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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April 2023
Punctuation and Grammar Revealed
In this interactive seminar, we'll start by writing your grammar and punctuation questions on the whiteboard, and then explore them together using simple exercises, examples, and tips. In the last half of our session, we'll take a look at samples from your own writing and find ways to make your prose shine more brightly, unencumbered by common grammar and punctuation errors--or misconceptions--that blur the meaning of your story. (Who, whom) do you think should take this workshop? During a dinner…
April 8 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:30 pm EDT
Gathering Magic: A Fantasy Writers Group
"They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to Middle-earth." -- George R.R. Martin Do you agree? If so, come join us for our monthly fantasy writers gathering! Some writing, come critique, some craft talk, some camaraderie... This is a chance to get together with not just other writers but with fantasy writers --those of us who revel in wardrobe doors and rabbit holes, who would rather work on inventing a language than learning French, who long…
Saturdays, April 8 - September 9 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:00 pm EDT
Turn Your Fragments into Stories
“I can always think of great situations, but how do I turn them into a story?” We all have a collection of ideas and even notes toward a story that somehow never come to fruition. We recognize compelling moments when we see them: a homeless person treated callously by a passerby; a child lost on a crowded street and reaching out to the wrong stranger; a spaceship landing in a suburban neighborhood which can only be seen by one family.…
April 8 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:30 pm EDT
Poetry in the Park with ERT Norfolk
The Elizabeth River Trail and The Muse Writers Center are celebrating National Poetry Month with an evening of poetry on the trail! Bring your picnic blanket for a casual evening with readings from the Trail Poetry Project poets, followed by an open mic.
April 13 @ 5:00 pm EDT - 7:00 pm EDT
Advice from an Agent on Your Path to Publication
You've written your book, and it’s ready to send into the world. But how? In this seminar, we’ll look at everything from crafting a grabbing elevator pitch and where and how to find an agent to what to do and say while pitching and what agents actually do after you’ve signed. Join literary agent Jessica Errera and explore everything that follows typing “The End” on the last page of your manuscript.
April 15 @ 10:00 am EDT - 12:30 pm EDT
Sleuthing and Detective Work
“It is my business to know what other people do not know.” (Sherlock Holmes) Tales of crime, detectives, and mysteries often take central stage in our stories. In this Research for Writers Seminar led by a noted police officer, you’ll be able to better understand and write your own characters and plotlines, whether you are writing crime stories, mysteries, or detective stories, or simply need a better understanding of sleuthing and detective work to make a character or storyline ring…
April 15 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:30 pm EDT
Little City Poets Meeting
This monthly meet-up is a lively and productive session of prompts, sharing, and workshopping. Come be inspired to write, revise, and move closer to publication. This is a great opportunity for anyone who loves poetry and wants to share their work with others. This is a Hybrid club that meets on the third Saturday of each month from 1 - 3pm. On July 15th, this club will meet VIRTUALLY only due to youth class capacity. To attend virtually,…
Saturdays, April 15 - September 16 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:00 pm EDT
Explore Calligraphy: The Art of Elegant Handwriting
Explore calligraphy, the art of elegant handwriting. Students will be introduced to italic letterforms using square-nibbed felt tip pens as writing tools. This seminar will provide a foundation for developing your own personal style of italic handwriting. A materials list and suggested places to purchase materials will be provided by the teacher.
April 15 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:30 pm EDT
A Page in the Life Memoir Group
Memoirists unite once a month at The Muse to spend an hour working on their memoirs. Come to share your life stories or just sit and listen. All are welcome. This club meets on the third Sunday of each month from 2 - 4pm. Virtual & In-Person! To join virtually, register here! For questions about this event, please contact group host: Karen Kendall, krkendall66@gmail.com
Sundays, April 16 - September 17 @ 2:00 pm EDT - 4:00 pm EDT
Courtney LeBlanc Book Launch and Q&A
Join The Muse Writers Center for a reading by Courtney LeBlanc from her latest poetry collection, Her Whole Bright Life (Write Bloody, 2023). After the reading, there will be a Q&A and book signing. This event will be held in person at The Muse and copies of the book will be available for purchase. See the Muse's current Covid-19 policies. "LeBlanc writes from a place of grief, of memory, and of a fierce love for her father, our country, and…
April 16 @ 6:00 pm EDT - 7:00 pm EDT
Writers Happy Hour
Join us for our Third Thursday Writers Happy Hour, an in-person, informal get-together where area writers and Muse teachers, students, and friends enjoy conversation, camaraderie, and drinks. This month's Happy Hour will be hosted by Michael Khandelwal and Tim Seibles. Feel free to let us know you’re coming on Facebook. We look forward to seeing your faces again!
April 20 @ 5:00 pm EDT - 6:30 pm EDT
Me, Myself, and I: Writing First Person POV
Let’s face it. Writing from the first person is a heck of a lot of fun. Akin to the dramatic monologue, to stand-up comedy, to one-person shows (monodramas), it can lead writers into markets they might not have considered. The ”I” sees all. Learning to write from this point of view is not just a matter of using a given pronoun. In this seminar, you will learn how to: choose your revelatory character; manipulate the distances the “I” creates between…
April 22 @ 1:00 pm EDT - 3:30 pm EDT
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.