diff --git a/lightbeam/__main__.py b/lightbeam/__main__.py
index f614605..2187e85 100644
--- a/lightbeam/__main__.py
+++ b/lightbeam/__main__.py
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ def emit(self, record):
    "truncate": "truncate",
    "count": "count",
    "fetch": "fetch",
+   "create": "create"
 }
 command_list = ', '.join(f"'{c}'" for c in ALLOWED_COMMANDS.values())
 
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ def main(argv=None):
     try:
         logger.info("starting...")
         if args.command==ALLOWED_COMMANDS['count']: lb.counter.count()
+        if args.command==ALLOWED_COMMANDS['create']: lb.creator.create()
         elif args.command==ALLOWED_COMMANDS['fetch']: lb.fetcher.fetch()
         elif args.command==ALLOWED_COMMANDS['validate']: lb.validator.validate()
         elif args.command==ALLOWED_COMMANDS['send']: lb.sender.send()
diff --git a/lightbeam/create.py b/lightbeam/create.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..715af66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lightbeam/create.py
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+import os
+import json
+import yaml
+from lightbeam import util
+
+class Creator:
+
+    def __init__(self, lightbeam=None):
+        self.lightbeam = lightbeam
+        self.logger = self.lightbeam.logger
+        self.template_folder = "templates/"
+        self.earthmover_file = "earthmover.yml"
+    
+    def create(self):
+        os.makedirs(self.template_folder, exist_ok=True)
+        earthmover_yaml = {}
+        # check if file exists!
+        if os.path.isfile(self.earthmover_file):
+            with open(self.earthmover_file) as file:
+                earthmover_yaml = yaml.safe_load(file)
+        for endpoint in self.lightbeam.endpoints:
+            if endpoint in (earthmover_yaml.get("destinations", {}) or {}).keys():
+                self.logger.critical(f"The file `{self.earthmover_file}` already exists in the current directory and contains `$destinations.{endpoint}`; to re-create it, please first manually remove it (and `{self.template_folder}{endpoint}.jsont`).")
+            self.create_jsont(endpoint)
+        # write out earthmover_yaml
+        if not os.path.isfile(self.earthmover_file):
+            self.logger.info(f"creating file `{self.earthmover_file}`...")
+            with open(self.earthmover_file, 'w+') as file:
+                file.write("""version: 2.0
+
+# This is an earthmover.yml file, generated with `lightbeam create`, for creating Ed-Fi JSON payloads
+# using earthmover. See https://github.com/edanalytics/earthmover for documentation.
+
+# Define your source data here:
+sources:
+  # Example:
+  # mysource:
+  #   file: path/to/myfile.csv
+  # ...
+
+# (If needed, define your data transformations here:)
+# transformations:
+
+destinations:""")
+                for endpoint in self.lightbeam.endpoints:
+                    file.write(self.create_em_destination_node(endpoint))
+        else:
+            self.logger.info(f"appending to file `{self.earthmover_file}`...")
+            with open(self.earthmover_file, 'a+') as file:
+                for endpoint in self.lightbeam.endpoints:
+                    file.write(self.create_em_destination_node(endpoint))
+
+    def create_em_destination_node(self, endpoint):
+        return f"""
+  {endpoint}:
+    source: $transformations.{endpoint}
+    template: {self.template_folder}{endpoint}.jsont
+    extension: jsonl
+    linearize: True"""
+        
+    def create_jsont(self, endpoint):
+        template_file = f"{self.template_folder}{endpoint}.jsont"
+        # check if file exists!
+        if os.path.isfile(template_file):
+            self.logger.critical(f"The file `{template_file}` already exists in the current directory; to re-create it, please first manually delete it.")
+        # write out json template
+        self.logger.info(f"creating file `{template_file}`...")
+        with open(template_file, 'w+') as file:
+            # TODO: implement a function in `lightbeam/api.py` that constructs a "sample" payload for the endpoint
+            # Example:
+            # {
+            #   "property_bool": true,
+            #   "property_int": 1,
+            #   "property_float": 1.0,
+            #   "property_string": "string",
+            #   "property_date": "date",
+            #   "property_string_optional": "string",
+            #   "property_descriptor": "uri://ed-fi.org/SomeDescriptor#SomeValue",
+            #   "property_object": {
+            #     "property_object_1": "string",
+            #     "property_object_2": "string"
+            #   },
+            #   "property_array": [
+            #     {
+            #       "property_array_1": "string",
+            #       "property_array_2": "string"
+            #     }
+            #   ]
+            # }
+            # TODO: turn the "sample" payload into a Jinja template
+            # Example:
+            # {
+            #   "property_bool": {{property_bool}},
+            #   "property_int": {{property_int}},
+            #   "property_float": {{property_float}},
+            #   "property_string": "{{property_string}}",
+            #   "property_date": "{{property_date}}",
+            #   {% if property_string_optional %}
+            #   "property_string_optional": "{{property_string_optional}}",
+            #   {% endif %}
+            #   "property_descriptor": "uri://ed-fi.org/SomeDescriptor#{{property_descriptor}}",
+            #   "property_object": {
+            #     "property_object_1": "{{property_object_1}}",
+            #     "property_object_2": "{{property_object_2}}"
+            #   },
+            #   "property_array": [
+            #     {% for item in property_array %}
+            #     {
+            #       "property_array_1": "{{item.property_array_1}}",
+            #       "property_array_2": "{{item.property_array_2}}"
+            #     } {% if not loop.last %},{% endif %}
+            #     {% endfor %}
+            #   ]
+            # }
+            file.write("coming soon...") # (for now)
diff --git a/lightbeam/lightbeam.py b/lightbeam/lightbeam.py
index 9355e54..116f552 100644
--- a/lightbeam/lightbeam.py
+++ b/lightbeam/lightbeam.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from lightbeam import util
 from lightbeam.api import EdFiAPI
 from lightbeam.count import Counter
+from lightbeam.create import Creator
 from lightbeam.fetch import Fetcher
 from lightbeam.validate import Validator
 from lightbeam.send import Sender
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ def __init__(self, config_file, logger=None, selector="*", exclude="", keep_keys
         self.endpoints = []
         self.results = []
         self.counter = Counter(self)
+        self.creator = Creator(self)
         self.fetcher = Fetcher(self)
         self.validator = Validator(self)
         self.sender = Sender(self)