Class Description
Carl Jung theorized that the archetypal Shadow is the reservoir for human darkness. It is also the seat of creativity. Fiction writers: are you paying attention? In this literature-based, craft-oriented workshop, we’ll examine the role of the Jungian Shadow in several well-known fantasy novels for young and older readers. In the process of dissecting passages from selected works, we’ll discover how the Shadow is not only a key concept for arriving at a more complete understanding of ourselves (and therefore of our characters), but also an important tool for creating deeply compelling, page-turning stories. Novels discussed may include The Lord of the Rings; The Golden Compass; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Dark is Rising; The Hunger Games; A Game of Thrones; and The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It will be helpful if participants have read at least a few of these books. Note that although the discussion will center on YA and fantasy novels, the craft-oriented lessons are applicable to fiction writers in any genre. We’ll conclude the discussion portion of the workshop with an exercise aimed at inviting the Shadow more fully into our own lives and creative work. Finally, participants will have a chance to incorporate what they’ve learned into a new piece of writing to share.
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.