Upcoming Classes and Events
Generative Class
First Thoughts
Online
Tuesdays, January 30th-March 5th, 7-9pm
“First thoughts have tremendous energy,” says Natalie Goldberg in her book Writing Down the Bones. This generative fiction class will harness that energy through a series of guided exercises, craft lectures, and readings designed to help you generate first drafts and build out works in progress. With limited take-home reading and exercises, this class is ideal for writers of all skill levels who have busy schedules and would like to build in some productive writing time.
REGISTER
Self-Guided Course
Hit Submit: Sending Your Work to Magazines, Residencies, & Agents
ONLINE, Asynchronous
How do I submit my work to a literary magazine? What goes into an artist statement for a residency or writing workshop? How do I approach an agent? Designed for fiction writers of all levels, this asynchronous class will answer these questions—and more—about how to present your work and yourself to the editors, agents, and selection committees on the other side of the submit button. You’ll leave armed with the skills you need to prepare your work, organize your submissions, and craft great cover letters and artist statements to use in applications to residencies, MFA programs, writing workshops, and beyond.
REGISTER
I conduct private editorial consultations for individual short stories and fiction manuscripts. Please contact me for more information.
First Thoughts
Online
Tuesdays, January 30th-March 5th, 7-9pm
“First thoughts have tremendous energy,” says Natalie Goldberg in her book Writing Down the Bones. This generative fiction class will harness that energy through a series of guided exercises, craft lectures, and readings designed to help you generate first drafts and build out works in progress. With limited take-home reading and exercises, this class is ideal for writers of all skill levels who have busy schedules and would like to build in some productive writing time.
REGISTER
Self-Guided Course
Hit Submit: Sending Your Work to Magazines, Residencies, & Agents
ONLINE, Asynchronous
How do I submit my work to a literary magazine? What goes into an artist statement for a residency or writing workshop? How do I approach an agent? Designed for fiction writers of all levels, this asynchronous class will answer these questions—and more—about how to present your work and yourself to the editors, agents, and selection committees on the other side of the submit button. You’ll leave armed with the skills you need to prepare your work, organize your submissions, and craft great cover letters and artist statements to use in applications to residencies, MFA programs, writing workshops, and beyond.
REGISTER
I conduct private editorial consultations for individual short stories and fiction manuscripts. Please contact me for more information.
Testimonials
"Lena is a whip-smart editor and incredibly thoughtful reader. Whether it's plot stagnation, characters needing more dimensionality, or some other narrative hiccup, Lena always finds ways to elevate my stories—sentence by sentence—into the highest versions of themselves. I fully recommend her."—Eddie Fritts Tomaselli, writer
"Lena provided indispensable consultation for my work. She offered insights into characters, dialogue and narrative which helped me find the depth I wanted in revision. Kind and generous, she provided the reading I needed to go forward with this project."—Beverly Burch, writer
"Writing fiction is like leaping into darkness, reaching for a bar you can’t see. For the first few attempts at a story, you’re pretty much guaranteed to fall, even if you’re an experienced writer. On day one of our workshop, Lena set up a strong, elastic net of trust and support. We all felt inspired to try challenging feats, knowing that when we fell, we’d bounce back up and catch the bar with the momentum to swing to the opposite platform."—Former student
"Lena was a wonderful instructor, always a great blend of thoughtful and thorough when reading, as well as insightful during critiques. Our class featured a very diverse blend of voices, styles, and genres, and Lena was able to add value to every submission. She reads and comments with a true editorial eye, and her feedback truly helped improve my work."—Former student
"Lena provided indispensable consultation for my work. She offered insights into characters, dialogue and narrative which helped me find the depth I wanted in revision. Kind and generous, she provided the reading I needed to go forward with this project."—Beverly Burch, writer
"Writing fiction is like leaping into darkness, reaching for a bar you can’t see. For the first few attempts at a story, you’re pretty much guaranteed to fall, even if you’re an experienced writer. On day one of our workshop, Lena set up a strong, elastic net of trust and support. We all felt inspired to try challenging feats, knowing that when we fell, we’d bounce back up and catch the bar with the momentum to swing to the opposite platform."—Former student
"Lena was a wonderful instructor, always a great blend of thoughtful and thorough when reading, as well as insightful during critiques. Our class featured a very diverse blend of voices, styles, and genres, and Lena was able to add value to every submission. She reads and comments with a true editorial eye, and her feedback truly helped improve my work."—Former student