creative writing classes in dc

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Writopia Lab runs creative writing workshops and camps , college essay workshops (and private sessions ), and so much more in the DC Metro area.

Tenleytown (NW DC) 4000 Albemarle Street, NW, Suite 308 Washington, DC 20016

Christ Crossman United Methodist Church 384 North Washington Street Falls Church, Virginia 22040

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phone: (202) 629-9510 email: [email protected]

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Summer Programs

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• Enroll now in  Fall, Winter, and/or Spring Trimester workshops .
• September 28th: Teen Open Mic in NYC!

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Weekly Trimester-Long Workshops

Check out the Weekly Trimester-Long Schedule .

Holiday & School Break Workshops

Check out the Half-Day and Full-Day schedules.

Summer Workshops and Camps

Check out the Summer Schedule .

If you love writing and want to share that love with young writers, apply today to join Writopia Lab! Click here to learn more!

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Learn about The Writer's Center

America's oldest poetry magazine

The Writer’s Center supports writers and everyone who wants to write! Every year we offer hundreds of creative writing workshops in all genres and for all experience levels, dozens of free events for writers , and countless opportunities to connect with the Washington DC and national literary communities.

The story of the writer’s center.

In late 1976, a group of writers, small press publishers, and literary enthusiasts came together to create an independent home for the literary arts in the Washington DC metro area. Led by three founders, Allan Lefcowitz, Patricia Griffith, and Mary MacArthur, more than 70 members, including Barbara Lefcowitz, Ann McLaughlin, John Hill, Merrill Lefler, and Richard Peabody, gathered to celebrate The Writer’s Center. This new home would bring together a community of likeminded individuals who would build relationships with one another and share their love of writing, literature, and the creation of books.

The Writer’s Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request. Contact The Writer’s Center at 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of copying and postage. The Writer’s Center is supported in part by The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Our Mission: To Inspire and Empower Young Writers

District Writers’ Academy’s mission is to create a safe, inspiring and fun place for pre-teens and teens to learn how to write—and to learn to love writing. Whether you want to increase your child’s confidence and academic performance as a writer or encourage your child to explore their creativity, our private writing tutoring and small group writing classes for kids will support them and help them find their voice.

Every Child Can Be a Good Writer

At District Writers’ Academy, we know that every child can be a good writer if they are taught the skills in a creative, patient, nonjudgmental environment. Our small-group writing classes and private tutoring sessions are hands-on, visual, interactive, and designed to build confidence and joy in the writing process.  We love seeing miracle transformations in students when they discover the power of their voice!

Teaching that Builds Trust

Kids quickly see that our writing classes and tutoring are different. As writers, we don't just tell them what their writing should look like, or where the commas go--we actually teach them HOW to get the results they want. We teach them the skills and strategies that we, as writers, have learned to make their own writing come to life. We understand the writing process realistically and teach students how to navigate it efficiently and effectively. This is the kind of teaching that inspires trust, that makes them writers for life.

More about our staff.

Private Writing Tutoring

One-on-one sessions to enhance performance

Academic Support Classes

For Academic Enrichment and College Prep.

Creative Writing Classes

Fiction, Poetry, Creative Expression

Summer Writing Camps

Academic, creative, and college-prep options!

Suzanne is an incredibly gifted writing teacher. When I was younger, I struggled a lot with synthesizing my thoughts into a coherent form of writing. Suzanne exhibited tremendous patience. She worked with me for hours and tutored me consistently throughout high school as I transformed as a writer. Suzanne helped me discover my creativity and confidence, and most importantly, she taught me how to love writing. My teachers even noticed a change in my writing and confidence, and I went on to major in a writing-intensive area of studies in my undergrad. Thank you so much, Suzanne

“It was fun! There were many writing exercises that I had never explored before. My instructor was very helpful and encouraging. We all took turns sharing our work, and everyone was kind. It made me feel very secure.”

"Suzanne convinced my kid that her creativity is worth sharing. I feel great knowing those foundational skills and confidence will benefit my daughter well into college and beyond.”  

“Camp was very fun because I felt like, as much as the teacher was teaching us, we were all working together and sharing thoughts and feedback as a group.” 

“Suzanne heavily influenced both of our children to open up and write like nobody had ever done before!  She has a gift!!”

Privacy Overview

A network of local writing groups in Washington D.C.

Capitol Hill Writers Group is a network of local writing groups in Washington, DC.  By connecting writers who are passionate about the craft, CHWG helps form the crucial support you need to keep writing.

Whether you are new to creative writing, getting back into it, or a seasoned author, Capitol Hill Writers Group provides the right amount of structure when you’re balancing full-time employment and a family.  

The close-knit community of fiction writers is your sounding board for new work.   Deadlines and accountability help you form writing habits that last throughout your professional career.  Constructive feedback from varied viewpoints enrich your writing, just as your unique perspectives on life and writing contribute to the group.

We are aspiring writers and published authors who embrace all fiction genres.   We provide structure and support through regular meetings, deadlines, and constructive critiques .

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Your Third Place.   A “third place” is that special community outside of home and office that helps a person thrive and feel fulfilled in life.   Creative writers need solitude to produce content but also need a place to help them hone their craft and grow as an artist.   Active participation in a writing group offers that face-to-face contact with other writers that can have an immediate and long-lasting impact on one’s development as a writer. 

Balance.   We understand how tricky it is to juggle family, work, and the passion for writing.   Most of our members work full-time and have family obligations.   We share strategies for carving out time for writing while maintaining   balance in life.   We are realistic about deadlines but encourage each other to meet personal writing goals. 

Lifelong Learning.   Creative writing involves a continual process of learning.   Members regularly share resources on improving one’s writing, developing professionally as a writer, and navigating the changing landscape of publishing. It doesn’t hurt that we live within walking distance of the world’s largest library.

Structure.   We believe in regular meetings.   While each group decides the day and time for their regular meetings, most groups find that a bi-weekly meeting schedule works quite well for developing a writing routine.

Accountability.   We adhere to deadlines.   The single-most important habit that a writer can develop is meeting deadlines.   Each group creates its own submission calendar that works with members’ other demands in life.

Feedback.   We follow the Clarion Method of critique.   The CHWG founder  attends the first meeting of newly-formed writing groups to give the members an orientation to the Clarion Method as well as tips for ensuring smooth and fruitful meetings.

Productivity. We help your story see the light of day. You know that novel you’ve been thinking about writing for the last few years?   We encourage you to get the story out of your head and onto paper.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Secret power.

Donna Sokol founded Capitol Hill Writers Group in January 2011 after the birth of her second child. The close-to-home group allowed her to pursue her passion for creative writing and find balance in her life.   CHWG participated in the inaugural Literary Hill BookFest in 2011 and has participated in the BookFest annually.   Each year, Donna launches new writing groups, bringing together writers who might not otherwise have met.

Donna began writing creatively as a child; then she went to college, where creative writing was all but beaten out of her.   She picked up the pen again after she swore off pursuits of higher education and has been extremely happy ever since.

Donna served as president of the Board for the Literary Hill BookFest (2016-2018) and led the first monthly fiction book club at East City Bookshop  (2016-2018).

Our application process is straightforward, and there are no application or membership fees.   To learn how to apply, please click Read More...

RECRUITMENT SEASONS

Starting January 2021, I will be launching writing groups under the PowerWriters brand via my website, donnasokol.com .

I have three recruitment seasons –Spring, Summer, and Fall–during which I form new writing groups based on the number of interested applicants. After a group forms, consenting members can add new members as needed or desired throughout the year. If you submit an application after the close of a recruitment period, I will hold your application for consideration until the next recruitment period.

To handle the growing membership, I will be orienting new members online. Instead of attending an in-person orientation, writers will receive an invitation to the online orientation , which is a live event you attend via Zoom. You’ll meet your new writing group members at the end of orientation! Soon after, you’ll receive an email from me with all your members’ names and email addresses. You’ll start meeting with your new group about 2 weeks after orientation.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

Please visit the PowerWriters page on donnasokol.com for the latest application deadlines.

No writing sample is necessary to apply.   Applications are due at 11:59 PM on the last day of open recruitment. 

If you are accepted, you will receive a confirmation email with a notice to save the date for the season’s orientation.

CHWG members are between the ages of 27 and 70 and represent an ethnic and racial cross-section of   Washington DC.   And, yes, we allow residents of Maryland and Virginia to become members!

Below are the writing groups that are currently part of the CHWG network. Click the plus sign to read more about each group.

If you see an existing group that is currently recruiting new members, you may request to join that group in your application. Acceptance depends on the applicant’s fit with the other group members and on available spots. New groups form four times a year. Check the Apply page for more information on application deadlines.

The Core Group

Write on the hill, the mightier swords, h street fiction, capitol quills, the morning group.

We also like image of the morning – that of a bright, fresh start, the beginning of something new, never before explored – all that writing means to us and we hope our final products will become.

We are working on fiction and non-fiction. We are starting new pieces and revising earlier works.

Night Writers

Writers write, the go group, the role breakers, solid scribes, the red line district, saturday speculative fiction group, red line emissaries, still writing.

Creative Writing Academy

• How to Apply

Summer 2024 Applications are CLOSED. Summer 2025 Applications will open in late Fall.

Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a wealth of new poems, stories, and essays, and allow you to experiment with innovative forms in the field of creative writing. The Academy will also focus on the publishing and professionalization aspects of the industry, exploring what markets are available for your writing, what jobs are available to creative writers, funding opportunities for your work, undergraduate and graduate programs in writing, and how to get published. Topics for discussion will include literary form and targeted craft points, often in relation to social, political, and environmental themes. In addition, this week-long program will feature excursions to sites around Washington, D.C., including an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to read your work aloud at Busboys and Poets, a famous D.C. literary hub.

Estimated Tuition:

Price includes tuition, housing, and meals. Commuter Student tuition is $2,625.

How You'll Benefit

• Participate in writing workshops
• Awaken your powers of observation, imagination, and description
• Learn concrete elements of the craft of writing in daily workshops
• Attend readings from published authors, who will lead interactive classes and conduct group discussions
• Work with Georgetown's expert creative writing faculty to bring out your most creative ideas
• Read excerpts from award-winning works and use them to develop your own original works
• Visit local monuments, world-renowned theaters, museums, and literary organizations
• Take part in peer critiques and learn how to revise and refine your writing

Program Format & Subject Areas

As a student in the Creative Writing Academy, you'll spend your day immersed in a blend of classroom lectures, field trips, hands-on activities, and group discussions. Throughout the week, you'll have the opportunity to explore the following subject areas:

• Personal prose
• Literary history
• Technique (story structure, character development, theme, description, dialogue)
• Finding good ideas and turning them into polished pieces
• Using great literature and art for inspiration

All in all, I fell in love with the program. I got to meet so many amazing people not only from the D.C. area but all around the country.

Having the chance to experience once in a lifetime opportunities and getting to meet people from around the world made it so I got to really experience what college life was like.

My #SummerHoya experience was enriching, inspiring, and rewarding; if I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again.

It was amazing to be surrounded by such high caliber students and staff who were all encouraging and fabulous to work with. I took away many positive things from my week as a Summer Hoya.

As I am filling out my college applications, I am able to think back to my memories from the summer and I am reassured that I am pursuing the right educational path.

The program offers so much–from the off-site visits to the daily lectures and the on campus activities. The lectures were interesting, meeting new people was great and the off-site visits were interactive and intriguing.

Want to learn more?

Request information to find out the latest on the Summer Programs for High School Students.

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• Summer 2025

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Washington, D.C., Resources for Writers

Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Washington, D.C., from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or simply a place to hang out with writers or submit your work, these are some Washington, D.C., writing organizations you might want to check out:

WriteByNight

For more than a decade, WriteByNight has helped writers in D.C. and beyond achieve their literary goals. And we want you to be next! Claim your free consultation  to learn about WBN’s customizable  one-on-one writers’ services , including:

Book Coaching :  If you’re writing a book and want some help along the way.

Manuscript Critique : If you’ve written a book and want a beta read, critique, or writing workshop.

Editing/Proofreading : If you’ve written a book and want someone to polish it for you.

Publication Assistance : If you’ve written a book and want help finding an agent or publisher.

A literary arts organization offering writing workshops, an author series, and eventually a writer’s residency in Winchester, VA.

D.C.’s branch of the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Offers classes and writing workshops in a wide variety of genres.

Conversations and Connections

Annual conference run by  Barrel House that features editors from a mix of established and cutting-edge literary magazines and small presses, all of whom will help you take the next step in publishing your work.

Hurston/Wright Workshop

A 2-day writing workshop for writers published or unpublished; offers peer review, instructor feedback, and a community of African American writers with which to share ideas and solutions.

The Inner Loop

A literary reading series and network in the D.C. metro area that also offers writing contests, residencies, retreats, and more.

An organization offering writing workshops, readings, retreats, write-ins, and more for writers in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

National Book Festival

The Library of Congress’ annual 2-day festival featuring author readings, signings, panel discussions and much more.

Politics and Prose Classes and Trips

Writing workshops and literary excursions from one of D.C.’s most popular bookstores.

Shout Mouse Press

A nonprofit press offering writing workshops and professional publication, allowing young people (12+) from marginalized backgrounds to sharpen their writing and storytelling skills and gain experience publishing their work.

Split This Rock

Dedicated to revitalizing poetry as a living, breathing art form with profound relevance in our daily lives and struggles. Its programs integrate poetry of provocation and witness into movements for social justice and support the poets of all ages who write and perform this vital work.

Stand-Up Studios

Comedy and storytelling classes for all levels.

Story District

Gives voice to people’s life experiences, supports artistic expression, builds community, and contributes to D.C.’s cultural capital and creative economy by promoting and teaching the art of autobiographical storytelling.

The Writer’s Center

Cultivates the creation, publication, presentation and dissemination of literary work through writing workshops, author readings and panels, and more.

Help us add to this list, Washington, D.C.-ans! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a Washington, D.C., literary journal we should be aware of? Let us know here

"Thank you, David, for reminding me I'm a real writer even when I don't feel like it." Bridget Farr The Truth About Everything (Flux)

Client Credits

We’ve helped writers publish with:

Simon & Schuster Little, Brown & Co. St. Martin’s Press Routledge & many more!

WriteByNight, LLC Brooklyn, New York

646.374.8174 [email protected]

Young people have important things to say

826DC helps DC students strengthen their writing skills, share what matters to them, and build a lifelong relationship with writing.

Free, year-round writing and publishing programs for DC students ages 6-18

We host programs at our Columbia Heights writing center, in schools, and in community spaces across the city.

After-School Writing Lab

A writing community for students, hosted at 826DC.

In-School Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Flexible short-and long-term writing residencies in collaboration with K-12 teachers.

Writing Workshops

Exploratory writing sessions across diverse topics and genres, outside of school.

Reading All-Stars

A Saturday morning literacy program for Harriet Tubman Elementary School students.

Field Trips

Two-hour writing and bookmaking experiences for the whole class.

Young Authors’ Book Project

A full-year classroom writing project, culminating in a book to be shared with readers across DC.

Spark a love of writing in your classroom

Check out our library of tips, tricks, and techniques to make teaching and learning writing skills more dynamic and fun.

Writers supporting writers

We’re a team of lifelong writers and educators who believe that writing is a fundamental tool for possibility. We recognize that for any individual to fully step into their own power, writing must be part of their skillset.

Get Involved

Make magic happen.

826DC is sustained by people who care as much as we do about young people. From jobs and internships, to volunteering, to donating, we invite you to help us support writing education in more classrooms.

Latest News

Meet the Staff: Robyn Lingo

Say hello to Robyn Lingo, 826DC’s sensational new Executive Director!

826DC Names Robyn Lingo Executive Director

826DC is delighted to announce Robyn Lingo as the organization’s new Executive Director! Following an extensive national search led by Good Insight, Lingo will begin her new role on August 1st.

826DC Chosen for 2024 Spur Local Class

Spur Local, formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy, recently announced its 2024 class of critical nonprofit partners. 826DC is one of them!

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Virtual Creative Writing Workshops

Virtual creative writing workshops on thursdays.

Creative writing is a tool for knowing yourself, understanding the world, and connecting with other people. Led by author  Seema Reza  and accomplished guest writers—including poets, memoirists, novelists, and storytellers—these community workshops follow the model developed by Community Building Art Works (CBAW) over the course of a decade of bringing people together in military and hospital settings. Each workshop is designed to help participants put their personal stories on paper in a supportive environment.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been writing for years, you are welcome; no experience is required. Bring a pen, a notebook, and an open mind!

Registration closes at 4pm Eastern Time before each session so we can prepare.   Please make sure you're subscribed to Strathmore emails to receive the Zoom info.

United States

(301) 581-5100

[email protected], free/pay what you can.

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Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts Degree

You are here: american university college of arts & sciences literature master of fine arts in creative writing.

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202-885-2971

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Hone Your Craft in the Capital City

For more than 30 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program. Our graduate workshops provide a rigorous yet supportive environment where students explore a range of approaches to the art and craft of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

As an MFA student at American, you are free to pursue a single genre or explore several. You will acquire a deeper understanding of your own work and hone your skills in a collaborative setting.

A Program of Study That Gets Results

This two-year, 36-credit-hour MFA program integrates writing, literary journalism, translation, and the study of literature to prepare students for a range of career possibilities. Write, give feedback, and receive guidance from a close-knit community of respectful peers and faculty. In the MFA program, you'll find lawyers, military veterans, musicians, teachers, and business executives who are passionate about the written word.

Connect with accomplished professors and the resources you need to reach your goal. Our faculty members have been featured in a variety of media and publications including the New Yorker , the New York Times , National Public Radio, Bill Moyers & Co., and the Washington Post.

Prominent Authors Dedicated to Your Success

Our faculty of award-winning poets, novelists, translators, and nonfiction writers will help you help you hone your craft and pursue your career as a writer. You will receive instruction and guidance from successful authors published by university presses and major publishers, including Houghton Mifflin, Scribner, Vintage Books, Viking Press, and WW Norton. Our active and engaged faculty members are regularly featured in top media outlets such as The New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and New Republic ; in literary journals like Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and Shenandoah ; and on television and radio.

A City For Writers

Living and learning in the nation's capital provides numerous benefits for MFA students. We partner with organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, Library of Congress, 826DC, Writopia Labs, and Folger Shakespeare Library to facilitate opportunities for our students.

Our students have recently published books with WW Norton, Copper Canyon, University of Wisconsin Press, and MIT Press. They have been featured on This American Life , Poets & Writers , in Creative Nonfiction , Psychology Today , and more.

We Know Success

97% of graduates are employed, in grad school, or both 6 months after graduation.

Our alumni have gone on to work for organizations including:

• Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
• EEO ClassIn
• Fulbright Association
• Goodwin University
• PEN/Faulkner Foundation
• Shout Mouse Press
• Street Sense Media
• The Building People
• W. W. Norton & Company, Inc

Publications

Folio is a nationally recognized literary journal sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at American University in Washington, DC. Since 1984, we have published original creative work by both new and established authors. Past issues have included work by Michael Reid Busk, Billy Collins, William Stafford, and Bruce Weigl, and interviews with Michael Cunningham, Charles Baxter, Amy Bloom, Ann Beattie, and Walter Kirn. We look for well-crafted poetry and prose that is bold and memorable.

News & Notes

Bringing Child Predators to Justice: The Work of Poet Jordan Pérez

Recent award-winning publications by our MFA alumni :

• Valzhyna Mort won the 2021 International Griffin Prize for her third poetry collection, Music for the Dead and Resurrected (FSG, 2020), which was named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by The New York Times.
• Field Study by Chet’la Sebree won the 2020 Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award; Mistress  won the 2018 New Issues Poetry Prize.
• "The Niece" by Yohanca Delgado was selected for the Distinguished Stories list in Best American Short Stories 2020 .
• Trouble Sleeping  by Abdul Ali won the 2014 New Issues Poetry Prize.
• Daydreamers by  Jonathan Harper was named a Kirkus Indie Books of the Month Selection.

Rachel Louise Snyder recounts how her mother’s death left her unmoored and untoward in her new memoir .

Kyle Dargan served as editor for The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer  with Janelle Monáe.

Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Literature) won the 2023 NAACP Image Award for fiction for her most recent novel, Take My Hand . 

Ralvell Rogers MFA, Creative Writing

More about ralvell.

MFA Creative Writing candidate Ralvell Rogers is making his mark on the literary world.

My time at AU has been brilliant in the fact that I've already learned much about what it means to be a Writer with a capital "W" and more importantly, a literary scholar. Though there is an obvious focus on our course work, it's been made clear to me that our work isn't exactly all that matters in the classroom. We are continuously connecting our work in class to the lives that we live on a daily basis and the world that we all live in, and I think that is very important for writers and entrepreneurs in the publishing sector because we are essentially the historians of our respective generations.

He is the author of The Kansas City Boys Choir: Providing Hope for Tomorrow , which has been endorsed by luminaries Kevin Powell, G.S. Griffin, and Congressman Emanual Cleaver II. Ralvell has also established his own publishing company, Ambitious Stories, LLC, out of Kansas City, MO. He founded it earlier this year to focus on "often unheard, yet riveting and inspiring stories from the heart."

Valzhyna Mort MFA Creative Writing

More about valzhyna.

Alumna Valzhyna Mort has gained international acclaim for her third poetry collection, Music for the Dead and Resurrected (FSG, 2020), which won the 2021 International Griffin Prize and was named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by the New York Times . Publishers Weekly called this work in their starred review, "poems of reclamation and resurrection; to live in them is to confront the hard work of witness." The New Yorker wrote in its review, "Memory, metaphor, and myth intermingle to sometimes nightmarish effect in this collection by a Belarus-born poet. Mort excavates the individual and communal traumas wrought by a violent and repressive national history, and calls herself 'a test-child exposed to the burning reactor of my grandmother’s memory.'" Mort teaches poetry, literature, and translation at Cornell University.

Look inside the Creative Writing MFA

For more than 40 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application deadline for a merit award.

The application deadline is February 1. All applications are automatically considered for merit awards. After February 1, the program continues to consider applications, but cannot guarantee those applicants will be considered for merit awards.

What is the MFA thesis?

The required MFA thesis consists of an original, book-length manuscript. It may be a novel, a novella, a memoir or collection of stories, creative nonfiction, or poems. The thesis is due approximately a month before the end of the student's final semester.

How long does it take to earn the MFA degree at American University?

Most students complete the 36-credit degree in 2 years. Full-time study is 9 credits (3 classes) per semester. Others pursue their degree part-time, taking 1-2 classes per semester as best fits their schedules. All workshops, and many literature courses, are offered at night, so that students with full-time jobs can still complete their coursework.

What does the admissions committee look for in an applicant's writing sample?

The committee regards the writing sample as the most important part of the application. It's therefore important that you pay close attention to the manuscript guidelines (see below). Send what you feel is your strongest work that shows your demonstrated talent. It is not important to the committee whether or not work has been previously published.

Those submitting applications in poetry should send no more than 12 poems or 15 pages (with no more than one new or continuing poem per page). If submitting fiction/nonfiction, please submit 15-25 pages. While the catalog calls for a 25-page writing sample, we value quality over quantity. We are interested in seeing only your very best work, which can consist of one or more stories or works of creative nonfiction or an excerpt from a novel. If you send an excerpt from a novel, please include a brief description of the work as a whole.

Still have questions? Email [email protected] .

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2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop (Washington, DC)

Get your writing published: march 23, 2024, the 2024 chesapeake writing workshop: march 23, 2024.

This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (175 total). All questions about the event regarding schedule, details and registration are answered below. Thank you for your interest in the 2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop! We are very proud of our many success stories where attendees sign with agents following events — see our growing list of success stories here .

(Please note that this is an in-person event. We at Writing Day Workshops plan both online/virtual as well as in-person events. This next CWW is an in-person event happening in Washington, DC [Arlington area] on Saturday, March 23, 2024. See you there.)

WHAT IS IT?

This is a special one-day “How to Get Published” writing workshop on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City. In other words, it’s one day full of classes and advice designed to give you the best instruction concerning how to get your writing & books published. We’ll discuss your publishing opportunities today, how to write queries & pitches, how to market yourself and your books, what makes an agent/editor stop reading your manuscript, and more. No matter what you’re writing — fiction or nonfiction — the day’s classes will help point you in the right direction. Writers of all genres are welcome.

This event is designed to squeeze as much into one day of learning as possible. You can ask any questions you like during the classes, and get your specific concerns addressed. We will have literary agents onsite to give feedback and take pitches from writers, as well. This year’s agent and editor faculty so far includes:

• literary agent Lori Steel (Red Fox Literary)
• literary agent Dani Segelbaum (Carol Mann Agency)
• literary agent Taj McCoy (Rees Agency)
• literary agent Max Sinsheimer (Sinsheimer Literary)
• literary agent Kirsten Neuhaus (Ultra Literary)
• literary agent Michelle Jackson (LCS Literary)
• literary agent Eric Smith (P.S. Literary)
• literary agent Stacey Graham (3 Seas Literary)
• literary agent Lane Clarke (Ultra Literary)
• editorial assistant Makayla Tabron (HarperCollins)
• literary agent Lauren Albury (Holloway Literary)
• literary agent Kayla Lightner (Ayesha Pande Literary)
• literary agent Bethany Jett (CYLE Literary)
• literary agent Dean Krystek (Wordlink)
• and more to come.

By the end of the day, you will have all the tools you need to move forward on your writing journey. This independent event is organized by coordinator Chuck Sambuchino of Writing Day Workshops . E-mail him to register for the event at [email protected] and say you’re interested in the Chesapeake event specifically.

EVENT LOCATION & DETAILS:

9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday, March 23, 2024 — at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, an IHG Hotel, 2650 Richmond Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202. The hotel has a courtesy block of rooms for conference attendees .

THIS YEAR’S SESSIONS & WORKSHOPS (MARCH 23, 2024):

What you see below is a quick layout of the day’s events. The topics below are mostly set, but subject to change. You can see a more detailed layout of the day’s classes on the Schedule Page here .

Please Note: There will be 2-3 classes/workshops going at all times during the day, so you will have your choice of what class you attend at any time. The final schedule of topics is subject to change, but here is the current layout:

8:30 – 9:30: Check-in and registration at the event location.

BLOCK ONE: 9:30 – 10:30

1.  Understanding the Publishing Industry in 2024 — From Hybrid Publishing to Artificial Intelligence and Everything in Between. Writers today have lots of choices and options, but that doesn’t mean your publishing journey is an easy path to navigate. How are traditional publishing and self-publishing changing? What kind of writer is attractive to an agent currently?

2. The Importance of Place: How Setting Unlocks Superior Storytelling . When a writer is stuck or the project feels flat, a fully realized setting can be the culprit. We’ll spend time diving into the concept of setting and how its power can unlock your story to become the standout project it deserves.

BLOCK TWO: 10:45 – 11:50

1. The Do’s and Don’ts of Querying Agents . This session will cover the ultimate “Do’s and Don’ts” of writing the perfect query letter to get you noticed by publishers and agents. The goal? A requested manuscript or proposal. 

2. How to Market Yourself and Your Books: Talking Author Social Media, Blogging, and Platform . Whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, everyone could use some helpful guidance on how to effectively market themselves and sell more books.

(What you see here is a quick layout of the day’s events. See a full layout of the day’s sessions, with detailed descriptions, on the official Schedule Page here .)

LUNCH ON YOUR OWN: 11:50 – 1:15

Lunch is on your own during these 85 minutes.

BLOCK THREE: 1:15 – 2:30

1. “Writers Got Talent”—a Page 1 Critique Fest , with participating literary agents and editors. In the vein of “American Idol” or “America’s Got Talent,” this is a chance to get your first page read (anonymously — no bylines given) with attending agents commenting on what was liked or not liked about the submission.

2. How to Sell a Nonfiction Book Proposal. This session is completely devoted to nonfiction that is not memoir. So if you are trying to create a nonfiction book proposal, this presentation is for you.

BLOCK FOUR: 2:45 – 3:45

1. Open Agent Q&A Panel. Several attending literary agents will open themselves up to open Q&A from CWW attendees. Bring your questions and get them answered in this popular session.

2. Evergreen Keys to Writing Success. Learn 10 things you can be doing right now that will help get your book(s) published and have more control over your writing destiny.

BLOCK FIVE: 4:00 – 5:00

1. How to Build a Cast of Characters . In this class, attendees will be challenged to consider their story as an emotional journey they are taking the reader on; examine the usefulness/unhelpfulness of words like hero, villain, protagonist, and antagonist; learn the VEAH system (Vehicles, Engines, Anchors, and Hazards) that will put character growth at the center of your story; and more.

2. Improving Your Craft Through Revision. This class will share guidance often used in providing critiques to help you strengthen your manuscript as a whole through layered revision. We’ll tackle topics relevant to formatting thoughts, setting and sensory details, character distinctions through expression and tone, removing filler words, and showing vs. telling.

SESSIONS END: 5:00

At 5 p.m., the day is done. Speakers will make themselves available by the workshop’s bookstore for a short while to sign any books for attendees.

Agent & Editor Pitching: All throughout the day.

PITCH AN AGENT OR EDITOR:

Lori Steel is a literary agent with Red Fox Literary. “For all projects, I seek stories with authentic, unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience. More specifically for YA, I would love to find a fresh take on fantasy tropes, contemporary stories that flip conventional scripts, unexpected historical and/or historical fantasy mash-ups that disrupt entrenched notions. I like middle grade contemporary, historical, horror, and fantasy fiction stories that demonstrate deep understanding of readers’ age, voice, and growing awareness of themselves and the world around them is paramount. For Graphic Novels, I’m looking for writer-illustrators crafting accessible contemporary and select nonfiction stories. For Picture Books, I’m eager to find writer-illustrators who craft stories with spare text and rich art, creators who play with structure, utilize collusion to engage participation, and don’t underestimate young readers. Nonfiction stories that surprise and instill a sense of wonder are always welcome. Whimsical, lyrical, and/or humorous stories that young readers will beg to read over and over again always top the list.” Learn more about Lori here.

ADDED ONLINE PITCHING : To ensure that writers have a robust and diverse lineup of agents & editors to pitch, 2024 Chesapeake Writing Workshop attendees will have the ability to also pitch literary agents at the Writing Day Workshops *online* event that follows the 2024 CWW on our calendar.

That event is the 2024 Online Writing Workshop of San Francisco , April 5-6, 2024, which will have 30-40 agents taking one-on-one Zoom virtual pitches.

This means that 2024 CWW attendees can have access to pitching all those online San Francisco agents — pitches still at $29 each — without being a formal registrant for the online April 2024 WWSF. (That said, if you want to formally register for the April 5-6 WWSF and have access to all classes and panels, let us know, as there is a discount for confirmed Chesapeake attendees.)

If you are interested in this added pitching opportunity, the first step is to get formally registered for DC. Following the CWW conference on March 23, 2024, we will be in touch with all Chesapeake attendees and ask them if they want to partake in pitching online agents at the 2024 WWSF (April 5-6) . At that time, you can communicate your pitch requests and purchase meeting time.

        More 2024 agents to be announced as they are confirmed. You can sign up for pitches at any time, or switch pitches at any time, so long as the agent in question still has appointments open.

These one-on-one meetings are an amazing chance to pitch your book face-to-face with an agent, and get personal, individual feedback on your pitch/concept. If the agent likes your pitch, they’ll request to see part/all of your book — sending you straight past the slush pile. It also gives you an intimate chance to meet with an agent and pick their brain with any questions on your mind.

(Please note that Agent/Editor Pitching is an add-on, separate aspect of the day, for only those who sign up. Spaces are limited for these premium meetings, and pricing/detail is explained below.)

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$199 — EARLY BIRD base price for registration to the 2024 CWW and access to all workshops, all day. As of fall 2023, registration is now OPEN. Just email [email protected] and say you want to register for the Chesapeake workshop.

Add $29 — to secure a 10-minute one-on-one meeting with any of our literary agents or editors in attendance. Use this special meeting as a chance to pitch your work and get professional feedback on your pitch. (Spaces limited.) If they wish, attendees are free to sign up for multiple 10-minute pitch sessions at $29/session — pitching multiple individuals, or securing 20 minutes to pitch one person rather than the usual 10. Here are four quick testimonials regarding writers who have signed with literary agents after pitching them at prior Writing Day Workshops events. (Our bigger, growing  list of success stories an be seen here .)

Add $69 — for an in-depth, personal critique of your one-page query letter from Chuck Sambuchino, one of the day’s instructors. (This rate is a special event value for Chesapeake Writing Workshop attendees only.) Registrants are encouraged to take advantage of the specially-priced critique, so they can send out their query letter with confidence following the workshop. Also, if you are meeting with an agent at the event, you’re essentially speaking your query letter aloud to them. Wouldn’t it be wise to give that query letter (i.e., your pitch) one great edit before that meeting?

Add $89 — for an in-depth personal critique of the first 10 pages of your novel. Spaces with faculty for these critiques are very limited, and participating attendees will either 1) get an in-person meeting at the workshop, if the faculty member is attending the live event, or 2) get a 10-minute phone call with the faculty member, and have notes passed along via email, if the critiquer is not attending the live event. Options:

• Fantasy (both YA and adult), fantasy romance, contemporary romance, women’s fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Shauna Golden , a former agent, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
• Women’s, mainstream, science fiction, fantasy, romance, crime, thriller, mystery (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Michelle McGill-Vargas , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, meet with you online (Zoom, etc.) or by phone for 15 minutes sometime before the workshop to discuss her thoughts, and pass along written critique notes before or after the meeting.
• Middle grade, young adult; adult fiction in the areas of low fantasy, literary fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, women’s fiction, historical fiction, and mainstream fiction (virtual critiques) : Faculty member Joel Brigham , a writing coach and author, will get your work in advance, critique the first 10 double-spaced pages of your book, talk with you virtually (Zoom/phone) for 15 minutes sometime around the workshop to discuss his thoughts, and pass along written critique notes.
• More critique options forthcoming.

How to pay/register — Registration is now open. Reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] , and he will provide specific instructions for payment and registration to get you a reserved seat at the event. Payment is by credit card, PayPal, or check. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Chesapeake workshop specifically.

REGISTRATION:

Because of limited space at the Holiday Inn National Airport/Crystal City, the workshop can only allow 175 registrants. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

Are spaces still available? Yes, we still have spaces available. We will announce RIGHT HERE, at this point on this web page, when all spaces are taken. If you do not see a note right here saying how all spaces are booked, then yes, we still have room, and you are encouraged to register.

How to Register : The easy first step is simply to reach out to workshop organizer Chuck Sambuchino via email: [email protected] . Chuck will pass along registration information to you, and give instructions on how to pay by credit card, PayPal, or check. Once payment is complete, you will have a reserved seat at the event. The CWW will send out periodic e-mail updates to all registered attendees with any & all news about the event. Because Chuck plans different workshops, make sure you note that you’re inquiring about the Chesapeake workshop specifically.

Refunds : If you sign up for the event and have to cancel for any reason at any time, you will receive 50% of your total payment back [sent by check or PayPal]. The other 50% is nonrefundable and will not be returned, and helps the workshop ensure that only those truly interested in the limited spacing sign up for the event. (Please note that query editing payments and manuscript editing payments are completely non-refundable if the instructor has already edited your work.)

Thank you for your interest in the Chesapeake Writing Workshop.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kayla Lightner of Ayesha Pande Literary

Kayla started her career at Liza Dawson Associates. She also managed APL’s subsidiary rights department for two years before transitioning to full-time agent. Her client list includes multi-award-winning actor, Delroy Lindo; multi-award-winning journalist and food writer, Annabelle Tometich; and Vice, Teen Vogue, and Longreads contributor, Minda Honey.

Kayla is an adventurous reader who loves stories (typically adult; though there are a select few middle-grade titles on her list) within upmarket fiction, literary fiction, and nonfiction. She’s looking for writers that can masterfully straddle the line between story-telling and teaching readers something new (about themselves, their communities, or the world we live in).

Kayla is a Georgia native and earned her B.A. in English from Vassar College. When Kayla’s not reading, she can be found writing, reminiscing on her rugby days, and trying to retain her (waning) fluency in French by watching French shows on Netflix.

I love discovering diverse and fresh new perspectives across adult literary + upmarket fiction and nonfiction. I’m particularly a fan of authors with singular voices that masterfully straddle the line between story-telling and teaching readers something new (about themselves, their communities, or the world we live in).

Within Fiction, I’m looking for…

Magical realism with southern gothic elements like Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward; books that use speculative elements as a means to examine history like These Ghosts Are Family by Maisy Card (no slave narratives, please.)

Book Club Fiction with an entertaining core premise and flawed characters we can’t help but root for, but still maintains sharp, incisive prose on a line-level like Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid and The Maid by Nita Prose.

Family Sagas that turn the picket white-fence narrative on its head and/or are rooted in the immigrant experience like Zadie Smith’s White Teeth ; or sit in the tensions of familial relationships (whether is be spouses, parent/child, or siblings) like American Marriage by Tayari Jones, With Teeth by Kristen Arnett, or The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.

Within Nonfiction, I’m looking for…

Narrative Histories that are compelling, well-researched stories about forgotten / willfully overlooked moments in history and the ripple effects they have on our modern-day life like Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson.

Deeply reported narrative nonfiction that examines race, class, current events, arts, business, and technology like Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

“Big Idea Books” that critique the different ways the internet and “internet culture” currently impact our lives, and that take pop culture seriously, like Lurking by Joanne McNeil, Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke,and Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino

Platform-driven Memoirs that take me inside a previously inaccessible community, a niche sub-culture, or a unique way of life like Uncanney Valley by Anna Weir.

Practical Nonfiction that taps into gen-z’s changing attitudes around work, money, and mental health.

True Crime that provides a fresh perspective on scams and multi-level-marketing schemes

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Makayla Tabron of HarperCollins

She was formerly an intern at the agency Defiore & Co.

At the 2024 in-person CWW, Makayla is using her one-on-one attendee meetings for editorial help and guidance, not for submissions. In other words, she cannot take pitches on behalf of her imprint. However, she can use her experience and knowledge to help writers on their path. Use a 10-minute meeting with her to ask questions about writing/publishing, or present your first page or query for her quick thoughts. She welcomes all types of writers writing all types of books to consult with her.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Kirsten Neuhaus of Ultra Literary

“My top nonfiction categories are memoir, business books, journalist authored issue driven or current events narratives, and parenting. On the fiction side I do occasionally represent young adult.” She represents primarily nonfiction, in the categories of: Business/Finance; Memoir; Advice/Relationships/Self-Help; Food/Beverage; Health/Medicine; Lifestyle; Culture/Pop Culture; Biography; How-To; Parenting; Science/Technology;  Body, Mind & Spirit;  Illustrated/Art; Reference.

Kirsten believes that books provide an incredibly powerful method to deliver important messages to readers around the world. Those messages can and do change not just the conversations we have with each other, but also with ourselves. Her list of clients includes entrepreneurs, personalities, influencers and thought leaders across a wide range of industries. Her hands on, thoughtful approach to representation begins with helping her authors develop the right book concept to best highlight their stories and goals, in addition to connecting with and enhancing their existing platforms.

Once she’s procured the best possible deal and publisher for her clients, she remains a steady presence by their side, ensuring each step of the process is handled as seamlessly and carefully as possible. This approach helps her clients have successful books the first time around, and on subsequent books as well.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Dean Krystek of Wordlink

He works on book, TV, and film projects.

After retiring from a long military career, Dean put away his uniform and decided to follow his passion for books. He is an alumnus of the University of Maryland and the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in English. He’s a published novelist and short story writer. He currently resides in Pennsylvania with his wife Lynda.

He is seeking : Dean is looking for authors with distinctive voices whose narratives invoke a strong sense of time and place and whose stories create a memorable reading experience. He’d like to see mysteries (whodunit, cozy); sci-fi (space opera, dystopian, alternate history, time travel); psychological suspense; thrillers (looking for small town America setting vs international in scale); military fiction (character-driven pieces; favoring post-WWII, such as Vietnam).

In young adult and middle grade fiction, he would like to see mysteries, paranormal, sci-fi, coming of age, and suspense with writing that stirs the imagination and caters to the young reader’s sense of wonder and adventure.

Dean is also looking for film & television projects to develop in his areas of interest either as original works or adaptations of an author’s work (published or unpublished).

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Eric Smith of P.S. Literary

He’s worked on award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles, and began his publishing career at Quirk Books. A frequent blogger, his ramblings about books and the publishing industry regularly appear on Book Riot, Paste Magazine, and Publishing Crawl. He also occasionally writes books when he finds the time, like his latest, Don’t Read the Comments (Inkyard Press).

Eric is eagerly acquiring fiction and nonfiction projects. He’s actively seeking out new, diverse voices in young adult (particularly sci-fi and fantasy), middle grade, and literary and commercial fiction (again, loves sci-fi and fantasy, but also thrillers and mysteries). In terms of non-fiction, he’s interested in cookbooks, pop culture, humor, middle grade, essay collections, and blog-to-book ideas.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lori Steel of Red Fox Literary

Lori began her career in young people’s literature first as an educator and school librarian, and later as a freelance editor and writing instructor. She is also a writer and earned an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. As a Red Fox Literary Agent, Lori approaches her work from these diverse industry experiences and perspectives. She’s a long-time member of SCBWI and ALA, and passionately believes all readers deserve equal access to stories, no matter their age.   Lori’s clients include both debut and award-winning authors, and she continues to seek diverse perspectives, literary approaches, and unique story experiences to add to her list. Lyrical language, compelling settings, and stories told with heart are areas of particular interest in any genre/audience.    Originally from the Washington DC area, Lori has also called Appalachia and England home. When not at her desk, you can often find her plotting her next travel adventure, testing out a new recipe, or pottering in her Washington DC garden with her English husband and their secret-agent pup sidekick, Juice. 

She is seeking:

For all projects, I seek stories with authentic, unforgettable voices that reflect the diverse world we inhabit, instill the possibility of hope and change, and illuminate the shared human experience.

More specifically for YA, I would love to find a fresh take on fantasy tropes, contemporary stories that flip conventional scripts, unexpected historical and/or historical fantasy mash-ups that disrupt entrenched notions. I’m always on the look-out for genre-bending writing in the vein of A.S. King!

Middle Grade contemporary, historical, horror, and fantasy fiction stories that demonstrate deep understanding of readers’ age, voice, and growing awareness of themselves and the world around them is paramount.

For Graphic Novels, I’m looking for writer-illustrators crafting accessible contemporary and select nonfiction stories.

For Picture Books, I’m eager to find writer-illustrators who craft stories with spare text and rich art, creators who play with structure, utilize collusion to engage participation, and don’t underestimate young readers. Nonfiction stories that surprise and instill a sense of wonder are always welcome. Whimsical, lyrical, and/or humorous stories that young readers will beg to read over and over again always top the list.

Themes/ideas/atmospheres that intrigue me:

• Nonfiction picture books about ecology/environmentalism written from unusual perspectives
• Regional setting/voices
• Found families
• Endearing meet-cute stories
• Musical motifs
• Verse, multiple POV and/or interpolated/mixed media novels
• Setting as character and/or antagonist
• In all seriousness: Stories that are important and extend the conversation.

I’m  NOT  the right agent for:

• YA Nonfiction
• Hard sci-fi
• Didactic, overly sentimental, and message-driven books
• Stand-alone board books, early readers, and chapter books
• Boarding school settings
• Vampires, werewolves, zombies
• Stories devoid of hope
• Rhyming PBs in the vein of Seuss or Silverstein

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Lauren Albury of Holloway Literary

After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in English from The College at Southeastern, Lauren interned with FinePrint Literary Agency in New York City. Prior to becoming a literary agent, Lauren was with Holloway Literary for two years as an intern and literary assistant.

• Literary fiction
• Historical fiction
• Book club/Women’s
• Upmarket fiction

Wishlist specifics:

• Caribbean stories and voices
• Southern settings
• Romantic themes
• Rich immersive settings like Where the Crawdads Sing and lyrical prose like All the Light We Cannot See

Not a good fit for:

• Political or pandemic themes
• Sci-fi/fantasy/dystopian/magical realism
• Please no ghosts or aliens or torture

“I enjoy all kinds of literary and upmarket fiction. Show me how beautiful and lyrical the English language can be. Give me compelling characters with unexpected story arcs. Immerse me in another culture so I feel like I grew up there. Make me laugh with sharp wit and cry at poignant subtleties. Teach me something new about the human experience and what it means to be alive. I love when art parallels life, so I’m a sucker for gritty, raw, and realistic writing with an achingly bittersweet/unhappy ending a la Gone with the Wind or La La Land (non-sappy happy endings are OK too though). My favorite kinds of stories happen when romance exists as a compliment to a killer plot. Religious themes are ok as long as they aren’t cheesy and self-righteous or over the top.

“I’m looking for well-researched historical novels from all time periods and settings. As a multi-generational citizen of The Bahamas, I am particularly keen to find stories set in the Caribbean and/or by Caribbean authors.”

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Max Sinsheimer of Sinsheimer Literary

 I represent a wide range of adult nonfiction, with a particular interest in popular science, true crime, history, food and cookery, travel/adventure, and social issues. I love when the author has a personal angle into a larger societal story, as in Disposable City, which is about Miami’s sea level rise crisis, but begins with the author’s decision to buy a home in the city he grew up in, only to realize that the properties he’s viewing would literally be under water within a 30-year mortgage term.

I’m also on the lookout for great place-specific narratives; two examples from my list would be the sake travelogue Exploring the World of Japanese Craft Sake, which won a James Beard Award last year, and Mars on Earth (forthcoming 2024), where the author goes on a 1,200-mile journey deep into the Atacama Desert of northern Chile, searching for a deeper understanding of his partner and his adoptive homeland. Finally, I’m keen to work with more investigative journalists like Steve Hendricks, who tenaciously researched the suspicious death of the American Indian activist Anna Mae Aquash in The Unquiet Grave , going so far as to sue the FBI for unseen documents over a period of years.

Prior to founding my agency I managed Oxford University Press’s influential food and drink Companion series, multi-authored, subject-defining works that included The Oxford Companion to Beer (2011), The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (2015), Savoring Gotham (2015), The Oxford Companion to Cheese (2016), and The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails (2021). The series has won or been nominated for James Beard, IACP, Gourmand, and other food writing awards. While I enjoyed my time at OUP immensely, I wanted to represent my authors’ interests more completely. Since founding my agency in 2016, I can!

I have a BA in English lit from Middlebury College and an MA in liberal studies from Duke University. I live with my fiancé in Washington, D.C., and travel back and forth to NYC often to meet with editors and visit family. In my free time I play an unhealthy amount of online chess.

Get to Know an Agent in Attendance: Michelle Jackson of LCS Literary

An educator for over 20 years, Michelle is also a published author, writing professionally as Michelle Lindo-Rice for Mira and Harlequin Special Edition and Zoey Marie Jackson for Harlequin Love Inspired. She has earned educational degrees from New York University, SUNY at StonyBrook, Teachers College Columbia University and Argosy University.

“I represent books that evoke heartfelt emotions and fervent conversations among its readers. My mission is to mentor and develop authors, particularly those from underrepresented communities, and help them build a brand of quality and authentic reads. I am actively building my list and I’m looking for authors with stories that leave me feeling all the feels. I want books that make my heart squeeze, make me ugly cry, have my heart pound or make me laugh until I cry. I love love love romance and feel-good stories that make my heart sigh with contentment at the end. I am seeking books from all genres that still have an underlying message of hope and joy. I do enjoy twisty reads that keep me guessing and that makes my eyes burn at night. I am also a lover of stories involving great friendships and those that explore family dynamics in new ways.

“Give me a great premise, a twist on an old tale and some great descriptive writing. I want to feel as if I am living the story right up until the end.”

Adult Fiction wishlist: commercial, historical, humor, new adult, romance, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, women’s fiction.

Adult fiction sub-genres of interest to Michelle: contemporary romance, multicultural, psychological thrillers, romantic comedy, romantic suspense.

Young Adult Fiction: contemporary, historical, Christian, romance

Middle Grade: contemporary, mystery, magical realism

Children’s picture books: author/illustrators, nonfiction

Nonfiction: biography, true crime, self-Help, relationships, cookbooks, narrative, spirituality

‘It was like we were garbage’: Stanford to ‘cycle out’ creative writing lecturers

One creative writing lecturer requested anonymity due to fears of professional retaliation. Pseudonyms and gender neutral pronouns were used to protect sources’ identities and improve readability.

Many of Stanford’s creative writing lecturers will be phased out over the next two years, as the University restores the Jones Lectureship’s term limit as part of the restructuring of the Creative Writing Program.

The restructuring, executed under the recommendation of a working group formed after the lecturers secured pay raises last September, was announced in a Zoom meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 21 by Humanities and Sciences dean Debra Satz, Humanities and Arts senior associate dean Gabriella Safran and Creative Writing Program co-director Nicholas Jenkins. The working group was composed of creative writing faculty members but no Jones Lecturers. 

The Jones Lectureship came with a four-year cap that only began to be enforced on fellows hired after 2019, but over the course of the years, some lecturers have stayed longer than the terms of the program. With the restoration of the original term-limited appointments, however, all current Jones Lecturers — including those hired prior to 2019 — will be let go within the next two years.

Some lecturers have already been affected; for instance, Rose Whitmore was dismissed in 2023 after winning that year’s Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize.

For Casey, a lecturer who requested the use of a pseudonym due to fear of professional retaliation, the Wednesday meeting felt cold and awkward.

“It was like we were garbage,” Casey said. “They didn’t even acknowledge how difficult this news would be, and when they did give us time to ask questions, the way they fielded the questions, particularly [Jenkins], it was just very cold and very dismissive.”

Safran disagreed with Casey’s characterization in a statement on behalf of the Creative Writing Program and the School of Humanities and Sciences. The Daily also reached out to the University for comment but has not obtained a response.

During the Wednesday meeting, the deans told the lecturers that they would be “cycled out.” They clarified that it meant the lecturers’ jobs would be “terminated,” Jones Lecturer Tom Kealey told The Daily. Some lecturers will be teaching for an additional year, while others will be teaching for two more years. Kealey called the situation a “future fire.” 

“We were brought in to discuss the ‘restructuring’ of the overall program, and then we were all fired,” Kealey said. One lecturer even told him the meeting felt like the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones. 

Five minutes after the meeting, an email from Christina Ablaza, the administrative director of the Creative Writing Program, informed the lecturers that they could sign up for one-on-one meetings to discuss their individual situations. 

Lecturers to be affected by the decision were frustrated that they had no say in the phase-out. But Satz and Safran do not have voting power in the working group either — only the faculty members do. The faculty members made the decision “to fire all 23 of their junior colleagues” in what Kealey called a “secret meeting.” 

“I got the impression that the deans themselves were confused as to why the professors had voted to fire them,” Kealey said.

Kealey believed that 10 out of all the creative writing faculty members on the working group only taught 13 undergraduate classes last year, while the same number of Jones Lecturers would have taught 50 classes. Lecturers also advise about 90% of students in the Creative Writing Program and 50% of students in Department of English, he estimated.

Many students expressed concerns that they will lose a strong community of creative writing peers and classes. They are also confused as to what the program will look like in the future. 

Students are receiving information from each other, lecturers, a recently created Instagram page called “ripstanfordcw” (which stands for rest in peace, Stanford creative writing) and even from Fizz, an anonymous social media platform. The confusion comes a week before course enrollment is set to begin on Sept. 5.

Students have tried to voice their displeasure with the current decision. A petition , started by Kyle Wang ’22 M.A. ‘23, has received over 600 signatures from students and alumni. He began the petition after talking to some of his friends about the positive impact many of the Jones Lecturers have had on their lives. Other community membes tried to write emails to University administrators.

In an online announcement published on Wednesday, Aug. 28, the Creative Writing Program states that Stanford will increase “the number of creative writing classes to better meet high student demand as well as ensuring competitive compensation for both the lecturers and fellows.” According to the statement, more details will be released in the fall. 

“I know they said that they were having meetings and they’re reworking [the program], but it’s not very transparent,” said English major Skya Theobald ’25.

Mia Grace Davis ’27, a prospective English major, wanted to take “English 190E: Novel Writing Intensive,” a class known for its popularity and limited enrollment, in the fall. Now she is not even sure if it will be offered in the future. 

For Davis, the main appeal of Stanford had always been its Creative Writing Program, but “it’s kind of falling apart as we’re watching it,” she said.

To students who have taken numerous creative writing classes like Theobald, it doesn’t make sense why lecturers are being cycled out when the program wants to meet the growing demand for creative writing. 

Prospective English major Annabelle Wang ’27 said what’s happening has even made her reconsider her course of study.

“It definitely makes the English major less desirable,” she said of the phase-out. “I think for students and the student experience, it’s going to be a really big loss. A lot of community is going to be lost.”

Theobald also expressed concerns the variety of creative writing classes will be reduced. A lot of them such as “English 190G: The Graphic Novel” and “English 190E: Novel Writing Intensive” are rarely offered at other universities, but incoming freshmen now may not have the same opportunities to explore those classes. For instance, specialized classes like “The Graphic Novel” may not be offered again if the lecturers who teach them are let go, Kealey said.

Students felt that the Jones Lecturers have shaped the way they view their own writing. Lydia Wang ’27 had often struggled to understand the value of her writing, but her lecturers were the ones to help her realize there is a place in the world for what she creates. 

“That’s the type of impact that really changes people, and when people change, they can change the world as well,” she said. “So I really hope that Stanford learns to value the humanities, and especially creative writing, because we’re creating change, and we’re creating something for ourselves.” 

Some lecturers remain hopeful that the restructuring, which is ongoing, will be reconsidered.

“I may be naive, but I still believe in Stanford. I think Stanford is much better than this,” Kealey said. “I think as light is shed on this, enough people are going to say, ‘This doesn’t make our university better. It makes our university much worse.’”

Judy N. Liu '26 is the Academics desk editor for News and staff writer at The Daily.

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