Dear Writers.

Here’s a pep talk. You can do it. Even if you put your writing down for a long time. You can still pick it up.

I believe in you.

Writing is thinking. Poetry is prayer.

Writing can be both a shield a sword, a salve or a salvo.

Writing can be a whisper, or a manifesto.

Sharing your work brings a sense of community.

Don’t let the bad actors of the world rob you of your joy. Or keep you from writing.

I’ve almost given up so many times. And then like a riptide, something draws me back to the world of words.

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There are pieces and fragments I have put down and then later, open up.

How does your procrastination go?
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For me, the hardest part is getting started. Second hardest is getting back into a project after time away. Third hardest is facing the fear.

Like writing this email. I think I must have busied myself with small tasks about a thousand times, gotten lost in some technical issue on my computer, my battery died, had to find a charger,
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Got hungry, ate lunch. Had to pick up kids, then have dinner, finish writing people back, etc, help a client, etc.

But once I sit down and put fingers to the keys or pen to paper and decide to write, it flows.

Maybe this is you, too.

Or maybe you need to sit and contemplate until the work comes.

Or maybe you find yourself just about to fall asleep and then a good idea pops into your head.
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Whatever way the muse finds you, know this: You have a voice within you that is unique and beautiful as a snowflake, and you have unlimited ideas inside of your mind waiting to be born.

At SF Creative Writing Institute, our goal is to help you find your voice and tell the story that is within you.

If you need a little boost from one of us, we’re here! SF Creative Writing Institute has great online and in-person courses, workshops and intensives this summer and fall.

Here’s a sneak peek of a few.

Your story can’t wait. Enroll now to get our best rate. Classes are filling up fast.

New and returning writers, you're aways welcome in our group.
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Sincerely,

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-Alexandra

Alexandra Kostoulas,

Founder & Executive Director,

SF Creative Writing Institute

(415) 371-9054

Sept 13-Oct. 18 - Saturdays 2-4:30pm

In-Person at Harvey Milk Center for the Arts | 50 Scott Street Duboce Park. San Francisco

Introduction to Fiction

Instructor: Nick Mamatas

Where does your story start?
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How on Earth do you keep it going?
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What's the difference between ending a story and just stopping it?
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Regardless of genre, length, or form, every story has a beginning, middle, and an ending—in no particular order. Beginning writers often start their stories in the wrong place, confuse action with plot, and then end a scene a bit too early… or too late.
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In six weeks, award-winning novelist, anthologist, and editor Nick Mamatas will guide you up and down the path of storytelling—through the architecture of fiction.
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Nick acquires novels and short fiction, and knows what agents and editors are looking for in today's marketplace. His work is acclaimed by critics, and praise from outfits like Publishers Weekly and Booklist prove he knows how to keep a reader engaged.
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This workshop will give you the tools you need to move through a story with confidence—whether it's a novel, novella, or short story.
No more getting lost.
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Nick Mamatas is the author of several novels, including I Am Providence and The Second Shooter. His short fiction has appeared in Best American Mystery Stories, Asimov's Science Fiction, Tor.com and many other venues. Much of it was recently collected in The People's Republic of Everything. Nick is also an anthologist; his latest book is 120 Murders; Dark Fiction Inspired by Alternative Music. His latest novel, Kalivas! Or, Another Tempest, will be published in September 2025.

$450.00 Intro To Fiction A six-week guided writer's workshop up and down the path of storytelling through the Architecture of Fiction with... Read more Register Here

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Sept 16-Oct. 21 - Thursdays - 7pm Pacific Time | ONLINE

Writing & Publishing the Personal Essay

Instructor: Sophia Kercher

Everyone has a story that only they can write. A personal essay is like a micro memoir. It's a work of creative nonfiction, the perfect combination of intimacy and insight.
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Transform your personal story into a published piece for major outlets with a wide readership. In this workshop, I'll share my nearly two decades of experience as a writer and editor, helping you find and use the most compelling part of your story to help get you published.
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My past students have published their work in the likes of the New York Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, and Elle, among other publications.

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Sophia Kercher is a California-based writer and editor. Her essays and features have been published in the New York Times, Vogue, Elle, the Los Angeles Times, Montecito Journal, and Double Blind magazine, among other publications. She was the founding editor of Los Angeleno, a digital publication dedicated to stories about L.A. life, art, and culture. She lives in Los Angeles but can often be found in Northern California laughing and cooking with her family.
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$450.00 How to Write a Personal Essay & Get it Published Everyone has a story that only they can write. A personal essay is like a micro memoir. It’s a work of creative... Read more Sign Up!

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Poetry Without Borders

Instructor: Paul Corman-Roberts

Sept 28-Nov 2, 2025

Sundays 11:00am

Poetry Without Borders serves as an introduction to both old school and modern forms of poetry, as workshop participants practice building a modest portfolio around form structure but with an eye towards "breaking the rules" as well, so newly written works maintain a creative and autonomous edge, while still being accessible. Open to all poetry genres including narrative, lyric, langpo and experimental.
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Paul Corman-Roberts has coached many successful poets to publication, from chapbooks to singular poems to full-length collections. He is the author of four chapbooks and two full-length collections of prose poetry, including Bone Moon Palace from Nomadic Press in 2020. He is a four-time nominee for Pushcart, Best of the Web, and Northern California Book Award. He is a founder of the Beast Crawl Literary Festival in Oakland, California.
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$450.00 Poetry without Borders Explore the world of poetry across traditions and experiments! In this 5-week workshop with Paul Corman-Roberts, you’ll... Read more Sign Up

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Instructor Good News ​ Tongo Eisen-Martin releases new album w/ Damani Rhodes featuring his poetry as lyrics alongside Vadia and Saul Williams. It's phenomenal! Preview here

Alexandra Kostoulas awarded 2025–2026 Writer-in-Residence Fellowship for her fiction at the Tsakopoulos Collection, Sacramento State University. Read more

“Whenever I get stuck on something, I'm like, 'What would I do if I wasn't afraid? What would I write if I wasn't afraid? What would I say in this situation if I wasn't afraid?”

— Pheobe Waller-Bridge

“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”

— Zora Neale Hurston

“I think people are hungry for provocative voices.”

— bell hooks

530 Divisadero St. #712, San Francisco, , CA 94117
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