{"product_id":"draft-zero-creative-nonfiction-writing-workshop-online","title":"Draft Zero: Write the Terrible First Version 4-Week Nonfiction Workshop with Anna Clarke Fiddler (Zoom) starts Monday, November 2nd, 2026","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eBegins Monday, November 2, 2026\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eClass meets weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 6:00–8:00 PM ET (November 2, 9, 16, and 30 — no class Thanksgiving week)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eNow Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInstructor Bio\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstructor Anna Clarke Fiddler is an editor and writer, with an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied with Pulitzer Prize–winning poet and critic Vijay Seshadri. She also trained at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies — long regarded as a proving ground for NPR journalists — where she deepened her commitment to reported storytelling and narrative rigor. In 2025, she was a writer-in-residence at Hedgebrook, an internationally renowned literary retreat for women writers. Her work has been recognized by the \u003cem\u003eFlatmancrooked Prize\u003c\/em\u003e, judged by Mary Karr, and published in the \u003cem\u003ePortland Review, Lumina, \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Mother Mag\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWho is this class for?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis introductory creative nonfiction workshop is for anyone who has always wanted to write but keeps getting stopped before the page — by perfectionism, self-doubt, or the creeping sense that what comes out won't be good enough. You'll leave with a real, completed draft and the visceral understanding that giving yourself permission to write freely is the fastest way to find your best work. No experience required — all you need is the willingness to show up and write.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat to expect:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eEvery writer knows the advice: just get something down. What nobody tells you is how to actually do it — how to outrun the voice that says it isn't good enough, isn't interesting enough, isn't ready yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis course is built on the belief that the uncensored, unpolished draft isn't the obstacle to good writing. It's the source of it. Together, we'll practice the specific skill of getting out of our own way — using generative prompts, timed writing exercises, and constraint-based techniques designed to quiet the inner critic and access the raw material that lives underneath it. Because that's where the real stuff is: in the unguarded sentence, the unexpected image, the thought you almost didn't write down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eOver the course of our time together, students will produce a complete Draft Zero of a personal essay, memoir excerpt, or short creative nonfiction piece — and leave knowing the next steps to take to shape and polish it. We won't be workshopping or critiquing in the traditional sense. This is a production class. The goal is output, momentum, and the experience of finishing something real. But finishing is only half of it. As a developmental editor who has spent years helping writers — from debut authors to New York Times bestsellers — find the shape inside their early drafts, I'll also teach you to look at your own rough, unwieldy first version the way an editor does: not as a failure to fix, but as a draft already telling you what it wants to become.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eFor writers who have never completed a draft, this online writing class offers something more valuable than technique: proof that you can do it, and a clear sense of where to go next. For writers who keep stopping themselves before they start, it offers a different relationship to the blank page — one grounded in freedom, curiosity, and the understanding that first drafts are supposed to be loose and unruly. That's the whole point.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eYou don't need experience. You don't need a fully formed idea. You just need to show up and write — and by the end, you'll have both a finished draft and a clear path for what comes next.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are the writing goals?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eIn this course, students will produce:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e1 complete Draft Zero of a creative nonfiction piece of their choosing (personal essay, memoir excerpt, lyric essay, or similar form), ranging from 1,000–2,000 words\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e3–5 generative writing prompts produced during in-class exercises, any of which could be developed into future drafts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA personalized \"permission statement\" — a short, written articulation of your own creative blocks and the specific conditions under which you write most freely, to use as a touchstone in future writing sessions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eThis is primarily a generative course, not a workshop, so the focus is on output and momentum rather than critique. Students will receive light, encouraging written feedback on their Draft Zero from the instructor — notes designed to illuminate what's alive in the draft and point toward what wants to grow — delivered within one week of the final session. There is no peer workshop component.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReadings\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eReadings may include excerpts from:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eAnne Lamott, \"Shitty First Drafts\" — excerpt from Bird by Bird (1994)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eNatalia Ginzburg, \"My Vocation\" — full essay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eCarmen Maria Machado, In the Dream House — opening excerpt (approx. 3 pages)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTerry Tempest Williams, When Women Were Birds — excerpt (approx. 3–4 pages)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eOne short published personal essay (800–1,000 words), instructor-selected and distributed to students prior to Week 2\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE OUTLINE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 1 — Monday, November 2: The Inner Critic Has Left the Building\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eCraft focus\u003c\/em\u003e: Understanding the difference between the generative brain and the editorial brain — and why mixing them kills first drafts.\u003cbr\u003eReading: Short excerpt from Anne Lamott's \"Shitty First Drafts\" (from Bird by Bird); excerpt from Natalia Ginzburg's \"My Vocation.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eActivity\u003c\/em\u003e: Timed free-write (15 min, no stopping, no deleting) from a personal prompt, followed by a group debrief on the experience of writing without stopping.\u003cbr\u003eYou'll leave with: 1 raw free-write (300–500 words) and a written list of your top three inner critic voices.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 2 — Monday, November 9: Finding Your Material\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eCraft focus\u003c\/em\u003e: How to locate the story only you can tell — the specific image, memory, or obsession that has enough heat to carry a full draft.\u003cbr\u003eReading: Excerpt from Carmen Maria Machado's In the Dream House (opening); one short published personal essay (instructor-selected, under 1,000 words).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eActivity\u003c\/em\u003e: Three rapid-fire generative prompts (5 minutes each) designed to surface surprising, specific material. Students identify which one pulls hardest and write toward it for 20 minutes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eYou'll leave with: 2–3 raw prompt responses and one identified subject for your Draft Zero.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 3 — Monday, November 16: Draft Zero Day\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eCraft focus\u003c\/em\u003e: Momentum, mess, and the freedom of the unfinished — how to keep moving when you want to stop and fix.\u003cbr\u003eReading: None assigned — this is a writing week.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eActivity\u003c\/em\u003e: Full-class generative writing session. Students write their Draft Zero from start to finish in class, using a loose structural scaffold provided by the instructor (opening move, middle turn, closing image). The instructor writes alongside you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eYou'll leave with: A complete Draft Zero of 1,000–2,000 words.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e(No class the week of Thanksgiving.)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWeek 4 — Monday, November 30: What Did You Actually Write?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eCraft focus\u003c\/em\u003e: How to read your own raw material with curiosity instead of judgment — finding the live wire in the draft without switching into revision mode.\u003cbr\u003eReading: Excerpt from Terry Tempest Williams's When Women Were Birds on the relationship between silence, voice, and the page.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eActivity\u003c\/em\u003e: Students read their Draft Zero and respond to three guided reflection questions (instructor-provided) designed to illuminate what's working, what's surprising, and what wants to grow. Optional: brief, low-stakes sharing with the group — one sentence that surprised you.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eYou'll leave with: An annotated Draft Zero and a written \"next draft\" note — one thing you want to chase in revision.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCOURSE TAKEAWAYS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA complete Draft Zero (1,000–2,000 words) of a personal essay, memoir excerpt, or short creative nonfiction piece\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA set of 3–5 generative prompts you can develop into future work\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eA personalized \"permission statement\" to return to whenever the blank page feels daunting\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003ePractical strategies for quieting the inner critic and separating the generative brain from the editorial brain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eAn editor's-eye approach to reading your own rough draft — seeing what it's trying to become instead of only what needs fixing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eEncouraging, forward-looking written feedback on your draft from the instructor\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePAYMENT OPTIONS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eTuition is $330 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul class=\"[li_\u0026amp;]:mb-0 [li_\u0026amp;]:mt-1 [li_\u0026amp;]:gap-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [\u0026amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eInstructor: Anna Clarke Fiddler\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eBegins Monday, November 2, 2026\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eClass meets weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 6:00–8:00 PM ET (November 2, 9, 16, and 30 — no class the week of Thanksgiving)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"font-claude-response-body whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003eTuition is $330 USD.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Writing Workshops Org","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49820131229944,"sku":null,"price":2190.0,"currency_code":"DKK","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0287\/3917\/4532\/files\/DraftZeroWritetheTerribleFirstVersionwithAnnaClarkeFiddler.png?v=1783213141","url":"https:\/\/writingworkshops.com\/en-dk\/products\/draft-zero-creative-nonfiction-writing-workshop-online","provider":"Writing Workshops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}