Every Writer Has a Voice

Our community of writers and artists will give you the tools and expert feedback you need to craft your best work.

Welcome to
San Francisco Creative Writing Institute

Write your awesome label here.

1,000+

Students and Attendees

20+

Book Deals

200+

Events Held

50+

Award Winners and Finalists

Classes

Our Vision

Helping Creative Writers Emerge

Join our community of writers and creatives to find your voice and tell your story. You'll be part of a vibrant environment to exchange ideas and be one step closer to publishing and performing your work.

What We Do

We believe that great writing rises from the community. We help poets and storytellers craft work that matters, narrates the world around them, and challenges the status quo. 

Writing Instruction

Through our classes, seminars, and workshops, we provide an intimate and empowering learning environment for writers of all walks from life.

Our Impact

SFCWI transforms people with ideas into writers, and writers with manuscripts into published authors. Our programs give writers a platform to publish and perform their work.

Find Community

Our workshops, performances, and programs foster belonging among independent thinkers, incubate diverse ideas, and refine skills for writers of all ages and backgrounds.

Why Students Love Us

SFCWI's workshops provided me with skills that let me go deep into my writing. I return to these skills again and again—going deep, getting to the emotional core of a character—and it's paying off so much.

Tracey Lien
The author of the internationally bestselling novel, All That's Left Unsaid. Winner of the Indie Book Award, MUD Literary Prize, Davitt Award, and New Australian Fiction Prize.
As a poet, I thought I didn't have the background to tackle the dramatics. But, workshopping with other writers from different aspects and backgrounds has helped me jump into a new genre. The instructors created a fun, supportive environment that taught us the beauty of writing for screen and stage. I'm definitely coming back!

Abe Becker
Published poet, playwright, instructor, and Grand Slam Champion of Cal Slam and Berkeley Poetry Slam
The SF Creative Writing Institute has successfully created a community for writers to connect, grow, and nourish each other as artists. Both seasoned and new get to improve their craft. As a forever writer, poet, and educator, I owe my creative transformation to their programs.

K.R. Morrison
Bay Area writer, drummer, educator, Award-nominated of the poem, Her Alter
The classes are challenging but in a good way. When I started, all I had was heart. I didn't have passion until I saw it in the eyes of the other students. That ignited me. I knew then that I wasn't the only one searching for something different in our work, wanting to love poetry more. I'm on fire now and all I want to do is write. All thanks to the institute and the instructors. 

G. Macias Gusman
Poet, fiction writer, and has work in publications like The Borfski Press and Bay Area Generations Anthology

Where Our Instructors Teach

We’ve Been Published By

Great Writing Rises
From the Community

Why Students Love Us

Each class left me energized and excited about my work. The instructor held you to a high standard, but was also encouraging, and he's very cognizant of his responsibility to prepare writers for the realities of the publishing world. His class has everything you could want: it's both commercial and literary, practical and revelatory. It's the best creative writing class I've ever taken.

Naomi Kanakia
Author of Enter Title Here and We Are Totally Normal. Has books published from Disney-Hyperion, Feminist Press, Princeton University Press, and HarperTeen
Alexandra's method writing class was so good that I took it 5 times! The instructors' process worked on experts and beginners alike. I saw newbies transform their lackluster work into amazing short stories in 8 weeks! It was amazing to learn how to write from an authentic, sometimes dangerous place, to create something that people love. 

Josh Lowman
CEO of Gold Front, working with startups and CEOs at Stripe, Uber, and Clari
The instructor's lectures were funny, and the critiques were honest.  He brought a unique perspective to the classroom as both a professional writer and editor.  His classes are dense with thought-provoking material, and he has a lot to offer writers at all levels of experience.  I'm so glad I signed up.

Dominca Phetteplace
Pushcart Prize and Rona Jaffe Winner, author of Asimov's Science Fiction and Clarkesworld
My instructor used her writing expertise and global literary knowledge to motivate me to transform my seed of an idea to completion. I have learned to write longer narratives that have become starting points for a memoir, flash fiction, and now a novel. Working with her gave me the confidence to read my work in public and send it out.

Yvonne Campbell
Creative writer, performance artist, and instructor at the Academy of Art University
Write your awesome label here.
Join Our Email List

Master your craft with the latest news, discounts, and free resources delivered to your inbox.

Thank you!

Follow the SFCWI on social:

Created with