Virginia Woolf’s writing desk
The Art of Storytelling on the Page and on the Stage
A Six-Month Writing Workshop with Nina Wise
Thursdays 10:00am–11:30am Pacific Time, on Zoom
September 2026 – Febuary 2027
Every life is filled with stories waiting and wanting to be told. Stories from childhood. Stories from today and yesterday. Stories we’ve told many times, and stories we’ve never found the words to tell. Some have been carried for years. Others arrive spontaneously as we begin to write. All invite us to look more closely at what it means to be human.
Often we think we know a story because we remember what happened. But writing asks something more of us: to discover what the experience meant, what was happening beneath the surface, and how to shape it into something another person can enter.
During this 6-month journey you will receive a weekly teaching about a particular element of the craft — not a set of rules but a way of shaping, deepening and refining a story. Character, setting, sensory detail, scene, dialogue, time, and narrative movement are ways of bringing a story to life. As our understanding of craft deepens, so does our capacity to recognize what is most alive and essential in a story.
You will have time to write together, read your work aloud, listen with attention, and discover what can make your writing more powerful and true.
We will approach the work with both rigor and playfulness, trusting that imagination flourishes when curiosity and experimentation have plenty of room.
As we deepen our craft, we also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. In this way, storytelling becomes a practice of attention and presence.
WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE
Personalized Guidance: Nina will provide personalized feedback and mentorship tailored to your writing goals.
Elements of the Craft: We will explore the basic elements of storytelling: how to develop characters, move through time, structure a narrative arc, deepen into a scene, find the heart of your story, write dialog, enliven setting, and more.
Creative Exercises and Prompts: Carefully curated exercises and prompts are designed to ignite your imagination and help you break through creative blocks and insecurities.
Community and Collaboration: The workshop is a place to engage with a supportive community of fellow writers, sharing insights and fostering connections that extend beyond the weekly meetings.
WEEKLY MEETINGS
Nina will lead one 90-minute session per week for 6 months, 19 sessions in total. Each session will include:
A teaching about a particular element of craft
A guided writing practice
Sharing your work in breakout rooms
Q&A
The craft element taught each week will build on the ones from the weeks before.
Note: Due to Nina’s somewhat unpredictable schedule, she may need to reschedule a few of the live meetings.
RECORDINGS
Each session will be recorded so that if you miss a live class you can receive the teaching at a time that is convenient for you. The entire series of recordings will be available online until 4 weeks after the final session.
CLASS DATES
Thursdays:
September 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 12
December 3, 10, 17
January 14, 21, 28
February 4, 11, 18, 25
CLASS SIZE
The workshop will be limited to 14 participants.
COHORT GROUPS
During the week, you will meet with your cohort group (of 3–4 participants) for an hour and practice what we did in the previous session: you will write and then read aloud to one another. The continuity of meeting with your cohorts on a regular basis can create bonding and trust and allow you to go deeper into your practice. Participation in a cohort is not required but highly recommended.
PRIVATE SESSIONS
During the 6 months, you will have two 1-hour private sessions with Nina. Together you will review a piece of your writing (limited to 3000 words) and she will give feedback and supportive critique to enable you to further hone your craft and develop the piece you have submitted.
MATERIALS PROVIDED
Written material about the topic we focus on each week
A reading list of suggested novels, memoirs and craft books on writing
Excerpts from novels, essays, short stories, memoirs that elucidate particular elements of craft
CLASS FEE
$2350
Can be payable in 2 installments* (with an additional admin fee):
$1,200 upon acceptance into the program
$1,200 due December 1, 2026
*When you pay the first installment you are committing to the entire course; payment of the second installment is required, even if you choose not to continue.
DEADLINES
Submission deadlines (up to 3500 words)
Dec 1, 2026 and Feb 1, 2027
APPLICATION
$35 application fee. Applications due August 25, 2026
First payment due upon acceptance.
To apply, please email the following to Nina:
1–2 page writing sample (double spaced, 12-point font or more, Times New Roman)
A paragraph about why you are interested in this workshop and what you hope to experience and gain
And pay the application fee using the link below.
REGISTRATION
If you have received notification of acceptance, please purchase to register.
About Nina
Nina Wise is an award-winning writer, theater artist and dharma teacher. Her book, A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self-Expression and Spiritual Practice for Those Who Have Time for Neither was published by Broadway Books/Random House and translated into German and Portuguese. Her stories and essays have been featured in numerous journals including The Sun, Yoga Journal, Tricycle, Shambhala Sun, and collected in anthologies. She has been awarded multiple fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Marin Arts Council, Theater Bay Area, Society for Experiments in Contemporary Art to name just a few. More here.
Refund Policy
We understand the unexpected can arise. And we want to do our best to support your utmost well being however, because we are limiting the number of participants in this workshop, we will not be able to offer refunds. In case of severe illness that prohibits you from completing the workshop, we will discuss on an individual basis applying a pro-rated amount of your fee to a future workshop.