Begins Monday, July 6, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 8:00–10:00 PM ET

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

Instructor Bio

Instructor Miranda Schmidt is the author of the novel Leafskin (Stillhouse Press, 2025). Their writing circles folklore, ecology, and queer magic and has appeared in TriQuarterly, Orion, Electric Literature, Catapult, and more. With an MFA from the University of Washington and a PhD from Bath Spa University, they have taught creative writing at Portland Community College, the University of Washington, the Loft, Portland's Literary Arts, and the Portland Book Festival. Their newsletter and teaching project, Writing Toward Nature, explores methods for bringing the more-than-human more deeply into our writing craft. Miranda lives in Portland, Oregon.

Who is this class for?

This course is for writers across all genres, forms, and experience levels who want to explore new techniques for bringing the more-than-human world — plants, animals, ecosystems — into their work. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, this all-levels writing workshop offers a welcoming space to generate new work and experiment with your practice.

What to expect:

Do you write with your cat in your lap or your dog sitting next to you? Do you enjoy writing under trees or in gardens? Many of us write in partnership with the more-than-human beings that surround us, whether or not we fully realize it. And we're in good company. It's widely believed that the haunting work of the Brontës would not have been possible outside of the Yorkshire landscape that inspired them. Ursula K. Le Guin loved to write with her cats alongside her. Robin Wall Kimmerer writes with a deep awareness of her position within ecosystems. Ada Limón's work is influenced by her connections to trees.

In this generative online writing class, we'll embrace the ways that plants, animals, and ecosystems influence our writing practices — considering how our work shifts and grows around these influences. Each week, we will discuss an area of focus and a few example texts before completing a writing exercise designed to generate new work, experiment with our practices, and seek inspiration from the more-than-human. Students will write six new pieces in response to weekly prompts and nature-based writing practices, exploring a rich variety of techniques for engaging with the living world in their craft.

This course does not include formal critiques. Instead, the emphasis is on discovery, experimentation, and building a generative practice. Students will have opportunities to share their work during class sessions, but sharing is entirely optional. The course draws on readings by poets, novelists, and essayists working at the intersection of writing and the natural world, and all excerpts will be provided via web links or PDFs.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will generate six new pieces of writing in response to weekly prompts and nature-based writing practices. Each session will include discussion of example texts alongside a focused writing exercise. There are no formal critiques; this course is structured around experimentation and generative work rather than manuscript feedback. Students will leave with a portfolio of new writing and a developed set of techniques for engaging with the more-than-human in their creative practice.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts and selections from: Ursula K. Le Guin's "The Lynx" and excerpt from Book of Cats; Robin Wall Kimmerer's The Serviceberry; Ada Limón's introduction to You Are Here and select poems; poems and afterword from CA Conrad's Listen to the Golden Boomerang Return; poems from Louise Glück's Wild Iris; Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous; poems from Camille T. Dungy's Trophic Cascade; and poems from Lucie Brock-Broido's Stay, Illusion. All excerpts will be provided through web links or PDFs.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introductions — Considering and Deepening Our Writing Partnerships

Week 2: Writing with the Garden

Week 3: Writing with Pets

Week 4: Writing with Animals

Week 5: Writing with Trees

Week 6: Writing with Ecosystems

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Generate six new pieces of writing in response to weekly prompts and nature-based writing practices
• Explore a variety of techniques for writing about the more-than-human — plants, animals, and ecosystems
• Discover how nonhuman beings and environments can deepen and transform your writing practice
• Experiment with generative approaches across genres, including poetry, fiction, and nonfiction
• Read and discuss work by writers who model rich, ecological ways of engaging with the natural world
• Leave with new writing and a set of practices to continue developing your relationship with the more-than-human

TESTIMONIALS:

"It was exactly the fresh perspective I needed to get unstuck on a piece I've been trying to rework for publication. She kept the class on track and obviously has a great depth of knowledge." — Former Student

"Quite knowledgeable and adept at making people feel comfortable and open to sharing. I left the workshop far more knowledgeable than when I entered. Explanations were clear and backed up by good examples. I would gladly do another workshop with Miranda." — Former Student

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: Miranda Schmidt
• Begins Monday, July 6, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Mondays, 8:00–10:00 PM ET
• Tuition is $445 USD.