All Student Success Letters

José F. Ureña Martínez

Dear Gotham,

I signed up for my first Gotham course in 2022. After about a year of writing on my own, I had proven to myself that I was committed to writing, but I realized that I didn’t know much about the craft of writing. It was time for the next step, a writing course. I chose Gotham for its accessibility and affordability. And because it seemed like a serious place for someone who wanted to be a serious writer.

So far, I’ve taken Fiction Writing I and Novel II First Draft with Jessica Sticklor, one of the most thoughtful and approachable teachers I’ve ever had, a person who can do the hardest thing in the world: make you believe that you can write. There is too much to cover on what I’ve learned, but I’m glad I participated in the courses because they made the process of writing, editing, and submitting a little bit easier.

I haven’t found a local writing community yet, but I’ve met wonderful, ambitious, and talented writers in my Gotham classes. Without the encouragement, criticism, and advice that I received from Jessica and my classmates, I would not have been able to publish my first short story, “White Ceiling,” in The Plentitudes this summer, two years after my first Gotham course.

Thank you to Jessica, my classmates, and Gotham for creating the space and taking the time to help me and other aspiring writers. Showing up and having the courage to write is still the hardest part, but I see now that some good things can happen if we keep going.

All the best,

José F. Ureña Martínez