By: Taylor Clark

Not everyone is a fan of the wintertime, myself included. The weather is cold, dark, and on most mornings, it feels much more compelling to stay in bed than to go face the frigid air outside. With the semester slowly drawing to a close next month, I’ve been wondering how to enhance and maintain my skills for next semester. Creative momentum is a particularly fragile force; don’t allow your writing discipline to slip into hibernation for the season!

Writing workshops offer indispensable spaces to stay accountable, collaborate with others, and fine-tune your existing writing skills. To keep the pen moving during this seasonal slump, here are eleven different ways to stay inspired.

In-Person Workshops

H&H Writing Group: November Session

November 21, 2026, from 2-3:30 PM at

📍Valerio Coffee Roasters

Interested in honing your writing craft with the help of accomplished and often published authors? Look no further than The Head & the Hand! This 1.5-hour writing workshop provides prompts for those experiencing writer’s block and encourages participation from writers of all ages and stages. Beginners are welcome and will benefit from the invaluable opportunity to produce works alongside successful authors, poets, journalists, and writers. All participants must register before the event (psst! it’s free!), and registration is still open. All proceeds from ticket sales will be directed towards The Head & the Hand to benefit their mission of funding social justice-driven community programming and creating more spaces to host writing workshops.

Poetry is for Everyone Book Club: November Meeting

November 22, 2026 from 2-3:00 PM

📍Valerio Coffee Roasters

After Homer’s The Odyssey rose to even further success following the 2026 film adaptation, a new generation of poets emerged. As one of the most inclusive, community-focused independent bookstores in Philadelphia, The Head & the Hand offers several workshops throughout the year to assist writers with strengthening their skills. This special book club meets monthly to connect with one another through their love for poetry. For this meeting, the poetry book that will be discussed during this meeting is Meadowlands by Louise Gluck. After sharing thoughts in a discussion with other poets, participants will be given a brief writing exercise to conclude the meeting.

Open Mic with Second Story Collective

November 19, 2026, from 5:30-7:00 PM

📍229 N 34th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Calling all writers and performers! If you’re looking for the opportunity to showcase your talents in front of a live audience this fall, you’re in luck. Drexel University is proud to offer a Writer’s Room office in the Ross Commons Space, where the school hosts multiple workshops and networking events for writers of all ages, stages, and backgrounds. The Open Mic is a free event that invites neighbors, students, and community creatives to share in the power of the spoken word. Reading sign-ups will be available from 5-5:30 PM, and the organization provides light refreshments for participants and audience members.

Let’s face it: nobody can claim to be the world’s most perfect writer. Whether you’re just starting your authorship or already possess experience with developing your ideas, this weekly workshop promises to refine your voice and keep the creative flow moving throughout the city of Philadelphia. This event will be hosted at the Walnut Street West Library by multi-time Pushcart Prize nominee Shannon Frost Greenstein. Admission is both free and open to the public, so come one, come all to the Author Masterclass.

Explorations in Brevity: A Creative Writing Workshop Series

December 1, 2026, from 5-6:30 PM (recurring Tuesdays)

📍2228 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19149-1297

While most people’s energy tends to slow down during the colder months, the desire and motivation to create don’t have to. Grab a hot chocolate, pencil, and a notebook this winter because The Free Library of Philadelphia is the gift that keeps on giving! This 1.5-hour, 5-part workshop series will be hosted at the Northeast Regional Library by published poet and creative writing professor Sara Martin. No experience is necessary to participate, and this program was made possible through support from the Lydia Eloise Seïbert Fund. Register today for the chance to fine-tune your writing skills under the direction of a published, highly knowledgeable writer.

Quiet, please! If you’re someone who works best when surrounded by motivated and productive people, join the Writing Room at Iffy Books for a weekly silent writing session. Every Tuesday, the group meets to produce works in an encouraging, dedicated workspace with 40-minute intervals of silent work and ten-minute breaks to recharge. Refreshments, writing utensils, and laptop chargers are unavailable and must be brought to the session by each individual participant. This meeting of the minds was created to connect local authors and writers, but equally to foster accountability and collaboration. No sign-up is required, and writers of all genres and competencies are welcome to partake.

The Open Mic Manuscript: A Creative Writing & Storytelling Open Mic

December 19, 2026, from 2-4 PM

📍201 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3542

The Walnut Street West Library strikes again. This time, the organization is hosting a free open mic for creative fiction, nonfiction, and short story writers to demonstrate their skills and progress in front of a live audience. Performance spots are limited and open in person on the day of the event. Because of this, participants cannot perform more than one piece, but all genres and topics are generally permissible. If you’re a writer with stage fright, come out anyway! This event provides the unique opportunity to learn from other writers and explore your creativity off-stage.

For those who do not reside in Philadelphia or possess reasonable means to get there, do not feel discouraged. There are still options available for collaboration, critiques, and discussion if you are unable to attend the aforementioned workshops in-person.

Virtual Workshops

Blue Stoop

Bi-weekly Wednesday Zoom sessions

3:30-5:30 PM

As writers, it’s no secret that we often put off writing due to writer’s block, personal issues, procrastination, or a combination of the three. Blue Stoop offers multiple Zoom sessions for creative coworking, analyzing poetry, horror writing, and coworking days intended to hold each other accountable. With direct insight from other writers, authors, and poets, these two-hour virtual workshops are sure to get those creative juices flowing again.

GrubStreet

(Varies by class, but the majority are Zoom sessions)

Alongside other determined, confident, and creative writers, these virtual workshops were created to provide an inclusive, flexible space for emerging writers to hone their talents. Bring your drafts and your voices to learn from other accomplished writers and share your ideas with the group. Many classes are free, but longer multi-day classes require a registration fee to participate.

If none of these workshops are of interest, Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers 16 online courses to inspire, educate, and excite writers who learn best from academic instruction. Some of these courses include Playwriting, Writing Science Fiction, Rhetoric, Genre Fiction Workshops for Fantasy, and more foundations of the craft designed to grant writers a solid foundation to build upon.

The Open University website published three pages dedicated to free creative writing, English language, and literature courses. Some courses, such as A Freelance Career in the Creative Arts require 24 hours for completion, while shorter courses like What Happens to You when You Read only require three.

With a plethora of ways to maintain your inspiration and passion for writing, the final months from 2026 are packed with events you won’t want to miss. Happy writing, everyone!

Taylor Clark is a Senior pursuing an English degree at Holy Family University. She is also a proud contributor for Tri-Lite, eager to exercise her creativity throughout the 2026-2027 school year. When she’s not writing, she’s reading— devouring intense psychological thrillers or real-world journalism stories whenever possible.