Come spend five weeks diving into the nooks, fields, and sticking points of writing creative prose! Whether you’re hard at work at your novel or essay collection or not sure where to start in your writing journey, this class is a supportive environment for writers of all levels and backgrounds. Each week you’ll receive a prompt, discuss the craft of the wonderful examples we'll read, and bring in a piece of your own (300 to 1500 words) to workshop. You’ll have the opportunity to be workshopped by your peers at least twice, and you’ll receive written feedback from the class every week.

Through our workshop sessions, readings, and discussions of narrative voice, language, character, setting, and plot, we’ll sharpen our tools of the craft to inform and inspire our work. By the end of this session you will have five pieces, either new or more polished; writing prompts to carry you forward; and a deeper understanding of the building blocks of creative prose.

Instructor: Catherine Martin  is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with work published in Pleiades, Nimrod International Journal of Prose and Poetry, Superstition Review, and others. She loves writing, reading, and workshopping with fellow writers and artists. Catherine is currently writing her first manuscript of poetry. She lives in Hopkinton with her family.
Age: Adult
Dates: 5 Mondays, January 12 to February 23, 2026
Time: 7 to 9 p.m.
No Class Dates: January 19 and February 16

HCA Policies: Please review our website's HCA Student Policies and Procedures here.

• Injury Waiver: You must agree to the HCA injury waiver to register for classes. 
  
  
• Photo Release Agreement: You can agree to the HCA's Photo Release Agreement during registration.
  
  
• Waiting List: If this class is sold out, it will say so below and will not allow you to register. If so, please add your name to our waitlist here. 

Scholarships: The HCA believes the arts are for everyone. Thanks to the generosity of the Dora Kishibay Garabedian Scholarship Fund and individual donations to our scholarship fund, we can assist children, teens, and adults who might not otherwise be able to afford classes. Assistance is awarded based on demonstrated need, motivation, and potential benefit to the student. Apply for a scholarship here.

MEMBERS SAVE ON CLASSES: Your membership helps the HCA change the lives of artists and art lovers through its nurturing faculty, state-of-the-art facility, and need-based scholarship program. We are pleased to offer 5% off class costs to HCA Members from the Insider–Plus LEVEL and up.

To apply your membership discount to your order, please log into your account at the top of this page. Once logged in, your membership level discounts will be reflected in your cart at checkout.