In a city where everyone, their mother and their personal trainer is writing a script, honing writing skills is just an important as toning abs—making writing workshops as necessary as that 8am yoga class.

In a sleek Silver Lake living room that seems unfolded from the pages of Dwell, writers bond over the course of an evening that's all creativity and no criticism. Unlike those bad college workshops, eating is encouraged: When we went, we were treated to a scrumptious goat cheese and pine nut tart to start and a berry fool for dessert. The class, conducted in the instructor's home, was small and intimate, so everyone felt at ease. (We were repeatedly told to help ourselves to tea in the kitchen.) Some classes are taught using the free-writing method, where participants are given improvisational writing exercises encouraging them to write continuously without letting the pen leave the page. Two to three writing exercises are completed during each class, and participants are invited to share their writings following each exercise, though passing on reading is completely acceptable. Fellow class members are then invited to say what they liked or remembered about the piece, but no criticism (no matter how constructive) is allowed. —Elisa Jacobs