Madison Writers' Studio

Writing from life often sends writers into tailspins that exist purely in our imaginations. What if X reads Y and thinks Z? How can I convey A without putting myself in B’s crosshairs?

But when we free ourselves to blur fact with fiction while mitigating gratuitous damage, not only do we find our strongest voice, we also honor and elevate our personal stories.

In this four-week generative workshop led by award-winning novelist Susanna Daniel, we’ll discuss:

The 4 crucial elements of autofiction

When to stick to real life and when to veer

How to write from life responsibly and capably

Practical ways to mitigate gratuitous damage

Each writer will workshop two (2) original pieces and receive close feedback on the structure, character, and language.

Includes:
- Comprehensive feedback on two (2) original pieces
- Nuts-and-bolts craft advice
- A paperback, signed copy of Girlfriending by Susanna Daniel

Who’s the class for?
Experience level: The craft skills we’ll cover in this workshop apply to writers of all experience levels, whether you’ve been writing for a month or decades.

Effort level: Moderate-High. Each writer will be responsible for submitting two (2) total pieces for feedback, and for reading and offering feedback on four (4) pieces per class session.

Participants: Limited to 8, to encourage investment in each writer’s work and process. Writers of fiction and memoir are equally welcome.

https://madisonwriters.com/schedule/autofictionworkshop

During our 6th annual Writing Weekend, you’ll generate new work, deepen your creative goals, hone your craft skills, and connect with a community of writers.
Whether you’re between projects, just starting, or well into a draft, FLWW will offer support, sacred time, stimulation, and shared wisdom.
This year, in addition to workshops with our three inspiring instructors, plus we’re adding a One-on-One Manuscript Review option for an additional fee.
June 26-28, 2026
Cost: $595
Scholarships available (https://madisonwriters.com/fourth-lake )

A new three month section of our Writing Collective starts May 5. Join us Tuesdays and/or Thursdays from 8 to 9 AM central on Zoom for writing prompts, writing inspiration, and writing community. Protect your creative set time, even from yourself.

Revising is a skill separate from, and in some ways more sophisticated than, drafting fresh material. A smart, deep revision can elevate a story or essay at the level of meaning and substance; conversely, doing a cursory line edit without reimagining a story’s shape and rethinking its structure might not amount to much.

We believe in supporting writers by sharing craft lessons and feedback -- and with this class, we’ll build on that support by also helping writers reshape and polish their fresh stories and essays, with the goal of making our pieces reader-ready.

To keep the feedback process reasonable we’ll limit the class to 5 writers and each story or essay to 20 pages. Our focus will be on maintaining consistent writing habits and giving each revision time to reach its full potential.

Meet live on Zoom, First Thursdays, April through November, 2026

Join us for ourVisions + Revisions Workshop, meant for writers of short stories and essays looking to polish and/or publish. Starts April 2 and continuing the first Thursday of every month for 8 months. Deadlines, feedback, and cheerleading.

ONE SPOT LEFT.

This is a very special class, limited to 6 students total so we can trust and support each other as well as possible. Be receptive, motivated, and enthusiastic.

Email us at [email protected] for more info, or register for the workshop at madisonwriters.com.

Our annual Fourth Lake Writing Weekend is a rejuvenating balm for the intimate community of writers who participate. It’s a fairly intense three days, including three workshops with our inspiring instructions, shared meals, a Saturday night open mic at Lake City Books, writing time, and optional manuscript reviews by our expert editors and teachers.

there’s still time to sign up! Madisonwriters.com