Begins Thursday, July 9th, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM / Chicago (CDT): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM / New York (EDT): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Now Enrolling! Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.

Instructor Bio

Instructor Sam Farkas is a literary agent at Jill Grinberg Literary Management, representing all genres of children's and adult fiction. She worked in the rights division at Penguin, where she was involved in major international publishing events for authors such as John Green, Anna Dewdney, and others, before joining the JGLM team in 2018. With over ten years of experience in the publishing industry, she has her finger on the pulse of the market, and her clients include bestselling, award-winning, and critically acclaimed authors. She lives in New York City.

Who is this class for?

This introductory online writing class is designed for emerging fiction writers who want to explore the retelling genre. It's a strong fit for writers curious about how shifting perspective, setting, or plot can transform a familiar story into something entirely new — and for anyone with a favorite fairytale, myth, or classic they've been wanting to reimagine.

What to expect:

A perennially popular genre, retellings of fairytales, myths, and beloved classics make up some of the bestselling and most critically acclaimed books of recent years. From literary darlings such as Percival Everett's James and Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead; to social media sensations like The Song of Achilles and A Dowry of Blood; to modern classics like Ella Enchanted and Wicked, retellings have become a staple in today's book culture and beyond.

Sam Farkas, a literary agent with Jill Grinberg Literary Management, has worked on numerous retellings in her career, including Mary McMyne's The Book of Gothel (Hachette/Orbit); Amy S. Kaufman's The Traitor of Sherwood Forest (Penguin/Viking); and Andrea Eames's A Tangled Magic (Erewhon), among others. With a decade in the publishing industry and expertise in this specific genre, for both children's and adult fiction, she brings a sharp editorial eye and a keen sense of the current market to this online creative writing workshop.

This workshop is designed for writers who are curious about retellings and interested in developing their ideas to their highest potential. They may have a favorite fairytale, myth, or classic, but are struggling with how to approach it from a new angle. Across six weeks, writers will jumpstart and finesse their ideas through generative exercises geared toward embarking on a novel or short story draft. Through close readings, thoughtful prompts, and in-class critique from both peers and the instructor, this online fiction workshop offers an intensive deep dive into one of publishing's most enduring genres.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will produce a body of generative work including brainstorming exercises and a draft scene, one to two character sheets, one to two scenes exploring setting, one to two scenes suitable for inclusion in a complete novel, an outline, and one to two critiqued scenes ready for further revision. Students may submit exercises and scenes from Weeks 1 through 4 for written instructor feedback within a week of submission; in Weeks 5 and 6, students will submit revised scenes or outlines for instructor and peer feedback in a workshop format.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts from The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (novella); "The Courtship of Mr. Lyon" and "The Tiger's Bride" by Angela Carter; and two chapters from The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S. Kaufman.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1 — Welcome, Introductions, and Brainstorming A close reading of one published story; in-class exercises to encourage brainstorming and to explore different types of retellings; students will be given a prompt to draft a scene that promotes "thinking outside the box."

Week 2 — Character By now, writers will have selected the story they wish to retell. In-class exercises will add depth and nuance to the main character and the supporting cast, followed by a prompt-driven scene that explores perspective.

Week 3 — Setting and Theme Many retellings transform when the setting changes. What happens when a familiar story is moved to a different time period, country, or fantasy world? Exercises will push writers to expand their setting until it feels lived-in. Because setting and theme are inseparable, this week also examines the commonly accepted themes of the source work and how a writer might emphasize, complicate, or subvert them. Students will brainstorm and draft a scene placed in a new setting.

Week 4 — Plot and Reader Expectations Retellings carry expectations: certain beats feel iconic, and readers will look for them. Students will map the basic beats of their chosen source work to use as scaffolding for their own version, then select an iconic scene (Cinderella going to the ball, Romeo and Juliet on the balcony) and brainstorm or draft it from a new angle, incorporating the character, setting, and theme work from earlier weeks.

Week 5 — Critique This week is devoted to sharing work — either an outline or a scene — and offering constructive feedback to prepare writers for drafting a full novel or short story.

Week 6 — Critique A second workshop week, with the same focus: sharing work, receiving and offering critique, and leaving the course with a clear path into the larger draft.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Develop a fresh, marketable angle for retelling a fairytale, myth, or beloved classic
• Generate the building blocks of a novel or short story: scenes, character sheets, an outline, and revised pages ready for further drafting
• Build technical skills in perspective, setting, theme, and plot through targeted generative exercises
• Receive constructive feedback from peers and from a working literary agent with hands-on experience selling retellings
• Gain insight into the current retellings market — what editors are buying, what tropes feel tired, and where there's still white space for new voices

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $445 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Sam Farkas
• Begins Thursday, July 9th, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Thursdays, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $445 USD.