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In a publishing landscape with AI-generated content flowing onto retailers, distinguishing ourselves as artists is more important than ever. To write stories that stand out on crowded bookshelves requires demonstrating our humanity more than ever before.

Writing to market has long been a buzzy concept for business-minded writers. Choosing your next project based on algorithms, BookTok trends, and bestseller lists can be a valid business strategy. But when AI can generate a trend-chasing novel in minutes, following the market is no longer enough to rise above the noise.

So how do we stand out in the crowd? How do we find readers who love our unique voice, read our stories over and over, and shout about them from the rooftops? The answer is writing from your why.

Every storyteller has a reason they write. It might be a question that won’t let go, a theme that you keep going back to again and again, or a truth you’ve never seen reflected on the page. It could be the wound that keeps showing up in your stories whether you intend it to or not.

Your why reflects your core values, your obsessions, your personal history, and the unique blend of your identity and experience. It is the single most powerful creative tool you possess.

When you learn to write from your why deliberately and honestly, your prose deepens, your characters breathe with new life, and your stories carry an authenticity that lingers with readers long after the final page.

Writing from your why is not about abandoning the market or ignoring commercial reality. Publishing is both an art and a business, and success can be found in that sweet spot where the stories of your heart also happen to be commercially viable. This workshop will show you how to find that intersection for yourself.

You’ll leave with a set of concrete tools you can use for every project, draft, and creative pivot. The workshop will cover:

• What “writing from your why” is, and how it differs from “writing to market”
• How to identify your why
• How to create your Author Vision Statement
• How to evaluate the initial spark behind a writing project
• How to craft a Story Vision Statement
• Writing with purpose without being preachy
• How to define success on your own terms
• How to tell the story only you can tell

Special materials you’ll receive

• A downloadable workbook with exercises from the class

Who this class is for

This course is designed for novelists and short story writers, especially of genre fiction, who are concerned about AI-generated content, as well as:

• Fiction writers who want their work to outlast the trends
• New writers searching for their voice
• Experienced authors looking to reconnect with their creative instincts
• Indie authors who have been writing to market and feel creative burnout

This class is not suited for

• Memoirists
• Essayists
• Poets
• Children’s picture book writers

What you’ll receive

How do I attend the live class?

This class uses Zoom webinar technology. You will join through your Internet-connected computer or mobile device. When you register, you will receive information via email on how to join the class. If you don’t receive it within 1 hour of registering, please contact us.

• When: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
• Time: 1:00–2:15 p.m. Eastern Time / 10:00 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Pacific Time
• Fee: $25 through July 26, 2026 / $35 if you register after July 26, 2026

The webinar is broadcasted via the internet with live audio delivered through your computer or mobile device speakers. The visual presentation is displayed directly from the presenter’s computer to your computer screen. The Q&A is managed through a chat-style submission system with questions read and answered by the presenter for the entire class to hear.

Closed captions are provided during the live class. We use Zoom’s automated closed caption service, which is about 80%+ accurate.

Refund policy

If you attend the live class and/or watch the recording, and it does not meet your expectations, contact us for a full refund, no questions asked.

Event Attendance & Anti-Harassment Policy

We strive to provide an environment where all present—whether attendee, presenter, or staff—can feel supported. In order to ensure a welcoming event, here is what we expect from all who participate.

• That the presenter and the presenter’s work be treated with respect by attendees and that all attendees treat each other with respect and a generosity of spirit.
• That attendees will refrain from harassment of any sort including (but not limited to) comments or questions of a racist, homophobic, sexist/sexual, or threatening nature. This includes actions that disrupt or interfere with anyone’s ability to participate. Offenders will be disconnected from the live event.