Please read the following announcements carefully:
-Registration will open 11/20/2024.
-We are offering some classes in-person and some classes via Zoom. Please read all course descriptions carefully.
-Classes with an asterisk* have been rescheduled from Fall 2024 due to Hurricane Helene. Priority registration for these courses will be given to students enrolled in Fall 2024.
-Some courses require instructor permission or prior workshop courses to enroll. Please read all course descriptions carefully.
5-Week Classes
Lang 371.EZ1: Juxtaposition: Creating the Unexpected in Poems
Instructor: Tina Barr
CRN: 10519
Meets online via Zoom
Monday afternoons starting 1/27, 1:00-3:30
Readers delight in the unexpected. The predictable can be wondrous, but readers are also thrilled by poems that surprise them.
This class will help writers to develop the breadth and depth of their poems in unexpected ways. Participants will find arenas of interest that may be disparate or connected, but the elements–for example, in image, geography, or subject–will create new “constellations” inside each poem.
We will read from poets such as Federico Garcia Lorca, Clarence Major, Shara McCallum and others as examples. Writers may work on revisions of poems already in process or they may develop new poems based on the optional exercises offered. This is a class about process inwriting, and there are no correct or incorrect juxtapositions; there is only the chance of great freedom within a poem!
Limited to 10 participants. Writers must have taken a previous GSWP poetry workshop for admission to this advanced course.
Tina Barr’s most recent book, Pink Moon, won the Inaugural Editor’s Choice Award from Jacar Press. Her other volumes include Green Target, winner of the Barrow Street Press Poetry Prize and the Brockman-Campbell Award; Kaleidoscope; The Gathering Eye, winner of the Tupelo Press Editor’s Award; and 3 chapbooks, all winners of publication prizes. Her poems have been nominated 14 times for the Pushcart Prize. Her poetry papers, correspondence, and books are archived in the Special Collections Research Center at the Charles Library, Temple University.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 371.EZ2: Finish What You Started
Instructor: Tessa Fontaine
CRN: 10586
Meets in-person in Asheville, NC (Location TBA)
Tuesday afternoons starting 2/4, 1:00-3:30
For many of us, half-written drafts linger everywhere. It’s easy to get a spark of an idea and get to work, but hard to keep your butt in the chair to stay the course. In this generative, 5-week class, we will focus on building a sustainable artistic practice and getting our creative work done. We’ll explore a plethora of approaches to finding and maintaining that creative practice, from the Artist’s Way to Attention Journals, and borrow techniques from craft books, self-help gurus and more. This class will have both reading and writing assignments out of class, and all feedback will take place during class. We will have fun! And together, with community support, we’ll work to finish drafts, sharing both process and content while we’re together.
Tessa Fontaine is the author of The Electric Woman: A Memoir in Death-Defying Acts, a New York Times Editors’ Choice; Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick, and best book of the year by Southern Living, Refinery29, Amazon Editors’, and The New York Post. The Red Grove, her debut novel, was named a best book by Amazon Editors’ and People Magazine, and is currently longlisted for the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize. Other writing can be found in Outside, The New York Times, Glamour, AGNI, The Believer, People, LitHub, Creative Nonfiction, and more. Raised outside San Francisco, Tessa is a former professor and has taught in jails and prisons. She co-founded and teaches the Accountability Workshops with writer and pal Annie Hartnett, and lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, daughter, goofy dog and sassy cat.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 371.EZ3: Pitching and Publishing: Sending Your Short Stories, Poems, and Essays Into the World
Instructor: Lockie Hunter
CRN: 10676
Meets in-person in Asheville, NC (Location TBA)
Thursday evenings starting 2/6, 6:00-8:30
From the New York Times “Modern Love” column to boutique literary journals, there is a home for your words!
This class will explore the fundamentals of preparing your work for publication including:
- crafting a beautiful bio (even if you’ve never been published)
- creating compelling cover letters and pitches
- understanding submission lingo (sim subs, etc.)
- working with editors
It will also cover fundamentals of the freelance writing life, including:
- discovering which contests are worth exploring (and paying for!)
- creating and tracking invoices
- applying to residencies and fellowships
- subscribing to helpful newsletters and submission tracking services
At the end of this class, be prepared to hit the “submit” button at least once, as you will have work ready to greet the world!
Lockie Hunter is that girl on the beach with her nose stuck in a book. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston and has taught creative writing at Warren Wilson College. She serves as co-producer of the poetry and prose radio program Wordplay on 103.3 FM in Asheville. Her words have appeared in publications including The Baltimore Review, The North Carolina Literary Review, Hiram Poetry Review, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, Arts & Opinion, New Plains Review and others. She has received scholarships/grants from The North Carolina Arts Council and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Her essays have been nominated for Best of the Net Awards and the John Burroughs Nature Essay Award. Lockie is writing a memoir that it is certain to find her disinherited.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 371.EZ4: Deep Dive Into Character
Instructor: Jacqui Castle
CRN: 10874
Meets online via Zoom
Tuesday evenings starting 3/4, 6:00-8:30
Do you really know your characters? In this course, we will dive deep, getting to know our protagonists on a visceral level. Their fears, their desires, their favorite tea, their most embarrassing moments, and the smells that bring back painful memories.
Through various generative, prompt-based exercises, we will explore the corners of our protagonists’ psyches and leave with a firm grasp of who they are, what they want, and the lengths they will go to get it.
Students are recommended to have a copy of The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas.
Jacqui Castle is an educator and novelist living and writing in Asheville, North Carolina. She received her MFA in Fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She has been published in a variety of local publications including Mountain Xpress, WNC Woman, Asheville Grit, and Explore Asheville. Her novel The Seclusion, which School Library Journal called “A must-have for all libraries and fans of scifi,” garnered her the title of 2020 Indie Author of the Year through the Indie Author Project (a collaboration between Library Journal and Biblioboard).
Jacqui currently teaches creative writing through the Great Smokies Writing Program and Redbud Writing Project. She is also the owner of Lit Local Mini Bookshops, which bring the work of local authors to Asheville establishments. When not writing, Jacqui can be found hanging out with her kids and consuming far too much caffeine.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 371.EZ5: Stepping Over the Threshold: Seven Easy Steps to Starting Your Memoir*
Instructor: Sebastian Matthews
CRN: 11230
Meets in-person in Asheville, NC (Location TBA)
Thursday afternoons starting 4/3, 3:00-5:30
There are some tried-and-true steps one can take to kickstart that memoir you 1) have always wanted to write or 2) started but put down and been unable to return to. In this 5-week course, we’ll begin by “discovering an occasion for speech” and “creating a present perfect ground” before moving into learning how to “write close to the body,” “build scenes,” and “balance show and tell.” We’ll conclude with two helpful strategies for revision–“cutting for the dog” and “choosing an opening beat.” Open to all levels.
Sebastian Matthews is the author of two memoirs—most recently Beyond Repair: Living in a Fractured State—a collage novel, and two books of poems. His hybrid collection of poetry and prose, Beginner’s Guide to a Head-on Collision, won the Independent Publisher Book Award’s silver medal. Matthews currently serves locally on the board of WPVM (where he hosts the radio show Jazz Hybrid) and on the advisory boards for Orison Books and Story Parlor. He is an associate editor for Asheville Poetry Review and host of the reading and music series Jazz Hybrid Presents.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
10-Week Classes
Lang 372.EZ1: Ideas That Sell
Instructor: Beth Revis
CRN: 10838
Meets online via Zoom
Monday evenings starting 2/17, 6:00-8:30
A ten-week course focused on maximizing your idea for a novel in the most focused, marketable way. Suitable for those just developing an initial idea who want to lay the groundwork for success, or for those who are revising a completed draft and want to edit their book in a focused way, this course will go over the fundamental aspects of what makes a manuscript work for the reader. After studying tropes, the “id” appeal of works, and what works with the market, we’ll go over the basic elements of story structure using a plot chart designed to get you through the biggest hurdles in writing and develop either an outline or a revision plan. At the end of the course, students will walk away with a comprehensive understanding of story structure that works well in the current publishing market and a solid plan for their own specific work, as well as a completed pitch designed to draw in agents or readers. Additionally, students will end with a paragraph-long pitch that is suitable for a back cover blurb or to incorporate into a query letter to agents, as well as a longer synopsis.
Beth Revis is the internationally acclaimed and bestselling author with books available in more than 20 languages. Five of her novels have listed in the NY Times, including her most recent title, the co-authored romantasy Night of the Witch.
Beth primarily writes science fiction and fantasy for both adults and young adults. She’s written two novels for Star Wars, including the fan-beloved The Princess and the Scoundrel. Beth’s other books include the bestselling science fiction trilogy, Across the Universe, the dark fantasy Give the Dark My Love, and the sexy space heist trilogy Full Speed to a Crash Landing, and many more.
Beth is the co-owner of Wordsmith Workshops and the author of the Paper Hearts series, both of which aid aspiring authors. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on multiple more books. She lives in rural NC with her son, husband, and dog.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 372.EZ2: Horror Stories: An Exploration of the Macabre (A Creative Nonfiction Workshop)
Instructor: Jamie Tews
CRN: 10839
Meets in-person in Asheville, NC (Location TBA)
Monday evenings starting 2/17, 6:00-8:30
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, there are many things that seem scary. Reading and writing about scary things is a way that helps many make sense of it all and move forward. This class will explore the various ways horror exists in relationships, spirituality, the environment, fairy tales, and myths, among other things. We will read Carmen Maria Machado, Mona Awad, Susan Shapiro, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, and Sayantani Dasgupta among others. Throughout the course, students will observe the craft elements of other writers’ horror stories while crafting their own, and there will be opportunities to share work in a workshop environment.
Jamie Tews earned an MFA in Creative Nonfiction at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. Her work can be found in the North Carolina Literary Review, Eastern Iowa Review, and the Shore, among others. She currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Lang 372.EZ3: Premise to Publication: A Short Fiction Workshop*
Instructor: Meagan Lucas
CRN: 10837
Meets online via Zoom
Tuesday evenings starting 2/18, 6:00-8:30
Short Fiction, with its approachable length, necessity of precision, and focus on depth over breadth, is the perfect medium to start or strengthen your storytelling skills. Working from premise to publication, students will learn the conventions of short fiction, how to generate story ideas, plan plots, build characters, command time, draft, revise, edit, and submit to journals. We will discuss mentor texts as examples of craft. Students will also be introduced to the business of writing, including: submission calls, mastheads, cover and query letters, author bios, managing rejection, and literary citizenry. This is a generative workshop, with prompts and freewriting, and the course is structured so that students will leave with a fully crafted piece, and an instructor critique. It is suitable for enthusiastic beginners, through to established writers looking for inspiration, new techniques, and motivating deadlines.
Meagan Lucas is the author of the award-winning novel, Songbirds and Stray Dogs and the collection Here in the Dark. Meagan has published over 40 short stories and essays. She has been nominated for the Pushcart, Best of the Net, Derringer, and the Canadian Crime Writers Award of Excellence multiple times, and won the 2017 Scythe Prize for Fiction. Her short story “The Monster Beneath” was listed as Distinguished in the 2023 Best American Mystery and Suspense. Her novel Songbirds and Stray Dogs was chosen to represent North Carolina in the Library of Congress 2022 Route 1 Reads program, and won Best Debut at the 2020 Indie Book Awards. Meagan teaches Creative Writing at Robert Morris University. She is the Editor in Chief of Reckon Review.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Advanced 10-Week Classes
Lang 472.EZ1: Constructing a Poetry Chapbook
Instructor: Luke Hankins
CRN: 11232
Meets online via Zoom
Sunday afternoons starting 1/19, 3:00-5:30
The poetry chapbook is a particularly approachable and reader-friendly format that readily allows for a satisfying “book” experience in a single sitting. In this class, we’ll discuss various strategies for selecting which and how many poems to include in a chapbook, as well as how to create a cohesive manuscript in terms of theme, organization, stylistics, and narrative or tonal arc. We’ll also discuss the current publishing landscape in relation to chapbooks and share submission opportunities with one another.
Participants should have a draft of a poetry chapbook (16-30 pages, 12 pt. font, each poem on a new page) ready for submission to the group by one week before the class begins. This is a reading-intensive class; participants should be prepared to read and make thorough notes on one chapbook manuscript each week. Our feedback will focus primarily on broad-level considerations rather than line-level edits. Limited to 10 participants.
Luke Hankins is the author of two full-length poetry collections, Radiant Obstacles and Weak Devotions, as well as a poetry chapbook, Testament (Texas Review Press, 2023). He is also the author of a collection of essays, The Work of Creation, and a volume of translations from the French of Stella Vinitchi Radulescu, A Cry in the Snow & Other Poems. He is the founder and editor of Orison Books, a non-profit literary press focused on the life of the spirit from a broad and inclusive range of perspectives.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.
Register Now
Lang 472.EZ2: Zero to Sixty: An Intensive Creative Nonfiction Workshop*
Instructor: Jennifer McGaha
CRN: 11231
Meets in-person in Asheville, NC at Grace Episcopal Church
Wednesday evenings starting 3/12, 6:00-8:30
Students new to the course must ask for the instructor’s permission to register: jhmcgaha@unca.edu.
This intensive creative nonfiction workshop is designed to get you writing and to boost your confidence and your productivity wherever you are in the writing journey. For the first weeks, we will do readings, generative writing activities, and informal workshopping during class. Each student will write and share three to five pages of new work each week for up to sixty pages total–yes, sixty! In the final weeks, students will choose up to thirty pages to submit to the instructor for in-depth written feedback. We will then meet individually to discuss your goals for your project, any challenges you’re facing, etc. As the generative writing will be open-ended and flexible, students may use this class to begin new projects or develop existing ones, but everyone should come with some prior writing and workshopping experience.
Jennifer McGaha is the author of three works of creative nonfiction including Flat Broke with Two Goats, a 2018 OverDrive Big Library Read; Bushwhacking: How to Get Lost in the Woods and Write Your Way Out, a Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award finalist; and most recently The Joy Document, a collection of fifty essays celebrating midlife. Her work has also appeared in many magazines and literary journals including Image, The Huffington Post, The New Pioneer, Lumina, PANK, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Brevity, Bitter Southerner, Crab Creek Review, River Teeth, and others.
For class pricing, see our Tuition & Policies page.