“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.
Got Questions?
- Color & Shape: Writing Poetry in Response to Visual Art“Have you ever wanted to write a poem in response to a photograph or a painting? What about a film?” asks instructor Thea Matthews. “This class is designed to stretch your creativity and bring out the joy in your creative process...more
Instructor: Thea Matthews
December 04 - December 112 Sundays, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
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
December 04 - December 183 Sundays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Creative Writing Boot Camp“In a quick but powerful workshop, we’ll focus on the most essential elements of creative writing such as voice, character, dialogue and description,” says instructor Kathy Garlick...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
January 071 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
January 07 - January 081 Saturday & 1 Sunday, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
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
January 08 - March 058 WeeksAll Day
Online - Let’s Begin Here: Approaching Craft in Fiction Through Character, Dialogue and SceneIn order to write, one must read constantly, observe the world well, and take seriously the craft of writing. During this five-week course, we will focus on the last of these, the craft of writing...more
Instructor: Lori Ostlund
January 08 - February 055 Sundays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Be Bold: Poetry Workshop“This intensive workshop is designed for poets seeking to elevate their craft and hone the art of revision,” says instructor Thea Matthews. “‘Be Bold’ will provide a safe, constructive environment for students to feel empowered and to seek endless possibilities with their poetry...more
Instructor: Thea Matthews
January 08 - February 055 Sundays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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
January 08 - February 055 Sundays, (PST)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
January 09 - March 139 WeeksAll Day
Online - Creative Practice: Cultivating a Writing Routine That Works for You“Writing is a way to engage deeply and meaningfully with the world so that life does not just simply pass us by,” says Shelby Hinte. “Writing is a way to linger and dissect the moments that might otherwise evade us. But as busy adults, how do we find time to write...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
January 09 - February 065 Mondays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
January 09 - February 065 Mondays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - 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
January 10 - February 075 Tuesdays, (PST)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
January 10 - February 146 Tuesdays, (PST)7:00pm - 9:30pm
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
January 11 - March 089 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - You Can Be a Winning Writer: How to Get Published, Grow Confidence and Build CommunityFor writers poised to publish poems, articles and stories as well as those with completed manuscripts or book proposals, this online class will provide a strategy for success...more
Instructor: Joan Gelfand
January 111 Wednesday, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Breaking Through: Exploring Our Stories of Wins“Most of us have experienced breakthroughs in our lives, such as finishing a big project, improving an interpersonal relationship, earning a promotion, or feeling spiritual growth,” observes course instructor David Jacobson. “In this class, you will create a nonfiction piece about that experience...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
January 18 - February 013 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Poems Only You Can Write: Identifying and Embracing What Sets Your Work ApartThis one-session remote workshop is designed to help you explore the topical, structural, and stylistic aspects that make your work your own...more
Instructor: Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet
January 211 Saturday, (PST)2:00pm - 5:00pm
Online - Turning Points: Writing about Personal TransformationThis class will focus on how to write through times of transition, including coming out or gender transition, giving birth and becoming a parent, losing a loved one, career change, and more...more
Instructor: Addie Tsai
January 21 - February 185 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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
January 22 - March 056 WeeksAll Day
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
January 25 - February 083 Wednesdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Finding Your Writing Community: A Guide to Networking for Writers“Networking is hard for most of us,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “It is also utterly necessary for writers in terms of saving time, unleashing opportunities and staying informed...more
Instructor: Kilby Blades
January 26 - February 022 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - How to Submit: Querying and Applying for Opportunities in the Writing World“The creative writing world is paved with pathways for writers to lead their projects into the light,” says Kilby Blades, “but navigating those roads isn’t easy. And, at every checkpoint are gatekeepers. In this class, you’ll learn who those gatekeepers are and how they work...more
Instructor: Kilby Blades
February 04 - February 112 Saturdays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Jumpstart Your Memoir Writing!Have you ever experienced the nagging feeling you ought to be writing down your life stories, but have simply lacked the time and the tools to do it? If so, this is the class to jumpstart your memoir-writing engine...more
Instructor: Kerry Muir
February 05 - March 055 Sundays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Poetry Mentorship with Erin RodoniIn this 9-week mentorship experience, Erin Rodoni will engage with you as a unique poet. In addition to providing detailed critical feedback on your creative work, she will also take into account the arc and scope of your poems, examining the ways in which they are speaking to and building on each other...more
Instructor: Erin Rodoni
February 06 - April 109 WeeksAll Day
Online - Poetry Revision IntensiveIn this class, you’ll explore multiple techniques for re-visioning, revising, and workshopping poems, discovering what each poem wants to become. You’ll emerge with 8 to 12 substantial revisions and a collection of useful revision tools...more
Instructor: Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet
February 07 - March 146 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Creative Writing 101“Have you wanted to test the waters of creative writing but don’t know where to begin, or how?” asks instructor Kathy Garlick. “Have you waded into those waters before, but it’s been a while?” In this 5-week class, you will be guided surely and safely into the writing experience...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
February 12 - March 125 Sundays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Mining for Gold: Looking to the Everyday for Creative InspirationIn this 5-week virtual class, we will use material from our everyday lives as starting points to generate our own creative prose, poetry, or hybrid works. We will look anew at the world and seek inspiration in unexpected places, mining the everyday for artistic leads...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
February 13 - March 135 Mondays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Intro to Fiction: Laying the FoundationIn this remote 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
February 15 - March 155 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Advanced Fiction Workshop: Hearts and Minds on the PageAre you hungry for honest, constructive feedback on your fiction? Do you long to be part of a community of writers dedicated to helping one another render (shape, enrich, and enliven) a story the best it can be?...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
February 16 - March 236 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - We Real Cool: The Craft of BIPOC Poetry“Historically, studying the craft of BIPOC poets has been seriously overlooked,” says instructor Thea Matthews. “Enough! To learn and write poetry, we must be aware of the literary craft of non-white authors...more
Instructor: Thea Matthews
February 18 - March 185 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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
February 21 - March 215 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Comedy Writing 101“Comedy is fragile,” says instructor Kate Montgomery. “One extra word can ruin a laugh. But the truth is, just about anyone can be funny, once they know how it’s done...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
February 25 - March 042 Saturdays, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
Online - The 5-Minute MemoirInstructor Rob Williams says, “I love being wowed by a short piece of writing, something that may take only three to five minutes to read, but in its brevity is still rich with candor, humor, or heartbreak, and leaves me thinking about it long after I’ve read the last sentence...more
Instructor: Rob Williams
March 041 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Green World: Writing about Nature“Nature can be a source of solace, inspiration, and renewal,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “Just walking down a path surrounded by trees with the smell of the earth under my feet changes the way I feel instantly...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
March 111 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA