Upcoming Classes
We are hard at work nailing down the next round of online writing classes, stay tuned and keep an eye out for new classes to be announced soon!
Coming soon in April/May 2021
- Nitty Gritty: The Craft Basics of Prose Part II, an extension of the wildly popular course offered by Leah Hampton this fall open to returning and brand new students.

Leah Hampton is the author of F*ckface and Other Stories and a graduate of the Michener Center for Writers. She has held fellowships at Hedgebrook, the Adirondack Center for Writing, and the Stadler Center for Poetry, and her work has appeared in Electric Literature, Ecotone, The Los Angeles Times, McSweeneys, LitHub, and elsewhere. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Registration & Payment
Because times are extra tough right now, ACW is offering this class at a Pay What You Can rate, thanks to the generous support of the Lake Placid Education Foundation. If you are able, please consider selecting the $150 or $200 rate to ensure ACW can continue bringing classes like this one to community members like yourself. Registrations are limited, so make sure to register early!
- Registration: Pay What You Can
- Sliding scale from $50-$200
Prefer cash or check? Select deferred payment in the registration form and send a check made out to Adirondack Center for Writing, P.O. Box 956, Saranac Lake, New York 12983.
Did you know? You can give a class to a loved one! Simply enter your payment info and select “gift option.”
About
Each season welcomes a new batch of talented teachers and developing writers from all over the world. The Adirondack Center for Writing’s online classes are easy for you to participate in from your own computer. All you need to participate is a web browser — there’s no technical software involved, so you can work whenever is convenient for you.
Interactive readings, resources, and assignments are the heart of each class. Every student will receive personal feedback from the instructor on their weekly assignments. We welcome any level of writer to join the online writing classes, and offer courses for a variety of genres. Visit the FAQ page for more info about the online writing classes.
Student Testimonials
“Before this class, I had a “loose almost lost” assortment of fiction stories and because of Leah, I pulled the old ones together, re-worked them and wrote a few more.”
“I was a teacher for thirty years, and I can tell you that Julia Shipley knows her stuff and is willing to share her knowledge. She works to better student writing. She’s efficient, friendly and enthusiastic.”
“I have taken 8 online courses from One Story, Grub Street, and Gotham City. Julia Shipley’s preparation and presentation were the most thorough of all.”
“The class was the perfect amount of challenge, stimulation and fun.”
“I loved this course. It forced me to work at my edge. Jessica Hendry Nelson gave detailed feedback. I took risks and learned a lot.”
Previously Offered Courses
The Adirondack Center for Writing has offered a series of online writing workshops with an amazing group of teachers, including the following:
- Writing Young Adult Fiction with Chris Tebbetts
- The Personal Essay with Annie Stoltie
- Memoir Writing with Mary Sanders Shartle
- Limbs & Language: Writing Poetry with Mahogany L. Browne
- The Unconventional Memoir with Jessica Hendry Nelson
- Fiction Bootcamp with Gary Lee Miller
- Lightning in a Bottle: Writing the Nature Flash with Julia Shipley
- Make It Sing: Writing Poetry Out of the Everyday with José Olivarez
- Essays from Personal Experience with Carrie Laben
- The Promise of a Good Story: Writing Middle Grade and Young Adult Novels with Chris Tebbetts
- Essay Associated: Experiments in Creative Nonfiction with Jessica Hendry Nelson
- Shazam: The Superpower of Shortform (Sequel to Lightning in a Bottle: Reading and Writing the Nature Flash) with Julia Shipley
- (re)Making Memory: Writing Poetry with Desiree C. Bailey
- Seeding Your Sequoias: Writing Tiny but Mighty Prose with Julia Shipley
- Building Your Story: Constructing Effective Scenes with Leah Hampton
- To Stock and Barter Joy: A Poetry Workshop with Arhm Choi Wild
- Nitty Gritty: The Craft Basics of Prose with Leah Hampton
- Finding Your Place with Annie Stoltie
Let’s look forward to the future together
Help ACW continue to support you through the coming months. The future might feel overwhelming, but ACW is committed to infusing joy into your life with upcoming programming! With your continued support, ACW can offer new online classes every month, story nights, a discussion series, writing workshops for teens, and more for all ages.
Make this winter amazing for the ACW family. Be a part of ACW. Give now.