This generative writing workshop guides participants to produce 100 story ideas by transforming their own personal history into the core elements of fiction: character, conflict, plot, setting and theme. Writers work through guided memory prompts and timed sprints, each rooted in something you already know deeply.
The workshop focus is on emotional truth rather than factual accuracy, allowing writers to reshape their lived experience into stories across any genre. Participants will learn how to excavate memories, relationships, secrets, fears, and formative moments and transform them into compelling fiction.
This session will use timed sprints to help participants break through perfectionism, silence their inner editor, and discover that ideas are not rare—they’re scalable. By the end of the session, writers will leave with a personal inventory of original ideas they can mine, plus the skills to generate fresh concepts anytime they feel stuck.
This workshop is perfect for novelists, short-story writers, and screenwriters, looking to mine their lives for authentic stories.
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Mayra Cuevas is the award-winning author of books for readers of all ages. Her young adult novel Does My Body Offend You? (co-written with Marie Marquardt) was long-listed for the PEN/Faulkner Award, named a 2023 Book All Young Georgians Should Read and appeared in multiple “Best Books” lists. In 2023, she was named Georgia Author of the Year (YA category). Mayra’s debut picture book My Abuela is a Bruja earned three starred reviews and released to wide critical acclaim. Her debut adult romance How to Fake a Southern Gentleman (co-written with Marie Marquardt) releases in 2026. Mayra is also the author of the teen foodie romcom Salty, Bitter, Sweet, and the short story “Resilient,” published as part of the anthology Foreshadow: The Magic of Reading and Writing YA. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Mayra is a former award-winning CNN producer, and now a creative writing professor. She also co-founded the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival and its Latinx Storytellers Conference. Mayra keeps her sanity by practicing Modern Buddhism and meditation. She splits her time between Atlanta and Puerto Rico. You can find Mayra on Instagram @Mayra.Cuevas and her website MayraCuevas.com.
"This class was incredibly well organized and planned, and the materials were incredible as well. I really hope The Porch will bring Mayra back again. I'd take a class from her every day!"
"Everything was wonderful and I left with a lot of great takeaways - would love to take another class with Mayra!"
"I loved this class. No one had broken this subject down to me in such a way before. The instructor Mayra was wonderful!"
