Our Online Level I workshop is an introduction to the philosophy on which The Writers Studio was founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, Philip Schultz. Persona writing, a method of borrowing the voice and temperament of accomplished writers, offers writers the imaginative distance and perspective they need to overcome their negative inclinations, their fear of self-exposure and endless doubt. This method also helps writers try on different voices, or personas, to develop narrative and lyric voices to be used as a tool for unlocking one's most intimate and private stories and turning even their most difficult subject matter into inspiration for writing fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction.

Class Structure & Details

•Format: Weekly, unrecorded live classes via Google Meet

•What to Expect: During the hour-long, weekly Google Meet class, we will discuss techniques used in a range of literary models. After the class meeting, students put those techniques to use in an exercise and share their work in the online classroom. Each student receives structured, written feedback in the online classroom from three of their classmates and the teacher.

•Who Can Join: All are welcome! This class is open to new and emerging writers as well as those who may have writing experience, but are new to The Writers Studio method.

•What You Need: A computer or tablet with an internet connection. A link to our online classroom is emailed to you after you register, and tech support is available throughout the class.

📌 Note: Our Google Meet sessions are highly interactive and designed to be a safe space for sharing fresh work, so they are not recorded.

Instructor

Writers Studio Teacher

Linda Drach

Linda Drach is a writer, public health policy analyst, and volunteer writing group facilitator for the nonprofit Write Around Portland. Her poetry and prose has been published in Bellingham Review, Cagibi, CALYX, The Good Life Review, Lunch Ticket, and in her poetry chapbook, Pop-Up Shrines (Finishing Line Press, 2025). She is a big fan of the Writers Studio method and is excited to share it with you.

"Every week, I presented a new story. Finally something did click, the very thing that’s their specialty at The Writers Studio, emotional content. Before, my work was dead. When I brought in my breakthrough story, I felt I was carrying a weird animal in my bag. It was the first story I sold."

Jennifer Egan, former Writers Studio student, Winner of the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

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