Whether this is your first writing class or you’re finishing your next book, The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence College helps writers grow and connect with a community of passionate writers.
Our classes and workshops range from generative experiences to revision focused workshops, including one day craft intensives and seminars on publishing. Virtual writing workshops and in person classes at our Bronxville, NY campus are available.
All writers welcome!
Questions about which class is best for you? Contact the Writing Institute at writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu. We're here to help.
Upcoming Classes
Social Justice & Speculative Fiction
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Online Asynchronous Course
Zoom with Instructor, Tuesdays, 8:00pm - 9:00pm EST
You Are The Expert: A Craft Class on Writing Memoir
When it comes to writing memoir and telling your stories, you are the expert. Join Vanessa Friedman for this beloved generative course dedicated to the craft of writing memoir. Beginner writers welcome!
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Tuesdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Zoom
"You Were Strangers": Writing From Your Jewish Roots
Start the summer by delving into the lives of your parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents who came to this country as strangers and helped shape the contemporary Jewish experience. Don't miss this intimate generative class with novelist Barbara Josselsohn.
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Tuesdays, 10:00am to 12:00pm EST on Zoom
Write On The River
Let's write outside together! Join the Writing Institute and Sarah Herrington for this mindfulness writing workshop on the bank of the Hudson River at SLC CURB. In this generative workshop we will alternate mindfulness meditation with writing exercises to help us develop our tools of awareness as writer/creators and get new words on the page.
Saturday, June 11, 2022
On site at SLC CURB (35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY)
12:00pm to 2:30pm
Mind Your Business: A Publishing Law Boot Camp for Writers
What does copyright mean to writers? When can you reference a song lyric or other material created by someone else in your manuscript? Learn answers to these questions and more in this one day seminar with lawyer and author Ginger McKnight-Chavers. Everything a writer needs to know about the business of publishing, from contracts to privacy rights to collaborating and more.
Saturday, June 18, 2022
On Campus
12:00pm to 4:00pm EST
The Rule of Threes: Writing Endings in Nonfiction
When it comes to writing essays and memoir, you've got to stick the landing. Which ending is the most effective for your story? Join essayist Jessica Pavia for this craft intensive on the types of endings in nonfiction and tools to help you find yours.
Sunday, June 26, 2022
12:00pm to 2:30pm EST on Zoom
Summer Session One: May & June
Registration closes one week before start date. Please see safety guidelines for on campus classes on registration page for on campus classes.- Novel Writing Master Class with Caitlin Alexander (Session One)
May 31 to July 1, 2022
Online Asynchronous - You Are The Expert: A Craft Class on Writing Memoir with Vanessa Friedman
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Tuesdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST On Zoom - Start Writing Your Novel With Ines Rodrigues
May 31 to June 27, 2022
Mondays, 1:00pm to 3:00pm EST On Zoom (first class meets Tuesday) - Social Justice & Speculative Fiction with Rita Perez-Padilla
May 31 to July 1, 2022
Online Asynchronous - "You Were Strangers": Writing From Your Jewish Roots with Barbara Josselsohn
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Tuesdays, 10:00am to 12:00pm EST on Zoom - Life Stories: A Writing Workshop for Ages 50+ with Cindy Beer-Fouhy
June 1 to June 29, 2022
Wednesdays, 12:00pm to 3:00pm EST on Zoom - Jumpstart Your Poetry Practice with Elaine Sexton
May 31 to June 28, 2022
Tuesdays, 5:00pm to 7:00pm EST on Zoom - Writing Home: Claiming & Reclaiming Our Past Through Nonfiction with Samantha Steiner
June 2 to June 30, 2022
Thursdays, 12:00pm to 2:00pm EST on Zoom - Reading & Discussing Poetry with Carla Carlson
June 2 to June 30, 2022
Thursdays, 10:00am to 12:00pm EST On Zoom - Write On The River: Mindful Writing with Sarah Herrington (at CURB)
Saturday, June 11, 2022
12:00pm to 2:30pm EST at Center for the Urban River at Beczak - One Day Seminar: Link Your Stories Into A Complete Collection with Tessa Smith McGovern
Saturday, June 4, 2022
1:00pm to 4:00pm EST On Campus and On Zoom (Hybrid) - Rewriting Your Story: Revision Workshop for Nonfiction Writers with Tyler Mills
Saturday, June 4, 2022
10:00am to 12:30pm EST on Zoom - Mind Your Business! Publishing Law Bootcamp for Writers with Ginger McKnight-Chavers
Saturday, June 18, 2022
12:00pm to 4:00pm EST on Campus - Representation Without Erasure: Disability in Speculative Fiction with William Cagle
Thursday, June 23, 2022
6:00pm to 8:30pm EST on Zoom - Your Pain Is My Pain: Creating Relatable Characters with Lee Anna Jackson
Saturday, June 25, 2022
10:00am to 12:30pm EST on Zoom - The Rule of Threes: Writing Endings in Nonfiction with Jessica Pavia
Sunday, June 26, 2022
12:00pm to 2:30pm EST on Zoom
Summer Session Two: July & August
Registration closes one week before start date. Please see safety guidelines for on campus classes on registration page for on campus classes.- Novel Writing Master Class with Caitlin Alexander (Session Two)
July 11 to August 12, 2022
Online Asynchronous - Poetic Hunger: A Generative Craft Class on Writing About Food with Molly Davidson
Saturday, July 9 & July 16, 2022
12:00pm to 3:00pm EST On Zoom - Publishing Short Humor Pieces with Janine Annett
Saturday, July 9, 2022
11:00am to 1:30pm EST On Campus - Submitting to Literary Journals with Samantha Steiner
Saturday, July 9, 2022
10:00am to 12:30pm EST On Zoom - Use Your Memories To Write Fiction with Rachel Mann
July 11 to August 8, 2022
Mondays, 11:00am to 1:00pm EST On Zoom - Bring Your Characters to Life with Victoria Provazza
July 11 to August 8, 2022
Mondays, 11:00am to 1:00pm EST On Campus - Learn How To Link Your Short Stories or Memoirs Into A Collection with Tessa Smith McGovern
July 12 to August 9, 2022
Tuesdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Zoom - The New Music Writing: Crafting the Personal Essay On Songs That Changed You with John Bazley
July 12 to August 9, 2022
Tuesdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Zoom - The Perfect Pitch: Crafting Your Essay for Online Publication with Terri Linton
July 13 to August 10, 2022
Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Zoom - Experiments in Form: Learning To Write From Art with Kristine Marx
July 14 to August 11, 2022
Thursdays, 6:00pm to 8:00pm EST on Zoom - Life Stories: A Writing Workshop for Ages 50+ with Cindy Beer Fouhy (Session Two)
July 14 to August 11, 2022
Thursdays, 6:00pm to 9:00pm EST on Zoom - Get Out of Your Own Way: Generative Experiments with Faith Padgett
Saturday, July 16, 2022
12:00pm to 2:30pm EST On Zoom - Five Days, Ten Thousand Words with Steve Lewis
Monday, July 18 to Friday, July 22, 2022
One Week Course, 10:00am to 12:00pm EST On Campus - Edit Like An Editor: Two Day Revision Nonfiction Workshop with Haley Swanson
Saturday, July 23 & Saturday, July 30, 2022
12:00pm to 3:00pm EST On Campus - How To Tell The Truth In Fiction, Nonfiction & Every Genre In Between with Vanessa Friedman
Saturday, July 23 & Saturday, July 30, 2022
12:00pm to 3:00pm EST On Zoom - Squirrels & Pine: Writing the Living World with Kuhu Joshi
Saturday, July 30, 2022
11:00am to 3:00pm EST On Campus
Upcoming Readings & Events
- Join us for a Writing Institute Community Reading! Summer dates TBA - stay tuned!
- Save the date: the Wrexham Road Reading Series returns on Thursday, June 23rd on campus.
To keep up to date on what's happening at The Writing Institute, sign up for our newsletter and watch this space for more information.
What Are Asynchronous Classes?
Does The Writing Institute Offer One-on-One Instruction?
We do not currently offer one-on-one instruction through The Writing Institute. However, our classes are small and offer individualized attention. Please reach out to us for course recommendations based on your specific needs at writinginstitute@sarahlawrence.edu.
What is Your Cancellation Policy?
Canceling a registration before a course starts:
Students may drop out of a class two business days prior to the start of class and receive a refund of their tuition minus a $25 administration fee and a $25 registration fee ($50 total).
Canceling a course registration after attending the first session:
Students who drop out of a course after the first class will be refunded 50% of their tuition.
Canceling a course registration after attending two or more sessions:
There will be no refunds after the second class. There will be some inevitable exceptions to this rule based on extenuating circumstances, at the discretion of the director of The Writing Institute.