Upcoming Classes
The Internet Horror of Creepypastas: A Writing Workshop
Mondays, 7:30 - 9:30 pm
October 19 - November 30
Olio Lighthouse, Prospect Heights Brooklyn
The creepypasta is a type of internet horror story that rose to prominence in the early days of the internet. Users would “copy/paste” these stories to spread them, creating a new genre with the iconic name “creepy pasta.” These tales blurred the line between fiction and real life; some were immersive, pulling the reader to participate and respond online, while others rose to fame as modern urban legends.
Each week we'll discuss a different creepypasta, digging into what made them so spine chilling and how we can pull inspiration from them for our writing and our daily lives. We’ll explore their unique elements, focusing on how this medium is ripe for terror.
In the second half of class, we'll workshop stories by our peers.
These stories can be inspired by the creepypasta genre, or written as general horror fiction. Either way, we'll pay tribute to the collaborative nature of the creepypasta by creating, editing, and imagining together.
In summary, you'll:
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Draw inspiration from a new creepypasta each week
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Analyze the genre through craft discussions
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Give feedback to your peers
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Workshop your own horror story
Click the link to sign up with Olio Lighthouse, or learn more.
Past Classes
The Jaws of Hell: Writing the Afterlife
June 2026
Hell isn’t always depicted as fire and brimstone; sometimes it's an infinite library, an AI generated wasteland, or a hotel room with passive aggressive strangers. In this hybrid class we'll first critically examine hellish fiction, analyzing what makes these strange afterlifes so gruesome—and alluring. Genres will range: poetry, novella, short story, stage play, and visual art. You'll take inspiration from class readings to create your own underworlds. Each session will include writing prompts and exercises based on the week's story. Through mini group workshops and partner critiques, you’ll get instant feedback on your fresh ideas, helping your story take shape early on.
Class 1:
Introduction: personal interpretations of hell and demons: tropes, stereotypes. Dig into what molds preconceptions, and briefly examine historical and artistic context. Appetizer of hellish excerpts for a general foundation on hell in literature. In class writing: exercises based on visual depictions of hell.
Class 2:
Discuss: A Short Stay in Hell. Thematic analysis: cosmic horror, identity, existential dread. Craft analysis: SETTING
In class writing exercise: devise your own unlikely setting for hell.
Class 3:
Discuss: “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.” Thematic analysis: what's a secular hell? Modernity, AI, individualism. Craft analysis: SYMBOL
In class writing exercise: create your own devil, demons or underworld spirits.
Class 4:
Discuss: No Exit. Thematic analysis: the hell of the mind, relationships, and the "hungry ghost". Craft analysis: DIALOGUE AND CHARACTER.
Link to previous class page
Gods of Our Own Worlds: Speculative Memoir Writing Workshop
March 2026
What if your most honest story could only be told through ghosts, dragons, or alternate realities?
This is a four-part exploration of speculative memoir—a genre that takes emotional truths and infuses the power of our imagination to take our storytelling to new heights. Here, possession becomes a lens for addiction. Dragons guard childhood trauma. Time loops reveal the cyclical nature of grief. Gone are the constraints of literal truth; you’ll tell your story exactly how you felt it.
You'll discover how horror tropes, fantasy creatures, and fairytale worlds can unlock new levels of expression in your personal writing. Through reading, discussion, generative exercises, peer feedback, and in-depth workshops, you'll create and polish your own speculative memoir piece—one that transforms lived experience into something stranger, truer, and entirely your own.
Link to previous class page