Attention storytellers, writers, aspiring writers, and people who aspire to be aspiring writers: join us for four weeks this summer in a creative writing workshop where we’ll help each other crush writer’s block and write not one... not two... but three pieces of new work! In this workshop, you’ll take three of our top writing classes (each taught by an amazing instructor) and complete the classes’ three projects: two fiction and one creative nonfiction.

We know that oftentimes two of the most important things participants can get out of writing workshops are a) deadlines and b) feedback. That’s why, we’re really orienting this workshop around each class’s project and (gently) pushing you all to finish and post your writing as well as to give feedback to your peers (more on that below).

How It Works:

Click “Join” above to officially join the workshop.
Take a look at the workshop timeline below. You’ll be taking three classes and completing each class’s project. Following each project submission deadline, you’ll also be giving feedback to some of your peers. Your first project is due on July 23rd. Get started at any time!
Introduce yourself in the Discussions tab above to get to know your fellow workshop participants. The Skillshare team will also be actively posting reminders and feedback there.

Workshop Timeline

Week 1: Due Monday, July 23. Get started by watching Daniel Jose Older’s newest class: Creative Writing Essentials: Writing Stand Out Opening Scenes and post your first project, which is to craft an opening scene of a story.

Week 2: Due Monday, July 30. Watch Susan Orlean’s class Creative Nonfiction: Writing Truth with Style, and complete (and post) the project of writing a 1,000 word profile of someone you find mysterious. This week you’ll also be providing feedback to at least two of your classmates’ work from the previous week’s assignment (Daniel Jose Older’s “Opening Scene” assignment).

Week 3: Due Monday, August 6. Watch Yiyun Li’s class Writing Character-Driven Short Stories and complete (and post) the project of writing a 3-5 page story inspired by an online comment or review. This week you’ll also be providing feedback to at least two of your classmates’ work from the previous week’s assignment (Susan Orlean’s “Profile” assignment).

Week 4: Due Monday, Aug 13. Provide feedback to at least two of your classmates’ work from the previous week’s assignment (Yiyun Li’s “Short Story” Assignment) and bask in the glory of having completed three pieces of writing!

A note on feedback:

Giving feedback is a super important part of this workshop. By giving feedback to your fellow classmates, you’ll not only create an environment/ workshop where you can GET feedback, but you’ll also be forced to think critically about others’ writing and, in so doing, improve your own work.

In this workshop we just ask that for each project you complete and post, you give feedback to at least two of your classmates (karma points for more!). Also, we ask that you try and err towards giving feedback to folks who have not yet received any so that, in the end, everyone gets at least some feedback!

Yes, this is on the honor system (no one is coming to your house if you don’t give feedback), but we have the utmost faith in the amazing Skillshare community to live up this requirement.

Also, we don’t want to be too terribly prescriptive about how you give feedback, but we’ve generally found the following format to be both simple and helpful:

Start by simply stating what the piece is about and what happens in the piece. By you restating this, the author gets a good understanding of whether any parts of their writing were confusing or if what readers comprehended was different from what the writer intended.
Mention some aspects of the piece you liked. In my experience, all writing has at least some redeeming qualities.
Mention anything that the author might want to think about for future revisions.

Be honest. Be helpful. But be kind too. That’s it!

Some final thoughts:

Many of us live very busy lives. As such, writing three pieces of new writing in three weeks is no small task. That said, we encourage all of you to push through to complete and post your projects. Don’t worry about being perfect! Perfection is for people who don’t do anything! Sit down, write, revise and post. You’ll be glad you did.

We look forward to seeing the amazing work you all come up with!

Summer Creative Writing Workshop: Sit Down and Write!

Jul 16 - Aug 13

Summer Creative Writing Workshop: Sit Down and Write!

Jul 16 - Aug 13