Applications to the Writing Circle are now closed. Thanks to everyone who registered.

One Story Writing Circle
Application Fee: $10
Price: $650
Member Price*: $595
The One Story Writing Circle is a year-long education program and accountability group, hosted and moderated by One Story.
When you join the One Story Writing Circle, you join a small cohort of fiction writers looking to devote a year to improving their craft and process. Circle members will receive access to all of One Story’s online classes for the 2021 calendar year (a total of 9 courses). In addition, they will have access to monthly online meetings designed to help them set goals and create and maintain their writing practice, surrounded by a supportive community of writers from across the country and the world. As with One Story’s other online course offerings, the Writing Circle is geared toward fiction writers.
At these online meetings, facilitated by One Story staff, Circle members will set personal writing objectives, both creative and professional. Each meeting will also feature motivational essays, writing prompts, and resources aimed at helping writers achieve their targets. One Story will track individual and group goals so we can celebrate our progress together each month, and will host quarterly readings with Circle members who want to share their work with the group. At the December 2021 meeting, Circle members will celebrate and take stock of all they have accomplished during the year.
While there will be space for writers to share questions and ideas with each other, there will be no individual evaluations or reviews. The One Story Writing Circle is not a place for criticism or critique. It is a supportive space to help you reach your writing goals.
The Writing Circle will launch on January 14th, 2021 and will be limited to 30 students. Writers can be at any level, but to ensure a consistent and committed community, all applications must be received by December 22nd, 2020 and writers must commit to the full year. Applications will consist only of a statement of intent.
We are seeking writers:
- with a clear project in mind
- with a need for community
- who are excited to be a part of a group environment and ready to get to work
The One Story Writing Circle costs $595 for One Story members and $650 for non-members, roughly the price of one in-person writing workshop.
What you get:
- A year’s worth of One Story online classes (9 courses on topics such as structure, place, revision, and how to submit your work, a $600 value)
- Exclusive access to monthly One Story Writing Circle meetings, featuring goal setting, essays on writing, accountability check-ins, readings, and a discussion board to share your progress with fellow members
- A small writing community built solely for support and encouragement
- Extended access to One Story online class material: all Writing Circle members will have unlimited access to 2021 course material for the duration of 2021 (regular students only receive access for 5 weeks after the class’s start date)
How to Apply:
We are seeking applicants who are ready to spend 2021 committed to their writing goals and who are in need of a community to motivate them. Applicants will be chosen based on their interest in and commitment to the class as demonstrated in their Personal Statement. There is no writing sample required for this class. The deadline to apply is 11:59pm on December 22nd, 2020. Applicants will be notified of acceptance the week of January 4th, 2021.
Application Instructions:
Applications to the One Story Writing Circle will be taken via Submission Manager. If you already have a One Story account, you can login and choose the “Writing Circle” genre. Please leave the “Comments” box blank and upload your personal statement.
Your Personal Statement:
Please upload a 150 - 300 word personal statement in a PDF, RTF, or TXT file. Your personal statement should be a brief overview of your current writing project and your writing goals for 2021, along with a few sentences about why the Writing Circle would be useful to you at this time in your writing career. Please include your name and email address on the top left-hand corner of the personal statement.
There is a $10 application fee, which will be deducted from tuition upon acceptance.
Member Discount: In order to qualify for our member discount, you must be a member at the time of registration. Please note that the discount is for our members only. Members commit to annual donations and receive benefits that allow them to participate in the organization in more meaningful ways. Not all One Story subscribers are members. If you’d like to find out more about becoming a member, you can do so here.
Refund Policy: One Story class payment is non-refundable after the class’s start date. For questions about the refund policy, or if you are unable to take the class after you have registered, please contact maribeth.
If you have any questions, please contact lena.