Sackett Street Writers

8,000+ creative writers since 2002 in NYC & ONLINE

Online Writing Classes

 

8-week workshops are limited to 9-10 writers (8-wk classes) and 8 writers (6-wk classes), and generative classes (Writing Sprints and Manuscript Generator) have no more than 12-15 writers. All workshops include opportunities to share work in class and receive feedback from both the instructor and classmates. To register, please complete an application and, if required, include a sample of work (1500-2000 words).

2-week Ace Your MFA Application Class – meets 11.28 & 12.5 7-9pm ET

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Instructor: Gabriel Packard
Dates: November 28th & December 5th
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up MONDAYS 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $125

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 of your writing if available.

By the end of this two-week master class, students will have (1) a first draft of their MFA application, or a more polished draft, if they’ve already begun, (2) a personalized shortlist of MFA programs to apply to, and (3) strong insights into what MFA programs are looking for and how to deliver this.
Topics will include:
*Inside the mind of the MFA gatekeepers. Who are they? What are they looking for? How do you find out?
*How to be a good applicant (beyond the application form).
*How to select which (and how many) MFA programs to apply to.
*How to approach and write the personal statement.
*How to select, edit & order your writing samples.
*Resumes, GREs, etc. Do they matter?
*What to do when you receive an offer, or multiple offers.
*How financial aid works.
Session 1 (10.10.22) will include a checklist of action items to help you write a solid first draft of your application or polish an MFA application you’ve already begun, before Session 2.
Session 2 (10.17.22) will include a dedicated Q&A where students and ask for advice about the action items.
This class is intended for writers who are applying to (or considering applying to) MFA graduate programs in creative writing.
Gabriel Packard was Hunter College MFA’s Associate Director for 10+ years. His writing been published in The New Yorker; his novel, The Painted Ocean, was published by Little, Brown; and he wrote a chapter in The Poets & Writers Guide to MFA Programs. He has guest lectured at colleges and universities including Yale, Cornell, U. Penn, Princeton, Dartmouth, NYU, Oxford and Cambridge. And he previously worked as a researcher for Jonathan Franzen and E.L. Doctorow.

6-week Online Writing Speculative and Fantastical Fiction – begins 12.7.22

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Begins: December 7, 2022
Instructor: Marissa Levien
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up Wednesdays 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $450

A writing sample is recommended for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.

Through group discussion of student work plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of speculative and fantastical fiction. We will focus on some of the classic sticking points of writing in this genre: effective worldbuilding, balancing character against plot, maintaining consistent story logic, and making sure all elements of the writing serve the story. This class seeks to dispel the myths of the so-called differences between “genre” fiction and literary fiction: every story one writes, whether it’s a realistic family drama or a saga set on a spaceship, should be built upon good prose, complex characters, empathy and specificity. Fantasy, sci-fi, speculative fiction, or whatever label you choose can and should be well-written literary work, and in this class we will seek to give you the tools do just that.

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Marissa Levien received her MFA from Stony Brook University, where she also helped run the Southampton Writers Conference. Her debut novel The World Gives Way was released by Hachette in 2021, earning praise from The New York Times, Vulture, Literary Hub, Publishers Weekly, and a selection as an IndieNext Pick. Her work has been published in Writer’s Digest, Literary Hub, Publisher’s Weekly, Saint Ann’s Review, and Los Angeles Review of Books, among others. She has previously taught workshops for Stony Brook University, John Jermain Workshops, and Harlem Educational Activities Fund.

8-week ONLINE Advanced Personal Essay & Memoir Writing – begins 1.10.23

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Begins: January 10, 2022
Instructor: Xeni Fragakis
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up TUESDAYS 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $575 

A private conference with the instructor is included.

A writing sample is required for this class. Please fill out an application.

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, personal essays or in-depth journalism, and students should have writing and writing class experience.

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Xeni Fragakis earned her Master of Fine Arts in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Iowa. There she taught writing to undergraduates and was named an Iowa Arts Scholar. Her work has appeared in the Modern Love section of The New York Times. She is also a storyteller and Moth GrandSlam Champion. Most recently, she was selected to attend the Sewanee Writers’ Conference as a fiction contributor. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, cartoonist Glenn Head.

8-week ONLINE Creative Writing: Building an Intentional Community for Writers of Color (open to both fiction & nonfiction writers) – begins week of 1.9.23

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Instructor: Khaliah Williams
Dates: week of January 9, 2023
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up weeknight tbd 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $450

A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a brief sample of your writing.

Over the course of this workshop, writers will gain skills in fiction and non-fiction writing while engaging in a community of fellow writers of color. During in-class instruction, writers will gain technical skills in character development, language, and style. The combination of an intentional community coupled with thoughtful writing exercises allows participants to immerse themselves in a unique workshop experience.

Through group discussion of student work, plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of both fiction and 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 story.

This workshop is open to writers of color working on fiction (short stories and novels) and creative nonfiction (memoir, personal essays or in-depth journalism).

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Khaliah Williams is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Her fiction has been published in Hawaii Women’s Journal, Frontier Psychiatrist, and Day One, and her non-fiction at Buzzfeed, American Short Fiction and Book Country. She is a current fellow at the Kimbilio Center for African American Fiction and an Instructor and Advisory Board member of Writers in Baltimore School. Originally from Philadelphia, she lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.  She is at work on a novel and collection of short stories.

8-week ONLINE Writing for Young Adult & Middle Grade – begins week of 1.9.23

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Begins: week of January 9, 2023
Instructor: coming soon
Location: Online (weekly video weeknight tbd 7:30-9:30pm EST)
Fee: $575

A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info. 

Start, finish, or polish your YA or MG novel in this supportive, proactive workshop. Brief lectures, tailored to students’ needs and interests, cover topics such as character development, voice and tone, plot, world-building, dialogue, romance, pacing, scene structure, querying agents, the business of publishing, and time management for writers.

Students will have opportunities to workshop writing with the class and receive written feedback from the instructor and fellow students. This course is intended for students with some writing experience. All YA or MG genres are welcome.

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8-week ONLINE Writing Sprints: A Generative Class (open to writers of all genres) – begins 1.10.23

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Begins: January 10, 2022
Instructor: Melissa Ximena Golebiowski
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up Mondays 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $550 

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.

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Melissa Ximena Golebiowski is a Latinx writer and editor based in Los Angeles, CA. She is the former National Assigning Editor for Literary Hub. Originally from NJ but the child of immigrants from different countries respectively, her mixed culture can often be found in her writing. Her work has been featured in Catapult, Literary Hub, Electric Literature, and Entropy among others.

Melissa is currently at work on a short story collection entitled Blanket Girl & Other Stories which explores the spiritual & ancestral connection between intimacy and grief and how each manifests in both familial and romantic relationships. The collection will be illustrated by surrealist artist and sculptor, Jim McKenzie.

8-week Online Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop – begins 1.10.23

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Instructor: Emily Temple
Dates: begins January 10, 2023
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up Tuesdays 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $575

A writing sample is required for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info and a sample of your writing.

Our Master Fiction Workshop is aimed at writers with a regular practice, those 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 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.

APPLY NOW

Emily Temple is the author of The Lightness (William Morrow/Harper Collins, 2020), which Kirkus described as “a dark, glittering fable about the terror of desire,” and which was a Belletrist Book Club pick. Her short fiction has appeared in Colorado Review, Electric Literature‘s Recommended Reading, Indiana Review, Fairy Tale Review, No Tokens, and elsewhere. She is the Managing Editor at Literary Hub, and lives with her husband and daughter in Central New York.

Double Lives: 6-Week Fiction Workshop For Writers Who Are Parents – begins 1.10.23

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Begins: January 10, 2023
Instructor: Courtney Mauk
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up Tuesdays 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $450

A writing sample is recommended for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.

In addition to honing the craft of fiction, this workshop will examine the particular challenges faced by writers who are also parents. Through weekly check-ins and group discussions, participants will address issues such as finding the physical and mental space to write, time management and accountability, embracing fallow and fertile creative periods, and more. As in a general fiction class, student work will be workshopped through written and in-class critiques, with attention paid to the tools of fiction-writing, such as point of view, plot, characterizing detail, tone, etc. This workshop will help writer-parents rediscover their fiction mojo within a supportive community.

Courtney Elizabeth Mauk was born in Rolla, Missouri, and grew up in Copley, Ohio. She studied creative writing at Oberlin College before moving to New York City, where she received an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University. She is the author of three novels: The Special Power of Restoring Lost Things, Orion’s Daughters, and Spark. Her short stories and essays have appeared in The Literary Review, PANK, Wigleaf, Five Chapters, Juked, and Front Porch, among other venues, and have received several Pushcart nominations. Courtney lives on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with her husband and two young sons.

8-week ONLINE Personal Essay & Memoir Writing – begins 1.11.23

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Begins: January 11, 2023
Instructor: Sarah Herrington
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up WEDNESDAYS 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $575

A private conference with the instructor is included

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. In-class writing prompts will be used to inspire and motivate students to produce new work.

This workshop is open to writers working on memoir and personal essays.

A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.

APPLY NOW

Sarah Herrington is a writer, poet and teacher. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, LATimes,  Poets and Writers Magazine,  Tin House, Interview Magazine, Slice, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, Entropy, Vol1 Brooklyn, Writer’s Digest, Yoga Journal and other outlets, and she was selected as one of eight emerging women poets by Oprah Magazine. She is the author of a collection of poetry, Always Moving (Bowery Books, 2011) and several nonfiction books, including OM Schooled (Addriya Press, 2012), Essential Yoga (Fair Winds Press, 2013), and was contracted to write and oversee production of the updated Idiot’s Guide to Yoga (Penguin/Alpha, 2013). Sarah also worked as editor/co-author on Wanderlust: Find Your True North (Rodale, 2015).

Sarah is the recipient of writing fellowships from New York University, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, and the Community of Writers, and earned an MFA from New York University where she was a Goldwater Fellow, an MFA from Lesley University, and a BA from NYU.

8-week Online Writing Speculative and Fantastical Fiction – begins week of 1.16.23

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Begins: week of January 16, 2023
Instructor: Siobhan Adcock
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up weeknight tbd 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $575

A writing sample is not required (but welcome) for this class. Please fill out an application with your contact info.

Through group discussion of student work plus that of published authors, writers in this workshop will examine the art and craft of speculative and fantastical fiction. We will focus on some of the classic sticking points of writing in this genre: effective worldbuilding, balancing character against plot, maintaining consistent story logic, and making sure all elements of the writing serve the story. This class seeks to dispel the myths of the so-called differences between “genre” fiction and literary fiction: every story one writes, whether it’s a realistic family drama or a saga set on a spaceship, should be built upon good prose, complex characters, empathy and specificity. Fantasy, sci-fi, speculative fiction, or whatever label you choose can and should be well-written literary work, and in this class we will seek to give you the tools do just that.

APPLY NOW

Siobhan Adcock is a novelist, essayist, humor writer, and editor based in Park Slope, Brooklyn. She is the author of two novels, The Completionist (Simon & Schuster, 2018) and The Barter (Dutton, 2014), as well as two humor books. Her short fiction has been published in Triquarterly and The Massachusetts Review, and her essays and humor writing have appeared in Salon, Slate, The Daily Beast, Ms., Medium, and the Chicago Review of Books. She has taught writing classes and workshops at the Columbia Publishing Course, the Gotham Writers Workshop, Cornell University, and the Auburn Federal Correctional Facility, as well as for Voices from War, a nonprofit writing program serving military and service families. For many (many) years she has worked in digital and print publishing, putting in time at Random House, HarperCollins, Conde Nast, the XO Group, Time Inc., and most recently at Everyday Health Media.

8-week Online Fiction Writing Workshop – begins week of 1.24.23

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8-week ONLINE Fiction Writing I/II
Begins: week of January 24, 2023
Instructor: Leslie-Ann Murray
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up weeknight tbd 7-9pm ET)
Fee: $575

A private conference with the instructor is included.

A writing sample is not required (but recommended) for this course.

Please fill out an application with name, contact info, writing/writing class experience, and a brief writing sample.

In this workshop, writers will learn how to manipulate the tools of fiction-writing (point-of-view, plot, characterizing detail, tone, etc.) to craft complete and unique stories that engage the reader. In-class critiques and exercises, as well as lectures and feedback from the instructor, are used to help students further develop their writing. This course is intended for writers with some writing experience who are looking to learn more about what makes a story, “a story.”

Leslie-Ann Murray a fiction writer from Trinidad & Tobago. She created Brown Girl Book Lover, a social media platform where she interviews diverse writers and reviews books that should be at the forefront of our imagination. She also produces a monthly newsletter, Come Get Your Diversity. Leslie-Ann  is currently working on her first novel, This Has Made Us Beautiful. Leslie-Ann has been published in Poets & Writers, Zone 3, Ploughshares, Brittle Paper, Obsidian Literary Magazine, and Salamander Literary Magazine.  Leslie-Ann has taught creative writing in France, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, China, and New York City.

12-wk VIRTUAL Manuscript Generator I* : a generative class open to novelists, memoirists, and writers working on story and essay collections – begins 1.25.23 (this is a virtual class & video meetings are held every other week)

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Begins: January 25, 2023
Instructor: Heather Aimee O’Neill
Location: Meetings via video every other Wednesday 7-9pm EST
Fee: $875.00

*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.

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 some experience writing and workshopping.
A private conference with the instructor is included.

APPLY NOW

Heather Aimee O’Neill has worked with hundreds of writers in Sackett Street’s popular Manuscript Intensive Workshop (online and in Brooklyn). Her most recent collection of poetry, Obliterations, was co-authored with Jessica Piazza and published by Red Hen Press. A recent Lambda Literary Poetry Fellow, her poetry chapbook, Memory Future, won the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award, chosen by judge Carol Muske-Dukes. She is a freelance writer for publications such as Time Out New York, Parents Magazine and Salon.com.

8-week ONLINE Writing Sprints: A Generative Class (fiction & nonfiction) – begins week of 2.1.23

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Begins: February 1, 2023
Instructor: Heidi Diehl
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up WEDNESDAYS 7-9pm EST)
Fee: $550 

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.

APPLY NOW

Heidi Diehl’s debut novel, Lifelines, was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in June 2019. Her short fiction has appeared in Crazyhorse, Indiana Review, Mississippi Review, StoryQuarterly, Witness,and elsewhere. She has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, Marble House Project, Norton Island/Eastern Frontier Foundation, Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts, and the Vermont Studio Center; she holds an MFA from Brooklyn College and a BA from Sarah Lawrence College. Since 2010, she has taught expository and creative writing at Brooklyn College, where she is also the assistant director of the freshman writing program.

20-wk VIRTUAL Manuscript Generator II*: a generative class open to novelists, memoirists, and writers working on story and essay collections – begins 2.1.23

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Begins: February 1, 2023
Instructor: Heather Aimee O’Neill
Location: Meetings via video every other Wednesday 7-9pm EST
Fee: $1450.00

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.

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 some experience writing and workshopping.

A writing sample is not required but recommended for this class.

A private conference with the instructor is included.

APPLY NOW

Heather Aimee O’Neill has worked with hundreds of writers in Sackett Street’s popular Manuscript Intensive Workshop (online and in Brooklyn). Her most recent collection of poetry, Obliterations, was co-authored with Jessica Piazza and published by Red Hen Press. A recent Lambda Literary Poetry Fellow, her poetry chapbook, Memory Future, won the University of Southern California’s Gold Line Press Award, chosen by judge Carol Muske-Dukes. She is a freelance writer for publications such as Time Out New York, Parents Magazine and Salon.com.

8-week ONLINE Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop – begins 2.2.23

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Instructor: Elizabeth Weiss
Dates: begins February 2, 2023
Location: Online (weekly video meet-up Thursdays 7:30-9:30pm EST)
Fee: $575

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 with a regular practice, those 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 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.

APPLY NOW

Elizabeth Weiss‘s debut novel, The Sisters Sweet, was published by The Dial Press in November 2021. She earned an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. Her nonfiction has been published in The New Yorker online. She has taught for the University of Iowa, the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, and the Sackett Street Writers’ Workshop, and is a mentor for the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse, daughter, and dog.