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Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

Unleash your creativity and explore the world of writing with confidence. Dive into the art of storytelling, learn how to show rather than tell, and discover your unique voice. Whether you're a beginner or need a refresher, this course will guide you on a six-week journey of self-expression and literary discovery.

  • Beginner
  • 18 and older
  • $380
  • 555 8th Ave, New York, NY
  • 18 hours over 6 sessions
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Start Dates (3)

  • $380
  • 555 8th Ave. @ 555 8th Ave 14th Flr. Ste 1402, New York, NY 10018
  • 18 hours over 6 sessions
  • Price includes Registration fee of $25, paid once per term
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  • Wed, Apr 17 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Wed, Apr 24 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Wed, May 01 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Wed, May 08 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Wed, May 15 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
  • Wed, May 22 at 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Notes Price includes $25 Registration Fee.
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  • Sat, Apr 27 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sat, May 04 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sat, May 11 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sat, May 18 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sat, Jun 01 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sat, Jun 08 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Notes Price includes Registration fee of $25, paid once per term
No class: May 25
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  • Sun, Apr 28 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sun, May 05 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sun, May 12 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sun, May 19 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sun, Jun 02 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
  • Sun, Jun 09 at 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Notes Price includes Registration fee of $25, paid once per term
No class: May 26
Showing 13 of 3

Class Description

Description

What you'll learn in this creative writing class:

Creative Writing 101 is a 6-week class, which includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s for beginners or anyone who wants a refresher. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

Are you eager to test the waters of creative writing but not sure where to start, or how? Have you written previously but been away for a while and hope to dip back in?

Here you will be guided surely and safely into the writing life. There’s no pressure to work on a specific project or even settle on which type of creative writing you prefer. The idea is to explore—see with a writer’s eyes, spark ideas to life, gain confidence, and experiment with both fiction and nonfiction.

Creative writing is one of the most fulfilling ways to express yourself, and you’re never too young or too old to give it a try. Come on in. The water’s fine.


Course Syllabus

This course explores fiction and types of creative nonfiction, and the techniques that go with them. Course components:

  • Lectures
  • Writing exercises

The syllabus varies from teacher to teacher, term to term. Many topics will be similar to those covered in the Online classes.

Week 1

OIL: The importance of having fun with writing. Exploration of the cornerstones of creative writing—observation, imagination, language.

Week 2 

Show and Tell: Understanding the difference between showing and telling. Techniques for showing—sensory, specificity, scenes.

Week 3

Individuality: The power of a journal. Writing what you know. Writing what you want to know. Finding your individual voice.

Week 4 

Fiction: The types and forms of fiction. Where to find fiction ideas. The basics of creating a story—characters, plot, point of view.

Week 5 

Nonfiction: Exploration of three types of creative nonfiction writing—memoir, personal essays, narrative nonfiction. Where to find nonfiction ideas.

Week 6 

Getting Better: Good habits. Battling the blank page. Revision. Reading as a writer. Where to go next?


Note: Content may vary among individual classes.

Refund Policy

All Classes (except One-day and Zoom Intensives and Write-Ins):

  • For a refund or credit, contact us three business days or more before your class starts. You can either choose to hold a full credit with us good for one year on other Gotham classes OR you can opt for a refund less a $25 administrative fee and your $25 registration fee ($50 total).
  • If you need to withdraw after your class has started (or two business days before it starts), you won’t receive a refund, but you’re welcome to a Gotham credit less the price of Week 1 and your $25 registration fee, but we need to hear from you three business days or more before Week 2 meets for that to happen. After that point, no credits are available.

One-day and Zoom Intensives:

  • You may reschedule a One-day or Zoom Intensive one time, if you notify us two business days before the class begins. After that first reschedule, there is a $25 rescheduling fee.
  • If you notify us three business days or more before your class begins, rescheduling is free. If you notify us less than three business days before your class begins, there is a $25 rescheduling fee. If you don’t notify us until after your class begins, we cannot reschedule you.
  • You may get a refund (minus a $50 fee) if you notify us three business days or more before your class begins.

Write-Ins:

  • If you withdraw 1 business day or more before it begins, you’re welcome to a full credit good for one year toward another Write-In. No refunds are available.
  • If you simply don’t show up and don’t notify us in advance, you forfeit your money.

A few more things:

  • Credits are valid for one year and cannot be changed into refunds down the road.
  • Simply not attending class or notifying the instructor does not mean you've officially withdrawn.
  • Some exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for medical emergencies with a doctor's note.
  • Refunds take up to six weeks to process.

Please understand, we can't issue a refund after classes have started, even if you miss your first class. Similarly, we can't offer you a credit one day before your second class or after that. We understand that other obligations get in the way of attending class, but these policies allow us to get other interested writers into class early enough to have a good experience, and this allows us to offer our classes at a reasonable price.

Important Notes:

  • Students are allowed to join a class in the second week.
  • Only those who pay the tuition in full can be guaranteed a place in class.
  • Class dates and times may be subject to change. A substitute may be assigned or make-up classes added to the end of the term.
  • Auditing and the recording of classes are not allowed.
  • For all classes, students receive a record of payment and registration.
  • Gotham reserves the right to remove any student at our discretion.
  • Gotham does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, socioeconomic status, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.
  • Our courses are not intended to provide instruction that will result in the student's acquisition of occupational skills.

In any event where a customer wants to cancel their enrollment and is eligible for a full refund, a 5% processing fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Reviews of Classes at Gotham Writers Workshop (745)

(4.4-star rating across 745 reviews)
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Marie-Louise W. on 6/18/2021
    Great class, awesome feedback, loved the tips and the camaraderie between classmates, I missed homework deadline for last class, just wished the window had been open a little longer so I could have received the feedback
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Vierka V. on 8/19/2020
    The instructor, Carter, was knowledgeable and passionate about the subject. I enjoyed the chats and discussions as well as the material we read. Great class for beginners likes me!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Icesis G. on 8/17/2020
    I love that we were guided within the full 6 weeks on everything from Getting Started/Getting back to Writing Again to How to Publish/Get Yourself Out There and in between we learned great tips and ways to strengthen our writing. The Instructor Divya was also great, very patient, clear and encouraging. A great session for first time writers or for those who always used to write and are trying to find their way back!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 5/13/2020
    This class was really fun and educational. I recommend for anyone who is interested in writing!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Daniel W. on 6/17/2019
    I’m a new writer and really enjoyed this class. My instructor was Divya. Pros * Good syllabus structure. Divya focused on one element at a time — eg specificity, sensory detail, dialogue, etc: First a short lecture structure on the topic (w/ time for questions), then an example text, and finally in class practice with the option to share * Good progression of material. Toward the end of class we started combining the elements and tools into more complex assignments * Fun, engaging discussions where everyone participated. Divya did a good job inviting ideas and questions from everyone * Good homework. Not too much pressure but still some encouragement to try what you learn * Supportive interesting classmates. * Divya responded to our interests: we wanted to cover structure, dialogue and the business of writing and so she made time to cover these Cons * Only 6 weeks! I’ll probably take the 10 week one too. * Honestly I searched my brain for bad things... uh, it rained every class? It’s hard to find fault with it! It was a good value!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 11/15/2018
    Good fun class. I thought instructor could have been more critical but gets you writing in a nice environment
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Alannah D. on 9/23/2018
    Learned a lot, very worth it!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Regina S. on 5/15/2018
    I really like our teacher Alana Schubach. She gave us great pointers for all genre types of writing . It was a pleasure to be in the class and she gave lots of great advice and wonderful comments on our homework assignments.
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Joanne P. on 3/19/2018
    Great class.
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 1/11/2018
    Really great introduction to creative writing and a good way to stay motivated to keep writing.
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 11/10/2017
    I stopped attending after 2 classes. Room is depressing. The instructor just spent half the time reading at you things you should do when you are writing. Very disappointing.
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Reviewed by Johnathan S. on 10/27/2017
    The course was very informative and included several great suggestions for published literature to read to help with crafting your writing style. The instructor kept the class engaged and participation was encouraged, but not forced. Overall, a worthwhile course!
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 10/26/2017
    Great class, really enjoyed the interaction with the teacher and in class Felt I learnt a lot about writing and more about how I like to write
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 5/17/2017
    Francesca was an amazing teacher. She really helped many of us unlock our creativity. I found her encouragements and feedback very useful during the course of the class.
  • Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks

    Anonymous review on 3/22/2017
    I would defenitely recommend this course. And the teacher was great. First of all he is a Jew ( Jew cannot be bad teachers). The second my point, he is professional, was sharing his own experience and gave useful recommendations. Definitely YES
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Review Summary by CourseHorse

Students enjoyed the Creative Writing 101: 6 Weeks course, praising its structured approach, supportive environment, and knowledgeable instructors. Many found the course beneficial for kickstarting their writing or improving their skills, with a focus on elements such as specificity, sensory detail, and dialogue. Aside from the craft, students appreciated instruction on the 'business' of writing, including publishing processes. The class promoted active participation through engaging discussions and practice-oriented homework. Overall, the class was deemed ideal for beginners or those rediscovering writing. Quotes: 1. "I love that we were guided within the full 6 weeks on everything from Getting Started/Getting back to Writing Again to How to Publish/Get Yourself Out There." 2. "Good syllabus structure. Divya focused on one element at a time — eg specificity, sensory detail, dialogue, etc: First a short lecture structure on the topic (w/ time for questions), then an example text, and finally in class practice with the option to share." 3. "It was such an amazing class, and I've been telling all of my friends (like I've just joined a cult hahah)."

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Questions & Answers (8)

Get quick answers from CourseHorse and past students.

Question from Gary
Is there a class on Zoom?
Answer
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Question from anonymous
Who teaches the Monday, Feb 3 class? Thanks.
Answer from Brenda L. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi there! The instructor will be Sarah Moriarty. You may click on the Feb 3 class and click her name to get more information about her. Thank you!
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Question from Ashley M.
Hello! I am interested in this class but will be out of town on one of the dates. Would I be able to attend another day to make up for it? Thanks
Answer from Georgia C. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi Iamaurum! There is no problem to miss one day. The school do not offer make up sessions. You can try to get in touch with the teacher and get all the materials that were missed and you are always welcome to speak with the teacher before or after class begins and ask any questions you might have.
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Question from Jose D.
In this six weeks course, does it have to be all in one payment?
Answer from Brenda L. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi Jose, thanks for your question. Yes, the payment must be paid in full upon booking this class. Hope this helps!
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Question from Seth Q.
What's your make-up policy?
Answer from Seth Q. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
There's no way to make up the class. But you can certainly get in touch with the teacher and discuss what was missed and get the lecture information.
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Question from Freya C.
What happens if I have to miss the first class?
Answer from Georgia C. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi Freya! The school isn't able to offer any makeup classes but students can certainly ask the teacher if there were any handouts for the class they missed.
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Question from Dhivya V.
This is an online course, right?
Answer from Brenda L. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi, this is a group class and the students will attend in a classroom setting.
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Question from Joanne P.
I want to book the Sunday class. I just wanted to know is it okay if I miss one Sunday because I won’t be able to attend one Sunday??
Answer from Jenn C. CourseHorse StaffCourseHorse Staff
Hi Joanne! Gotham is an adult creative writing school, so they understand students sometimes have to miss class because of work or family obligations - missing one Sunday should be fine! However, please understand the school isn't able to offer any makeup classes but students can certainly ask the teacher if there were any handouts for the class they missed.
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Gotham Writers Workshop

Gotham Writers Workshop is a creative home in New
York City and Online where writers develop their craft and come together in the
spirit of discovery and fellowship. We’ve been teaching creative writing to
students since 1993.




We believe that everyone has a story to tell.
Indeed, many stories. Keep your...

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