“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
September 21 - October 195 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Raw Writing: Throw It All onto the PageThrough weekly in-class writing exercises in a warm, supportive environment, we’ll write and write and not worry about cleaning up the mess. We’ll banish the inner critic, lock away the perfectionist, and celebrate the unruly and the unrestrained...more
Instructor: Rob Williams
September 22 - October 205 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Write from Real Life: Personal Essays & 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
September 22 - November 179 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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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
September 22 - October 276 Wednesdays, (PST)7:00pm - 9:30pm
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Intro to Screenwriting: Lights, Camera, Action!“Are you sitting on a fantastic story idea for the screen?” asks instructor Kerry Muir. “In Intro to Screenwriting, you’ll acquire a veritable toolbox of strategies and exercises, as well as creative inspiration to help set your idea into motion...more
Instructor: Kerry Muir
September 23 - October 215 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Rethinking Setting: Writing from the Inside and the Outside of a Place“Writers often think of setting as simply the place and time in which events occur,” says instructor Lori Ostlund. “But in this class we will focus on setting as a way to shape and reveal a character,” says co-instructor Anne Raeff...more
Instructor: Anne Raeff, Lori Ostlund
September 25 - October 022 Saturdays10:00am - 1:00pm
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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
September 30 - October 285 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Poetry for Life“Poetry is a life companion,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “People come and go, pets die, places change, but poetry doesn’t go away because it’s already inside you. It keeps you company through life’s ups and downs...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
October 021 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
A Play in a Day: Writing a Ten-Minute PlayIn this short intensive workshop, students will receive a basket filled with playwriting tools, specifically with the ten-minute play form in mind. Tools will include character development, dialogue, story arc, and other essentials for dramatic writing...more
Instructor: Jessica Litwak
October 021 Saturday, (PST)2:00pm - 5:00pm
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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
October 03 - November 146 WeeksAll Day
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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
October 04 - November 015 Mondays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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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
October 05 - October 193 Tuesdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
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Remembering the Titans: An Intro to Sportswriting“Whether a one-time spectator, a diehard fan, or a former player, we all have a sports story to share,” says instructor Alan Chazaro. In this course, with a team of supportive writers at our side, we will write about sports-related topics...more
Instructor: Alan Chazaro
October 05 - October 193 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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To Invent What We Desire: Strategies and Meditations for Getting Unstuck“It’s easy to become separated from our creative spark,” says instructor Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet. “Sometimes we don’t know how to return from that stuck place. This remote course explores experiences of being lost—and ways of getting found...more
Instructor: Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet
October 091 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
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Writing What Haunts UsThis class will provide a safe, comfortable, and supportive space for writers at any level who are haunted by memories or experiences and are unsure of how to put them to the page. Through readings, discussion, and writing exercises, participants will discover methods for shaping stories out of what haunts and keeps returning to them...more
Instructor: Rob Williams
October 09 - October 162 Saturdays, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Poetry MentorshipThis 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
October 11 - December 139 WeeksAll Day
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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
October 161 Saturday, (PST)10:00am - 1:00pm
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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
October 161 Saturday, (PST)2:00pm - 5:00pm
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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
October 17 - November 145 Sundays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
San Francisco, CA -
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
October 23 - November 205 Saturdays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
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Like Magic: Transforming Folktale and Myth into Writing Material“From Disney’s defanged happily-ever-afters to fractured fairy tales showcasing the villain’s perspective such as Wicked and Maleficent, retellings of folk and fairy tales are all around us,” says instructor Erin Rodoni...more
Instructor: Erin Rodoni
October 23 - November 205 Saturdays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
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Reading for Writers: Improving Craft Through Close Reading“Reading the works we love, we’ve all had the experience of picking up the writer’s voice in our heads until that ‘other voice’ somehow becomes our own voice. We are changed by it,” says instructor Kathy Garlick. “In this class, we’ll read like writers. By looking at things from the ‘inside out,’ by tapping into that ‘other voice,’ we’ll discover how writers pull off amazing feats...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
October 23 - November 205 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:00pm
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Writing Supernatural Stories for the ScreenIn this fun, fast-paced class, we’ll explore how to create an otherworldly world, how to use metaphysical elements to raise the stakes and deepen character relationships, and how the subtle art of withholding information is essential when it comes to building suspense...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
October 23 - October 302 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 5:00pm
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Nurture Your Novel: A Class for Writers with a Novel in ProgressAre you working on a novel, but need some additional guidance? Maybe you’re looking for a group of fellow writers to give some feedback on your work. Or perhaps you’ve written your first few chapters but don’t know where the story should go. If so, this class may be exactly what you need...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
October 24 - December 195 Sundays, (PST)10:30am - 1:00pm
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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
October 24 - November 215 Sundays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
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Advanced Poetry Workshop“No matter how long we’ve been writing poems,” says instructor Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet, “there’s still more to learn, about both the art form and our particular poetic practice. A community of dedicated peers can help us deepen and improve our poems, whatever that means for each of us...more
Instructor: Lisa Gluskin Stonestreet
October 26 - December 076 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Nomad with a Notebook: Introduction to Travel WritingWhether you’ve just returned from Paris or Sacramento or you’re dreaming of a trip, this online 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
October 26 - November 235 Tuesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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On Point: Crafting a Short-Form Point of View Piece“Many people are driven to write by the simple human need to express ourselves,” says instructor David Jacobson. “There may be no better way to meet that need than through the short, pointed burst of intellectual and emotional energy that goes into a newspaper column, op-ed or blog post...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
October 28 - November 113 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
The Writing GymTo tone and strengthen your writing, you need the occasional workout for your writing muscles. Enter our Writing Gym for a fun and energetic exercise-themed series of writing prompts designed to get your creative juices flowing...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
November 031 Wednesday, 4 Wednesdays, (PST)2:00pm - 3:00pm
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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
November 06 - December 115 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 4:30pm
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Sexuality on the Page“All humans are sexual beings and writing about sexuality is simply writing about life,” says instructor Jennifer Lewis. This 5-week online class will be a safe space to explore intimacy, desire, obsession, and trauma through writing...more
Instructor: Jennifer Lewis
November 08 - December 065 Mondays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Fearless Poetry WorkshopNow celebrating over 15 years at The Writing Salon, this workshop draws people who want to jumpstart their poetry practice and to keep the engine oiled. You’ll do plenty of writing and reading, and we’ll have lively discussions about both the craft and the process(es) of poetry...more
Instructor: Julie Bruck
November 11 - December 165 Thursdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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The Writing GymTo tone and strengthen your writing, you need the occasional workout for your writing muscles. Enter our Writing Gym for a fun and energetic exercise-themed series of writing prompts designed to get your creative juices flowing...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
November 171 Wednesday, (PST)2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Daily Write Holiday 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
November 28 - December 193 WeeksAll Day
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The Writing GymTo tone and strengthen your writing, you need the occasional workout for your writing muscles. Enter our Writing Gym for a fun and energetic exercise-themed series of writing prompts designed to get your creative juices flowing...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
December 011 Wednesday, (PST)2:00pm - 3:00pm
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Writing “Woke”: How to Speak to the 21st Century Reader“Authors are under increasing pressure to land on the right side of history as it pertains to characterizations, story themes, and personal views,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “Readers, critics, and industry demand cultural and social awareness. When authors get it wrong, the stakes are high...more
Instructor: Kilby Blades
December 01 - December 153 Wednesdays, (PST)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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Plot and Structure: The Big PicturePlot and structure are the “big picture” ingredients of fiction. A good plot can turn a novel into a page-turner. The right structure will make a story more resonant and compelling and amplify its themes...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
December 11 - December 182 Saturdays, (PST)2:00pm - 5:00pm
Online -
The Writing GymTo tone and strengthen your writing, you need the occasional workout for your writing muscles. Enter our Writing Gym for a fun and energetic exercise-themed series of writing prompts designed to get your creative juices flowing...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
December 151 Wednesday, (PST)2:00pm - 3:00pm
Online