🌟💐🌟  Spring is here! Scholarship applications for Spring classes are now OPEN! 🌟🐦‍🔥🌟

Crimes and Perversions: Personal Writing About Heroics

with Kimberly Dark

Genres: Nonfiction, The Writing Life, Reading

Online

Open to all levels

1 Session

Start Date: May 17, 2025
End Date: May 17, 2025
Day of Week: Saturday
Time: 1:10pm - 4:10pm PT
Capacity: 30 seats
Member Price: $103.50
General Price: $115.00

In stock

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"People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." –Ralph Waldo Emerson

In our minds, we tend to be the heroes of our own stories. After all, memoir (and writing that centers personal experiences) is often constructed from our own memories and perspectives. But real life is often more messy, nuanced, and morally ambiguous than we often give it credit for. So, what do we do when we bump up against this tension? What happens when we’re not the hero—or, at least, not entirely? 

In this three-hour generative craft class, we’ll dive deep into our worst flaws, most questionable choices, and experiences that challenge our self-perception—and emerge with complex, painfully honest, and endlessly compelling narratives.  

We’ll explore techniques to reconstruct personal history, in ways that acknowledge bias, incorporate multiple perspectives, and layer together to create rich, multidimensional narratives. We’ll also examine how to write about taboo topics (personal stories that may carry social stigma or negative connotations) thoughtfully and in ways much deeper than just ‘shock value,’ forwarding the plot and creating relatability rather than simply evoking discomfort.  

Leave with several fresh writing starts and a toolkit to tackle the tricky realm of perspective and self-portrayal—even when it’s not always flattering. 

Perfect for writers across all genres who are interested in… 

  • Exploring their personal experiences on the page,  
  • Making their characters (including the self!) feel more real 
  • Writing non-heroic traits without villainizing or excusing 
  • Navigating the complexities of publishing deeply personal—and not always flattering—work.  

What to expect:  

  • Generative Writing: students create new work during class or from assignments. 
  • Craft Discussion: teachers and students explore essential elements of the craft. 
  • Optional writing and/or reading outside of class. 

Students say… 

"I love Kimberly’s authenticity and the way she offers guidance.” 

“I liked her teaching style. She’s very down to earth. I felt comfortable with her and would take more classes with her, if available.” 

Registration Dates: 

  • February 25: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT   
  • March 4: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT  
  • March 9: Last day of Early Bird discount 
  • March 11: Scholarship applications open at 10:30am PT 
Kimberly Dark

Kimberly Dark

she/her

Kimberly Dark is the author of Fat, Pretty, and Soon to be Old, The Daddies, Love and Errors, and Damaged Like Me. Her essays, stories, and poetry are widely published in academic and popular online publications alike. Visit www.kimberlydark.com for more information.

Each 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.

You’ll get your class information, including Zoom link if applicable, three days before the first day of class.

Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program, operated in partnership with the Seattle Public Library. Two take place onsite at SPL locations, one takes place online. 

Sliding-scale classes are offered every quarter. Find them in our Class Catalog.

We announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.

At this time, we offer payment plans on classes 8 sessions and up. Email education@hugohouse.org with the name of the class you’re interested in to set up a payment plan.

Our payment plan policy: 
  • We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans. 
  • 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 business 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.

In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception if a student has specific access needs.

We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.   

We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.

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.

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!

Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.

If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.

Learn about all the ways to support Hugo House here.

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