Books by Sackett Alumni
In Person Classes:
8,000+ creative writers since 2002 in NYC & ONLINE
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: Julia Fierro
Begins: January 20, 2026
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up TUES 6:30-9pm ET)
Fee: $950
A writing sample is required for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a sample of your writing.
Our Advanced Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers who have mastered the essentials and are looking for a community of peers ready to offer insightful, impartial feedback on works in progress. Whether you’re a writer looking to polish work for publication, looking for a fresh perspective, looking to climb the next hurdle, or simply missing the motivation and comradery only a small workshop can offer, our Fiction Workshop is designed to get you writing. Come geek out with your fellow lit nerds and walk away with a renewed sense of purpose.
Writers have two opportunities to share work with the class and receive detailed feedback and a class discussion dedicated to their writing. Class includes access to our online platform where weekly craft lessons, recommended readings and optional writing exercises are provided.
Writers should have both writing and writing class experience.
Includes in-line comments by the instructor and a private conference.



Julia Fierro is the author of the novels The Gypsy Moth Summer and Cutting Teeth. She is one half of Cassidy Lucas, pen name of writing duo Julia Fierro and Caeli Wolfson Widger. Santa Monica, their first book together, was published by Harper in October 2020. Their second novel, The Last Party, set in Topanga Canyon on the westside of Los Angeles, was published in April 2022.
A graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Julia founded The Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop in 2002, now a creative home to over 10,000 writers and named “New York City’s best writing class” by Time Out New York, the L Magazine, and Brooklyn Magazine; and a “Top Alternative to MFA programs” by Poets & Writers. Workshops are offered throughout NYC and online. Her work has been published in The New York Times, Poets & Writers, Buzzfeed, Glamour, Psychology Today, and other publications, and she has been profiled in The Observer and The Economist.
Julia has been an editor and writing coach since 2003, providing in-depth developmental feedback for authors of literary and commercial fiction. Books that she has worked on include books published by Penguin Random House, Riverhead, Simon and Schuster, Viking, Scribner, Harper Collins, Little A, Houghton Mifflin and more. She has traveled nationwide to give talks about writing, the teaching of writing, crafting creative communities, and publishing. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two children, and her father/gardening partner. She is at work on her fifth novel, a literary genre-bender set in Southern Italy during the WWII liberation.
By Julia Fierro

Begins: January 21, 2026
Instructor: Erin Crosby Eckstine
Location: Online (wkly video meet-up Wed 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $650 | returning writers receive a $50 discount
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.
Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity. The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers). Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates. This class is for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and motivation.
This workshop is open to writers working in all genres, and writers at all levels of skill and experience are welcome to join.
Erin Crosby Eckstine is the author of Junie which was published by Ballantine Books in January 2025 and was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. Born in Montgomery, AL, Erin grew up between the South and Los Angeles before moving to New York City to attend Barnard College. Eckstine worked in a variety of digital media internships and jobs before pivoting to education and earning a master’s in secondary English education from Stanford University.
Eckstine went on to teach high school English in Brooklyn, NY for six years before becoming a full-time writer. She writes speculative historical fiction, personal essays, and anything else she’s in the mood for. When she’s not writing, she’s usually making pottery, reading, cooking, or playing The Sims. She lives in Brooklyn with her partner and cats.
By Julia Fierro

Dates: begins January 14, 2026
Instructor: Taylor Larsen
Location: Meetings via video every OTHER Wednesday 7-9pm ET
Fee: $1250 | $1150 for returning Sackett writers
This generative class open to novelists, memoirists, and writers working on story and essay collections.
This section of Manuscript Generator is intended for writers who have not participated in a previous Manuscript Generator class.
A writing sample is not required but recommended for this class.
Every other week you will submit up to 5,000 words of your manuscript to the instructor and she will provide you with written feedback. You’ll also have the opportunity to receive feedback from your fellow writers on your project synopsis or outline, scene exercises, and your manuscript’s opening paragraphs. The two-hour bi-weekly meetings will be the chance for you to discuss your projects and engage with writing prompts in shared group writing time. The instructor also offers a 30-minute one-on-one consultation at the end of the course to discuss your manuscript in depth.
By Julia Fierro
Dates: Begins week of February 2, 2026
Instructor: coming soon
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up tbd 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $625
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.
A private conference with the instructor is included.
This workshop is open to writers working in autofiction, fiction and nonfiction, and writers at all levels of skill and experience are welcome to join.
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: Sarah Herrington
Dates: begins week of Jan 19, 2026
Location: Online (wkly video meetup wknight coming soon | 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $750 ($700 for returning writers)
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample.
Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. A portion of in-class time will be spent on writing via prompts to help students produce new work. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants will also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction.
This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays.
Our online class platform includes thoughtful craft lessons and writing exercises to inform and inspire writers, a class homepage for discussions, book recommendations and more, and an in-line commenting tool that allows for supportive and constructive feedback.
Sarah Herrington is a writer, poet, editor, writing instructor and longtime yoga and meditation teacher. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times (Modern Love, Opinion, Anxiety, Solver Stories), the Los Angeles Times, Poets & Writers, Salon, Interview Magazine, Slice, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, among other outlets. She’s the author of four books on yoga (Penguin, Rodale/Random House) and is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal. Sarah holds MFAs from New York University, where she was a Goldwater Fellow in Creative Nonfiction, and Lesley University. Her nonfiction has been supported by the Community of Writers, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and NYU’s Graduate Research Initiative. She currently teaches writing at Fordham University and leads private workshops and mentorships for writers. Her work on yoga and ethics has been featured on NPR, CNN, and The New York Times.
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: Ly Tran
Dates: begins wk of Jan 19, 2026
Location: Online (wkly video meetup wknihgt coming soon | 7:30-9:30pm ET)
Fee: $850 ($825 for returning writers)
A writing sample is not required but recommended for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample.
Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants will also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction.
This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays, and writers should have writing experience.
Our online class platform includes thoughtful craft lessons to inform and inspire writers, a class homepage for discussions, book recommendations and more, and an in-line commenting tool that allows for supportive and constructive feedback.
Ly Tran is the author of the memoir, House of Sticks, chosen as “Best Book of the Year” by NPR and Vogue, and won the New York City Book Awards Hornblower Award. She has been awarded fellowships from MacDowell, Art Omi, Yaddo, and Millay Arts.
By Julia Fierro

Begins: February 18, 2026
Instructor: Monica West
Location: Meetings via video ten times every other week Wed 7-9pm ET
Fee: $2300 (writers returning to Sackett Street – $2100)
This is a virtual class & video meetings are held every other week.
*This section of Manuscript Generator is intended for writers who have participated in a previous MG class but new writers are welcome to apply.
In this generative workshop, students have the opportunity to hand in chapters (up to 5000 words pages) every other week, and receive feedback from the instructor on these pages. The workshop is open to writers who have completed one or more chapters of a novel or memoir, as well as writers working on short story and/or essay collections. Writers participating in this course will learn how to recognize the successful techniques in their writing – what engages the reader, and how that success is achieved. Carefully planned lessons and online discussions will focus on analyzing the many choices (point-of-view, tone, characterizing details, pacing, etc.) a writer must make concerning structure, character and language. This course is intended for writers who have experience writing and workshopping.
A private conference with the instructor is included.
A writing sample is recommended to apply for this class.
Monica West is the author of the novel Revival Season which was a Barnes & Noble Discover Pick and a finalist for the 2022 Virginia Commonwealth University Cabell First Novelist Award. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, she received her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was a Rona Jaffe Graduate Fellow. She has received fellowships and residencies from Kimbilio Fiction, Hedgebrook, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Bread Loaf. She earned her B.A. in English Literature from Duke University and her M.A. in English and American Literature from New York University. She currently lives in Seattle where she teaches at the University of San Francisco.
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: coming soon
Begins: week of March 9, 2026
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up wknight tbd 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $650
A writing sample is required for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a sample of your writing.
Our Advanced Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers who have mastered the essentials and are looking for a community of peers ready to offer insightful, impartial feedback on works in progress. Whether you’re a writer looking to polish work for publication, looking for a fresh perspective, looking to climb the next hurdle, or simply missing the motivation and comradery only a small workshop can offer, our Fiction Workshop is designed to get you writing. Come geek out with your fellow lit nerds and walk away with a renewed sense of purpose.
Writers have two opportunities to share work with the class and receive detailed feedback and a class discussion dedicated to their writing. Class includes access to our online platform where weekly craft lessons, recommended readings and optional writing exercises are provided.
Writers should have both writing and writing class experience.
Includes in-line comments by the instructor and a private conference.
By Julia Fierro

Dates: begins wk of March 9, 2026
Instructor: coming soon
Location: 6 meetings via video every OTHER week over a period of 12 wks | 7-9pm ET | weeknight tbd
Fee: $1250 | $1150 for returning Sackett writers
This generative class open to novelists, memoirists, and writers working on story and essay collections.
This section of Manuscript Generator is intended for writers who have not participated in a previous Manuscript Generator class.
A writing sample is not required but recommended for this class.
Every other week you will submit up to 5,000 words of your manuscript to the instructor and she will provide you with written feedback. You’ll also have the opportunity to receive feedback from your fellow writers on an excerpt from your project (max 6,000 words). The two-hour bi-weekly meetings will be the chance for you to discuss your projects and engage with writing prompts in shared group writing time. The instructor also offers a 30-minute one-on-one consultation at the end of the course to discuss your manuscript in depth.
By Julia Fierro

Begins: wk of March 11, 2026
Instructor: coming soon
Location: Online (wkly video meet-up 1x/wk 7-9pm ET | wknight tbd)
Fee: $650 | returning writers receive a $50 discount
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.
Writing Sprints is an exercise-intensive course designed to “unstick” writers struggling to start or continue new projects, boosting writing productivity. The course relies heavily on writing exercises (for both fiction & nonfiction writers). Students will produce a ton of new work in this class, and receive feedback on that work from the instructor and his or her classmates. This class is for writers of all levels looking for inspiration and motivation.
This workshop is open to writers working in all genres, and writers at all levels of skill and experience are welcome to join.
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: coming soon
Dates: begins wk of March 16, 2026
Location: Online (wkly video meetup wknight coming soon | 7:30-9:30pm ET)
Fee: $850 ($825 for returning writers)
A writing sample is not required but recommended for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample.
Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants will also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction.
This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays, and writers should have writing experience.
Our online class platform includes thoughtful craft lessons to inform and inspire writers, a class homepage for discussions, book recommendations and more, and an in-line commenting tool that allows for supportive and constructive feedback.
By Julia Fierro

Instructor: coming soon
Dates: begins week of March 16, 2026
Location: Online (wkly video meetup wknight coming soon | 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $750 ($700 for returning writers)
A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a 3-5 page sample.
Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of creative nonfiction. A portion of in-class time will be spent on writing via prompts to help students produce new work. The focus will be on learning to understand and use a full range of literary techniques in order to tell a truly compelling nonfiction story. Topics such as the use of dialogue, the creation of scene, attention to style and how to craft structure from true events will be discussed. Participants will also spend time talking about the particular responsibilities that come with writing creative nonfiction.
This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays.
Our online class platform includes thoughtful craft lessons and writing exercises to inform and inspire writers, a class homepage for discussions, book recommendations and more, and an in-line commenting tool that allows for supportive and constructive feedback.