Teen Summer: The Universe of Speculative Fiction

Class Description

Class Description:

For all of you who like to wonder outside the boundaries of our current world and imagine, "What if...," this class is for you!

Speculative Fiction is a broad term for stories that happen outside of reality and contains countless subgenres: steampunk, futurism, magical realism, gothic horror and sci-fi to name a few. In this class we'll look at examples from these genres to learn how to plan and start our own speculative stories with worldbuilding techniques that can apply to almost any genre. We’ll start off looking at Planet Earth and human civilization as the fictional invention of a brilliant spec-fiction author, then collectively create a list of all the elements that writer had to make creative choices about – this list will serve as a how-to reference for shaping your worlds and storylines to make anything possible in your writing. For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY. This class was previously listed as, Speculative Fiction: Brave New Worlds.

Takeaway:

This workshop will give you a solid grasp of the tenets of speculative fiction. Through lectures, readings, writing assignments, conversations, and collaborative projects, you’ll learn how world-building both creates interesting obstacles for your protagonists, as well as how it leads to creative problem-solving for you as the story-teller.

Class Format:

This class will take place in-person at our Center for Creative Writing in Boston's Seaport neighborhood. Students who need an MBTA pass to commute to class and/or a lunch stipend can request one using this form. Snacks, pens, notebooks and chromebooks (limited amount) will be provided!

Space Accessibility:

Our space is fully ADA accessible with automatic door openers, ADA compliant restrooms, desk and table spacing, braille signage, and elevator. Our classrooms can be equipped with ALS for hard of hearing individuals. We cannot guarantee a scent-free environment. For more accessibility requests, please contact our Operations team at [email protected] or (617) 695-0075.

Covid-19 Updates:

GrubStreet is a mask-friendly space. When our community Covid risk level is low or medium, masks are optional. We are currently at a high community risk level, so masking is required. Learn more about our Covid-19 Policy here.

Registration Instructions:

• If the student is under 18, parents/guardians must complete this permission form online. You only need to fill this form out ONE TIME, NOT for every class. If you cannot remember whether you have already filled it out, please email [email protected] and we will check for you! If you do not complete this form, your registrations could be voided and the cancellation policy will apply.
• If the student is 18, simply let us know by emailing [email protected].
• If you are registering on behalf of a student, add their email in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen at check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet.
• Please register with your preferred name :)

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***If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at [email protected]. We’re looking forward to writing with you this summer!***