Fiction

Writing a novel can be a lonely business! If you want to start a novel or you’ve got a novel in progress, this class provides guidance, inspiration, and support... more

You have a story to tell—maybe you’ve ventured to write it down. But something falls short and you don't yet feel confident enough about technique to make it sing. In this five-week online course, we’ll dive into the elements of fiction craft... more

How short can a story be? Consider Ernest Hemingway’s six-word classic: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A tale told quickly can offer untold riches, which swell inside a reader long after the telling... more

“Authors are under increasing pressure to land on the right side of history as it pertains to characterizations, story themes, and personal views,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “Readers, critics, and industry demand cultural and social awareness. When authors get it wrong, the stakes are high... more

How short can a story be? Consider Ernest Hemingway’s six-word classic: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn." A tale told quickly can offer untold riches, which swell inside a reader long after the telling... more

“What makes a story compelling?” asks instructor Andy Touhy. “More importantly, what are the ways to make it compelling? In this online workshop, we’ll begin to really think about how fictional narrative (short story or novel) is constructed, and made better... more

In this class, we will talk about ways to build more interesting secondary characters, study common relationship types, and do exercises aimed at creating more dynamic interactions between characters by thinking from the perspective of the secondary character... more

“Big Secret Number One to writing fiction is that you have to make a mess. Many messes,” says instructor Steve Mitchel. “You have to throw truckloads of words down onto the page knowing full well that most of them will end up in the compost... more

“Genre fiction includes many types of books: sci-fi, mystery, horror, romance,” says instructor Kilby Blades. “All of these books carry one commonality: readers know how they will end. In fact, readers choose genre fiction in order to be taken on exciting, predictable journeys... more

In this three-session class, Elaine will help you develop a greater understanding of the essential ingredients of a scene and a story, including introducing conflict, creating turning points, and shaping the resolution... more