Writing Workshops: Instructor Opportunities
At Writing Workshops, we offer something different: niche classes with unexpected angles, taught by working writers who deliver craft-focused instruction and actionable feedback.
Our students come to Writing Workshops for inspiration, fresh perspectives on their work, and concrete tools to advance their writing careers and forge paths to publication.
Each month, over 50% of our course enrollments are returning students—proof that our approach works. We're looking for instructors who share our commitment to helping writers push their work forward with meaningful, practical guidance.
What We're Looking For
Niche, Craft-Focused Classes: We want classes that zero in on specific elements of craft—or the business of writing—with fun, unexpected, and surprising titles. Writers come to us for classes they can't find anywhere else. Our classes have a clear hook—a specific technique, form, theme, or approach that gives students something concrete to explore. Your voice should inform your class pitch, as that will likely be the course you are most passionate about teaching. Put another way: what do you love to nerd-out about?
Actionable Feedback: Our students want to improve their craft and move toward publication. We're looking for instructors who provide meaningful, practical feedback that helps writers identify what's working, understand what isn't, and know exactly what to do next.
Publication-Minded Instruction: Whether it's understanding market trends, crafting submissions, navigating the publishing landscape, or simply writing stronger sentences, our instructors help students connect their creative work to real-world publishing goals.
Professionalism and Excellence: Teaching with us is as much an extension of your author brand as it is a representation of our organization. We strive for excellence above all else, a shared value that unites our instructors and staff alike. Our students are adult writers—many are working professionals balancing job stressors, family life, and other obligations while prioritizing their writing lives. They've made a real investment in themselves by taking a class with us. They're investing their time and hard-earned income, and they expect your class to be worth it. We're looking for instructors who take that responsibility seriously.
Commitment to Alumni Success: We're looking for instructors who champion their students beyond the classroom—those who provide connections, mentorship, and guidance that extends past the final session. We believe in pulling the next person up behind you. Our best instructors pour into their students, and those students go on to be featured in our Alumni Publication News. We want instructors who see student success as part of their own legacy.
What We Value
Engaged Instruction: We look for passionate educators skilled in the craft of writing who will foster a supportive, inspiring environment.
Cultural Awareness: Our instructors should be ready to explore how personal identity, background, and tradition shape writing, encouraging honest conversations within their groups.
Inclusivity and Accessibility: We prioritize creating a welcoming space for every participant.
Qualifications
Our instructors tend to have one or more of the following: an MFA, substantial publication history, and/or extensive teaching experience. Publishing and industry professionals are also welcome to apply for classes in their areas of expertise.
Application Process
We review applications on an ongoing basis in line with our current programming needs. If there's no immediate opening, you may not hear from us right away. We keep all applications on file unless you ask us to remove yours.
Before you pitch: Please spend time exploring our current catalog to understand the kinds of classes we offer. Your pitch should feel like it belongs on our site—specific, unexpected, and genuinely useful to writers looking to level up their work.
Current Programming Needs: Late Spring & Summer 2026
We're actively seeking new class pitches across all genres. Course proposals approved now will have start dates in late spring and summer 2026, so we're particularly interested in classes that capture the energy of the season—whether that's the expansiveness of summer writing time, travel and place-based work, outdoor and nature themes, or the momentum of fresh starts.
Don't see your idea here? Pitch it anyway. We're always excited to discover classes we didn't know we needed.
Here's what's on our wish list:
Summer Writing Energy
• Write a Messy Novel Draft This Summer
• Write a Messy Memoir Draft This Summer
• The 48-Hour Story: A Weekend Sprint Intensive
• Summer of Short Stories: Generate a Collection in 12 Weeks
• Poetry Month Hangover: Keep the Momentum Going
Place, Travel & the Outdoors
• Writing About Nature
• The Travel Essay: Writing Place with Purpose
• Writing the Road Trip: Movement, Landscape, and Transformation
• Writing Your Hometown: Mining the Familiar for Story
• The Literature of Heat: Writing Summer, the South, and Swelter
Craft Deep Dives
• Introduction to Writing Short Fiction
• Writing Sex Scenes
• Pacing: When to Speed Up and When to Slow Down
• The Art of the Twist: Structuring Reveals and Misdirection
• Mastering the Unreliable Narrator
• The Art of the Opening Line (one-day intensive)
• Writing Endings That Haunt
Genre & Form
• Summer Reading, Summer Writing: The Beach Read and Beyond
• Science Fiction Craft: World-Building Believable Futures
• Writing the Ensemble Cast: Juggling Multiple POVs
• The Braided Essay: Weaving Multiple Threads
• Long Poems and Sequences: Beyond the Stand-Alone Lyric
Screenwriting & TV
• Writing the Feature Film (multi-week)
• Writing the Short Film
• Adaptation: Book to Screen
• Comedy Writing for TV and Film
• Writing for Streaming: Limited Series Structure
Writing for Children & YA
• Picture Book Bootcamp
• Middle Grade Magic: Voice and Story for the 8-12 Set
• Summer Adventure Stories: Writing Action and Friendship for Young Readers
• Querying Agents for Children's Books
Publishing & Business of Writing
• Substack and Newsletter Strategy for Writers
• Writing the Synopsis
• Summer Submissions Push: Get Your Work Out the Door
• Ghostwriting and Collaborative Writing
IndieMFA Program pitches we would like to see in our inbox:
-2027 Full-length Novel Incubator (9 - 12 month program)
-2027 Full-length Memoir Incubator (9 - 12 month program)
-2027 Full-length Essay Collection Incubator (9 - 12 month program)
-2027 Full-length Short Story Collection Incubator (9 - 12 month program)
Don't see your idea here? Pitch it anyway. We're always excited to discover classes we didn't know we needed.
Thank you for your interest in teaching with Writing Workshops. We look forward to reading your application!