Lately I’ve been feeling restless and wanting to take some writing classes—we all know that, as writers, not only is it like having homework for the rest of our lives, we’re never done learning.

I’ve signed up for Steve Almond’s Almond Joy: A Trio of Classes to Kickstart Your Writing courses at Writing Co-Lab below, and wanted not only to share the opportunity out there with our 34 Orchard followers (many of you are writers), but also to tell you that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND his new book—Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow: A DIY Manual for the Construction of Stories.

One of the reasons our readers love 34 Orchard is that in its pages they find something with which to connect—and Steve’s book is right in line where that’s concerned. No matter where you are in your writing career, I can guarantee you’ll find something in here that makes you stand up and scream, ‘yes! I GET that! That’s ME!’ Steve’s style is irreverent and forthright and so much fun to read as well; in addition, there’s a real focus on the writing journey and how to connect with your inner passion (because that’s really what makes writing sing—nobody likes to read emotionally dead stuff, am I right?)—it’s evident in the subtext. I’m careful about what I recommend, the same way I’m careful about what we publish—it’s got to be GREAT or the answer’s no. This book? This is a must-read, and a must-have. You can pick it up here.

I’m confident these classes of Steve’s are going to be just as awesome. I studied under him at a conference in Miami (back in 2009) for a whole week, and it was amazing. There are things I learned in that class that I still use actively today, so I’m eager to attend these sessions! It’s $259 (with the fee) for all three sessions, or just $95/each. The classes will meet on Zoom Tuesdays September 3, 10, and 17.

If you’re interested, you can sign up for it at this link (it’s limited to 30 students, so hopefully it’s still available): https://www.writingco-lab.com/classes/almond-joy-a-trio-of-classes-to-kickstart-your-writing-with-steve-almond

I also plan to sign up for American Short Fiction’s MFA for All series. I’m particularly excited about the one on Point of View. Those are $360 for all three, or $150 per. Full information, course descriptions, and sign-up options are here: https://americanshortfiction.org/mfa-for-all/

I hope to see some of you in class!

Kristi