Narratively Academy
Ready to tell your story? We’d love to help! Narratively is an award-winning, critically-acclaimed storytelling platform that’s been named one of Time’s “50 Best Websites” and Columbia Journalism Review’s “11 Best Experiments in Journalism.” We are incredibly proud to have edited and published 2,000+ true stories, working with thousands of storytellers from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists to emerging writers sharing their very first pieces — many who have since gone on to publish acclaimed and bestselling books. Our mission has always been to celebrate underdogs and elevate overlooked voices, and Narratively Academy is all about sharing knowledge throughout our unique and diverse community. We offer classes, seminars and writing critiques taught by Narratively’s editors, contributors and storytelling heroes. All classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world.
Summer 2025 Classes
We’re so lucky to have Abeer Hoque back teaching another session of The Insider’s Guide to Writing Personal Statements and Applying for Grants & Residencies. This intimate, hands-on class has room for just eight students. All of our previous sessions sold out so we’ve added a new session of this class in June.
We all know that one of the trickiest things to write about honestly is family — especially parents. Talk about navigating emotional minefields! That’s why we’re so pleased to have Ladane Nasseri, a MacDowell fellow who has published everywhere from The New York Times to McSweeney’s, teaching a two-hour seminar later this month, The Way They Were: Writing About Parents and Formative Relationships.
If you’re working on a memoir or a personal essay that you want to infuse with original reporting and research, don’t miss this class. Kristina Gaddy — acclaimed author, essayist and editor at the literary journal true — is leading a special two-part craft-focused seminar in July called Reporting the Personal Essay. Students really loved the first edition of this class last year, and Kristina has now expanded it to include a second day where you can discuss your own works-in-progress.
This summer, just 10 writers will have the chance to work one-one-one with Narratively executive editor Jesse Sposato. Jesse edits almost all of the memoir pieces that are published on Narratively, and this is the very first time she’s teaching Summer Memoir Mentorship: Perfecting the Personal Essay. If you have a draft of a personal essay and you’re ready for professional feedback, Jesse will review and critique your story, hop on a one-on-one call to discuss edits with you, then review your revision and help you get it all polished up and ready to submit to publications.
We could not be more excited about this next class which, honestly, everyone on our team wants to take ourselves! If you’re a journalist, essayist or other writer who has always wanted to try your hand at a screenplay, this summer is your chance to commit. Bill Gullo is a very accomplished Hollywood screenwriter and longtime educator. In this fun, fast-paced summer class, he’ll show you how to write a “vomit draft” of a screenplay in six weeks. What’s a vomit draft? It’s just what it sounds like: fast and disgusting, but productive. Plus you’ll feel better after you’re done! Any professional screenwriter will tell you about the importance of getting the first draft finished so you can step back and see what’s working and what’s not. Throughout these six weeks, Bill will walk writers through all the details of how to get that full first draft finished in a way that allows you to move forward with intention.
One of our perennially popular classes, Katey Schultz’s The Fine Art of Deep Revision explores how revising your own writing can be efficient, productive and even fun — once you identify the concrete techniques that work best for you. Our three previous sessions of this class all sold out quickly, so grab a seat now if you want to get to work on revising your writing projects this August.
Writing about trauma can be more than catharsis. It can offer an opening, create awareness and begin necessary conversations. This three-part workshop-based class, Untangling the Traumatic Narrative: Using Words to Access Our Wounds, will offer practical and empowering exploration into the process of writing about trauma. Instructor Rebecca Evans, who has taught trauma writing to a wide variety of students in a range of settings, will share from her own extensive experience confronting the fear and vulnerability that surfaces while untangling difficult narratives on the page.
Finally, this August we’re very lucky to have another session of Kavita Das’s sold-out spring class seminar, How to Write About Social Issues in Unprecedented Times. A Pushcart Prize-nominated writer whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, CNN and many other publications, Kavita also authored the book Craft and Conscience: How to Write About Social Issues. Basically, she’s *the* expert on how to craft this type of writing.
Critiques and Manuscript Reviews
As part of Narratively Academy, we’re very pleased to offer a brand-new service: Narratively Critiques. Whether you’d like feedback on your one-page pitch, a 5,000-word story or your entire book, our experienced editorial team is ready to dive in. We’ll provide an in-depth developmental edit, including specific notes throughout, a detailed overall plan for perfecting your story (or larger project) and a one-on-one phone consultation with you to discuss and answer your questions.
Gift Cards
We now have Narratively Academy gift cards! Have a writer (or aspiring writer, or someone you have always thought should be a writer) in your life? Get them a Narratively Academy gift card and they can use it on a class of their choice.
More Classes
Each of the classes below are sold out and/or have already taken place, but we will offer new sessions as soon as there are enough students on the advance wait list.
Email academy@narrartively.com to join an advance waiting list for the next session of any of these classes. Just tell us which class you’re interested in and we’ll make sure you’re the first to know next time it’s offered.
Click on the images to learn more about each class.
Questions? Not sure which class is right for you? Don’t see what you’re looking for and want to suggest a different class we should offer? Want to teach a class yourself? Drop us a line: academy@narratively.com.