Class Description
Speculative fiction — encompassing science fiction, fantasy, slipstream/magical realism, alternative history, dystopian, horror, and more — is a wide-ranging genre with unique demands and endless possibilities. Whether it’s based in a highly recognizable reality or a completely invented world, it asks the writer to make the uncanny feel inevitable and explore deep human truths in the context of strange or fantastical narratives. At its best, it’s also some of the most urgent and imaginative literature being written today.
In this workshop, we'll explore what makes speculative fiction distinctive while also sharpening the craft fundamentals that underpin all great short fiction, including voice, character, plot, scene, and point of view. We'll draw on the work of classic and contemporary speculative fiction authors such as Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. LeGuin, Susanna Clarke, Ted Chiang, George Saunders, Jennifer Egan, and Premee Mohamed, using their stories as windows into different visions of what speculative fiction can do and the choices that make individual stories come alive.
You'll have the opportunity to develop and workshop two complete short stories, with dedicated class time for writing prompts and exercises to help you generate and push your ideas further. Feedback will address both content and craft, giving you a clear framework for revision.
Writers of any experience level with an interest in speculative fiction are welcome. Come prepared to write, read generously, and offer thoughtful feedback to your peers. You'll leave with revised work, a stronger sense of your own literary voice, and new perspectives on the possibilities that exist within the uncanny and exciting tapestry of speculative fiction.
Please note: Class does not meet 10/14
Writing Roadmap: We've created a simple, goal-based writing roadmap to help you find the perfect GrubStreet course for your writing needs.
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.