Writing Workshops

Setting the Table: The Generative Power of Fictional Food with Hannah Kingsley-Ma

$345

4 Sessions

In stock

Once a week Thursdays, 6:00 pm EDT - 8:00 pm EDT April 9 to April 30, 2026

The Center for Fiction

Every day, no matter how busy you are, you have to eat something. Maybe you eat standing in front of the sink, maybe you are a regular at a nearby restaurant, maybe you begin each morning with the same bowl of grey oatmeal you’ve eaten every day for the last forty years. Whatever your style is, there are invisible choices that helped shape that ritual.

The same is true of our fictional characters. They have to eat. And when they do, we often learn a lot about them: who they share their life with, what sort of things bring them comfort or disgust, what private pleasures they allow themselves, what airs they put on in front of others, how they feel in their bodies, how they talk to the people around them, what their neighborhoods look like, how their families cooked for them when they were little, what kind of appetites they stoke.

There’s a lot to be written into a meal, but also it’s a nice place to land when you, the author, are feeling stuck. It’s a natural transition into a pivotal conversation between characters, it’s a set piece for larger gatherings where collisions occur, and it’s a private moment for a solitary or secretive protagonist where subtext reigns supreme. Also, I think they’re pretty fun to write.

This generative class can be used for people with existing projects underway (a novel, a short story, a memoir, whatever) and for anybody wondering where to start. We’ll discuss three short stories and one film over the course of our four weeks together, and do in-class exercises based on those assignments. Food is the framework we’ll use to dredge up new information about our characters, and to think specifically about setting, dialogue, and embodiment.

Course Outline:

This is a generative class intended for writers of all levels, and for people who either have existing projects they feel currently stuck in, or for anyone who needs a writing prompt to get a jumpstart. The first hour of class will be a group discussion centered on the assigned reading (and viewing, as there is one week devoted to an assigned film), and the second hour will be devoted to in-class writing exercises. I’ll provide PDFs of all the short stories, so there is no need to purchase printed course material.

Week 1: Prompts will be about food as a geographical map, food as a way to express intimacy, and how to write difficult conversations.
Week 2: Prompts will be about the food we eat in public versus the food we eat in private, who we cook for and why, and the weight of our efforts
Week 3: Prompts will be about unusual appetites, processed and unnatural foods, food trends, and dinner parties.
Week 4: Prompts will be about foods as objects, food as extensions of home, and food as vehicles for surprise.

Level: All Levels

This course is held in person at The Center for Fiction.

Led by

Hannah Kingsley-Ma

Hannah Kingsley-Ma

Hannah Kingsley-Ma is a writer and radio producer living in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in publications like the Drift, the New York Times, the Believer, the New Republic, Joyland, ZYZZYVA, the Guardian, McSweeney’s, and The Best American Short Stories 2025. She teaches creative writing at NYU.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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