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
Instructor Interview: Colin Costello
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Colin Costello! Colin is teaching a section of Writing the First Screenplay I on the UCLA campus (Reg# 371082) this Winter, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and his upcoming course. What sparks your...
Instructor Interview: Elisa Wouk Almino
Welcome new Writers’ Program instructor Elisa Wouk Almino! Elisa is teaching a NEW course, Translation I on the UCLA campus (Reg# 371362) this Winter, and sat down with us to offer some insight into creative life and her upcoming course. What sparks your creativity?...
NEW Winter 2020 Classes
Though 2019 has yet to bow its last, registration is now open for Winter 2020. Now is the time to think about what your writing goals for 2020 will be, and what steps you can take to achieve them. We have a wide array of new classes for Winter, in addition to our core...
What Scares You Most?
As we arrive at another Halloween week, a time of spookiness as the end of the year approaches, we want to know – What scares you? What scares you more: Knowing your characters inside and out, or your characters telling you how their story goes? What scares you more:...
“I’m too busy!” And Other Excuses Not to Write
If you've ever tried writing, you've probably found reasons not to write. How many have you heard? How many have you thought/felt/done? “I have to do more research before I get started.” “My cat is sitting on my keyboard.” “I need more tea… and a snack… and oh, look,...
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...