October - December 2025
This fall, we bring back favourite courses for writing fun and inspiration. From life writing 'sketches' to writing 'sparks' for any genre to playing with form & language, our intention is to engage with words and conversation to get our stories onto the page and, thus, out into the world. We hope you'll join us!
repeat offering due to demand
Writing for Pleasure: playing with form and language
This course was so much fun the first time round that we are offering it again. The focus is revision and editing through experimentation and improvisation. We guide you in re/viewing and re/presenting your own writing to infuse it with new energy and depth; you will gain confidence exercising your fluency and flexibility as a writer. By reworking an existing piece of your writing in a variety of new forms, you will explore how one story (in any genre) can change when presented in a new shape or structure. We will also play with the piece at the language level—word choice, phrasing, sentence structure, voice, tone, style, etc. as a way of investigating precision, nuance, and specificity in your writing. This is a hands-on class comprised of formal teaching paired with learning-by-doing during class time and through homework. Conversation will be encouraged. Site: McNally community classroom. Days: Four Saturday mornings October/November. Register with McNally here.
Coming in January 2026: WRITING FOR PLEASURE - playing with beginnings & endings
dates TBD
Spark your Writing 1
Fuel your writing practice with a weekly prompt sent to your email inbox on a specific day, followed later in the week by a collaborative, supportive conversation with a small cohort of enthusiastic and committed writers just like you. You will be inspired by reading your work aloud and by receiving constructive and encouraging feedback. All new sparks for Fall 2025. Register with us via the Course Calendar tab.
dates TBD
Spark your Writing 2
Spark 2 continues on from Spark 1 with writing on your own to the sparks you receive by email, then reading aloud in the group; the difference is that Spark 2 incorporates a focus on the writing process and different writing forms. All new sparks for Fall 2025. NOTE: Spark 1 is the pre-requisite for Spark 2. Register with us via the Course Calendar tab.
dates TBD
Life Sketches in Words
Life-writing in short form: We each have our own story to tell. No matter your age, the life you
have lived — and are living — is the stuff of story. This 6-session course focuses on generative writing, guided by weekly themes to stimulate your thinking. By the end, you will have a collection of memoir vignettes to continue working with. The objective is to generate material in a supportive environment that includes free-writing to prompts; reading aloud with feedback as you feel comfortable; and conversation about life-writing and memoir. Register with us via the Course Calendar tab.
From Page to Stage
Join us for this unique "live-action" writing course on a chosen theme. Participants write a nonfiction story to be delivered in performance for a live audience. It's intense, meaningful and fun.
Details and dates to be determined, but we'll likely first meet in late November to plan for a performance date in early May. The group will figure out the schedule that works best for everyone. Email us for more information.