Second Chances Spring 2026 – Expand Your Horizons

Welcome to the WLT Second Chances sale! From now until 11:59 PM CT June 30, 2026, all of our Spring 2026 class recordings are available to purchase by WLT members. Become a member here.

From the historical to the experimental, these classes are taught by certified experts in these horizon broadening topics. If you’re spice up your next draft, these are the classes for you.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a live class registration. When you register, you’ll receive access to previously recorded classes taught for a live audience. Registration includes access to any handouts, readings, and slides the instructor originally shared with students. The videos will be available for viewing immediately upon purchase, and will expire on July 31, 2026.

Descriptions for each class recording can be found below. To purchase access to the recordings, all you need to do is add your preferred tickets to your cart and check out. You’ll then receive an email containing the receipt for your purchase along with a link to the class recordings and any class materials.

To find our Business Basics recordings, click here.

To find our Fiction and Nonfiction Essentials recordings, click here.

“Playing with Perspective”
with Deborah D.E.E.P Mouton

From allowing yourself to step outside trauma to making space for more unique and nuanced details, shifting perspectives in your writing can unlock new opportunities for the work to grow.

Do you ever feel stuck in the middle of a piece of writing? Do you need some new ways into old memories? Oftentimes, shifting perspective can unlock new thoughts, details, and characters, helping you hurdle that writing hump. In this three-hour generative class, you will craft new pieces that play with point of view in a low-stakes, friendly environment. Witness your trauma with fresh eyes or tap into a voice you haven’t heard before on the way to your next memorable piece.

What students had to say about the class:

• “Wow… The class was much more than expected. It gave me room to try new writing styles – and to think of things from difference perspectives.”
• “Got some great draft writings out of this!”

“Drama in the Details: A Day in the Life in Historical Fiction”
with Sherri L. Smith

Are you writing a World War II adventure novel? A Victorian romance? A 1950s noir? Answer one question: What did your protagonist have for breakfast, and where?

It’s the small details of everyday living that really bring historical fiction to life. They add veracity to the fiction, and turn stereotypical settings into three dimensional realities. Sometimes those details can be the dramatic lynchpin your plot needs to really sing. In this class, we will talk about historical worldbuilding, pitfalls and assumptions, and how to research the details. We will do a series of writing exercises to see what we know, and where we need to know more. And we’ll talk about dialogue—how to make it sound “of the period” but easy on the modern ear. Whether you’re new to historical fiction, or a seasoned time-traveler, bring your time period and your notebook. We’ll have fun digging around in the past together!

What students had to say about the class:

• “Instructor was well-prepared with wonderful ideas and resources for researching and authentically writing historical narrative. She herself has had a terrific breadth of experiences in publishing and is a terrific teacher–very encouraging.”
• “It was straightforward enough to be helpful to even someone who is just starting out.”

“The Art of Experimental Writing”
with Mac Crane

There are infinite ways of telling a story, and we can explore those possibilities. We will play, we will delight in our work, and we will push ourselves to get weird with it.

In this class, we will focus on studying and writing experimental work that breaks boundaries, subverts (Western) literary conventions, and refuses genre.

We will do close readings of various experimental pieces, from re-imaginings to hermit crab pieces, from erasure pieces to experimental points of view. We will then examine how writers use unconventional forms to enhance the themes and narrative. This is a generative class, which will include discussions, writing prompts, and exercises. Open to writers with all levels of experience, students will leave with strategies for writing hybrid, genreless (or genre abundant!) work as well as the confidence to lean into play and experimentation in their writing.

What students had to say about the class:

• “It was inspiring to read so many incredible examples of innovative storytelling and think beyond the bounds of what a a conventional story can do.”
• “Great speaker. Fantastic examples”

“Non-Linear Structures from Non-Western Storytelling”
with Henry Lien

Experience this introduction to non-Western, non-linear storytelling structures using case studies ranging from The Thousand and One Nights to Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.

Western storytelling traditions decree that a linear structure, along with the three act structure, the hero’s journey, and a rising self-esteem arc, is a mandatory feature of a satisfying story. This class challenges that assumption by exploring non-linear structures, specifically cyclic and nested structures, using examples from non-Western stories and films. Writers will come to understand how these non-linear structures allow for thematic stacking, embracing of moral complexity, and a synthesis between form and content to explode the idea that a straight line is the best way to tell every story.

What students had to say about the class:

• “Broadening your story frameworks really makes a difference with what you can do in your work.”
• “So much material in this class and great examples.”

“Writing Flash Fiction: How to Tell a Whole Story in One (Breathless) Breath”
with John Pipkin

Effective flash fiction achieves its elegance and forcefulness not in spite of its brevity, but because of it.

In this class, explore the possibilities of flash fiction for capturing a narrative fragment or slice-of-life anecdote, as well as for telling a complete story. The short-short story form can sometimes seem elusive or undefinable because it goes by different names and encompasses several sub-genres: flash fiction, dribble fiction, six-word fiction, compressed fiction, etc. Regardless of length or genre, flash fiction can represent one of the purest forms of storytelling, stripping away unnecessary decorative language and narrative digressions to reveal the essentials of character, plot, setting, and theme.

In this class, we will identify some of the different sub-genres of flash fiction, with an emphasis on compressed fiction, and we’ll dig into several examples of effective flash stories. We’ll also engage in some quick writing exercises to show you that you only need 15 minutes (or less) to get the core elements of your story on paper.

What students had to say about the class:

• “The class was so informative! I appreciate that he provided some history, described different forms and analyzed specific stories. It’s beneficial to see his depth of information and to see there’s even more to learn.”
• “John Pipkin was fantastic. [He] provided great information and great suggestions on bringing your short story together.”

“Writing Speculative Fiction”
with Erin Roberts

Whether you are writing science fiction, fantasy, horror, or anything in between, speculative fiction gives you the opportunity to stretch your imagination, bring something new to your craft, and add a few more tools to your writer’s toolbox. 

As with any form of prose writing, in speculative fiction you’ll want to have compelling characters, a well-drawn setting, and an intriguing story. However, this form adds a few additional craft challenges – creating a new world, conveying speculative elements without overwhelming your reader, utilizing that to build tension, and more. In this class, we’ll cover how characters, plot, setting, and pacing work within speculative fiction, from basic considerations to keep in mind to more advanced techniques and tools.

All levels of experience with speculative fiction are welcome, but come to class with a science fiction, fantasy, horror, or weird (whatever that means to you) idea or story in mind – we’ll be doing a few exercises during class to help you build on what you have and send you off with new ideas and approaches that you can bring back to your writing.

What students had to say about the class:

• “The class highlighted gaps in my world building and character building that I need to address”
• “The instructor was very knowledgeable and provided information that will help make my story richer.”