Online Novel Writing Workshop

Applications will open for the 2027 Novel Writing Workshop in November. Please keep an eye out for more announcements soon.

Dates:

  • Applications Open: November 2026
  • Course Dates: March 2027 – November 2027

2026 Instructor

Karen Lord

Barbadian writer Dr. Karen Lord is the author of Redemption in Indigo (winner of the 2008 Frank Collymore Literary Award). Her other works include The Best of All Possible Worlds (winner of the 2009 Frank Collymore Literary Award), and The Blue, Beautiful World (longlisted for the 2024 Women’s Prize for Fiction). She also edited the anthologies New Worlds, Old Ways: Speculative Tales from the Caribbean, and Reclaim, Restore, Return:
Futurist Tales from the Caribbean.

About the Novel Writing Workshop

Are you a science fiction, horror, or fantasy writer with a partially written novel, but you feel stalled out on where to go next? Do you have early chapters and a sense of the overall arc of your book, but can’t see a way through to the final pages? Are you bogged down in the Mushy Middle with no momentum to reach ‘The End’?

There’s no one way to complete a novel — the journey is about discovering what works for you, your writing style, and the story you want to tell. Whether you’ve outlined extensively or are navigating by instinct, Clarion West’s nine-month virtual workshop is designed to guide you from conception to completion of your novel.

Led by an author and veteran Six-Week Workshop instructor and Clarion West team, this program is built around finding and sustaining your unique process. 

Get ready for:

  • Weekly classes (6 months of the 9-month period) on craft, genre, and process, starting with your existing draft or outline.
  • Monthly one-on-one meetings with the instructor to help fine-tune your approach and keep you on track.
  • Guest lectures from industry professionals to expand your understanding of the speculative fiction landscape.
  • Author-centered workshop models that prioritize your goals to help you gain clarity and confidence in your writing process.
  • Community and critique partners that will help keep you on track.

At the end of nine months, you’ll have a complete draft, or a solid roadmap for completing your manuscript. We’re here to support your journey.

Application Information

The application includes questions that help us understand you and your current writing process. In addition, you will need to submit:

  • Your novel pitch and three chapters, OR
  • Three well-drafted chapters and a sense of where your book is going, OR
  • Opening chapter, plus an outline and synopsis, and writing sample.

The total word count for submitted written materials should not exceed 10,000 words. Documents can be uploaded as PDF, .doc, .docx, or .rtf files.

The application takes approximately 30-45 minutes to complete and does not need to be completed all in one session — you can save your application and come back to it at a later time.

If you know you will require the services of a live translator or captioner to attend the workshop, please contact as soon as you know you want to apply so that we can begin seeking grant funding.

2026 Schedule:

Section One (March 9 – May 25, 2026)

Classes: Mondays 5–7pm, Pacific Time
Office Hours/Writing Sessions: Will be coordinated based on group availability
1:1 Meetings: To be scheduled with the instructor based on student availability
Guest Lectures: We will do our best to schedule these based on student and guest availability. We will record sessions for those who aren’t able to attend live.

Section Two (June 1 – August 31, 2026)

Office Hours/Writing Sessions: Will be coordinated based on group availability
1:1 Meetings: To be scheduled with the instructor based on student availability

Section Three (September 7 – November 23, 2026)

Classes: Mondays 5–7pm, Pacific Time
Office Hours/Writing Sessions: Will be coordinated based on group availability
1:1 Meetings: To be scheduled with the instructor based on student availability
Guest Lectures: We will do our best to schedule these based on student and guest availability. We will record sessions for those who aren’t able to attend live.

What Will the Workshop Cost?

The 2026 supporting tuition for the Novel Writing Workshop is $3200*. This rate enables us to continue to pay our staff and instructors equitably and support access for others in a different financial situation.

The 2026 Helping Hands tuition is $2800 and has been set for anyone who is under more limited economic circumstances, regardless of background. Find out if you qualify.

Scholarships

Thanks to a generous donor, we will be able to provide two free access seats for writers of the Global Majority (PGM) or those identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC), in keeping with our commitment to equity and inclusion.

There will be a place on the application to let us know that you are eligible and would like to be considered for these seats.

If you are interested in supporting additional scholarships, please email us at director (at) clarionwest.org. 

Is the Novel Writing Workshop right for you?

Got questions about who the workshop is for? Find Out More.

As their time in the workshop winds down, six students from our 2025 Novel Writing Workshop sat down with Remy Nakamura (CW’10) to discuss their experiences, working with Samit Basu, and offer advice to potential applicants for the 2026 cohort.

Meet the students of our inaugural Novel Writing Workshop.

Applications are now closed.