Begins Wednesday, July 8th, 2026

Class will meet weekly via Zoom + Wet Ink on Wednesdays, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM ET

🌍 Class Times by Time Zone: Los Angeles (PDT): 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM / Chicago (CDT): 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM / New York (EDT): 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button to talk with us. 

Instructor Alex Temblador is the award-winning author of a writing craft book, Writing An Identity Not Your Own, and two magical realism novels, Half Outlaw and Secrets of the Casa Rosada. In addition to receiving her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma, Alex's creative work has been published in literary outlets like PALABRITAS, D Magazine, Colorado Review, as well as two anthologies — Living Beyond Borders: Growing Up Mexican in America and Speculative Fiction for Dreamers: A Latinx Anthology. Alex has taught creative writing seminars, workshops, and classes with WritingWorkshops.com, the Women's Fiction Writers Association, the Writer's League of Texas, StoryStudio Chicago, WorldShift: The Speculative Fiction Writer's Summit, Texas Book Festival, Macmillan Publishers, Abydos Learning Conference, and more. When she's not writing her next book, Alex is working as an award-winning journalist, traveling, gardening, or exploring her home base of Dallas with friends.

Who is this class for?

This online magical realism workshop is designed for writers who are new to the genre and work in fiction, memoir, or poetry. It's open to all writing levels and experiences. Students will leave the class with a stronger understanding of magical realism and personalized written feedback on six pages of their work.

What to expect:

Magical realism is both a literary and writing style in which the author combines realism with imaginary or fantastical elements that readers are meant to take as "real." In this four-week online writing workshop, we'll explore the history of the genre, how to identify it in text, and the major players in this literary movement — from Franz Kafka to Gabriel García Márquez, Toni Morrison, Isabel Allende, Ana Castillo, and more.

Each week, Alex will provide a multimedia presentation on specific ideas and strategies relating to magical realism, sharing excerpts, examples, video clips, and leading exercises so writers can practice writing in this style. Class discussions on reading materials will take place during live Zoom sessions, while Wet Ink will serve as a space where students can voluntarily interact, exchange information, and find additional readings and resources.

This creative writing course is designed to be fun and target your creative side in ways you didn't know were possible. Students will have the opportunity to write one magical realism short story, a personal essay, two poems, or the first chapter of a novel, and receive personalized feedback from the instructor on six pages.

What are the writing goals?

In this course, students will leave with numerous magical realism story ideas, written scenes, and written feedback from the instructor on 6 pages (double-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman) of a magical realism short story, personal essay, first chapter of a novel, or 3 poems. Submitting work for feedback is voluntary and must be submitted by the agreed-upon dates.

Readings

Readings may include excerpts from "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel García Márquez, "Americaa" by Aimee Bender, and "Red" by Malinda Lo, alongside in-class excerpts from Half Outlaw by Alex Temblador, River Woman, River Demon by Jenn Givhan, Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, and others.

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Introduction to Magical Realism — in-class multimedia presentation, exercises, and excerpts.

Week 2: Deep Diving into Myths, Legends, Magic/Supernatural, and Religious Beliefs — in-class multimedia presentation, exercises, excerpts, and discussion of a short story.

Week 3: Magical Objects and Nature — in-class multimedia presentation, exercises, excerpts, and discussion of a short story.

Week 4: Using Magical Realism to Connect to Culture, Community, and Tough Topics — in-class multimedia presentation, exercises, excerpts, and discussion of a short story.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS:

• Develop a stronger understanding of magical realism as both a literary tradition and a writing style
• Learn to blend fantastical elements with grounded reality in fiction, memoir, or poetry
• Generate magical realism story ideas, scenes, and drafts through guided in-class exercises
• Explore how magical realism can illuminate culture, community, and difficult subject matter
• Receive personalized written feedback from the instructor on 6 pages of your magical realism work
• Build a foundation of craft, reading references, and resources to continue writing in the genre

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

Tuition is $330 USD. You can pay for the course in full or use Shop Pay or Affirm to pay over time with equal Monthly Payments. Both options are available at checkout.

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

• Instructor: Alex Temblador
• Begins Wednesday, July 8, 2026
• Class will meet weekly via Zoom on Wednesdays, 8:00 PM – 9:30 PM ET
• Tuition is $330 USD.