Meet the teacher
I won the Graywolf Nonfiction Prize for my essay collection, The Collected Schizophrenias, which also went on to win the Whiting Award and to become a New York Times bestseller. I've been a visiting professor at the San Jose State MFA program, and have taught hundreds of students the art of personal nonfiction writing; I also wrote The Collected Schizophrenias while coping with an assortment of debilitating chronic illnesses.
I'm here to help you crack through your blocks and find a more exhilarating way to write while living with limitations.
foUNDER of the unexpected shape™
devastatingly fond of potato skins
@esmewwang on instagram
Oh, and a big, solid project inspired by your revived creative practice would be lagniappe*. (I promise that it's absolutely possible.)
*how they say "bonus" in New Orleans
What is writer’s block, anyway? Not everyone’s writer’s block looks the same, and the way you approach yours will be different for you and you alone. I’ll talk about what writer’s block can be for different people, as well as the nuance and many layers that make up “writer’s block.”
Setting goals and creating a writing routine. As part of overcoming writer’s block, we’ll talk about the different ways that goals can encourage you—rather than intimidate—as well as several ways to make different writing routines, depending on your circumstances.
Writing exercises and prompts to inspire creativity. Time to PLAY! You’ll experiment and be encouraged to explore different genres and experiment with different writing styles, effective brainstorming, and developing compelling people for your prose.
Resources and tools to assist writers in their creative process. We’ve got a heap of resources and tools for you to continue your practice and zoom forward with new momentum even after your One-Day experience.
"I find her to be a smart and insightful teacher and appreciate her teaching style, which is patient, approachable, and calm... I always prefer quiet power over noisy, frenetic instruction."
"Esmé’s classes are among my favorite to take for a few reasons. First of all, I am a fan of her writing and trust her expertise. This is the initial hook. However, I find her to be a smart and insightful teacher and appreciate her teaching style, which is patient, approachable, and calm. Her assistant Chloe, who attends and helps facilitate all of the sessions, has a similar energy, so they complement each other well. I always prefer quiet power over noisy, frenetic instruction. In addition to the general atmosphere of the teaching, the courses are always well-prepared, organized, and professional. They have a system, and it works.”
“Esmé is exceedingly knowledgeable and her teaching style is the perfect blend of calmly explaining every step of the writing process so you won’t be left confused and answering additional questions."
“Esmé is exceedingly knowledgeable and her teaching style is the perfect blend of calmly explaining every step of the writing process so you won’t be left confused and answering additional questions. She also puts much thought into every answer instead of giving a quick reply—I felt seen, taken care of and special, even though it was a group workshop.”
Choose a day to take part in your own, personal One Day Writing Kickstart, mark it on your calendar, and GO.
as seen in:
Choose a day to take part in your own, personal One-Day Writing Kickstart, mark it on your calendar, and GO.
Once you sign up for the Writing Kickstart, you'll also be subscribed to the Academy Bulletin—a newsletter full of resources about writing personal nonfiction and memoir, as well as special deals and bang-up opportunities to aid you on your writing journey.