Four years ago, I started something called Abby’s Secret Summer School, a community of over 100 (!!) women from around the world who wrote online, in secret, all summer long. We cheered each other on and wept at each others’ beautiful sentences. It was, in a word, a ball.
Then, last year, I was sick of Instagram, sick of the algorithm, sick of Mark Zuckerberg knowing anything about what we were doing. I wanted to see people’s faces! And hear their voices! I wanted to write in company, which felt a lot like eating en famille, the very best way. So instead we started gathering together on Zoom, our gorgeous, tiny faces beaming back at each other all summer long as we chipped away at our novels or essays or poems or we wrote to the prompts or we just stared off into space for an hour and gave ourselves a chance to let our thoughts breathe.
So this summer we are back amidst the chaos. Eight weeks. A poem and prompt each time. A commitment to yourself. Absolutely zero prior writing experience necessary. Show up as often as you can. Slip away for an hour. Write your heart out. Show up again. We’ll be here.
This summer, I’ll be giving a portion of the funds from Summer School to Planned Parenthood.
Join us? Bring a friend! Info below.
Abby’s (Not-So-Secret) Summer School
A commitment to your creative practice & psychic survival. A chance to make space for you.
We survived the first half of 2025 (barely?). There has never been a more important time to gather. To make beautiful things. To feed our own creativity. To feel something other than rage and despair. To cordon off time for…us. To give ourselves a moment to breathe and think and dream.
This summer, we are gathering and we are writing. During Summer School, every Monday, we will block out the noise. We will feed our souls, our creative instincts, we will cheer each other on and we will hold ourselves accountable. We will read some brilliant work and we will write some brilliant work. I said it! It’s true!
Every week for 8 weeks, you will have a dedicated time and place where you know you will write for 60 minutes. You can bring an independent project, or write from the prompt I offer you at the beginning of the zoom session. This is a commitment to showing up — to getting your butt in the chair, which is half the work. This gathering is saying you will do that.
Attendance is not taken, but community is formed. The first 10-15 minutes of class will be a mini lecture/prompt by me, and the remaining 45 minutes you will write with your camera on and mic off. During that time, you can also ask me into a zoom room for advice or one-on-one coaching. Cost is $99 for 8 weeks of commitment to your own writing and creativity.
Who It’s For:
Writers mid-project who need community and accountability to continue the work during the summer months.
New writers who are looking to build a creative writing practice in a loving, low-stakes environment.
If you’ve already taken a class with me — or if you’ve done Summer School or Lunch Club — this is an easy way to keep your writing muscles active.
And if you have been looking at an easy way to try out creative writing? Here is a way to begin, among other wonderful women.
You Get:
One poem/prompt a week if you need a jumping off point for your hour of writing
“Office Hours”: You’ll have exclusive access to me in each class if you need to discuss creative, logistical or inspirational snags – I’m here to help!
A commitment to yourself to write every week, all summer long.
Low-stakes commitment: You know you have a space to show up and create, every single week.
A reading at the end of the session with your fellow Summer School writers.
Early access to my limited fall classes.
A 10% discount on a 1:1 session with me.
And the most exciting part: You’ll join a community of supportive writers and readers, people who can’t wait to read your work and cheer you on.
How it Works:
Sign up on Corzisio (registration open!!!). Cost $99 for 8 weeks.
Block off Mondays at 10-11am PST/1-2pm EST from June 23-Aug 11.
Join weekly sessions this summer. As always, the more you come, the more you’ll get out of it. But summer is a nutty time, and we know you’ll have to sometimes miss a session. That’s okay!
Summer School will end with a private online reading with our community.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
Sending love,
Abby xx
Hi could we have an example of a writing prompt you share in class? I would love to know
Hi Abby - When I click through to Corsizio, I can see all the class info but nowhere to click to actually sign-up/enroll. I’m on mobile, maybe it’s something with that?