Circling the Plot:
An Open-Genre Prose Workshop
Writing Workshop in New Jersey
January 15-18, 2027
Led by Sam Heaps
The “container” of a story can become as meaningful as the narrative itself. In this generative workshop for fiction, genre fiction, non-fiction, and hybrid prose works, you will find the “shape” for the story you want to tell—and ask, beyond Freytag’s Pyramid, what literary ancestry best represents the worlds we are building? We will discuss lesser known plotting techniques through readings, generate writing through prompts, and organize existing work. This course works best for those who have an idea for, or have already begun a longer project: as always, everyone will be encouraged to share work and give supportive feedback.
*Limited to just 10 participants.*
“The workshop leaders are talented and compassionate, pushing you to new levels. The atmosphere is charged with creativity and appreciation for the work of others. I travel from Chicago to attend and have not been disappointed.”
~ Donna, Willowbrook, IL
Sam Heaps
Sam Heaps is the author of the essay collections Proximity (2023) and Slug Sex and the Touching of Souls (forthcoming 2026), as well as the novella The Living god (2025). Their work has been featured places such as The Brooklyn Rail, Bomb, and Coma, and is part of Zona Motel’s forthcoming anthology as one of the magazine’s founding contributors. Heaps has lived and worked all over the world, currently teaches writing at Temple University in Philadelphia, and studies philosophy at NYU. Read a piece by Sam and learn more on their website.
