Private Writing Courses

How to Schedule a Private Session of a Public Course

Our courses that have private-only options are listed above. For any other of our courses, if you wish to schedule a private session, email us at writers@writers.com, or contact the instructor through our contact form. Let us know when you'd like to begin the private session of the course that interests you.

After you contact us, we will work with the instructor to schedule the course. Private courses are based on our instructors' availability, so we will do our best to coordinate different schedules, but cannot guarantee that a certain course will be privately available.

Private Courses FAQ

What is the difference between a public and private course?

Public courses include other students, and they often have a group workshopping component in addition to the teacher's instruction. Private sessions are one-on-one with the instructor, allowing the student to get more feedback and ask additional questions.

How long does a private course run for?

Private course can run for up to 4 weeks longer than the public session. So, a private session of Write Your Novel! The Workshop With Jack will run for 10-14 weeks, while the public session runs for 10 weeks. The additional time allows private students to work at a slower pace, if they need it. It also allows for additional time to ask questions and work with the instructor's feedback.

How are private courses conducted?

Private sessions, as well as public sessions, are usually conducted through Wet Ink. You can learn more about how our courses work here. Note: Shadow Writing with Gloria Kempton is strictly email-based. Would you prefer to take a private course via email, Zoom calls, or a different method? Email us at writers@writers.com and we may be able to make those accommodations.

What are the benefits of a private course?

In addition to the extended course time and additional instructor feedback, students take our private courses for the following benefits:

• Confidentiality-you won't have to share your work with anyone other than the instructor.
• Flexibility-private classes can be scheduled around your availability, so you don't have to wait 5 months for the course to start.
• Focus-if you just want to work on your writing, you won't have to workshop other student work.
• Room to Experiment-if you want to experiment with your writing, but aren't ready to show the whole world, private sessions are a low-risk way to try new things and receive helpful feedback.

What are the benefits of a public course?

With the exception of Shadow Writing, all of our courses are offered publicly, at various times of the year. The benefits of public courses include:

• Community-our public courses are a great way to meet writers, make friends, and join a writing community. Many of our students maintain friendships long after the course has ended.
• Creativity-reading the work of other students can help inform your own writing, as student work offers new ideas to play with and new writing styles to try.
• Structure-sometimes, deadlines are the best motivators. The weekly assignments in public courses are a great way to start or maintain a consistent writing habit.
• Workshopping-students are encouraged to give feedback to each other. Not only will you receive student feedback, but you will also learn a lot just by writing feedback for other students, too!