Level I Amsterdam Tuesdays – Autumn 2023
26 September 2023€415.00
Waiting list availableLevel I Online Mondays – Autumn 2023
2 October 2023€375.00
Waiting list availableLevel I Amsterdam Mondays – Autumn 2023
2 October 2023€415.00
Waiting list availableLevel I Amsterdam Wednesdays – Autumn 2023
4 October 2023€415.00
Waiting list availableLevel I Online Wednesdays – Autumn 2023
11 October 2023€375.00
Waiting list availableLevel I Amsterdam Thursdays – Autumn 2023
12 October 2023€415.00Manuscript Review
31 December 2023€35.00Private Coaching - single session
31 December 2023€195.00
"I would wholeheartedly recommend this course - either the in person workshop or the online. I've put off taking these for years because there was always something more important...which, in my mind, already prevented me from justifying the time and expense. Putting aside that thought and actually doing something which I love to do, something which will help me achieve what I actually enjoy doing has been the best gift I could give myself. I don't even think of it as a gift anymore - this is just what I need."
Kristen Langereis
USI'd say that the best part about the workshops is a) quality of the teachers (ability to explain, give examples, motivate), b) way of teaching - clear explanation, assignments discussed in a (diverse) group of people that all have the same objective - improve their skills, learn from each other and from constructive feedback of teachers, c) the quality of the exercises, and last but not least, it's interesting to meet all these "different" people that have at least one thing in common.
Karin de Hiep
Netherlands"I have been writing since I was seven years old. In a very real way it is my oldest companion, yet though I have tried at different periods of my life, I’ve never managed to give it a steady and credible role in my daily life and for the last decade or more I simply did not write. The workshops have changed all that. I am writing all the time now, and am more and more at ease in feeding my daily experience through the internal wordmill and into my notebook for later."
John Carnegie
Canada"The International Writers Collective is more than just a workshop. It's a community. A group of people of all ages, from all over the world, with different backgrounds and various professional occupations who have one thing in common: we want to write. The course teaches us the craft of writing, techniques that objectively help us improve our writing."
Nadia Schoenzwytt
Belgium"I thought the assignments were very well chosen, as they were so fun and interesting I didn't get a chance to doubt my ideas too much. For me it was very useful to have a couple of elements of craft to use as scaffolding for creative ideas. I liked experimenting with different narrators, and differentiating between tone and mood was quite illuminating, it suddenly made sense how some writers are so compelling."
Dieuwertje de Graaff
Netherlands"The workshops really encouraged me to write – something I’ve been talking about for years but never had the time or confidence to pursue. I’ve absolutely loved it and plan to continue with it, I really think if I am going to make a go of writing these workshops will be what helps me to do that."
Jo Matthews
UK"If you like reading you should absolutely take a workshop. They are insightful into the craft of writing and hugely stimulating. It changed my life in so many good ways..."
Claudia Calori
Italy“Being part of a community of writers has enriched my life beyond the actual workshops—I've made some great friends.”
Mirja Post
Netherlands"I found the quality of the instruction excellent, inspiring, and generally what I needed to get myself writing again. The other participants were also quite good, and I really enjoyed reading and critiquing the pieces each week."
Lauren Danahy
USAs a repeat student I just LOVE this course. The variety of material to study, the exercises to try and the feedback given by both students and teacher alike has been invaluable in giving me a much broader toolset for my writing and the confidence to try new techniques and angles. I've recommended the course to many friends and those who've taken it up have been similarly impressed.
Penny Vegter
UK"I would (and I have already) recommended the workshop to anyone interested in writing, may it be someone too shy to have even dared to try or someone who's already quite far into writing a longer piece. The teaching has always been very satisfactory. I like the fact that the groups are always small, and everybody, both students and teachers, takes the class and the work in it very seriously, while doing it out of sheer pleasure. This gives a very solid ground to the classes, where people go quite far and deep into their own writing and into sharing critiques and...Read more
Marie Medevielle
France"I loved having the weekly chats to discuss each exercise. Even though we couldn't meet in person, I felt that the class was very engaged. As in previous classes, I learned many new skills. And I really feel like with the International Writers' Collective, there is a sense of community, and being part of a writing community that is supportive and constructive really helps one develop as a writer."
Jessica Pena
US"It makes you write and keeps you writing and editing and writing and improving. The feedback is very helpful clear and worthwhile. I would recommend the course to any blocked writers."
Deborah Culhane
Ireland"I would say that if you aspire to be a writer, and an MFA is both financially and time-wise not for you, this is a gentler, but still well-targeted program. You will surround yourself with keen writers, willing to help you get to where to aspire."
Robert Phillips
UK"Besides the constant push to write, what I find most useful about the workshop is writing very different assignments week by week, because it allows you to pick up on your writing strengths and style, really notice where you struggle and receive unbiased opinions/criticism."
Aurora Giordano
Italy"I had a great time. It was a wonderful experience, something that I always wanted to do but never found “time” (= balls haha) to do. I personally liked the exercises very much, the fact that they give you tools and techniques to find your own way and they were very diverse, covering different genres, etc. Because even if you need to “follow” a certain subject or style, the exercises are flexible enough to let you express your own ideas. I thought it was a great way to “find your own voice”, your writing style. It also made me more aware of writing...Read more
Raquel Tessarollo
Brazil"First of all it helped me pick up a pen! And secondly, it provides a huge learning potential to be critiqued by others. There are always blind spots/ ego when you are reviewing your own writing. And also, the structured way of critiquing really helps you to look at someone's texts beyond nice or not nice, or, this is my taste, and this isn't. It can make you a better reader and writer."
Nathalie Spaans
Netherlands"Very positive experience, it was great to get me started again, learn more about the techniques/theories behind it, and to surprise myself (and be surprised by others) by the wonderful stories that we produced each week. Real treat!"
Charley Fiedeldij Dop
Netherlands"It was a great start to serious writing for me. I learnt a lot about tone, mood and narrators and discovered new writers en poems. The deadline of delivering a piece once a week is a great one. Getting feedback on your piece and reading it together with the group was a great way of critiquing."
Basma Djemni
Netherlands"Interaction between fellow writers was a huge support. Teacher was supportive and promoted the right atmosphere. I learnt that writing is “only” 10% inspiration; the rest can be learnt!"
Emanuele Bartolini
Italy
Queer literary magazines
June 30,2023 / Publishing / 0 CommentsJune is Pride month, so we thought we'd focus this month's list on queer literary magazines and journals. Although all the publications we recommend on our site welcome LGBTQ+ writers, in this list we wanted to...
Budding novelist learns the value of outlining
May 11,2023 / Student profile / 3 CommentsTineke Broer found the International Writers' Collective at the beginning of the pandemic and was most recently a student in the online Level IV workshop. During the week she works as a researcher and assistant...
Contests & Calls with May and June Deadlines
May 11,2023 / Contests Publishing / 0 CommentsA number of editors and contest organisers have contacted us recently for help getting the word out to our community about their contests and calls with upcoming deadlines. We've added a few more we thought would be of...
Why teens need creative writing
Many of us writers begin as children scribbling our stories in an unsteady hand. Others discover the joy of writing in adolescence or young adulthood as an outlet for the jumble of new thoughts, emotions, and ideas. We...
Spring student and faculty reading announcement
April 07,2023 / Local news / 0 CommentsNOTE: DUE TO SPACE CONSTRAINTS THIS EVENT HAS CHANGED VENUE AND TIME Seat reservations have now closed as even the new venue is at full capacity. You can join the waiting list here. We're delighted to be hosting...
6 Spring Writing Contests
April 06,2023 / Contests / 2 CommentsDo you have a piece of writing you’re especially proud of? Try submitting it to a contest! All of the contests on this month’s list are currently open to submissions, welcome international writers, and offer cash...
Magazines open for spring submissions
March 09,2023 / Publishing / 1 CommentsThe surest sign of spring? Lit magazines are opening up again for their spring and summer issues! This month’s list includes many fledgling magazines looking for fresh takes from up-and-coming writers just like...
Lit Mag Grab Bag
February 16,2023 / Publishing / 1 CommentsA quick behind-the-scenes: sometimes, I stroll down the rows of publishers like I’m at the cereal aisle at the supermarket and simply drop the presses that catch my eye into my cart. This is one of those lists....
Where to submit: Magazines with a fresh perspective
January 07,2023 / Publishing / 1 CommentsThe new year is all about change, and the journals on this month’s list seek to explore the world in unusual ways. Some are fledgling presses with big dreams, some are established journals trying to change the way you...
Meet new teacher Sussu Laaksonen
January 07,2023 / Teacher profile / 0 CommentsSussu Laaksonen’s writing career began in her home country, Finland. She has worked in Finnish television and film and translated for companies like Google and Netflix. In 2020, just before the Pandemic hit, Sussu...
Where to submit in December 2022
December 06,2022 / Publishing / 5 CommentsLooking for a home for your off-beat or obscure literary stories? Look no further. The journals in this month’s list have a mix of tone, from progressive to quirky to downright strange, and all welcome...
The Faculty and Student Reading is Back in 2023!
December 06,2022 / Contests / 2 CommentsRemember the good old days when once or twice a year the International Writers’ Collective would organize a student reading? It was a beloved tradition when students and faculty would come together as a community to...
About Us
Our mission is to provide people with the skills, inspiration and community they need to be great writers. Write well and joyfully—that’s the goal.
Events & Podcast Highlights
At the moment we’re covering very few events but feel free to check the Events Page
In this master class, award-winning poet Megin Jiménez and Sarah Carriger discuss stocking the well of inspiration, finding the right place to submit your work, keeping writing fun and much more. read more
In this master class with Rebecca O’Connor, novelist, poet and editor of the literary magazine ‘The Moth’, we talked about her novel ‘He Is Mine and I Have No Other’ and the importance of setting, the challenges of capturing a teenage voice, the charms of the epistolary novel, the value of a good beta reader, some tips for those who’d like to see their work published in ‘The Moth’, and much more. read more
In this master class with Kristen Roupenian, we discussed her viral short story ‘Cat Person’ and a few others from her debut collection ‘You Know You Want This’. Some of the specific topics covered included using horror and fantastical elements in your writing, learning when to stop revising, and dealing with the negative voice in your head. read more
American author A.M. Homes gave a special Craft Talk for the students of the International Writers’ Collective.Homes is the author of seven novels, two short story collections and a memoir and she was a writer and producer on the Showtime series The L Word. read more
Mini FAQ
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Our Core workshops meet once a week for 8 weeks, usually from 18:30 – 20:30.
We use the payment processor Mollie for direct bank payments and cards. It is possible to pay in instalments – contact us for details.
We think so, based on our own experience and that of our students. And science backs us up: exercising your imagination, connecting with like-minded people, and learning new things are all activities that have been shown to improve well-being.