Sometimes the beginning is the first thing you write. Sometimes it’s the last. How do you know if your beginning is doing its best work for you?

The most powerful characters on the page are complex and multi-layered, and they both surprise and convince readers with (and within!) their reality.

Pitching and writing short personal essays for commercial media means answering Why you? and Why now? right up front! 

Can you write a powerful, true story in less than 300 words? Learn how to write emotionally resonant, attention-grabbing micro memoirs.

Learn to write and revise a Hermit Crab essay from the teacher who coined the term, and have fun generating new and surprising work!

Feeling overwhelmed by the landscape of literary magazines? Join us in this fun and lively session for answers to your lit mag questions.

The questions, voices, places, and ideas that haunt you are a roadmap into the deepest layers of your writing.

There is no darkness without light. Find the light, and write it.

Great memoirs don’t just stop—they land. Learn how to craft conclusions that feel earned, emotionally true, and satisfying.

When what used to work no longer works, rather than turn away from your creative practice, turn inward with compassion.

Great memoirs begin with a single, unforgettable moment. In this session, we’ll explore how to write an opening that pulses through your story—anchoring tone, tension, and truth from the first lines.

If you’ve ever spent hours on tedious research or business tasks, struggled to come up with marketing plans or marketing copy, or felt intimidated by the rapidly evolving landscape around AI, this session is for you.