Mythic Story Structures Series: Literary Alchemy

Class Description

Literary Alchemy is a symbolic story structure that uses the mythical and scientific process of alchemy to outline a story by putting the main character through the alchemical stages to undergo a deep change, just like lead turns into gold. We’ll learn about how characters act as reagents such as Mercury, Sulfur, and Salt, and how their symbolic role in the story ties into the main character’s growth. We’ll learn about the three stages of alchemy and how to set up an alchemical wedding and philosopher’s stone by the end of the story. This story structure was used by Tolkien, Rowling, Lewis, and Stoker, so we’ll use examples from popular fantasy literature to study the stages.

During this seminar we’ll practice applying alchemy to our favorite movies, tv shows, and books, and there will also be time to fill out an alchemy worksheet for your own story and share the ways that your work fulfills the stages or changes you might make based on this new type of symbolism.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.