Join us for a two-hour writing workshop centered around writing fiction rooted in our own personal histories and homes. Every great short story or novel has a strong sense of place, and this workshop will lead participants through a series of prompts and writing samples that draw inspiration from where we live, where we come from, and the stories of our ancestors. Students will leave this workshop with ideas for short stories, novels, and prose of their own, as well as a list of examples of published work to use as a guide.



This workshop is presented in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program and will include excerpts from The Cold Millions by Jess Walter, though participants do not need to be familiar with the book to attend.

Facilitator Micah Fields is a writer, teacher, and fly-fishing guide on the Missouri River. He is the author of We Hold Our Breath (W. W. Norton, 2023), and his work has been published in the Oxford American, County Highway, Field & Stream, and other outlets. He served as a Marine Corps infantry rifleman from 2007 to 2011 and is a combat veteran of deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He lives in Helena, Montana.