Class Description
Teen Class Description:
Do you love writing fan fiction, and are looking for some guidance in writing original characters and worlds? As writers, we often begin as readers, and as fans. We fall in love with the fantastic, impossible fictional worlds that we encounter in books, comics, online, or see in movies, TV shows, and video games. As we explore, we begin to want to write our own rules, to become the authors of our own fantasy worlds. We’re ready to move from imitation to innovation, the way Lady K.I.L. Zenith, Dianna Wynne Jones, and Alan Moore reimagined existing work and made them their own. In this day-long workshop, we’ll examine classic and contemporary books, comics, games, and websites, identify the themes and tropes that make them so exciting, and then dig up those fictional roots to uncover unseen life teeming below the loam. Class will consist of in-class writing exercises, examples, discussion, sharing our original writing and sources of inspiration, and verbal feedback. For writers age 13 - 18 ONLY.
Class takeaways:
By the end of this class, you’ll come away with several drafts of new original pieces that reinvent or transform existing stories. You’ll also have a new conceptual tool for identifying tropes you love and finding ways to churn up that earth to see what might grow. And you’ll have met a group of young writer peers who share your love of fan fiction and ambition to push its limits.
Note About Our NEW Class Format:
We’ve made our remote classes more flexible than ever — with plenty of optional portions designed to allow for screen breaks — while still keeping us connected as a writing community. Learn more.
How Remote Learning works:
This class will be hosted remotely! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom video conference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! 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 via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance!
For parents registering their teens:
*Note: Parents/guardians must complete this permission form online if your teen is under 18.* Unlike previous forms, you only need to fill this 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 the form, registrations could be voided and the cancellation policy will apply. If the student is 18, simply let us know at [email protected].
*If you are registering on behalf of your teen, add their email information in the “For a Friend or Child?” field on the right-hand side of the screen before you check out. This will send them a direct link and reminder to create their own profile with GrubStreet.
(After adding the class to your cart, click "Checkout" and click “Add” next to “For a Friend or Child?” on the right-hand side to fill in their email. This is an easy way of linking the class to your child and encourages them to create their own account.)
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. 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!
Zoom Participation:
Students are not required to turn their camera on, but are encouraged to participate any way they feel comfortable through functions such as the live chat, emoji reactions, and unmuting the microphone. Learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
We ask that instructors enable closed captioning and send a transcript of the session after class. You can also enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting. If your instructor forgets to send the transcript, just send ’em an email!