classes.

So, you have an idea for a book. Maybe you even already wrote it! Either way, you are ready for the next step. Does the thought of writing a book proposal for your nonfiction project make you want to light no fewer than 14 lavender-scented candles and lie in the dark for three days straight? You’re not alone! But after having written three book proposals, I promise you it’s not as daunting as it seems.

In order to demystify this seemingly overwhelming task, I’m thrilled to offer the Book Proposal Generator. Beginning with an overview of the anatomy of the book proposal by looking at several different examples, this generator will be broken up into eight weekly sessions. Each week, we will be discussing and going over one element of the book proposal in detail. At the end of each session, students will be assigned to complete a draft of the section discussed, which is to be handed in the following Friday, no later than 8 p.m. Students will receive peer and instructor feedback in class the following day, after which the next section of the book proposal will be discussed and assigned to complete for the following week. By the final session, each student will have a complete book proposal, and will be ready to take the next step on the path to publication.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

What makes something truly funny on the page—and how do you actually conjure LOLs from the void? This two-session workshop is for writers looking to craft short humor pieces for outlets like McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, The New Yorker’s Daily Shouts, and other literary-humor platforms. We’ll break down the anatomy of a successful humor piece—tone, rhythm, pacing, structure, escalation, and surprise—while exploring how humor springs from your unique voice and worldview (and not just caffeine and mental illness). Through close readings, group discussion, and guided exercises, you’ll generate new material, experiment with comedic forms, and refine your ideas into sharp, submission-ready pieces.

In the second session, we’ll workshop participant drafts with a focus on comedic clarity, structure, and punch. You’ll learn how to heighten jokes, tighten prose, and find the emotional or cultural core that makes humor resonate beyond the punchline. Whether you’re new to writing or already a seasoned quipster, you’ll leave with a deeper understanding of how to bring your comedic voice to the page—and the confidence to face that blinking cursor like it owes you money.

Click here to learn more and sign up.

Manuscript Consultations & Private Mentorships

My teaching philosophy is pretty simple: If you care about your story, someone else will, too. My job—and joy—is to help my students hone their craft by looking inward. Because only by looking inward can you learn to write about the way you move through the world. I'm not here to teach as much as I am to hold up a mirror and help you mine your reflection for the things you might not have noticed before or hadn't thought to consider in one way or another—all of the things that make up the fabric of your being, the things that should be radically honored both on and off the page.

This consultation will begin with an initial hour-long meeting and conversation about your work-in-progress. I want to hear about why you started writing your project, and where you imagine it going. I want to know why your project matters to you. We will also discuss any concerns or challenges you face, as well as what you want to achieve by the time you finish your final draft.

Following our conversation, I will then give line-by-line edits, along with detailed editorial notes on your work-in-progress. This can include a nonfiction manuscript, book proposal, book chapters, query letter, essay(s), article(s), work samples, or any other form of nonfiction prose. 

Click here to learn more and sign up.

  • “Greg’s approach to teaching and mentorship is representative of who he is as a whole: thoughtful, compassionate, insightful, honest, and humorous. I’ve benefited from one-on-one sessions with him and have also taken part in a seminar that he led. In each setting, Greg excelled at providing his students with the individualized counsel that an aspiring writer can only hope for. He provides equal parts praise, guidance, and compassionate critique in a way that encourages his students to harness and unleash their own creative prowess."

    Clay Klaus-Wade

  • "Greg is a fantastic teacher. He is encouraging, specific in his teachings and an effective communicator. He clearly loves to teach and to share his knowledge. He always involves the student and simultaneously emboldens the student to craft their own style. He creates a safe space for each student to ask questions, to test their own theories and assumptions."

    Buffy Shutt

  • "Greg makes his students feel excited, able, and welcome in the ever-overwhelming world of creative writing and his desire to pull back the curtain to make the writing, querying, and publishing process less daunting. His instruction was informed and warm; a combination that's hard to come across, especially in a virtual environment. Because of his mentorship and the useful exercises we completed over the course of the seminar, I was able to successfully query an agent who was interested in reviewing my full manuscript. Were it not for his guidance and transparency, I'm confident I'd still be wondering how to even begin."

    Kelsey Rhodes