The Fearless Pen
with Beth Slattery
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, The Writing Life, Memoir, Novel, Short Story, Essay, Writing for Performance
Online
Online Open to all levels
Open to all levels 8 Sessions
8 Sessions “Any writing exposes writers to judgment about the quality of their work and their thought. The closer they get to painful personal truths, the more fear mounts—not just about what they might reveal but about what they might discover should they venture too deeply inside. To write well, however, that’s exactly where we must venture.” – Ralph Keyes, The Courage to Write: How Writers Transcend Fear
For many of us, there is nothing as anxiety-inducing as the blank page. But worry not: you don’t have to do it alone!
This 8-week cohort is designed to help fearful writers find the courage needed to begin (or finish!) a project. We’ll look at writers who admit to anxiety, uncover reasons why we are fearful, and practice techniques that will help us face those fears and produce. Also, we will write—a lot.
Leave class with 25 pages written towards a project. Plus, you’ll receive encouraging and constructive instructor feedback.
What to expect:
- Generative Writing: students create new work during class or from assignments.
- Feedback from the instructor.
- 2-3 hours of writing and/or reading outside of class per week.
Students say…
"Beth’s class is like therapy for writers. I appreciate the safe space, the vulnerability of the other writers including Beth. So helpful and encouraging, all of it.”
“Beth is so compassionate about honoring our writing where we are. She is a powerful listener and kind in her responses. She is helpful and professional all at once!”
“Beth is a very dedicated teacher, with an amazingly specific skill set that I don't think can be found anywhere else. Every session she checks in with each student, which means that during the Zoom lesson, each of us gets a moment of truthful listening and softly practical advice, and the rest of us have the shared experience of it becoming normalized, over several months of class, to hear, one after another, someone speaking honestly about their anxiety and discomfort, and then hearing someone who cares about that, and is not overwhelmed by it, or disappointed in it, and instead has one or two things which might help, if you want to try them. So by the end of the class itself, we subtly come to believe the obvious: it’s ok to share, it’s ok to feel things, and there’s always something you can try when it’s cumbersome.”
“The manner in which Beth runs her classes allows people to open up and share true struggles in their life impacting or inspiring writing. Readings are always manageable to complete and discussion is good. I think fact we focus more on process to write vs craft makes this very valuable. I'd take any of Beth's classes again because it addresses my real blockers–procrastination, fear, not making time–and offers ideas for solutions. The class environment over Zoom is intimate and supportive in Beth's classes too.”
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
Beth Slattery
Beth Slattery moved to Seattle after eighteen years of teaching creative writing and literature at Indiana University East. Since her relocation, she has been writing and editing. Beth is currently working on a collection of personal essays about her mid-life marriage to a Zimbabwean, a move from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest, and a reluctant acceptance of the call to adventure. Her most recent publications appear in Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies and Southern Women’s Review. Beth’s recent editing work includes being a “beta” reader for an author with a multi-book publishing contract, content and copy editing of a personal essay collection, and providing comprehensive editing services on an edited academic volume that was later published by Oxford University Press. She has an M.A. in fiction writing from Miami University and an M.F.A. in creative nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine—Stonecoast.
Describe your teaching style.
I'm a firm believer that we learn best when we discuss subjects, ask big questions (that sometimes don't have answers), and then apply that new knowledge (or questions) to our writing. In other words: we talk a lot; we write a lot. Added bonus: we have fun.
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.
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.
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We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
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Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
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We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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