STANZA Fiction Workshop

Since we opened, community members have asked for writing workshops. As part of our mission to serve the Beacon literary community, we’re offering our first one!

This workshop is for anyone working on a fiction novel, fiction short stories, of any genre. It will held in person at Stanza Books.

The workshop will feature two main sections:

The business of writing with literary agent Claire Harris

Claire Harris of PS Literary Agency will answer questions about working with agents, the state of publishing, or anything else related to the business of writing.

Claire Harris is a literary agent at PSLA representing a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for adults. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin, she got her start in publishing through the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. Claire seeks projects that shine a spotlight on people, places, and events that are often overlooked or not given the attention they deserve. She loves complex and well-developed characters, unique voices, and twisty plots. She enjoys the creative process of working with creators and collaborating closely with them throughout all stages of their careers. Having grown up in Wisconsin, she has a soft spot for stories set in the Midwest.

The craft of writing with author Sam Rebelein

Bring in 5-10 pages to review and work on with Stoker-nominated author Sam Rebelein.

Sam Rebelein holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, with a focus on Horror and Memoir. His work has appeared in PseudoPod, Gamut, Bourbon Penn, Press Pause Press, Coffin Bell Journal, Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. Sam’s debut horror novel Edenville is out now from William Morrow and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award for First Novel. His follow-up collection of stories set in the same fictional universe, The Poorly Made and Other Things, is coming for you in early 2025. For more about Sam's work (and pictures of his dog), find him on Instagram @RebelSam94.

Workshops are non-refundable, and cannot be purchased with gift cards. This workshop is limited to 12 participants. Two spots are “scholarship spots” for anyone experiencing financial hardship. Just talk to Mark or Andi :)

Please come prepared with printed pages of your work, and tools to write with: laptops, tablets, notebooks and pens, etc.