THINGS THAT GO BUMP, POOF AND SPARKLE IN THE NIGHT: WRITING FANTASY, SCIENCE FICTION AND HORROR
With acclaimed teacher and writer Nina Kiriki Hoffman
Common wisdom says write what you know. We say, write what you want to find out about or explore. Write what you can invent!
Through a series of conversations on craft, in-class explorations and exercises, and feedback on your writing from the teacher and peers, we will explore how to develop characters, worlds, and plot elements for the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in this fun and interactive workshop.
Nina Kiriki Hoffman, winner of both the Stoker and Nebula awards, leads this workshop. Each week, she will cover genre-specific issues including:
- Exploring ways to start your story with a bang, a curse, or a whimper.
- Trying on different personas – robot, fairy, monster, alien, other – and have fun with character creation through writing short scenes, exploring quirks, traits, and rites of passage.
- Basic plotting, including the seven-point plot outline, the three-act structure, and other models.
- Where are we, anyway? Developing setting, worldbuilding and culture creation.
Writers are encouraged to share excerpts of their work for review each week, though are not required to do so. Nina will supply optional exercises to help generate material. At the workshop’s conclusion, we will explore how to publish your stories, discuss possible markets, and learn about tracking, cover letters, and submission practices.
Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s novels and young adult novels have been published by Avon, Ace, Atheneum, Pocket, Gold Key and Viking, and she has sold more than 350 short stories to magazines and anthologies. Nina won the Stoker Award from the Horror Writers of America for her novel The Thread that Binds the Bone, and the Nebula Award from the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for her short story “Trophy Wives.”