creative writing workshops summer

Explore summer courses and register.

Offered in collaboration with the School of the Arts, the Writing Department at Columbia University offers summer workshops and craft seminars in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry designed by acclaimed writers and editors. Hone your craft in courses that cater to a wide variety of writing styles, from comedy writing to travel writing, children's books, YA, art writing, and everything in between. Students can apply to take individual courses listed below as a Visiting Student or as a part of the Arts in Summer program .

For questions about specific courses, contact the department.

FICTION WORKSHOP WRIT1001S001 3 pts

The Fiction Writing Workshop is designed for students who have little or no experience writing imaginative prose. Students are introduced to a range of craft concerns through exercises and discussions, and eventually produce their own writing for the critical analysis of the class. Outside readings supplement and inform the exercises and longer written projects. Enrollment limited to 15.

Course Number

Summer 2024, times/location, section/call number, fiction workshop writ1001s002 3 pts, nonfiction writing workshop writ1101s002 3 pts.

The Nonfiction Writing Workshop is designed for students new to the practice of such genres as reportage, criticism, biography and memoir. Various techniques are explored through exercises and other assignments. Critique of student work is supplemented by outside readings.

POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP WRIT1201S001 3 pts

The Poetry Writing Workshop is designed for all students with a serious interest in poetry writing, from those who lack significant workshop experience or training in the craft of poetry to seasoned workshop participants looking for new challenges and perspectives on their work. Students will be assigned writing exercises emphasizing such aspects of verse composition as the poetic line, the image, rhyme and other sound devices, verse forms, repetition, collage, and others. Students will also read an variety of exemplary work in verse, submit brief critical analyses of poems, and critique each others original work.

POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP WRIT1201S002 3 pts

Writing about art writ3215w001 3 pts.

Prerequisites: No prerequisites. Department approval NOT required. 

This course will introduce students to writing about visual art. We will take our models from art history and contemporary art discourse, and students will be prompted to write with and about current art exhibitions and events throughout the city. The modes of art writing we will encounter include: the practice of ekphrasis (poems which describe or derive their inspiration from a work of art); writers such as John Ashbery, Gary Indiana, Eileen Myles, and others who for periods of their life held positions as art critics while composing poetry and works of fiction; writers such as Etel Adnan, Susan Howe, and Renee Gladman who have produced literature and works of art in equal measure. We will also look at artists who have written essays and poetry throughout their careers such as Robert Smithson, Glenn Ligon, Gregg Bordowitz, Moyra Davey, and Hannah Black, and consider both the visual qualities of writing and the ways that visual artists have used writing in their work. Lastly, we will consider what it means to write through a “milieu” of visual artists, such as those associated with the New York School and Moscow Conceptualism. Throughout the course students will produce original works and complete a final writing project that enriches, complicates, and departs from their own interests and preoccupations.

WRITING CHILDREN'S BOOKS WRIT4313S001 3 pts

Travel writing writ4320s001 3 pts, writing the young adult novel writ4323s001 3 pts.

The Young Adult (YA) publishing boom has changed the way we read—and write—coming-of-age stories. This course will introduce students to the elements that shape YA novels, and explore the fiction writing techniques needed for long projects, including narrative arcs, character construction, worldbuilding, and scene work. We’ll study work from a wide range of YA genres and authors, including Angie Thomas, Elana K. Arnold, Leigh Bardugo, Jason Reynolds, A.S. King, Elizabeth Acevedo, and more.

Students will begin to write and outline their own YA novel, and a variety of in-class writing exercises will support the development of each project. All students will workshop their own writing and respond to the work of others. By the end of class, students will have a portfolio of materials to draw from, and a richer understanding of the YA landscape and its possibilities.

HOW TO WRITE FUNNY WRIT4810S001 3 pts

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Summer Programs

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer Half-Day and Full-Day programs that meet Monday through Friday. Our workshops are warmer and more productive than typical writing classes and courses offered for kids and teens online and in person.

Sign up for our mailing list to get the latest updates on upcoming summer programs!

Half-Day Workshops (In-Person and Online)

In both multi-genre and themed workshops, writers in age-based groups work with a published author or produced playwright (highly trained in teaching the form, genre, or topic). Participants discuss, share, develop, and complete their own original works.

Half-Day workshops meet Monday-Friday for three hours per day. Workshops are age-based and enroll a maximum of eight writers. Offerings include Creative Writing , Essay Writing , College Essay , Language Play (for ages 4-6), Screenwriting , Dungeons and Dragons , and more!

Click here to see Half-Day Summer workshops on the schedule!

Full-Day Camps (In-Person)

Full-Day Camps are in-person programs that include a three-hour morning workshop, an hour-long lunch break, and a three-hour block of electives or specialized activities. 

Fiction & Fun

In the mornings, writers work with a published author or produced playwright on developing and completing a piece of writing of their choosing, such as a short story, personal essay, poetry collection, or a one-act play. After the morning workshop, writers will head to a nearby park for lunch and fun outdoor activities.

In the afternoon, writers participate in two electives of their choice, ranging from filmmaking, songwriting, Dungeons and Dragons, zinemaking, worldbuilding, graphic novels, and more!

Playwriting & Performance

Young playwrights spend the mornings developing brand new plays or musicals under the guidance of a professional playwright. In the afternoons, they dive into the world of performance, with mini-workshops in character creation, theatrical design, voice and speech, and a look at acting fundamentals as they take on roles in their peers’ plays. The week will culminate in a live performance (that family and friends can watch) of original one-act plays written and performed by these young dramatists of tomorrow.

Sports Writing

Writers spend the morning in a sports-themed writing workshop where they can explore and write every form of sports writing, from reviews, to features, op-eds, and personal essays. In the afternoon, camper eat lunch in the park, participate sports and active electives, and join creative arts electives with our Fiction & Fun campers. There will also be opportunities to go on field trips to live sports events, interview athletes, and meet professional sports editors and writers.

Click here to see Full-Day Summer workshops on the schedule!

Advanced Writing Seminar (In-Person and Online)

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are immersive, application-only programs for dedicated rising juniors, seniors, and college freshmen. Workshops are led by professional published writers and include master classes with guest instructors who are experts in their specialized field. This program is designed for teens to build up their writing portfolios and/or complete long-form projects such as novels.

Half-Day Sessions (Online)

Online half-day sessions are two-week programs that specialize in either portfolio-building or outlining and completing novels.

Full-Day Sessions (In-Person)

Full-Day sessions are one-week programs that focus on helping teens expand their writing portfolios.

The Residency in NYC

Advanced Writing Seminar: The Residency in NYC is an immersive pre-college program in partnership with Pratt Institute. Teen writers will spend the mornings in writing workshops, the afternoons in Master Classes, and the evenings in excursions and activities around New York City!

Click here to learn more about Advanced Writing Seminar!

WriCampia is our annual two-week sleepaway camp in the Berkshires. At WriCampia, writers spend their mornings in intimate writing workshops led by published authors and produced playwrights, their afternoons participating in their choice of over 20 artistic and active electives, and their evenings at campfires, scavenger hunts, readings, and more.

Click here to learn more about WriCampia!

• Half-Day Workshops
• Full-Day Camps
• Application-Only Teen Seminar

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer full programs that meet Monday through Friday. Students sign up by week, and many students choose to attend for multiple weeks. Our workshops are warmer and more productive than typical writing classes and courses offered for kids and teens online and in-person.

Schedule and Registration

Half-Day workshops meet Monday-Friday for 3-hours per day. Workshops are age-based and enroll a maximum of eight writers. Offerings include Creative Writing, Essay Writing, Comedy, Screenwriting, Dungeons and Dragons, and more!

Full-Day camps are offered in-person at our Manhattan, Brooklyn, and DC labs.

In the mornings, writers ages 9 to 16 work in age-based groups with a published author or produced playwright on developing and completing a short story, poetry collection, or a one-act play. After the morning workshop, writers will head to a nearby park for lunch and fun outdoor activities.

Writers will spend the afternoon in two exciting electives of their choice, ranging from filmmaking, songwriting, sketch comedy, zinemaking, worldbuilding, poetry, photo journalism, graphic novels, and more!

In age-based groups, young playwrights spend the mornings developing brand new plays or musicals under the guidance of a professional playwright. In the afternoons, they dive into the world of performance, with mini-workshops in character creation, theatrical design, voice and speech, and a look at acting fundamentals as they take on roles in their peers’ plays. The week will culminate in a live performance (that family and friends can watch over Zoom) of original one-act plays written and performed by these young dramatists of tomorrow.

Schedule and Application

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are immersive-two-week experiences for dedicated rising juniors, seniors, and college freshmen.

Writers will delve into their craft with published authors, and will meet and share their work with literary agents and editors. Each day will begin with a small author-led fiction workshop (8-10 participants) from 10 AM to 1 PM Eastern Time. During workshop, writers will have time to develop their own creative pieces, participate in creative writing exercises, and receive feedback on their work from the instructor and their peers. In the afternoons, writers will have the opportunity to take electives in poetry, memoir, ekphrastic writing, and more. Writers will also take part in evening readings, salons, and craft talks, as well as unstructured time to connect as a community of writers.

Advanced Writing Seminar sessions are offered online, in-person at our Manhattan and DC labs, and one special session will be offered as an overnight camp in NYC .

The summer is an exciting time at Writopia Lab! We offer full programs that meet Monday through Friday. Students sign up by week, and many students choose to attend for multiple weeks.

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Online Courses

Online courses: creative writing.

Stanford Continuing Studies' online creative writing courses make it easy to take courses taught by instructors from Stanford’s writing community. Thanks to the flexibility of the online format, these courses can be taken anywhere, anytime—a plus for students who lead busy lives or for whom regular travel to the Stanford campus is not possible. These courses are open to all adults, and we encourage all levels of writers to enroll.

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Idaho Resources for Writers

Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Idaho, from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or simply a place to hang out with writers or submit your work, these are some Idaho writing organizations you might want to check out:

WriteByNight

For more than a decade, WriteByNight has helped writers in Idaho and beyond achieve their literary goals. And we want you to be next! Claim your free consultation  to learn about WBN’s customizable  one-on-one writers’ services , including:

Book Coaching :  If you’re writing a book and want some help along the way.

Manuscript Critique : If you’ve written a book and want a beta read, critique, or writing workshop.

Editing/Proofreading : If you’ve written a book and want someone to polish it for you.

Publication Assistance : If you’ve written a book and want help finding an agent or publisher.

Blue Sage Writers of Idaho

A writing group in southeastern Idaho that meets once a month to critique works-in-progress and share industry news.

The Cabin offers programs year-round, including youth and adult education, a Readings and Conversations series that brings the world to Boise one author at a time, and publication opportunities for all ages.

Idaho Commission on the Arts

A state organization that offers grants and awards to writers and elects annual writers-in-residence.

Idaho Writers Guild

A community-based literary arts organization that promotes education and literacy by hosting public programs and projects, including author readings, writing workshops on a broad spectrum of topics, writing contests, and conferences of interest to writers and readers of all genres.

Lost Horse Press

A nonprofit, independent press that publishes poetry titles of high literary merit and makes available fine contemporary literature through cultural, educational and publishing programs and activities.

Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers

Membership is open to anyone, published or unpublished, who is interested in self-publishing, including those from nearby Idaho.

Help us add to this list, Idahoans! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or an Idaho literary journal we should be aware of? Let us know here

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Creative Writing Academy

• How to Apply

Summer 2024 Applications are CLOSED. Summer 2025 Applications will open in late Fall.

Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a wealth of new poems, stories, and essays, and allow you to experiment with innovative forms in the field of creative writing. The Academy will also focus on the publishing and professionalization aspects of the industry, exploring what markets are available for your writing, what jobs are available to creative writers, funding opportunities for your work, undergraduate and graduate programs in writing, and how to get published. Topics for discussion will include literary form and targeted craft points, often in relation to social, political, and environmental themes. In addition, this week-long program will feature excursions to sites around Washington, D.C., including an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to read your work aloud at Busboys and Poets, a famous D.C. literary hub.

Estimated Tuition:

Price includes tuition, housing, and meals. Commuter Student tuition is $2,625.

How You'll Benefit

• Participate in writing workshops
• Awaken your powers of observation, imagination, and description
• Learn concrete elements of the craft of writing in daily workshops
• Attend readings from published authors, who will lead interactive classes and conduct group discussions
• Work with Georgetown's expert creative writing faculty to bring out your most creative ideas
• Read excerpts from award-winning works and use them to develop your own original works
• Visit local monuments, world-renowned theaters, museums, and literary organizations
• Take part in peer critiques and learn how to revise and refine your writing

Program Format & Subject Areas

As a student in the Creative Writing Academy, you'll spend your day immersed in a blend of classroom lectures, field trips, hands-on activities, and group discussions. Throughout the week, you'll have the opportunity to explore the following subject areas:

• Personal prose
• Literary history
• Technique (story structure, character development, theme, description, dialogue)
• Finding good ideas and turning them into polished pieces
• Using great literature and art for inspiration

All in all, I fell in love with the program. I got to meet so many amazing people not only from the D.C. area but all around the country.

Having the chance to experience once in a lifetime opportunities and getting to meet people from around the world made it so I got to really experience what college life was like.

My #SummerHoya experience was enriching, inspiring, and rewarding; if I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again.

It was amazing to be surrounded by such high caliber students and staff who were all encouraging and fabulous to work with. I took away many positive things from my week as a Summer Hoya.

As I am filling out my college applications, I am able to think back to my memories from the summer and I am reassured that I am pursuing the right educational path.

The program offers so much–from the off-site visits to the daily lectures and the on campus activities. The lectures were interesting, meeting new people was great and the off-site visits were interactive and intriguing.

Want to learn more?

Request information to find out the latest on the Summer Programs for High School Students.

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• Summer 2025

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Writers' Workshop

Summer workshops.

The Writers' Workshop experience in 3-week summer sessions

Study with Writers’ Workshop faculty in three-week graduate-level writing workshops

This summer, the Workshop will offer graduate-level courses for credit.  Earned credits will be recorded on an official transcript. Classes are taught by Writers' Workshop permanent and visiting faculty and follow the graduate workshop format. Admission is based on manuscript review and is open to all applicants, whether currently enrolled in a degree program or not. Deadline to apply for summer 2024 is March 3rd.

The Iowa Young Writers' Studio offers summer classes for high school students. For week-long or weekend classes, check out the Iowa Summer Writing Festival !

Join Our Mailing List and Stay Connected   Learn More and Apply to the Summer Workshops

Are you currently a high school student?

The Iowa Young Writers' Studio is a summer writing program dedicated to high school students.

Summer 2024 Fiction Workshops

Claire lombardo, may 14- may 30, 2024 in person.

3-week graduate fiction workshop

Sanjena Sathian

May 14-may 30, 2024 in person.

3-week graduate fiction workshop

Kate Christensen

July 8-july 25, 2024 in person.

  July 8-July 25, 2024 IN PERSON

Summer 2024 Poetry Workshops

Mark levine.

3-week graduate poetry workshop

Hai-Dang Phan

3-week graduate poetry workshop with

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Your generosity funds scholarships and free programs, allowing more teen and adult writers to participate in creative writing workshops at our new center in the Seaport, in neighborhoods around Boston, and online.

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Katherine Yeh Katherine is the instructor for GrubStreet's Fall Novel Generator program.

• Teen Program

Young Adult Writer's Program

Calling all lovers of words–written, spoken, drawn, or performed on stage!

Come find your people! Join GrubStreet’s Young Adult Writers Program (YAWP), where high school students from all over the greater Boston area gather to craft their stories, share their ideas, and cheer each other on! YAWP offers three types of programs: free Saturday writing sessions, Teen Writing Classes (during winter, spring, and summer vacations), and a three-week summer Teen Writing Fellowship .

Want to find out more about our teen programs? Join our YAWP mailing list for all the latest news, and read former teen fellow Ruth Ballard's blog on the GrubWrites about why Grub's teen programs have been so important to young writers like her.

Teen Summer Writing Classes Learn More

Our summer weeklong classes take place Mondays through Fridays from 10:30-3:30pm in-person at our beautiful new Center for Creative Writing or online via Zoom, so you can join the YAWP summer experience however you want! Scholarships are available and abundant for every single class.

Teen Summer Writing Fellowship Learn More

YAWP's Summer Teen Writing Fellowship immerses high school students in the writers' world of creative craft and publishing. During three intensive weeks at GrubStreet, teens work with published authors on original prose and poetry, meet with literary agents and editors, take field trips to inspirational locales like the ICA, and chat with popular contemporary authors. In the spirit of writers' residencies for adults, all teens will receive a $625 stipend for their commitment to the program and their time spent as working writers.

If you have questions or need help selecting a course, please call (617) 675 9632, or email us at [email protected] .

YAWP scholarships are made possible, in part, thanks to The Calderwood Charitable Foundation, The Vertex Foundation, The Linde Family Foundation, The Boston Public Library Foundation, The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, MassHousing, The 'Quin Impact Fund, The RBC Foundation, and donors like you.

Writing Workshops

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Yale Writers' Workshop 2024 Course Descriptions

On-campus workshop june 1 - june 8.

In the on-campus Workshop you will participate in workshops, lectures, individual conferences and readings intended to broaden your understanding of the craft of writing. This is an immersive experience on Yale’s lovely New Haven campus. The writing conversations extend from the classroom to the dining hall. Visiting faculty will deliver craft talks to all workshop participants. Because we write to be read, we will have panels of agents and editors to provide insight into the publishing process and the realities of the writer’s life. Writers are invited to participate in open mics and a formal reading of their work. During the session, faculty will hold half-hour, one-to-one meetings with participants. Plus, participate in an experiential writing adventure.

Virtual Workshop June 9 - June 15

The one-week Workshop is intended for writers concentrating on a specific genre. Over seven days, you will meet in a seminar with fellow writers, led by a faculty member established in the field. The seminar will include exercises and readings as well as discussion of student work with eye toward revision. During the week, faculty will hold half-hour, one-to-one meetings with participants. Plus, the one-week workshop includes an agent panel and meetings for writers with completed manuscripts! You are invited to participate in open mics and a formal reading of their work.

Workshops 2023 

•  Children and Young Adult
•  Short Story/Novel Excerpt
•  First Ten Pages
•  Personal Essay/Memoir
•  Write Here, Write Now

Alumni Workshop: Work-in-Progress Intensive June 1- June 15

Offered for YWW alumni only, this two-week workshop allows alumni to work with an instructor on a work in progress.

The application for Yale Writers' Workshop 2019 is now open.

The workshop was wonderful and I felt my writing improve immensely over the week. Jotham was a great teacher and his feedback was clear and concise, which made it easy to grow as a writer.

Sybil Baker

In addition to workshopping each participant’s story or novel excerpt, we will also have mini-craft sessions, where we work on and discuss issues such as reading like a writer, dialogue, scene building, as well as short story and novel structure and development. We’ll also work on writing exercises and revision strategies to take with you after you leave YWW. Short stories and novel excerpts are welcome.

Jotham Burrello

Read, Workshop, Revise, Repeat. A writer’s workshop is a laboratory to experiment and take risks on the page. In this seminar writers will complete assigned craft exercises and read stories prior to arriving in New Haven. During the first three sessions the group will discuss submitted manuscripts, journal, daydream, and then dedicate time to revision exercises and craft discussions, with a special emphasis on characterization and voice. Writers will leave with a revision strategy for their manuscript, and a toolbox of techniques to help write the next one. Short stories and novel excerpts welcome.

The core of this intensive fiction workshop consists of the sharing of your  work with the class. Everyone will submit either a fictional excerpt or standalone short story, 4500 words or less in May, so that when we meet in person in June, we will all be prepared to carefully give feedback. I will also be giving a mix of short craft talks each day on a variety of subjects: character, dialogue, plot, etc. You will also meet individually with me so that at the end of the workshop you will have a clear plan of attack for next steps.

Molly Gaudry

For this workshop, you may submit a wide range of fiction forms—traditional short stories or novel chapters, stories toward a novel-in-stories, interconnected flash fictions, flash fictions that stand alone, even fragmented or braided narratives. Submit a manuscript of up to 4500 words, and plan to read and discuss a variety of published works as models for your own revisions. You will leave our time together eager to get back to work on your own revisions, able to apply knowledge and skills developed at Yale to your future writing projects, and with a clearer understanding of the functional relationship between form and content.

Jennifer Maritza McCauley

In this short story workshop, group members will read contemporary short fiction and craft essays that address memory, point of view, character motivation and plot. They’ll also share their work with peers and learn about revision strategies and new approaches to the short story form. Workshop members will hone their creative voices in a fun, productive and collaborative environment.

In this class, we'll study the art and craft of fiction writing by examining published works as well as the writing of students in the class. Every writer in the class will submit a work of 4500 words or less -- a short story or an excerpt of a novel -- and we'll workshop these with an eye towards voice, style, story, character, and the more ineffable qualities that make writing truly great. You'll come away with a clear plan for what comes next for this piece and your writing life in general.

Non-fiction

Mary collins.

Use the power of literary nonfiction to process your life, your ideas, and our changing society. This workshop will highlight fundamental storytelling techniques, the unique challenges you face when writing about yourself (and people you know!) and how to control voice (including humor). We'll workshop your submission but also your revision in a quick-paced, high-energy environment. The course can accommodate students working on book-length memoir or narrative nonfiction as well as those new to the form and experimenting with the art of the essay or short pieces of nonfiction.

"Journalism is about the facts. Fiction is about the truth." This quote has been attributed to Ernest Hemingway who was both a journalist and a novelist. Creative nonfiction is about the facts AND the truth and this creative nonfiction workshop will focus on craft, language, the essay, memoir, and more, with exercises designed to generate new work.

Kirsten Bakis

This unique two-week workshop is designed for writers working on book-length material. The cohort of just eight writers will meet and write together for two weeks. This program is open to YWW alumni only.  In week one, writers will critique 7000 words from their fellow writers’ manuscripts. Exercises and readings will be assigned prior to arrival. Week two will be generative, a mini-retreat if you will, with writers developing new material, and reading back at least 1500 words in session. The cohort will meet virtually to discuss progress, and strategies to completing confident first drafts.

Sergio Troncoso

Our Work-in-Progress Intensive Workshop will focus on a detailed review of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts that are part of book-length work, including novel and memoir chapters, short stories and essays, and other fictional and nonfictional narratives. Writers will receive practical critiques to create tailored strategies for rewriting and restructuring their work. The class will work collaboratively on exercises to sharpen writing skills as well to create new work. We will examine what makes a great sentence and paragraph, and consider narrative voice, narrative suspense, and metaphor. As homework, we will also be reading accomplished writers to study their craft. Our goals? Dedicate ourselves to creating a community in the service of the writing craft, while all workshop members receive the individual time and focus necessary to take their writing to the next level.

Write Here, Write Now

Patricia ann mcnair.

Whether you are new to the writing workshop experience or are coming back to it after time away, the process-based activities in this course will help you identify and discover the stories you have to tell and to write. If you are eager to make new work or to reinvigorate on-going or left-behind projects, this workshop is for you. Drawing from memory, imagination, and observation, you will discover your unique material and a variety of ways of telling, structure, and form. And you will write! From autobiographical pieces to imagined new worlds, these explorations will feed the muse. Workshop members will receive an assignment to complete and email to instructor before the workshop begins. Time on campus will primarily be spent creating. You will write new pages and develop strategies to keep going. There will be NO critique of peers' work prior to arrival, although we will share new work for directed peer response. Open to all levels.

First Ten Pages: Fiction and Memoir

Latanya mcqueen.

The first five to ten pages of a novel or memoir often determine whether an agent, editor, or reader wants to see more of your work. Whether you are just beginning a project or revising the manuscript for the fifth time, chances are your first ten pages could still use revision and feedback at the sentence and content level. In addition to getting feedback on your own work, we will look at openings of published novels and memoirs, and discuss what makes those openings work. Both genres share many successful craft fundamentals. We will also spend time in class sessions discussing and applying revision strategies for the beginning of your work.

Personal Essay / Memoir

Mishka shubaly.

We understand fiction to be made-up and nonfiction to be true. But any linear narrative is a human construction, as life explodes constantly in all directions. Any first person narrative is a distorted, imperfect retelling from one limited perspective. To make it more confusing, Grace Paley's fiction and Lucia Berlin's autofiction overflow with truth while Mary Karr's and Harry Crews' memoirs seem too wild or too evocative to be true. Where's the line? How much can we get away with? How can anyone tell “true” stories? This workshop will locate the emotional heart of your narrative, then identify and amplify the truth that spills from it. We’ll be aided in our quest by readings across genre, songs, jokes, and other real-life texts.

Short Stories / Novel Excerpts

Louis bayard.

I sometimes liken the writer’s workshop process to poking your head under the hood of the car (something I would be helpless at doing in the real world) and getting the engine to run. The engine in this analogy is the story, and the mission is to make the story hum and sing. That's my way of saying I'm not an academic or a theorist, but I'm ready to roll up my sleeves if you are.

Christina Chiu

Every writer knows a story needs a beginning, middle, and end—what we refer to as the ARC of the narrative. But what does that mean when it comes to your particular story and how do you build that arc? We will discuss character and how to use different elements of fiction (dialogue, point of view, setting, etc) to construct scenes that build upon each other, propel the narrative forward, and finally land at what feels like an inevitable and resonant ending. In this online class, you will share chapters or stories in progress to be critiqued in workshop. You will also hone your intuition and learn to trust your writer-editor self in the revision process.

Ethan Rutherford

“The two things I want are interesting language and genuine feeling.” Amy HempelIn

This workshop, open to all forms of fiction, our questions will be: what makes this piece successful?  What makes it interesting / compelling / unique?  What choices is the author making, and to what effect?  We’ll focus on style and structure, look closely at the way language is mobilized, how characters are created, how voice is deployed. Generative writing exercises and revision strategies will be incorporated in every session. The point here is to not only get you writing, but to help you become a better, more thoughtful reader of your own work.

Emily Barton

This generative course will help you jumpstart your writing through a series of low-stakes and playful writing exercises. These encourage your imagination, fine-tune your observational skills, give you puzzles to solve through writing, and offer opportunities to try new forms. The goal is to help you stretch your voice and the ways you tell stories, as well as to offer possibilities for inspiration and exploration. We will not submit and read work in advance, or give or receive critique. Instead, we’ll focuses on writing together, building a creative community, and sharing the results of exercises. Participants will become adept at asking each other the kinds of “Yes! And . . .” questions that can help a creative project get rolling. This class is equally suitable for beginning and experienced writers, and for those working in fiction, nonfiction, and hybrid forms.  

Courses & Programs

• Courses at Yale
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• About the Yale Writers' Workshop
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Best Writers Workshops of 2024

If you’re making 2024 your biggest writing year ever, you’re probably thinking about workshops and conferences. Though the terms “writers conference” and “writers workshop” are often used interchangeably, they mean slightly different things. 

What’s a Writers Workshop?

In the writing world, a “workshop” is a class style where a few students read each other’s work and offer critiques or feedback on the work. The individual classes are, by definition, small and discussion-based, and take place over many days. In the United States, hundreds of workshops take place in many locations, ranging from intimate getaways to MFA programs and more.

I’m focused not on MFAs, or conferences here, but what are often called “summer workshops” because they often take place in the summer. These are by application, and they usually happen over a week or so. In addition to daily classes, you’ll find readings, lectures, panels, and other activities to occupy your days. 

Again, these summer workshops are available by application only—you must apply to attend, and some are quite competitive, accepting only a small percentage of applicants. 

What’s a Writers Conference?

On the other hand, getting into a generic writer’s conference isn’t difficult and doesn’t involve submitting an application with a sample of your writing, or an artist’s statement—you merely pay the price of admission and go. Conferences feature panels and readings and lectures, things you’ll also find at a workshop, but there is no peer review, no “workshop.” 

If you need help deciding which writing workshop, conference, or writing retreat might be right for you, developing an artist statement, or determining whether your writing is of the caliber necessary to get in—I can help. Reach out for a one-hour, short-term coaching session. 

The Best 2024 Writing Workshops

The following is a list of workshops (note, even though some of these are called “conferences,” don’t be confused: they are workshops): 

Bread Loaf Writers Conference   Location : Ripton, Vermont Date : August 14-24, 2024 Cost : $4,105 (includes tuition, $2,700; room and board, $1,405)   Application fee : $20 Apply here

The very first and most coveted of the conferences—and also one of the most expensive, and probably the most competitive. Last I heard, the acceptance rate was about 15%. At this 10-day conference, top-tier faculty members offer five two-hour writing workshops in fiction, nonfiction and poetry.

Various scholarships and financial aid are still offered for published and unpublished writers, based on talent, not need. You’ll meet many talented and accomplished emerging writers and phenomenal editors and agents. I attended Bread Loaf twice: once as a “waiter” (a type of scholarship that has been eliminated ), and once as a “fellow” (someone who has published one or two books, and assists the faculty member, but is not a student).

Sewanee Writers’ Conference Location : Sewanee, Tennessee Dates : July 18-30, 2023 Cost : $2000 Application fee : $0 Apply here  

Venerable Southern workshop, living still on an old donation by Tennessee Williams. Similar vibe to Bread Loaf, but maybe with a few fewer publishing luminaries. It’s maybe a bit less “intense” than Bread Loaf. Applicants include those in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and playwriting. Scholarships and fellowships can reduce or even eliminate the cost of attendance, but all accepted writers qualify for a discount bringing the price down by two-thirds. 

Clarion West: Summer Six-Week Workshop Location : Seattle area, Washington  Date : July 8 – 15, 2024 Cost : $3,200 for virtual workshop Application fee : $35  Apply here , opens in December 2023.

Workshops and classes are facilitated by speculative fiction pros for this six-week workshop—and one of those pros in 2024 will be Carmen María Machado. Give and receive manuscript and story critiques, discuss writing approaches, and participate in conferences.

The experience offers readings and social opportunities with local authors and Clarion West alumni, along with recreational breaks around the Seattle area. Only 18 emerging writers are selected—published and unpublished writers who aren’t yet professionals. 

New York State Summer Writers Institute Location : Saratoga Springs, New York Date : June 23 – July 20, 2024 Cost (2023): $3,800 for four weeks; housing is around another $1000. Shorter stays cost less. Application fee :  $60  Apply here

Small-group creative writing workshops in poetry, fiction and non-fiction, evening readings, and more. This program is among the longest (up to 4 weeks). Undergraduate credit option available for higher tuition, and the program is designed specifically for college-age adults, with 50% of attendees drawn from undergraduate and graduate schools.  

Community of Writers Conference

Location : Olympic Valley, California  Date: July 2023 Cost: Tuition is $1650, which includes five evening meals but doesn’t include housing. Condos can range from around $575 to $1200 or more.  Application fee: $35 Apply here

Formerly known as the Squaw Valley Writers’ Workshop, this conference provides workshops for 110 accepted attendees in fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir. Daily morning workshops are led by staff writer-teachers, agents, and editors. Then, attendees learn from craft lectures and staff readings, editing and publishing panel discussions, and short brief individual conferences.

Kenyon Review Writers Workshops Location : Gambier, Ohio Dates: ( note, they have two summer sessions) June 9-15, 2024 and July 7–13, 2024 Cost: $2,395 for tuition, housing in a dorm room single, and daily breakfast and dinner. Application fee : $0 Apply here

These week-long, residential writing workshops in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry feature acclaimed faculty in Gambier, Ohio. Unlike other writing workshops, the Kenyon Review Writing Workshops are generative and focused on giving writers time and space to produce new work. Since 1995, these workshops have provided thousands of writers with a nurturing space to take creative risks and push their writing to the next level.

Napa Valley Writers’ Conference   Location : Napa, California Dates: (STILL NOT ANNOUNCED) Cost : (STILL NOT ANNOUNCED) Application fee : (STILL NOT ANNOUNCED) Apply here

Offers fiction and poetry workshops, and a unique angle—translation workshops in poetry. Very nice, apparently. Financial assistance and writers’ grants are available. 

Tin House Summer Workshop Location: Portland, Oregon Date : July 14-21, 2024 Cost : $1,500 Application fee : $0 Apply here

Shorter, and more “edgy” than Bread Loaf or Sewanee, but still competitive, Tin House Summer Workshop features younger faculty, for the most part. Less focused on publishing than others, Tin House stands out for a very diverse and often youthful faculty.  Tin House now offers a winter online workshop and various other offerings, including residencies. I attended Tin House Summer Workshop three times; once as a student and twice as a special guest. 

VONA: Voices of our Nation Winter 2023 Intensive Location: Online  Dates : Not Available Yet Cost: Not Available Yet Application fee: Not Available Yet Register here  

VONA offers extended weekend and week-long workshops committed to facilitating spaces where writers of color are heard, amplified, and connected. Excellent instructors and facilitators. Watch for announcements for VONA’s summer 2023 workshops.

Tips for Applying to a Writers Workshop:  

You usually need to be at least 21 to apply to many workshops. 

Research the faculty and guests at workshops in advance of your application. Who will be attending from the world of publishing, and which writers will be teaching classes?

If the workshop requires an application, carefully review the expectations

Send only your very best work—you won’t get a second chance to apply or update your application 

If you can’t afford a workshop, conference, or retreat, investigate scholarships and financial aid, virtual-only attendance or recordings, which may also be offered 

If there are pitch sessions with agents and editors, look into those agents and editors closely. Remember, not all agents are the same, to figure out more read my list of agent red flags.

Get Your "Modern Love" Published—Or Improve Its Chances

10 best personal essay competitions of 2024.

creative writing workshops & community

Summer at The Writers Circle

Summer creative writing intensive for teens who love to write wordsmash mini-camps for rising 3rd-7th graders.

plus plenty of adult classes, too!

Summer Creative Writing Intensives

The 2024 summer creative writing intensives were amazing.

Our 2024 Intensives were the best yet! Check out our photo recap for a peek into the fun and creativity we shared this summer.

Our premiere program for teens who LOVE to write will be held at Drew University next summer.  We had another fantastic season full of inspiring new workshops, returning favorites, and all the wild Wednesday Literary Adventures that make this program the highlight of The Writers Circle’s year.

Summer 2025 registration will open in late 2024. Here are the tentative dates, with more details to come:

July 14-18 ~ July 21-25 ~ July 28-August 1

Writing Daily, 9:00 AM-3:30 PM ~ Join us for one, two or all three weeks ~

Join our contact list to be the first to hear when registration opens and to take advantage of Early Bird Pricing .

If your Teen loves to write, The Writers Circle is the perfect place to hone their craft in a generous, creative environment.

We are thrilled to be back on campus at drew university  .

For teens who love to write, The Writers Circle’s Summer Creative Writing Intensive is the perfect place to hone their craft. Students will develop their voices and writing ideas in a generous, creative environment with professional authors as instructors. Each week they’ll choose from two different genres to study, always including Elements of Fiction and Poetry, among others. They’ll focus on their own writing projects as well as new work inspired by creative exercises and prompts. They’ll receive supportive, constructive feedback from instructors and peers. Literary inter-activities and adventures, and a reading on Friday will round out the week. They’ll also have the chance to submit their work for publication in The Writers Circle’s online journal.

See the fun and creativity of past summers in our Summer Intensive Photo Recaps:

2024 Recap | 2023 Recap | 2022 Recap | 2021 Recap | 2020 Recap | 2019 Recap | 2018 Recap | 2017 Recap | 2016 Recap

Every summer, students:

• work with professional authors to develop their voices and writing ideas
• choose two different genres to focus on each week
• work on their own writing projects and get personal editorial feedback
• get supportive, constructive writing critique from instructors and peers
• submit and publish work in The Writers Circle’s  online journal
• spend time examining the writing of peers and masters

Plus they meet and work with like-minded young writers who share their passion!

A writer’s day at TWC’s Summer Intensive:*

• 9:00-9:20 Writing Warm-ups (Physical, literary and creative)
• 9:20-11:00 – Genre #1 workshop with a published author
• 11:00-12:30 – Genre #2 workshop with a published author
• 12:30-1:30 – Brown bag lunch and time to move and socialize
• 1:30-2:30 – Free writing and editorial conferences with TWC Directors and Instructors
• 2:30-3:30 – Group critique and literary activities, plus a Friday Reading for family and friends
• 3:30 – Pack-up and Pick-up

The program is capped by a student reading each Friday afternoon .

*Schedule based on in-person attendance. Subject to change.

 wordsmash, creative writing mini-camps for rising 3rd-7th graders ~ in-person in new jersey and virtual options for kids farther away ~, summer 2025 registration will open in january.

Our two-hour per afternoon, week-long program is chock-full of writing games, wacky prompts, and time to sink into a favorite book just to read! Seasoned writers will be challenged by story starters unlike anything they’ve seen in school. Reluctant writers will find TWC’s interactive games and prompts an irresistible invitation to start creating. Our collaborative, energetic environment will lay the foundation for kids to let loose and let the words flow. Let WordSMASH ! keep writing and reading alive for your kids this summer!

(Grouped for “rising” 3rd-5th graders and 6th-7th graders. Register for the group based on the grade your student will be in starting in September.)

PRAISE FOR OUR IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL SESSIONS:

• “WordSMASH and TWC are the best places for those who love writing! My boys had fun in class. They looked forward to going to classes every day.”
• “ My first grader looked forward to the class everyday. Even after the session, he continues to write and asks us to give him writing prompts like his teacher did. “
• “ Every day he was laughing and learning! “
• “My daughter smiled logging in and was excited to share what she did when logging out!”
• “Thank you for providing a nurturing and creative environment for my son to thrive in.”
• “My daughter was very excited about the writing she did in the class and has been motivated to continue working on it. “
• “The games and activities inspired our daughter to write, be creative and be proud of her work.”
• “She wasn’t very excited about the class in the beginning but things improved as she gained confidence by writing better.”
• “She was sad when the class ended. She wanted it to go on for the whole summer!”
• “She was excited each day over what she was working on, what was coming up next, etc. She also learned a lot!”
• “My children enjoyed all the classes and were asking for more sessions. My son is now motivated to write more.”

| TWC’s Freedom of Expression Policy |

Read Their Words

The writers circle journal, what they thought about the summer intensives:, we’ll be back next summer, see you in 2025, twc new jersey locations & online classes, too, find out more:.

The Writers Circle reserves the right to shift any in-person or hybrid program to virtual instruction based on the health and safety recommendations of the CDC, WHO, the State of New Jersey, or other authorities or involved parties.

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On-Campus Summer Programs

Being a reader, becoming a writer.

• Language Arts

If you love to read, write, and talk about books, this is the course for you. In this course, we'll form a literary community and develop our vocabulary, close-reading, and critical thinking skills through workshops, where we read short stories or novels, respond to them in our journals, and discuss as a class. Then we’ll learn and practice what professional writers do: decide on topics, gather material, talk about creative choices with peers, and draft, workshop, and revise works of creative fiction. Daily lessons and one-on-one conferences with the instructor will help students learn the art of sentence construction, use of imagery, and more. Cooperative learning and constructive criticism are key elements of the course, and detailed responses from your instructor and peers will play an essential role in your growth as a reader and writer.

Typical Class Size: 12

Learning Objectives:

• Read, analyze, and discuss works of fiction and nonfiction including essays, novels, short stories, and more
• Practice writing reflectively, analytically, and creatively through personal narratives, poetry, original short stories, or in your own writer’s journal
• Utilize the tools introduced and skills learned in the course to compose 3-4 works of creative fiction
• Engage in the writing workshop process, editing and revising work based on feedback from your instructor, program assistant, and peers

This course is

Summer Dates & Locations

After May 31, 2024 , registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.

Session One

Session Two

Testing and prerequisites.

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Cost and Financial Aid

Application fee.

• Nonrefundable Application Fee - $50 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
• Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

Financial Aid

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for 2024 On-Campus Programs. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible.

Course Materials

Students should bring basic school supplies like pens, notebooks, and folders to their summer program. You will be notified of any additional items needed before the course begins. All other materials will be provided by CTY.  

Sample Reading

These titles have been featured in past sessions of the course, and may be included this summer. CTY provides students with all texts; no purchase is required.

• America Street: A Multicultural Anthology of Stories , by Anne Mazer
• Esperanza Rising , by Pam Muñoz Ryan
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor

About Language Arts at CTY

Explore storytelling.

Want to have fun reading popular stories and writing your own tales of adventure? Pen your hero's journey and explore a diverse range of books in Behind the Mask: Superheroes Revealed , or have fun shaping your prose and experimenting with different formats and styles in Fiction and Poetry .

Find your voice

Take your writing to the next level! In Writing and Imagination , you can build your vocabulary and gain the tools to write your own creative fiction. You'll learn to craft compelling narratives about your own experiences in Crafting the Essay , and have fun learning new literary devices and figurative language in Writing Your World .

Meet our instructors and staff

CTY students have a contagious energy combined with a thirst for knowledge that I look forward to each summer. They remind me of why I became a teacher.

Antonia Richards

Chemistry Instructor

Being in a fast-paced environment where I can be my dorky self and teach and learn from the students I work with, are a couple of reasons why I am drawn to CTY and keep coming back.

Angel Huerta

Resident Assistant

There is nothing better than seeing that 'eureka' moment and the extension of that moment as students exuberantly share their thoughts.

Dan Sievers

Math Instructor

• Get Our News

Summer Writing Workshops

The 2024 summer writing workshops in poetry, fiction, memoir, and narrative nonfiction.

For over 50 summers, the Community of Writers has brought together poets and prose writers for two separate weeks of summer writing workshops, individual conferences, lectures, panels, readings, and discussions of the craft and the business of writing. Our aim is to assist writers to improve their craft and thus move them closer to achieving their goals.

POETRY PROGRAM

The Poetry Workshop is founded on the belief that when poets gather in a community to write new poems, each poet may well break through old habits and write something stronger and truer than before. The idea is to try to expand the boundaries of what one can write. In the mornings we meet to read to each other the work of the previous twenty-four hours, and in the late afternoons we gather for a conversation about some aspect of craft.

More Poetry Program Details

Writers workshops.

The Writers Workshops offer a week of formal and informal workshops, seminars, panel discussions, craft talks, and staff readings. Each participant is provided several opportunities to have his or her work critiqued by the writer-teachers, editors and agents of the staff in regular morning workshops, open workshops, and a one-on-one conference.

Writers Workshops Details

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Department of English

M.f.a. creative writing.

English Department

Physical Address: 200 Brink Hall

Mailing Address: English Department University of Idaho 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1102 Moscow, Idaho 83844-1102

Phone: 208-885-6156

Email: [email protected]

Web: English

About the M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Career information is not specific to degree level. Some career options may require an advanced degree.

Current Job Openings and Salary Range

in ID, WA, OR, MT and HI

Entry-Level

Senior-Level

• Career Options
• Advertising and Promotions Manager
• English Language and Literature Teacher, Postsecondary
• Public Relations Specialist
• Technical Writer
• Writer or Author
• Poet, Lyricist or Creative Writer

Regional Employment Trends

Employment trends and projected job growth in ID, WA, OR, MT & HI

*Job data is collected from national, state and private sources. For more information, visit EMSI's data sources page .

• Degree Prep

Our students arrive as accomplished writers and readers, and while many have not yet published their stories, poems and essays, most will do so during their time in the program. An undergraduate English degree is not mandatory — our students come from diverse cultural, geographical, and artistic backgrounds, and at different times in their professional and personal lives. If you’re ready to write, apply now .

• Degree Roadmap

Ours is a three-year program, over the course of which each student works toward assembling a manuscript of publishable quality. In addition to regular workshops in a student's given genre, our program requires 18 credits of literature courses and traditions seminars be completed during the program. Some recent offerings:

• Genre-Crossing
• Women and Poetry
• Geographies of Nonfiction
• The Raptures of Research in Fiction Writing
• Traditions of Lifewriting
• Independence and Inquiry: A Nonfiction Techniques Studio
• Scholarships

The College of Letters, Arts and Social Sciences provides annual scholarship awards totaling approximately $1,600,000. For information on specific scholarships, please email  [email protected] .

You can find general need- and merit-based scholarships on the Financial Aid Office's scholarships page.

Teaching Assistantships carry value up to $26,000; other departmental scholarships can supplement this by $2,000 or more annually. 

To learn more about FAFSA deadlines and processes, available scholarships, and financial aid program types and eligibility requirements, please visit the University of Idaho  Financial Aid Office .

• Hands-On Learning

Teaching assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. The program also offers fellowships for summer workshops and writing retreats.

• Job Openings and Salary Range
• Employment Trends

Mastering the Art of Creativity

Polish your craft and develop your voice as a professional writer in a program that features intensive theoretical and practical training across genres. Enjoy a supportive learning environment with an award-winning faculty and benefit from opportunities to be published and mentored through the Distinguished Visiting Writers Program.

• Our M.F.A. program is three years. We offer full and equitable funding for all students through Teaching Assistantships and tuition waivers.
• We admit two to four students per genre each year (nine students per cohort, on average). Our program is small by design, ensuring that community and mentorship are central to the experience of our degree candidates.
• All admitted students gain real-world skills through classroom teaching.
• We offer flexible degree paths in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction, and encourage cross- and multi-genre study or single-genre study, depending on a student’s artist goals.
• Our faculty value student-centered classroom spaces where mentoring, community, and reciprocity are tightly held values. All classes are taught by working writers who have a passion for teaching.
• The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series brings field-leading authors to campus to read from their work, interface with students and the community, and lead MFA seminars.
• Fellowship opportunities include participating in Writing in the Wild at Taylor Ranch in the Frank Church Wilderness Area; University Fellowships at the Centrum Writers Conference; the Hemingway Fellowship for fiction writers; and the Academy of American Poets University Prize.
• Students have the opportunity to serve as editors for our esteemed national literary journal Fugue.
• Over the past three decades, our distinguished alumni have published over 100 books with our country’s finest trade, independent, and university presses. Students and alumni are the lifeblood of our storied MFA program.

Meet Our Faculty

M.F.A. English Faculty

Meet Our Students

M.F.A English Students