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Andrea A. Firth

Writer, Editor, Educator

Co-Founder, Diablo Writers' Workshop

Editor at the Brevity Blog
Contact: andrea@andreaafirth.com

Join me for the
Wednesday Co-Write
9:00-10:15 am PST
FREE on Zoom
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New Classes
See what I've got planned for Fall and Winter 2023-24

Bio

Andrea A. Firth is a writer, editor, and educator based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is cofounder of Diablo Writers’ Workshop where she teaches creative writing, provides editorial consulting, and supports a vibrant writing community. She is also an Editor for the Brevity Blog. Andrea received her MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Saint Mary’s College of California where she also teaches. Her writing focus is personal essay, and in 2021 she was a finalist for the Missouri Review's Perkoff Prize. She was a longtime contributor to Oakland Magazine and has published hundreds of articles in news outlets and magazines. Inspired by a handful of old family photos, Andrea is working on a collection of essays, Examples of her recently published work are listed with links below.

My Classes

New for Fall/Winter 2023-24

I'm taking some time over the summer to read, write and recharge. And, I'll be putting together new classes too.

Dates and details to follow in  July for these classes that I'll be offering thru Diablo Writers' Workshop

Revision Intensive: Insights from a range of writers and sources and exercises too! Specific things we can all do to move our work forward and polish it to a shine. You'll bring a piece to work through. Single session course.

Personal Essay Workshop. I'll be sharing my latest favorites, and we'll look at what's new in essay--so much. We'll bump the workshop component up too with editing in class. Multi-week course.

Generative Workshop.  Prompts. Freewrites. Motivation. Accountability. Company. AND supportive, useful  feedback along the way. Multi-week course.

Let me know if you are interested of any of the above or have questions. You can reach me here.

Wednesday Co-Writing
Inspiration. Motivation. Community

Classes Enrolling Now

The classes listed below are scheduled and enrolling with the great folks at Write Or Die/Chill Subs.

Click through to get a complete description and to enroll. 

Questions? Reach out to me here.

 

Short and Sweet: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Flash

 Saturday, October 14, 10:00 AM- 12:00PM PST

In A Flash: A Workshop for Crafting Flash Fiction and CNF

 Thursdays, October 26- November 16

4:00PM- 6:00PM PST, 4 weeks

The World of Lit Mags and How to Get Published

 Thursday, December 7, 4:00 PM- 6:00 PM PST

Submit It Now!
Time and support to help you get your work out to lit mags

Free Meet Ups on Zoom

Spend an hour writing in community. I alternate co-hosting with my colleague Janine Noel. After a brief check in, you'll get down to writing (audio muted, camera on or off). Generate new work or revise a work-in- progress. We will provide a prompt each week for those looking for a start, but this time and space is for you to write what you choose. No need to register in advance. 

Next session: Thursday, June 15
3:00 - 4:30 pm PST
FREE. On Zoom

Gather with other writers and dedicate an hour to submitting your writing to lit mags. After a brief check-in, I will introduce you to a great tool or resource to make the submission process easier and more fun. From there you will get to work and I will be available for questions. At the close we’ll see how the hour went and celebrate hitting SUBMIT. No advance registration needed. 

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9:00 am - 10:15 am PST

FREE. On Zoom

Twice a month thru August

Next sessions: June 7 and June 14

Selected Essays and Journalism

Broken Glass

Dorothy Parker's Ashes, January 2023

 

Unpacking Mom

Allium, A Journal of Poetry & Prose, Fall 2022

Fear of Infinity

Please See Me, April 22, 2022

Capturing the Final Moments of Pregnancy in a Picture 
Motherwell, August, 2021

 

A Coyote in the Midst

The Coachella Review, Winter 2020

Old John
eMerge Magazine, Summer 2020

The Pandemic's Quiet Victim: Our Planet
The Bold Italic, July 2020

Is Video Gaming A New Addiction?
Oakland Magazine, October 2018

Craft and the Writing Life

Winning at Battleship and Lit Mags--It's a Process

Write or Die Magazine, March 23, 2023

Flash: The Art and Craft of Writing Short

A Q&A with Grant Faulkner

Brevity Blog, February 15, 2023

Exploring the Possibilities of Artificial

Intelligence in Creative Nonfiction Writing

Brevity Blog, February 1, 2023

Watch Out for the Unexpected

Brevity Blog, October 14, 2022

 



 

How the Literary Journal Landscape Is

and Isn't Changing

Jane Friedman's Blog, April 26, 2022

You Always Remember Your First

Brevity Blog, April, 2022

 

Seven Drafts, an Interview with Allison K Williams

Catapult, December 1, 2021

What Do I Call This? How to Title a Personal Essay
Brevity Blog, September, 2021


Tomato Ready: Publishing, Patience and Pleasant Surprises
Brevity Blog, June, 2021

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