You know you must write; Keep Going.
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Dear Writers, Or even if we react to what is going on around us. I think - in the darkest of times, there has always been some small moment of peace within, where an artist or writer is coming up with something to say about what is happening. Cultivate that inner space yourself, dear writer, in whatever small way you can. That’s the place where creativity comes from. Over the past few years, I haven’t reached out as much. Sometimes I struggle to put myself out there. I feel shy and I get overwhelmed. I undervalue the important creative work I have been doing and I don’t send out work. I also find it hard to get started writing again after a break. I know, if this happens to me, a veteran teacher of 20+ years and a published writer, it happens to others. This year I decided to change that. I reached out more. I put myself out there many more times even if it felt uncomfortable. I submitted my work to contests and to many grants. I even applied for a fellowship. Also, I went to events and I connected with people I hadn’t seen in a while. Recently, a former student-tutor at a school where I used to work died. And they had a memorial for her at Berkeley City College–my old workplace, so I went. She was a dear poet, and one time when I was unsure of myself and very young, she told me, as an older student going back to college to get her degree, that I inspired her. And because she saw me do it, she felt empowered to go to graduate school and get an MFA, and become a professor in a college. At the time, I was in my twenties and didn’t really know what that meant - or that I could inspire anybody. As people went around the room to say what they remembered about her, one of her students, a man returning to college later in life, reflected that because of her, he went on to major in English, and then all these people around the room started talking about how this amazing professor inspired them. And that was how they remembered her. As this woman who inspired them to go on to become scholars and writers. Afterward, I went out to debrief with an old friend - whose work I admire. We sat at Jupiter’s and listened to a jazz band near the fire pit on the patio, had pizza, and talked about life. She confided in me that she was struggling to send her work out, even as she encouraged other people all the time. I agreed with her, explaining how I recognize this in myself. We all do this to ourselves to some extent as artists. We think our work isn’t strong, or we put down a piece for a while and can’t find an opening in our busy lives to pick back up again. We might even devalue the work and think it isn’t very good. But sometimes, we fail to see how far we’ve come. And I told her at the end of our sitting together - in two weeks, email me when you have written something, and I will do the same. Well, last week she wrote to me saying that she had written something new, and today, because of this pact, I have finished this piece that you’re reading now. And two grants I wasn't even going to apply for! I hit send last night at midnight. One way to look at writing during these strange and challenging times is to see it as a kind of mental alchemy–taking all the bad of the world and turning it into something good. You can use the troubles of our time as fertilizer to compost your words so that they can grow and bear Truth. When I am very still, a voice calls from the deep and says, You know you must write. Keep going. As creatives, we all tell ourselves limiting beliefs from time to time. So if you’ve put your work in a drawer, maybe you were waiting for the dough to rise, or the olives to cure, or the kimchi to ferment. Now take it out and work it again. Maybe you've let it age like a fine wine. Remember: there is no expiration date on a good story... and the kingdom of good storytelling is within you. Warmly, Alexandra Alexandra Kostoulas Founder & Executive Director, SF Creative Writing Institute | https://sfwriting.institute | 415-371-9054 PS. If you're in the Bay Area, join us at the CounterPulse theater at 80 Turk Street San Francisco tomorrow evening at 6:30 for our end-of-spring Write from Gut reading. RSVP here to get on the guest list. If you'd like to read, let us know. AND if you're in the mood peruse our summer workshops here. WRITE FROM THE GUT! CounterPulse Theater 80 Turk Street | San Francisco June 7, 2025 | 6:30 pm
How to Write a Personal Essay & Get it Published | June 21 - July 26Online in San Francisco Instructor: Sophia Kercher Transform your personal story into a published piece for major outlets with a wide readership. We'll help get you published. Writing the Personal EssayEveryone 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. About the Instructor: 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. How to Write a Personal Essay & Get it Published Instructor: Sophia Kercher June 21-July 26, 2025 Saturdays 10:00am-12:30pm Tuition: $450
Intro To Fiction | June 28, 2025 - August 2, 2025 in San Francisco CounterPulse Theater 80 Turk Street Instructor: Nick Mamatas Learn the Architecture of Fiction with an experienced editor, novelist and short story writer, and how to write a story with a great beginning, middle and end. Where does your story start? About the Instructor: 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. Intro to Fiction Instructor: Nick Mamatas June 28-August 2, 2025 Saturdays 2-4:30pm Tuition: $450
Advanced Prose & Summer Revision Workshop | July 12-Aug 22ONLINE Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas Use the nine elements of universal storytelling to write compelling new work or revise your manuscript with us! Advanced Prose: The Art and Craft of StorytellingOur signature creative writing workshop will focus on editing and revising your in-progress work and offer exercises to keep you in flow. We'll post revisions, edits and readings once a week online and/or bring them to our live online workshop. Join us and you'll be rolling up your sleeves and getting to work from the first class, revising pieces you have already started to write as well as writing new scenes, bringing your narrative to life.
About the Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas founded the SF Creative Writing Institute in 2015. She teaches people to find their voice and unblock themselves creatively every day. She has worked with thousands of students from all walks of life in her career as an educator and has coached many aspiring writers to publication and performance of their work. Her students have gone on to run literary organizations, become professors at prestigious universities, publish their work in peer-reviewed journals, land book deals and break barriers in their writing and lives. She writes poetry, nonfiction and fiction. Advanced Prose & Summer Revision Workshop Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas July 12-August 23, 2025 Saturdays 10-12:30am ONLINE Tuition: $450
Teen Creative Writing Summer Camps - August 11-22Instructors: Alexandra Kostoulas & Special Guest Writers Do you know a teen who loves to write? Invite them to join us this summer for an interactive, fun approach to Creative Writing taught by professional working artists in the field. In this one week-workshop style summer camp, teens will write stories, novel excerpts, nonfiction, and poetry in a fun, inclusive environment. Our goal is self-expression. Our methods are learning by doing, teaching young writers to find their unique voice, try out different styles in their writing, and follow the artistic process to see where it leads. Week 1 : August 11-15, M-F 12-5pm Week 2 : August 18-22 M-F 12-5pm Teen Creative Writing Summer Camp Instructor: Alexandra Kostoulas w/ Special Guests Harvey Milk Center for the Arts 50 Scott Street San Francisco, CA 94117 Cost: $450/week
QUOTES OF THE MONTH CLUB
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