Essay writing is an excellent way to express your creativity, experiment with different forms of writing, and earn important publication credits as you build your writing career. The fact is, well-written essays are in constant demand by blogs, columns, literary magazines, anthologies, newspapers, and online forums.

​

But what is an essay? What makes an essay successful? How is it different from fiction? How is it the same? And where can you find outlets for submitting your work?

​

This four-week class will address those questions and inspire you with these special gifts of essay writing:

​

• Writing essays requires clarity of thought and expression. You may be writing within a specified word count, which develops your ability to write succinctly and make every word count.

• Essays give you broad leeway for personal expression no matter what your interests or personal experiences. If you want the freedom to write about a topic that matters to you, essays may become your favorite and most exciting genre.

• Essays allow you to connect with readers and engage them emotionally. Plus they help you marry personal experience or research with opinion and reflection.

• In short, essays allow you to write about stories that matter to you and convince your readers that they matter, too.

​

The skills you’ll learn in this class can be transferred to all other kinds of writing, helping build your confidence as you tackle bigger and more ambitious projects.

​

This class will cover the basics of essay writing—the differences between narrative, descriptive, expository and persuasive forms—and give you plenty of opportunities to write and share.