This workshop will focus on the all-important revision process in screenwriting, with members sharing the successes and difficulties encountered in the scripting process for feature-length, short, or TV scripts. You will have at least three opportunities to turn in pages of a screenplay for group review, workshop, and discussion—all in an atmosphere of mutual exploration and understanding. This class is open to continuing members as well as advanced screenwriting students. Please note: This class is an online class. To participate,…

Whether you write memoir, fiction, creative nonfiction, or narrative poetry, getting the words on the page is only the beginning of the sculpting process. In this class for intermediate writers, we will experiment with a series of tools to turbo-power your work so that it is resonant and unforgettable.  Tools will include: wordplay/diction, emotion and empathy, “killing your darlings,” and the good kind of theft. Each session is generative, where participants will focus on a craft point, exercise it through…

Voice touches every aspect of our craft—from the images we choose, to the characters we create. When we first start to write, we often mimic our heroes. We try to sound like Morrison or Fitzgerald, or Ferrante, rather than ourselves. This seminar will help you to find your own voice, one distinct from your literary inspirations. This will be a generative few hours, with a mix of reading, instruction, and exercises. This seminar is for all writers, seasoned and new.…

According to H.P. Lovecraft, a horror tale possesses "a certain atmosphere of breathless and unexplainable dread of outer, unknown forces." He continues: "There must be a hint of that most terrible conception of the human brain--a malign and particular suspension or defeat of those fixed laws of Nature which are our only safeguard against the assaults of chaos and the daemons of unplumbed space." In other worlds, horror fiction dramatizes the sinister destruction of our ordinary, everyday lives. Strange. Why…

‘We conclude then, that succession of time is the department of the poet, as space is that of the painter.’ –Gotthold Ephraim Lessing, Laocoön: An Essay on the Limits of Painting and Poetry, 1767 In this class, we will look at the concept of Ekphrasis as applied by the Belfast poets of the 1960’s and beyond (Seamus Heaney’s “North,” Ciaron Carson’s “Still Life,” Sinead Morrissey’s “Parrallax” and Stephen Sexton’s “If All the World and Love Were Young” in particular). We…

Returning members, new writers from Introduction to Creative Nonfiction & Memoir, and new members with CNF writing experience will actively write and workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of writing that polishes the truth. We will learn the power of the first person and the limitations & benefits of writing in the third, practice and refine research and memory habits and techniques, continue to learn how to give and take constructive critique, and…

In this workshop, you can explore multiple genres: fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry. We’ll get started with creative exercises, prompts, and readings, and have ample time to share and comment on each other’s work. You can learn a new genre or sharpen your skills while working on something you are already writing. Come hone your unique writing voice in a creative and fun atmosphere. *Student's parent or legal guardian must complete Student Release in order to participate in the class.…

The Advanced Fiction Workshop continues with returning members, writers from The Fiction Workshop level, and new members with advanced fiction workshop experience. Having learned and refined the essential craft elements of fiction writing, it is time to actively write and revise our original short stories and chapters of novels. We will continue to master the art of constructive critique in our workshop, offering thoughtful suggestions that will lead to meaningful revision of our work. All members of the group will…

The Advanced Poetry Workshop is an expansion of the principles and techniques learned in the Poetry Workshop. It is open to students who have completed previous workshop-level classes at The Muse or those who have an extensive workshop or graduate-level experience. This class focuses on writing, criticism, and the exploration of contemporary poetic discourse. Students at this level are writing poetry with an increased focus on creating an individual voice and emotional richness. Students will be expected to submit regularly…

The Fiction Studio continues with returning members, writers from the Advanced Fiction Workshop, and new members with professional fiction workshop experience. We will actively write and revise original short stories and chapters of novels as well as consider various aspects of the creative and professional life of the fiction writer. All members of the group will have the opportunity to submit material for the workshop, with at least two to three opportunities to be critiqued during the session. New members…