Where to Find Great Writing Workshops

A Review of On-line and In-Person Venues to Boost Writing Skills

If you want to write a best-selling novel, start a freelance career, or simply gain support for that project you just can't seem to finish, a writing workshop may offer the encouragement you need. Like a book club, writing workshops require you to complete assignments and converse with peers about your progress. This can be intimidating -- and sometimes expensive in terms of time and money -- but if you make the commitment, you may be surprised at the results. Not only will you build a polished portfolio, you will create a network of writers like you.

Workshops are available on-line and in person, depending on where you live. Here are a few that may be worth your while:

1. Gotham Writers' Workshop -- Based in New York City, the Gotham Writers' Workshop offers classes both on-line and in New York. Six or ten week-long courses are available for all types of writing, including fiction, non-fiction, memoir, children's book, playwriting, humor, screen writing, and songwriting. Gotham also hosts one-day workshops on article writing, writing for documentary films, how to freelance, and how to get published, among others.

In-person classes are held once a week and cost $395 for ten weeks and $295 for six weeks. There is a discount for returning students. Each course has a limit of less than 20 participants (the actual capacity varies depending on the class). Each week, students meet with an instructor -- a writer in the course's topic field -- who facilitates discussion about writing and how to succeed in the industry. Students must participate in "The Booth," meaning that they each must give classmates copies of work for them to read during the week and critique. The reader must listen to all comments before responding -- no apologies allowed. The idea is that others will find strengths and weaknesses the writer may not see. This can be an intimidating process, but it can also be very helpful -- particularly if you have an instructor who is not only skilled in his or her field, but is also a good moderator.