Learn the brain state of FLOW and how it relates to creativity. In this class you will create a mind map of your optimal creative state and what that looks like in your schedule, habits, and practices.

Setting in fantasy fiction is more than just the imaginary time and space where the plot happens, i.e. the neutral zone of conflict and action. In the best fantasy fiction, setting can approach the status of character, and in doing so holds the potential for externalizing otherwise obscured psychological, spiritual, and thematic concerns. Consider the Gothic labyrinth of Dracula's castle, the barren wastelands of Mordor, the claustrophobic decadence of King's Landing, the quirky eccentricity of Hogwarts: these famous fantasy zones…

Whether guarded by wise tree-shepherds or supporting life on an alien moon, forests have long been integral to fantasy and science fiction—as locations, environments, and even characters in their own right. But how you present forest ecosystems in your writing can add depth and verisimilitude to your fictional worlds. In this Research for Writers seminar, we will survey the scope and diversity of forest ecosystems, from flooded equatorial rainforest to snowbound boreal taiga. We will examine how climate, topography and…

The truth doesn’t have to be written like a textbook. The truth can be exciting and gut wrenching and exotic. “True Stories Told Well,” is the definition given by Lee Gutkind, the founder and publisher of Creative Nonfiction Magazine of the 4th genre known in some circles as “Creative Nonfiction.” In this class we will discover that the difference between Nonfiction and “Creative Nonfiction” isn’t the truth; the difference is the flavor in which the story is written. Whether it…

The Fiction Studio continues with returning members 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 must receive pre-approval to register from…

This advanced workshop is for writers actively drafting or revising a full-length memoir manuscript. Each class will include craft discussions on issues pertinent to students' work, such as structure, scene vs exposition, voice, and finding the story beneath the story. We will explore various narrative forms and craft techniques through the analysis of assigned weekly reading and discuss the real-world consequences and ethics of writing and publishing true-to-life stories. The majority of each class will be spent workshopping submitted writing.…

In this workshop, creative nonfiction and memoir writers will explore the genre of flash creative nonfiction (between 500 and 1,000 words). We will discuss and discover the many craft elements that make flash nonfiction an engaging, experimental and exciting genre! Every session we will generate and critique our small memoir and nonfiction stories and essays and focus on the unique opportunities that flash gives every creative nonfiction writer. Working in a shorter form allows you to take a fresh look…

The Advanced 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. We will watch films and clips, read professional scripts and critique each other’s work in a spirit of encouragement and camaraderie. The Advanced section is by invitation of the Instructor.

Building on the fundamentals from Fiction 1 and Fiction 2, Fiction 3 immerses new writers in the revision process to hone their voices and tell compelling stories. The class will follow a workshop format, with students sharing their work and critiquing other students’ work via written feedback and class discussion. We’ll dig into revision on a micro and macro level, exploring line-level details such as word choice and syntax as well as broader considerations. Alongside developing facility with revision and…