CW 99 W — Love and Lore: Romantasy Workshop
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Jeanne De Vita
Date(s): Jan 14—Mar 18
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 12:00—1:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $1000
Refund Deadline: Jan 16
Unit(s): 2
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Closed
Quarter: Winter
Day: Wednesdays
Duration: 10 weeks
Time: 12:00—1:00 pm (PT)
Date(s): Jan 14—Mar 18
Unit(s): 2
Tuition: $1000
Refund Deadline: Jan 16
Instructor(s): Jeanne De Vita
Enrollment Limit: 18
Recording Available: Yes
Status: Closed
Romantasy is booming. These stories, blending romance and fantasy, now dominate nearly half of the top fiction and romance slots on The New York Times bestseller list and are exploding on social media, as readers seek immersive, emotionally satisfying escapes. Whether you're writing about fae, vampires, or monsters, crafting a successful romantasy novel requires the intricate world-building of fantasy and the satisfying emotional arc and happy ending promised by romance—a fun challenge this course will unpack.
Through prerecorded lectures and live Zoom sessions, we’ll break down the beats of the romance novel, explore what makes a compelling and original fantasy universe, and outline strategies to successfully weave both threads together. For inspiration and guidance, we’ll study examples from authors like Jayci Lee, Xiran Jay Zhao, and Ali Hazelwood, analyzing how to balance world-building with plot, character development, and romantic tension.
Open to writers of all experience levels, all “heat” levels, and both fantasy-forward and romance-centered projects, this course includes weekly writing assignments, peer workshops, and instruction on publishing pathways and building a career as an author.
Through prerecorded lectures and live Zoom sessions, we’ll break down the beats of the romance novel, explore what makes a compelling and original fantasy universe, and outline strategies to successfully weave both threads together. For inspiration and guidance, we’ll study examples from authors like Jayci Lee, Xiran Jay Zhao, and Ali Hazelwood, analyzing how to balance world-building with plot, character development, and romantic tension.
Open to writers of all experience levels, all “heat” levels, and both fantasy-forward and romance-centered projects, this course includes weekly writing assignments, peer workshops, and instruction on publishing pathways and building a career as an author.
JEANNE DE VITA
Author and Editor
Jeanne De Vita is a developmental editor, copy editor, and former acquisitions editor who teaches writing and editing courses privately and at UCLA Extension, Writers.com, and the Ripped Bodice bookstore. She received an MFA in creative writing from the University of Notre Dame, where she taught in the First Year Writing Program. In addition to publishing an Amazon Editors' Pick series on Kindle Vella and horror and fantasy romance novels under a pen name, she has ghostwritten more than a dozen books, including romance novels, romantic suspense, and nonfiction. Textbooks for this course:
See syllabus for details., Two books from the list are required.