Date: Hybrid: Tuesdays, January 28 – March 18
Format: HYBRID: First and last class at the Dennos Museum's Janice Room, intervening classes online via Zoom, link to be provided the week before the class.
Time: 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m. ET
Class Size: 8-10
Grade Level: 9th-12th grades
Why do myths and legends from diverse cultures continue to inspire writers who retell these stories in new contexts? How can classic literature, folklore, and historical people or events ignite your imagination and creativity? In this creative writing workshop, we will dive into the past as we set out on a quest to write one piece of fiction (either a short story or the first chapter of a novel). Throughout our 8-week hero’s journey, we will discover where story ideas come from, why genre/reader expectations matter, how to craft compelling characters, plotting vs. discovery-writing, self-editing best practices, how to give/receive feedback and form genuine writer friendships…and much more!
This hybrid workshop will meet in person at the Dennos Museum’s Janice Room for the first session on January 28 and the last session on March 18. All other sessions will meet virtually via Zoom.
Enrolled students also have the opportunity to publish their work in the 2025 issue of the National Writers Series’ literary journal.
About: Ashlee Cowles
Ashlee Cowles is the award-winning author of three YA novels, including her debut Beneath Wandering Stars (Simon & Schuster, August 2016), which received a 2017 Colorado Book Award for Young Adult Literature from the Colorado Humanities’ Center for the Book. Most recently, she co-authored a mythology-inspired Historical Fiction duology for adults, Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze (Dutton/Penguin-Random House, July 2023 and November 2024), written with her childhood best friend under the pseudonym A.D. Rhine. Their work-in-progress, a female-centric retelling of Beowulf, was shortlisted for the Historical Novel Society’s 2024 “First Chapters” Award. Ashlee holds graduate degrees from Duke University and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. For nearly a decade, she taught classical literature, honors writing, history, and philosophy at the middle/high school and college levels. Raised as a nomadic “Third Culture Kid” who spent her adolescent years in Europe, Ashlee finally settled in Traverse City with her family in 2018. When she isn’t working on a novel, you’ll likely find her planning her next international adventure, walking in the woods with her kids, or writing marketing copy in a local coffee shop.
Registration Form