Mothers and Daughters in Fiction: Rendering Consciousness on the Page — 6-Week Online Fiction Workshop with Rebecca Winterich-Knox Starts Wednesday, March 3rd, 2027
Mothers and Daughters in Fiction Writing Workshop | March 2027 Online
Mothers and Daughters in Fiction Writing Workshop: Rendering Consciousness on the Page with Rebecca Winterich-Knox
Begins Wednesday, March 3, 2027
Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
🌍 Class Times by Time Zone:
- Los Angeles (Pacific): 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
- Chicago (Central): 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
- New York (Eastern): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Now Enrolling!
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us.
Instructor Rebecca Winterich-Knox is a writer and educator from Greensboro, North Carolina, currently based in Brooklyn. Her debut novel, Bodies of Water, is forthcoming from Zando in June 2027. She received her MFA from Columbia University, where she was awarded a Chair's Fellowship and taught undergraduate creative writing.
Who is this class for?
This introductory online fiction workshop is open to all fiction writers who want to craft compelling mother and daughter characters, whether they are working on short stories or novels. No previous workshop experience is required; writers of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome.
What to expect:
In this six-session fiction writing workshop, we will explore the narrative strategies writers use to depict compelling mother-daughter relationships. We'll seek to answer the question: How can these fictional relationships corroborate and complicate our ideas about identity, kinship, and belonging? Many of our readings will explore non-normative mother-daughter dynamics, as well as themes of bereavement, estrangement, and alienation.
The first half of each class will be spent discussing short stories and novel excerpts. Students will gain a deep understanding of the craft techniques writers use to depict consciousness on the page, including voice, characterization, and dialogue, as we closely read the work of writers like Alice Munro, Toni Morrison, Elena Ferrante, Julie Otsuka, and Sheila Heti. The second half of each class will be devoted to generating and critiquing student writing.
Over six weeks, this online writing class moves from place and portraiture through characterization, character motive, scene construction, and narrative technique, and closes with a full session on revision. The six-week format gives the cohort time to grow comfortable sharing work and exchanging feedback in a small, supportive Zoom writing class, especially as we lean into fraught, ambivalent mother-daughter relationships on the page.
What are the writing goals?
In this course, students will generate, workshop, and revise one polished short story or novel chapter of up to 15 pages that exemplifies the craft techniques explored in the seminar portion of class. Each student will receive line edits and a letter of written feedback from the instructor on their final, submitted workshop piece within 48 hours of the last class.
Readings
Readings may include excerpts from The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante, Motherhood by Sheila Heti, and Beloved by Toni Morrison, along with the short stories "Diem Perdidi" by Julie Otsuka and "Silence" by Alice Munro.
COURSE OUTLINE
Week 1: Place & Portraiture
Week 2: Characterization
Week 3: Character Motive
Week 4: Constructing a Scene
Week 5: Narrative Technique
Week 6: Revision
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- A working toolkit of craft techniques for rendering consciousness on the page, including voice, dialogue, direct and indirect characterization, and character motive
- Close-reading skills drawn from short stories and novel excerpts by Alice Munro, Toni Morrison, Elena Ferrante, Julie Otsuka, and Sheila Heti
- Practical strategies for building scenes and revising fiction for writers working on short stories or novels
- One workshopped and revised short story or novel chapter of up to 15 pages
- Line edits and a letter of written feedback from the instructor on your final piece
- Confidence sharing your writing and giving constructive feedback within a small, supportive workshop community
TESTIMONIALS:
"I feel like the classroom was a space where people felt comfortable to be vulnerable and open - such a special environment."
— Former Student
"I learned how to write fiction, but the most valuable (and unexpected) skill I developed in this class was the skill of being an empathetic reader! Before this class, I struggled to appreciate amateur fiction; I believed the best novels were some of the most valuable creations on Earth, but aside from a few that made it to the "important" pile, the rest of fiction was meaningless. This course changed that! From listening to my peers passionately talk about the writing of other classmates, and having face-to-face interactions with all of the writers, I learned to find so much more value in fiction."
— Former Student
"This was easily one of my favorite classes each week. I looked forward to the small, intimate workshops where students were able to collaborate and give each other feedback in a constructive manner. It was really cool to hear and gain insight on different perspectives, or interpretations, and would challenge my ways of thinking."
— Former Student
"Professor Winterich-Knox was incredible. She was caring, sincere, and was very approachable throughout the entirety of the semester. She also was an incredible mediator during workshop. I've never experienced two hours passing by so quickly. She provided critical feedback during her office hours, and was always easily reachable by email. This was my first writing workshop at Columbia, and I'd just like to thank Rebecca for making the experience so positive and affirming."
— 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: Rebecca Winterich-Knox
- Begins Wednesday, March 3, 2027
- Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET
- Tuition is $445 USD.