gotham creative writing 101

Gotham Writers

Creative nonfiction 101.

Creative Nonfiction 101 is a 6-week class, which includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s for beginners or anyone who wants a refresher. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

Creative nonfiction encompasses prose pieces that spring from the real world, which are told with the finesse and fizz of fiction. The truth is shaped into stories that embrace all styles, from straight to zany to brainy to lyrical, encompassing every topic imaginable from schoolyard memories to a trek in Nepal to the creation of the universe. You’ll see such pieces everywhere: books, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, newsletters.

Here you will gain an introduction to six major forms of creative nonfiction— memoir, personal essay, feature articles, profiles, reviews, and travel writing. You’ll learn what they are and how to create them. It’s a sampler platter, with no pressure to work on a specific project or settle on which type of nonfiction you prefer.

If you’re eager to explore the endless possibilities of nonfiction, your guided tour begins here.

I took the course because I hadn't written anything but a journal for 20 years. I wondered if I had skill and what kinds of writing I would enjoy, and now I have answers to those questions. It's a terrific course for anyone who wants to explore the basics of nonfiction writing.

Margaret Hamilton

The 101 courses do not include workshopping of student projects, but students write and receive feedback on writing exercises and assignments.

Upcoming Classes NYC COVID Info

• Starts Tuesday, September 10 Online , anytime 6-Week Class Michael Dunphy
• Starts Thursday, September 26 NYC , 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET 6-Week Class
• Starts Monday, September 30 Zoom , 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET 6-Week Class
• Starts Tuesday, October 8 Online , anytime 6-Week Class Shahnaz Habib
• Starts Tuesday, October 8 Zoom , 2pm – 5pm ET 6-Week Class
• Starts Wednesday, October 9 NYC , 2pm – 5pm ET 6-Week Class
• Starts Tuesday, November 12 Online , anytime 6-Week Class
• Class Full. Join wait list. Starts Tuesday, August 13 Online , anytime 6-Week Class Michael Dunphy

Registration fee $25, paid once per term

Anytime, week-long sessions

Tuition: $339

Tour an Online Class

Real-time videoconference

Tour a Zoom Class

Tuition: $355

Tour an NYC Class

Tuition: $1,195

Explore One-on-One Options

This course explores the major types of creative nonfiction, and the techniques that go with them. Course components:      Lectures      Writing exercises New York City/Zoom classes Week 1 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction: What is Creative Nonfiction? The difference between articles and essays. The role of the angle. Imagination in nonfiction writing.

     Focus: Feature articles.

Week 2 Characters in Nonfiction: Transforming flesh-and-blood people into characters in a story. Using angles to define characters. Using character sketches to craft angles.

     Focus: Profiles.

Week 3 Being Subjective: The art of description in nonfiction. When to be subjective. How to be opinionated but fair.

     Focus: Reviews.

Week 4 Sense of Place in Nonfiction: Setting descriptions. Finding and re-creating the mood. Use of observation. The difference between travel articles and travel essays.

     Focus: Travel writing.

Week 5 Personal Narratives: Differences between forms of personal narrative. Structure of essays vs. articles. Use of reflection and point of view.

     Focus: Personal essay.

Week 6 The Life of the Writer: Drawing from your own life for your stories. Making room in your life for storytelling. Persistence and perseverance.

     Focus: Memoir writing.

Note: Content may vary among individual classes. Online classes  Week 1 Memoir: An aspect of life. Mining your memory. Telling a real-life story.

Week 2 Personal Essay: Any topic goes. Make it personal and universal. Shape and voice.

Week 3 Feature Articles: Telling a journalistic story. Feature structure. Feature ingredients.

Week 4 Profiles: Selecting someone to write about. Interviewing. Capturing a person on the page.

Week 5 Reviews: Purpose of a review. Facts and opinion. Playing to your audience.

Week 6  Travel Writing: Travel Articles. Travel Memoir. What’s next on your nonfiction journey?

Note: Content may vary among individual classes.

Michael Dunphy

Michael Dunphy has pubished articles and essays in CNN, USA Today , Forbes , Tablet , American Way , Travel + Leisure , Travel Weekly , Time Out , Virtuoso Life, TravelAge West, and Beer Advocate . He is a contributing editor to Fodor's travel guides, the former managing editor of FlyWashington , Air Chicago , and LAX magazines, and former editor-in-chief of the newspaper  The Bridge  in Montpelier, Vermont. He holds a BA from the University of Vermont and an MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College.

Shahnaz Habib

Shahnaz Habib is the author of the nonfiction book Airplane Mode (Catapault, forthcoming), and the translator of the novel Jasmine Days , for which she and the author Benyamin won the JCB Prize, India's most valuable prize for literature. Her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker online, Creative Nonfiction , Agni , Brevity , The Guardian , and Afar . She has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists' Fellowship in Nonfiction Literature, and her work has been cited in the Best American Essays series. She holds a BA from Mahatma Gandhi University, an MA in English Literature from the University of Delhi, and an MA in Media Studies from the New School.

has pubished articles and essays in CNN, USA Today , Forbes , Tablet , American Way , Travel + Leisure , Travel Weekly , Time Out , Virtuoso Life, TravelAge West, and Beer Advocate . He is a contributing editor to Fodor's travel guides, the former managing editor of FlyWashington , Air Chicago , and LAX magazines, and former editor-in-chief of the newspaper  The Bridge  in Montpelier, Vermont. He holds a BA from the University of Vermont and an MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College.

is the author of the nonfiction book Airplane Mode (Catapault, forthcoming), and the translator of the novel Jasmine Days , for which she and the author Benyamin won the JCB Prize, India's most valuable prize for literature. Her short stories and nonfiction have appeared in The New Yorker online, Creative Nonfiction , Agni , Brevity , The Guardian , and Afar . She has been awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists' Fellowship in Nonfiction Literature, and her work has been cited in the Best American Essays series. She holds a BA from Mahatma Gandhi University, an MA in English Literature from the University of Delhi, and an MA in Media Studies from the New School.

Related Courses

Creative writing 101.

A great entry point for all prose writing—fiction or nonfiction.

Essay & Opinion Writing I

Various types of viewpoint writing—essays, op-eds, reviews, and more.

Memoir Writing I

True stories about aspects of the writer’s life, whether essay or book-length.

Children’s Book Writers Conference

September 28-29

Gotham Writers

Creative writing 101.

Creative Writing 101 is a 6-week class, which includes a mixture of lectures and exercises. It’s for beginners or anyone who wants a refresher. Farther down, you can view a syllabus for this course.

Are you eager to test the waters of creative writing but not sure where to start, or how? Have you written previously but been away for a while and hope to dip back in?

Here you will be guided surely and safely into the writing life. There’s no pressure to work on a specific project or even settle on which type of creative writing you prefer. The idea is to explore—see with a writer’s eyes, spark ideas to life, gain confidence, and experiment with both fiction and nonfiction.

Creative writing is one of the most fulfilling ways to express yourself, and you’re never too young or too old to give it a try. Come on in. The water’s fine.

This course is good for the mind and soul and the instructor really knows how to get you inspired.

Kelsea Broderick

This course includes both fiction and nonfiction prose.

The 101 courses do not include workshopping of student projects, but students write and receive feedback on writing exercises and assignments.

Upcoming Classes NYC COVID Info

• Starts Saturday, October 28 NYC , 12pm – 3pm ET 6-Week Class John Oliver Hodges
• Starts Sunday, October 29 Zoom , 12pm – 3pm ET 6-Week Class Marissa Walsh
• Starts Monday, October 30 Zoom , 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET 6-Week Class Lyndsey Ellis
• Starts Tuesday, November 7 Online , anytime 6-Week Class Divya Sood
• Starts Tuesday, December 5 Online , anytime 6-Week Class
• Starts Tuesday, January 9 Online , anytime 6-Week Class
• Starts Tuesday, February 6 Online , anytime 6-Week Class
• Class Full. Join wait list. Starts Wednesday, October 25 NYC , 7pm – 10pm ET 6-Week Class Omari Chancellor

Registration fee $25, paid once per term

Tuition: $355

Tour an NYC Class

Real-time videoconference

Tuition: $339

Tour a Zoom Class

Anytime, week-long sessions

Tour an Online Class

Tuition: $1,195

Explore One-on-One Options

This course explores fiction and types of creative nonfiction, and the techniques that go with them. Course components: Lectures Writing exercises New York City/Zoom classes The syllabus varies from teacher to teacher, term to term. Many topics will be similar to those covered in the Online classes.

Online classes Week 1 OIL: The importance of having fun with writing. Exploration of the cornerstones of creative writing—observation, imagination, language.

Week 2 显示和Tell: Understanding the difference between showing and telling. Techniques for showing—sensory, specificity, scenes.

Week 3 Individuality: The power of a journal. Writing what you know. Writing what you want to know. Finding your individual voice.

Week 4 Fiction: The types and forms of fiction. Where to find fiction ideas. The basics of creating a story—characters, plot, point of view.

Week 5 Nonfiction: Exploration of three types of creative nonfiction writing—memoir, personal essays, narrative nonfiction. Where to find nonfiction ideas.

Week 6 Getting Better: Good habits. Battling the blank page. Revision. Reading as a writer. Where to go next? Note: Content may vary among individual classes.

Divya Sood is the author of the novels Find Someone to Love and Nights Like This (both Riverdale Avenue Books). Her short stories have won the New Jersey Arts and Letters First Prize for Short Fiction and appeared in The Masters Review. She has taught at Rutgers University and Southern New Hampshire University. She holds a BA from Rutgers University and an MA in English from New York University.

John Oliver Hodges

John Oliver Hodges is the author of the novel Quizzleboon (Perpetual Motion Machine Press), the short story collection The Love Box (Livingston Press), and the novella War of the Crazies (Main Street Rag). His short stories have appeared in appeared in Southern Cultures Magazine , American Short Fiction, New World Writing, and Texas Review. He has taught at Florida State University, the University of Mississippi, and the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference. He holds a BA and an MA in Creative Writing from Florida State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Mississippi.

Lyndsey Ellis

Lyndsey Ellis is the author of the novel Bone Broth (Hidden Timber Books), and her short fiction has been published in Kweli Journal , Joyland , Santa Monica Review , Parhelion , Stockholm Review of Literature , and Orca, A Literary Journal , among many others. Her work has been anthologized in Golden State 2017: Best New Writing from California (Outpost 19 Books), Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest (Belt Publishing) , and Crick! Crack!: Poems and Stories by Emerging Writers (The Bonfire Collective). She wrote the Memory Book column for Catapult magazine, blogged at For Harriet, and was fiction editor for The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose, and Thought . She has taught for the Loft Literary Center, the California Writers’ Club, Your Words STL, and midnight & indigo. She holds a BA from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts.

Marissa Walsh

Marissa Walsh is the author of the picture book One Scoop or Two? And Other Ice Cream Questions (Union Square Books, forthcoming), the YA novel A Field Guide to High School (Delacorte Press), the memoir Girl with Glasses (Simon and Schuster), and the nonfiction book Tipsy in Madras (Penguin). She edited the anthologies Not Like I'm Jealous or Anything (Delacorte Press) and Does this Book Make Me Look Fat? (Clarion Books). She has worked as a iterary agent with Fine Print Literary Management and as an editor at Random House. She holds a BA from Smith College.

Omari Chancellor

Omari Chancellor has published short fiction in Vol. 1 Brooklyn , Brainwxsh , Still Life , and Soft Punk . He wrote and directed the short films The One , which appeared in several film festivals including the Ohio Valley Film Festival, and SwimLessons for The Believer magazine. He has taught at Spotlight Kids NY and the 52nd Street Project. He holds a BFA from Roanoke College and an MFA from New York University.

is the author of the novels Find Someone to Love and Nights Like This (both Riverdale Avenue Books). Her short stories have won the New Jersey Arts and Letters First Prize for Short Fiction and appeared in The Masters Review. She has taught at Rutgers University and Southern New Hampshire University. She holds a BA from Rutgers University and an MA in English from New York University.

is the author of the novel Quizzleboon (Perpetual Motion Machine Press), the short story collection The Love Box (Livingston Press), and the novella War of the Crazies (Main Street Rag). His short stories have appeared in appeared in Southern Cultures Magazine , American Short Fiction, New World Writing, and Texas Review. He has taught at Florida State University, the University of Mississippi, and the Sewanee Young Writers’ Conference. He holds a BA and an MA in Creative Writing from Florida State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Mississippi.

is the author of the novel Bone Broth (Hidden Timber Books), and her short fiction has been published in Kweli Journal , Joyland , Santa Monica Review , Parhelion , Stockholm Review of Literature , and Orca, A Literary Journal , among many others. Her work has been anthologized in Golden State 2017: Best New Writing from California (Outpost 19 Books), Black in the Middle: An Anthology of the Black Midwest (Belt Publishing) , and Crick! Crack!: Poems and Stories by Emerging Writers (The Bonfire Collective). She wrote the Memory Book column for Catapult magazine, blogged at For Harriet, and was fiction editor for The Account: A Journal of Poetry, Prose, and Thought . She has taught for the Loft Literary Center, the California Writers’ Club, Your Words STL, and midnight & indigo. She holds a BA from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts.

is the author of the picture book One Scoop or Two? And Other Ice Cream Questions (Union Square Books, forthcoming), the YA novel A Field Guide to High School (Delacorte Press), the memoir Girl with Glasses (Simon and Schuster), and the nonfiction book Tipsy in Madras (Penguin). She edited the anthologies Not Like I'm Jealous or Anything (Delacorte Press) and Does this Book Make Me Look Fat? (Clarion Books). She has worked as a iterary agent with Fine Print Literary Management and as an editor at Random House. She holds a BA from Smith College.

has published short fiction in Vol. 1 Brooklyn , Brainwxsh , Still Life , and Soft Punk . He wrote and directed the short films The One , which appeared in several film festivals including the Ohio Valley Film Festival, and SwimLessons for The Believer magazine. He has taught at Spotlight Kids NY and the 52 nd Street Project. He holds a BFA from Roanoke College and an MFA from New York University.

Related Courses

Fiction writing i.

The fascinating craft of fiction—literary, commercial, or genre.

Memoir Writing I

真正的故事作者的生活的方方面面,whether essay or book-length.

Creative Nonfiction 101

A great entry point for the creative forms of nonfiction—memoir, essay, feature articles, reviews, etc.

Literary/Commercial Fiction Conference

Online Writing Classes

• Scriptwriting
• Comedy, Poetry & Song
• Professional Development

Online classes happen asynchronously. Our Zoom classes happen in real time.

Skip to Tour

The Online classes bring students from all over the globe to Gotham—New York City’s most famous writing school.

The Online classes happen asynchronously—not in “real time.” You can participate in class any time, day or night, but the classes advance week-by-week, and certain things should be accomplished within that week-long session.

You can take an Online writing class from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection. The majority of our Online students are located in the U.S. but we also draw students from practically every country in the world.

Tech support will be available.

Aside from the convenience of time and location, you have a record of everything that transpires in class, which you can print out and keep for future reference. (The material is text and image, not video.)

Class size is limited, so that all students get personal attention:

• Level I 10-week Workshops, 6-week Classes, Intensives – maximum 16 students
• Level II 10-week Workshops (and Level III Fiction) – maximum 14 students
• Selling Classes – maximum 25 students
• Level III 10-week Workshops (except Fiction) – 6 students

Explore our catalogue of writing courses . And here you will find information on Gotham’s various class formats and our teaching philosophy .

You can see how our Online writing classes work in two ways:

You can take a video tour just below.

Or, take a self-guided tour of any of the following courses. All Gotham Online courses work in a similar way.

Fiction Writing I (10-week Workshop) Screenwriting I (10-week Workshop) Feature Article Writing I (10-week Workshop) Creative Writing 101 (6-week Class) Hit Send: Publishing Short Nonfiction (4-week Class)

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