Personal Essay Incubator: 10-Week Memoir Mentorship
Six writers work one-on-one with writer and editor Caroline Rothstein to learn the essentials of how to craft first-person pieces that get published and noticed.
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Cost: $1,195
Class Size Limit: 6
This intensive 10-week program is a unique opportunity for just six writers to work directly with Narratively contributing editor Caroline Rothstein in a small group setting this winter, with weekly classes and close editorial guidance.
An internationally touring and award-winning journalist, writer, spoken word poet, documentary filmmaker and performer, Caroline has published personal essays in Narratively, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Nylon, The ABA Journal, Williams Magazine, The Forward, Hey Alma and many other publications.
This hybrid class / mentorship model is designed for writers who want in-depth personalized feedback on their ideas and drafts, and are ready to break through and get their own personal essays published.
Over the course of the 10 weeks, youâll learn the essentials of how to craft first-person pieces that resonate with editors and readers; develop an in-depth understanding of the personal essay marketplace; and learn how to refine your own work and polish it for publication.
The incubator includes 10 weekly class sessions held on Tuesdays from 7pm to 8pm ET, starting on January 13 and ending on March 17.
After the first class session, each writer will pitch one or two personal essay ideas and receive feedback from the instructor, with guidance on which essay ideas might work for what publications. Then each writer will submit a draft of up to 2,500 words and receive in-depth personalized feedback from the instructor, then workshop the piece in subsequent class sessions with your peers.
Throughout the course, there will be craft exercises and weekly reading assignments designed to help you zero in on what makes a personal essay resonate. Weâll closely examine examples of specific personal essays that have worked exceptionally well; discuss how to identify what elements of your own life will make for the most compelling stories; and dive into the intricacies of how to pitch and submit these essays to publications. Before the final class session, each writer will have an additional opportunity to put all these tools into action by writing and submitting a draft of a second essay for in-depth feedback from the instructor.
By the end of the class, youâll have two polished personal essays, a comprehensive understanding of how the editing process can improve a piece, and all the tools to continue writing and publishing dynamic first-person pieces.
This class is right for you ifâŠ
Youâve started writing personal essays and want guidance about how to craft them in a way that will resonate with editors and readers.
You have essay ideas but youâre unsure of how to pitch them, or youâve been pitching but would like to improve your success rate.
After this class youâll haveâŠ
Two polished personal essays ready to submit to specific publications, plus concrete plans for writing and submitting your next personal essays.
A solid understanding of how to craft a pitch, and of the opportunities available to place personal essays.
This class takes place on Thursdays from 7pm to 8pm ET, starting on January 13, 2026 and ending on March 17, 2026. All Narratively Academy classes are conducted online and accessible to students anywhere in the world. Sessions of this class will be recorded and shared with all enrolled students in case there are any you have to miss, but live attendance at a majority of sessions is required.
Your Instructor: Caroline Rothstein is an internationally touring writer, poet, performer, educator, New York Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and producer. Her work has appeared in Narratively, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, The Guardian, BuzzFeed, Nylon, The ABA Journal, Williams Magazine, The Forward, Hey Alma and many other publications. Caroline and her work have been featured widely including in The New Yorker, MTV News, The Chicago Tribune, CBS Evening News, BuzzFeed News, HuffPost, Mic and Newsweek. She tours year-round performing spoken word poetry; public speaking; facilitating workshops; and teaching at colleges, schools, performance venues, summer camps and community organizations worldwide. She teaches literary journalism at Baruch College, and is a facilitator for the Dialogue Arts Project. Caroline self-publishes a monthly nonfiction series on her website called âmy word(s),â and is currently co-writing a musical about elder millennials and technology, co-authoring a romance novel, and developing her second autobiographical one-woman play, among several other writing, poetry, performance, audio and film projects.
Registration Details: Seats in this class are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Cancellation Policy:
Full refund when canceling 7 or more days before the class start date.
50% refund when canceling less than 7 days before the class start date.
No cancellations after the class start date.
Questions? Email us at academy@narratively.com.
MORE: Check out all of our upcoming Narratively Academy classes here.