📚✨ Take your book from draft to submission-ready manuscript at Book Lab 📝🧐 Learn more & apply now through Aug. 16 ☀️‼️

Yearlong in Fiction: Novel Revision

with Carolyn Abram

Genres: Fiction, Novel

In Person

Intermediate, Advanced

30 Sessions

Start Date: September 23, 2026
End Date: June 16, 2027
No Class: (skip days) 11/11/2026, 11/25/2026, 12/16/2026, 12/23/2026, 12/30/2026, 1/6/2027, 2/17/2027, 3/24/2027, 4/14/2027, 4/21/2027
Day of Week: Wednesday
Time: 7:10pm - 9:10pm PT
Capacity: 16 seats
General Price: $1810.00

This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House. 

You’ve achieved a huge milestone—finishing a draft of your novel! But now what? 

Is it possible to resolve the messy parts that don’t quite gel? To give your story more momentum? What about characters who still feel one-dimensional? And that ending could use something…but what? 

How can you keep something as huge as a novel in your head and make decisions about what goes, what stays, and what changes? 

For that matter, how do you know what needs to change?

Revision is about discovering what your novel is trying to become and helping it get there. In this class we’ll think critically and creatively about the art and theory of revision, drawing on insights from craft writers of all stripes. We’ll look structurally at modern revisions and their source materials, to see what decisions authors made and how those decisions served and transformed their stories. Through discussion and generative exercises designed to push our thinking, we’ll expand our sense of what’s possible for our own work. 

Over the course of nine months, we'll get to know one another's novels deeply. We'll workshop both short passages and longer excerpts, honing our ability to listen for what each work is asking for, to identify and articulate what's working and what could use revisiting, and, in the process, become more perceptive readers of our own work.

You’ll leave this class with a deeper understanding of the revision process, a wealth of tools, new and revised writing, and greater confidence in what you need to do to get to draft number two (or three, or four). 

This class is well-suited to writers who:

Feel unsure of what happens at the revision stage

Find themselves reworking small details while delaying large structural changes

Are staring at a draft and wondering, “Is this any good?”

Know something isn’t working but can’t quite put their finger on what

Feel at a loss when it comes to resolving craft issues in their work

If you’ve recently finished a novel draft but aren’t quite ready for Book Lab yet, this class will help you bridge the gap! All genres are welcome.

This class focuses on: 

  • Craft & Technique: Improving writing skills, exploring elements like theme, voice, character, and more. 
  • Close Reading & Analysis: Engaging deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style. 
  • Workshop: Students submit work and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates. 

What to expect:

  • Goal-Setting & Accountability: Includes tools or practices to help students stay motivated. 
  • Project-Based: Students will work toward completing a specific project (e.g., a story, poem, or essay). 
  • 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. 
  • Instructor Feedback: Students receive direct feedback from the instructor. 
  • Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work. 
  • 4-6 hours of  reading and/or writing outside of class per week. 

Students say… 

“The focus on revision and rediscovering the spark was such an interesting and rarely taught subject that the material was entirely new. I've taken a lot of craft classes and everything here felt fresh. I am reinspired for my work and I can really thank Carolyn and my classmates for it!”  

“Carolyn is a wonderful instructor. She is fun, insightful, engaging, generous, and supportive. She made every class interesting; the classes themselves were well-structured, and they built on one another in helpful ways…I learned tons from this class, and it will change the way I approach writing.” 

Registration Dates: 

  • August 11: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT     
  • August 18: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT   
  • August 25: Scholarships open 
  • August 30: Last day of Early Bird discount 

This class is not eligible for a member discount. Learn more here »

Carolyn Abram

Carolyn Abram

she/her

Carolyn Abram is a Seattle-based writer. Her work tends to focus on the intersection of technology and everyday life. Her short fiction has appeared in various publications, including the New California Writing Anthology and The Offbeat. Her work has also appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and Lilith. She is the author of eight editions of Facebook for Dummies. She holds degrees from Stanford and California College of the Arts.

Website: carolynabram.com

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.

Zoom information for both classes and events are now available in your account.

  1. Login to your account.
  2. Go to “My Account.”
  3. Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
  4. Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.

You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.

If you have any questions 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. 

 

Our payment plan policy: 

Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. 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. The following policy applies to all payment plans:

  • We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
  • The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
  • Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
  • 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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