Intro to the Magazine Essay

Tuesdays: October 27 - November 17
7:30 - 10 p.m. EST

Led by JESSICA CIENCIN HENRIQUEZ
with guest authors Marisa Carroll, Devi Lockwood, Matthew Cantor, and Emily McCombs

$450 $400 (until August 26)

The personal essay is one of the most intimate and electric forms of writing we have—where craft meets vulnerability and truth meets structure. But turning a lived experience into something that moves readers (and grabs the attention of editors) takes more than courage. It takes strategy, clarity, and a deep understanding of what makes a personal experience worth sharing. 

In this four-week generative course, led by widely published writer Jessica Ciencin Henriquez, we’ll explore how to shape your experiences into publishable essays that feel both personal and universal. Each week will focus on a core element—voice, structure, ethics, and finally, the art of the pitch. While essayists of all stripes will find guidance in this course, we’ll arm you with the know-how and tools you need to place your work in magazines—outlets like The Guardian or TIME. You’ll learn how to identify what your story is really about, what to include (and what to leave out), how to structure for resonance, and how to pitch your finished piece to the right editor at the right publication.

This course will be a conversation about the intersection of art and industry, ideal for writers seeking the fundamentals of magazine writing. You’ll study a variety of personal essays that have landed in large outlets, analyze what makes them work, and apply those techniques to your own writing. Each week will offer space to refine your voice, deepen your understanding of craft, and strengthen the emotional and structural core of your essay-in-progress.

Guest editors include Emily McCombs (HuffPost), Matthew Cantor (The Guardian), Devi Lockwood (TIME), and Marisa Carroll (The Cut)—each bringing an insider’s view of what makes a submission stand out. Whether you’ve been writing essays for years or are ready to finally send your work out into the world, this course will help you refine your voice, strengthen your storytelling, and navigate the publishing process with confidence.

In this course, you can expect to:

• Understand what makes a personal essay both intimate and universal—and why that matters.

• Clarify the emotional and narrative purpose behind your own stories.

• Learn how to write with integrity and honesty when your characters are real people.

• Learn how to shape and structure an essay so that it resonates with readers and editors.

• Discover where your unique voice belongs within the current magazine landscape.

• Pay closer attention to the specific columns and narrative spaces in a given magazine, so that you can pitch & submit accordingly.

• Look at actual pitches that resulted in assignments and/or publications.

• Gain the confidence and tools to pitch your work strategically and professionally.

• Leave with a refined essay draft, a clear sense of direction, and a shortlist of publications ready for submission.

About the Instructors

A limited number of scholarships for this course are available. Please fill out this form by September 2, and we’ll get back to you within a week after the deadline. (Please hold off on registering until you have received a scholarship decision.)

Payment plans are available at checkout via ShopPay.

There is a 10% cancellation fee if you cancel your enrollment more than 1 week before the start of the course. No refund will be given if cancelling within less than a week of the course start date (or after the course has begun).

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Off Assignment’s Masters’ Series courses are unique four-session courses that delve deep into a specific writing topic by harnessing the expertise and craft tactics of a renowned writer in a particular niche, plus four celebrated authors. Participating writers gain a wealth of advanced techniques while benefiting from a cohesive community of disciplined writers.