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Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Cost: $25/session or $99 for a season pass!
Sessions:
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Join essayist and journalist Mark Wallace for a whirlwind tour through the history of the personal essay. We'll engage in a close reading of two knockout essays by two world-class writers (distributed before the beginning of class), we'll touch on essays and essayists from Michel de Montaigne to Joan Didion to Alexander Chee to Rachel Cusk and more, and we'll get into the nuts and bolts of drafting and polishing personal writing, so that you leave class newly energized and with a fresh set of tools for exploring personal stories, whether your own or those of the great writers of yesterday and today.
Sunday, April 28th | Those interested in screenwriting often begin with the same questions (and some misconceptions) about how and why screenwriting for film and television is different from other forms of writing. What’s different about writing with collaborators (such as directors and actors) in mind? What’s the relationship of the screenwriter to the audience? What, in practical terms, does it mean to “write in pictures”? We’ll tackle these topics and more through a fast-paced mix of lecture, group “table reads” of script excerpts, clips, discussion, and writing exercises in a fun and supportive atmosphere.
Some of the topics we’ll study and practice include:
This class is for writers of all levels and genres new to screenwriting or seeking a refresher and community. All are welcome. Students will receive suggested screenplays and links to useful resources for continued learning and career development.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Saturdays, May 4th - 18th | Stuck in the murky middle? Revise Your Book with Scrivener is a great jump start to get your book through its next revision. Perfect for novels, memoirs, and narrative nonfiction drafts that have stalled at their sticky places. Familiarity with Scrivener strongly suggested.
Class 1: Whatcha Got?
In this first class, we look at what's already on the page. I'll cover compilation formats and exporting to Word/Pages/Google Doc, etc. plus a review of composition mode and binder options. In our craft talk, we'll discuss how to determine what's already working in your ms and where to go from there.
Class 2: Revision Tools
Sometimes revision means cutting a new path and sometimes it means getting lost in the woods (and in your metaphors). How do you explore new possibilities and still keep track of the old ones? Strategies covered in this class include: bookmarks, snapshots, revision mode and a review of the Inspector.
Class 3: Hidden Gems
What happens when your revision needs more than a line edit? Not to worry! Scrivener to the rescue with an organizational overhaul. Think of it like California Closets for your novel. I’ll cover character templates, timeline hacks, labels, statuses, and keywords plus a review of the corkboard view and the outliner view.
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
Tuesdays, May 14th - June 11th | The gatekeepers of the film and television industries make up their minds about a script in its very first pages. Those pages must not only charm and surprise, they must convince the reader that they are the foundation for a deeply imagined world and the compelling characters within it.
Whether you’re new to screenwriting, have a script under way or are revising, this course will help you achieve a great screenplay’s key objectives in an open and supportive workshop atmosphere. Through weekly writing exercises, table reads and script analysis you’ll learn how to introduce compelling characters, set a distinct tone, establish the rules of your fictional world, and hook your audience. We’ll dissect and discuss the scripts for American Fiction and the pilot script for Beef, along with interviews with screenwriters and excerpts from The TV Writer’s Workbook and The Screenwriter’s Bible. Students will complete the course with the opening pages of a screenplay, a one-line summary, and a toolbox of exercises, materials and resources to help them complete a unique script.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
Join us for an evening of readings by The Writers Grotto Members. All are welcome.
Tuesday, May 21st |Are you looking for a way to share your work with the world but have no idea where to start? Does the thought of reading your work in front of strangers terrify you? Are you a self published author looking for ways to promote your book? This class gives an overview of how to plan your perfect author event. In this class we will cover: How to plan your author event
This class is for writers of all levels, including unpublished writers.
The price of this class includes:
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
June 4th, 11th, and 18th* |At the heart of poetry and science is a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. In this series of three 90-minute generative workshops, we will read and discuss poems about science, including medicine, ecology, and more. We will use this as inspiration for our own writing. Although our reading will consist of poems, prose writers are certainly welcome.
* Students are encouraged but not required to sign up for all three sessions. Students will have the option to purchase a discounted three-session bundle for $150 at checkout.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
SUNDAY, JUNE 9th | Check in on your 2024 writing goals and amp up your writing with this fun-filled rapid-fire writing prompt session.
In this class we’ll:
This class is for writers of all levels and all genres.
June 4th, 11th, and 18th* |At the heart of poetry and science is a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. In this series of three 90-minute generative workshops, we will read and discuss poems about science, including medicine, ecology, and more. We will use this as inspiration for our own writing. Although our reading will consist of poems, prose writers are certainly welcome.
* Students are encouraged but not required to sign up for all three sessions. Students will have the option to purchase a discounted three-session bundle for $150 at checkout.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Your first page makes all the difference; it grabs your reader's attention and can be the difference between a "yes" and a no" when it comes to agents and editors. More and more, with attention spans pulled in every direction, publishers are eager to see conflict and stakes from the beginning, yet so many writers fail to show this early enough in a story to hook readers.
In these one-hour sessions (with a max of four students), teachers will give feedback on up to 350 words. We ask that students submit their first page one week in advance of the session; each session's instructor contact details can be found in the confirmation email. Please note that your work will be shared with the other students in the session. We offer first page feedback sessions for novels, short stories, and personal essays. Space is limited, so we encourage you to sign up early to secure your spot.
Novel:
Short Story:
Personal Essay:
June 4th, 11th, and 18th* |At the heart of poetry and science is a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. In this series of three 90-minute generative workshops, we will read and discuss poems about science, including medicine, ecology, and more. We will use this as inspiration for our own writing. Although our reading will consist of poems, prose writers are certainly welcome.
* Students are encouraged but not required to sign up for all three sessions. Students will have the option to purchase a discounted three-session bundle for $150 at checkout.
Take some time for your writing this spring with a series of virtual write-ins hosted by the Grotto. Led by one the Grotto’s many talented and accomplished writers, each of the sessions below provides 60 minutes of space and guidance in which to get your creative energy flowing, generate new material, bring old material up to snuff, and just make contact with the community of writers that is the Grotto, our teachers, and our students.
Write-ins are held on a variety of days and times to give our students the opportunity to choose a write-in that works best for their schedule.
Join us for an evening of readings by The Writers Grotto Members. All are welcome.
This workshop is open to writers who are considering applications for—or wish to learn about—creative writing grants, fellowships, and residencies.This six-week workshop will cover:
• The best places to locate opportunities. You'll visit and conduct on several trustworthy websites offering the most lucrative funding.
• The dreaded Project Statement, Work Plan, or Goals and Objectives question. Finish the workshop with a revised draft.
• How to demonstrate a rising trajectory, remembering that most people who are awarded grants are on their way up, not already there.
• How to craft clear, concise personal or artist statements. Leave this class with a completed draft in hand!
• Why the marketing angle is so important.
• Creating an effective literary resume. You’ll have a new professionally formatted one at the end of class!
Open to writers of all genres. Students registering for this workshop should be seeking financial support for a period of two weeks to six months to focus on writing projects. This is a hands-on workshop: students must be computer savvy and bring their laptop or tablet to every class.
Join us for an evening of readings by The Writers Grotto Members. All are welcome.
Join us for an evening of readings by The Writers Grotto Members. All are welcome.
Join us for an evening of readings by The Writers Grotto Members. All are welcome.
Initial bespoke services consultation to determine the fee. Maw is a writing coach and editor for poets. Maw has many years of experience as an educator, author, and editor. She teaches in the MFA Program at the University of San Francisco and is the inaugural poet laureate of El Cerrito, CA. You can learn more about her at mawsheinwin.com.
Not available at this time Initial bespoke services consultation by email to determine the fee. Katia will draw on her expertise as an award-winning longform journalist to provide written feedback on magazine pitches. Katia has written for The New Yorker, Forbes, Mother Jones, Marie Claire, The Atavist Magazine and many other publications.
Unleash your writing potential with Jenny Bitner. As a trained hypnotherapist, coach, and writing teacher, she'll help you overcome fear and tap into your creativity. Experience a transformative hypnotic session to release barriers and claim your full potential as a writer. Take the first step today.
In this three-session package of Creativity Hypnosis, experienced hypnotherapist and writing coach Jenny Bitner will help you delve into the depths of your subconscious mind to awaken your imagination and overcome creative blocks. This can be customized to deal with whatever issues around writing you are experiencing. Start this journey today!
Got an idea for a children’s book? As the brilliant Madeleine L'Engle said, "You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grownups, then you write it for children.” In this 30-minute private Zoom consult, Lisa will give feedback on your idea to help you realize your vision and elevate your story to reach multiple audiences in today’s market. And if you don’t know what “multiple audiences” means in the kid-lit genre, that’s okay; she will tell you! Lisa’s YA crossover novel JUST LIKE BEAUTY was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and is in pre-production as a movie. She has decades of experience writing children’s books for major publishers and regularly teaches workshops to kids and adults who want to write for kids. In her free time, she enjoys petting rabbits and eating cake. Curious cats can find out more at www.lisalerner.com
Chapbooks consultation (16-40 pages in length).
Folios consultation, up to 7 pages in length, with no more than 5 poems.
Individual Poems up to 2 pages in length.
Full-length poetry collections (45-80 pages in length).
Initial bespoke services consultation to determine the fee. Laird Harrison will work with you one-on-one to improve your written communication. Laird has experience with both creative and business writing and can assist with all levels of writing.
Initial bespoke services consultation to determine the fee. Laird Harrison, author of the novel Fallen Lake, provides editing and consultation services on all aspects of novel writing.
We will build your fictional work in a collaborative process for as long as it takes to create a whole and satisfying story. Thaisa Frank, a Pushcart Fellow, has published a novel and three collection of short stories. Her original approach, developed through teaching, addresses fiction from all cultures.
Industry veteran writer-director-producer provides consulting for documentary and narrative film projects of any length and at any stage, from concept to pitch deck to rough cut to screenplay draft. Production services also available through Bay Area-based The Unscripted Company.
As an award-winning journalist, author, and consultant with decades of experience, I offer expert editorial consulting services at competitive rates. I write reports, policy briefs, articles, op-eds, blogs, and other materials for major national institutions and individual clients. As a veteran reporter, I also help writers develop and tell their stories for articles and book projects. First, we discuss your project and needs and how I can meet them, then I provide you with an estimate and we move forward with a simple straightforward contract. I look forward to talking with you, learning more about your project, and working together. Estimates are based on $100/hour fee. You can check out my work at www.christopherdcook.com.
Initial bespoke services consultation to determine the fee.
Are you struggling to finalize a piece of science writing, whether it's an academic manuscript, article, or marketing blog? Need editorial help to make sure your message is clear and concise without losing accuracy? Jenny can help you improve your scientific content, using her unique combination of scientific and creative expertise.
Jenny Qi has a PhD in Cancer Biology from UC San Francisco and over a decade of experience in science communication spanning a range of industries, including biopharma, tech, and journalism.
This listing is for a 20-minute consultation to determine the scope of the project.
Kate offers comprehensive developmental editing services tailored for both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. With a keen eye for storytelling and a deep understanding of narrative techniques, Kate collaborates closely with authors to elevate their work to its highest potential.
For fiction projects, Kate provide detailed feedback on plot structure, character development, pacing, dialogue, and overall narrative coherence. She helps authors refine their storytelling techniques, ensuring that their readers are fully engaged and immersed in the world they've created.
In the realm of nonfiction, Kate specializes in organizing ideas, clarifying arguments, and refining the overall structure of the manuscript. She offer guidance on crafting compelling introductions and conclusions, maintaining a consistent tone, and ensuring that the content is engaging and accessible to the intended audience.
As every manuscript is unique, she provide bespoke services tailored to the specific needs of each author and project. Fees are determined based on the complexity, length, and scope of the work. With a commitment to professionalism and a passion for bringing out the best in every manuscript, Kate strive to help authors achieve their writing goals and create works that resonate with readers.
Initial bespoke services consultation to determine the fee. Polish your prose with New York Times best-selling author Julia Scheeres.
Polish your writing with Carly Stern, an award-winning independent journalist. Carly offers one-on-one consultations on all forms of narrative non-fiction, with an emphasis on writing about the self. Her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, the Guardian US and The Washington Post.