Creative Writing Classes

I offer generative classes that help writers tap into the liberating power of constraints, the complexities of aliveness, and creative practices that encourage lifelong learning, risk-taking, and artistic expression.

My classes are always convened live and [mostly] online, which allows us to gather from around the world in a common space. (If you’re curious about why I don’t record classes, read my essay.) Upcoming classes and workshops include:

• Summer Writing Circles: I’m offering three generative classes that can be taken individually ($50* per class) or as a series ($135* for all 3). Registration open! Email me at gATgabrieladenisefrankDOTcom to join.

  • Close Reading & Writing: “Frog” | Thurs, August 27 | 5 to 7 p.m. PT - Online - 3 seats open
    Anne Fadiman’s narrative ode/elegy to Bunky, the African clawed frog, begins, Until last summer, we had a dead frog in our freezer. In segments that move across time, Fadiman guides us through Bunky’s life: a humorous if heart-rending relationship with a long-lived yet neglected pet. Bunky’s abupt end moves Fadiman to examine her own curiosity, fidelity, and depth of care. In this generative workshop, we’ll discuss Fadiman’s craft choices and begin drafts of essays that uplift our own more-than-human companions.

  • Promptapalooza: Constraints and Forms | Thurs, Sept 3 | 5 to 7 p.m. PT - Online - 1 seat open
    This one is for (per Raymond Queneau) my fellow rats who delight in designing the labyrinth from which they plan to escape. No pre-reading or prep needed! We’ll show up and write to a series of generative prompts and come away with a sheaf of new starts. The grab bag includes the Fox’s Gambit, a liponym, a square poem, a pantoum… and I will be taking input from registrants. Your requested prompt could be our wild card!

  • Crash!—BOOM—Reverbbbb: Sound, Noise, Collage, Glitch | Thurs, Sept 17 | 5 to 7 p.m. PT - Online - 3 seats open
    Poet Douglas Kearney describes “dintelligibility” as a phenomenon where, “what appears as noise in noise to some…is in fact complex contrapuntal signals resulting in a ‘legible noise’…sensible through the sensual and vice versa.” In this hands-on generative workshop we will play with signal, sense, glitch, and noise on the page. We will use scissors, tape, glue, and print media to make experimental tactile works that incorporate techniques of collage and defy genre categorization, as inspired by Kearney, Edwin Torres, and others.

• Manifesto! | Thursdays, Sept 24 to Oct 29 | 5 to 7 p.m. PT - Online via Hugo House (General registration opens Aug 18)
  “The urgency of manifestos leaves a palpable feeling that the ink has yet to dry, that we are…on the ‘bleeding edge’ of things,” writes Breanne Fahs, author of Burn It Down: Feminist Manifestos for the Revolution. Manifestos are documents of philosophy, energy, and vision. They challenge us to articulate what we believe in and why. They flourish in times of uncertainty and crisis, which are also windows of promise and opportunity for change. They urge us to act, individually and collectively, to create a future that is better than the present. In this generative class, we will explore a range of manifesto types, from art manifestos, feminist manifestos, and manifestos of care to hybrid/zine manifestos and manifesto poems. Students will come away with starts of different manifestos that can be developed more fully at home. In our last session, we will share our draft manifestos with each other and delight in collective inspiration.

• Winter Solstice Writing Ritual| Dec 21 | 4 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. ET - Online via Morbid Anatomy
  The Winter Solstice is a turning of tides—a cosmic solar return—a time for ritual and reflection. An opportunity to move slowly and to contemplate what has passed, what we can release, and what we wish to invoke in the year to come. As a creative community, we'll take part in the ancient tradition of honoring the year’s darkest day and welcoming the rising light. Part generative writing, part guided ritual, this workshop offers prompts designed to stir introspection and honor the natural cycle of life and death.

• Finishing School: Writing in Community | Online
  Sometimes, to get writing done, we need camaraderie—and a calendar appointment. Finishing School is a space to work on individual projects in community. Think of it as a supportive virtual cafe or an accountability date. We show up, say a warm hello, share what we’re working on, and get crackin’. Finishing School is my gratis offering to the community of writers who participate in my writing circles each year.
  
  

*Sales tax for Washington state residents: Beginning October 1, 2025, Washington state law (ESSB 5814) requires sales tax to be collected on live and recorded classes and workshops taught by cultural organizations and freelance educators. Sales tax for online classes hosted by me will be calculated based on the student’s billing location. (If you live outside of Washington state, no sales tax is applied.) This sales tax does not apply to one-on-one coaching or editorial consulting services.