Removing Limits —
How to Stop Holding Your Characters Back and Hook Readers from the First Page to the Last

May 4th to June 13th, 2026
Fiction • Online • Weekly Live Meetings

We can hold our characters back without even meaning to. We can limit their growth and struggles, stunt our narratives without seeing the roadblocks, and restrict our world through a tighter lens. In this course, you will uncover many ways we unconsciously limit our stories and learn how to push them to greater, stronger heights.

The class will teach you how to hook your readers from the start and throughout the story, using different forms of tension.

You will develop new and different ways to raise the stakes, and gain tools for balancing the voice and tone of your narrative. All of this

Ask your characters to help you discover what you are holding them back from, and they will surprise you and your readers. (And you'll end up crafting stories that resonate long after the final page.)

By the end of this course, you'll have a new set of tools for creating compelling characters, keeping readers glued to the page, and telling stories that truly matter to your readers.

Each week of this course focuses on one key aspect of craft. Every Monday, a discussion post will kick-off the week's learning. Every Saturday, we'll have a two hour meeting, where you'll engage with a short lecture, writing exercises, and meet with your peers in small groups.

This course isn't just about learning craft, it's about helping you gain a lasting writing community, which is key to long-term success as an author. Many past participants have found critique partners, writing groups, and friendships that have carried on long past their initial course experience. (Which is often key to real success as an author.)

Please Note: The tuition for this course is significantly lower than most of our courses. Most of our workshops cost $575 for four weeks. The tuition for this course is just $225 for six weeks of expert instruction. That's two more weeks and $250 less than the tuition for most of our courses.

For those interested in participating, you are encouraged to enroll right away.

Enroll Now for $300 $225 (Early Bird Tuition)

Get Six Weeks of Craft Lessons and Inspiration So You Can Make Real Progress On Your Fiction – With Support From Experts and a Vibrant Community of Writers

Each week of the course gives you tools taking your readers on a journey they can't forget.

The curriculum was carefully designed based on the real-world feedback writers often get about their work. Each week gives you tools and tactics to address that feedback, so you can craft a story that shines.

Week 1: How to Grab Reader Attention from the Very Beginning

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • "The beginning doesn't work for me."

  • “It was hard to keep reading.” 

Week 2: How to Create Truly Vulnerable Characters that Readers Can't Help But Love

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • “Your characters don't make sense."

  • “Your character's decisions feel too convenient”

Week 3: Raising the Stakes — How to Write Stories Your Readers Can't Stop Thinking About

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • “You need to raise the stakes.”

  • “I don't know why this story matters”

Week 4: How to Write Authentic and Engaging Dialogue

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • "This dialogue did not seem real.”

  • “The dialogue felt very flat.”

Week 5: What is Said and Unsaid — Improving Your Character's Dialogue

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • “I don't know why this character was talking.”

  • “This conversation did not seem important”

Week 6: Bringing Balance — Crafting Plots & Characters Your Readers Can Relate To

Problems / critiques addressed:

  • “I just couldn't relate to this character.”

  • “I had a hard time liking your characters."

  • "The story was too hard to believe."


Course Schedule

The course is held entirely online, using our online community discussion platform, as well as Zoom for live interaction.

The course starts on Monday, May 4th and concludes on Saturday, June 13th, 2026.

The live meetings will be on Saturdays, 10am-12pm ET. They will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.

Every Monday, starting on May 4th, Erin will release materials to help prepare for the week's live meeting, including a short poll, and a class-discussion on the discussion board. You'll also be welcome and encouraged to post your questions in the discussion board at any time during the course, in addition to asking them during the live meetings.

  • 6 weeks of live sessions designed to help you elevate your stories.

  • Weekly discussion prompts that get you thinking about your writing and engaging with peers

  • Opportunities to post work in a community space for sharing, support, or feedback

  • Lessons aimed to be practical and easy to apply immediately to your writing.

What Writers Are Saying About Working with Erin

“This has been an amazing class and you are an INCREDIBLE TEACHER, ERIN! You are generous, supportive, engaged, and so knowledgeable. To be one of these things is great, but all of them? Rare. I would literally take any class you taught. (Well, not horror. I’m a scaredy cat.)
I have so much gratitude that you make your classes more affordable. As a working person, I am also not usually able to take classes because they are on work days, so thank you for offering a class on the weekends. I went to bed excited every Sunday night in anticipation of Monday’s poll. I loved the breakout groups where I connected with some wonderful humans. Thank you, Erin. Truly. ”

Rachel P.

“This class has been such a wonderful experience. The writing prompts were not only inspiring but helped me unlock new ideas and add meaningful content to my book. Each session sparked creativity and growth in new ways.
It has also been amazing to get to know the other writers. It is a gift to share space with such thoughtful, talented people.”

Sylvia M.

“Every session, I nod along, thinking ‘Yeah, of course! We all know this.’ Then, we get to the application and I realize ‘Wow, I need to apply this.’”

Jill W.

“I learned so much in this class. I’ve read some of the books you referenced but had trouble understanding how to apply the ideas. Your step-by-step approach broke it down into an interactive experience that enabled me to actually apply these techniques. Thank you!!”

Kim R.

About Erin Swann

Erin Swann is a speculative fiction author, novelist, and writing instructor. She's been widely published in publications such as Andromeda Spaceways, Flash Fiction Online, and Factor Four Magazine.

Her work has also been longlisted or a finalist for many awards, including the Parsec Short Story Award, the Page Turner Award, and the Writers of the Future Award.

Erin lives and writes in Maryland.

A photo of Erin, with logos of the publications she has been featured in. Including Cloaked Press, Flash Fiction Online, Andromeda Spaceways, Brigids Gate Press, and Factor Four Magazine.

FAQ

  • Who is this course designed for?

    This course is designed for authors of fiction who want to learn how to create emotional depth with their stories.

    More specifically, this course is perfect for those working on a novel, or shorter fictional pieces, and want to enhance their ability to create emotions for their readers.

    The exercises, prompts, and lessons in this course are designed to benefit experienced writers, as well as those new to writing.

  • What if I can't make it to a live meeting?

    All of the meetings will be recorded, so you can participate "asynchronously" after the fact.

    In addition, lessons and discussions will be available in our community learning platform on your own time, outside of the live meetings.

  • When does the early bird tuition expire?

    To take advantage of the early bird tuition, please register before April 27th.

Enroll Now

Early Bird Tuition is available until April 27th, 2026.