What does it take to keep readers on the edges of their seats? We’ll dissect some of the best scenes ever written and look at how master writers raise stakes, calibrate tension, and keep their readers thinking, “Just one more page…”
craft, close reading
1
Session
Thursday, October 29, 2026
5:00-8:00 pm PT
Online
Fiction
Never stare at a blank page the same way again. Learn to find promising material in memory, observation, conversation, place, character, and curiosity while building a personalized idea bank you can return to whenever the well runs dry.
generative
1
Session
Saturday, October 31, 2026
10:00-1:00 pm PT
Online
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
What can your writing be? What lies beyond the familiar? Whether you’re a lifelong weirdo or itching to break the rules and surprise yourself, this class invites you to experiment with form, structure, and genre in pursuit of your most authentic writing.
generative, craft
6
Sessions
Mondays, November 9 - December 14, 2026
5:00-7:30 pm PT
Online
Fiction
Discover how sentences really work. Explore how syntax, style, and rhythm help you say what you mean while expanding your range as a writer through weekly practice and playful experimentation.
generative, craft, close reading
4
Sessions
Wednesdays, November 11 - December 9, 2026
5:00-7:00 pm PT
In Person
Fiction
Approach character writing through the lens of human behavior. We’ll talk psychology, human complexity, and our own lived experiences and observations as we practice writing action that reveals motivation, emotion, relationships, and subtext.
generative, craft
2
Sessions
Saturdays, November 14-21, 2026
10:00-1:00 pm PT
In Person
Fiction
Writing fills in everything the camera missed. Bring a collection of photographs—printed or digital—and write to surface their narrative shape, complete the stories beyond the frame, and weave words and images into a photobook that brings it all to life.
generative
1
Session
Saturday, December 5, 2026
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
Forget everything you know about poetic form. In this fast and fun generative class, you’ll bend, glitch, and invent new forms—ones rooted in identity, resistance, and surprise. Arrive ready to write, and leave with tools no rulebook could’ve given you.
generative, craft, close reading
2
Sessions
Saturdays, December 5-12, 2026
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Poetry
Advanced
The body remembers what the mind forgets. Learn how to tune into sensation to uncover stories that live beyond conscious memory and the analytical mind, then shape them into powerful, emotionally resonant writing.
generative, close reading
2
Sessions
Saturdays, December 5-12, 2026
10:00-1:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
Give your prose its music by borrowing from poetry. We’ll explore rhythm, tone, and sonic texture—and learn concrete techniques to make your sentences not only look good, but sound incredible on the page.
generative, craft, close reading
1
Session
Saturday, December 12, 2026
1:10-4:10 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 class, you’ll read, write, and workshop poems with a focus on image, metaphor, and musicality. You’ll practice giving, receiving, and integrating feedback in a workshop setting and develop a more intentional revision practice as you write and revise new work.
craft, close reading, workshop
8
Sessions
Wednesdays, January 20 - March 10, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Poetry
Intermediate
Move beyond the first draft in this intermediate creative nonfiction class. Hone your craft around scene, character, image, and structure while experimenting with voice and form, then learn to revise your work with greater intention and precision. Leave with a polished draft of up to 15 pages.
generative, craft, workshop
8
Sessions
Thursdays, January 21 - March 11, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
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
Transform your memoir ideas into a draft of short memoir writing. Deepen your craft of scene, reflection, voice, and narrative arc while learning how to give and receive thoughtful feedback in workshop.
craft, close reading, workshop
8
Sessions
Tuesdays, January 26 - March 16, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
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
Learn the craft of revision by taking an existing memoir draft—a standalone piece or book chapter—through ten weeks of intensive reworking. Through workshop, close reading, and discussion, you’ll strengthen your piece, explore where it fits within today’s memoir landscape, and identify next steps for your work.
close reading, workshop, publishing
10
Sessions
Tuesdays, April 6 - June 8, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
Advanced
Push your poetry beyond familiar territory in this ten-week advanced workshop. Study how boundary-breaking poets use rhetoric, image, and form to take language into unexpected territory, then experiment with these possibilities in your own work as you write and workshop new work.
craft, close reading, workshop
10
Sessions
Wednesdays, April 7 - June 9, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Poetry
Advanced
In this advanced creative nonfiction workshop, refine your voice, deepen your obsessions, and push your craft through revision, feedback, and play. This is your place to write boldly and shape work that reveals who you are on the page.
generative, craft, workshop
10
Sessions
Thursdays, April 8 - June 10, 2027
10:00-12:00 pm PT
Online
Nonfiction
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
1
Session 
Online
Fiction
Introductory
