessica Litwak
April 15 - May 135 Saturdays, (PDT)2:00pm - 4:30pm
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 17 - June 199 WeeksAll Day
Online - The Art of Perhapsing: Remembering and Speculating in Creative Nonfiction“The nonfictional nature of memoir and essay writing often comes into conflict with the nature of memory,” says instructor Rob Williams. “How do we keep our pact with the reader, to honor the truth of our story, when we may not be able to recall all of the details or even dialogue...more
Instructor: Rob Williams
April 22 - April 292 Saturdays, (PDT)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Who Says It’s Taboo: Breaking the Rules of Fiction“We all have our favorite writing rules—rules that have come about sometimes as simple pet peeves but more often for valid reasons,” says instructor Lori Ostlund. In this class, we will practice breaking those rules...more
Instructor: Lori Ostlund
April 23 - May 215 Sundays, (PDT)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, 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
April 25 - May 022 Tuesdays, (PDT)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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 03 - May 173 Wednesdays, (PDT)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Shaping Our Personal StoriesIn Creative Nonfiction Workshop, students will share drafts of their own personal stories and workshop them through an inquiry-based approach that emphasizes exploration and discovery...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
May 03 - June 076 Wednesdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Making Connections: Writing a Poem SequenceDo you ever feel like you’re trying to squeeze too much into a single poem? Or like a poem isn’t complete on its own? If this sounds familiar, you might be ready to compose a poem sequence....more
Instructor: Erin Rodoni
May 07 - June 186 WeeksAll Day
Online - Retelling Your Favorite Stories: How to Write Fanfiction, Adaptations & ReimaginingsContemporary re-visioning of classic stories has never been more exciting than it is now, when fanfiction, adaptation, and reimaginings offer a way to bring new life to familiar tales. We can reinvent classics, bringing in voices and lives excluded from the originals...more
Instructor: Addie Tsai
May 07 - June 115 Sundays, (PDT)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Body Narratives“Some of our most defining stories are about the things that have happened to our bodies,” says instructor Jennifer Lewis. “Whether adolescence, childbirth, aging or gender transitioning, each of us has experienced transformations that have shaped our character...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
May 08 - June 125 Mondays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Fiction Workshop: Enrich Your Drafts“If you’re craving some constructive, insightful feedback from a supportive group of fellow writers, it’s time to dip your toe into the workshop,” says instructor Steve Mitchel...more
Instructor: Steve Mitchel
May 09 - June 136 Tuesdays, (PDT)7:00pm - 9:30pm
San Francisco, CA - Intro to Creative Writing: Getting Our Stories onto the Page“Each of us has a story to tell, but finding the words and voice for that story is an art and craft specific to each individual,” says instructor Kathy Garlick. “This class is designed for writers who may be uncovering and sharing that story for the first time...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
May 11 - June 085 Thursdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Five S’s: An Intro to Writing Poetry“What makes a poem powerful? What makes a poem effective?” asks instructor Thea Matthews. “In this introductory course we will focus on Five S’s to enhance our approach to writing poetry...more
Instructor: Thea Matthews
May 14 - June 185 Sundays, (PDT)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Intro to Fiction: The Practice of CraftYou have a story to tell—maybe you’ve ventured to write it down. But something falls short and you don’t yet feel confident enough about technique to make it sing. In this five-week online course, we’ll dive into the elements of fiction craft...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
May 18 - June 155 Thursdays, (PDT)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - 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: Allison Landa, Kathy Garlick
June 04 - June 253 WeeksAll Day
Online - Screenwriting Boot Camp“The best way to learn anything is to DO it,” says instructor Kate Montgomery. “In this fun, informative boot camp, you’ll get into the process right away. With an interactive mix of short lectures, individual and team writing exercises, and course materials you can keep to reference later, you’ll learn how to write a screenplay that can sell...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
June 10 - June 172 Saturdays, (PDT)10:00am - 1:00pm
Online