Speculative Nonfiction

You know that speculative fiction harnesses the strange, the eerie, and the fantastical to tell great stories. But how can speculation have a place in nonfiction? The answer is that daydreaming, invention, and fantasy are a part of your life every day. They can definitely elaborate on and reinforce the narrative truths of your nonfiction. In this six-hour class, we’ll look at the ways in which nonfiction writers have used speculation not to reinvent the past or to lie about it but rather to capture the most elusive experiences. We’ll also do exercises to help you find ways to add speculation, fantasy, and invention to your own stories. You are encouraged to bring with you a nonfiction piece with which you’ve struggled or one that you think might benefit from speculative creative writing. You can also use class exercises to write seeds that may grow into new essays. At the end of the day, you will have a fresh take on nonfiction and a new tool to use in your work.