Yearlong in Fiction II: Advanced Cohort
with Corinne Manning
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Short Story
In Person
Advanced
30 Sessions
This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House. Face masks are required and will be available at the Hugo House front desk.
"Writing fiction is an exercise in giving a sh*t– in finding out what you really care about." –Alexander Chee
You’ve got the fundamentals of fiction down. Now it’s time to deepen your craft, clarify your artistic voice, and build the habits to sustain your writing practice.
In this advanced workshop, you'll expand your understanding of craft and explore what you believe fiction can do.
We’ll read contemporary fiction that moves beyond convention into experimental and hybrid forms. We’ll also read across genres, from literary realism to high fantasy and speculative fiction. Building on the fundamentals of fiction, we'll study how writers use craft elements like voice, style, structure, pacing, and form to create stories that feel cohesive and distinct.
You’ll also write a lot, developing a longer project over the duration of the course, either through the arc of a chapter or a series of vignettes. As you experiment with new tools, you’ll refine the qualities that make your writing uniquely your own and unlike that of any other writer.
Alongside your creative work, you'll write your own craft essay: an articulation of your artistic philosophy that can serve as a foundation for future projects, publications, fellowships, and grant applications.
Throughout the year, you'll have opportunities to receive feedback on your work through one-to-one peer review, small-group workshops, and full-class workshops. Along the way, you’ll learn not only how to revise your own work, but how to become a thoughtful reader and member of a literary community.
You'll leave with new fiction, a stronger sense of your artistic identity, practical tools to sustain your creative practice, and lasting connections with a literary community that extends beyond the classroom.
Required materials:
- Terry Dactyl by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
- Seasons of Glass & Iron by Amal El-Mohtar
Corinne's recommended reading: ["The Autobiography of My Novel"] by Alexander Chee is deeply moving and helps me in understanding and remembering how much transformation it takes internally to write a book!
This class focuses on:
- Craft & Technique: Improving writing skills, exploring elements like theme, voice, character, and more.
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engaging deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
- Workshop: Students submit work and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates.
- Community & Connection: Collaboration, peer connection, and social writing experiences.
What to expect:
- Goal-Setting & Accountability: Includes tools or practices to help students stay motivated.
- Project-Based: Students will work toward completing a specific project (e.g., a story, poem, or essay).
- Publishing: Covers submission strategies, query letters, or publishing tips.
- Career & Industry Guidance: Focuses on navigating the writing profession.
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Lecture: Instructor-led teaching
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work.
- 2-3 hours of reading and/or writing outside of class per week.
Students say…
“Corinne is such a talented, thoughtful and generous instructor! I enjoyed the structure of the class including Critical Response practice, the use of mentor texts and the accountability buddies. A really wonderful sense of community developed in the class thanks in large part to Corinne’s highly attuned facilitation. I feel grateful to have taken this class!”
“Corinne is such a wonderful instructor…They are able to create an environment of caring and learning in equal proportions while at the same time keeping us all on track to learn great lessons on writing.”
“I've taken a lot of writing workshops, but Corinne's teaching style reached me in a way others haven't. I've felt very heard and supported and cared for, which I think makes its easier to actually learn. They are a phenomenal teacher!”
“Corinne is an incredible teacher. Full of love and support. Really knows their short fiction craft. Inclusive and human-centered … Knows how to fill gaps in understanding — an intuitive teacher. I felt like my writing really improved and not in the fluffy sense. There was real critique happening, and I feel like I'm on a journey to find my writing voice. I'm a fan of the critical response process — very different (and kinder and more effective) from my 10 years of workshop experience.”
Registration Dates:
- August 11: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- August 18: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- August 25: Scholarships open
- August 30: Last day of Early Bird discount
This class is not eligible for a member discount. Learn more here »
Corinne Manning
Corinne Manning's debut story collection We Had No Rules has received starred reviews from Booklist and Publisher's Weekly the latter noting it "exquisitely examines queer relationships with equal parts humor, heartache, and titillation." Corinne has taught for Hugo House since 2011.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
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- Login to your account.
- Go to “My Account.”
- Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
- Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.
You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.
If you have any questions please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, we announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual. The following policy applies to all payment plans:
- We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
- The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
- Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
- We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
- If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
- If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
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If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
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