“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?
- 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
May 08 - May 152 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Writing Your Personal SymbolsIn this 5-week remote class, students will use class time to develop a series of creative nonfiction pieces connected to classic Jungian archetypes such as the Hero, Lover, Outlaw, Trickster, Orphan and more...more
Instructor: Kerry Muir
May 11 - June 155 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Jumpstart Your Poetry with Visual Art: A Poetry Lab“Many poets have turned to visual art for inspiration,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “Writing poems that speak to or about paintings we love, or sculptures that captivate us, or photos that haunt us, can crack open our imagination and stretch our voice...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
May 14 - May 283 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)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
May 16 - June 135 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Screenwriting 101: Writing a Short Film“Have you dreamt of writing an acclaimed short film? One that dazzles at festivals or serves as your feature film calling card?” asks instructor Kuang Lee. “This class will guide you through the essentials of writing a short film, offering an exciting introduction to the world of screenwriting...more
Instructor: Kuang Lee
May 16 - May 303 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
May 181 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Free Your Creativity: Using Constraints to Generate New WritingIn this generative class, we’ll explore how constraints may inspire both poetry and prose. We’ll look at examples by writers who use these techniques, then engage with inventive writing exercises, freeing our own imaginations...more
Instructor: Kimberly Lee
May 28 - June 113 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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 011 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
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: Kathy Garlick
June 02 - June 233 WeeksAll Day
Online - Write Sentences That Sing: Craft SeriesThe Writing Salon’s brand-new Craft Series offers writers an up-close opportunity to learn from and engage with an acclaimed author about the art and craft of writing. In this first installment of the Craft Series, Nina Schuyler will delve into the intricacies of writing style...more
Instructor: Nina Schuyler
June 02 - June 092 Sundays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Three D’s of Fiction: Description, Dialogue & Drama“Whether you’re working on a novel or shorter fiction, the Three D’s are essential,” says instructor Lisa Moore Ramée. “This class will give you tips on how to create descriptions of a world and the characters in it, dialogue that rings true, and dramatic scenes with gripping conflict...more
Instructor: Lisa Moore Ramée
June 03 - June 173 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Craft Memorable CharactersWhat makes a character like Harry Potter or Katniss Everdeen or Walter White so memorable? “Their predicament may be foreign to us and we may not approve of all their choices,” says instructor Kate Montgomery, “but we connect with them on a visceral level. They make us care...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
June 04 - June 112 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: David Jacobson
June 151 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
July 08 - September 099 WeeksAll Day
Online - Short Story 1-2-3: Writing Fiction That Packs a Punch“Ever since I began writing, I’ve been fascinated by the short story form,” Jennifer Lewis says. “You can read a short story from beginning to end in one sitting. I love the immediacy and resolve, the feeling of completion with an economy of words...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
July 08 - August 126 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Poetry Workshop: Rekindling WonderThis 5-week workshop will offer a congenial space where you can listen to and learn from a range of helpful voices and try out new approaches to writing and revision. Over the length of the class you’ll receive oral feedback from your classmates and Katharine on at least 2-3 of your poems...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
July 09 - August 065 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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
July 09 - September 109 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Summer Zoom MeetupOccurring on a seasonal basis, Writing Salon Zoom 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: Shelby Hinte
July 131 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 3:30pm
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: Kathy Garlick
July 14 - August 256 WeeksAll Day
Online - Flash Fiction: The World in MiniatureHow do you pack a story into 500 words or fewer? In this 3-hour class, you’ll explore the expansive possibilities of the very short story, otherwise known as flash fiction, and begin creating your own compact gem...more
Instructor: K-Ming Chang
July 141 Sunday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Novel Writing GroupThe Novel Writing Group is designed for writers who have made some progress on their novel (from a complete first draft, to a few chapters, to a detailed outline). The group will provide new novelists with practical tools to help them make progress with various aspects of novel-writing...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
July 14 - September 226 Sundays, (Pacific Time)5:00pm - 7:00pm
Online - Creative Nonfiction Writing GroupThe Creative Nonfiction Writing Group is designed to foster creative growth where writers can hold each other accountable, give and receive feedback, and ultimately form relationships with other writers that will encourage them to commit to the page the stories they feel most called to tell...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
July 14 - September 226 Sundays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 8:30pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
July 201 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
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 lecture, discussion, screenings, and group and individual writing exercises, you’ll learn and apply the basics of professional screenwriting...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
July 28 - August 113 Sundays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
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
August 04 - September 156 WeeksAll Day
Online - Fiction Workshop: Building Our StoriesThis class is a hybrid take on the traditional workshop model, and while the workshop will be a major component of every class, writers will also have space to generate new material in class...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
August 06 - September 106 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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
August 07 - August 213 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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
August 101 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Collage Writing Lab: Kickstart Your Creative ProjectIn this 3-week class, you’ll pull from pieces you’ve already written and brand-new writing you generate in class to create a collage. Prompt-driven writing, optional sharing of work, discussions about the collage form, and light feedback sessions will provide direction and encouragement...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
August 13 - August 273 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Let’s Get Real: Writing with Authenticity, Passion and VulnerabilityInstructor Elaine Beale says, “The best writers create stories that resonate long after a reader has finished the final page. To do this, you have to be willing to go the places that may feel uncomfortable or complicated, to be both brave and curious...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
August 14 - September 115 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - 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
August 15 - September 125 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
August 171 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
August 19 - October 219 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
August 29 - September 123 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - 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
September 07 - September 142 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
Online - Character Alchemy: Bring Your Cast to LifeIn this 2-week class, we will move beyond the conventional ways of creating a character—describing clothes, hair, expression—into a deeper enactment of specificity, unveiling our characters’ motivations, desires, and vulnerabilities...more
Instructor: Nina Schuyler
September 08 - September 152 Sundays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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: David Jacobson
September 141 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA