The Personal Essay Workshop: From Draft to Pitch

​A 90-minute writing and strategy workshop

​Personal essays don’t go viral or get published by accident. They work because they’re clear, emotionally grounded, well-structured, and pitched with intention.

​In this 90-minute workshop, you’ll learn how to shape a lived experience into a compelling personal essay and how to pitch it to editors, especially at outlets like The Cut, HuffPost, Newsweek and more, with confidence and clarity.

​We’ll cover:

• ​How to identify the real story beneath the experience

• ​What editors look for in a personal essay

• ​Structure, voice, and stakes: what makes an essay resonate

• ​How to move from idea → draft → refined piece

• ​How to write a strong, concise pitch editors actually read

• ​Where and when to pitch your essay

​You’ll leave with:

• ​A clear essay idea (or a stronger draft)

• ​A repeatable framework for future essays

• ​A pitch you can adapt and send

​This workshop is part craft, part strategy, and designed for writers who want their personal stories to land with readers and editors.

​(Open to writers at all levels.)