Thursday, May 1st, 2025

The class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays, 7 PM - 9 PM Eastern

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Natalie Serianni is a Seattle-based writer, instructor, and mother of two with work at The New York Times, Huffpost, Insider, Scary Mommy, ParentMap, Jenny Mag, Motherwell, The Keepthings, The Manifest Station, and other publications. Her essay "Subtle Shifts," was in the recent anthology, The Pandemic Midlife Crisis: Gen X Women on the Brink. Her writing focuses on midlife parenting, nostalgia, and long-held grief.

This course will invite would-be writers into the landscape of personal essay writing. Through reading, discussion, craft, and care, students will be guided to write a polished personal essay to submit to publications.

Do you consider yourself a non-writer but want to write? Are you new to writing and want to learn more about personal essays? This introductory-level class will share the elements of the personal essay, its various forms, and how an idea becomes an extended piece. We'll read and discuss personal essays, write to small prompts, and share our work. Students will leave the class with a personal essay, feedback from peers and instructor, and confidence that they, too, are writers.

Course texts include Putsata Reang: "At Sea and Seeking a Safe Harbor;" CJ Hauser: "The Crane Wife;" Michelle Zauner: "Crying in Hmart;" and many more by Melissa Febos, Joann Beard, Elissa Washuta, Angela Garbes, and Christina Rivera Cogswell

Can't Make It Live?

No problem! The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes.

SEMINAR OUTLINE:

• Week one: Introductions and agreements; laying the course foundation; What is a personal essay?

• Week two: openings and ideas; getting started and writing to prompts that get to your essay's beating heart.

• Week three: Structure and Endings; Organizing your essay, and elements of scene, summary, and reflection; (optional peer review this week (grounded in antiracist writing workshop principles), and instructor coffee chats.

• Week four: Pitching your work and paths to publication; sharing our learning and optional celebratory reading

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Students will be invited into a comfortable writing community, and will engage in writing discussions on a variety of personal essays.

• They will learn the details of story, scene, summary, and reflection, and will produce a personal essay that deeply reflects "what they've come to say."

• Lastly, students will learn about pitching, and how to find a publishing home for their work.

TESTIMONIALS:

"Natalie did an excellent job giving us all a soft and gentle introduction to our writing processes. She facilitated excellent discussions on a wide diversity of essay types and authors, giving us insight onto a whole spectrum of possible avenues to take our craft." - Former Student

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This seminar will meet via Zoom.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $299 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

• Instructor: Natalie Serianni 
• This seminar will meet on Thursday, May 1st, 2025
• Live Seminar via Zoom 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST.
• Tuition is $299 USD

Contact us HERE if you have any questions about this class.