Our Mission

We are dedicated to offering professional guidance, resources, and workshops that teach craft, foster creativity, and help writers achieve their goals.

Founded on the belief that everyone has a story worth telling, New York Writers Workshop empowers writers at every stage—from beginners finding their voice to seasoned authors refining their work. Through dynamic classes, mentorship, and outreach programs, we aim to create an inclusive, supportive literary community that values diverse perspectives and encourages authentic expression.

Our mission extends beyond the page. We believe in the power of writing to build bridges, spark change, and deepen understanding across cultures and communities.

NYWW "Person, Place, Poem" workshop at Vihara Temple, Bali

As working writers teaching writing classes, we…

  • Nuture & Encourage

    We nurture and encourage writers of all levels and all ages, from teens to seniors, from aspiring beginners to established writers seeking motivation or direction.

  • Offer a Wide Range of Courses

    We offer a wide range of courses at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels in multiple genres, including short fiction, the novel, children's and young adult fiction, non-fiction, memoir, poetry, the screenplay, playwriting and speech writing.

  • Have Unique Opportunities

    We offer a unique opportunity for students to develop their craft, sharpen their communication skills, and  receive guidance from industry professionals on how to get their work published or performed.

  • Believe in Community Outreach

    We are dedicated to public service, and we engage in regular community outreach activities. Please contact us if you would like to arrange for a workshop or tutorial led by one of our expert faculty in your community.

  • Mentor, consult, and travel

    We mentor, consult, and travel—to lead workshops, speak at conferences, collaborate with writers' communities around the world, and bring the craft of writing to diverse audiences wherever stories are waiting to be told.

  • Believe in the Power of Storytelling

    We believe in the power of community and storytelling to inspire change, foster empathy, and create lasting connections—both on the page and beyond it. Through our programs, we aim to cultivate not just skilled writers, but thoughtful voices in the world.

Our History

New York Writers Workshop formed in 2000, just in time for the new millennium. We taught in basements, studios, private homes, and temporary classroom spaces all over the city before we found a permanent home for some of our writing classes at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan. We’ve grown from a nucleus of eleven founders to a team of over forty writer/instructors. And we’ve branched out from the Lower East Side and the Upper West Side to other states and as far as Europe, the Far East, and Down Under. We’ve attracted a loyal following and garnered acclaim (check out the testimonials and success stories) from students who tried their first writing exercises in one of our classes to those who followed our guidance all the way to publication. We’ve published a textbook, The Portable MFA in Creative Writing. In 2004 we launched our own publishing house, Greenpoint Press, which has a growing list of scintillating fiction and non-fiction titles, some written by our students. We regularly offer free workshops in all disciplines through the New York Public Library. We host two pitch conferences a year that put writers of fiction and non-fiction directly in contact with editors from big commercial publishing houses and independent presses. We offer international conference/retreats, and we are coming soon to a continent near you!*

*We have just used our allotment of exclamation points for the next 100,000 words (see The Atlantic). Keep us honest. 

Support Stories That Matter

New York Writers Workshop is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making high-quality writing education accessible to all. Your donation helps us offer scholarships, support outreach initiatives like Prison Writes, and grow a global community of storytellers.