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Class Catalog
Heroine Course Catalog

Pet Sounds: Writing About the Animals in Our Lives

with Steve Almond

What do our animals teach us about attention, love, grief, and companionship? We’ll explore writing about the pets who’ve changed us. You leave with new work and tools for writing about these very special relationships.

generative, craft

1 Session
Monday, August 17, 2026
5:00-8:00 pm PT Online Fiction

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Understanding Story Structure

with Ruth Joffre

Stories can unfold in many ways, from the classic hero’s journey to spirals, fractals and experimental forms. Learn how story shape creates the emotional experience and experiment with new possibilities for plot, character, and movement in your fiction. 

craft

3 Sessions
Wednesdays, August 19 - September 2, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT Online Fiction Intermediate

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Beyond Setting: Writing Literature of Place

with Amy Muia

Some stories can only happen in one particular place. We’ll explore how writers create immersive settings that shape character, mood, and plot. And we’ll practice writing our own settings that feel vivid, transporting, and unforgettable.

craft, close reading

1 Session
Saturday, August 22, 2026
1:10-4:10 pm PT In Person Fiction

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Secrets & Lies: Writing Deception

with Steve Almond

Every human being lies or deceives in some way and your characters should, too. We’ll examine different types of deception and how they can be powerful drivers for our stories. Great for anyone interested in character motivation.

generative, craft, personal growth

1 Session
Monday, August 24, 2026
5:00-8:00 pm PT Online Fiction

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Book Lab (In Person)

with Tara Conklin

Book Lab is a nine-month intensive for writers who’ve completed (or nearly completed) a draft of a novel, memoir, short story collection, or hybrid manuscript. Whether you’re preparing to publish or refining your story into the best version of itself, this program offers mentorship, structure, and community to help you take the next step in your book journey.  

cohort, workshop, publishing

16 Sessions
Tuesdays, September 22, 2026 - June 15, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Book Lab (Virtual)

with Sonora Jha

Book Lab is a nine-month intensive for writers who’ve completed (or nearly completed) a draft of a novel, memoir, short story collection, or hybrid manuscript. Whether you’re preparing to publish or refining your story into the best version of itself, this program offers mentorship, structure, and community to help you take the next step in your book journey.  

cohort, workshop, publishing

16 Sessions
Wednesdays, September 23, 2026 - June 16, 2027
5:00-7:00 pm PT Online Fiction Advanced

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Yearlong in Fiction: Novel Revision

with Carolyn Abram

You’re ready to revise your novel draft, but how do you know what to keep and what to change? Learn the essential craft of revision as you develop the skills to evaluate your manuscript, make intentional changes, and shape it into its strongest form.

 

 

craft, close reading, workshop

30 Sessions
Wednesdays, September 23, 2026 - June 16, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Yearlong in Fiction: Novel First Draft

with Elise Hooper

If perfectionism or overwhelm has kept you from finishing your novel, you’re not alone. In this nine-month workshop, write page by page alongside a supportive cohort—complete with structure, expert guidance, and zero shame—all the way to a completed first draft.

generative, craft, workshop

30 Sessions
Wednesdays, September 23, 2026 - June 2, 2027
5:00-7:00 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Yearlong in Speculative Fiction: Craft Fundamentals

with Nisi Shawl

Love sci-fi, fantasy, horror fiction, or a wild frankenstein of all three and more? In this nine-month workshop, learn the core craft of speculative writing—worldbuilding, stakes, structure—and grow your work in a creative, community-driven cohort.

craft, cohort, workshop

30 Sessions
Thursdays, September 24, 2026 - June 3, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT Online Fiction Intermediate

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Yearlong in Fiction II: Advanced Cohort

with Corinne Manning

Build on the fundamentals of fiction while discovering and honing what makes your writing distinctly your own. Through close reading, experimentation, and workshop, you’ll deepen your craft, develop your artistic voice and style, and explore where your work sits within today’s literary conversation.

craft, cohort, workshop

30 Sessions
Thursdays, September 26, 2026 - June 10, 2027
5:00-7:00 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Fiction I

with Alma Garcia

Got a story you’ve been dying to tell but not sure where to start? This welcoming, beginner-friendly class introduces the essential building blocks of fiction: character, conflict, plot, description, dialogue, and scene. Learn how stories work and begin building one of your own.

craft, workshop

6 Sessions
Thursdays, October 1 - November 5, 2026
7:10-9:10 pm PT In Person Fiction Introductory

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Yearlong in Fiction: Craft Fundamentals

with Peter Mountford

In this beginner-friendly yearlong course you’ll explore storytelling fundamentals, deepen your fiction craft, and get feedback on your work—all with the support of a consistent writing cohort.

 

 

craft, close reading, workshop

30 Sessions
Tuesdays, October 6, 2026 - June 1, 2027
5:00-7:00 pm PT Online Fiction Intermediate

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Dramatic Essentials for Fiction

with Bella Bravo

You’ve got the characters, setting, and plot. But what makes a reader care about what happens? This craft intensive explores the dramatic principles that create emotional tension, raise the stakes, and keeps readers invested from the first page to the very last sentence.

craft, close reading, workshop

6 Sessions
Wednesdays, October 7 - December 9, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Fiction I

with Emma Stockman

Learn how stories work and how to write your own. Explore fiction fundamentals, learn to read like a writer, and experiment with new approaches in a welcoming, beginner-friendly class. No big idea needed: just curiosity. Leave with a fiction toolkit and five new story starts.

craft, close reading, workshop

6 Sessions
Tuesdays, October 13 - November 17, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT In Person Fiction Introductory

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Suspense Belongs in All Genres

with Wendy Kendall

Master the craft of suspense. Explore tension, pacing, stakes, structure, and scene design and the art of keeping your readers emotionally invested in your story from beginning to end, whatever genre you’re writing in.

generative, craft, workshop

8 Sessions
Thursdays, October 15 - December 10, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT In Person Fiction

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Reading Across Cultures: Many Stories: Reading Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

with Michele Simms-Burton

History is never a single story. Through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s critically acclaimed novel Half of a Yellow Sun, we’ll explore African storytelling traditions in which understanding, meaning, and narrative emerge from the accumulation of many lives and perspectives.

close reading

6 Sessions
Tuesdays, October 27 - November 17, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT Online Fiction

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Fiction I

with Anca Szilágyi

Every story starts with a few essential questions: Who is here? Where are they? What are they up against? Explore character, setting, and plot as you learn to build fiction from the inside out—and leave this beginner-friendly class with a solid short story draft of your own.

generative, craft, close reading

6 Sessions
Mondays, November 2 - December 7, 2026
10:00-12:00 pm PT Online Fiction Introductory

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Talking Points: Dialogue That Drives Story & Character

with Evan Ramzipoor

Great dialogue sounds natural, even as it’s doing more than you think. Learn to write conversations that reveal character, move the story forward, and feel alive on the page, then put those techniques to work in a dialogue-driven scene of your own.

craft, close reading

1 Session
Thursday, November 5, 2026
5:00-8:00 pm PT Online Fiction Advanced

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Fiction II

with Alma Garcia

Go beyond the fundamentals and explore the subtler craft choices that give fiction depth and resonance. Dig into structure, subtext, psychic distance, pacing, and implication while experimenting with new approaches and sharpening your creative instincts. Leave with a stronger sense of your storytelling voice.

craft, close reading, workshop

8 Sessions
Thursdays, January 14 - March 11, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT In Person Fiction Intermediate

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Fiction II

with Anca Szilágyi

In this intermediate fiction class, you’ll expand your storytelling toolkit, digging deeper into point of view, scene construction, dialogue, narrative voice, and structure. You’ll write, workshop, and revise a new story of your own in a low-pressure, supportive space.

craft, close reading, workshop

8 Sessions
Mondays, January 25 - March 22, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT Online Fiction Intermediate

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Fiction III

with Alma Garcia

Dig into what makes your fiction distinctly yours: your obsessions, instincts, strengths, and the patterns that shape your voice. Study bold, rule-breaking stories, then workshop and substantially revise a story or novel chapter while exploring practical next steps toward publication.

craft, close reading, workshop

10 Sessions
Thursdays, April 1 - June 10, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT In Person Fiction Advanced

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Fiction III

with Anca Szilágyi

Take your fiction further by focusing on the choices that give your work its distinct texture and emotional weight. Deepen your command of voice, style, and structure; revise a complete story or chapter with intention and precision; and leave with practical next steps toward publication.

craft, close reading, workshop

10 Sessions
Mondays, April 5 - June 14, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT Online Fiction Advanced

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Writer’s Welcome Kit

with Paulette Perhach

This asynchronous course features online workbooks, including ten essential templates in Word and Excel to kickstart your writing life, and resources professional writers use to get published.

November 20, 2029
 Online Asynchronous Fiction

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