In this month-to-month mentorship with Chloe Caldwell, writers will receive edits, advice, and encouragement on their nonfiction pieces or projects. 

Mentees can choose the official start date with Chloe. From there, mentees will receive:
Two 30 min. phone calls with Chloe
Line edits and editor letter on 10 pages of your work
Monday email check-in personally tailored to you with writing exercises and readings (Note: check-ins with exercises can be tailored to each student and your schedule)

One Month Mentorship: Edits, Advice, + Encouragement

The most helpful thing that can happen to your text, aside from being written to completion, is having a pair of careful, sharp, and critical eyes look at it. 

With this mentorship, you will be able to have your texts and ideas evaluated by author and educator Katya Kazbek, who uses her experience teaching at Columbia University's MFA program and working in various publishing outposts (New Directions publishing house, Union Literary agency and A Public Space magazine) to deliver holistic and detailed feedback. Katya will be using her 7 Elements of Storytelling technique to evaluate the texts, and will make sure that your intentions for the story and the way it functions are in accord. She will also happily assist in all sorts of literary quests from better conceptualizing the project to making hard editorial decisions. 

Make Your Writing Work: One Month Mentorship 

In this month to month mentorship with Joanna Cantor, writers will receive edits, inspiration and accountability on their fiction piece or project. 

Mentee receives:
-Two 30-minute phone calls or Zooms with Joanna
-Written feedback on up to 20 pages of fiction
-Weekly check-in email with writing prompts and recommended readings (this will be completely tailed to the individual mentee). 

One Month Mentorship: Edits, Inspiration & Accountability 

Work one-on-one with Amy, award-winning author and essayist, on getting that personal essay as good as you can get it. Have you written a book in another genre, and now your agent or editor wants you to have a perfect essay to place? Or maybe you've just always wanted to write an essay but have never gotten past the notes stage. We'll go from rough draft to finished essay, and we'll probably even have fun doing it. 

Mentee receives:
- Two 1-hour phone calls or Zooms with Amy
- Two rounds of notes on your essay draft (up to 6000 words)
- Weekly email check-in with writing exercises and readings 

One Essay, One Month Mentorship

"Writing is a relationship," Sheila Heti wrote in MOTHERHOOD. And like all relationships, sometimes this one can feel very, very lonely. 

The real work of writing is about being and being with. In a true creative practice, all of your life counts, both the time spent with the page and the time spent washing dishes, staring out the window, or waiting in line at the post office. What benefits the work and the writer? This is the writing practice we’re here to create, nurture, and sustain.
With the approach that the writing itself can and should be a joy, we’ll tend to both your writing practice and the project at hand to help each come alive. Together we create a generative space with plenty of room for possibility. We fortify not only your work but your relationship with your work, and that’s what makes all the difference. 

One Month Mentorship: Writing Is a Relationship

All writing is care work, and all writers need someone to care for them. 

In this one-month mentorship, mentees will feel nurtured and supported as they recover their creativity or dive deeper into their practice, get feedback on their writing or advice on fledgling ideas, and finish an essay or make progress on a book.
Scheduling will be decided by Amanda and the mentee, according to the mentee's goals and personal schedule.
Each month of mentoring will include:
-20-minute introductory meeting on Zoom to outline the mentee's goals and how we will work together
-30-minute coaching meeting on Zoom either on the mentee's writing life or on a specific essay or memoir project
-Two more 30-minute meetings of coaching spread over two weeks OR one hour-long session discussing developmental edits on up to 10 pages of writing
-Weekly assignments and reading suggestions tailored to the student's goals
-Final email with publication/pitching/writing life suggestions

For writers working on book-length projects, a two-month minimum mentorship is suggested.

Care for Writers: One Month Mentorship

In this 3 hour workshop, we will experiment with new techniques to explore sex and motherhood in our own writing.

Sexuality and maternity are subjects most of us have been taught to keep separate. In this class, we will assume that these two embodied, heightened states of being—sex and caregiving—do indeed share borders and inform one another, even though writing about sex and motherhood together may feel dangerous. 

In this workshop, we’ll read short excerpts across genre and discuss what we learn from these texts about craft, ideology, identity, and form. We will then write alongside one another, responding to a number of prompts inspired by the readings. 


Prompts will be inspired by fiction, nonfiction, poetry, theory, and visual work by artists and writers such as Maggie Nelson, Melissa Febos, Adrienne Rich, Audre Lorde, and others.

There will be time for a brief Q&A at the end of the workshop. 

Exploring Sexuality & Motherhood in Writing

In this weekly workshop, we will convene to write, read, and revise our poetry. 

This month-long program is designed to get poets thinking critically about each other's work in a judgment-free environment. Engage with other poets in the practice of prosody, polishing your poems until they are ready for publication (woah, alliteration!). 

For each session, expect to read and critique poems written by everyone in attendance; expect to push the limits of your creativity while honing your abilities as a professional. At the end of the month, participants will have a small portfolio of poems ready for submission and new friends to keep in touch with.

In addition to feedback from peers, participants will be expected to read various essays/poems before each weekly get-together.

Samuel Louis Spencer

McKinley Dirks

The Poetry Lab: Crafting and Critiquing in Community

A good copyedit is more than just a spell-check—it’s sensitive to author voice and intent and makes the text more accessible for the reader.


In this class, you’ll learn the basics of good copyediting and implement those basics over a number of sample texts. We’ll start with becoming familiar with The Chicago Manual Style and Merriam Webster, then move on to the different things copy editors should always be looking for when approaching a text.

 Editing for Style: A Hands-On Lesson in Copyediting

Join us for a free virtual workshop with humor writer and editor of Slackjaw, Alex Baia! 

Many people dream of writing and publishing funny stuff. Is that you? Good, because this workshop will get you writing humor FAST! 
Whether you're new to writing humor or you have been dabbling at it for a while, this workshop is for you. We'll start by going through a time-tested process for writing a short humor piece. Then, a few of you who are brave can pitch some piece ideas live during the workshop. We'll end with some time for questions. 
By the time this workshop is over, you'll have a game plan to write a funny piece in a single weekend and the unstoppable motivation to make it happen.


You Can Be Funny Now: How To Start Writing Humor 

Dreaming of turning your novel, memoir, or short story into a TV show? Want a TV writing sample that shows a mastery of character, structure, story engines, and more? 

This workshop, taught by a WGA Award-nominated writer from "The Morning Show" introduces you to all the tools you need for a strong adaptation. 

Intellectual property is King in Hollywood these days. Everybody wants a source.

In this workshop, you will learn all the tools you need to do exactly that. Where in the story should your pilot start? What will make this a TV show and not a feature, and which is best for your idea? How do you master TV structure and where does it differentiate from novel structure? Does your character work for TV, or do you need to externalize them more? How should you balance multiple timelines?

This workshop, taught by a WGA Award-nominated TV writer and experienced teacher, is a lecture-style presentation, followed by a Q&A. Come prepared to learn a LOT and very fast. 

Adapt Your Book, Short Story or Personal Essay Into A TV Show

Join us for a day of writing during our monthly virtual retreat! You will have the opportunity to write alongside other writers in real time and learn from authors in the industry. This will be a time of encouragement and a chance to make real progress!  

Whether you’re just thinking about an idea, just starting a project or are deep into revisions, this is for you. 

This retreat also includes an hour-long craft chat and Q&A with Amanda Montei, who will discuss how she blends personal writing with research, culture writing, and other nonfiction. She will also talk about the state of memoir and the essay today, and how to embrace the limits of our own subjective experiences in nonfiction.

Wherever you are in your process, we welcome you with open arms. You don’t have to write alone. Your art matters. Time to deepen your love for your own work and set it into motion. 

Let’s write together.

Amanda Montei 

Kailey Brennan DelloRusso

 Tamar Mekredijian

The Write Together Retreat featuring Amanda Montei 

A podcast can help build your writer platform, network with authors you admire, showcase your work, and/or develop your IP. So what are you waiting for?!

Starting a podcast can be a daunting task, but this five-week class will save you time, money, headaches, and answer all your burning questions. 
Award-winning audio producer, writer, and podcaster Courtney Kocak is going to help you refine your concept and get started from recording to editing. If you have an existing podcast, but you're struggling to gain traction, this course will help you take it to the next level. Doing all the homework will be the perfect kickstart to your podcast. 
You'll leave with a trailer, marketing/launch plan, some potential collaborators, and more.

 How to Start and Grow Your Podcast for Writers

What makes people laugh? How many ways can you tell a joke and still glean something interesting from the premise? 

This workshop is a fresh look at everything you need to know about unpacking - and subsequently repackaging - the way comedy sits inside of fiction and non-fiction. 

In this generative two-hour workshop, we'll specifically take a look at repetition, self-deprecating humor, copycatting, absurdism, and a slew of other techniques and processes that help us understand why the hell something is funny. 

Attendees will spend time in this session discussing the craft of humor in narrative works, essays, and pop culture/media. 
This will be a collaborative process; one that allows us to consider (and reconsider) how authors work comedic effect into their creative work. 

You will generate work in-session and take home prompts when the workshop is complete.

A Writer Walks Into a Bar: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing Humor 

Calling all teacher’s pets!!!  If you’re a creative that edits while you write, find it hard to know when a piece is “finished,” or dread working on the sloppy first draft — this workshop is for you!  

So many creatives are desperate to write freely but feel shackled by their own perfectionism. 

In this 2 hour workshop, we’ll work on quieting the perfectionistic voice, use prompts to help us crack open our writing to its messiest potential, and commiserate with a community of former Good Students ready to become rebels.

Write Messy: Bucking Perfectionism

Ever wanted an excuse to fuse your love of Britney, Whitney and Mariah into your creative writing? Here’s your chance.

Using the lyrics, lives, and lovers of beloved popstars, we’ll write using inspiration from singers like Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera and more. This class is designed to be fun, boost creativity, and generate pages. All genres and levels are welcome. 
Whether you're writing-curious or a published author, in this live 2-hour workshop, you'll walk away with the start to a piece or two. Optional chance to share an excerpt or line of your fresh work. Let's liven up your creativity with somebody who loves you.

Popstar Prompts!

Join Courtney Kocak's coaching program this summer, where you will learn to elevate your unique writing platform and build your author brand! 

This program offers four live sessions filled with expert instruction and personalized guidance to help you achieve your platform goals. Whether you're aiming to gain your first 100 followers or aiming for a substantial growth to 10K, this coaching is designed for writers at all levels.

During the sessions, you'll receive comprehensive goal-setting guidance and have the opportunity to ask questions. In between sessions, you'll be equipped with a practical checklist to keep you on track and focused on progressing your unique goals. 

Whether your goal is to get your first 100 followers or grow to 10K, this program is inclusive of newbies and also great for more established folks who need to jumpstart their growth and content creation process. 


Summer Writer's Platform Coaching

As an author, trying to understand the publishing industry can sometimes feel like looking down the mouth of a beast. What is it like at a publishing house? How does a book get acquired? What does my editor do? 

This class will offer you a brief overview through the ins and outs of the industry and help you better understand the process of publishing.   
Students will gain a better understanding of the overarching processes and steps (from acquisition to publication) involved with publishing as seen through the lens of an editor at a traditional publishing house. While there are small differences and quirks between indie and larger houses (and between different houses and imprints), the general publishing process remains the same. 
Students will also have a chance to see the breakdown of the role of an editor and how that factors into their experience (i.e. generally what they will have control over, how they fit into the publishing process, etc.). 

 Into the Belly of the Beast: An Overview of Traditional Publishing

Erasures, blackouts, centos, & more offer us opportunities to change the archive, add to the archive, and alter the archive. What's been left out or mis-represented? What still needs to be heard and seen? 

In this course, we will look at examples of how different writers have troubled the archive, from the Ferguson Report to ideas about illness to perceptions of the Deaf (& more!). We will learn several different techniques for working with the archive in our own work, and have some writing time together. 

Speaking Up & Talking Back: Troubling the Archive


Join us for a day of writing during our monthly virtual retreat! You will have the opportunity to write alongside other writers in real time and learn from authors in the industry. This will be a time of encouragement and a chance to make real progress!  

Whether you’re just thinking about an idea, just starting a project or are deep into revisions, this is for you. 

This retreat also includes an hour-long craft chat and Q&A with Lauren Kay who will answer the question: is traditional publishing with it? 
She will discuss the many pros and cons of traditional vs. self-publishing, including the details of her 6-figure 2-book deal, that required her to do a lot of her own social media marketing.  

Wherever you are in your process, we welcome you with open arms. You don’t have to write alone. Your art matters. Time to deepen your love for your own work and set it into motion. 

Let’s write together.

Lauren Kay

Kailey Brennan DelloRusso 

Tamar Mekredijian

The Write Together Retreat featuring Lauren Kay


Let your wounded characters heal and transform you as the writer in the process. The sacred process of story writing is an act of creation that facilitates radical healing. 

As your characters heal their wounds within the scaffolding of structure, you can learn to listen to their whisperings to better understand yourself and why. 

In this generative workshop experience, you will learn to understand narrative structure and how creating characters who have the capacity to change determines plot. Over the course of the workshop, I will introduce structure of short-form fiction through examples of literary works. We will engage in group-led analysis of structure through these example works of others. Then, a deep dive into narrative structure by way of the wounded character. You will learn the sacred process of structuring a story by writing wounded characters that can act as containers for our own traumas and pain. In learning how they transform, you will open new pathways to healing while allowing them to bear some weight of pain. 

Workshops

Exploring Sexuality & Motherhood in Writing

The Poetry Lab: Crafting and Critiquing in Community

Editing for Style: A Hands-On Lesson in Copyediting

You Can Be Funny Now: How To Start Writing Humor

Adapt Your Book, Short Story or Personal Essay Into A TV Show

How to Start and Grow Your Podcast for Writers

A Writer Walks Into a Bar: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing Humor

Write Messy: Bucking Perfectionism

Popstar Prompts!

Summer Writer's Platform Coaching

Into the Belly of the Beast: An Overview of Traditional Publishing

Speaking Up & Talking Back: Troubling the Archive

Fiction Writer's Workshop for Healing