Online Courses 

Struggling to sit down and write? Like my popular generative writing workshop at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, this is a great way to get motivated and get words on the page, in the company of other writers. Via an online video session, optional fun, unique writing prompts  will be given, followed by a timed period of writing. Of course you're also welcome to work on an existing project instead.  We'll briefly share (for those who want to share) and discuss (for those who want to discuss,) Then we'll move on to another prompt. While you'll be guided, supported, and be given craft-based tips, this is your writing time, to adapt as you see fit. No constraints on your creativity! If your mind takes the prompt in a different direction, go for it! If you need to sit a prompt out, no problem! If you prefer not to join the (brief) discussion, that's also totally OK. You know how you work best. The goal here is to get words on the page. It's fun. It's productive, It's inspiring.  And better yet, it's totally free, my New Year's gift to the writing community. Join us! Sign up by clicking here to enroll and get the link to our online session. 

 

It's 2024, the holiday decorations are packed away, and a fresh new year awaits you. Maybe you let your writing practice slip, or maybe it's time to embark on a new project and you need some structure, encouragement, and community feedback to get you going. This is the jumpstart you need! In this narrative nonfiction course (to borrow CNF's definition, that's "true stories, well told",) you will render your true stories artfully on the page. Guided by an experienced instructor,  the course aims to provide you with a constructive environment to creatively explore the craft of writing narrative nonfiction, giving it cohesion and form. Whether you are working on a memoir, writing personal narrative essays, or exploring other subjects,  you will be encouraged to look at your deeper themes and structure, develop sensory description, character development, and voice, and identify the most effective craft tools to move your reader, all from within a supportive, safe group environment. Each week, we will look at a different craft element in our writing, submit new work, and have a virtual workshop on our course site on the platform Canvas. Then we will meet for an optional weekly Zoom session as a group to discuss what came up that week and ask questions. This course is a replica of the course I taught for many years at UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, with the bonus addition of a weekly meeting on Zoom (date/time to be arranged with class participants) and a one-on-one conference with the instructor for each participant. $530. Limited partial scholarships available for students with demonstrated need. Click here to enroll. 

Every individual has a unique and valid story to tell. People write personal narratives for a number of different reasons: as a form of creative expression, to create a permanent record for others, to examine emotions, to find communities of shared experience, and more. In this creative nonfiction course, you will give your unique life experiences shape through your writing. Guided by an experienced instructor,  the course aims to provide you with a constructive environment to creatively explore your life experiences on the page, while giving it cohesion and form. Whether you are working on a memoir or writing personal narrative essays, you will be encouraged to look at your deeper themes and structure; develop sensory description, character development, and voice; and more, all from within a supportive, safe group environment. Each week, we will focus on a different craft element in our writing, submit work, and have a virtual workshop on our course site on the platform Canvas. This course is a replica of the course I taught for many years at UCLA Extension's Writers' Program, with the bonus addition of a weekly meeting on Zoom (to be arranged with class participants) and a one-on-one conference with the instructor. $530. Limited partial scholarships available for students with demonstrated need. Click here to enroll. 

Many nonfiction book projects are sold on proposal. But even seasoned writers are often unclear about what an effective book proposal actually includes. Book proposals are not short pitches. They are detailed and thorough, with many pages of information to help a prospective publisher see the vision for a book, from the writing itself to the marketing plan. In this three week workshop, you'll learn from an author who successfully sold her book on proposal to a major publisher and craft your own nonfiction book proposal to maximize your chance of landing a book deal! 

The competition to get into a good college is stronger than ever these days. Students work hard at getting good grades and cramming for the SAT, ACT, and AP exams. But they often overlook one of the most important elements of a college application: The personal essay or personal statement. This element of an application can make or break a student’s chances of admission, and often is the weak point in an application package. In this workshop, students will build an admission essay from the ground up over the course of 4 weeks, emerging from the process with a polished essay to maximize their potential of gaining admission to the college of their choice.