Green Was the Silence: A Generative Rainbow
with Sierra Nelson
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, The Writing Life, Reading, Writing for Performance
Online
Online Open to all levels
Open to all levels 10 Sessions
10 Sessions “Era verde el silencio, mojada era la luz… / Green was the silence, wet was the light…”
– Pablo Neruda, “Sonnet XL,” from 100 Love Sonnets
Winter softens the world into muted tones—grays, greens, the dusty blue of early evening. This class invites you to bring the color back in all its prismatic radiance. Using the full spectrum as our guide, we’ll spend ten weeks awakening our senses, expanding our imaginative range, and creating new work through playful, multi-genre prompts inspired by the science and symbolism of color.
Each week, we’ll center a different hue and a different way of seeing. We’ll explore how color shapes mood, memory, perception, and the emotional temperature of a piece; how a shade on the page can shift tone or texture; and how paying closer attention to our sensory experiences can open new creative pathways.
Readings will lean toward poetry, but writers of all genres—prose, comics, hybrid forms, songwriting—are welcome, and each prompt can be adapted to fit your project or curiosity. We’ll experiment widely: synesthetic exercises, collaborative play, multimedia approaches, poetic sparks, observational sketches, and prompts designed to get us out of our heads and into a more embodied creative state. Most writing will begin in class, with optional take-home prompts for those who want to keep exploring.
We’ll also keep a daily color log—practicing attention, noticing what catches our eye, and translating those observations into language—strengthening both our sensory awareness and our intuitive writing practice.
Feedback in this workshop is gentle, reflective, and centered on noticing what’s vivid, moving, or surprising in each piece. Rather than “fixing” drafts, we’ll identify strengths and possibilities, helping you nurture what your work already wants to become. An optional one-on-one conference with the instructor will be available after the final class.
By the end of the course, you’ll leave with a chromatic bouquet of new drafts, renewed creative momentum, and a more attuned relationship to your senses, your imagination, and the world of color around you.
This class is not eligible for a member discount. Learn more here »
This class focuses on:
- Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Creative Play & Exploration: Focuses on playful, experimental writing activities designed to break creative blocks and spark ideas.
- Community & Connection: Emphasizes collaboration, peer connection, and social writing experiences.
What to expect:
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Lecture: Instructor-led teaching
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- Instructor Feedback: Students receive direct feedback from the instructor.
- Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work.
- Optional reading and/or writing outside of class
Students say…
“The instructor is wonderful and gave us lots of encouragement. I have always felt that I lacked a creativity gene, but this class helped me to discover creativity I never knew I had. We did lots of different writing exercises that were often fun and sometimes difficult, stretching us to reach new levels of writing expertise. I enjoyed the wide variety of people in the class. It was a very positive experience.”
“Sierra is an excellent teacher, in my life I think the best. her enthusiasm and positivity are strong and heartfelt no BS. I couldn't say enough good things about her.”
“Sierra’s class was equal parts 1) exploration of literature: classics, new, and things in between, 2) writing prompts and invitations that got us to think in surprising directions, and 3) summer-camp “art shed” creative mayhem (and I mean this in the most positive sense!). The vibe was so encouraging and motivating, both from Sierra and fellow classmates. The variety of writing prompts and inspirations ranged from poems and essays to artwork to photos to videos, all obviously curated with care and intent. I also really admired Sierra’s willingness to pivot in a new direction based on the flow of a class; sometimes we all ended up somewhere we couldn?t have imagined! Sierra’s teaching style is so generous, so encouraging, and she so genuinely delights in the work of her students; her class was most definitely a high point of my week.”
Registration Dates:
- December 2: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 9: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- December 14: Last day of Early Bird discount
- December 16: Scholarships open
Sierra Nelson
Sierra Nelson is a poet, president of Seattle’s Cephalopod Appreciation Society, and co-founder of literary performance art groups The Typing Explosion and Vis-à-Vis Society. Her poetry books include The Lachrymose Report (PoetryNW Editions, 2018), lyrical adventure I Take Back the Sponge Cake made with visual artist Loren Erdrich (Rose Metal Press), and forthcoming Vis-à-Vis Society collaboration 100 Rooms: A Bridge Motel Project (Entre Rios Books). Recently Nelson’s poems accompanying ichthyologist Adam Summer’s fish skeleton photographs were exhibited at the Ljubljana Natural History Museum and Piran Aquarium in Slovenia.
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.
If you register for a class within this three-day window and do not receive this information, please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, 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 4 sessions and up. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual.
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We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans. This fee is based on total class cost.
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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 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.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval 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.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
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.
Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support Hugo House and our mission.
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