Become a master of words, a creator of stories, a builder of worlds with The Mulligan Method, an innovative creative writing school welcoming writers at all stages of their journey.
Thanks for stopping by! I’m Claire Mulligan, an award-winning writer of short stories, novels, and screenplays; a nuts-and-bolts editor; and a creative writing instructor on a mission to help you fall in love with the craft of writing, expand your knowledge of literature, and find your writing community.
My Bio
I am the author of two novels, both historical fiction. The Reckoning of Boston Jim (Touchwood Editions) was nominated for the prestigious Giller Prize as well as for the Relit Awars, and the BC Book Prize.
My second novel, The Dark (Random House, Double Day), was nominated for the Canadian Author’s award.
My short fiction has been published in Writer’s Magazine,The Hourglass, Canadian Author, The Tulane Review, The Dalhousie Review, Grain, The Antigonish Review, amongst others.
My awards for short fiction include first prizes for Doors (Writer’s Magazine Contest), Djinns (The Hour Glass International Contest), Past Lovers (The Tulane Review Contest) and Reading Abigail & Other Stories (Shenango River Books Chapbook Competition)
I hold a BA in English & and an MFA in Screenwriting from the University of Victoria, and was awarded the prestigious SSHRC grant for my MFA thesis, a TV series set in a mining town.
I am a four-time recipient of the Canada Council Grant for fiction, and I have juried for the BC Council for the Arts helping disperse over $150,000 to established and emerging writers.
My first short film script, The Still Life of Annika Myers (produced and directed by Matthew Blecha) was chosen for the Sedona, Seattle, and Victoria International film festivals among others, and has garnered many awards, including best actor for Barbara Wallace (Global Shorts & Overcome Festival), Audience Favourite (Ottawa Film Festival), and Best film/directing (Virgin Spring Cinefest).
My second short film script Obscura (co-written with director Arnold Lim) won the Director’s Guild of Canada’s Award for 2022. Obscura was nominated for nine 2024 Leo Awards, the BC awards for film and TV. And won the Leo award for best screenplay and best short drama.
In addition I have story consulted for documentaries by director Krista Loughton about the homeless crisis and have been on the board of Cinevic, the independent film society of Victoria.
I have been teaching creative writing, mentoring writers, and editing novels, CNF, and screenplays for nearly 15 years. I currently teach creative writing for Uvic Continuing Education.
In 2026 I was honoured to be the Haig-Brown Writer in Residence in Campbell River.
Online Writing Courses- 2026
Fall Schedule
📜 WRITING HISTORY: From Research to Story
Thursdays | Sept 3 - Oct 15 | 🕰️ 5:30 - 7:30 pm | online | $ 298 + GST (NOTE: No class Oct 8th)
or contact claire@mulliganmethod.ca to register and for more information
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there - L.P Hartley, The Go-Between
Do you know of an unsung hero? A forgotten world-changing event? A moving family story? Each week we will learn the techniques, joys, and challenges of various historical writing such as memoir, the braided narrative, popular history, and historical fiction helping us find unexpected talents and honing our writing craft. For inspiration we will read excerpts from the originators of various genres:
We will also look at the various research methods, learn how to incorporate historical details, and practice turning facts into compelling narratives. For homework, we will complete a 1-3 page piece each week giving us a folder of fiction and CNF pieces to hone, develop, and submit.
This was the best writing course I’ve taken, by far. … Claire's passion for writing and history are apparent, and I found a community of like-minded writers and historians! -- Leah Hjalte
Writing History has addressed lots of issues I've thought about for ages. I'd definitely give it five stars. Wonderful value for the money and a lot of fun, as well! – Else Jones
STORY BY GENRE: Structure for Every Story
Uvic Continuing Education | John Horgan Campus, Langford, BC
Tuesdays | Sept 15 – Oct 27 | 🕰️ 6:00 -8:30 pm | In-person | $227 plus GST (NOTE: no class on Oct 6th)
There is an important difference between an event happening because of another event or simply after it. Aristotle, The Poetics
Outlining and story structure templates abound–The Hero’s Journey, Save the Cat, The Snowflake Method, Freytag’s Pyramid–and I’ve tried every one. But which one is best for your genre and writing style? In this 6-week course we will look at one or two methods per class and pair them with a genre; for example, adventure and/or fantasy with the Hero’s Journey; drama with Aristotle’s structure for tragedy. The goal is to create those meaningful, satisfying and page-turning stories that readers, publishers, and editors love, as well as avoid time-consuming structure problems in our work. We will do 2-4 in-class prompts per class and work on one short story or concept per week as homework.
Claire’s courses were recommended to me by a professional writer, high praise, and I could not be more delighted and inspired. Claire is a master teacher. Her program and generous resources have helped me to write with both substance and style. My tool box is more full and I now feel more confident writing a variety of genres, some of which I didn’t know existed! Beverley Holmes.
ALL COURSES INCLUDE:
📖 7 Classes | 14 Hours of Class Time | Max 12 Students | ✨ PLUS
One-to-one session after the course
Feedback on assignments & revisions through Google classroom
Group catch-up Zoom one month later
Taped classes sent out to all participants
📌 Note: 7th class is dedicated to workshopping and review
Expect:
Weekly reading: 50 pages max
Assignments: @ 500 words/week for homework plus 2-4 inclass prompts + final piece up to 2,000 words
Time commitment: @ 6–8 hrs/week including class time
I took the short story workshop and it was fantastic. Highly recommend. Have had two short stories published since! Ingrid Derringer
I loved, loved, loved this course! You've covered all manner of aspects of the short story no one ever mentioned years ago, and I'm grateful to learn about them at long last! Else Jones
Claire is an excellent teacher with a plethora of suggestions to hone the art of short story writing. From hypotaxis to story beats to perfect beginnings and marvelous endings – this course covers it all. Kim Letson
Claire's depth of knowledge was impressive … she always inspired creativity with her instruction and prompts. Highly recommended! Suzanne Moreau
StoryCraft Conversations
Free Author Interviews for Writers & Readers
Along with editor and story coach April Bosshard of Deepstory Designs, I offer free online author interviews where we explore craft and the business of writing. Sign up for my newsletter to be notified of our next interview. Check out past interviews at the link above.
💬 SHAENA LAMBERT: On Writing about Activism & Moral Complexity
August 16th | 🕰️11:00 -12:15 | Free Author Interview | Online
How do we write about the ‘cause’ —that social or political movement that inspires us–without banging the drum, as it were. How do we write about activists and activism past and present without sounding preachy? And should fiction, now more than ever, just take a clear stand?
Grab your fair-trade, organic coffee and join us (Claire Mulligan & April Bosshard with StoryCraft Conversations) on Sunday, August 16th at 11 a.m. for an in-depth conversation into these questions and more with award-winning author Shaena Lambert. Shaena’s latest novel Petra (winner of the Ethel Wilson prize) tells the true story of the ecofeminist Petra Kelly who founded the German Green party.
Thanks so much for an excellent class. I learned a lot, thought a lot about writing (what you said about “writing is easy, story is hard” will stay with me) and was exposed to new authors. Every week was something new and engaging, and challenging. I’m sorry it’s at an end!
N. Boivin
I would highly recommend a class with Claire Mulligan. Each Zoom class was packed full of information about story and how it evolved throughout history . . . It was a lot of fun; and I learned far more than I thought I would. I’ll definitely take another one of Claire’s classes.
Lynn Haugen
The presentation was structured, enticing, and thought provoking. Claire was supportive and very knowledgeable. Her teaching style enabled us to take chances and hone our writing skills as we progressed through the genres in flash fiction. I previously took a historical fiction course with Claire (pre-pandemic). A stimulating, productive and fun experience!
Shannon Milford
An engaging, challenging and above all fun journey through the different genres of fiction. By using writing projects of 100– 300 words, Claire Mulligan teaches writers the power of words.
Kat Nicholls
Claire’s classes are dynamic, well-researched and a ton of fun. I always come away with practical tools and great ideas.
Tanya C.
Claire stretched my writing beyond anything I thought possible.
Vicki Metcalfe
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POSITIVE AND ENCOURAGING
Always positive and encouraging, Claire uses “sticky learning” and an “integrated learning approach,” that delves into history and craft of fiction, the essence of story-telling, and the best way to learn to write.
Joanie McEwen,
Author, Innocence on Trial. The Framing of Henry Ivan
PASSIONATE, INSPIRING AND ARTICULATE
Claire Mulligan is a gifted teacher: passionate, inspiring, and articulate. She offers concrete suggestions to hone your piece into a more layered and compelling narrative.
Anne Patton
Author, The Barr Colony Tribune
AMAZING AMOUNT OF WORK
Thank you once again for your course and the amazing amount of work you put into it! I really enjoyed it and was pleased with my fictional drabbles and dribbles!!
Ella Harvey
Author, A Time Of Light & Shadow, A Memoir
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