“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?
- 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
July 23 - August 205 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Lightning Strikes Twice: Two Days of Flash Fiction“Microfictions, prose poems, postcard-lit, tales that fit into the palm of a reader’s hand—a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” says instructor Andy Touhy. “I love and champion this genre because it can hold so much of life...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
July 25 - August 082 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
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 26 - September 066 WeeksAll Day
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
July 26 - August 235 Sundays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Writing the Page-Turning Binge-Worthy Story“We’re living in a binge culture,” says instructor Kate Montgomery. “If we find an author we like, we read their entire backlist. If we discover a show we enjoy, we binge multiple seasons. Publishers and producers, who buy novels and screenplays, understand the demand for this kind of storytelling and are always in the market for new material...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
July 30 - August 133 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
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 03 - August 173 Mondays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Poetry StudioPoetry Studio offers a space for poets to refine existing work, read and discuss contemporary and classic poems, and generate new writing. Workshops form the heart of the experience, where participants’ poems are read and discussed with depth and care...more
Instructor: Brian Tierney
August 03 - September 146 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Discover Fiction: Telling Stories, Inventing Worlds“In fiction, there are no limits to how far we can push our characters and the worlds where they reside,” says instructor Ann Guy. “This freedom allows us to explore every facet of experience, past, present, or future, on or off the planet. Where will your imagination take you?...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
August 06 - September 035 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, 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
August 11 - September 085 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Fiction Craft: Laying the FoundationIn this 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
August 12 - September 095 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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
August 15 - August 293 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
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: Cate Lycurgus
August 151 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Writing Plot: Finding Your Story’s Driving ForceIn this 3-week intensive, we’ll move beyond surface thrills to uncover what truly drives engaging narratives in both fiction and nonfiction. Through craft lessons, writing prompts, and group discussions, we’ll discover how to create plots that resonate with readers and keep them invested in a story...more
Instructor: Shelby Hinte
August 16 - August 303 Sundays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - From Memories to Memoirs: The Moments That Make Your StoryIn this three-class series, through writing prompts carefully chosen by David, you’ll pinpoint the memories that drive you to the page, ones that thrill, haunt, and comfort you. You’ll write, reflect, and write some more...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
August 18 - September 013 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Discover Poetry: Finding a Way InWhether you are new to poetry or you are looking for deeper immersion into the art form, this class will show you a variety of ways to appreciate, learn from, and fall in love with both the reading and writing of poetry...more
Instructor: Ben Jackson
August 26 - September 093 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - 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 27 - September 103 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Writing Dynamic Settings: How to Craft Living, Breathing Places“The word place is both a noun and a verb,” says instructor Lauren Krauze. “So while places can function as static locations, they can also be animated with action and movement. Together, we’ll explore how to enliven them, whether we’re writing about a childhood bedroom or a far-off planet...more
Instructor: Lauren Krauze
August 27 - September 103 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Make Every Sentence Count: A Half-Day Craft Class“A well-crafted sentence communicates more than simply information,” says instructor Katharine Harer. “Language choice and syntax can create rhythms and music that echo in our minds long after we’ve finished reading. Vivid imagery and attention to detail can take us to a place we’ve never seen or smelled or touched, but feel we know...more
Instructor: Katharine Harer
August 291 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Daily Write September 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
August 30 - September 203 WeeksAll Day
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
September 121 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Getting Published: An Insider’s Guide“When people ask me for advice on submitting creative work,” says Amy G. Latham, published writer and literary journal editor, “I tell them to cast a wide net and have plenty of patience. Every writer collects more rejections than acceptances, but those who stay the course will find homes for their writing...more
Instructor: Amy G. Latham
September 121 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
Online - Berkeley MeetupOccurring on a seasonal basis, Writing Salon 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: Ben Jackson
September 191 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 3:30pm
Berkeley, CA - 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
September 20 - October 256 Sundays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - 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
September 22 - November 179 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Discover Creative Nonfiction“The only constraint of creative nonfiction is that it needs to be ‘real,’” says instructor Gillian Osborne. “In this introduction to creative nonfiction, we’ll explore the many ways we can make meaning of reality through this most flexible and capacious of genres...more
Instructor: Gillian Osborne
September 23 - October 215 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - The Secrets of Food Writing: It’s Never Just a Burger“Every day we eat to sustain ourselves. But food is more than just physical nourishment — it can be spiritual, communal, creative,” says instructor and former KQED food journalist Alan Chazaro. “Writing about food and the art of preparing a meal offers an endless supply of inspiration and material...more
Instructor: Alan Chazaro
September 23 - October 073 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Online - Look, Listen, Write: Creating New Work from Art & Music“Have you ever wanted to write something that captures an idea or sensation you had while looking at a painting or listening to a song?” asks instructor Michael Klein...more
Instructor: Michael Klein
September 26 - October 103 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Online - Daily Write Fall 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
September 27 - November 228 WeeksAll Day
Online - Creative Nonfiction Mentorship with Ann GuyIn this remote mentorship, instructor Ann Guy will offer personalized guidance and feedback on your creative nonfiction work, including memoir, personal essay, lyric essay, travel writing, and experimental forms...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
September 28 - November 309 WeeksAll Day
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
September 28 - November 309 WeeksAll Day
Online - Screenwriting and Storytelling Mentorship with Kate Montgomery“You can read all the how-to books and ask your friends and family for feedback. But if you’re serious about getting produced or published, you will ultimately need professional guidance,” says instructor Kate Montgomery...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
September 28 - November 309 WeeksAll Day
Online - Intro to Fiction: To Begin at the Beginning“Big Secret Number One to writing fiction is that you have to make a mess. Many messes,” says instructor Steve Mitchel. “You have to throw truckloads of words down onto the page knowing full well that most of them will end up in the compost...more
Instructor: Steve Mitchel
September 29 - October 275 Tuesdays, (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
October 101 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, 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
October 11 - November 226 WeeksAll Day
Online - Poetry Workshop: Turn Your Drafts into Finished PoemsThis 6-week workshop will provide a dynamic virtual space where you can get personalized feedback on poems in progress, from brand-new drafts in need of development to later drafts in need of polish...more
Instructor: Erin Rodoni
October 11 - November 226 WeeksAll Day
Online - Weird Up Your Fiction with Sensory DetailIn this 3-week class, we’ll move through a mix of craft lessons, short readings, discussions, and writing exercises to explore how sensory detail—far more than just decorative—can make for original, perfectly peculiar stories that spark readers’ imaginations and stick in their minds...more
Instructor: Kristina Ten
October 13 - October 273 Tuesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - The Art of Writing Great ScenesIn both literature and film, there are moments that resonate across generations. The most powerful are transformative, immersive, emotional, and filled with memorable imagery and subtext. They give the writer a chance to “show vs. tell” and allow the reader to experience a story firsthand...more
Instructor: Kate Montgomery
October 14 - October 283 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
October 171 Saturday, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
October 22 - November 195 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Creative Nonfiction Workshop: Shape Your True Story“Have you started drafting a nonfiction story and now crave fresh insight?” asks instructor Ann Guy. “In this supportive workshop, thoughtful feedback will help you clarify your intentions, refine your drafts, and bring your true story to life...more
Instructor: Ann Guy
October 26 - December 076 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Discover PoetryIn this intro to poetry, we’ll play our way into poems by writing down what’s been communicating itself to us, especially that stuff we don’t yet understand, what experiences have made us feel most chilled, on fire, or alive...more
Instructor: Gillian Osborne
October 28 - December 025 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
San Francisco, CA - Turn Your Fragments into Finished WorksIf you’ve been writing for a while, especially if you’ve participated in Round Robin classes, you’ve likely amassed bits of stories, essays, and poems, promising pieces that you haven’t developed further or don’t quite know how to expand. In this 6-week class, we’ll build from those starts, fragments, and sketches to create more fully realized works of art...more
Instructor: Kathy Garlick
October 29 - December 106 Thursdays, (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
November 02 - November 163 Mondays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Fiction Focus: Dive into Character, Plot and Scene“Instinct alone will only take us so far as writers,” says instructor Amy G. Latham. “Learning craft techniques will help us create characters who will come alive on the page and drive our plots...more
Instructor: Amy G. Latham
November 04 - November 183 Wednesdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - “Cc Me!” Writing Letter Poems“Writing can be a lonely act, and it often seems no one’s listening,” says instructor Cate Lycurgus. “In this class we’ll explore the letter poem and its potential for connection, discovery, and catharsis...more
Instructor: Cate Lycurgus
November 07 - November 213 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
San Francisco, CA - From Memories to Memoirs: The Moments That Make Your StoryIn this three-class series, through writing prompts carefully chosen by David, you’ll pinpoint the memories that drive you to the page, ones that thrill, haunt, and comfort you. You’ll write, reflect, and write some more...more
Instructor: David Jacobson
November 08 - November 223 Sundays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Write That Novel!Writing a novel can be a lonely business! If you want to start a novel or you’ve got a novel in progress, this class provides guidance, inspiration, and support...more
Instructor: Elaine Beale
November 09 - December 145 Mondays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
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: Andy Touhy
November 141 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
Berkeley, CA - Lightning Strikes Twice: Two Days of Flash Fiction“Microfictions, prose poems, postcard-lit, tales that fit into the palm of a reader’s hand—a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” says instructor Andy Touhy. “I love and champion this genre because it can hold so much of life...more
Instructor: Andy Touhy
November 21 - December 052 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 5:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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: Kathy Garlick
November 29 - December 203 WeeksAll Day
Online - Poems Sing, Lyrics Talk: A Class on Lyrical FormsIn this 3-week class, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between poetry and lyrics. We’ll read examples of both genres, try our hands at creating lyrics out of poems, and vice versa...more
Instructor: Alison Luterman
December 03 - December 173 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)2:00pm - 4:30pm
Online - Journaling: Turn Your Life into Art“I still have that navy blue hardback journal that my mom gave me for Christmas when I was ten,” says instructor Ben Jackson. “After writing my first few entries, I was hooked...more
Instructor: Ben Jackson
December 03 - December 173 Thursdays, (Pacific Time)6:30pm - 9:00pm
Berkeley, CA - 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
December 05 - December 122 Saturdays, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 1:00pm
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
December 121 Saturday, (Pacific Time)10:30am - 12:00pm
San Francisco, CA - 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
December 131 Sunday, (Pacific Time)10:00am - 1:00pm
Online
