Begins Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 7:00–8:15 PM ET

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

Instructor Michelle Lee is an author of middle-grade fiction who spent 13 years as a college English professor, connecting with over 4,000 students across face-to-face, hybrid, and online formats. She holds a doctorate in English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas, and has published across genres — from academic study guides to flash fiction to poetry. Her two middle-grade novels, Between the Lighthouse and You (FSG/Macmillan, 2022; paperback March 2026) and The Magic of Someday Soon (FSG/Macmillan, March 2026), reflect her deep love of story and craft. She is represented by Full Circle Literary.

Who is this class for?

Limited to just 10 students, this fiction writing workshop is for novel writers at all levels who feel stalled, lost, or disoriented somewhere in the middle of their manuscript. If you've ever stared at your draft and wondered why you can't make your characters do what you want — or where exactly the story went sideways — this course was designed for you. Come as you are, wherever you are in your novel.

What to expect:

Are you a novel writer who feels stalled, lost, and/or disoriented in the Muddy Middle? Discouraged and don’t know where to go? If you need practical, hands-on strategies (and peer encouragement) to move forward and get closer to The End, this course is for you.

In this course, we’ll identify when and where you stopped moving and why you just can’t make your characters “do what you want” without the story feeling forced. Over four sessions, we’ll discuss concrete, craft-based ways to actively engage with your novel to spark the flow (and joy for your work) again. Get ready for in-class writing where you’ll examine “Promises and Expectations” in your earlier chapters; rediscover the “Sparks in the Building Blocks” of a scene; and “Light the Setting on Fire,” among other techniques that will use your own work as a touchstone.

Each session will include guided exercises and prompts designed to inspire. Along the way, we’ll also read advice from successful authors and book coaches to provoke extra reflection and possibilities for (re)visioning. Writers will submit up to 75 pages of their novels in the first week, and on the last class date, will receive feedback in the form of a “Promises & Expectations to Remember” pdf checklist as a reference sheet for future writing.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will work directly in their existing novel manuscripts, using in-class exercises and prompts to reignite momentum. Writers will submit up to 75 pages of their work-in-progress in Week 1 and receive a personalized, instructor-generated "Promises & Expectations to Remember" PDF checklist on the final class date. Throughout the course, writers will also receive a PDF workbook compiling the course's strategies and exercises for use on future projects. Feedback is delivered through the personalized PDF checklist and peer encouragement during in-class discussion.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts from: Blueprint for a Book (Jennie Nash); Where Do You Hang Your Hammock (Bella Mahaya Carter); Crafting Story Movement (Kathryn Craft); The Way of the Fearless Writer (Beth Kempton); Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen); Stargirl (Jerry Spinelli); and Starling House (Alix E. Harrow). All excerpts will be included in the course PDF workbook, with a full bibliography.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introductions, Promises & Expectations — Who are we, and what did we set up for readers in our novels? What made us excited about this idea? Where are we stuck? Writers submit up to 75 pages for the "Promises & Expectations to Remember" checklist.

Week 2: Sparks in the Building Blocks — What's going on scene by scene, and how are your characters feeling? Techniques for shaking up Point of View and re-energizing your narrative momentum.

Week 3: Go Backward, Light the Setting on Fire (and Other Drastic Measures) — Need a change of scenery? Who's been missing for a chapter? Need to get a character out of Dodge? Exploring bold moves to break through a stalled story.

Week 4: Grab Bag on the Daily + Course Check-in — Freewriting techniques, sticky notes, outlining, and other daily practices. Where do you go from here? Writers receive their personalized "Promises & Expectations to Remember" PDF checklist.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Identify the "holes" in your writing that stall you out, and develop strategies to move through them
• Build a toolkit of craft techniques — including scene analysis, POV shifts, setting work, and freewriting — to apply whenever you feel stuck
• Receive a personalized, instructor-generated "Promises & Expectations to Remember" PDF checklist based on your submitted novel pages
• Take home a PDF workbook to jumpstart ideas in your current and future projects
• Leave with a concrete action plan: where to go in your story from here

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $330 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: Michelle Lee
• Begins Wednesday, July 8, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 7:00–8:15 PM ET
• Tuition is $330 USD.
• Limited to just 10 students