Incredible Openings
$360
What about any story makes you want to keep reading? In this class, we’ll look at the openings of several short stories and creative nonfiction pieces with a special focus on the craft: how was the story written in a way that makes it successful? What aspects might make a reader (and editor) keep reading?
We’ll borrow themes and ideas from those stories for in our in-class writing exercises. We’ll read amazing, inspiring work from Lauren Groff, Flannery O’Connor, Ling Ma, and others.
Every class session will include:
● A detailed, guided warm up
● In-class story dissection
● Suggested at-home reading and writing exercises
Each writer will have the opportunity to workshop the opening page of a story two times.
Access Program
We want our writing classes and seminars to be accessible to everyone, regardless of income and background. We understand that our tuition structure can present obstacles for some people. Our Access Program offers writing class and seminar tuitions at a reduced rate. Most writing classes have at least one access spot available.
Please apply here for access rate tuition. Contact Susan Moore at susan@literary-arts.org if you have questions.
Liaison position
Every in-person class and seminar at Literary Arts has one liaison position. Liaisons perform specific duties for each class meeting. If you are a liaison for a class or seminar, the full amount of your tuition is covered by Literary Arts.
Apply here for the liaison position.
Michelle Kicherer
Michelle Kicherer writes about books and music for the San Francisco Chronicle, Willamette Week and others. She is also a writing coach and former ghostwriter specializing in fiction and memoir. Michelle’s fiction has been published in The Master’s Review, Berkeley Fiction Review, 8142 Review and many others, and her novella Sexy Life, Hello is out in audiobook in Sept ‘24 and in print March ‘25 on Banana Pitch Press. Michelle believes there are no dumb questions in the classroom, only pretentious instructors.
