Crafting Your Writing Life
December 7th-10th
Ann Napolitano
$65
$55
These new habits have already helped to sustain and transform my writing life.
Crafting Your Writing Life is designed to help you shape your day-to-day habits with an eye towards your writing, enabling you to best serve your work.
Over the course of four days, Ann Napolitano, author of the bestselling novels Hello Beautiful and Dear Edward, will share what she’s learned about the importance of making careful decisions about her life away from her writing desk, so that she’s capable of her best work when she sits down to write. Ideal for writers of all experience levels, this class will cover the logistics of choosing and protecting your writing time, how to be kind to yourself and your work (and what that means), where to focus your attention, and more. Through guided journaling prompts, video craft talks, written lectures, and helpful quotes from writers and thinkers, you’ll discover and implement your own best practices.
When we’re thoughtful about crafting our lives around our creative practice, both our lives and our writing benefit. You’ll leave the class with a plan, as well as tips and strategies to make sure your writing life continues to work for you. You’ll also have a lot of fun. As with all of our online classes, you can participate on your own time at your own pace, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet a supportive community of writers.
About Ann Napolitano:
Ann Napolitano’s newest novel, Hello Beautiful, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the 100th Oprah Book Club pick. Her previous novel, Dear Edward, was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Read with Jenna selection, and was released as an Apple TV+ series starring Connie Britton. Napolitano is also the author of the novels A Good Hard Look and Within Arm’s Reach. She was the Associate Editor of One Story from 2014-2020. She received an MFA from New York University; she has taught fiction writing for Brooklyn College’s MFA program, New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies and for Gotham Writers’ Workshop. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two sons.
FAQ
When can I register for this class?
Registration is open now through December 6th, 2023.
How does the class work?
Lessons will be posted nightly at 11:59pm UTC. Classes consist of text-based lessons, pre-recorded video lectures, and journaling prompts. The class also includes discussion boards where participants can interact with one another and with Ann.
I write creative nonfiction. Is this class right for me?
While some of the techniques can be applied to creative nonfiction pieces, this class, as with all One Story classes, is designed with fiction writers in mind.
Is participation on the discussion boards required?
No, it’s optional; participants are welcome to jump into the conversation or sit back and observe.
Is there homework?
There will be optional journaling prompts and activities. While there will be a chance to share your progress with fellow students, you will not be sharing any creative work in this class. Ann will not be evaluating your progress but will be available to answer questions on the discussion board.
How much time will the class take?
Plan to spend about forty-five minutes per day reviewing the lessons and completing the exercises, plus however much time you choose to spend on the discussion boards.
How many students are in the class?
One Story online classes are large, and tend to range from 100-200 students.
What if I want to take the class, but the dates don’t work for me?
The class is designed for participants to proceed at their own pace, on their own schedule, so if you miss a day or three, no problem. All class materials will be accessible online until January 9th, 2024. Please note, however, that Ann will be present on the discussion boards only from December 7th-10th.
Can I take the class on my phone?
Yes, the class can be taken on a phone, but we recommend a computer or tablet to get the most out of the experience.
Can I save the material for later use?
There will be downloadable handouts and writing exercises, but otherwise class content lives on the learning platform. To prevent distribution of the material without our knowledge, students are not permitted to copy/paste the lessons but are of course welcome to take notes.
What if I can’t wait to get started?
The class will open on Tuesday, December 5th, two days before the class begins, so that participants can meet, mingle, and familiarize themselves with the learning platform.
Do you offer financial aid or scholarships for this class?
Yes. We offer a limited number of need-based scholarships that cover 50% of tuition. The window to request a scholarship is open now through December 3rd. If you are interested in applying for a scholarship, please fill out this form.
Discounts & Policies
Our online classes are designed to be safe spaces for all who participate. One Story will not tolerate hate speech, bullying, or harassment directed toward instructors or fellow students, and reserves the right to remove participants who engage in such behavior from our classes.
Patron Discount: In order to qualify for our patron discount, you must be a member of our patron circle at the time of registration. Patrons commit to annual donations and receive benefits that allow them to participate in our non-profit organization in more meaningful ways. Not all One Story subscribers or supporters are patrons. If you’d like to find out more about becoming a patron, you can do so here.
Refund Policy: One Story class payment is non-refundable after the class’s start date. For questions about the refund policy, or if you are unable to take the class after you have registered, please contact maribeth@one-story.com.
If you have any questions, please contact edu.support@one-story.com.
