Though the literary writing courses are ok, the screenwriting courses are in my opinion not worth the money. I don't think they pay their faculty much. The professors don't want to so anything more than the pre-set printed material. Good luck getting them to answer individual questions. And their attitude is, if you don't like it, don't bother to sign up. My first screenwriting class the instructor did not bother to comment on my submission. The second screenwriting class the professor (Pamela Harris) told me (in response to some substantive questions) that I did not read enough scripts. FYI I have taken Gotham literary courses for years - I don't intend to take any more. The faculty quality has really gone down. read more

After getting a recommendation from a member of my writing group I decided to take the 10 week online course of Science Fiction and Fantasy 1 with Paul Witcover. I afraid to say we ended with less participants than we started with. Not because Paul or the class was horrible in fact the feedback received from the class and Paul helped fix the first chapter of my work in progress. Either the feedback was not people's liking or real life got in the way. The structure of the course is fairly straight forward: Lecture once a week with homework and two booth submissions. The lectures cover a great variety of things like POV, dialogue, world building and figuring out the business. The booth submission process may seem painful at first but if you been in a writing group you know how hard/painful it can seem when the feedback from complete strangers rolls in. The library links to authors, magazines and such are worth saving. The only downsides I found was the lectures, homework and booth reviews aren't in a portable format that's easily savable. The current way of saving the work as giant file doesn't really do it for me. An annotated PDF file of booth work is really needed and this goes for the lectures/homework, too. I think if Gotham came out with an mobile/ipad app that encompasses this it'd make the experience even more enjoyable. The other downside was the chat lounge is a great idea but don't be surprised if the optional 1hr chat with fellow students drops down to a core group at the end of the 10 weeks. In the end, the writing class was money well spent and I signed up for SFF II with Michaela Roessner. read more

It's been about a year since I posted my first review on Gotham and I am still going to workshops and classes there. I really enjoy it. Here's a list of classes I've been to since last year: Memoir Writing with Melissa Petro - great class, she gave a lot of insight/clarity into what exactly memoir writing is. I enjoyed the writing exercises - she's very funny and the time went by pretty fast. Creative Writing 101 with Shelly Oria - Shelly was fantastic and gave so many tips and suggestions on how to be inspired and creative - some of it was inspired by things like the Artist's Way. But she's also a writing & life coach so she just gave so much practical information and suggestions for how to keep inspired and keep writing - that's my biggest problem - carving out time to write and being disciplined about it. Fiction Writing with Polly Bresnick - Polly gave us great writing exercises and went over a lot of the concepts that good storytelling has - writing vs showing, how to come up with non cliched phrases, conflict, etc. And we read some great examples in class to illustrate the concepts we learned in the workshop. Polly was very supportive and encouraging. Documentary Films with Dave Seigerman - I really really enjoyed this class, there wasn't really much 'writing' involved but the focus of the class was the storytelling aspect of Documentary Films and the process you go through when you are making one. Dave was incredible, he's done a lot of documentaries and has a ton of experience so it was such a valuable experience hearing from him and having him share with the students in the class. How to Blog with Alison Stein - I just took this class last Saturday and it was great (the only drawback was that we all brought laptops in and then the venue we had the class at didn't have wi-fi so those of us who didn't have hotspots or any connections weren't able to get onto the internet. But still the class was so informative and inspiring and at the last section we actually went through how to set up a blog online - much easier than coming up with the content for sure! If you are an active/seasoned/professional writer and you just need some inspiration or you're stuck on something - I would still suggest attending a workshop just to get inspired or to get some help from either the instructor or other students. But mostly if you are a novice or you just want to get into writing, going to these one-day intensives is great. A lot of people don't attend thinking that they're not good writers or they don't know if they can call themselves 'writers' or they are too intimidated but that's all non-sense. Everybody thinks the same thing and honestly, you just have to start writing and get inspired and these workshops are a great way to do that. read more

I am truly impressed with Gotham Writers Workshop. Whether you are a complete newbie or an experienced writer who just needs help with a already finished peice of work, they are here the assist. The teachers are very open and very knowledgable in their craft, which made me feel immediately comfortable. Their range of classes and the timing of classes is amazing. They have everything from multi week long classes to just saturday classes to online classes. I took writing classes in college, but I got more out of the short time that I spend with Gotham Writers that I got out of a year of college classes. read more

I am new to writing but have been carrying some stories for a memoir around in my head for several years without being able to get them out onto paper. I registered for my first Gotham course, Memoir I, with Ryan Britt, in the Fall of 2011. The class was amazing. It was structured in such a way as to really help me to understand what goes into a good memoir piece, how to get it on the paper, how to refine and improve the dramatic arc and story line. The class was supportive and the feedback process (the booth) while somewhat intimidating at first, was a useful tool that really facilitated my growth as a writer. I am now taking my second course, humor writing, and while the learning curve has been less dramatic, it is equally helpful and informative. I can not speak for the on-line formats but the in-class lectures have certainly kept me on track. read more

What's more painful than having writer's block? Thinking about sitting in class for three hours trying to get through that writer's block. Gotham Writers' Workshop is here to push you further, elevate you to put those thoughts on to paper and get you to have something cohesive at the end of the class. I attended a free workshop session during the Gotham open house. They had so many classes to choose from. Screenwriting, fiction writing, food writing, etc. I chose memoir writing. There was something about that subject that I found challenging. How do you write something so honest, so raw, something you have to step outside of your own bones and look at yourself unbiased? I want to be a brave writer. The free sessions are a great opportunity to see if you really want to enroll in the classes. I had a great teacher and even greater classmates. We did a few writing exercises as well as study some texts. I don't think it is worth it for me right now to take this course but maybe in the future. Nonetheless, I am interested in taking other courses with Gotham. They're pretty thought provoking and sure get the ink out of my pen pretty quickly. I feel like writing up a storm right now. read more

My favorite part of this class - it was fun! This is perfect for someone who has a busy life schedule. Work, family, etc. Believe me, I am one of those people. Yet I managed to find time to read one assignment per week, and submit my homework early. Because let's face it, if you love something, you will make time. The teacher was knowledgeable and provide me with valuable feedback. There is no doubt about one thing; I am a better writer because of this course. My writing is much more entertaining, coming from comments of the few readers who read my stuff. Here is the best endorsement I can give; I am signing up for the next class. This one was Creative Writing 101. Next I am taking Fiction 1, then I will probably take Novel Writing. If you like to write, and want to get better, then I recommend this school. read more

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing, Level 1, on-site NYC, with Paul Witcover: You'll get back from the class whatever you put in, squared. So if you put in alot you'll receive something spectacular in return. Your writing may undergo a sudden upheaval; you may have a mystical experience that transforms you. I thought it would take me a year to recover, but it only took a month. I'm just getting back on my feet now, which is why I can write this review! Paul gives detailed, thoughtful, in-depth consideration to every student's writing. He spends alot of his personal time writing up extremely useful pages of feedback for each piece, as well as going into remarkable depth with each submission during the workshop part of the class. If you need help with your story, there is genuine aid here. He has a firm apprehension of speculative fiction scenarios and dilemmas, and a strong editorial eye. He's gentle and respectful of creativity, and takes care to support you as you go careening off in your own direction - provides deep and detailed feedback, but doesn't interfere or squash your vision. He strikes a wonderful intuitive balance when helping students - tells us what we need to know to make our writing better, but gives us plenty of room to be ourselves. This class went off like a blaze of illumination in my mind and heart. Keep yourself together, fellow writer, as you jump into the beautiful creative storm that is a Gotham speculative fiction class! read more

I took Creative Writing 101 with Jennifer Armstrong. Great experience! Don't be intimidated. Even if the last "real" writing you've done was years ago in college, or you're afraid you're not talented enough to hang with whatever budding literary geniuses have signed up for the same class, it really is a welcoming and non-judgmental environment suitable for anyone who wants to be there. Seriously :) And if you're considering an Article Writing course, take it from Jennifer! She's remarkably talented, funny, full of insight on a plethora of writing and pop-culture topics, and adept at providing useful feedback to improve your work. read more

I had been looking at taking the Creative Non Fiction intro course for a few months - I finally went for it, and I was really pleased with it. Aside from the fact that I had to miss some of the classes due to my own schedule, I felt it gave me a comprehensive enough overview to get a sense of which genres I had an interest in, where I felt i could expand my talent, and that I might want to explore in more depth through one of the longer format courses. Our instructor, Kelly, was excellent. I was impressed by the quality of instructors - experts in their fields and instructors at the college level. It really made a difference in my opinion. I've taken a number of writing workshops, since that's my occupation, and I felt this one was really well constructed and thought out in terms of the structure and the syllabus, and what they were trying to achieve. It gives you just enough of a taste of the course to decide if the topic is something you want to explore further. Highly recommend. Also - they have a really interesting and diverse course selection for different areas of writing, which I liked. read more

I had a good experience here with a CW101 class and some open house events. The class was good - the teacher was focused the entire time and the people in the class (which is an uncontrollable factor, sadly) were evenly balanced as far as taking and sharing is concerned. I would take another class again in the future. read more

This is a review of the Friday "Write-In" two-hour class. For $20 (you can get a discount if you buy three class passes, I think), you get to free write based off of two prompts. There's time after each to share work and comments. It felt casual yet structured--a credit to our instructor, who guided the discussions and encouraged everyone to participate. Just the kind of thing to kickstart the creative juices. Plus, there was wine and a great snack spread. I can't comment on the other course offerings. read more

Excellent one-day intensives. I have taken 3 classes- Screenwriting, Character Development and Dialog writing and all 3 have been well worth the time and money in helping hone my budding efforts towards writing a screenplay. read more

I'm a published author and I've been taking classes at Gotham for years. I highly recommend them. I used to go to the evening classes but now I only take the online classes. I highly encourage you to take an in person class if you can. I need the critiques more than the lecture so online suits me fine. I've taken classes with Diana Spechler, Susan Breen and others. All are excellent instructors but the real meat and potatoes (for me) comes from the critiques. Writers who've paid $400 for a class (and want feedback in return) tend to be more serious than those who hop in and out of other writing/critique groups. It's really interesting to hear 15 different perspectives on the same 20 pages of material. Happy writing! read more

I just finished their creative non-fiction course (11/18) and I found a voice I never knew I had. I work as a freelance film writer and I took this course after having my work published and it helped ease my own creative self-doubt. It also left me with a handful of pieces I plan on extending and submitting to editors. read more

Preface: I have no reference for the facilitates, I took the course on line. The professor was absolutely wonderful, the pacing was the right balance of "pressure" and enough time to have an outside life. I also liked that they offered specialty courses(Science fiction and fantasy writing) as well as more general ones. read more

I've taken several on line writing classes here, never having taken a writing class before. It has been a wonderful experience. I loved the diverse talents in the class and the experience of commenting on the work of others as a way to learn. I was also very pleased with the lectures and instructors. Stacy Pershall's advice was simply transformative. Elizabeth Cohen gave insight and encouragement that took me to the next level, in my writing and confidence. I would highly recommend the experience. read more

I received a lot of guidance, personal attention, and helpful tips from Josh Sippie when I took "Blog Boost." He answered all my specific questions and provided solutions to questions I didn't know I had. When Wordpress suddenly changed completely, he very patiently walked me through all of it which helped me tremendously. For me it was well worth the money and time. read more

I cannot say enough about how impressed and pleased I am with my experiences with Gotham. From Dana Miller, the Director of their One on One Services to Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, my doctoring sessions mentor to Josh Sippie, my proofreader, they were all professional and their help and guidance was beyond my highest expectations. They made my first experience with writing a children's book a pleasurable, productive, learning experience. My thanks to all of them! read more

NOT A SAFE OR SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY! Took my first workshop July 2017 (Mrs. Sticklor/Novel) and she let a student make jokes and laugh as part of a "critique". Gotham uses "the Booth" meaning they require you to sit silent while students critique you. Works only if the instructor keeps them in line. This instructor just sat there. When I emailed her afterwards about my concerns, she couldn't care less. So I dropped (3 weeks total for $450!) What a waste! Worst experience I've ever had in a workshop. Better off at other places such as 92nd Street "Y". read more

I took the intro to Standup class with Jim Mendrinos a few years ago, and it was pretty useless. He lectured for the first 30 min of every class about the standup world, and then each student would get up to perform. He'd give feedback, but no one else was allowed to talk. We weren't taught any techniques, or given specific things to work on. We just had to listen to the other people in the class basically perform the same material week after week, and listen to his commentary about it. If you're interested in standup, I'd recommend skipping the class and just going to open mics. read more

I took the Creative Writing 101 class this past fall, and LOVED it. I was an English major in college and have taken a lot of writing classes, but stopped writing about 10 years ago and wanted a gentle re-entry that would work my atrophied writing muscles without being too taxing. This class was exactly that. Short exercises during the class, prompted by reading excerpts from different authors and genres, voluntary reading (unless it's always the same people and then you rotate), and 500-word assignments that you submit early and the instructor comments on. There are orchids and onions (positive comments and suggestions) that preserve one's delicate ego as you venture into the forest. Am already signed up for another course. read more

I think this place is pretty cool. The classes are good. I started and later completed my first screenplay here. It helps if you are stuck and need some help getting your writing mind in gear. The classes are held in different locations throughout the city. They are reasonable priced too. They offer on line classes also. However, I do not recommend taking classes if you are not blocked. They do bombard you with a lot of rules and criticism which may be a nightmare for some writers. read more

I took the Memoir Writing I course (online version) at Gotham that started Aug 2017. I read great reviews about Gotham Writers so I decided to sign up. When I handed my first homework, the instructor commented on my piece, very short and pretty generic, I felt. And you are not allowed to improve on it (which I learned to accept, but there's more). Every week, you get a new topic (eg. plot, scene, etc.). The problem with this structure is that you are required to submit a 3,750 max word count story soon after the start of the course even before you are taught the basics of memoir writing. I felt bad for the folks who had to go before me. Most of the writings were mediocre at best. I blame this on the fact that the students weren't even given the materials on how to write a memoir, let alone structure it. I had to go on the internet for free information and figure it out myself. When we did get the material for the class that week, it was nothing special. I could have easily learned the material for free on the internet. When I emailed the teacher and the director about this, they mentioned that basically that is the way it was, and many people enjoy this course. I told them how it could be improved and the director didn't even respond back. The teacher even mentioned that I could do some self-study and she had no control over how the Gotham courses were structured. It seems the instructor is just the face of the course. I guess it's easy money for them since they just need to copy/paste the materials and comment on your writing without much in-depth analysis. I get that the course is an introduction so perhaps I am asking too much when asking for substantial comments. Still, the comments are so superficial that I feel I could have easily made those comments. I don't see how the instructor adds value to the course at all. I also don't like the workshopping aspect of it. Basically, novice students with no idea about memoir writing commenting on your work (that includes me). Yes, Gotham does give you the nuts on bolts and how to comment respectfully and how to say the nice things before critiquing. The problem is that most of the students don't seem to know what to look out for. What are we commenting on? Most of the comments are subjective because of this. I'd rather have the instructor give me an in-depth comment or to guide us as to what to look out for. Her comments were so obvious and generic for all the students. I didn't learn much at all. What I learned, I had to acquire outside of the course. Overall, this course wasn't helpful for me. I wouldn't be taking another Gotham course. read more

I took two of their online classes (6 and 10 weeks long). I took both Fiction 101 and Advanced Fiction, and I really enjoyed them. I didn't always like having to comment on other peoples' work, but I guess to get feedback, you have to give it. Commenting on the other people's stories was time consuming, but overall, I loved the classes. The online learning system is easy to use, and I got a lot of value out of it. The instructors did a great job providing feedback on how to improve my writing. I'm looking forward to taking the creative writing course. For those who are dissing the free courses, keep in mind that they were.... FREE! I paid for mine and got my money's worth. read more

Taking a creative writing class at Gotham is one of those things I always planned to get around to since moving to NYC seventeen years ago and seeing those ubiquitous yellow boxes all over town, but each class costs roughly $450, and since I didn't know anyone personally who had ever taken a Gotham class, I hesitated. Then, last year, I got an offer to take their 6-week On-line Creative Writing 101 class for $100 through Groupon, and I figured it was worth a try. Worst case scenario, I would be held accountable for producing work every week, and I would be pushed to share my work with other people instead of forever hiding it in the dark recesses of my computer's hard drive. I had a wonderful experience in the 101 class and ended up taking Fiction I and both sections of Fiction II (part I and part II). I had three different instructors. Overall, I have only good things to say about Gotham. The management is responsive to questions and concerns. The instructors are highly knowledgeable about the art of fiction, encouraging of student efforts but also constructively critical of student work, and enthusiastic about books, words, and the craft. The instructor feedback in my experience was comprehensive with both in-text comments on form and end comments on content and structure. Overall, the instructors at Gotham are experienced, intelligent writers and readers. The classes are demanding considering they are optional, continuing education courses, and if you are disciplined and self-motivated, you will learn a lot about yourself and about writing. You will also produce a significant amount of work that you can independently develop into short stories or novels. In the Fiction classes, each week, you are expected to read a 3-4 page lecture; read a well-known or critically acclaimed short story; respond to a Discussion Board prompt regarding the lecture and story, and write 1-2 pages of fiction related to a topic of the week such as plot, character development, setting, or tone which is read and critiqued by the instructor. Twice during the 10-week term, you have the opportunity to submit 10-15 pages of writing to "The Booth" for review by the teacher and the other students in the class. My only negative comment about Gotham's online classes is the quality of your experience is highly dependent on the participation of other students. I was in one class which had a high level of participation both on the Discussion Board and in The Booth. I was also in one class where only two to four students actively participated throughout the term. While Gotham has no control over the quantity or quality of student participation in online courses, I do think the instructors could be more pro-active and encouraging of participation by the entire class throughout the term. In the classes with high levels of participation (at least 10 people actively participating throughout the term), I received numerous recommendations about writers and books to which I might not otherwise have been exposed, read a number of interesting short stories and novel excerpts written by fellow students, and received valuable feedback on my own stories from a community of fellow writers. I have to add that one perk of the online classes is that you have a diverse group of people who enroll. I have been in classes with students who are in their twenties and students who are in their eighties. I have been in classes with people from NYC, Korea, Germany, Bolivia, South Africa, Dubai, Australia, California, Wyoming, Oregon, and Vermont. I have been in classes with educators, retirees, stay-at-home mothers, journalists, engineers, librarians, actresses, and physicians. This diversity is invaluable in terms of getting to read stories across the spectrum of human experience and in terms of getting feedback from readers across all walks of life. If you have been thinking about trying out a Gotham class--don't hesitate. Sign up. You will not regret it. read more

I took a screenwriting workshop a few years ago and really loved the class and the feed back. I think it's time to take another class to brush up again since life somethings gets in the way. Class isn't too large just enough. I don't remember the teacher's name it was a woman but she was good. read more

I just finished creative non-fiction 101. This is the only writing class I've ever taken so I can't compare it to anything but I say Yes! This was the real deal. I thought the class was very well organized with each week introducing a different type of non-fiction writing. We were given time in class to write and then the lesson began. We talked about the elements of each type of writing and then we discussed examples of when its done well. If you want to just start writing, do this course. read more

It took me a few online classes to catch on but you're paying $500.00 for the equivalent of a book you could purchase for $20.00. Yes, there's an instructor who posts each chapter, and you post your work and get a few comments but it's not worth anywhere close to the 500 bucks you just shelled out. read more

The instructor was highly knowledgeable and the course materials were extremely useful. Any writer who is interested in publishing articles would benefit from this interesting, informative course. This is one of the better Gotham Workshop course I have taken. read more

Gotham Writers workshop was where I went to pull out the pieces of me that I hid and transformed it into something that could serve me. Taking a class after so much time off from college was anxiety producing but the team and the instructor were amazing. Stacy Pershall's classes are filled with a love for writing that was infectious. Every day in her class felt like another giant step towards my own memoir. Besides being a fair and passionate instructor she's is also an inspiration. I read her book in less than 24 hours. I can't wait to continue working on my own memoir. read more

I have found the Gotham Writers' Workshop courses to be uniformly excellent and of very high quality. I have multiple taken courses in songwriting and playwriting. As a result of my training from Gotham, I have become a successful singer-songwriter and am now completing my first musical to apply for next year's NYC Fringe Festival. And prior to taking my first Gotham course, I had never written anything! read more

I'm four weeks in to my third writing workshop in New York, this being my second class with Gotham. At this point I feel I have something to say about workshops that may be helpful for others to hear, specifically if you're considering signing up for the first time. My first class was at The New School, where I work-shopped and completed my first full-length draft of a novel. To my knowledge, none of the other fifteen or so students finished a draft within at least a year from completing that class. By the time I signed up for my second class a year later (which was at Gotham), I had already written three more new novel drafts. I wanted to really gain something new and powerful out of the class. Ultimately, I wanted to experiment, so I went for it. The results were educational, and unfortunately a bit sacrificial. What I learned was that if you are going to try to subject people to your writing in a format that is not considered main-stream, watch out. Reactions might be disappointing. Its almost guaranteed they'll be inconsistent. I guess I had to work some things out of my system, get over them, and move on. Now I'm on to my third class, again with Gotham, and I have a plan. I've found a writing style and voice that I'm comfortable with, and at the very least this allows me to produce work. Whether it's received well or poorly is still at the discretion of the class. So far, I've gotten my first critique, and enough of the class claims they enjoyed my work for me to feel encouraged. On the students: I encountered something I wasn't expecting, but quickly learned was the norm. There are many students who pay for these classes and do not take their commitments seriously. Others are work-shopping old work, which you begin to hear has been work-shopped more than a few times. Some write garbage. Others are brilliant. Student critiques often start off sedated during the first few classes when class-chemistry is dull to non-existent, and can liven up towards the end. So far, I haven't encountered any major jerks, but I've heard they are out there. On the teachers: They are professional, and most are somewhat published. Whether or not they are good writers is simply a matter of opinion and career related success. My first teacher was a one-time best selling author (which I did not know until I arrived for our first class), and while in the classroom I found her to be a dedicated instructor, she was fired from her job for various reasons -- some fair, others not. My second teacher had a Master's degree in literature, was incredibly academic, and very kind. Lastly, I'm finding my third instructor to have an irritating issue that's not entirely her fault. Our critique times are being managed unevenly, and I feel this is a problem. But she's got heart, and her written critiques are like those of a professional editor, and that's valuable stuff. With all that said, here's my bottom line: Lower your expectations about what you might get out of these classes. If you're looking to socialize and make friends, you'll find the night classes are not well suited for that because people want to go home. Ultimately, you'll find yourself [at first] contributing more that what you get back. If you're short on patience, these classes are not for you. There will inevitably be students who drop out. If you're lucky, the class will dwindle down to a count of ten or so - any more than that is too much. In the end, you'll have to derive lessons not just from critiques about your work, but also from the critiques everyone contributes to all of your classmates. read more

Never received my final paper from the instructor Beth Livermore. The class she taught was Non-Fiction Creative Writing.

I took the beginning memoir class, online, with Stacy Pershall. I liked the structure of the class very much. I wanted and needed regular weekly assignments to get me into the routine of writing, the lectures were useful in getting me to focus on one aspect at a time in depth, and I greatly enjoyed reading the range of submissions to critique. However, I felt the instructor's repeated reference to the "high bar" of published memoirs was a bit much to lay on beginniners, some of whom were writing in this form for the first time, some of whom had no ambition for actually publishing a popular memoir, but who were writing for friends and family, or even just for themselves. The instructor also played favorites; some people did not have their questions or comments on Blackboard responded to, while others were approvingly responded to almost immediately. Only one person had a booth comment by the teacher saying "I'm proud of you," and this student, surprise surprise, had written a piece about a mental illness which the teacher had also experienced and written about in her own memoir. I came out of the class feeling very discouraged, and also feeling that I had been pressured to write in a certain way and style that was the instructor's personal preference. At no time were students asked what their own objectives were, what sort of memoir they planned to write, what kind of feedback would be most useful to them given their current stage of writing. From writing behind the scenes to several others, I know they felt the same way, and this perhaps accounted for the dramatic fall-off in class participation. Less than a third of the class was commenting on student submissions by the end, and there were only two of us who participated regularly in the lounge chats. Having signed up for the class hoping for lots of discussion, I was very disappointed. I am willing to try another class to see what different a new instructor will make, as the bones of the class and lectures were truly useful. read more

Writing for TV with Jim Mendrinos. He's honest, insightful, and amazingly patient for those of us brand new to the industry/writing. I'm so sad the class is over!! read more

Humor Writing One with John Kachuba is excellent. It's a demanding course and is 10 weeks, but it will help you learn the finer points of written humor and will improve your writing if you put the effort into it. read more

I took Creative Writing 101 at the Gotham Writers Workshop and it was everything I hoped it would be. My instructor, B.C. (Carter) Edwards, was terrific. He did a fantastic job presenting the elements of creative writing. He is patient, knowledgeable and charming. His passion for the craft is obvious and contagious, making the 3 hour class sail by each week. He managed to answer even the most specific questions with answers that were universal and helpful to everyone in the class. He was not afraid to digress into different elements of writing but always managed to bring us back on topic so that we covered everything I hoped to in the 6 weeks. I cannot say enough good things about the class and Carter. I plan to take more classes at GWW and I will definitely look for Carter again. I highly recommend this course to anyone who has considered writing. It is a low pressure environment that will make you comfortable even if you have absolutely no prior writing experience. read more

I may be addicted to Gotham classes. I've taken several one-day intensives and 10-week courses, including Songwriting, Memoir, Screenplay Writing, Children's Book Writing, and a few others. Every teacher I've had has been fantastic, and I've made some great friends in classes. The write-ins on Friday nights are a lot of fun, too. read more

If I could give a 0 rating, I would. Took a poetry class and the instructor gave us pages and pages of poems to read and a couple of definitions! I could have spent $20 on a book and a dictionary. Instead they jipped me of $425! Stay away. read more