Begin Here

A fun and easy creative writing workshop for absolute beginners

So… You have no idea where to start.

Writing isn’t complicated. Thinking about it, avoiding it, fearing it, resisting it — that’s where things get tangled up.

In this workshop we’ll bust past our barriers and write. This is a joyful, non-intimidating space for anyone who has the urge to express themselves through words, but keeps putting it off.

We welcome participants who are full of fear, have zero experience, and don’t know where to start. Bring us your uncertainties and we’ll help you uncover your unique stories, voice and drive.

While almost all our workshops at Firefly are a great place for beginners, this one is designed for them.

Here’s how it works:

During this workshop, we’ll experiment with different writing styles and approaches. Along the way, we'll get to know our (and each other’s) writing voices, discovering new reserves of self-trust, inspiration, and momentum to keep us going long after the workshop ends.

    • Haven’t done any kind of creative writing workshop in the past, or have a long time ago.

    • Love the idea of a weekly creative date with a small group of others.

    • Feel ready (though maybe a little scared) to share their writing.

    • Are interested in exploring their own lives as writing material and sharing some of what comes up. (We tend to get a little personal.)

    • Thrive in small, cozy groups. (This workshop will never have more than 8 participants.)

    • Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.

    • Lots of new writing.

    • A sense of your writing voice and your unique gifts as a writer.

    • Writing peers whose work you are invested in.

    • A feeling of creative playfulness and possibility.

    • Creative courage.

    • Critique or competition. We’re all about the love.

    • Strict rules on “how to write”. We’ll work on developing your writing skills but we don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s one way to create powerful work.

    • Pressure to write things you don’t want to write. We go where the joy is.

Details for Winter 2025:

On Zoom with Asifa (she/her)

5 Tuesday evenings, weekly
6:30 - 8:30pm ET
January 28 - February 25

In-Person with Chris (she/her)

5 Thursday evenings @ St.Matthew’s Clubhouse (Toronto)
7 - 9pm ET
January 23 - February 27 (no class Feb 6)

Read the Healthcare Harm Reduction Policy for the in-person version of this workshop.

Read about accessibility features of the in-person workshop space.

Cost:

The fee for the Online 5-session workshop is $475. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $118.75. Tax will be added for Canadians in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies.

The fee for the In-Person 5-session workshop is $500. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $125. Tax will be added for Canadians in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies. Four times a year, we give out bursaries for our programs to people with financial barriers. Check out our upcoming dates.

If you don’t have a credit card, let us know and we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.

Sign up here:

For the In-Person Workshop


For the Online Workshop

What clients are saying…

  • Headshot of Laura

    I am a person always blooming with ideas and imagery, but since finding Firefly, I have started believing in those ideas. I am able to give & receive feedback on pieces, feel empowered to move forward creatively and I can’t wait to write more. Since Begin Here, I’ve signed up for another course — I love Firefly so much. Thank you!

    Laura Rajagopal
    Writer

  • Headshot of Madhu Nagarajan

    I had an awesome experience and would certainly recommend this course to my friends and loved ones. Everyone is a writer and the stories need to be shared and told. Thank you, Firefly, for being such an amazing guide. I hope to enroll in future courses!

    Madhu Nagarajan
    3D Artist, Blogger

  • Headshot of Amy Brassert

    If you are looking to explore the beginnings of your writing voice, this is the place to start. Listening to others inspired me and allowed me to appreciate the wild variety of perspectives out there among us. Total strangers began to know each other in strangely intimate ways as we wrote and shared stories with each other. Was it scary, yes, every time. And yet, we all participated, every time. Every different voice was heard and cherished and celebrated.

    Amy Brassert