CW 93 — Wild Precious Writing: Jumpstart Your Creative Practice
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Annmarie Kelly
Date(s): Apr 14—May 19
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Tuesdays
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Class Meeting Time: 7:00—8:30 pm (PT)
Tuition: $330
Refund Deadline: Apr 16
Unit(s): 0
Status: Registration opens Feb 23 8:30 am (PT)
Quarter: Spring
Day: Tuesdays
Duration: 6 weeks
Time: 7:00—8:30 pm (PT)
Date(s): Apr 14—May 19
Unit(s): 0
Tuition: $330
Refund Deadline: Apr 16
Instructor(s): Annmarie Kelly
Grade Restriction: NGR only; no credit/letter grade
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Registration opens Feb 23 8:30 am (PT)
What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?—Mary Oliver
For many of us, the answer is, “I want to write.” But while novels or essays may be brewing in your mind, it’s hard to find time to work. This course will move you toward that goal. You’ll be amazed how much progress you can make in just two focused hours per week. Before each class, you’ll write for 20 minutes in response to an open-ended prompt, often inspired by influential authors. In class sessions, you’ll push beyond that initial prompt, engaging with mentor texts, exploring craft techniques, and sharing work in breakout groups to discover where it sings. From poetry to prose, micro to memoir, this course is for writers at any stage looking to jumpstart their practice and write with joy and freedom. You’ll leave with not just new writing but also a renewed sense of what draws you to the page.
For many of us, the answer is, “I want to write.” But while novels or essays may be brewing in your mind, it’s hard to find time to work. This course will move you toward that goal. You’ll be amazed how much progress you can make in just two focused hours per week. Before each class, you’ll write for 20 minutes in response to an open-ended prompt, often inspired by influential authors. In class sessions, you’ll push beyond that initial prompt, engaging with mentor texts, exploring craft techniques, and sharing work in breakout groups to discover where it sings. From poetry to prose, micro to memoir, this course is for writers at any stage looking to jumpstart their practice and write with joy and freedom. You’ll leave with not just new writing but also a renewed sense of what draws you to the page.
Because of the high enrollment capacity, students will not receive instructor feedback on daily writing posts. Students who have previously taken CW 93: "Wild Precious Writing: Jumpstart Your Creative Practice" are welcome to join, as the structure is the same, but the content is new.
ANNMARIE KELLY
Author
Annmarie Kelly is the co-author of the memoir Here Be Dragons. She hosts Wild Precious Life, a podcast about making the most of the time we have. She received an MA from Yale and an MFA from Ashland University, where she teaches writing and composition. Her essays have appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered and in the Observer, Black Fork Review, and Anodyne, among others. In 2024, she served as an Erma Bombeck Humorist-in-Residence and Hemingway-Pfeiffer Writer-in-Residence. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.