Success Stories
Success: Brenda Marie Smith Wins Southern Fried Karma Novel Contest
Former student Brenda Marie Smith’s novel If Darkness Takes Us won the 2018 Southern Fried Karma Novel Contest and will be published on October 15th. Brenda says of her writing journey, “I didn’t get to take classes or start writing until my kids were grown,...
Success: Thuc Nguyen Makes Sundance Second Round
Former student Thuc Nguyen is currently in Round 2 The Sundance Institute Development Labs with a drama feature with a Vietnamese-American woman lead. She’s also a finalist in the InnovAsian screenwriting contest with a comedy: #MindyWuTranVersusSiliconBeach. Of her...
Success: Jamie Della to Publish New Book
Recent student Jamie Della is having a run of successes. Jamie notes, “Several of my writing assignments from the UCLA Extension online classes were published with the help of my instructors and fellow students’ critique. In addition, the writing and reading...
Success: Daniel Pope’s Short Story Published
Current student Daniel Pope's short story "Making a Difference" was recently published in Narrative Magazine. Of his experience in the Writers’ Program classes, Daniel says, “Ben Loory and Lou Mathews brought clarity and discernment to the study of craft in a way that...
Success: Carolyn Bishop’s Prize Winning Short Story to be Published in Carve Magazine
Former Writers’ Program student, Carolyn Bishop, has placed 2nd in The Raymond Carver Short Story Contest; her submission, “Gravity House,” will appear in Carve’s fall issue. This year she earned her MFA in writing from Pacific University, Oregon, and is currently at...
Success: Cindy Lin Publishes Debut Novel
Former student Cindy Lin’s debut novel, The Twelve, was published last month. It is the first in a new fantasy adventure series by Harper Collins Children’s Books, and is a Junior Library Guild selection and recently made the SoCal Indie Bestseller List. Cindy is...
Success: Rachel Vogel to Have Story Published in Harvard Review
Student Rachel Vogel’s short story “Skinny,” which was completed in Paul Mandelbaum’s Short Story III winter workshop, has been accepted for publication by Harvard Review. Of her class experience, Rachel says, “Paul is an exceptional teacher who fosters a...
Success: Dave Kessler’s Debut Feature Eyes 2020 Release
Former student Dave Kessler recently had his first feature film completed and is in search of distribution with the goal of being released next year. Dave says, “My feature Minamata was a decade-plus-long journey getting from rights to script to filming, but couldn’t...
Feature Articles
We Like ALL Books and We Cannot Lie
Once upon a time (up until last summer), the Writers’ Program had a library. It was a small library by most standards, just a couple tall bookshelves in our office space. However, it housed decades of Writers’ Program history, containing books by students and...
Introducing the Certificate in Editing and Publishing
Coming on the heels of the recent introduction of our Certificate in Literary Representation, The Writers' Program at UCLA Extension is thrilled to announce our Certificate in Editing and Publishing! The Certificate in Editing and Publishing and Certificate in...
Don’t Let 2019 Fall Away – Classes Still Available
Fall quarter is in full swing, and it’s your last chance to let us help you meet your writing goals for 2019. However, if you’ve missed out on registering, don’t fret! We still have courses available so you can finish this year feeling accomplished and ready to tackle...
Third Annual Writing Retreat Breaks New Ground
Recently, the Writers’ Program hosted its third annual Writing Retreat at Lake Arrowhead. This week of dedicated writing time in a beautiful mountain setting saw returning students and newcomers become part of the largest group we’ve had to date. Each student brought...
Meet the Recipients of the 2019-2020 Phyllis Gebauer Scholarship in Writing
We’re delighted to introduce our scholars for 2019-2020, who are united by a passion for developing their craft and fulfilling their ambitions as writers and creators. Here they share experiences with the Program and what receiving the scholarship means for their...
Writing Tips for Fall
As the year winds down, writing goals (and time, and energy) can take a back seat to other aspects of life. It happens, we get it. It can also be a time that, even if you’ve been going strong all year, you can start to feel some burnout or just a dip in creativity. So...
Instructor Interview: Julia Camara
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Julia Camara! Julia is teaching an in-person section of Writing the First Screenplay I on the UCLA campus (Reg# 369578) this Fall, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What...
Instructor Interview: Kim Dower
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Kim Dower! Kim is teaching a new class, Waking Up Your Prose, in Westwood -- near UCLA (Reg# 369670) this Fall, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What sparks your creativity?...