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The Attic Experience

"The Attic taught me how to be ambitious for my work: how to think like a poet; respect forms and their rules; the importance of reading, in my case, all kinds of poetry, not just my favorite poets. I learned how to mine a critique group for direction in how to write stronger poems and to keep pushing my voice and to take risks."

Jane Knechtel

Order a signed copy

Based on methods developed exclusively at the Attic by founder and director David Biespiel, Every Writer Has a Thousand Faces cracks open the creative process and challenges traditional assumptions about writing that can stifle creativity. Both beginning and experienced writers—as well as artists, musicians, dancers, and anyone else on a creative path—will benefit from this elegant, surprising, and fresh perspective. An essential book for any writer's library.

Learn more / Read an excerpt / Order a signed copy

Non-Fiction Prose

This is our catch-all for any sort of non-fiction prose that you're working on and that we don't have a specific category for!

E-mail us and let us help you find a good editor to help get...whatever it is...into book form.

Individual Consultation:
Send 30 pages (including sample, proposal, synopsis, or outline). Includes: Reading your materials, plus a one-hour consultation by phone or in person about your book's viability, ideas for publishers, proposal development, & manuscript direction. Fee: $150.

Read, Review, & Strategize: Option A
Send up to 100 pages (including entire manuscript, various drafts of chapters, outline notes, or synopsis), & we'll get into the details with you. Includes: Reading your materials, plus a one-hour or more consultation by phone or in person about ideas & strategies for revision, general narrative & thematic arc, character development, & style. Fee: $195

Read, Review, & Strategize: Option B
Send 100-200 pages (including entire manuscript, various drafts of chapters, outline notes, or synopsis), & we'll get into the details with you. Includes: Reading your materials, plus a one-hour or more consultation by phone or in person about ideas & strategies for revision, general narrative & thematic arc, character development, & style. Fee: $295

Ongoing Manuscript Development
Jump into your manuscript project with accountability and gusto. This level provides you with ongoing editing & critique for a full year. Details & strategies to be worked out between editor & writer. The most complete arrangement we offer to fully develop your mansucript. We use a retainer system to initiate & maintain this service, plus editing fee to be determined depending on blocks of time for copy-editing, thematic critique, & private consultations.
6-month retainer fee, $295, plus hourly rate for editor.
Annual retainer fee, $495, plus hourly rate for editor.

Current Classes


FALL: Children's Book Writing Workshop: Write that Picturebook! (Wednesdays)
FALL: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop A: Writing the Classical Essay (Tuesdays)
FALL: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop B: Writing the Classical Essay (Mondays)
FALL: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop C: The Art of Telling Stories That Happen To Be True (Wednesdays)
FALL: Creative Non-Fiction Workshop D: The Art of Telling Stories That Happen To Be True (Wednesdays)
FALL: Erotica Workshop: Erotic, Realistic, or Sizzling (Mondays)
FALL: Fiction Workshop: Novel-in-Progress (Tuesdays)
FALL: Fiction Workshop: Short Stories (Tuesdays)
FALL: Fiction Workshop: The Long Story (Thursdays)
FALL: Life Sketches Workshop A: Write. Share. Preserve. For individuals 55-over only (Wednesdays)
FALL: Magazine Writing Workshop: Write Those Queries! (Wednesdays)
FALL: Memoir Master Class Weekend with Ariel Gore (Fri-Sun)
FALL: Memoir Workshop: The Language of Your Life A.M. (Thursdays)
FALL: Memoir Workshop: These Are the Good Old Days (Mondays)
FALL: Narrative Workshop: Writing the Lives of Girls and Women (Thursdays)
FALL: Online Workshop: Advanced Story Structure / 10-Week Class with Marc Acito
FALL: Online Workshop: Story Structure / 10-Week Class with Marc Acito
FALL: Poetry Workshop: Power & Play of Discovery (Thursdays)
FALL: Screenwriting Workshop: Writing for the Screen (Tuesdays)
FALL: Time to Write: Direction, Time & Inspiration (Saturdays)
FALL: Write Now! Creative Writing Renewal for Teachers (Thursdays)

"Life Sketches" Workshops

For individuals 55-over who want to write the essential stories of your life. Experience the pleasure of writing your personal stories, sharing them with peers, and preserving them in print. It's a life-changing experience brought to the page. Life Sketches is the story of your life -- one book at a time.

Learn more

The Attic Atheneum

A groundbreaking alternative to the traditional and low-residency MFA, the Attic Atheneum is an 11-month certificate program that melds independent study under close faculty supervision, student receptions, genre meetings, public readings, and other special events created around good food and dynamic conversation, dialogue, and literary community. Applications accepted between March 1 - April 30.

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