Begins Monday, February 24th, 2025

The class will meet weekly on Monday nights via Zoom, 6:00PM - 8:00PM CST

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Taught by Shelby Hinte, Associate Editor of Write or Die Magazine, where she edits essays and interviews. Her work has been featured in BOMB, ZYZZYVA, SmokeLong Quarterly, Hobart, The Rumpus, Witness, Electric Literature, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, HOWLING WOMEN, is forthcoming from LEFTOVER Books in 2025.

What makes a story spark? You know that feeling when you simply can’t stop writing because there’s a burning desire to get the words on the page as quickly as possible before they vanish into smoke? It happens when we read too—a story so good we’ll read it into the darkness of night, eyes darting hungrily across the page in hopes the words will transform us. 

In Little Fires Everywhere: A Generative Prose Workshop, we will address storytelling from two angles: craft and process. We will examine not only what makes a story spark, but what makes us excited to return to the page and write it. Writers will interrogate their own desires and work to develop the stories that they feel most called to write. 

This class is great for the genre curious, particularly for writers who are interested in dabbling in both fiction and nonfiction. Craft lessons on point of view, structure, setting, and character will be approached from a place a curiosity with the intention of supporting writers in finding the form best suited to the story they endeavor to write. Through lots of experimentation, in-class reading, and generative writing exercises, writers will work toward discovering and harnessing the creative heat of their prose.

The class will meet once a week for 2 hours via Zoom.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS

By the end of this 9-week course, students will:

• Generate lots of raw material.
• Receive written and verbal feedback on two manuscripts of up to 1200 words.
  
• Revise a manuscript.
  
• Follow the fire!
  

Take this class if:

• You have a story you want to tell but haven’t found the right way to tell it.
  
• You feel creatively stagnant and need new approaches to writing.
  
• You want feedback on early drafts of your work.
  
• You want to develop your writing craft.
  
• You are genre curious.
  

COURSE OUTLINE:

Week 1 – Little Fires Everywhere: Generating Ideas 
Week 2 – Creative Sparks: On Feeling Your Way into a Story 
Week 3 – Where You Build a Fire Matters: Setting
Week 4 – The Firemaker: Character
Week 5 – Every Camp Fire Needs a Storyteller: Point of View 
Week 6 – How to Build a Fire: Structure
Week 7 – Stoking the Fire: On Revision
Week 8 & 9 – Following the Fire*

*In our final two weeks together, writers will share excerpts from revised manuscripts and discuss their revision strategies.

TESTIMONIALS:

"This was my first workshop, and I found the exercise to be incredibly helpful in bringing my work forward. Outside of the workshop, Shelby held really informative and interactive sessions on different types of CNF which helped me have a well-rounded understanding of the type by the end of the class."

"Shelby is an excellent teacher. She is knowledgeable, organized, kind, supportive, and has a notable abundance of energy!"

"Shelby does an excellent job of facilitating a space that helps writers to reach into their own creativity and find out what is important to them. Her astute feedback is also invaluable and pushes writers to their next level."

"The in-class prompts were helpful and pushed me in ways that I needed."

"Shelby was incredible! She is very experienced in teaching, literature, and writing.. and it showed. She exceeded my every expectation, and I learned a tremendous amount."

"Shelby Hinte ran great classes each week - perfect mix of structure and freedom and always well organized and on time. Excellent communication before, during, and after class. I highly recommend her Toying with the Truth Generative Nonfiction class. Thanks, Shelby!"

"The best part about Shelby Hinte's Toying with the Truth class is how she facilitated a supportive community of writers. I learned so much, and enjoyed each week!"

"I would definitely recommend Toying with the Truth with Shelby Hinte. I have already recommended her upcoming classes to others. I think she is not only a good writer, but an excellent teacher. She knows how to encourage, deliver and inspire. Loved the exercises/warmups, Shelby's off script advice, and the workshops."

"In Toying with the Truth, Shelby covered so much (nothing left to be desired). What did I find most valuable? The community, workshop, and generative exercises. Thank you!"

"Toying with the Truth is one of the best classes I've taken. Everything seemed to work so well together: the prompts, reading aloud in class, and Shelby's ability to teach so well. This is a very comprehensive class."

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!

• Instructor: Shelby Hinte
  
• Class Starts Monday, February 24th, 2025
  
• The class will meet weekly on Monday nights via Zoom, 6:00PM - 8:00PM CST
• Tuition is $525.