Upcoming Classes
Virtual & Digital
Start Here: Flash Fiction
Whether you’re brand new to creative writing or already working on longer projects, this short class will introduce you to the vibrant, addictive world of flash fiction.
In less than 30 minutes, on your own schedule you’ll get:
A clear understanding of what flash fiction is (and how it’s different from short stories and poetry).
A tour of popular sub-genres.
A look at publishing opportunities, contests, and magazines dedicated to flash.
Two guided writing prompts — so you’ll actually start writing in class.
Suggested websites and contests to submit the story you wrote in class for publication!
Available Now | $25 | Learn More and Sign Up
6 Weeks, 6 Stories
Class offered through Grub Street Center for Creative Writing.
This class is a creative laboratory where you can experiment with new forms and share fresh work in a supportive environment. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or new to fiction, this fun, intensive course invites you to take on a generative writing sprint, crafting a new story draft each week (ranging from 100 to 1,500 words). You’ll have the opportunity to be workshopped by your peers at least three times, receiving thoughtful, constructive feedback to help your stories grow.
Through our workshop sessions and discussions of contemporary published stories by authors such as Lorrie Moore, Jamaica Kincaid and Aimee Nezhukumatathil we’ll build a collaborative craft toolbox to inform and inspire your own writing.
By the end of the course, you’ll leave with six new story drafts, fresh ideas and inspiration, useful writing prompts to carry you forward, and a tighter grasp of the essential elements of short fiction—plot, form, character, dialogue, setting, and voice.
6 Mondays, Jan 26 - Mar 9 (skips 2/16) | 6:00 – 9:00pm ET | Zoom | $445 ($430 members) | Register at: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/6-weeks-6-stories-shoen-w26
Developing Your Short Stories
Class offered through Grub Street Center for Creative Writing.
The short story is a precise and powerful form, where every detail matters and each moment shapes the whole. In this course, we’ll explore how we can give stories deeper resonance using key elements of fiction writing—theme, character, motif, structure, and point of view—with a focus on the particular demands and possibilities of the short story.
Classes will combine close readings of compelling stories with focused discussions on craft and workshopping of student writing. You will have the opportunity to write or revise at least two complete stories (up to 25 pages each) and receive detailed written feedback from the instructor and your peers. Writers will actively participate in shaping the workshop, not just listen passively.
Feedback will include both content questions (“How does this character challenge or reflect expectations?” “What themes emerge from the story’s events?”) and craft questions (“Is this the best point of view for this story?” “Is this the best length for this amount of story?” “Are the events being revealed in the best order?”). This approach aims to strengthen your voice as a writer and help you develop clear revision strategies.
We’ll study work from The Best American Short Stories 2025 (guest edited by Celeste Ng) and use insights from this collection to help our stories reach their full potential.
10 Wednesdays, Feb 25 - Apr 29 | 6:00 – 9:00pm ET | Zoom | $765 ($740 members) | Register at: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/developing-short-stories-shoen-w26
In Person
Jumpstart Your Writing
Class offered through Grub Street Center for Creative Writing.
Whether you’ve never written creatively before or you’re a more experienced writer looking for a recharge, your mission in this course is simple: devote three hours a week to your writing. Through a series of engaging exercises, we’ll mine memory and imagination to bring ideas to life—building characters and settings, crafting dialogue, selecting point of view,, and exploring the nuances of voice across fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction.
Each session includes time to discuss the writing process and share work aloud for supportive, on-the-spot feedback. With an emphasis on curiosity and craft, we’ll also read and discuss short pieces of published writing by authors including Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Mary Oliver to spark ideas and fuel your own work.
At the end of six weeks, you’ll leave class with a fresh set of drafts, new ideas to keep you writing, meaningful connections with fellow writers, and a stronger sense of your own voice on the page.
(CLASS FULL - click link below for waitlist) Mondays, Nov 3 - Dec 15 (skips 11/17) | 6:00 – 9:00pm ET | Grub Street, Boston Seaport | $395 ($380 members) | Register at: https://grubstreet.org/workshop/jumpstart-your-writing-shoen-fa25-2
The Joy of Journaling
Class offered through Arlington Community Education.
Journaling offers a host of benefits, from improving memory and decreasing stress to supporting overall well-being. This January, start a new journaling practice or refresh an existing one with eight weeks of guided exercises and creative prompts inspired by both modern and historical writers. Explore gratitude logs, list making, letter projects, bullet journaling, and more to discover the journaling style that suits you best.
8 Thursdays, Jan 15 - Mar 12 (skips 2/19) | 7:00 – 8:30pm ET | Arlington High School, Arlington MA | Price TBA | Registration link coming soon.