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Making Meaning from Memories

with Kimberly Dark

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

Online

Open to all levels

1 Session

Start Date: February 7, 2026
End Date: February 7, 2026
Day of Week: Saturday
Time: 10:00am - 1:00pm PT
Capacity: 30 seats
Member Price: $103.50
General Price: $115.00

This class was previously titled “Making Meaning in Memoir.”  

Memory can surprise us. Some moments arrive fully formed: morning light through an old window, a clarion voice that rings in your mind. Others hover at the edges: a half-heard phrase, the shape of a room, the quiet of a kitchen at dusk. But even a small detail can become meaningful once you start writing your way into it. 

In this generative creative nonfiction workshop, you’ll learn how to turn those fragments of memory into meaningful, resonant scenes on the page. We’ll look at memory not as a perfect archive, but as material to work with: fragments that reveal something about family, identity, culture, time, and place. Through short readings, guided exercises, and a series of writing prompts, you’ll practice moving from “I remember” to the deeper story hidden inside these everyday memories. 

Over three hours, you’ll write a lot: twenty or more fresh starts that will help you to explore structure, voice, and point of view in surprising ways. You’ll experiment with how to enter a memory, how to stay close to what matters, and how to keep going even when details feel blurry or incomplete. 

This class is both a soft landing and a launching point for writers of all levels. No matter where you’re starting from, you’ll leave with new material, a handful of insights, and the spark to keep exploring how your memories can unlock the stories you really want to tell.  

This class focuses on: 

  • Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises. 
  • Craft & Technique: Focuses on the building blocks of strong writing  

What to expect:  

  • Lecture: Instructor-led teaching 
  • Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities. 
  • In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write. 
  • No reading and/or writing outside of class 

Students say… 

“She’s a fantastic instructor and helped many of us access our stories in a meaningful way.”   

“The prompts were excellent, as well as Kimberly’s explanation of their purpose. I liked her teaching style. She’s very down to earth.”   

“I gained a sense of how to develop a professional practice in the making of my memoir. I gained an understanding of Kimberly's personal best-demonstrated-practices, which I will immediately incorporate into my practice of this art form, which is entirely new to me. I don't like to think in terms of outcomes because the process is what's most interesting to me as an artist…however, the confidence I've gained from this class actually makes me feel that a coherent finished work is inevitable; I feel that I won't get lost in the wilds a month or two from now because "I have a map!" Sincere thanks to Kimberly for this course. It's really cool that she genuinely wanted to teach this. And thank you to Hugo House for being the facilitator/curator of this experience. It means the world to me.”   

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 
Kimberly Dark

Kimberly Dark

she/her

Kimberly Dark is the author of Fat, Pretty, and Soon to be Old, The Daddies, Love and Errors, and Damaged Like Me. Her essays, stories, and poetry are widely published in academic and popular online publications alike. Visit www.kimberlydark.com for more information.

Each 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.  

Our payment plan policy: 
  • We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans. This fee is based on total class cost.
  • We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid. 
  • 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. 
  • 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!

Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today. 

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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