Class Description
How do we create memorable and compelling settings in our fiction without resorting to long, slogging paragraphs of description? This class will examine the role that setting plays in a story, and how to develop a story out of an idea for a world. Each week we will read and analyze examples of compelling worldbuilding and uses of setting, which will frequently take us to imagined spaces, but will sometimes show us new sides of our own world. We will examine the relationship that characters have to the world of their story and how to strengthen this relationship in our own writing. We'll discuss aspects of building a second world, such as maps, politics, pantheons of gods, geographical features, invented languages and creatures, and power dynamics. By creating new worlds we'll also be creating unique challenges for characters in that world, and in we'll work on connecting setting to character in order to tell complex and engaging stories without overwhelming the reader with exposition. This class will help you generate six new worlds and settings, which could be cities or dimensions or planets within the same story, or inspire new stories of their own. Though this class will be particularly beneficial for genre and speculative fiction writers, we will also be engaging with travel narratives and compelling locations in realist writing and learn how to use our real-world experiences to inform the creation of unique new worlds.
*NOTE that while our handy dandy "Schedule" tab states a 6-7pm class time, there are actually no live meetings for this class! Assignments will be given on a weekly basis. Students will have access to the online class portal starting at 5pm on the first day of class. Instructions for logging onto the online portal will be emailed to registered students before 5pm the first day of class.
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 more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
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.