#Creative writing workshops, Beyond writer's block, Character Development, Contemporary Events, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Process, fiction writers, Hybrid writing, Memoir, Multigenre, Narrators, Novelists, Poetry, Short story writers, Story, The Craft of Writing, Uncategorized, Voice, Workshops, Writing & Social Justice, Writing and Empathy, Writing and Place, writing beyond formula, Writing courses, writing exercises, Writing for Social Change, Writing for social change and social justice, writing in the Time of AI, Writing in Upheaval, Writing love, writing prompts

Empathy Engines and the Imagination. Part One.

Discussion toward a rich writing exploration I’ll post next time. Anya Achtenberg Nov 22, 2025 Empathy Engines and the Imagination. Part One. Anya Achtenberg But first, a few snarky comments from a frustrated creative writing teacher. I teach creative writing. I mentor writers. I consult with writers on their manuscripts. Many people have found me… Continue reading Empathy Engines and the Imagination. Part One.

Announcements, Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Beyond writer's block, Character Development, Contemporary Events, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Process, Fiction writing, Hybrid writing, Memoir, Multigenre, Narrators, Novelists, Uncategorized, Writing courses, writing in the Time of AI, Writing in Upheaval

Custom-Made Story: a 10-Week Intensive Writing Workshop in Fiction, Memoir/Creative Nonfiction, and Hybrid Forms

Announcing the details for Custom-Made Story: a 10-Week Intensive Writing Workshop in Fiction, Memoir/Creative Nonfiction, and Hybrid Forms (poetry welcome!) 10 Mondays beginning November 3rd, 2025 Nothing pre-fab! This truly Custom-Made approach is guaranteed to be free of: recycled conventions and formulae; and AI homogenizing creativity-crushers. The Custom-Made Story course includes: 10-live Zoom classes, recorded for your… Continue reading Custom-Made Story: a 10-Week Intensive Writing Workshop in Fiction, Memoir/Creative Nonfiction, and Hybrid Forms

Announcements, Character Development, Creative Process, featured, Fiction writing, Hybrid writing, Juicy Craft Points, Memoir, Multigenre, Narrators, Research for works of fiction, The power of the arts, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing and Place, Writing courses, Writing for social change and social justice

Which can AI do: formulaic writing or organic writing? // Which kind of writing will fulfill you as a writer?

Oct 18, 2025 posted on Substack,  by Anya Achtenberg, Writing in Upheaval Which can AI do: formulaic writing or organic writing? Which kind of writing will fulfill you as a writer? [ Which kind of writing will fulfill you as a writer? Try organic. AI has clarified for me even more the underpinnings of my… Continue reading Which can AI do: formulaic writing or organic writing? // Which kind of writing will fulfill you as a writer?

Beyond writer's block, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Process, Fiction, General Writing, Hybrid writing, Language and the Way of Words, Memoir, Multigenre, Poetry, The Craft of Writing, The power of the arts, Travel, Writing & Social Justice, Writing and Place, Writing for Social Change, writing in the Time of AI

My name for AI is RAE (Replace and Erase): AI as a tool for colonization of the writer’s mind

My name for AI is RAE (Replace and Erase): AI as a tool for colonization of the writer’s mind Anya Achtenberg, from Blog and Substack, Writing in Upheaval Oct 06, 2025 My name for AI is RAE (Replace and Erase): AI as a tool for colonization of the writer’s mind Anya Achtenberg neuronal pathways--"rivers" and… Continue reading My name for AI is RAE (Replace and Erase): AI as a tool for colonization of the writer’s mind

Announcements, Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Beyond writer's block, Character Development, Contemporary Events, Creative Nonfiction, Creative Process, Fiction, Fiction writing, Fictional worlds, Hybrid writing, Language and the Way of Words, Memoir, Multigenre, Narrators, News; things to look for, Novelists, Poetry, Story, The Craft of Writing, Voice, Workshops, Writing & Social Justice, Writing and Place, Writing courses, Writing for Social Change, Writing for social change and social justice

Say it! Dígalo!

New creative writing standalone workshops For Writers of Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Multigenre and Hybrid Forms with Anya Achtenberg Today, August 16, 2024:  I am very happy to announce the Fall 2024 Launch of a new series of single-event writing workshops coming in September Say it! Dígalo!: The Standalone Workshop Series with Anya Achtenberg Each single-event… Continue reading Say it! Dígalo!

Announcements, Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Beyond writer's block, Character Development, Contemporary Events, Creative Process, Fiction, Fictional worlds, Juicy Craft Points, Memoir, Narrators, News; things to look for, Poetry, Story, The Craft of Writing, The power of the arts, Workshops, Writing & Social Justice, Writing and Place, Writing for Social Change

News! Creative Writing Workshop: Writing Place and Placelessness Friday, Sept 23, 2022, 1:00-3:00 pm EST

for the International Women's Writing Guild Free Write withAnya Achtenberg Sefara-Rabi Writing Place and Placelessness A sense-of-place writing workshop to address place in a world of historical amnesia, diaspora, flight, trauma that knocks us out of place, gentrification; place as investment property, as profit. The poisoning of the sacred. Climate catastrophe.  All this with a deeper dive… Continue reading News! Creative Writing Workshop: Writing Place and Placelessness Friday, Sept 23, 2022, 1:00-3:00 pm EST

Beyond writer's block, Creative Process, General Writing, Voice

Trusting Our Own Vision, or: The Late Bloomers’ Club

For A.M.-C. “The bud stands for all things, even those things that don't flower, for everything flowers, from within, of self-blessing; though sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness” From Galway Kinnell, “St. Francis and the Sow” I was a small girl in Brooklyn, between broken English and broken hearts, whispered Yiddish,… Continue reading Trusting Our Own Vision, or: The Late Bloomers’ Club

Beyond writer's block, Creative Process, General Writing

Writing and the New Year: A request for writers.

Dear Writers and Friends,   Almost 2013!   I have a request, for you and for myself, for the new year. We have plenty of other work for our imagination to do, and so—let’s free it from that need to imagine we are writers, and write with an imagination freed to do its enormous labor… Continue reading Writing and the New Year: A request for writers.

Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Creative Process, Fictional worlds, News; things to look for, Story

Online Classes start again July 14; Claiming Our Stories: Autobiography & Autobiographical Fiction (Writers.com). August writing workshop/retreat at The Leaven Center. And independent story classes coming around again soon….

Dear Writers, Looking for a place to push your work to the next step? Do it online with me and a group of varied and dedicated writers, at Writers.com. I will again be teaching 2 classes online for writers.com/writers on the net, beginning July -- the 14th or 21st, TBA, 2011:  Claiming Our Stories: Working with… Continue reading Online Classes start again July 14; Claiming Our Stories: Autobiography & Autobiographical Fiction (Writers.com). August writing workshop/retreat at The Leaven Center. And independent story classes coming around again soon….

Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, Beyond writer's block, Creative Process, Fictional worlds

Online Classes Start April 21. Claiming Our Stories: Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, at Writers.com

Dear Writers, Looking for a place to push your work to the next step? Do it online with me and a group of varied and dedicated writers, at Writers.com. I will again be teaching 2 classes online for writers.com/writers on the net, beginning April 21, 2011:  Claiming Our Stories: Working with the Power of Autobiography and… Continue reading Online Classes Start April 21. Claiming Our Stories: Autobiography and Autobiographical Fiction, at Writers.com