creative writing workshops dc

A network of local writing groups in Washington D.C.

Capitol Hill Writers Group is a network of local writing groups in Washington, DC.  By connecting writers who are passionate about the craft, CHWG helps form the crucial support you need to keep writing.

Whether you are new to creative writing, getting back into it, or a seasoned author, Capitol Hill Writers Group provides the right amount of structure when you’re balancing full-time employment and a family.  

The close-knit community of fiction writers is your sounding board for new work.   Deadlines and accountability help you form writing habits that last throughout your professional career.  Constructive feedback from varied viewpoints enrich your writing, just as your unique perspectives on life and writing contribute to the group.

We are aspiring writers and published authors who embrace all fiction genres.   We provide structure and support through regular meetings, deadlines, and constructive critiques .

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Your Third Place.   A “third place” is that special community outside of home and office that helps a person thrive and feel fulfilled in life.   Creative writers need solitude to produce content but also need a place to help them hone their craft and grow as an artist.   Active participation in a writing group offers that face-to-face contact with other writers that can have an immediate and long-lasting impact on one’s development as a writer. 

Balance.   We understand how tricky it is to juggle family, work, and the passion for writing.   Most of our members work full-time and have family obligations.   We share strategies for carving out time for writing while maintaining   balance in life.   We are realistic about deadlines but encourage each other to meet personal writing goals. 

Lifelong Learning.   Creative writing involves a continual process of learning.   Members regularly share resources on improving one’s writing, developing professionally as a writer, and navigating the changing landscape of publishing. It doesn’t hurt that we live within walking distance of the world’s largest library.

Structure.   We believe in regular meetings.   While each group decides the day and time for their regular meetings, most groups find that a bi-weekly meeting schedule works quite well for developing a writing routine.

Accountability.   We adhere to deadlines.   The single-most important habit that a writer can develop is meeting deadlines.   Each group creates its own submission calendar that works with members’ other demands in life.

Feedback.   We follow the Clarion Method of critique.   The CHWG founder  attends the first meeting of newly-formed writing groups to give the members an orientation to the Clarion Method as well as tips for ensuring smooth and fruitful meetings.

Productivity. We help your story see the light of day. You know that novel you’ve been thinking about writing for the last few years?   We encourage you to get the story out of your head and onto paper.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Secret power.

Donna Sokol founded Capitol Hill Writers Group in January 2011 after the birth of her second child. The close-to-home group allowed her to pursue her passion for creative writing and find balance in her life.   CHWG participated in the inaugural Literary Hill BookFest in 2011 and has participated in the BookFest annually.   Each year, Donna launches new writing groups, bringing together writers who might not otherwise have met.

Donna began writing creatively as a child; then she went to college, where creative writing was all but beaten out of her.   She picked up the pen again after she swore off pursuits of higher education and has been extremely happy ever since.

Donna served as president of the Board for the Literary Hill BookFest (2016-2018) and led the first monthly fiction book club at East City Bookshop  (2016-2018).

Our application process is straightforward, and there are no application or membership fees.   To learn how to apply, please click Read More...

RECRUITMENT SEASONS

Starting January 2021, I will be launching writing groups under the PowerWriters brand via my website, donnasokol.com .

I have three recruitment seasons –Spring, Summer, and Fall–during which I form new writing groups based on the number of interested applicants. After a group forms, consenting members can add new members as needed or desired throughout the year. If you submit an application after the close of a recruitment period, I will hold your application for consideration until the next recruitment period.

To handle the growing membership, I will be orienting new members online. Instead of attending an in-person orientation, writers will receive an invitation to the online orientation , which is a live event you attend via Zoom. You’ll meet your new writing group members at the end of orientation! Soon after, you’ll receive an email from me with all your members’ names and email addresses. You’ll start meeting with your new group about 2 weeks after orientation.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

Please visit the PowerWriters page on donnasokol.com for the latest application deadlines.

No writing sample is necessary to apply.   Applications are due at 11:59 PM on the last day of open recruitment. 

If you are accepted, you will receive a confirmation email with a notice to save the date for the season’s orientation.

CHWG members are between the ages of 27 and 70 and represent an ethnic and racial cross-section of   Washington DC.   And, yes, we allow residents of Maryland and Virginia to become members!

Below are the writing groups that are currently part of the CHWG network. Click the plus sign to read more about each group.

If you see an existing group that is currently recruiting new members, you may request to join that group in your application. Acceptance depends on the applicant’s fit with the other group members and on available spots. New groups form four times a year. Check the Apply page for more information on application deadlines.

The Core Group

Write on the hill, the mightier swords, h street fiction, capitol quills, the morning group.

We also like image of the morning – that of a bright, fresh start, the beginning of something new, never before explored – all that writing means to us and we hope our final products will become.

We are working on fiction and non-fiction. We are starting new pieces and revising earlier works.

Night Writers

Writers write, the go group, the role breakers, solid scribes, the red line district, saturday speculative fiction group, red line emissaries, still writing.

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Learn about The Writer's Center

America's oldest poetry magazine

The Writer’s Center supports writers and everyone who wants to write! Every year we offer hundreds of creative writing workshops in all genres and for all experience levels, dozens of free events for writers , and countless opportunities to connect with the Washington DC and national literary communities.

The story of the writer’s center.

In late 1976, a group of writers, small press publishers, and literary enthusiasts came together to create an independent home for the literary arts in the Washington DC metro area. Led by three founders, Allan Lefcowitz, Patricia Griffith, and Mary MacArthur, more than 70 members, including Barbara Lefcowitz, Ann McLaughlin, John Hill, Merrill Lefler, and Richard Peabody, gathered to celebrate The Writer’s Center. This new home would bring together a community of likeminded individuals who would build relationships with one another and share their love of writing, literature, and the creation of books.

The Writer’s Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request. Contact The Writer’s Center at 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815. Documents and information submitted to the State of Maryland under the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available from the Office of the Secretary of State for the cost of copying and postage. The Writer’s Center is supported in part by The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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13 Best Creative Writing Classes in Washington

Showing 13 courses that match your search.

Crafting Your Life into Story

The Writer's Center

Learn how to identify several pivotal events of your life and shape one of them into a work of fiction or non-fiction. Following a tried-and-true formula, you will learn how to identify, begin, and structure an autobiographical story, whether fiction or non-fiction.

Website: https://writer.org/event/crafting-your-life-into-story/

Categories: Essay, Memoir, Nonfiction, Book, Fiction, and Short Story

Start date:

September, 2024

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

How to Write A Grant Proposal

Learn how to write proposals to request grants from funders. This workshop will cover how to research prospective funders, the elements of a good proposal, and how to approach funders.

Website: https://writer.org/event/how-to-write-a-grant-proposal-2/

Categories: Nonfiction and Technical

August, 2024

Plot Like a Pro

Understanding how to structure a well-conceived story around a main character and central conflict, while paying attention to pacing, can make the difference between a finished, publishable manuscript and an abandoned work-in-progress. Think you can’t plot? Join us for this course, and we’ll show you how!

Website: https://writer.org/event/plot-like-a-pro-2/

Categories: Book, Fiction, and Short Story

How to Write a Novel

Your story matters. Unlock your potential with daily video lessons from bestselling ghostwriter Tom Bromley, and finish your first draft in just 3 months. Learn more →

Micro Memoirs

Join us to explore the elements of memoir in small manageable bites. We’ll read and discuss Micro Memoirs, also called Flash Memoir, (50-250 words) to inspire your own writing and enhance your storytelling skills.

Website: https://writer.org/event/micro-memoirs/

Categories: Memoir and Nonfiction

Poetic Memoir

Poems can capture the most meaningful moments of your life and evoke their essence in a reader. In this course you’ll begin to learn how to focus on such moments and present them so they illustrate you in your life and imply its arc.

Website: https://writer.org/event/poetic-memoir/

Categories: Memoir, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Marketing Your Poetry

With small presses a popular choice for publishing, more writers are looking for ways to market their books when their publishers don’t have the resources. This workshop will show you easy hacks for promoting your book.

Website: https://writer.org/event/marketing-your-poetry/

Categories: Poetry and Publishing

What a Character!

An introduction to the key elements and craft strategies of fiction, with a focus on creating and refining character-based stories (whether short stories or novels).

Website: https://writer.org/event/what-a-character/

Getting Your Poetry Published

This intensive one-day workshop will offer all poets—whether they have yet to submit their first poem to a literary journal or are ready to present a publisher with a book-length manuscript—hands-on advice on how to achieve their publishing goals.

Website: https://writer.org/event/getting-your-poetry-published/

April, 2024

Creative Courage and Self-Care for Writers

This workshop addresses the overlooked work of cultivating the discernment, mindset and habits necessary to sustain us through the emotional challenges of the creative life. In this class, you will work through writing exercises that identify limiting beliefs, clarify your needs and motivations, and rejuvenate your creative process.

Website: https://writer.org/event/creative-courage-and-self-care-f...

Categories: Book, Fiction, and Nonfiction

Intro to Sketch Comedy (Online)

DC Improv Comedy School

A beginner's guide to sketch comedy that will take you from a premise to a fully realized sketch. This course will walk you through the elements of a sketch and how to write good sketches; it also features workshop sessions where you'll do read-throughs and get feedback on writing assignments.

Website: https://www.dcimprov.com/comedy-school/sketch/bad-medicin...

Categories: Comedy

Open all year round

Categories: Book, Poetry, and Publishing

Creative Writing Academy

Georgetown University

This program is designed for high school students to transform their ideas into creative written works. It includes dynamic lectures on craft topics, workshop sessions, and peer feedback. The academy covers various creative writing genres and aspects of the publishing industry, including opportunities for students to read their work at notable literary locations in Washington, D.C. The estimated tuition is $3,389, which includes housing and meals for residential students, with a reduced rate for commuters.

Website: https://summer.georgetown.edu/programs/SHS07/creative-wri...

Categories: Poetry, Short Story, and Essay

So you’re looking for creative writing classes in Washington

The nation’s capital isn’t just for the business suits—it’s also the halls of some towering literary history. From Walt Whitman to Langston Hughes, many of literature’s greatest stars have sat down on the Mall and emerged with their most enduring hits. So if you, too, are looking to work at this craft, you may want to consider taking a creative writing class in Washington.  

This directory of the best writing courses in Washington is meant to help you locate the right one for yourself.  We’ve included filters for price and genre so that you can quickly sort through the writing classes. And before you commit to any one writing class, consider the following questions:

• Who is the instructor?
• What is the price of the writing course?
• How far away is the writing course in Washington? Is there a remote alternative?
• How long could the course last?

Got any questions about finding the right writing class in Washington for you? Feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] . Good luck!

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Creative Writing Academy

• How to Apply

Most High School Academies are full. For availability, visit each program’s Schedule page.

Summer College housing is nearing or at capacity.

For more questions, email [email protected].

Transform your dreams, ideas, and stories into organized, compelling, creative written works with dynamic lectures in craft topics, workshop sessions with graduate student instructors, and insightful, productive feedback from your peers. This combination of instructional approaches will help you generate and polish a wealth of new poems, stories, and essays, and allow you to experiment with innovative forms in the field of creative writing. The Academy will also focus on the publishing and professionalization aspects of the industry, exploring what markets are available for your writing, what jobs are available to creative writers, funding opportunities for your work, undergraduate and graduate programs in writing, and how to get published. Topics for discussion will include literary form and targeted craft points, often in relation to social, political, and environmental themes. In addition, this week-long program will feature excursions to sites around Washington, D.C., including an exercise in ekphrastic writing at the National Gallery of Art and the chance to read your work aloud at Busboys and Poets, a famous D.C. literary hub.

Estimated Tuition:

Price includes tuition, housing, and meals. Commuter Student tuition is $2,625.

How You'll Benefit

• Participate in writing workshops
• Awaken your powers of observation, imagination, and description
• Learn concrete elements of the craft of writing in daily workshops
• Attend readings from published authors, who will lead interactive classes and conduct group discussions
• Work with Georgetown's expert creative writing faculty to bring out your most creative ideas
• Read excerpts from award-winning works and use them to develop your own original works
• Visit local monuments, world-renowned theaters, museums, and literary organizations
• Take part in peer critiques and learn how to revise and refine your writing

Program Format & Subject Areas

As a student in the Creative Writing Academy, you'll spend your day immersed in a blend of classroom lectures, field trips, hands-on activities, and group discussions. Throughout the week, you'll have the opportunity to explore the following subject areas:

• Personal prose
• Literary history
• Technique (story structure, character development, theme, description, dialogue)
• Finding good ideas and turning them into polished pieces
• Using great literature and art for inspiration

All in all, I fell in love with the program. I got to meet so many amazing people not only from the D.C. area but all around the country.

Having the chance to experience once in a lifetime opportunities and getting to meet people from around the world made it so I got to really experience what college life was like.

My #SummerHoya experience was enriching, inspiring, and rewarding; if I could turn back the clock, I’d do it all over again.

It was amazing to be surrounded by such high caliber students and staff who were all encouraging and fabulous to work with. I took away many positive things from my week as a Summer Hoya.

As I am filling out my college applications, I am able to think back to my memories from the summer and I am reassured that I am pursuing the right educational path.

The program offers so much–from the off-site visits to the daily lectures and the on campus activities. The lectures were interesting, meeting new people was great and the off-site visits were interactive and intriguing.

Want to learn more?

Request information to find out the latest on the Summer Programs for High School Students.

All fields are required.

• Summer 2024

* indicates required field

Virtual Creative Writing Workshops

Creative writing is a tool for knowing yourself, understanding the world, and connecting with other people. Led by author  Seema Reza  and accomplished guest writers—including poets, memoirists, novelists, and storytellers—these community workshops follow the model developed by Community Building Art Works (CBAW) over the course of a decade of bringing people together in military and hospital settings. Each workshop is designed to help participants put their personal stories on paper in a supportive environment.

Whether you’re just starting out or have been writing for years, you are welcome; no experience is required. Bring a pen, a notebook, and an open mind!

Registration closes at 4pm Eastern Time before each session so we can prepare. Please make sure you're subscribed to Strathmore emails.

United States

(301) 581-5100

[email protected], pay what you can.

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Washington, D.C., Resources for Writers

Here you’ll find a collection of resources for writers in Washington, D.C., from conferences to local critique groups to literary magazines. If you’re looking for writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or simply a place to hang out with writers or submit your work, these are some Washington, D.C., writing organizations you might want to check out:

WriteByNight

For more than a decade, WriteByNight has helped writers in D.C. and beyond achieve their literary goals. And we want you to be next! Claim your free consultation  to learn about WBN’s customizable  one-on-one writers’ services , including:

Book Coaching :  If you’re writing a book and want some help along the way.

Manuscript Critique : If you’ve written a book and want a beta read, critique, or writing workshop.

Editing/Proofreading : If you’ve written a book and want someone to polish it for you.

Publication Assistance : If you’ve written a book and want help finding an agent or publisher.

A literary arts organization offering writing workshops, an author series, and eventually a writer’s residency in Winchester, VA.

D.C.’s branch of the nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Offers classes and writing workshops in a wide variety of genres.

Conversations and Connections

Annual conference run by  Barrel House that features editors from a mix of established and cutting-edge literary magazines and small presses, all of whom will help you take the next step in publishing your work.

Hurston/Wright Workshop

A 2-day writing workshop for writers published or unpublished; offers peer review, instructor feedback, and a community of African American writers with which to share ideas and solutions.

The Inner Loop

A literary reading series and network in the D.C. metro area that also offers writing contests, residencies, retreats, and more.

An organization offering writing workshops, readings, retreats, write-ins, and more for writers in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland.

National Book Festival

The Library of Congress’ annual 2-day festival featuring author readings, signings, panel discussions and much more.

Politics and Prose Classes and Trips

Writing workshops and literary excursions from one of D.C.’s most popular bookstores.

Shout Mouse Press

A nonprofit press offering writing workshops and professional publication, allowing young people (12+) from marginalized backgrounds to sharpen their writing and storytelling skills and gain experience publishing their work.

Split This Rock

Dedicated to revitalizing poetry as a living, breathing art form with profound relevance in our daily lives and struggles. Its programs integrate poetry of provocation and witness into movements for social justice and support the poets of all ages who write and perform this vital work.

Stand-Up Studios

Comedy and storytelling classes for all levels.

Story District

Gives voice to people’s life experiences, supports artistic expression, builds community, and contributes to D.C.’s cultural capital and creative economy by promoting and teaching the art of autobiographical storytelling.

The Writer’s Center

Cultivates the creation, publication, presentation and dissemination of literary work through writing workshops, author readings and panels, and more.

Help us add to this list, Washington, D.C.-ans! Do you know of writing groups near you, writing workshops near you, creative writing classes near you, or a Washington, D.C., literary journal we should be aware of? Let us know here

The competition in the publishing field is fierce these days and each submission must be the author's very best work in order to be considered for publication. The fees charged by WriteByNight are well worth the expense for the writer who is serious about getting published. Shannon B. Palm City, Florida

Client Credits

WBN has helped writers publish with:

Simon & Schuster Little, Brown & Co. St. Martin’s Press Amazon Slate Threepenny Review Huffington Post

WriteByNight, LLC 235 West End Avenue, 6H New York, New York 10023

646.374.8174 [email protected]

Changing Lives

STUDENT WORKS OF ART

AWARDS FOR THE WORKSHOP

CELEBRATE OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Winners in the 2023 Junior League Youth Poetry Contest

In the Junior League of Washington’s 24rd Annual Youth Poetry Contest, eight of our Hart Middle School students won for eleven poems. Our writers swept the 6th grade prizes: 1st place to Kyrie Johnson, 2nd place Jayla Nelson (two of her poems tied each other), and 3rd place to Kyrie Johnson (his second poem). In […]

Winners in the 2023 Parkmont Poetry Contest

In the 41st Annual Parkmont Poetry Festival, seventeen Workshop students were finalists and five were winners: Michael Chase (8th), Jalen Collins (7th), Crystal Rogers (8th), and Trus’ Stevens (8th) from Hart Middle School, and Armani Thornton (12th) from Ballou Senior High School. Congratulations!

Winners in the 2023 Haiku Contest

Three of our students won awards in the 2023 D.C. Public Library Haiku Contest. Crystal Rogers, Caden Rogers and Shaia Holmes won certificates and prizes in a competition through the Francis A. Gregory Library in Southeast.

Winners in the D.C. Library Haiku Contest

Three Workshop students won awards in the 2022 D.C. Library Haiku Contest. In a competition through the Francis A. Gregory Library in Southeast, Naeshaun Ford won 1st place and Justice Matthews won 2nd place in the teen division, while Shaia Holmes won 3rd place in the children’s division.

Workshop poem wins Washington Post contest

The Washington Post’s KidsPost page held a nationwide contest for the ten best student poems of the year. Sixth grader Gerome Wood won and his poem “Yes!” was published in the newspaper on April 26. Here’s a hyperlink to the online edition.

The D.C. Creative Writing Workshop unites parents, teachers and professional Writers-in-Residence to transform the lives of at-risk youth through the joys of self-expression and the power of the written word.

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Young people have important things to say

826DC helps DC students strengthen their writing skills, share what matters to them, and build a lifelong relationship with writing.

Free, year-round writing and publishing programs for DC students ages 6-18

We host programs at our Columbia Heights writing center, in schools, and in community spaces across the city.

After-School Writing Lab

A writing community for students, hosted at 826DC.

In-School Writing, Editing, and Publishing

Flexible short-and long-term writing residencies in collaboration with K-12 teachers.

Writing Workshops

Exploratory writing sessions across diverse topics and genres, outside of school.

Reading All-Stars

A Saturday morning literacy program for Harriet Tubman Elementary School students.

Field Trips

Two-hour writing and bookmaking experiences for the whole class.

Young Authors’ Book Project

A full-year classroom writing project, culminating in a book to be shared with readers across DC.

Spark a love of writing in your classroom

Check out our library of tips, tricks, and techniques to make teaching and learning writing skills more dynamic and fun.

Writers supporting writers

We’re a team of lifelong writers and educators who believe that writing is a fundamental tool for possibility. We recognize that for any individual to fully step into their own power, writing must be part of their skillset.

Get Involved

Make magic happen.

826DC is sustained by people who care as much as we do about young people. From jobs and internships, to volunteering, to donating, we invite you to help us support writing education in more classrooms.

Latest News

826 Partners with Paramount Pictures

“826 is a beacon of creativity and exploration like no other,” says John Krasinski.

826DC on WUSA9

826DC’s tenth Paddlestar Galactica was featured on WUSA9 this weekend!

826DC’s Having an Open House

Come check out 826DC at our free, all-ages open house event on Saturday, May 11th, 2024! Drop in anytime between 11 AM and 2 PM.

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If you love writing and want to share that love with young writers, apply today to join Writopia Lab! Click here to learn more!

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Creative Writing Program

The University of Washington English Department's Creative Writing Program offers a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a two-year Master of Fine Arts  degrees in Poetry and Prose. 

Founded in 1947 by Theodore Roethke, the Creative Writing Program's tradition of transformative workshops continues with our current faculty:  David Bosworth , Nikki David Crouse ,  Rae Paris ,  David Shields,  and  Maya Sonenberg  (Prose), and  Linda Bierds (part-time) ,  Andrew Feld ,  Richard Kenney,  and  Pimone Triplett  (Poetry).  They include among their many honors fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as prizes such as the Flannery O’Connor Award in Short Fiction and the McCarthy Prize. The list of our alumni publications represents a significant chapter in the history of American literature. 

The MFA Program remains purposely small, admitting only ten students per year. The relatively small size of our program (20 students at most at any given time) allows for close associations to develop among students and faculty. The first year is devoted to participation in workshops and literary seminars, and the second year allows for concentrated work on a creative manuscript and critical essay under the supervision of two creative writing faculty members. 

The BA in English with a Creative Writing Concentration prepares students not only to be more effective communicators and artists, but also creative problem solvers and more nuanced critical thinkers. By situating small, student-oriented writing workshops alongside literary models, Creative Writing classes enhance the broader study of literature and critical theory, helping students gain a greater understanding of the social and cultural forces informing their work. A student completing the program is more able to situate themselves in a larger aesthetic and social context and make more meaningful, informed decisions about their own artistic practice. In addition, through the intense practice of creative writing, students are able to see the world more clearly, in a more nuanced and meaningful manner, and apply these skills to a wide variety of work and life situations.

Director:  Nikki David Crouse

Program Coordinator: Shannon Mitchell 

Graduate Program Advisor: Tim Cosgrove

Undergraduate Program Advising: Humanities Academic Services

Creative Writing News

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Creative Writing Workshops

Creative writing workshops offer students the chance to explore their creativity and experience the writing process among fellow writers. Students have the choice to focus on different genres: poetry, fiction or literary nonfiction.

These courses are offered through the English Department in the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall and spring semesters.  

The courses are offered in the fall and spring semesters.

Academic Credit

Each course is worth 3 credits.

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