Hello, Gotham Writing Classes are hit or miss based on the instructor. My class started with 14 people, and by the time the class ended, there were 4. The instructor was painful to listen to, did not pace his lectures well, and did not know how TEACH fiction writing. He basically read straight from the book, and took about 45 minutes to get across what should be a 15 min concept. He belabored the point and used alot of filler words to pass the time. The reason I am even giving this two stars is because I definitely got value out of the workshop method - the writing assignments, the booth stories, and in class exercise. The pro of this particular instructor was that he critiqued the homework assignments and booth assignments quite thoroughly. This was the one area where the instructor shined - is constructive criticism of our homework assignments. However, in class, I could barely sit through his lectures. Also, I asked several questions on writing and felt that my questions were not answered well. I am seriously disappointed that Gotham would not vet out their writing instructors better. read more

Pretty sleazy bunch really. I tried to take screenwriting class and I notified them weeks before class started. I tried to put a deposit down which they wouldn't accept because it had to be done weeks before the class started. Then I offered to pay by credit card providing they let me switch that with cash when I get paid. They told me there would be an extra $25 charge and then lied to me and said my credit card company charged them that fee. I checked with my credit card company who told me that was not true. By the time I got paid (I'm a freelancer) the Sunday class was full and as I explained to them at the very beginning, I can't take a weekday class because of my work schedule. This school does not give a rat's ass about the students - it's all about making as much money as they can make. There are so many other writing classes in NYC that work with the students especially if they know the students want to be there. 347 992 3652 read more

I never had a chance to enroll in any of the courses because I found the conversation with Dana/Denna (apparently the only person who answers the phone and the inquiries about private classes) impossible. She is so condesending and arrogant that she made the idea of paying any money to the organization that has such a person on its staff, revolting. I would understand if I had a bad experience with her once...one could (if inclined to be understanding of the moods of somebody who represents the service you are ready to pay for) think that she had a bad day. But no, our Denna is arrogant and important every day. The first day I called, she actually gave me the impression that I shouldn't have bearing in mind how late it was in the day...she suggested I called next day. Even if I offered my phone number hoping she would call the next day (when she finds the time!) she did not. I called all in all about 4-5 times trying to enroll with no response on the other side. Our Denna was today when I again called in a reeeeeeally bad mood. When I protested about her behavior and style of conversation she even refused to tell me her full name or whom I could call who is "above her" to complain. She has she is the oooooonly one responsible and has been a director of the private classes for 15 years. Good knows what one could expect from others in the Gottham Workshop if the director has no client skills whatsoever. GZB read more

I took two of their classes (Fiction Writing and Memoir Writing, which I ended up dropping out of). I personally can't stand the workshop model and wish I could find a writing class in NY which doesn't have it. I had to read through so many of others' crappy stories, and then come up with something diplomatic to say about each one (very difficult). I couldn't help but feel that my fellow classmates were disgustingly fake in their effusive praise of each other, but I suppose they were mostly trying to be polite, in hopes people would do the same when it came time for their own stories to be critiqued. I am not a great writer, but I don't think these classes helped me at all to become a great writer either. If I am going to have to read a bunch of stories, I would rather read examples of writers who excel in their categories. I would also rather someone who knows their ass from a hole in the ground be critiquing my writing. Also, the classes were overpriced, I thought, and as I dropped out of the second one after a couple of weeks, I found it sort of unfair that they wouldn't give me any of my payment back as a refund. read more

Excellent school for both beginners and experienced writers! You won't be disappointed!

I took the How to Publish with JL Stermer and Children's I with Carolyn MacCoullough and the instruction was invaluable. Class participation fluctuated but that's not something GWW can control. I plan on taking another course--so yes. Worth your time and money. read more

Does not live up to the hype. Dropped after three weeks. Not supportive or safe. They use the Booth, which means you can't reply while people critique you. If instructor doesn't take charge, you can be dissed. This happened to me-first time I ever took Gotham workshop. Complained later to instructor who wasn't interested. read more

I just completed a memoir writing class with Melissa Petro. The course gave me a clear overview of the basics of writing and the memoir form, and the workshopping process was done very well. It was great not only to get feedback on my own work, but I also learned a lot from doing a close read of other students. The group was an eclectic collection of folks with interesting stories to tell, and everyone took the class seriously. We started out with a group that was too big, but people dropped off and by the end the group was the perfect size. The instructor was outstanding. read more

This review is for the online courses. There are about 9 assignments for which feedback is provided. The word limit is between 250-500 words per assignment. As a result, the rate is about $4/word submitted for feedback. It is pretty expensive. read more

Great travel writing class. Instructor was well prepared, enthusiastic and geared the content to the interest of the students. I would definitely take more classes with this instructor and at Gotham. One of he best classes I've ever taken. read more

I just finished level one of the memoir writing class. I loved this class. It really taught me how to write. The class showed me what was needed to make my writing well rounded, clear and enjoyable. The teacher understood how to write and how to teach writing. I will be taking level two in September, hopefully with the same teacher. I have wanted to write for a long time and taking these classes has helped me. I like the deadline of having to write every week. This week without the class I haven't written a word. The class keeps me going. read more

I have taken three different classes here and enjoyed them all. I took a one day intensive, a 6 week (Creative Writing) and a 10 week (Memoir Writing). Every instructor is very different but equally accomplished in his.her own right. I would have to say that I got the most out of the 10 week because it went deeper and allowed for us to present and share more in-depth writing pieces with the group and therefore, receive feedback. The price is definitely affordable, the staff is extremely professional, and most of the groups are very enthusiastic and inspiring. I also love the convenience of having my class a few short blocks away from Port Authority since I usually take the bus in from NJ. I mostly frequent Gotham because I'm a former English major who is looking to reignite the creative juices that often get buried in the day-to-day corporate hustle. But, these classes are great for whatever your creative needs might be. Highly recommended! read more

Take the free classes. they are great. I enrolled in the blog writing class and I felt like it was a waste of time and money, I learned more from a book I bought about blogging. I think the free classes are there to lure you in so ironically enough they are way better in comparison to the one class I bought, but it may just have been that class. read more

I have taken several Gotham Writer's courses and I have found them to be extremely helpful. I've had several different instructors, all of which have given me very useful in-depth criticism. I'd highly recommend these classes. read more

I just completed the online fiction course and it was good. The lectures and critiques helped me to reevaluate what I was writing or had written, which I feel is one of the best compliments you can give a writing course. read more

I took the "Write it Right" one day class. It was just what I needed to learn the basics of English. Stuff I didn't learn in my crappy grammer school. But that aside, this class was just what I needed, it covered everything about grammer and the use of it. I loved it! The teacher, Stephanie Paterik was great, her joy of grammer showed through in her teaching, making the class really enjoyable. I sure hope I used all my comma's in the right places. read more

I was excited about taking their Fiction Writing course. The instructor recommended reading Gotham's Writing Fiction book as a supplement so I did. When we met for class, the instructor simply read notes clearly taken word for word out of each chapter of the book. Even the examples she provided were exactly the same. What's the point of listening to a lecture that we've already read in the book? Seriously, class lectures were no more than a rehash of the book, with no original input on the part of the instructor. The only redeeming aspect of taking this course was having a small audience and getting some criticism from our peers. However, even this wasn't enough. Three of the classmates, myself included, dropped out with the same complaints. Classes were boring and unproductive. Spend your money elsewhere and share your work with as many people YOU can find. Good luck and keep writing! read more

A huge waste of money. Find a local writers group (try your library) or free online group and save your time, money and effort. You will learn just as much if not more. read more

I just finished fiction I with Shelly. She was a great, knowledgeable and honest instructor who pushed me to work harder and more diligently. My class was made all the more better by my classmates, our mixed backgrounds and our many different styles of writing. I recommend Gotham to anyone interested in getting into or back into writing. It's a lot of fun. read more

I took the creative writing 101 and loved it. Unsure of where to start, but interested in writing more, I signed up for this class to get a feel for where my voice was. I had Mattew Cody for a teacher. He was great. I learned so much in 6 weeks and can honestly say that I left a better writer and with the confidence to move forward. I'll definitely take another course at Gotham and would recommend these workshops/ courses to anyone interested. ... Do it! read more

I recently took a free article writing workshop with Jennifer Armstrong and found it to be very informative. She broke down the process of article writing and pitching in a way that a beginner could easily understand and the amount of information she was able to provide in just one hour really astonished me. read more

I just recently took a grammar and article writing class, and it was AMAZING. A seven hour, one day crash course on each subject and I took so much out of it. I became motivated and a method to take my writing to the next level. Great job!! Very helpful and I will be attending another class very soon. read more

Let me guess, you're sitting at your boring job, sifting through these reviews, looking for reasons to spend the money on one of these classes. JUST DO IT! I took Humor Writing with Nelsie Spencer and it was worth every penny. Every class was engaging and inspiring! Class flew by and I never found myself watching the clock. Such a great opportunity to be creative and meet some talented people. I walked away with a dozen or so pieces that I can continue to work on and rewrite with the notes I received from class. read more

Took a one day children's writing course. It was pretty good in that it sparked my interest to write again, for that week! I have just become a bit too lazy. The instructor was really nice and knowledgeable in this genre. read more

The instructor was fantastic and offered great help and very constructive critique to help move my novel forward.

I had an excellent experience in the playwriting course with Richard Caliban. The lectures were interesting, useful and accessible. I like the workshop model of classes because our class discussions were very stimulating and engaging. The only flaw is in the way the booth critiques are conducted. I think there should be more time and attention paid to guidelines about critique read more

I took two workshops at Gotham and found them both to be good for what they were. I thought the writers who led both of them knew enough about writing and both had work of their own published. I thought the writers in the workshop all had some kind of talent, some more developed than others. I found the critiques of my work to be helpful, I took what I needed and discarded what I didn't want. One of the stories I wrote in an advanced writing workshop was published in a literary magazine. If it's the kind of place you're trying to get yourself heard and and want the input of other writers, then it will all depend on who's in the workshop. It's a pleasant relaxed atmosphere. It's also a good place to find out about opportunities to have your work read or published. read more

Gotham gave me a great introduction to the songwriting world. I am not a musician but felt completely comfortable in Songwriting I with many musicians. The class gave an understanding of melodies and song structure. I enjoyed the fact that we were encouraged to express our creativity. The class also gave me the opportunity to visit a working studio owned by the instructor. I commend Gotham on the effort put towards hiring amazing instructors. I would highly recommend Gotham to anyone. read more

Amazing Fiction 101 class. Good content and format. I learned so much about how to write good fictional pieces.

I have been taking Gotham writing classes for a little over a year and a half now. I am a Bank Auditor not a writer. Since I enjoy reading fiction, I decided to try my hand at it and found Gotham. What a positive exciting experience this has been, from actually writing short fictional stories to meeting the teachers and classmates. I can't urge you enough to take a Gotham writing course. Totally Rewarding! read more

I took an online fiction course. Very disappointed. The feedback from the instructor was always, 'great start, can't wait to read the rest!' There really was no feedback. This was not worth the money. They never gave me feedback. read more

I just finished my first online class from Gotham. It cost around 450 dollars and, uh.. well, I'm not sure how I feel about it, really. The instructor was good and had wonderful credits, but her comments usually synopsized my stories. 2% specific comments. 98% retelling me my story. The other folks in the class - there were close to 12, 13 signed up - were almost all completely silent and a big part of the class was the feedback you received from others. It actually had me wondering if Gotham had created names and emails just to make the classes seem bigger. Regardless, I'm just saying, bottom line, it was a pretty blah experience and not extremely helpful. Perhaps all the classes at Gotham (I wished I lived in NYC) are not like this, but my online class was - sadly. If you buy a great book on writing, then buy some great books by great writers and just sit and read them, you're going to come out ahead in the $$$$ department and you'll, most likely, learn as much or more. That's my bottom line, after pouring myself into the online class. I wouldn't do it again. I couldn't recommend it. read more

I signed up for a playwright 1 class with Gotham Writer's Workshop and was completely dissatisfied with the service provided. The class did not offer instruction on formatting and some of the class was expected to write a full play by the second week. Do not take this class if you need instruction on basic playwright skills as a beginner playwright. Additionally, upon letting Gotham Writer's Workshop know of my dissatisfaction, they would not issue me a refund, even though the class was in the 3rd of a 10-week class. The gentleman who I spoke with on the phone was even rude during my conversation with hi. I simply inquired for a refund, and explained my concerns with how the class was run, and he started to lecture me on the etiquette of asking for refunds. He even said, "I would love to know how that works out for you in the rest of your life." The simple fact that as a customer, my expectations were not met should be basis for a fair refund for the remainder of the week. Will also be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and other social media outlets, to let other students know of this unfair business practice, as well as the rude treatment on a customer service end. Seems silly for such a large organization, this could have all been avoided. read more

This is the best place to go if you need to learn proper writing techniques or if you just need to polish up on your writing skills. I've taken several classes with them during the previous four years & I always learn something new each time. During the 10-week course schedule, there is a specific method that GWW follows where you submit your work & then it's reviewed by your classmates & the instructor. If it's not your turn to submit something, then you review another person's work instead. Everyone is able to gradually improve their level of writing by attending each lecture & writing a little more each time. You can also take a 1-day class or attend some other sort of special event (including free classes!) by seeing what's available on their website. If you live in NYC & see one of the yellow mailboxes advertising this company, you should definitely pickup one of their brochures & see what it says about the new classes they're offering each semester. Also, the people who work in their main office are always available & very helpful when it comes to answering any questions you may have regarding which class is best for you. read more