Shitty First Drafts: A NEW Writing Workshop
Registration is Open for this Personal Essay Writing Class!
Hi, Writers! I must apologize for being Least Consistent Substacker Ever! I’ve been busy consulting with incredible writing clients, working on a first-time play (believe it or not), opinionating way too much on Threads, and waking up on the regular at 3 a.m. in a pronounced state of dread. I know a lot of you are, too.
And yet I believe times like these require us to express ourselves creatively in order to preserve our own sanity, remember our shared humanity, and, perhaps, as George Orwell wrote, “push the world in a certain direction.”
And so, I’m announcing a new class: “Shitty First Drafts: A Personal Essay Writing Workshop (on Zoom).
As some of you know, in her beloved book of writing and life advice, Bird by Bird, Anne Lamott celebrates shitty first drafts and states, “All good writers write them. This is how they end up with good second drafts and terrific third drafts.” I couldn’t agree more!
In this personal essay writing workshop, we’ll be doing first drafts that are thoughtful, engaging, and voice driven--but not yet polished (therefore “shitty”). You’ll receive invaluable feedback from your classmates and me to help you take these essays to the next level and ultimately on to publication. The class is intended for people writing personal essays for the first time as well as for those who have written them before but are working on new material.
Each student will get to have three pieces workshopped—they can be three separate ones or two original works and one revision. I’ll give extensive written feedback on each essay and provide craft lessons on essay writing, and we’ll also read and discuss published essays. And I’ll provide guidance on writing query letters and identifying editors to pitch for publication.
A note on these times: We’re living in an era where each day brings fresh horrors, and you might worry that it seems self-indulgent to write personal essays. But I don’t see it that way. In fact, I believe expressing ourselves creatively and responding to other people’s creative work is more essential now than ever. And, if you’re interested in doing activist writing, you’ll have the opportunity in this class to write opinion pieces that draw from personal experience and serve a political purpose.
Workshop Class Details:
· The workshop will take place ON ZOOM over the course of eight sessions on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST, from March 3 – April 21, 2026
· To register, email me at meta@metawagner.com. Registration closes Sun, March 1, 2026. Payment must be made the same day as registration
· I’ve decided to offer this workshop at a really low price of $295 to keep cost from being a barrier. I just really want you to write and publish! Early birders who register and pay by Mon, Feb 16 will receive a further discounted price of $275
About Me:
I’m the author of What’s Your Creative Type? (Hachette) and a TEDx speaker on The 5 Creative Types. I developed and taught a “cult favorite” seminar on creativity at Emerson College and taught personal essay and communications writing at Emerson, BU, and GrubStreet for over two decades and have since been offering my own writing workshops. I’m also a writing consultant and coach, working 1:1 with incredible clients on their essays and book projects.
I was a frequent contributor to Boston Globe Opinion Pages and a columnist for PopMatters, and I’ve also been published by the Huffington Post, Chicago Tribune, Salon, Medium, and Wall Street Journal custom studios.
My Page Fright Substack newsletter (this very one!) is a deep dive into the damaging thoughts, anxieties, neuroses, and beliefs that afflict so many writers and keep them from being as productive, successful, and joyful as they could be.
You can find more about me on my website.
But, wait, there’s more! Here’s what former students have said about my workshops:
“Meta is extremely gracious, upbeat, and deeply knowledgeable. Great classes. High level of participation, thoughtful feedback….As a leader/instructor/editor, Meta is exemplary.”
“This workshop class was amazing. Meta was very encouraging and kept the class upbeat and moving.”
“I loved it! I wrote so much, and I learned a lot from the instructor and my fellow students.”
“Meta is a skilled professional in every way. I enjoyed the class very much. The pacing, content, and delivery were all excellent.”
I hope you’ll join us—I can’t wait to get started!
If you have any questions about this workshop, feel free to email me or leave a comment here!
What a great opportunity for understanding of the agony of the first draft and techniques to move beyond it.
Hi Diana. So nice to hear from you! This one starts on March 3rd, but I have interest from others who also free up in May, so I'll definitely let you know if I hold another one then! Would love for you to join us.