FICT 88 W — Writing Beyond Reality: Speculative Fiction Workshop
Quarter: Winter
Instructor(s): Yohanca Delgado
Date(s): Jan 6—Mar 10
Class Recording Available: Yes
Class Meeting Day: Wednesdays
Class Meeting Time: 12:00—1:00 pm (PT)
Tuition: $1040
Refund Deadline: Jan 8
Unit(s): 2
Enrollment Limit: 18
Status: Registration opens Nov 30, 8:30 am (PT)
Speculative fiction pushes the limits of the imagination, combining a literary attentiveness to language and characterization with an attention to story elements often found outside of "realistic" fiction. Often all it takes is a character that breathes on the page and a few well-chosen details to pull you into an unfamiliar world. In this course, we’ll examine the craft techniques needed to build immersive story worlds that edge into the surreal, leaping into the realms of science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between. Drawing inspiration from writers including Jorge Luis Borges, Carmen Maria Machado, Octavia Butler, and George Saunders, we’ll consider the techniques and opportunities available to us, from perspective and structure to tone and theme. Weekly exercises (300–500 words) will sharpen your craft instincts and help you to layer texture and detail into imagined worlds. Everyone will have the opportunity to workshop a story or chapter of up to 3,500 words.