Upcoming 2025 Classes
Stop Worrying and Write Your Book Proposal! February 8, 2025, 1-4pm ET (online, class recap comes with slides)
Do you have an idea for a memoir, gift book, or essay collection, but you've been fearing the daunting prospect of putting together a book proposal? In this one-day seminar, writers will throw their worry to the wind, learn the nuts and bolts of a professional proposal, and finally defeat the blank page.
Students can expect to walk away with a clear understanding and outline of the pieces of a book proposal, an author bio that emphasizes their unique voice and area of expertise (rather than just a list of credits), and a series of actionable steps for going forward in terms of platform, contacting literary agents, and publishing as a business. Students will be sent a series of exercises the week before the class that will take between 1-2 hours to complete and should be prepared to sum up their book concept in a few sentences.
Comedy Writing for Non-Comedians, March 16, 2025, 1-3pm ET (online, $75, class recap comes with slides)
**if you can’t attend live, a recording will be sent out following the class
Comedy can be another tool in your writing toolbox, allowing you to write with a stronger voice, distinct point of view, and punchiness that can be applied to disciplines such as copywriting and content writing. From the rule of three to learning what the heck a callback is, learn how to be funnier on paper…and maybe even in real life! Perfect for fiction and nonfiction writers, as well as those trying to inject more humor into jobs like content writing, copywriting, and more.
PAST CLASSES (will be listed again soon):
Write Like an Athlete November 10, 2024, 1-3pm ET (online, $75, class recap comes with slides)
**if you can’t attend live, a recording will be sent out following the class
What do writing and athletics have in common? Oh, just a dedication to day-to-day improvement, long-term commitment to a goal, and the cultivation of mental toughness. In this seminar, former competitive distance swimmer Caitlin Kunkel will weave together concepts from writing and sports psychology to help participants strengthen their creative practice. We'll cover things like self-talk, pre-performance routines, practical goal setting, balanced critiques, social accountability, and more when it comes to building and maintaining a healthy and strong writing practice. Don't worry, no physical activity is required!
Here is a recent interview I did on the class.
Testimonials from this class:
“Caitlin is an outstanding teacher. The time FLEW by because I was so engaged. So much amazing information and I feel energized to go write.”
“Caitlin’s an excellent teacher. Her enthusiasm is infectious, her experience broad, and her generosity appreciated. I always look forward to a class with her.”
Pandemic University
I taught a one-off Topical Satire class for this pop-up school! Replay link (>$10!) avail here.
Selected Past Experience
Curriculum Design: I’ve written over 30 classes at the college level, adult education (including four for the sadly deceased Catapult) and for comedy theaters like Magnet in NY, the Brody in Portland, OR, Sea Tea Improv in Hartford, CT, and Washington Improv Theater in DC.
The Second City: Wrote and taught 10 separate classes which continue to run at the theater, including Writing Satire for the Internet levels 1-3, Writing for TV & Film, Writing for Radio and Podcasts, and Satire for Late Night TV (taught in Amman, Jordan in 2019). My students have been published in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, The New York Times, The Onion, Clickhole, and many other outlets, and write for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and other late night shows.
Speaking: I’ve given talks at Yale, Brown, UC-Davis, The University of Rochester, Penn State, Northwestern, Boston University, UC Santa Barbara, Author Talks @Google, and Amman Comedy Club in Jordan.
Northwestern University: Taught two terms of Introduction to Screenwriting.
Pacific Northwest College of Art: Assistant Professor, taught classes including Modern Comedy and Satire (Literature Seminar), Introduction to Scripting, Scripting Intensive, Fight the Future: Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Stories*
*Yes, that last class shares a title with the first X-Files movie on purpose. You gotta enjoy your life, huh?
