Class Description
If stories are an invitation into someone else’s world, then our job as writers is to make those worlds come alive. In this four-week class, you will learn to do just that, using strategies and tactics to build compelling, inviting, and viscerally powerful settings in both fiction and non-fiction.
Each week, we will study an element involved in creating a vivid setting––linguistic tools, world building, architecture, and description, to name a few––while looking at examples of world creation in other storyteller’s work: fiction, non-fiction, and film, including: Arundhati Roy, Yann Martel, Margaret Atwood, Haruki Murakami, Peter Hessler, Chan-wook Park, the Maysles Brothers, Byambasuren Davaa, and more. The week will culminate in a writing assignment where we will put the techniques we learn into practice, and receive feedback from the instructor and fellow students.
Students will leave class with new strategies for how to build worlds and introduce settings that will immerse readers instantly, and scaffolding for a new world that you can build off of.
This class is best for beginner students looking to form a foundation for setting, or intermediate students who need a refresher on how to use setting effectively.
*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Assignments will be given on a weekly basis. Students will have access to the online class portal starting at 5pm on the first day of class. Instructions for logging onto the online portal will be emailed to registered students before 5pm the first day of class.
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.