You know I’ve been writing this blog for 10 years, you know for the past 8 months I dedicate time to writing every single day. I’ve loved writing since I was a little kid. I started the habit of journaling at age 11. Writing is something comes naturally to me. So it might surprise you to learn that beyond basic high school curriculum, I have never taken a writing class.

I’d like to put this uninspired Never Have I Ever to rest. There’s no doubt I have much to learn and no question that I’d get a lot out of a writing class. But just like everything else in NYC, writing classes cost a pretty penny. Every time I almost fork over the $400 to hone my creative writing skills…the money ends up going somewhere else.

I’m procrastinating on taking a writing class. Sounds write.

But this summer, my biggest excuse for not taking a class has been obliterated.

FREE Bryant Park Writing Workshop

Every Thursday this July, the Bryant Park Reading Room and Gotham Writers Workshop are teaming up to offer free writing classes for anyone who shows up at the north side of Bryant Park at 7pm. Today was the first class and it was both fun and informative!

Over 100 New Yorkers of all shapes, colors, ages, and backgrounds sat clustered around the iconic green tables of Bryant Park.

We were handed free notepads and yellow pens that we all scribbled at with the glee of a toddler given a new box of Crayolas. For an hour and a half we learned tips and followed exercises from instructor Seth Fried. The familiar SHOW don’t TELL emphasis makes me want to delete this entire blog post and start over…but I’m just going to tell myself that blog writing values telling information more than most.

The main focus was on description and making the internal external. Instead of, “Mary Lane was tired”, “Mary Lane sat sprawled on her bed, feverishly attempting to finish a blog post. It was just after midnight, technically she was late on her self-imposed deadline. ‘It’s only 9PM in California.’ she rationalized.”

There were opportunities to share with the group, but never any pressure to do so. It was so fun hearing people’s vastly different stories and styles. I enjoyed this Bryant Park writing workshop so much, I’m planning to go to next weeks class on July 12- my birthday! Anyone want to join me? What more inspiring location to write than outdoors in the middle of NYC?

Here’s the full Bryant Park Reading Room Writers Program schedule for July:

July 5: Creative Writing 101 with Seth Fried

July 12: Fiction Writing with Arlaina Tibensky

July 19: Character with Nelsie Spencer

July 26: Memoir Writing with Kelly Caldwell

You can learn more here, or just show up at 7PM (yep, you don’t have to sign up officially) next Thursday in Bryant Park. Wish me a happy birthday AND improve your writing, for free! Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, I think it’s a creative boost anyone could enjoy. At the very least, it could make your work correspondence slightly less boring? Maybe you’ll leave inspired to start a blog!