Welcome to Prompting Works, offering inspiring creative writing classes, workshops, groups and one-on-one guidance grounded in inclusivity & kindness.
come write with us!PROMPTING ESSAYS & STORIES offers six week, prompts-based writing classes in fiction and non-fiction (different classes).
Our goal for this class is to get participants into or back into writing. Each week students are assigned a prompt and a story or essay to read and are asked to write the first ROUGH draft of a personal essay or short story.
There is no getting to the next next draft, let alone the best draft, without that first draft!
WRITING POD is a 12 week writing group in which participants work on a draft of a personal essay, a story, a script, a play, poems or a book-length work. This is a generative group that meets 24 times (twice a week for 2 hours). Students are welcome to attend both sessions but can also join just once a week.
In class there is time for everyone to work on the project with which they came to class, to write based on offered prompts, discuss assigned readings and elements of craft, share work, get feedback from other participants and guidance from the group leader.
PRIVATE SESSIONS I offer one-on-one sessions (purchased in packages of 5) for writing guidance. We’ll discuss your work, whether it’s structure, character or plot with which you need help, I’ll offer writing exercises for you to break through blocks and most importantly we’ll set deadlines and I’ll function as an accountability partner, so you can meet your goals. We can also discuss where and how to publish and agent queries. To purchase packages or find out more email promptingessays at gmail dot com
MANUSCRIPT FEEDBACK whether you’re working on a novel, a memoir, a collection of short stories or a stand-alone essay or story, I can help you figure out what’s working, what’s not working and how to get your piece revised and ready for the next step in your journey, be it submitting to journals, querying agents, or seeking a publisher. Included in this package is manuscript reading, an editorial letter and two phone calls. This is NOT a line editing service. To find out more email
promptingessays at gmail dot com
WHAT STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY:
“A highlight of my year was taking Naz’s short story and essay classes. Naz was insightful and supportive. She creates a warm, safe environment so you can be vulnerable while honing your craft. The assigned prompts and corresponding literature unleashed my creativity. Her notes deepened the work. It was a pleasure reading other students’ takes on the assignments and getting to know them. Naz was always fully engaged. In the writing, the world and in her appreciation of other authors/filmmakers/creators. I look forward to taking more classes with Naz and keeping up on her meaningful writing and filmmaking projects.” — Stacy
“Naz Riahi provides wise guidance, insightful encouragement, and a fun, safe space to try something out of your comfort zone. I’m grateful for everything that I learned from this multi-talented creator and kind human being." — Chris
“I love how Naz welcomes newbies and lifts up veterans of the craft. I found her to be one of the most wildly supportive creators. The entire world of writing is going to benefit from the community she is building.” — Leslie
“Prompting Essays transformed my relationship with writing and storytelling. Naz's nurturing yet direct approach emboldened me to explore my creativity after years of hesitation. Naz and the community we created together in class gave me the confidence to tell my story. Witnessing my classmates' vulnerability, humanity, and genius in their own creative process was a profound gift. Prompting Essays opened me up to a profound connection with myself through my own creative process.” — Caitlin
“The time spent in class feeds my soul and I think it’s the most important activity I do all week…Thank you, thank you, thank you!” — Victor
“Thank you so much for running such a great class the last 6 weeks! As a beginner, I really appreciated your gentle but constructive feedback every week and the community you created with everyone else taking the class! I was definitely coming from a place of "do I even know how to write/have anything to write about?" But I feel like the prompts and example essays were so hopeful in creating the right amount of structure to make it easier to just put pen to paper.” — Sarah
“Naz creates a warm, empowering atmosphere in her class that allows people to find their love for writing again. She is a great teacher and picks amazing readings that excited me throughout the week. I looked forward to every session. Recommended for any and all artists!” "— Pegah
“An absolute gem of a course, guided by a nurturing hand. Naz created the most supportive, enriching environment in the Prompting Essays class. Through her direction our group of writers found warmth, camaraderie, inspiration and kinship. I am in awe of Naz as a teacher and essayist and highly recommend this class for anyone looking to deepen their engagement with words, even if it feels scary at first. (This class) completely exceeded my wildest expectations — if only school had been this generative.” — Vera
“Prompting Essays with Naz gave me the courage to think of myself as a writer. In a short span of six classes, I learnt to tap deeper into myself than I had in years. It forced me to be honest and explore the creativity within myself. Watching my classmates be vulnerable, grow every week and share their stories with extreme honesty gave me the reassurance and support I needed. This class truly has the potential to change one’s life. “ — Neil
“I knew I wanted accountability and some guidance, what I got was 14 amazing , creative friends, 5 drafted essays, so much inspiration and learning. I would sign up again a million times over. Thank you Naz for building such a beautiful container for all of us.” — Payal
“Naz is the absolute best teacher. The class, the gathering of people from all over the world, Naz’s guidance and instruction, were a sanctuary.” "— Deb
“A true safe haven for writers of all kinds. Prompting Essays gave me permission to reclaim my own power and rediscover my voice.” — Devany
Hi! I’m Naz Riahi,
your instructor. If you’re here, you have probably read my work or this class was recommended to you by a former student. Either way, I’m so glad you’re here. I developed this course as an antithesis to the stodgy and cruel M.F.A. workshop experience, which is often grounded in systematic supremacy. I wanted to create a warm, welcoming and kind space in which writers of all levels could thrive and feel inspired as opposed to shut down. I have a lot of experience in teaching and I’ve published quite a bit. My essays and stories have been published in New Letters, Literary Hub, Harper’s Bazaar, A Public Space, Longreads, Pipe Wrench, Food & Wine, Guernica, Los Angles Review of Books, Catapult and more. I was a finalist for the Best American Food Writing Anthology in 2020 and my work has beens supported through fellowships from Baldwin for the Arts, Headlands Center for the Arts, The Artemis Rising Foundation, Yaddo, the Jan Michalski Foundation and the Edward Albee Foundation. I’m also the recipient of a NYFA grant and a MAP Fund Grant. I have an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School. In addition, I’m an award-wining filmmaker and perform original works on stage. You can read my full bio here.