Our students come from all over the world. But as far-flung as we are, at our core is a close-knit community of writers and teachers. Our teachers have deep training and experience with The Writers Studio method, having been students in the school themselves. Students and teachers alike come together throughout the year for readings that feature a mix of students and faculty, and well-known and up-and-coming authors.
We do not ask prospective students to submit a writing sample or application. Thanks to our exceptionally strong word of mouth, we consistently attract talented, receptive, and hard-working students.
We have created five distinct levels of in-person and online workshops, and four levels in our branches, addressing the needs of both the serious and casual writer. Students may take either one term or move up through the levels. Students may also take one of our six-week workshops on a range of topics. These workshops introduce students to our method and can provide an entrée into the levels.
Our teachers assign exercises using a mix of short texts — both classic and contemporary — as teaching tools. In the early levels, we expose students to both fiction and poetry assignments. Students inevitably find that when they work from a text in a less familiar genre, their understanding and skill grow in ways they never imagined.
We provide our students with a sturdy framework for analyzing the craft that goes into creating a successful story or poem.
We provide students with a common framework and vocabulary for offering constructive feedback to their classmates. The gradual development of this critical faculty makes them much more astute when it comes to assessing their own work, too.
Our teachers hold their students to a high standard, but we also understand that people have full lives, and that sometimes students will miss classes or skip assignments for a full range of good reasons.
We understand that it takes courage to share your writing with a group of people you have just met, and we treat you and your work with care and respect.
