Classes/Workshops/Conferences
Ongoing Opportunity (Spring/Summer/Fall 2026):
Mentorship in Creative Writing, 
UCLA Extension, Online
Work with me one-on-one through UCLA Extension
Mentorships provide individualized support to advanced writers who seek specific and focused guidance in their work. Students select a mentorship focus from a predetermined list of options provided by the instructor as part of their application process. Instructors review applications to determine student readiness for intensive personalized instruction and to ensure the student’s writing goals are achievable within the mentorship period. Students and instructors develop a Mentorship Agreement to guide their interactions over six contact hours during the ten-week mentorship period. By the end of the mentorship, students have received advice, input, and support to help them reach their short-term goals.
June 24, 2026- September 1, 2026.. UCLA Extension, Online
Novel Writing Two
Armed with your overall concept and first chapter, you continue to develop your knowledge of craft by writing scenes using characters and situations from the projected novel and workshopping your in-progress work. Mini-lectures on the art of the novel, intuitive creative process and conventional vs. non-conventional approaches to novel structure also are covered. The goal is to complete 50 pages of your novel.
July 6, 2026 to September 13, 2026. SNHU MFA Online
MFA 505--Introduction to the Online MFA
This is where the fun begins! In MFA-505, students learn the basics of SNHU’s program, are given tools to overcome Imposter Syndrome, get a chance to flex their creative-writing muscles, and practice the workshopping skills they will use throughout the program.
July 6, 2026 to September 13, 2026. SNHU MFA Online
MFA 700--Thesis I
Begin to develop the novel that serves as a thesis for the MFA program. Build a detailed plan that documents the writing process and prepares next steps to be taken toward novel completion. Engage in constructive workshopping, and reflect both on one’s place within a literary community and on how one’s work fits within the publishing ecosystem. Cultivate self-confidence and practical outreach skills by preparing and presenting an effective “elevator” pitch of a novel.
September 23, 2026-December 1, 2026. UCLA Extension, Online
Novel Writing One
That novel is inside you waiting to emerge but knowing how and where to start can be daunting. This course provides you with weekly assignments, group interaction and instructor feedback to help you explore various methods of writing your first novel while learning the key craft points of plot, structure, characterization, point-of-view, sense of place and voice. The goal is to complete the first chapter of your novel by establishing an intimacy with your characters as you artfully shape their journey and to develop an overall concept to guide you through your story. Required for students considering the long-fiction sequence.