Classes
Based on my years of publishing first-person narratives and my love for the genre, I understand the alchemy of magic and mechanics that makes an essay memorable. I know which questions to ask to help you find the through line in your personal stories while also imbuing them with the relatability that good essays require.
Your lived experiences—the obsessions, joys, hot takes and heartbreaks—matter, and I’ve developed seminars, classes and one-on-one coaching to help you share your stories.
I’ve taught hundreds of students over 20 years. Former students have landed essays in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Huffington Post, Parents, Good Housekeeping and others.
Here’s what you can expect when working with me:
Learn how to transform your obsessions, heartbreaks and hang-ups into captivating and resonant stories.
Get the inside scoop on which outlets publish essays and fully loaded spreadsheet with market overviews and editor contact info.
Gain skills in tailoring essays to specific outlets and crafting pitches that will get an editor’s attention.
Access my private teaching platform designed for learning, writing, and editing, and join intimate writing cohorts that meet virtually to share and analyze essay drafts, with expert insights and tips from me.
Collect examples of pitches that evolved into published personal and reported essays for several outlets.
My classes are designed to support both new and experienced writers. Join me to learn the art and craft of writing what moves you. Check out my upcoming course and coaching offerings below.
Upcoming Classes
Writing the Personal Essay Workshop
Next workshop date: January 22, 2024
Do you have ideas stuck in your head instead of on the page, or dozens of unfinished essays hibernating on your hard drive? It’s time to unearth those gems and get them published! With this 6-week intensive workshop, you get all of the benefits of the self-guided course, plus feedback from me on prompt responses and assignments. You’ll participate in an online platform where you’ll engage with other students and receive valuable essay-writing insights. Finally, each student will have the opportunity to workshop one essay in real time and receive a detailed critique on one completed draft. View Course FAQs.
DURATION: 6 weeks
COST: $475 for the Premium version with six weeks of e-mail support and critique of one essay.
Private 2-Sunday Essay Writing Workshop
Next Workshop Dates: January 26, 2025 and February 2, 2025
During this intimate two-Sunday workshop, I’ll break down both personal and reported essays. You’ll have the opportunity to analyze effective essays and share your work in an intimate group setting.
The first Sunday we’ll focus on three things:
1. Discussing the difference between personal and reported essays.
2. Reviewing effective essays of both types and identifying the key elements of a salable essay.
3. Brainstorming essay ideas in a low-stakes environment.
The second Sunday we’ll workshop your essays and reported essay pitches live.
Attendees are limited to 8. Please send me a sample of your published or unpublished work to reserve your spot.
COST: $299
Writing the Personal Essay Self-Guided Class
Do you work best when you can progress at your own pace? My six-week online course will guide you through every step, from essay idea to salable piece. You’ll learn how to:
- Grab readers (and editors!)
- Journal your way to essay ideas
- Identify the critical elements of a salable essay
- Critique your own essays and incorporate feedback from others
- Pitch and submit essays to target publications
When you’ve completed your coursework, you will receive a spreadsheet with more than 130 relevant markets, including editor contacts. Former students have landed essays in Parents, Marie Claire, The New York Times, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, and AARP among others.
COST: $325
Advanced: Writing the Personal Essay Alumni Class
September 11, 2023
Completed the basic class and want more? More interaction with classmates? More critiques? More insight on structuring, polishing and publishing essays? If so, I invite you to participate in a 4-week intensive workshop to delve more deeply into the essay genre to help you find your story, tell it, and sell it!
DURATION: 4 weeks
COST: $375 with full support and critique of one essay.
Interested in a more personalized approach?
I work with select students one-on-one to hone their craft. Coaching arrangements can range from single essay critiques to 6-8-week intensives with unlimited phone and email support.
Contact MeTestimonials
“I find Amy’s classes pay for themselves—a piece I placed in The Girlfriend paid for two!—especially with the spreadsheet of essay markets. Each class helps me further mine my personal stories and get into the rhythm of writing more frequently. The homework assignments encourage me to explore potential topics and think about my own stories in new ways. I also appreciate how invested she is in her students and how thoughtful her feedback is. She excels at making students feel like she’s on their team.”
“I’m a professional journalist, but when it came to writing personal essays, I wasn’t sure where to start. This course was a perfect jumping-off point. Amy’s lessons were inspiring and fun. The class covered all the bases, from sparking ideas to writing, revising, and selling your essays. Amy’s comments and suggestions really helped me take my writing to the next level. I’d definitely recommend her course.”
“Amy’s class is fantastic. As an editor, I know how much time and energy it takes to respond the way she does to students’ work. The lesson plans are chock full of practical advice and great examples of writing. Her class taught me more about writing than most of the graduate school courses I took.”
“Amy is a wonderful writer, which makes her a terrific editor as well. She brings experience and warmth to her class, and I learned a lot from her line edits as well as overarching comments. If you want to improve your essays, take her course! Since taking her course, I’ve published essays in The Huffington Post, Family Dog and Medium.”