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The Writer’s Center offers hundreds of writing workshops and classes every year. Workshops cover all genres and all experience levels. Join us in person and online.

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Event views navigation, how to create a compelling voice.

Agents say it all the time. What sells a manuscript? A standout voice. Acquire the tools you need for developing a compelling voice of your own through the study of entertaining published examples, a clear explanation and writing exercises designed to ignite your unique way of expressing yourself. You will enjoy a sense of excitement in this inspiring and instructive workshop as you successfully translate the voice in your head to the page.

Writing About Mental Illness

Whether you have experienced mental illness personally or have a loved one with mental illness, writing about it can help you process the challenges and inner conflicts while creating powerful narratives that reduce stigma and stereotypes. In the spirit of healing through storytelling, participants will write about how mental illness has directly or indirectly affected their lives. You will learn creative ways to practice self-discovery through writing and turn personal experience into art, and you will come away with two rough drafts in whatever genre you choose. For inspiration, we will read pieces by Elyn Saks, Bassey Ikpi, Mariah Hornbacher, and more. Please note, this is not a replacement for therapy. It’s an opportunity to explore a difficult topic through a creative lens.

The Power of Structure: Fixing your Table of Contents

Join us for an immersive workshop where we’ll guide you through the art of creating a compelling table of contents. In this hands-on session, you’ll learn how to organize your ideas effectively, create a roadmap for your readers, and ensure your manuscript flows seamlessly from start to finish. Whether you’re working on a novel, a thesis, or any other project, mastering the table of contents is key to captivating your audience. Don’t miss this opportunity to refine your craft and take your writing to new heights.

How to Write a Key Scene

A key scene is an essential building block in any work of fiction. In this session, you’ll learn tips and strategies for making the scene you see in your head come alive on the page so that your reader is compelled to keep turning the pages, rather than turn out the light. Writing exercises will give class members a hands-on feel for how to add texture, dynamism, and drama to a story. The session also provides practical, hands-on guidance about the rewriting process. An added benefit: giving and receiving critical feedback. You’ll come away from the class with the creative muscle memory to write and revise with confidence.

Writers Listening

One of life’s great joys is finding time to listen — whether to the scattered wonders of conversation or to the many voices of the non-human world: birdsongs, wild wind, river’s sweep. In this two-hour workshop we will identify sources for the listener’s delight, and share ways to grow them into poems, songs, and stories. No experience necessary.

Your First (or Next) Novel

Writing a novel takes commitment, but it doesn’t need to be daunting. Learn how to generate a handful of plots to choose from, methods for effectively planning your story, and simple hacks for fine tuning your basic fiction skills. Participants will initiate a flexible writing plan that will keep their writing flowing. This is a great half-day session for the beginning long-form fiction writer, or for the more experienced author in need of a quick strategy brush-up.

Crafting Short Stories

In this workshop, participants will examine the qualities of good writing and good storytelling. After a recap on the constituent elements of short fiction, we will take a fresh look at contemporary and classic stories alike. Each week, writers will craft a new piece and offer feedback to fellow participants. By the course’s end, writers will have workshopped several stories each and revised them with an eye toward publication.

Plotting Your Novel

Whether you are an organized planner or a writer who flies by the seat of their pants, a novel still needs structure. In this workshop, participants will study the architecture of a novel and devise plans for plotting their novels. Using the three-act structure as a map, we will explore the basic components of a novel’s plot.

Facing Your Writing Fears

Not only is writing a lonely process, it can be downright scary. And, when it comes to mustering the courage to share our work with others, fear can turn to terror. In this session we’ll look at understanding what frightens us — and how to get beyond those fears.

Book Marketing on a Budget

You’ve written – or are writing your book – now fight for it! In this workshop we’ll focus on over two dozen book marketing tips, with a close eye on budgets. From book launches, social media, blogging and podcasting, to writing press releases, creating Amazon Author’s pages, and connecting with publicists, we’ll fill your head, and notebook with ideas; over 30 of them! If you think writing a book is exciting, wait until you feel the thrill of professionally promoting it!

Micro Memoirs

Join us to explore the elements of memoir in small manageable bites. We’ll read and discuss Micro Memoirs, also called Flash Memoir, (50-250 words) to inspire your own writing and enhance your storytelling skills. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll write about a variety of incidents, stories, or memories while building specific craft skills (image, metaphor, point of view, rhetorical strategies to address memory “gaps,” and more). In each class there will also be time for students to read their work out loud, to receive specific appreciations. Using a writer-focused workshop process, we’ll replace opinions and invasive “fix-its” with specific answers to their questions to best serve the writer and support them in revision. This class is perfect for poets and prose writers who want to write about their lives or family histories, get out of their writing ruts, and enhance their skills with feedback and revision.

Evoking Reader Empathy

Even when a story is skillfully written, it may not be enough to make the reader care. The key lies in the emotional impact your story has on readers — inviting them to not only invest in your characters, but to embark on an emotional journey of their own. We’ll discuss how to avoid cliché and heavy-handed moralizing; determine the most effective balance of internal thought, scene, and underlying tension; and discover how to let an object or image (your father’s watch, a specific place, work of art, etc.) carry the emotional weight of your story. Reading examples and short exercises will give participants the opportunity to experiment with creating empathy on the page.

Creating Backstory & Flashbacks

Every character has a hidden history from before your story starts. Learn how to masterfully weave in details and experiences that enrich your characters and create believable motivation. Novelists, short story authors, and creative nonfiction writers will all benefit from these twin skills. You’ll see your writing grow in sophistication and depth.

Writing Compelling Historical Fiction

Setting your fictional characters in the real time and place your story occurs makes it a vivid read that will draw readers in and keep them turning pages. The first three workshops will teach participants how to access the broad spectrum of information available in person and online in the unique research institutions that exist in the DC area, including the National Archives; the Library of Congress; Federal Records Centers; Federal agencies’ Public Information Offices; Federal and state courts; libraries specializing in Washingtoniana; foreign embassies; and more. During the last two workshops, every student will present their proposed research plan and critique the plans of their classmates, to ensure that their research will focus on the most helpful institutions and the most valuable topics.

Poetry of the Erotic

For many poets, writing poems about sex can feel intimidating and difficult. Yet for as long as there’s been poetry, there have been poems that celebrate the joys, mysteries, and chaos of erotic connection. This workshop offers an opportunity for poets to write their own poems with Eros at the center, as well as read and study poems featuring a wide range of poets of color, and queer and trans poets. In this workshop we’ll ask ourselves questions like: How can poems about sex gesture toward even larger considerations than sex itself? What might we learn from poetic traditions that blend erotic poetry and spiritual poetry? How does Eros locate the body both within itself, while transcending the self? By the end of this workshop, students can expect to leave with new poems and new insights into their own poetic process. Students should plan to come to the first workshop with a favorite poem by another poet, to share with the group.

How to Write a Novel

A practical plan that takes you from the mere germ of an idea all the way through the creative process, with an eye on getting a finished book into the hands of potential fans. We’ll discuss how to transform the nub of an idea into a book-length project, populated with interesting characters, a twisty-turny plot, snappy dialogue, and an interesting setting. We’ll also look at strategies for finding an agent and marketing the finished product. You’ll come away from the class with the encouragement to begin and perfect your writing project.

Plant Writing

This workshop is a mix of botanical science and literary explorations of non-fiction forms of writing that focus on ecology and plants. Together, we’ll discuss and practice writing traditions such as garden writing, science communication, and personal essays with a focus on our relationships to plants and land around us.

The Extreme Novelist

Can’t find the time/energy/inspiration to get your novel written? This popular course, developed by the author of the book by the same name, will help you complete a rough draft in just 8 weeks. Students receive the encouraging guidance of professional writing coach Kathryn Johnson. Each author will commit to an aggressive writing schedule and learn the tricks pros use to create a productive working environment and meet their deadlines, despite life’s distractions. Classes will include accountability and progress reports from each student, troubleshooting discussions, a brief lecture on some aspect of the fiction craft, and the opportunity to submit portions of the work-in-progress to the instructor for individual feedback and guidance. (Note: This is not a work-shopping course. Further information will be sent to registered students, in advance of the first class.)

Finding Subjects that Move and Entertain

Do you have sensibility of a writer, but your subject eludes you? Have you written many pieces but not the story you were born to tell? Does your subject feel too big, too vague, or perhaps too difficult to confront? Uncertain what genre suits your story? Using published examples, writing exercises, lively discussion, and inspiring instruction, this workshop will distill from memory and imagination the story you are meant to write. Perfect for new writers wishing to explore and for more advanced writers seeking fresh inspiration or a new direction to energize their work.

Experimenting with Form

What do immigration forms, censored letters, and dictionary definitions have in common? They’re all ways to tell a story! In this class, we’ll free our imaginations by writing stories, poems, and essays in expected ways. Come take a risk and see what you discover about your craft, your inspiration, and yourself.

Creating Conflict & Tension

It’s often said that without conflict there is no story. Strengthening the conflict in any type of fiction will bump up the tension and turn limp, ordinary fiction into an extraordinary tale that will keep readers turning pages. Whether you choose to write literary fiction, mysteries, family sagas, thrillers, historical fiction, sci-fi, fantasy or even creative nonfiction—you can learn techniques for drawing readers into your tales through action, dialogue, setting details, and plot twists that make your work stand out from the crowd. Join us and leave with ideas to apply to your stories.

Write Through It: A Generative Workshop on Grief and Loss

Grief and loss are topics often written about in poetry. In this workshop we’ll read poems about loss and use them as prompts to write our own poems about the people/things/places/ideas we’ve lost or are grieving. Expect to write 2-4 new drafts of poems.

UnClogging Your Brain

Prompts will spark memories, characters, and places, turning them into poems, scenes, dialogues, and stories. During ‘UnClogging’ you will likely come up with an ‘idea’ that you feel compelled to expand on, or perhaps be re-inspired to continue an unfinished work later. Find new perspective and confidence!

5 Women Poets

One outstanding poet will be featured in each class, and as we examine their work we will write 3 or 4 of our own poems, for a total of 15-20 poems during the course. We will share our work as we write it, and in the last class will workshop a few of the most promising pieces by each student. The poets we will learn from are Ada Limón, Linda Pastan, Natasha Trethewey, Denise Levertov, and Elizabeth Bishop—they will guide us with new and old forms, metaphor, voice, subject matter, and more. Note: No meeting July 4.

Freedom With Forms

Here’s an opportunity to shed any misconception that received forms are constricting. Inspired by Richard Moore’s “The Rule That Liberates,” we will do brief writing exercises that use the enchantment of meter and rhyme to liberate your deeper imagination. After exploring several traditional forms, we will experiment with creating improvised (nonce) forms. Participants may leave with at least one new draft poem and ideas for creating more.

Vulnerability in Personal Storytelling

Each of us has the power to look at our lived experiences to find meaning and wisdom that we can transform however we want: into art, into lifestyle, into legacy. In this workshop, you will learn how to view creative vulnerability as generosity, and how to offer up your humanity through story as a gift to yourself and others. You will come away from this workshop with perspective on your unique storyteller type and how grasping it can build courage, as well as best practices for taking care of yourself as you do this introspective work. Writers will produce a rough draft of a personal story.

Inspiration Station — A Multi-Genre Workshop

Helpful exercises and prompts can free your imagination and lead you to surprises in your writing. If you’ve already chosen a genre to pursue, this workshop can help you broaden your approach by using techniques from other genres. If you write poems, perhaps you could write poetic fiction. This will be a positive space in a can’t-fail atmosphere. Your writing is greeted with support and (often) applause from your workshop colleagues. Receive generative tips to take with you. You will leave with a finished poem and flash fiction or memoir excerpts—and the fun you had writing them. Bring your favorite writing instruments. If you have a poem or paragraph you love that makes you want to write, bring that too.

Flash: Beyond the Genre Binary

Poetry or prose? Fiction or fact? Narrative or lyric? Flash doesn’t care about your boundaries. Flash crosses borders at will and steals what works. Flash is fixed on the image, stuck in the moment. Flash is a magnifying glass on a sunny day, aimed at a predictably industrious and utterly unsuspecting ant. Flash speaks in multitudinous vernaculars. Flash is literary, queered. During our time together, we’ll read some pieces resplendent in their brevity, talk about what makes them great flash – or not, and spend some time crafting mad flashes of our own.

Natural Meter Crash Course

Have you ever wondered how scanning the lines of your first draft can make for a better poem? Here’s an opportunity to improve your ear for meter—a major element of poetic prosody—and to fine-tune your understanding of how it works. Guided by an internationally published author of sonnets, villanelles, and other metrical poems, this one-day workshop includes scansion of well-known poems, writing exercises, and, if you like, close examination of a poem you’ve drafted prior to class. You’ll leave with new insights about improving the auditory qualities of all your poems and prose.

Plot Like a Pro

You have a great idea for a story. Do you dive in and just begin writing, or start by drafting an outline? Are you a born planner or a writer who loves to discover stories organically (i.e., a pantser)? Understanding how to structure a well-conceived story around a main character and central conflict, while paying attention to pacing, can make the difference between a finished, publishable manuscript and an abandoned work-in-progress. Plotting provides a safety net that never robs the author of the joy of writing, and always reduces revision time. Think you can’t plot? Join us for this course, and we’ll show you how!

Picture Book Revision Workshop

Bring your completed picture book manuscript to work on as we complete real-time revision that addresses the big picture, plot and character beats, and line by line strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript.

How To Write, Pitch, and Place Op Eds

Learn from an expert how to format, write, and pitch your opinion. Second only to the Front Page, the OP ED page is read by more readers than any other. In this class you’ll learn how to write an opening paragraph that pulls readers in, what factual sources editors trust (or don’t), the three questions an OP ED editor needs you to answer, how to take down opposing arguments politely, and end your piece to get results. Each session presents important information, from what words constitute an editor’s red flags to what’s in the contract you’ll sign. Each session presents a lecture with specific examples and offers a workshop to let you practice and receive feedback—if you wish it.

My Favorite Things: Writing About Ordinary Objects and Places

Contrary to what you’ve been told, poetry can be accessible and profound by paying attention to the mundane. In this workshop we will write a new poem each meeting based on odes, praise songs, and, yes, our favorite things to arrive at the pleasures and wisdom of poetry.

How to Write Dialogue That Advances Plot, Scene, and Motive

In each session of this workshop, you’ll hear a brief lecture with examples, and be able to practice a particular technique to understand the why and how it’seffective. Participants who wish to read their practice work aloud for quick feedback may do so.

The Complete Playwright

Dig into the full spectrum of playwriting — with workshops on process, form and technique, and group critique sessions that develop your individual approach to writing for performance. Over eight weeks, we’ll explore playwriting in a wide range of forms: from realism and adaptations to immersive theatre, musicals and verbatim plays. In-depth sessions on writing dialogue, crafting character and dramatic world-building will be paired with weekly critique sessions, giving each writer dedicated time to interrogate your ideas and find your unique style. You’ll come away with a full understanding of the playwright’s tools and techniques and new connections with fellow scriptwriters.

Point of View and Narrative Voice

Do the multitude of Point of View options elude you? We will look at everything from the first person point of view to the editorial omniscient, as well as some of the less traditional points of view, to help you choose the best voice to tell your story.

Intro to the Novel

This workshop will help you understand the process of writing a novel so you can get started putting pen to paper. The workshop will focus on everything from generating ideas to developing characters to establishing point of view. Participants will discuss many elements of fiction (dialogue, scene, etc.) but the emphasis will be on discovering the writing process that works best for each writer.

Creative Spirit: Infusing Your Writing with Energy and Inspiration

Are you struggling to find your voice as a writer? Do you have a story to tell but feel stuck in the creative process? No matter your beliefs, spirituality and open-mindedness can play a critical role in the creative process if we allow it and nurture it. In a safe and supportive space, reintroduce your childlike wonder around creativity so you can write freely, authentically reclaim your power, and uncover your true gifts. In this workshop you will learn to facilitate a concentrated focus and tap into a higher source of inspiration, whether viewed as the highest self, inner wisdom, or any other entity. You will walk away with efficient ways to set intentions for different writing projects, stay in the present, trust your process, set healthy boundaries, and follow signs and intuition. You will have the information necessary to create a sacred space and ritual for your writing practice, motivating you to enrich your content and deepen your message.

How to Start a Compelling Story

This workshop will teach writers how to capture readers’ and agents’ attention from the very first sentence and keep them turning pages. We will examine the way successful authors of both fiction and nonfiction draw us in, make us care, and create stakes in which we are immediately invested. By the end of this workshop participants will have created their own compelling story start upon which to build.

How to Write a Lot

You may think you don’t have the time, energy, or inspiration to write because of your hectic lifestyle. Wrong! Learn what Kathryn Johnson’s Extreme Novelists know about organizing their time, establishing a productive writing routine, and getting their stories written. We’ll share methods EN Grads (and many professional writers) use to complete their books in months instead of years, their short stories in mere weeks. Become the dedicated author you’ve always dreamed of being.

Find the Right Agent for You: Submission Package Workshop Class

To get a book published by a traditional publisher, you need an agent. In this class you will learn how to research agents to find the right one for you. After studying sample query letters, you’ll write your own query to be critiqued by your classmates. We will also workshop everyone’s opening pages and discuss topics such as conference pitch sessions, common query mistakes, and agent red-flags. By the end of the workshop, you will be ready to send query submissions to the agents of your choice. (Although you do not need to bring it to class, you should have a completed manuscript you are hoping to publish through traditional publishing.)

Marketing Your Poetry

This workshop will show you easy hacks for promoting your book. With small presses a popular choice for publishing, more writers are looking for ways to market their books when their publishers don’t have the resources. Courtney LeBlanc has published with small presses and have experience with grassroots marketing. She has successfully gotten her books included in festivals, author events, and into bookstores. The tips she will offer are low/no-cost, which is beneficial for writers on a budget.

Fiction II: Revise, Perfect and Submit!

This course aims to help you experience your work objectively, help you polish your work, and give you tools to submit to either literary journals, competitions, or agents. We will workshop, give and receive constructive, concrete feedback, discuss peer submissions, do writing exercises, critique query letters and talk about all things publishing.

Elements of Writing: Sound & Vision

As Rumi once wrote, “I can’t stop pointing to the beauty. Every moment and place says, ‘Put this design in your carpet!” In this exploratory four-week generative workshop, we will engage multidisciplinary modes of creativity to guide inspiration for writing. Using sound and vision as the aperture to ignite the inner dialogue, each week will integrate these mediums to engage a sensory interplay and weave a tapestry for the written word. Within this collaborative expression, we will utilize visual objects and music as the streaming catalysts for our subconscious intellect.

What a Character!

An introduction to the key elements and craft strategies of fiction, with a focus on creating and refining character-based stories (whether short stories or novels).

Persona Poem Crash Course

In the Persona Poem, or Dramatic Monologue, the poet writes in the voice of another real or imagined person—or even an inanimate object. Guided by a widely published author of persona and other poems, you will read and discuss several time-honored examples, then start new ones of your own. You may find unexpected insights, expanding your poetic range in the process.

Poetry Writing and Revision

For some poets, the most difficult part of writing is getting to the page. For others, it is the act of revisiting that first draft. This course will help students not only write new work with ease, but also return to those poems with a keen eye towards revision. To start, participants will respond to weekly prompts with a craft focus, based on readings from poets like Ada Limón, Chen Chen, Jericho Brown, and Natalie Diaz. Mid-way through the course, we will shift our focus to revision, reapproaching the poems from earlier weeks. Readings will outline various revision strategies and techniques aimed at giving students new entry points into their work. By the end of the course, students can expect to have written at least 3-6 new poems, with 3 substantial revisions. There will be 1 opportunity to receive feedback from other students and multiple opportunities for feedback from the instructor, but this is not an entirely workshop-style course. Students should have at least one poem in its early draft stages to begin the course.

Troubleshooting Your Fiction

Revision is a dirty word to some writers. But you needn’t fear the challenges of polishing a manuscript before submission and publication. This fast-paced, half-day class focuses on the ten most common mistakes and concerns, often overlooked by authors before they send their story out into the world. Everything you do to your manuscript after the first draft is what makes the difference between a ho-hum story and a powerful tale that lingers in readers’ minds. Join us for a painless look at the major revision issues for fiction.

Poetry Vs. Trauma

Trauma can shut us down; writing poems can help free us to open up again. This workshop will present some of the many ways poetry has helped writers both heal trauma and prevent post-traumatic stress syndrome. Guided by an internationally published poet, you will explore the science behind this and learn a range of techniques, immediately putting several of them to use in drafting new work. The workshop includes reading and discussion of time-honored poems, close attention to emotional and sensory aspects of poetry, several class writing exercises, and feedback on poems for those who wish to share them. (Note: All sharing is optional. This workshop is not a substitute for therapy.)

Exercises to Improve Your Writing

Not only will you learn from expert feedback in this workshop, you can continue to learn from this workshop even after it’s over. Exercises offered in this workshop are designed for repeated use in your practice at home—including some tailored to jump-start your inspiration.

August 2024

Diy novel revision.

Do you have a finished draft of a novel but don’t know what to do next? This workshop will take you through the revision and editing process step-by-step. From large-picture issues like plot and structure, characterization, etc… to line editing, we will look at what it takes to revise your own novel without the assistance of a professional editor.

How to Write A Grant Proposal

Learn how to write proposals to request grants from funders. This workshop will cover how to research prospective funders, the elements of a good proposal, and how to approach funders. Proposal writing is a practical skill that, applied to those who work or volunteer for non-profit organizations, can be a good source of freelance writing income. Please come to class with a non-profit or project in mind to use as the focus of your research and proposal. By the end of class, you will have a draft of a proposal to use for fundraising. Note: The workshop will meet August 3, 10, and 17. There will be a fourth meeting on September 14 to review your finished proposal.

Ready, Set, Write! A Generative Fiction Workshop

Join this two-hour generative writing session that will help you shake off your inner editor and put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). If you’ve been uninspired in your creativity lately, feel like your work could use a jolt, or just want to give yourself dedicated writing time, this session is structured to encourage creativity and playfulness. A range of prompts, short reading selections, and class discussion—along with in-class writing time—will introduce different craft techniques, styles, and approaches that will pump up your inspiration and get the words flowing. By the end of the session, you’ll have the start for 4-5 new story drafts.

Poetic Memoir

Do you want to approach personal memoir in short, manageable high points rather than attempting a long running narrative? Poems can capture the most meaningful moments of your life and evoke their essence in a reader. In this course you’ll begin to learn how to focus on such moments and present them so they illustrate you in your life and imply its arc. You’ll draft one poem after the first session and have a clear sense of how to revise it by the end of the second.

Book Promotion Through Podcasting

Podcasting is one of the easiest ways to get your book and your voice out there, and we’ll not only be looking at how to find good podcasts and get booked on them, we’ll even talk about how to start your own podcast!

Ekphrastic Poetry

Find new ways to enter your drafts and deepen your revisions by writing poems about the visual arts (ekphrastic poems). We’ll read and discuss a variety of ekphrastic poems to inspire your own writing and enhance your craft skills (line, image, repetition, point of view, etc.). You’ll find new ways to access common themes, explore new terrain, and braid two narratives to enrich your poems. Each week, with provided prompts, you’ll be encouraged to visit a local gallery/museum and write about an artwork that moves you. Students will read aloud drafts for feedback of general appreciation and using a writer-focused workshop process, we’ll replace opinions and invasive “fix-its” with specific feedback to best serve the poet and support them in revisions. This class is perfect for poets looking to deepen their own creative process, write about art, and enhance their skills with feedback and revision.

Short Story I

Participants will bring in work which to be workshopped by the entire class. This workshop will teach participnats how to edit other’s work, read like a writer, scrutinize sentences, and how to submit to magazines.

Best Served Cold: Writing Revenge Poems

This generative workshop will review and discuss poems that serve, in some way, a bit of revenge on someone. We’ll then write our own revenge poems, participants can expect to leave with 2-4 new drafts of poems.

Journaling Techniques for Writing Memories

This workshop is about the pursuit of insight through writing personal memories. Whether you currently keep a journal or want to start journaling to nurture a consistent writing practice, in this two-day workshop you will learn journaling techniques that help you recall significant memories and explore the meaning behind those experiences. We will explore how a memoir writer’s journal differs from a regular journal, how to get your memoir journal started, and how to work with your captured memories to create a single storyline.

Write Like the News

Lead with the future — not background — for lead-ership, especially in a crisis. That’s the most important of eight journalism skills that will transform your writing. The others: write your readers’ language, be positive (to be both clear and upbeat), lay out logically, be consistent, be precise, be concise and choose strong verbs. (Plus a Speak Like the News skill: avoid “uptalk?”) Emulate the vivid news examples you’ll see in this workshop, and you’ll strengthen your writing voice with lively, engaging news style. At 7 sharp, we’ll critique TheWallStreetJournal.com, seeing how to communicate your main point in just a few words. To cover as much ground as possible, we’ll have just a few writing exercises and most of them will take less than a minute each.

September 2024

Crafting your life into story.

Following a tried-and-true formula (“Once upon a time . . . . Then, one day . . .”), you will learn how to identify, begin, and structure an autobiographical story, whether fiction or non-fiction. Participants will finish the workshop with the plots of at least three new autobiographical works, a two-page beginning of a new essay, story, novel, or memoir, or a revised beginning of their work-in-progress. Participants should bring either paper and pen or a writing device.Part 1: Learn how to begin and structure your new work. Part 2 (two weeks later): Workshop the drafts (5 pages max.) of your new work.

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What does Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus tell us about the author and the time at which the play was written? This free course, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, will help you to discover the intricacies of the play and recognise how a knowledge of the historical and political background of the time can lead to a very different ...

Approaching poetry

Do you want to get more out of your reading of poetry? This free course, Approaching poetry, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about rhythm, alliteration, rhyme, poetic inversion, voice and line lengths and endings. You will examine poems that do not rhyme and learn ...

Approaching prose fiction

Do you want to get more out of your reading? This free course, Approaching prose fiction, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about narrative events and perspectives, the setting of novels, types of characterisation and genre.

Approaching plays

Do you want to get more out of drama? This free course, Approaching plays, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary plays. You will learn about dialogue, stage directions, blank verse, dramatic structure and conventions and aspects of performance.

Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations

This free course, Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations, considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary ...

The poetry of Sorley MacLean

Sorley MacLean (1911-1996) is regarded as one of the greatest Scottish poets of the twentieth century. This free course, The poetry of Sorley MacLean, will introduce you to his poetry and give you an insight into the cultural, historical and political contexts that inform his work. MacLean wrote in Gaelic and the importance of the language to ...

Exploring Virginia Woolf’s Between the Acts

This free course introduces Virginia Woolf’s last novel, Between the Acts (1941), with the aim of understanding how she writes about time, memory, and ideas about identity. It also considers why Woolf’s fiction is often considered difficult. Selected extracts from her essays on writing help to clarify some of these perceived difficulties, ...

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596 Best Creative Writing Classes in 2024

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2024 Youth Summer Camp: Sci-Fi/Fantasy ONLINE

Story Studio Chicago

Over the course of one week, writers will generate their own science fiction and fantasy pieces and workshop them with the help of their peers. They will learn the differences between the genres and read the works of notable authors.

Website: https://www.storystudiochicago.org/classes/youth/2024-you...

Categories: Book, Fiction, Fantasy, and Science Fiction

Start date:

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

8-week Writing Sprints: A Generative Class

Sackett Street Writers

Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity. The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers). This class is for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and motivation.

Website: https://sackettworkshop.com/writing/2024/03/05/8-week-wri...

Categories: Book, Fiction, and Nonfiction

September, 2024

Prerequisites: A writing sample is recommended for this class.

The Secret Life of Scenes Workshop with David Biespiel

Attic Institute

Do you feel your writing gets bogged down in announcing, recounting, and summarizing? What you need is some scene-making medicine. Work with Attic Institute founder and two-time Oregon Book Award winner David Biespiel to learn the keys to explain less and dramatize more.

Website: https://atticinstitute.com/node/2830

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How to Write a Novel

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Explore the creative writing process without worrying about your grade! These workshops include experience with free writing of many types of writing and techniques to help your writing come alive.

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Rockvale Writer's Colony

In this four-part class we'll explore the art and magic of writing as a healing process in a collaborative and supportive environment. Together, we will share our stories, read a variety of essays and short fiction in order to identify how others have utilized the written word to heal themselves.

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Categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Book, and Essay

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Futurescapes is an intensive, exclusive workshop, offering writers an unparalleled chance to work with top authors and agents in speculative fiction (science fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal).

Website: https://futurescapes.ink/fall-workshop

Categories: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Book, and Fiction

October, 2024

Prerequisites: You may submit any original written work for your application.

Teen Summer: Say It Like You Mean It

Whether characters are arguing, bantering, betraying secrets, or confessing their guilt, dialogue can be one of the most challenging parts of writing a scene. In this workshop, we’ll learn about the various ways you can use dialogue in your writing, such as to advance the plot or develop characters.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-say-it-like-y...

Categories: Screenplay, Short Story, Book, Kids, and Nonfiction

August, 2024

The Poetry of Play

Writers.com

In this class, we’ll enjoy a rollicking good time by responding to poetry’s call to do just that. Students will read a wide variety of playful poetry, then experiment with in-class writing prompts designed to awaken freedom and enjoyment.

Website: https://writers.com/course/the-poetry-of-play

Categories: Poetry, Book, and Short Story

January, 2025

The Art of Live Storytelling

Ever dreamt of captivating an audience with your storytelling, condensing your writing into a sharp pitch, or confidently speaking in public? This course is designed for you. Uncover the craft of powerful storytelling using the classic "pity, fear, catharsis" framework and contemporary engagement techniques.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/the-art-of-live-storytell...

Categories: Nonfiction, Essay, and Fiction

Prerequisites: For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY.

Writing Experimental Essays

The aim of this class is to open up your writing by embracing this experimentation with form and structure. You’ll learn about the lyric essay—braided, collage, and hermit crab and more.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/writing-experimental-essa...

Categories: Nonfiction and Essay

Teen Summer: DIY Comic Book Making

You love comics, and graphic novels, and you like to doodle, but perhaps you’ve never finished a multi-page comic story? Or, you are a veteran comics creator and want to draw a new one! Now’s your chance to create a mini-comic during one week this summer.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-diy-comic-boo...

Categories: Book, Short Story, and Nonfiction

Teen Summer: From Story to Screen: Intro to Screenwriting

In this screenwriting and film workshop, we will learn Aristotle’s poetics, character work, scene writing, and dialogue. Further, we will immerse ourselves in clips from movies and short films and discuss how they relate to our learning techniques.

Website: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/teen-summer-from-story-to...

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What are the 5 best creative writing classes?

Congratulations! Deciding to learn how to creative write is often the hardest step of all. Now it's time for a choice that's almost just as difficult: picking which creative writing class you want to take in a market that's getting more crowded by the day.  

That’s why we built this directory of the best creative writing courses — so that you can more easily filter through all of the selections out there. But in case you don't have time to dive into them all, here are five of the best creative writing classes for you to take a look at. 

1. Reedsy Learning

💲 Cost: Free 👨‍🏫 Type: Email lessons

If you’re struggling to find time for creative writing classes, Reedsy Learning is for you. These bite-sized lessons are emailed to you once a day for ten days and can be read in five minutes or less. But don’t let their compact size fool you — each lesson is packed with practical tips, links to additional resources, and enough exercises to keep your skills sharp. There are also courses on editing, marketing, and publishing for when you’re ready to take your creative writing to the next level.

2. Gotham Writers’ Workshop

💲 Cost: $165 - $409 (plus registration fees) 👨‍🏫 Type: Video lectures, live Zoom classes, assignments, critique

The largest adult-education writing school in the US, Gotham Writers has been helping budding authors hone their skills since the 1990s. Based in New York City, they offer in-person classes as well as a variety of online options for students all over the globe. With self-paced courses, live Zoom lectures, write-ins, and several free events per term, Gotham Writers emulates the university feel wherever possible.

💲 Cost: $0 - $109 👨‍🏫 Type: Lectures (videos, slides, and text)

Founded in 2010, Udemy is a massive online open course (MOOC) platform, created to provide an alternative to in-person, university learning. Their primary audience is made up of professionals and students — some of their courses even offer credit toward technical certifications. Their creative writing courses are broad and geared mainly toward beginners, through there are some intermediate courses that get into specific niches.

💲 Cost: $0 - $998 👨‍🏫 Type: Video lectures, online assignments

Another MOOC, edX was started as a collaboration between Harvard and MIT, but these days boasts classes from a wide variety of respected universities. Like Udemy, some of their courses also offer college credits. edX’s courses are weekly, consisting of short videos, interactive learning exercises, and online discussion groups. Their writing courses cover everything from novels to stand-up comedy to digital content. There are also related courses in journalism, composition, and grammar, among other specializations.

5. Coursera

💲 Cost: Free (Creative Writing Specialization) 👨‍🏫 Type: Video lectures, online assignments

One last MOOC for our list, this time founded by several Computer Science professors from Stanford University. But don’t let its history fool you — Coursera offers humanities classes as much as science and technology. In addition to general courses, Coursera also offers specializations, a series of courses that work together much like what you’d find in a university.

I have a long list of creative writing courses. Now what?

If you've narrowed down a list of writing classes in English you like, then it's time to commit to one of them. But how do you know which is the right fit for your needs and lifestyle?

Before committing to one of them, we recommend considering some of these questions.

• What skill levels does the writing course cover?
• What’s the price of the writing course? Does it match your budget?
• How long does the writing course run for?
• Who is the instructor of the course? Can you verify their credentials?
• Is the writing course remote or in-person?

More creative writing resources

Whether you’re a new or established author, there are always evergreen resources out there to how to get a headstart on creative writing! 

Free online materials

• Creative Writing Prompts (resource)
• Book Title Generator (resource)
• Character Name Generator (resource)
• Plot Generator (resource)
• How to Write a Novel (blog post)
• How to Write a Book Proposal (blog post)
• How to Edit a Book (blog post)

Recommended books

• For writers in the UK:  Writers' & Artists' Yearbook  
• For writers in the US:  Writer’s Market 2020

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Writing Fiction: An Introductory Guide: Writing Classes & Critique Groups

• Recommended Reading
• National Organizations

Writing Classes & Critique Groups

• Blogs & Websites
• Tools of the Trade
• Reader Services at the Central Library
• Introduction to Writing Classes & Critique Groups
• Take a Writing Class
• Choose the Right Critique Group for You
• Join a Critique Group
• Start Your Own Critique Group

So you'd like to take a class to learn more about writing, or you'd like to get feedback from others to improve your work. Critique groups and classes offer support, feedback, accountability, and encouragement. You also stand a good chance of making life-long friends who also love the same thing you do: writing.

Writing Classes & Critique Groups contents

Take a Writing Class  - This is a list of classes that are online and/or in the Boston area. 

Choose the Right Critique Group for You - What should you consider when choosing a group? Find out here!

Join a Critique Group  - This is a list of existing groups that are online and/or in the Boston area. 

Start Your Own Critique Group - Tips for starting your own writing group! 

Free vs cost & local vs online

• The Join a Critique Group  tab has been split into two lists: Local first and online second.
• In the Take a Writing Class tab, each listing will say either "Local" or "Online" in parenthesis.
• Some of these groups and classes will be free, while others will have a cost associated with the group or individual classes. These have been noted for each listing as either "Cost" or "Free". Please check the individual websites for specific costs and possible discounts. 

A note on critique groups

You will see in Choosing the Right Critique Group For You a list of various types of groups, from writing to critique and social to accountability. For simplification, and because the most popular group among them is the critique group, this guide uses the term "critique" in a general sense to mean any of those types of groups.

Angela James' Classes - (Cost & Free/Online) Join editor Angela James as she teaches you how to edit your novel  and learn the ins and outs of publishing . 

The Writer's Roadmap   –  (Cost/Online)   A free email course by author, Tomi Adeyemi. Her website also includes downloadable writing tools including structure and character worksheets, back story templates and planners, writing prompts, and more. 

Gotham Writers   -   (Cost/Online)   A creative home in New York City and online where writers develop their craft and come together in the spirit of discovery and fellowship. We’ve been teaching creative writing and business writing since 1993. 

GrubStreet   -  (Cost/Local & Online)  By rigorously developing voices of every type and talent and by removing barriers to entry, GrubStreet fosters the creation of meaningful stories and ensures that excellent writing remains vital and relevant. Includes w orkshops, online classes, intensives, a Young Adult Writers Program, Consulting, and more. 

GrubStreet's Neighborhood Classes   -  (Free/Local)   Write Down the Street has a special focus on making creative writing workshops more accessible to those who have been underrepresented due to cost, racism, immigration status, language access, lack of access to transportation, and other barriers.  These are drop-in and multi-week classes offered by Grubstreet at your Boston Public Library neighborhood branches ! 

Holly Lisle's Writing Classes   -  (Cost & free/Online)   Here you’ll find writing classes, lively discussions in forums filled with writers who WRITE, and the answer to "How do I do that?"  The classes are available in ebook formats (Kindle/ePub) and printable PDFs.

LitReactor   - ( Cost/Online )  We bring in veteran authors and industry professionals to host classes covering a wide range of topics (from the writing craft to finding an agent) in an online environment that’s interactive and flexible. You get detailed feedback on your work and take part in discussions in a judgement-free zone. 

Master Class   -  (Cost/Online)  Take video-based writing classes with best-selling authors like James Patterson, Judy Blume, R.L. Stine, Margaret Atwood, and others.  

Peer 2 Peer University   - (Free/Local)  P2PU is a non-profit organization that helps get free online classes into the classroom setting. These are known as Learning Circles, where a facilitator helps students learn a specific topic, such as creative writing or computer coding. Check the class listings to see what is on offer or tell your community center or library that you're interested in a class.  

Skillshare - (Cost & Free Trial/Online)  These classes cover a wide variety of topics such as character driven stories and steps to a successful writing habit. They are also taught by published authors such as Roxane Gay, Simon Van Booy, Daniel Jose Older, and Yiyun Li.

Writer’s Digest University   -  (Cost/Online)   Whether you’re writing for publication, extra money, or to tell personal stories, Writer’s Digest University can help you get your writing career underway. Our expert instructors will provide advice, specific instruction, real-world experience, expertise, and the motivation and drive to help you achieve your goals.

The Writers’ Loft   - (Cost/Local)   The Writers’ Loft is a non-profit community which helps local writers foster their creativity, strengthen their spirit and grow professionally by providing them with quiet writing space, educational programs, opportunities to connect with supportive colleagues, and access to industry experts, as well as opportunities to give back to the greater writing community.    

Reasons to join a critique group

• You're looking for feedback in order to improve your work and possibly get published
• Share support, motivation, and a passion for writing with a long-term working group
• Discuss pitching, querying, and publishing insights
• Having a group at your back with deadlines helps to keep you accountable
• Meet and work with writers who share a love of your genre

Know the types of groups first

There are four major types of groups, but they do not have to be exclusive of each other, as some groups may want to combine elements of two or more.

Writing groups -  A writing group is traditionally a group of people who get together to write in the same space at the same time, and in general, keep each other motivated to get words down on paper. Keep in mind that many times a group labeled as a writing group could very well be a critique group as well.

Critique Groups -   A critique group will usually do their writing on their own time and then come together to read what they've worked on and offer advice and critique the work. 

Social Groups -   These groups exist for writers to get together and talk about writing, whether it's about their own work, the way a publishing trend is going, how to market their upcoming book release, or anything in between.

Accountability Groups -   Members will write on their own time and use the meetings as a deadline. The group is used to keep writers motivated and accountable for their work. They will check in with other group members to see where everyone is in writing and whether they're reaching their goals or are falling behind. Members can also read their work at meetings or use the time for other discussions on writing.

What to consider when looking for a group

• Do you need motivation to keep writing or are you looking for feedback on your work? 
•  This is often based on where you feel you are with your writing and how much help you need to improve your work. 
• Where do you think you will be in the future, in terms of how much work and effort you're willing to put in. Will you still need a group in six months? Will you quit once your book is published? Or do you have another book idea waiting in the wings? Or are you just starting your book journey?  
• Always err on the conservative side, because life happens, and sometimes the muse won't talk to you.
• Remember that if you join a group, you will be expected to read and critique others' work on your own time, while also carving out time to write your own book. 
• Do you live or work near the meeting location? 
• Does your free time line up with meeting dates and times?
• An In-person group , where you're in the same room with everyone, or an  online group , where you submit your work to the group and get it back electronically? 
• It helps to know what you're writing. If you're not sure of your genre, or age range, or if you like to read a wide variety of things, try a general group. Keep in mind that in a general group, they may not know the intricacies of your genre if you're the only one who writes in that genre.
• An open group where new members are always welcome or a closed group where you're working with the same people at every meeting? 

Local groups

Asian American Resource Workshop Writers Group   –  (Cost)  A hub for both accomplished writers as well as budding writers alike as a safe space to refine their craft. Members come together on a regular basis to share and discuss writings & ideas, get and provide support, and practice exercises to keep writing skills fresh.

Cambridge Writers’ Workshop   –  (Cost/Local & Online)  All writers from novices to professionals, who are looking for a serious writing community, are welcome to join the Cambridge Writers’ Workshop, which includes online creative writing courses and writing retreats.

Writing Meetups in Boston   -  (Free & Cost)  Many local writing groups use meetup.com to get together. Use this link to find writing groups not seen on this list, from casual writers to more serious critique groups, in and around Boston. 

Warrior Writers   –  (Free)  Warrior Writers is a national non-profit. Our mission is to create a culture that articulates veterans’ experiences, build a collaborative community for artistic expression, and bear witness to war and the full range of military experiences. Check the Events page for Boston area programs.

The Writers’ Loft   -   (Cost)   The Writers’ Loft is a non-profit community which helps local writers foster their creativity, strengthen their spirit and grow professionally by providing them with a quiet writing space, educational programs, opportunities to connect with supportive colleagues, and access to industry experts, as well as opportunities to give back to the greater writing community.    

Writers Room of Boston   –  (Cost)  Founded in 1988, the Writers' Room of Boston is a nonprofit organization that functions as an urban writers' retreat committed to providing a quiet, affordable, and secure workspace for emerging and established writers. Members can choose to meet regularly for readings, community gatherings and events. Periodic readings of the members' work are organized and open to the public.

Writers Rumpus   –  (Free)  A critique group in Andover, MA and blog for children’s, middle grade, and young adult authors.

Writers Without Margins   –  (Free)  Our mission is to expand access to the literary arts for unheard and under-resourced communities in Greater Boston — including those isolated by the challenges of addiction recovery, trauma, poverty, disability, and mental illness — through free, collaborative, writing workshops, public readings, and publication opportunities intended to empower community, amplify the voices of individuals, and to share stories with the world.

Online groups

Critique.org -    (Free) Workshops focus on in-depth critiques of your works, a process which helps both the recipient  and  the reviewer to grow. In addition to depth of analysis, much of critique.org's secret is our emphasis on respectful and diplomatic critiques.

Critique Circle   - ( Free & Cost ) Critique and be critiqued online. By critiquing work by others, you earn credits which allow you to post your own work for critique. 

Facebook   - (Free) There are many writing groups on Facebook, for all of your whims and desires.  

Goodreads   - (Free) It's easy talk about books on Goodreads in their Groups area, whether you wrote them or you've just read them and want to recommend them to others. 

Google Groups - (Free) Allows you to create and participate in online forums and email- based groups with a rich experience for community conversations.

Groups.io - (Free trial & Cost)  Email Groups. Supercharged. A modern platform for serious communities. Powerful management tools. Mobile ready. No ads, no tracking.

Inked Voices -  (Free)   A platform for writing groups and an online space for writers.

Scribophile   -  (Free & Cost Accounts)  A respectful online writing workshop and writer's community where writers of all skill levels join to improve each other's work with thoughtful critiques and by sharing their writing experience. 

Writer'sCafe - (Free) Post your poetry, short stories, novels, scripts, and screenplays. Get reviews and advice from thousands of other writers, enter hundreds of free writing contests, join writing groups or start your own, take and subscribe to free online writing courses, and more.

Writing.com - (Free & Cost) W elcomes writers of all interests and skill levels. Whether you're a writer looking for the perfect place to store and display your poetry, stories and other writing or a reader willing to offer feedback for our writers and their writings, this is the website for you. Meet and bond with fresh creative minds!

Reasons to start your own group

It may be that there isn't a writing group in your area or that the groups near you don't meet your needs. But you need to be interested in  helping other writers improve their work just as much as you're interested in having others help you improve yours. This should always be your top reason to start your own group. No writing group exists to help only one person. 

If you don't have the time to help others right now, but still want feedback on your work, consider hiring an editor or find some beta readers. See the Finding an Editor  tab under Publishing , for more information. 

Tips for starting a local group that meets in-person

Time: 

• Make sure you have the time to run a group, write your own work, and read & critique everyone else's work. If time is an issue, joining an existing group might be better for you.
• Will your group meet online or in-person?
• If in-person, choose a location that everyone can get to easily by car or public transportation. Make sure it will work for any members who are handicapped. And if it's a restaurant, make sure it can handle everyone's dietary needs, if you know these things in advance.
• Also keep your decibel level in mind. You'd be surprised, but a group of writers, when they get excited about their work and discussing the craft of writing, can get pretty loud. Make sure you choose a place that will be okay with however loud you end up.
• If you are interested in space at the Boston Public Library, you will find room use guidelines, forms to fill out, and contact information for our Events department on our website here:  Reservable Community Spaces .  Please note that these rooms are not intended for use as your organization's primary meeting place. 
• Choose a date and time that will work for everyone, and that you can keep consistent.
• How often will you meet? Once a week? Once a month? Choose something that will work with everyone's schedules.

Mission Statement:  

• Write a mission statement that addresses the purpose and parameters of the group that everyone can agree on.
• Do you want to talk about writing, have time to write in a group setting, critique each other's work, or something else? 
• Will you concentrate on a specific genre or topic?
• Some examples of language are: to support & encourage writing, guiding writers on the path to publication, to become stronger writers and editors, with an atmosphere of trust and caring writers can work to improve their manuscripts, to discuss the craft of writing...
• This will help attract members you want and get you off to a good start.

Membership:  

• Determine who you want to join your group, such as already published authors, or maybe you want to be open to everyone, regardless of where they are in their writing career.
• To find new members, if you don't have anyone in mind already, you can use social media, an ad in the local paper, blog about it, post it on Meetup  or Eventbrite , post fliers around town, or anything else you can think of.
• Make sure you determine ahead of time how many members you want so you don't end up accepting more than you are comfortable working with. Remember, you'll need to read all of their work! But also remember that in the beginning days of your group there may be a high turnover rate as people determine if the group is a good fit for them.
• Keep in mind if you keep membership open all the time, any time new members join you'll need to brief them on everyone's projects, which can get time consuming if new members don't stick around and more new members keep joining. 
• Your membership might be open to a select group of people if you only discuss science fiction, or if your group is for people who have taken a specific class (so you guarantee everyone has had the same experience), or if members have to be nominated by a current member. This allows for an open membership, where there won't be as many people coming and going.

Leadership:

• The group leadership role usually becomes a facilitator role once the group gets going.
• As a leader, remember to keep to your commitments or explain to the group when something prevents you from doing so. This will inspire other group members to do the same and will help to keep everyone accountable.
• If group participation starts to drop, speak up and ask the group, either privately or all together, if they're still interested. It might be that life is getting in the way, but they are still interested in being a member and speaking up about the lagging participation will inspire people to become active members again. It might be that you need to change the format of the group or the number of meetings you hold. But if you don't say anything, the problem will persist.
• The leader may have to cut members loose if it's not working out for that person and the group. It's not fun, but someone has to do it, if it becomes necessary.

Submissions:

• How much of their work should writers submit for critique at one time? (1-2 chapters, 5-10 pages, or by word limit?) Keeping the amount the same for everyone keeps members from dominating the group's time if they submit ten pages while everyone else has submitted only two. 
• To get good feedback, it is helpful for writers to ask for what they need based on where they are in their project. And it's helpful to add this to the document when submitting it. For example, if you are just starting your novel you may want to ask people to be on the lookout for plot holes, or weak characterization. If you're just starting the editing phase, you may ask people to look out for smaller things like continuity issues, or even smaller things like grammar and spelling mistakes.
• Determine whether you will read your work at the group meetings for the first time, or if members need to email their work to each other ahead of time by a specific date, say one week before the meeting, to give others a chance to read and review it.
• Will there be a trial period for new members where they will be required to only review others' works for a time before they can submit their own? This is a great way for everyone to determine if the new member is a good fit without the new person just getting the feedback they need on their own work and not sticking around.

Meeting Format:

• If the work is shared during the meeting for the first time, everyone should get a printed copy. Then someone will either read it aloud, or everyone will read silently. The copies will get marked up and returned to the author, and verbal comments will also be made.
• If the work is shared ahead of time, reviewers can email a marked up copy back to the author or bring a marked up printed copy to give them in-person. The meeting time is then used for discussion and critique of the work.
• How many writers will critique at the meeting? Will everyone get a chance at every meeting or will it rotate between members? 
• Will critique happen one-on-one with the group pairing up and rotating during the meeting or as one large group?
• How long will the meeting last? 

Feedback Format:

• Having a set format makes critiques feel like less of an attack on the writer when they know what to expect. See the two articles linked below for more critique guidelines.
• Will reviewers be allowed a specific amount of time to talk? Two minutes, as an example, cuts down on long winded diatribes.
• Some groups refuse to let the writer talk while the work is being critiqued so that they can't defend it and make excuses for decisions they've made. Once the critique is over then the writer can ask clarifying questions or respond however they need to. This can help keep things civil as well as keep the meeting to the desired length and flow without awkwardness.
• Will reviewers need to comment on something they liked as well as something they didn't, or will that not matter?
• Remember that if time limits are used, someone will need to keep track of the time during meetings.

Communication: 

• How will you communicate with each other outside of the meeting? Via email? A Yahoo! Group? Facebook? Goodreads?

Change Happens:

• Remember that as groups grow and develop, things may change and you may need to revisit these steps.
• It will also take a while, perhaps even up to a year, for your group to settle into itself with a core group of regulars that are comfortable working with each other. Patience is key.

Other things your group can do once you're set up:

• Write a blog
• Bring in speakers
• Schedule an open mic night at a local coffee house to share your work
• Celebrate members' successes

Online places to start your own group

See the Join a Critique Group tab, for websites that can host your group online as well as this list, which may overlap.

Discord   - Create a free chat space, known as a "server", where you can have multiple channels to discuss different topics as well as video and audio channels. 

Facebook Groups   -  There are many book groups on Facebook, and it's easy to start your own here as well.  

Goodreads   - It's easy talk about books on Goodreads in their  Groups  area, and they have a poll feature that makes voting on your next read super easy! 

Google Groups   - If you're comfortable connecting via email, try searching Google for online groups.

Groups.io   - (Free trial & cost) Email Groups. Supercharged. A modern platform for serious communities. Powerful management tools. Mobile ready. No ads, no tracking.

Google Meet   - Free video chat meeting space. It's easy to start a video and invite others to join or schedule something in advance!

Inked Voices - (Free trial & Cost) A platform specifically geared for small writing groups and workshops to collaborate intimately despite distance and strange schedules. 

Jitsi Meet  - A free, open source video chat platform. Simply type in the title of your meeting and you'll have an everygreen link you can keep forever! 

Proboards   - A free forum hosting service, where you can create your own forum and keep your discussions organized.

Slack   - This app works on iOS, Android, PC, and MAC and is a free forum where you can set up discussion threads, add photos and documents and easily set up meetings and decide what you're reading next!

Zoom   - This is a video chat platform that lets you have meetings up to 40 minutes for free. 

Ways to critique

Here are a couple of articles on how to write a critique that you may find helpful for your group.

Writing Groups: How to Write a Constructive Critique   by Mandy Wallace

Thoughts on Writing #12: Good Critique, Bad Critique by Seanan McGuire

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• Last Updated: Nov 28, 2023 3:34 PM
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