Whether reading a novel, short story, personal essay or memoir, your audience often wants to know what is going on in the interiors of your characters. This state-of-mind, state of heart consciousness can happen in the middle of a scene, or a narrator looking back on events. In this seminar, we will look at examples of this voice and explore how to use it in your own writing.

Instructor bio:

Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer, teacher, performer, and the author of the memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, Brevity, Electric Literature, Poetry, and The Southern Review, among other publications, and named "Notable" by The Best American Essays. He teaches workshops in essay, creative nonfiction and memoir at GrubStreet in Boston, where he leads the Essay Incubator program, and at LitArts RI. He is also on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University. At Hampshire College, he studied filmmaking and creative writing, and received an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Louisiana State University. He presented the TEDx talk "Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You (In Real Life),” and offers workshops teaching adults and children how to play D&D.

Limited to 15 participants

Fiction

Tuition: $85. Sign-up deadline: April 29

Whether reading a novel, short story, personal essay or memoir, your audience often wants to know what is going on in the interiors of your characters. This state-of-mind, state of heart consciousness can happen in the middle of a scene, or a narrator looking back on events. In this seminar, we will look at examples of this voice and explore how to use it in your own writing.

Instructor bio:

Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer, teacher, performer, and the author of the memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, Brevity, Electric Literature, Poetry, and The Southern Review, among other publications, and named "Notable" by The Best American Essays. He teaches workshops in essay, creative nonfiction and memoir at GrubStreet in Boston, where he leads the Essay Incubator program, and at LitArts RI. He is also on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University. At Hampshire College, he studied filmmaking and creative writing, and received an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Louisiana State University. He presented the TEDx talk "Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You (In Real Life),” and offers workshops teaching adults and children how to play D&D.

Limited to 15 participants

Fiction

Tuition: $85. Sign-up deadline: April 14

Are your important characters living up to their potential? If not, how can you help them do so? In this dynamic class we’ll use passages from classic and contemporary fiction to discover some of the techniques authors have used to create admirable main characters—which, as it happens, often entails creating more potent and plausible villains or antagonistic forces. Using passages from Austen, Tolstoy, Larry McMurtry, David Mitchell, Kasuo Ishiguro, Premee Mohammed, Suzanne Collins, and others, we’ll reverse engineer the secrets of character sympathy and memorability with the goal of applying what we learn to our own fiction.

Instructor bio:

Tim Weed is the author of three books of fiction. His short stories have won multiple Writer's Digest fiction awards and his upcoming novel, The Afterlife Project, was a finalist for the Prism Prize in Climate Literature. Tim’s work has appeared in Literary Hub, The Millions, The Morning News, The Writer’s Chronicle, Talking Points Memo, and many others. He’s on the core faculty of the Newport MFA in Creative Writing and is the co-founder of the Cuba Writing Program in Havana, Cuba.

Limited to 15 participants

Fiction

Tuition: $85. Sign-up deadline: March 31

In this seminar, we will look at exemplary short topical personal essays and commentaries, of the kind found in mainstream media and publications—WBUR / NPR, Boston Globe, The Guardian, Washington Post—and analyze their form and what makes them timely, topical, and of interest to editors. We will also discuss how to submit them for publication.

Instructor bio:

Ethan Gilsdorf is a writer, teacher, performer, and the author of the memoir Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Esquire, Wired, Salon, O the Oprah Magazine, Brevity, Electric Literature, Poetry, and The Southern Review, among other publications, and named "Notable" by The Best American Essays. He teaches workshops in essay, creative nonfiction and memoir at GrubStreet in Boston, where he leads the Essay Incubator program, and at LitArts RI. He is also on the faculty of the Solstice MFA Program at Lasell University. At Hampshire College, he studied filmmaking and creative writing, and received an MFA in Creative Writing (Poetry) from Louisiana State University. He presented the TEDx talk "Why Dungeons & Dragons is Good for You (In Real Life),” and offers workshops teaching adults and children how to play D&D.

Limited to 15 participants

Non-fiction

Tuition: $85. Sign-up deadline: March 16

In so many ways, we are the habits we form and the habits we reject. Habits are like votes for the kind of person we want to be. If you want to be a writer, you probably need to build some sort of writing habit. In this 90-minute class, we’ll explore what gets in the way of developing a writing habit and some tricks for creating the writing habits we want in 2025.

Instructor bio:

Robyn Ryle is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. She’s the author of two award-winning nonfiction books–She/He/They/Me and Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy. She’s also written a young adult novel about a girls basketball team who challenges the boys to a game, Fair Game. Her linked short story collection, Sex of the Midwest, will be published in Fall 2025 by Galiot Press.

Robyn is a full professor of sociology and gender studies at Hanover College. She has also written a sociology of gender textbook, Questioning Gender: A Sociological Exploration, in its 5th edition.

She lives in Madison, Indiana, in a 200-year-old house with her husband and two aging cats.

Limited to 12 participants

Fiction, Non-fiction, Memoir

Tuition: $50. Sign-up deadline: March 14

This workshop will discuss the different approaches to creating and sustaining an author platform for aspiring, “early career” and “emerging” writers in the 21st century. Topics will include the current publishing landscape and a role of author platforms within, organic ways to nurture an online presence, the blessings and curses of social media, finding one’s audience, launching a book, community-building, and literary citizenship. This workshop will be especially useful for writers working on or about to publish their first book, those among the first to professionally pursue writing in their families, and writers of the global majority trying to negotiate the structural inequities in the writing and publication industry.

Instructor bio:

Namrata Poddar writes fiction and nonfiction, serves as Interviews Editor for Kweli, and teaches literature at UCLA. Her debut novel, Border Less, was a Silver Medalist for Best Regional Fiction from 2023 Independent Publisher Book Awards, a finalist for Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award and Feminist Press’s Louise Meriwether First Book Prize, and longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her other writing has appeared in several publications including Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Longreads, the Kenyon Review,and The Best Asian Short Stories. She holds a PhD in French literature from the University of Pennsylvania, an MFA in Fiction from Bennington College, and a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Transnational Cultures from UCLA. Find her on Instagram and Threads, @writerpoddar, on Bluesky, @namratapoddar, or on X, @poddar_namrata

Limited to 15 participants

Fiction, non-fiction

Tuition: $50. Sign-up deadline: March 11

As a novelist and developmental editor, Lynne Griffin shares with writers the three must-have craft elements to master if writers seek to be published authors. A honed central conflict, motivated action, and crackling stakes and tension make for a compelling reader experience regardless of genre. Join Lynne to learn how to examine your story for these make or break fundamentals.

Instructor bio:

Lynne Reeves Griffin is an internationally recognized family counselor, public speaker, teacher and writer of fiction and non-fiction. Her work has appeared in Parents, Cognoscenti, Psychology Today, Solstice Literary Magazine, Chautauqua Journal, Craft Literary, LitHub, Brain, Child and more.

Lynne regularly appears as a media guest expert to discuss contemporary family life and preventive mental health. She is the author of numerous articles and essays, and the parenting guide, Negotiation Generation (Penguin).

Writing fiction as Lynne Griffin, she is the author of the novels, Life Without Summer (St. Martin’s Press), Sea Escape (Simon & Schuster), and Girl Sent Away (SixOneSeven Books).

As Lynne Reeves, she's written novels of domestic suspense including, The Dangers of an Ordinary Night and Dark Rivers to Cross (Crooked Lane Books). 

Limited to 12 students, all levels.

Fiction

Tuition: $50

This intensive, 3-part workshop series equips you with tools and strategies to effectively brand and market yourself as a writer, focusing on the skills you need to succeed in today's competitive literary landscape. Learn to define your unique brand and value proposition, build a strong online presence, and effectively connect with your target audience. We'll cover positioning statements, crafting compelling bios, and leveraging social media for creating engaging content.

Workshop dates:

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET

Tuesday, March 11 2025 from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm ET

Participants must sign up for all three dates.

Instructor Bio:

Lorena Hernández Leonard is a writer, storyteller, and filmmaker. Her work was recognized in The Best American Essays Notable list, was a finalist for the PEN America Emerging Writer Fellowship, and appears in NPR's Cognoscenti, KHÔRA, Tasteful Rude, and others. She has received support from Mass Cultural Council, GrubStreet Creative Writing Center, Juniper Writing Institute, and Tin House for her memoir about growing up during the Colombian drug war and her forced immigration to the U.S. Lorena is co-producer of an award-winning, OSCAR long-listed animated short film.

Limited to 12 participants

Fiction, non-fiction

Tuition: $120. Sign-up deadline: February 21

This workshop will discuss the different approaches to creating and sustaining an author platform for aspiring, “early career” and “emerging” writers in the 21st century. Topics will include the current publishing landscape and a role of author platforms within, organic ways to nurture an online presence, the blessings and curses of social media, finding one’s audience, launching a book, community-building, and literary citizenship. This workshop will be especially useful for writers working on or about to publish their first book, those among the first to professionally pursue writing in their families, and writers of the global majority trying to negotiate the structural inequities in the writing and publication industry.

Instructor bio:

Namrata Poddar writes fiction and nonfiction, serves as Interviews Editor for Kweli, and teaches literature at UCLA. Her debut novel, Border Less, was a Silver Medalist for Best Regional Fiction from 2023 Independent Publisher Book Awards, a finalist for Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award and Feminist Press’s Louise Meriwether First Book Prize, and longlisted for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her other writing has appeared in several publications including Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, Longreads, the Kenyon Review,and The Best Asian Short Stories. She holds a PhD in French literature from the University of Pennsylvania, an MFA in Fiction from Bennington College, and a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in Transnational Cultures from UCLA. Find her on Instagram and Threads, @writerpoddar, on Bluesky, @namratapoddar, or on X, @poddar_namrata

Limited to 15 participants

Fiction, non-fiction

Tuition: $50. Sign-up deadline: February 17

You've drafted and edited your work till you can't see straight, but how do you really know if it's ready for agents/editors to read? Join novelist and developmental editor Lynne Reeves Griffin for a practical workshop on everything from assessing major craft elements to proper formatting to query etiquette. It's everything you need to know to know if you're ready.

Instructor bio:

Lynne Reeves Griffin is an internationally recognized family counselor, public speaker, teacher and writer of fiction and non-fiction. Her work has appeared in Parents, Cognoscenti, Psychology Today, Solstice Literary Magazine, Chautauqua Journal, Craft Literary, LitHub, Brain, Child and more.

Lynne regularly appears as a media guest expert to discuss contemporary family life and preventive mental health. She is the author of numerous articles and essays, and the parenting guide, Negotiation Generation (Penguin).

Writing fiction as Lynne Griffin, she is the author of the novels, Life Without Summer (St. Martin’s Press), Sea Escape (Simon & Schuster), and Girl Sent Away (SixOneSeven Books).

As Lynne Reeves, she's written novels of domestic suspense including, The Dangers of an Ordinary Night and Dark Rivers to Cross (Crooked Lane Books). 

Limited to 12 students, all levels.

Fiction

Tuition: $50

In so many ways, we are the habits we form and the habits we reject. Habits are like votes for the kind of person we want to be. If you want to be a writer, you probably need to build some sort of writing habit. In this 90-minute class, we’ll explore what gets in the way of developing a writing habit and some tricks for creating the writing habits we want in 2025.

Instructor bio:

Robyn Ryle is a writer of fiction and nonfiction. She’s the author of two award-winning nonfiction books–She/He/They/Me and Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy. She’s also written a young adult novel about a girls basketball team who challenges the boys to a game, Fair Game. Her linked short story collection, Sex of the Midwest, will be published in Fall 2025 by Galiot Press.

Robyn is a full professor of sociology and gender studies at Hanover College. She has also written a sociology of gender textbook, Questioning Gender: A Sociological Exploration, in its 5th edition.

She lives in Madison, Indiana, in a 200-year-old house with her husband and two aging cats.

Limited to 12 participants

Fiction, Non-fiction, Memoir

Tuition: $50. Sign-up deadline: February 9

Three-part series: Wednesdays January 15, 22, and 29, 2025 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. (Online)

Receive feedback on the first page of your fiction or non-fiction manuscript from one Galiot Press editor and the other class participants. Once you sign up, you will be asked to send in your page in advance. Each week, the editor will pick three to discuss.

Participants must commit to all three classes in the series. There is much to be learned from hearing critique of another person’s work, and providing feedback. Please only sign up if you are able to be kind, constructive, and respectful.

Testimonials:

“This class was really a pleasure. Henriette was clear and made the attendees feel as if we were all in this together, this attempt at publication. And her comments were helpful to me, even while we were reviewing the work of other attendees.” (Alexandra Grabbe)

“Frankly, I'm just plain euphoric that somehow, by great good fortune, I stumbled upon Galiot. It has been invaluable. And with a finished manuscript, I feel ready to begin that process of going out in the world.” (Linda Hildebrandt Kahn)

Three-part series: Tuesdays January 14, 21, and 28, 2025 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. (Online)

Receive feedback on your query letter from one Galiot Press editor and the other class participants. Once you sign up, you will be asked to send in your query letter in advance. Each week, the editor will pick three to discuss.

Participants must commit to all three classes in the series. There is much to be learned from hearing critique of another person’s work, and providing feedback. Please only sign up if you are able to be kind, constructive, and respectful.

Testimonials:
”I learned from the critique of my own query letter in particular, certainly, but also the comments provided to the other participants. The instructors' ability to do a once-over read and then expound on what they felt worked, what could improve was hugely impressive.” (Linda Hildebrandt Kahn)

“It was a very informative experience reviewing and seeing other query letters, learning from other participants' feedback, and hearing Anjali's perspective and wisdom. In a relatively short period of time, I learned a great deal and got invaluable feedback to revise my query.” (Sharon Horne)

Three-part series: December 4, 11, and 18, 2024 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. (Online)

Receive feedback on your query letter from one Galiot Press editor and the other class participants. Once you sign up, you will be asked to send in your query letter in advance. Each week, the editor will pick three to discuss.

Participants must commit to all three classes in the series. There is much to be learned from hearing critique of another person’s work, and providing feedback. Please only sign up if you are able to be kind, constructive, and respectful.

Three-part series: December 3, 10, and 17, 2024 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. (Online)

Receive feedback on the first page of your fiction or non-fiction manuscript from one Galiot Press editor and the other class participants. Once you sign up, you will be asked to send in your page in advance. Each week, the editor will pick three to discuss.

Participants must commit to all three classes in the series. There is much to be learned from hearing critique of another person’s work, and providing feedback. Please only sign up if you are able to be kind, constructive, and respectful.

There are few things more essential to a successful novel than your clear understanding of your main character's desire. What do they want? Will they get it by novel's end? And if they do, will they be happy about it?

With the answers to these questions, you can develop a compelling narrative arc and sustain tension and drama through the entire course of your novel.

In this three-hour course, we'll discuss short readings that shed light on this important narrative element, and we'll do exercises to help you articulate what it is that your protagonist wants. You'll leave the class with a better sense of what's driving your character and what's setting—and keeping—your story in motion.

Tuition: $100. Sign-up deadline: October 21, 2024

Writing a novel can be a solitary endeavor, but there always comes a time when it’s helpful to receive structured feedback from others–not to mention encouragement! This six-week online class is designed to provide community and critique, as well as to help you organize your time as you do the ongoing work of writing your book. There’s no homework, no written-up commentaries on other people’s writing. Instead, each class consists of a set of instructor-led workshops on student work–work which the student reads aloud while the rest of us follow along.

The schedule is designed to provide ample time for discussion. Each student in the class will have a minimum of 2 workshop turns for 8-10 pages of work. You’ll also receive a (very brief) note from me on your submission after class. Novels of all genres are welcome.

Class size limited to 12.

Class Schedule: 

• October 2, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• October 9, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• October 16, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• October 23, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• October 30, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

• November 6, 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

The “traditional” publishing industry can seem opaque and formidable. This class, taught alternately by Anjali Mitter Duva and Henriette Lazaridis, will give you information you should know as you consider your publishing options.

From costs and timelines to retailer discounts to how bookstores make their choices and how direct sales work, attendees will come away with valuable insights and practical tips for making informed decisions.

Tuition: $25. Sign-up deadline: August 27

There are few things more essential to a successful novel than your clear understanding of your main character's desire. What do they want? Will they get it by novel's end? And if they do, will they be happy about it?

With the answers to these questions, you can develop a compelling narrative arc and sustain tension and drama through the entire course of your novel.

In this three-hour course, we'll discuss short readings that shed light on this important narrative element, and we'll do exercises to help you articulate what it is that your protagonist wants. You'll leave the class with a better sense of what's driving your character and what's setting—and keeping—your story in motion.

Tuition: $100. Sign-up deadline: August 25