The Real Monsters: Writing Creatures

Class Description

This three-hour seminar uses monsters from both film and fiction to explore how authors and movie-makers delve into some of life’s biggest questions. Be it Frankenstein’s creation or the Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water, these creatures have so much to teach us about the virtues of disobedience, and our right to be imperfect. Paying attention to how monstrosity is depicted across artistic mediums can help fiction and screenwriters add layers of nuance and emotion to their work. This is why we’ll study movie scenes and story excerpts, to see what each medium can learn from the other, then use those techniques to generate some of our own work.

Whether you’re almost done with a new screenplay or starting a fresh short story, this class is for any writer interested in ghouls, ghosts and goblins, and how they can show us what it means to be human.

Class Format

This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting!

Scholarship Information

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.