“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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Writing as Healing: Putting One Bead after AnotherThis class is intended for both new and experienced writers who value writing as self-exploration and fine art and who want to begin or deepen their own writing practice. Within a supportive setting, class participants will be encouraged to take risks with their work and to share the gifts of self-discovery and transformation with a larger community...more
Instructor: Kathleen McClung
July 201 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Something Borrowed, Something New: A Generative Writing ClassWhen we sit down to write, the pressure of inventing something from scratch can feel paralyzing. “The truth is, writers from Shakespeare to Hans Christian Anderson to J.K. Rowling have always been savvy borrowers,” says Nate Klug...more
Instructor: Nate Klug
July 201 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
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
July 21 - September 016 WeeksAll Day
Online -
The Poetry Workshop: An Online ClassAre you eager for specific, constructive feedback on your poems? Do you want to participate in an online community of writers committed to helping each other develop their poetry writing skills? If so, this is the class for you...more
Instructor: Heather June Gibbons
July 21 - September 016 WeeksAll Day
Online -
The Long Haul: Your Book Project Support Team“Embarking on a book-length project is like swimming across the Pacific,” says instructor Alison Luterman. “You definitely want a support team in a boat riding alongside you, with sandwiches and shark repellent...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
July 21 - August 183 Sundays2:00pm - 5:00pm
Berkeley, CA -
Revision Boot Camp: Fresh Approaches to Developing Your DraftsYou had the impulse, you wrote the first draft in a rush of raw creativity, and maybe you even worked on a second (or third) draft, but you know it’s not finished. What next...more
Instructor: Heather June Gibbons
July 271 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Playing to Write, Writing to Play: Using Improvisational Theater Games to Write Short Plays and Scenes“Everyone is a goofball kid at heart, and we don’t know what untapped resources of imagination and wit we have within us until we tap them in the name of play,” says instructor and playwright Alison Luterman...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
July 271 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
Berkeley, CA -
Fiction Workshop: Build & Refine Your Storytelling SkillsWhen we read good stories they tend to endure in our hearts as touchstones that enrich our understanding of the world. We’ve all had the experience of reading something we like and wondering how the author developed such a breathtaking idea, with such compelling characters, and brought it to fruition...more
Instructor: Cary Groner
August 01 - September 056 Thursdays7:00pm - 9:30pm
Berkeley, CA -
Tiny Kingdoms: Writing and Publishing the VERY Short StoryBig things can come in small packages—their own perfect beauty tied to their size. The short short story is literary proof that great fiction can come in a small package...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
August 031 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Plot & Structure: The Big PictureThis one-day workshop is designed for writers who want to better understand how to develop a coherent plot that engages the reader and a structure that brings a story to life. The class will cover key concepts such as story arc, causality, flashbacks, plot twists and revelations...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
August 031 Saturday10:00am - 4:00pm
Berkeley, CA -
Intro to Creative Writing“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 10 - September 145 Saturdays10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
The Practice of Craft: Intro to FictionYou 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 course, we’ll dive into the elements of fiction craft...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
August 10 - September 145 Saturdays10:30am - 1:00pm
Berkeley, CA -
Memoir as Love Letter“Who would you communicate with if you could reach across time and space?” asks instructor Kerry Muir. “A child yet to be born, a beloved friend, a parent now gone? Our prose takes on a strikingly intimate quality when we write with a specific recipient in mind...more
Instructor: Kerry Muir
August 10 - September 145 Saturdays2:00pm - 4:30pm
Berkeley, CA -
Make It New: Poetry Revision Workshop“Revising gives us an opportunity to see our work in a new light,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “Sometimes you take a poem off its tracks and discover a whole different route; sometimes you need to fix the wheel, or the engine, or the headlight...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
August 11 - September 155 Sundays10:30am - 1:00pm
Berkeley, 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
August 11 - September 155 Sundays10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA -
Raw Writing: Generating New Material“First drafts are about profusion, not perfection,” says instructor Daniel Ari. “That’s what Raw Writing is all about. We set our expectations aside so we can get down to creating without worrying whether it’s ‘good’...more
Instructor: Daniel Ari
August 12 - September 165 Mondays7:00pm - 9:30pm
Berkeley, CA -
Fiction Workshop: Honing the Art of Storytelling“What makes a story compelling?” asks instructor Andy Touhy. “More importantly, what are the ways to make it compelling? In this workshop, we’ll begin to really think about how to tell a good tale (short story or novel)...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
August 13 - September 105 Tuesdays7:00pm - 9:30pm
San Francisco, CA -
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, get ready to set that idea into motion.” In this five-week class, you will learn the fundamentals of narrative screenwriting in a low stress, supportive environment...more
Instructor: Kerry Muir
August 14 - September 115 Wednesdays7:00pm - 9:30pm
Berkeley, CA -
On Point: Crafting a Short-Form Point of View Piece“What drives many of us to write is the simple human need to express ourselves,” says instructor David Jacobson. “There may be no better way to meet that need than by presenting a point of view...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
August 14 - August 283 Wednesdays7:00pm - 9:30pm
San Francisco, CA -
Limitation as Inspiration: A Generative Poetry Writing Class“Poets in every stage of their career, and often on a regular basis, struggle with where and how to start a poem,” says instructor Brian Tierney. “I’ve found that creating boundaries for the writing process is a good way to spark inspiration and creativity...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
August 15 - September 125 Thursdays7:00pm - 9:30pm
San Francisco, CA -
Write from Real Life: Personal Essays & MemoirsIn this 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 05 - November 079 Thursdays2:00pm - 4:30pm
Berkeley, CA