Schools
classes • workshops • groups
ORP’s hub for writers, artists, and readers to connect through classes, workshops, and community gatherings. Check out our upcoming offerings below, and fill out the contact form to be the first to know about future programs.
This page will be updated as more classes are added.
From Spark to Submission (Registration is open)
Online through Google Meet
Session 1: Sunday, November 8
Session 2: Sunday, November 15
6:00pm to 8:00pm MST
$150 | Limited spaces available | Scholarships available
In this generative workshop led by poet and literary arts advocate Trish Hopkinson, writers will explore the moments, memories, and questions that shape their creative voice. Through guided prompts and poetry readings, participants will draft new work rooted in what it means to be alive in this world, echoing ORP’s mission to uplift voices that speak with clarity and presence.
We’ll move from creation to circulation, demystifying the practical steps of preparing and submitting literary work. Together, we’ll discuss how to identify publications for your writing, how to navigate submission strategies, and how to approach publication as an extension of your artistic practice.
Open to poets, prose writers, and anyone interested in sharing their work more widely, this session offers both inspiration and actionable guidance—meeting writers wherever they are in their creative journey.
Your Book Is Published. Now What? (Save the Date)
Building Your Community Book Tour & Grassroots Promotion Plan
Session 1: Sunday, March 21, 2027 | 9:00–10:00 am EDT
Session 2: Sunday, March 28, 2027 | 9:00–10:20 am EDT
Price: $85–$200 sliding scale | Limited spaces available
You've published your book. Congratulations!
But now what?
If you're an indie author wondering how to get your book into the hands of readers without spending a fortune or feeling lost and overwhelmed by marketing, this two-part online workshop is for you.
Join communications consultant and grassroots community book organizer Lizzette Arias to learn how to build a community book tour, connect with potential readers, and create a realistic promotion plan that works for you and your book.
No marketing expertise required.
Registration will open in early 2027. Receive an early access link by filling out this form.
Self-Editing for Short Fiction (Full Details Coming Soon)
Four Sessions + 1-to-1 with the instructor
April - May 2027 (exact dates to be confirmed)
Price: $150-$300 sliding scale | Limited spaces available
It is generally agreed that writing the first draft is the hardest part of writing fiction. However, the journey doesn't stop there.
In this four-session online course, learn from experienced editors (including ORP’s Emerging Voices in Fiction Editor, Alaa El Fadel!) how to polish away the rough edges and clouded facets of your first draft to turn it into a sparkling gem of a story that dazzles your readers.
The Self-Editing for Short Fiction workshop will teach you how to approach editing your own writing through a structured, methodical approach. You'll also receive a one-to-one session with one of the instructors to help your writing reach a new level.
Please note that this course focuses on editing stories that have already been drafted. Course participants are expected to have completed the first drafts of their short stories before the course begins.
Registration will open in the first quarter of 2027.
Watch this space for updates, including course dates and the registration link.
Meet the instructors
Alaa El Fadel is a writer and world traveller who has spent many years in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education from Kingston University (United Kingdom). Alaa is also a Fellow of The Higher Education Academy and an Entry Level member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading CIEP. She is a freelance writer and editor based in Singapore, is currently writing a fantasy trilogy and science fiction series, and is the coordinator of the Singapore Writer’s Network. For more information, please visit alaakhaldun.com
Patricia Lee is an English teacher with over 16 years of teaching experience. She holds a Bachelor in Communication Studies from Nanyang Technological University and a Post-Graduate Degree in Education from the National Institute of Education (Singapore). Outside of teaching 10- to 16-year-old students, Patricia also writes and edits supplementary teaching materials for Casco, a leading Singapore publisher of educational books. She is a co-organiser of the Singapore Writer's Network, facilitating monthly critique sessions for the Prose subgroup, and has led writing workshops for Singapore's National Library Board. Her first novel, The Kaedin Secret, can be found on Amazon. She is currently revising its sequel. For more information, visit www.akleewrites.com.
Past Events
You’re Also Eligible: Reimagining the ENvironmental Writer (Registration closed)
Online through Google Meet
Session 1: Sunday, September 13
Session 2: Sunday, September 20
8:30–10:00 am EDT
$200 — Limited spaces available
The places we call home need our stories.
In this two-part online course, National Geographic Explorer and Penguin Random House author Thammika Songkaeo interrogates the mental barriers we face when shaping stories about ‘the environment’ from our own homes.
Challenging the notion that environmental writing must follow a set template, this course asks: How have we been conditioned to view nature through a pre-packaged lens? What inherited assumptions are we unknowingly recycling, and how can we become engaged environmental writers from anywhere in the world? By challenging biased perspectives, we can learn to write genuinely about our environment as it undergoes a radical transformation—reflecting our true relationship with our ecosystem, no matter where we live.
You do not need a background in environmental writing—just bring your curiosity, close attention, and a willingness to engage with new ideas.
Please note: We are no longer accepting scholarship requests for this course. Previously, ORP and the course instructor provided partial scholarships to writers who needed financial assistance. All available scholarships have now been awarded.
A Gathering of Poets (Registration Closed)
Online through Google Meet
Sunday, July 12, 8:00–9:30 pm EDT
Free to attend — Sliding scale donation optional
Writing is often a solitary practice where we spend long stretches of time traveling alone on our unique creative paths. Yet, poetry began as a way of sharing our hopes, despairs, and insights with each other. As the world’s oldest form of literature, poetry first emerged as oral storytelling, long before the written page ever came into existence.
In honor of this ancient tradition, Oyster River Pages will bring together editors and contributors for an evening of live poetry readings. Poets from our most recent annual issues will read their poetry, creating space for connection and conversation, nurturing our collective human experience in this increasingly digital modern world.