7 Top Providers of Writing Classes in San Francisco by Hiten Vyas
Today we welcome a new guest writer to Writer’s Fun Zone, Hiten Vyas, who is stopping by to chat with us about “7 Top Providers of Writing Classes in San Francisco.” Enjoy!
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Are you a writer looking for writing classes in San Francisco?
A writing class can help you to improve your craft and develop the skills to plan out your next book. Not only are writing classes an educational experience, you also get to meet likeminded writers who are on a similar journey to you.
Some will be less experienced than you. Others will be more experienced. All of this contributes to creating solid ground for cross-fertilization of ideas and opinions.
Of course, with a writing class you also get trained by experts in the field and create new relationships with mentors and teachers, which can last way beyond the duration of a class you might take.
If you’re searching for a writing class in San Francisco, we’ve compiled a list of 7 top providers to help you in your quest to find the best one for you. Read on to learn more about what’s on offer from organizations based in Northern California’s financial, cultural, and commercial center.
Founded in 1993 by three writers – Po Bronson, Ethan Canin and Ethan Watters. These individuals came together to rent out a shared space in San Francisco, in order to work together as a community and to help and inspire each other to become better writers. Since its humble beginnings, the Grotto has grown from strength to strength with current premises being an entire floor of an office building and the organization now having more than 100 members. The Grotto also offers writing classes in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, memoir, screenwriting and journalism. Classes are taken by qualified and published authors who teach in the type of genre they’ve been published in.
You can find out about upcoming classes at the following link. Prices of these particular classes range from $125 – £165: https://www.sfgrotto.org/classes/upcoming-classes/
The Grotto can be found on 490 2nd Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94107.
The Writers Studio, founded in 1987 by The Pulitzer Prize winning poet Philip Schultz, offers both class-based and online classes in fiction and poetry. Classes in the Writers Studio Method, which has a strong emphasis on the teaching and practice of narration, are offered in New York City, Hudson Valley, Tucson, and San Francisco. The San Francisco operation has workshops for beginners, intermediate level writers, advanced writers and for those writers who are on the path of developing mastery with their craft.
All the classes operate on 10 week basis (one class per week) with prices ranging from $410 – $430. The faculty who deliver the classes are all renowned published authors and are also former students of the Writers Studio. Take a look at the following link to find out about upcoming classes in San Francisco: https://www.writerstudio.com/courses/all-courses/#san-francisco
Classes take place at 57 Post St #702, San Francisco, CA 94104.
SF Creative Writing Institute initially started by running classes in the Jack Grapes Method Writing Program and has now expanded to offering new classes. The main writing class leaders are Alexandra Kostoulas, Nick Mamatas and Hollie Hardy. The organization has increased the number of its vetted instructors in order to deliver a wider range of classes in genres such as poetry, fiction, non-fiction, memoir, screenwriting, and playwriting. Instructors are both experienced in teaching writing and published authors in particular genres they specialise in. Prices for the workshops range from free up to $425 with some being one day classes and others taking place over a period of up to 7 weeks. To find out more about the classes you could take, have a look at the following link: https://sfwriting.institute/
SF Creative Writing Institute can be found at 25 Taylor Street San Francisco, CA 94102.
Writing Pad is an award-winning writing school co-founded by Marilyn Friedman and Jeff Bernstein. Writing Pad offers classes both in San Francisco and Los Angeles in subjects as wide as writing a novel, memoir, short story writing, storytelling, personal essay, TV writing, screenwriting, blogging and publishing. Online classes are also available and the organization has a huge team of instructors; all of which are renowned experts in their respective genres and many of whom are award-winning authors, journalists and television and film professionals. You can find out more about them here.
You can find out learn more about the writing workshops in San Francisco at the following link. Durations for the classes can range from 1 day to 7 weeks with fees ranging from $180 – $550: http://writingpad.com/san-francisco-creative-writing-classes-and-workshops/
The address for Writing Pad in San Francisco is 1695 18th St, San Francisco, CA 94107.
If you’re looking for a more structured learning opportunity, you may want to take a look at Ripe Fruit School of Creative Writing, whose classes follow a step-by-step, progressive approach called Path of Growth. Currently in its 22nd year, the organization was founded by Leslie Kirk Campbell, a national award-winning author and master trainer of writing. You can take 1 day intensive workshops and also longer writing courses spread out over 9 weeks. Prices of the workshops and writing courses range between $105- $425. To find out more about the Path of Growth program, and descriptions of its classes and writing courses, have a look at the following link: http://www.ripefruitwriting.com/classes/
Classes take place at 469 Hill St, San Francisco, CA 94114.
The Writing Salon was founded in San Francisco by Jane Underwood in 1999. Due to high demand, Jane opened at a location in Berkeley in 2002. The organization offers classes for writers of all levels and has a comprehensive list of workshops to choose from, which include genres such as fiction, poetry, memoir, screenwriting, personal essays, spiritual writing, comedy writing and many others. Classes range from 1 day sessions to those spread out over 9 weeks. Prices for the longer classes are generally around $275 for non-members, with members typically getting a $10 discount. Instructors are all experienced individuals including published authors, poets, editors and qualified teachers of writing.
You can find out about upcoming courses both in San Francisco and Berkeley at the following link: http://www.writingsalons.com/
The location for San Francisco classes is 2042 Balboa Street.
If you’re ready to take a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) graduate degree in Writing, the University of San Francisco offers one. The program was founded in 1986, runs over two and half years, and a new program begins every autumn. Workshops are given in all the major genres such as fiction, nonfiction, poetry, along with seminars on writing styles, literary models, and tools and techniques for craft development. The faculty for the program are working professionals who have published extensively in different literary mediums including books, anthologies, academic journals and online.
Workshops take place on Tuesday evenings, and seminars on Thursday evenings. Each class corresponds to 3 units with there being 33 units altogether. Students also have an opportunity to develop two theses with one-to-one support from a faculty instructor, getting feedback on their work, with the end result being a novel, collection of stories or poetry, a collection of creative nonfiction, or a works which combines these genres together meaningfully. The estimated average annual fee for the MFA program is $20,100. The following link provides further information: https://www.usfca.edu/arts-sciences/graduate-programs/writing/program-details
So, what did you think of our top providers of writing classes in San Francisco? Did we miss any out? Please let us know in the comments box below!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
7 Top Providers of Writing Classes in San Francisco was originally published at Writing Tips Oasis. Copyright © 2014-2017. Writing Tips Oasis All Rights Reserved. Article by Hiten Vyas, Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.”
