
Creative Writing Classes & Seminars
Looking for a place to express your inner writer? In each of our three yearly sessions (winter/spring, summer, and fall), we offer creative writing classes on weekday evenings, weekday mornings, and the daytime on weekends. Classes range from those geared for novice writers or those with some writing experience who are looking for a structured environment in which to bloom to those geared for intermediate, advanced, or professional writers.
We offer classes for adults as well as pre-teen and teen writers. Genres and topics offered include a variety of creative writing classes in poetry, fiction, flash fiction, memoir and creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, storytelling, comic books and graphic novels, songwriting, food writing, science fiction, fantasy, children’s book writing, journaling, and multi-genre writing, as well as seminars in writers craft, research, and professional development.
Class size is usually capped at 8 or 9 students—classes with different maximum sizes are indicated in the class listing. We teach short seminars that meet once all the way to longer workshops that meet up to eight times.

Search our classes by genre, level, and time of day below.
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February 2023
The Memoir Studio
The Memoir Studio is for writers actively drafting or revising a full-length memoir manuscript. Each class will include craft discussions on issues pertinent to each student’s 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, as well as consider the real-world consequences and ethics of writing and publishing true-to-life stories. The majority of each class will be dedicated…
Mondays, February 13 - April 24 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
The Poetry Workshop
The Poetry Workshop continues with returning members and new members having poetry writing experience. Fresh, intriguing poetry prompts offer group members the opportunity to experiment with various styles, forms, subjects and themes, and in doing so, will clarify their own voices as they actively write and revise original poems. Each workshop will include consideration of an aspect of craft based on assigned readings, as well as close reading of select poems by outstanding poets past and present to open up…
Mondays, February 13 - April 24 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
Nonfiction in a FlashÂ
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…
Mondays, February 13 - April 24 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
The Fiction Studio (Wednesday Mornings)
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…
Wednesdays, February 15 - April 26 @ 9:00 am EST - 11:30 am EST
Patchwork Party at Slover Library
Grab your Crayolas and Moleskines for an afternoon of fun! Brought to you by the Slover Library and The Muse Writers Center. In our modern world of social media and rapid sharing, it’s hard to avoid imposter syndrome and the feeling that our art is only valid once it’s been “liked” and commented on by the public. At Patchwork Party, we invite you to grab some simple art supplies, headphones, and notebook and give your internal and external critics the…
Wednesdays, February 15 - February 15 @ 5:00 pm EST - 7:00 pm EST
Fiction 2: Deeper into Character & Story (Wednesday Evenings)Â
The fiction writing journey continues where Fiction 1 left off. Returning students and writers new to The Muse (who have fiction writing experience) will be encouraged to produce and submit original work for discussion by the group in the workshop format. In addition, participants will take a deeper look at the essential craft elements of fiction writing, with a focus on building rounded, dynamic characters and an engaging narrative with a living world/setting. All genres of fiction are accepted and…
Wednesdays, February 15 - April 26 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
Advanced Workshop for High School Seniors
In depth workshop for advanced teen writers. Class meets bi-weekly, students submit up to five pages of writing one week before the class and are expected to be prepared to discuss each piece during class. Only open to muse students who have completed the Teen Writers Fellowship and have not yet graduated from high school, or high school seniors with previous workshop experience. If you would like to apply, please contact our Youth Coordinator Jessica Grace Kelley at jessica@the-muse.org. Teen…
Thursdays, February 16 - March 30 @ 6:00 pm EST - 8:30 pm EST
Poetry 1: Learning to Write Poetry
Whether you’re brand new to poetry or just need a refresher on the craft of writing poems, this class will focus on the fundamentals of what makes a great poem. With a strong emphasis on how to read a poem as a writer, this class mixes both traditional and formal poetry with modern contemporary examples and covers the basics of form and language. This class will help you build your toolbox of literary devices to begin crafting poems on your…
Thursdays, February 16 - April 27 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
Fiction 3: Deeper into Voice & Revision
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…
Thursdays, February 16 - April 27 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
The Fiction Workshop (Thursday Evenings)
The Fiction Workshop continues with returning members and new members who have fiction writing workshop experience. Members of the group will workshop original work while taking a deeper look at the essential craft elements of fiction writing. Topics such as POV, scene writing, dialogue and more may be explored through short lectures or study of published stories. Students will continue to develop critiquing skills and master writing active prose. All members of the group will have the opportunity to submit…
Thursdays, February 16 - April 27 @ 7:00 pm EST - 9:30 pm EST
Recognizing and Using Mythological Archetypes
Let’s explore the power of mythology and how subconscious tenets based on ancient myth pepper not only the symbols we use, but our plot points and themes. Most writers know mythology, but having a better understanding of its evolution and its sometimes startling connections to today--as well as how to recognize and utilize inherent mythological elements--will strengthen writing of any genre. We will traverse oral tradition, ancient mythology, and universal archetypes, applying these concepts to our own, contemporary pieces.
February 18 @ 10:00 am EST - 12:30 pm EST
Reading and Q&A with Drema Deòraich at Coaster Coffee
Local Muse author Drema Deòraich will be reading from her new book, EntheĂłphage, at Coaster Coffee in Norfolk. Meet us there for a reading, Q&A and book signing, plus some excellent coffee! About the book: Dr. Isobel Fallon thinks she's found a treatment that will help her son and others suffering from Milani Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder. What she doesn't realize is that harvesting the source of this treatment in the only accessible place on earth it grows,…
February 18 @ 12:00 pm EST - 1:30 pm EST
Accessibility for Those with Disabilities
The Muse Writers Center strives to be a fully accessible facility. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns or would like to request an accommodation.