Let's be honest: Most of us aren't rock stars. Or master chefs. Or even - as long as we're being honest - halfway decent gardeners. In fact, there are plenty of awesome jobs we wish we had, but, because of our day jobs, our families, or plain old Real Life responsibilities, we just never got around to trying them out.

Not anymore. Our area offers dozens of classes that you can take to live out those pent-up superstar fantasies. Whether you yearn to write a novel, you thirst for the acting spotlight, or you want to do something else grand and fabulous, there's a class in Rochester with your name on it.

So you want to be...a rock star

Try: "Lyric Writing" at Monroe Community College

Whether you want to rock sold-out stadiums or just serenade that cute girl who works down the hall, you'll need to master the art of writing powerful lyrics. But what if you don't know the first thing about putting words to music? Then you need MCC's "Lyric Writing" class (Music 133-181), a new three-credit course that meets Wednesdays, 6-8:50 p.m., from September 5 to December 14.

All experience levels and musical tastes are welcome, says course instructor Tony Falzano, and you don't even need to know how to play an instrument to sign up. (However, you will need to take English 101 or an equivalent first.) "[This class] is for both professional songwriters and musicians, and for those who don't know where middle C is on the piano; [for people] who just like to write poetry," he says.

The course will cover the usual lyric-writing basics, like form, rhyme, meter, and using poetic devices. But the class will also cover subtler tricks of the trade, like pulse points and blocking. "That stuff makes sense once you learn it, but it's not something you'd necessarily cover in most texts or courses," says Falzano, who has more than 35 years' experience in the songwriting industry.

Students will also learn about writing lyrics under a time crunch, dealing with writer's block, and determining a lyrical approach - concepts that most songwriters spend years trying to master. The one thing "Lyric Writing" won't cover, however, is actually creating music; that's reserved for another class Falzano teaches, "Song Writing."

For more information, contact Falzano at afalzano@monroecc.edu (reference "City - Lyric Writing Class" in the subject line), or call MCC's admissions office at 292-2200.

So you want to be...a world-class novelist

Try: Writing classes at Writers & Books

If you have that Great American Novel swimming around in your noggin, you should hit up Writers & Books, Rochester's world-renowned literary center. With more than 40 different writing classes scheduled for this fall, Writers & Books can help you finish that novel, no matter what stage it's currently in.

If you have plenty of ideas but don't know how to put them to paper, check out a creative writing class. Writers & Books offers sessions on almost every genre: "Advanced Fiction" (September 19-November 7, Wednesdays 7-9 p.m.; $159 members/$165 general public); "Science Fiction and Fantasy" (September 19-November 7, Wednesdays 7-9 p.m.; $159 members/$165 public); "Mystery" (October 11-November 8, Thursdays 7-9 p.m.; $79 members/$85 public); and "Romance" (October 6, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and October 20, noon-3 p.m.; $36 members/$52 public). The center even offers a course on writing scary stories: "The Halloween Stories Workshop" (October 3-24, Wednesdays, 7-8:30 p.m.; $79 members/$85 public).

Perhaps you just need time to write. Sign up for "Literary Café - A Time & Place To Write" (Third Saturday of every month; September 22-March 22, 9:30 a.m.-noon; $145 members/$155 public, or per session at $23 members/$27 public). This class lets you set aside a few hours a month just for your writing efforts, providing a quiet environment so you can get some serious writing done. Sessions are often followed by meals and drinks at nearby cafés.

But if you already have a novel sitting on your desk and you just need the right publisher, then "Paths to Publication" may be right for you (October 13, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.; $35 members/$39 public). Publisher Steven Huff walks you through the finer points of getting published, covering everything from deciphering copyrights and royalties to how to approach publishers with your work. The class even touches on self-publishing.

For more information visit the Writers & Books website at www.wab.org or call 473-2590 for a free class catalog.

So you want to be...a master chef

Try: Cooking classes at the New York Wine and Culinary Center

Dying to give Emeril a run for his money? Then try a class at the New York Wine and Culinary Center, a non-profit foodie paradise based in Canandaigua. Dedicated to educating people about our state's wine and agricultural industries, the center offers classes on everything from wine and food pairings to fine cooking techniques.

Start with a "signature class," which focuses on a particular recipe or technique of cooking, like making smoothies or sushi. One such upcoming session is "Cooking with Herbs" (August 21, 6-8:30 p.m.; August 24, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; or September 8, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.; $65), where you can learn the ins and outs of chopping, drying, and preserving herbs. Recipes covered in the class include Pesto-Rubbed Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Fennel Garden Salad with Mixed Herbs and Tarragon Vinaigrette, and Rosemary Skewered Marinated Shrimp.

Or try the "Pickling" class (August 25, 2-4 p.m. or August 29, 6-8 p.m.; $50), which explains the basic technique behind making pickles, as well as sanitation and storage methods. You even get to take home a jar of pickles you make in class.

But if wine is more your style, sign up for the three-part "Personal Winemaking" course. The first session (August 22, 6-8:30 p.m.; $40) covers all the basic equipment and recipes you'll need to make, bottle, and store your own wine. The later classes (August 29 and September 19, 6-8:30 p.m.; $40) focus more on the finer points of fermentation, working with grapes, and how to make specialty wines like sherry and port. Of course, wine samples will be provided at all sessions.

For more information, call the New York Wine and Culinary Center at 394-7070, or visit www.nywcc.com/learn/program_schedule.php.

So you want to be...a master gardener

Try: Master Gardening classes at the Cornell Co-op

Whether you're a natural green thumb or you kill every plant you touch, a class in Master Gardening, offered by the Cornell Co-Op Extension of Genesee County, can help you improve your horticultural skills. (A Master Gardener is a certified landscaping guru, trained in various gardening topics, who works in education outreach programs.)

Starting September 5, the Cornell Co-Op will be offering a 15-week certification class in master gardening, meeting Wednesdays 6-9 p.m. The training series will be held at the Kennedy building at the Genesee County Fairgrounds in Batavia.

The class is open to "anybody that has a love and interest in gardening, and who likes people," says Gail Culver, the Co-Op's Consumer Horticulture Educator.

But you don't need years of gardening experience to sign up. "We cover the basics in many topics," says Culver, listing soils, flowers, pesticides, trees, and vegetable gardening as some of the subjects covered in the course.

In addition to the in-class training, the certification requires 50 hours of volunteer work. But if you're not interested in the certification and just want to take the class to learn more about gardening, the volunteer portion is optional.

However, if you do get the certification, you can perform certain Master Gardener official duties, like volunteering for 4-H clubs, judging at county fairs, working in community gardens, and assisting with the Cornell Co-Op Help Line, a hotline where people call in with horticultural questions.

For more information call Gail Culver at 343-3040 x 132 or visit Cornell Co-Op online at genesee.cce.cornell.edu/home.

So you want to be...an actor

Try: Acting classes at the Geva

If you've always wanted to dazzle crowds with your quick wit and saucy humor, acting classes - particularly improv - can help boost your skill and confidence levels.

This fall, the Geva Comedy Improv troupe will offer a series of five- to nine-week classes on improv, taught by the improv actors themselves. The courses will focus on narrative improv, or the story-based "Who's Line is it Anyway?" performance approach that the troupe specializes in.

"These classes are great for anybody who wants to be the center of attention at a party," says Heather Halstead, Geva's public relations manager, "but a lot of business people take them too, to help them think on their feet."

For the true novice, the beginner's class will introduce the basics: typical improv games, thinking quickly, and how to play off your fellow actors. People with more acting or improv experience can take the advanced class, which focuses on the theories and ideas behind narrative improv. There's even a teen workshop for high-schoolers bitten by the acting bug.

Classes usually range about $100 per person, although as of press time, the price had not yet been set.

For more information on dates, times, and locations, call Geva Theatre at 232-1366, or email Tim Ryan at tryan@gevatheatre.org.