Fiction

"Flash fiction is its own genre," says Jenny Pritchett. "It's not just a longer poem, or a shorter story. It has its own cadences, chimes, and resolutions, and you can learn to write it by putting aside your expectations of more familiar forms... more

Historical fiction can transport you into worlds that are incredibly fun to write. Do you want to reintroduce a little-known hero/​heroine into popular culture? Would you like to tell the sweeping saga of your own family’s struggle in America... more

This is a class for those who are familiar with the techniques and approaches Jay uses in helping writers find the stories and themes they care about the most: “plot talks” for digging deep into emotionally powerful material, playing with point of view and setting, compressing premises to get to the heart of the story... more

In this class, you'll develop concrete skills and narrative techniques through fun writing exercises designed to help you master your craft. At the end of five weeks, you'll have a better grip on how to use these techniques (for developing character, setting, and plot) as tools for building your story... more

To write our best, we must write from the heart. But finding which subjects mean the most to us can be difficult. Each week Jay Ridler will lead you through a series of fun, engaging, and effective exercises to help you discover and explore the deep and most compelling themes in your life... more

“Good writing is about empathy—how writers understand their characters and how the reader comes to share that understanding,” says instructor Cary Groner. “This course is designed to develop that empathy through exercises and assignments, then strengthen the writer’s craft through drafting and revision of a story... more

Writing a novel can be a lonely business. It can also be pretty overwhelming when you’re doing it without guidance, input or support. If you want to start a novel or you’ve got a novel in progress, this class will provide you with the help you’ll need... more

One of the first decisions we must make as we begin a new story is about what point of view (POV) we will narrate from. Do we want the intimacy (and restrictions) of 1st person? The perceived credibility (and distance) of 3rd person? Or the flexibility (and navigation issues) of 3rd person-close ... more

“It is no surprise that many fiction writers turn to their own family history for inspiration when it comes to creating characters and stories,” says instructor Austin Smith... more

Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, or both, this class will show you how to draw on your own background to generate writing that is deeply meaningful to you, to the people you love, and even to complete strangers... more