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.
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