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
A yearlong short story course with equal parts vigor and rigor. You’ll read legendary writers, write wildly, and refine your craft in an in-person community full of support, insight, and spirited discussion. Get ready to get weird, to grow—and to surprise yourself in the process.
generative, craft, workshop
30
Sessions
Tuesdays, September 22, 2026 - June 8, 2027
7:10-9:10 pm PT
In Person
Fiction
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
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
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
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
Stuck at the blank page? Meet microprose. Write vivid, compressed pieces while discovering how working small can unlock fresh ideas, sharpen your craft, and make experimentation and revision feel far less intimidating. Leave with at least three new micro-pieces.
generative, close reading, workshop
4
Sessions
Mondays, October 5-26, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT
Online
Fiction
Got a haunting in your head? This class guides you from eerie feeling to finished scary story. Study horror craft, write boldly, and build a tale that lingers. Great for horror fans, genre dippers, or anyone drawn to the dark side of life.
generative, craft
6
Sessions
Tuesdays, October 6 - November 10, 2026
7:10-9:10 pm PT
Online
Fiction
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
© 2022 Hugo House
16
Sessions 
In Person
Fiction
Advanced
