NVL 54 — Novel Club: A Guided Writing Group
Quarter: Spring
Instructor(s): Ammi Keller
Date(s): Apr 1—Jun 3
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 5:30—8:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $1000
Refund Deadline: Apr 3
Unit(s): 2
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Registration opens Feb 23, 8:30 am (PT)
Take your novel to the finish line with a committed mentor and a dedicated community of peers. We’ll meet weekly to write, workshop sections of novels in progress, and cheer one another on. This course offers fiction writers deadlines, accountability, and actionable feedback to keep their manuscripts moving forward. Each session will begin with a brief lecture and a targeted writing exercise to spark exploration and skill building or breakout groups to share new work. We’ll then workshop two students’ novel excerpts (up to 5,000 words each), submitted in advance. While everyone is expected to read each piece closely and come prepared for a thoughtful discussion, no written critiques are required. The instructor will provide detailed written feedback and hold one-on-one conferences with each student.
Share the joys and challenges of the writing life. Show up for the work—and for one another.
This is the third course in our Novel Club series, which is designed for students who have taken one-off novel classes, completed the Novel Certificate Program, or are interested in applying for an MFA. The first course of the series was offered in Fall 2025 and the second course in Winter 2026. Completing each course guarantees priority registration in the following quarter. Each course can be taken independently as well.
AMMI KELLER
Novel Writing Certificate Instructor, Stanford Continuing Studies
Ammi Keller’s teaching focuses on the intersection of mindfulness and creative writing. Her short stories have appeared in American Short Fiction, The Common, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, The Best American Nonrequired Reading, and elsewhere. She has edited fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for Soft Skull Press and has received residencies from the Lambda Literary Writers Retreat and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Keller was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford. Textbooks for this course:
There are no required textbooks; however, some fee-based online readings may be assigned.