Class Description
In this class, we’ll apply elements of the traditional workshop—a focus on craft, language, character, and plot—to the specific considerations of science fiction and fantasy writing. We’ll concentrate on story elements that are unique to these genres, such as believability and consistency in world-building, the "hero" arc of the protagonist, genre tropes, and invented languages, through workshop discussion and brief lectures. Short story writers and novelists alike are welcome, as are students new to the genre. Writers will read 20-40 pages of material a week to prepare for workshop and discussion. On the first day of class we will set the workshop schedule, but writers should begin with an existing piece or a concrete idea that could be produced during the six-week period.
Did you know that we have scholarships available for all GrubStreet classes? To apply or find out more, check out our scholarships page.
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.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.