Beyond The Lord of the Rings: Fantasy Writing 6-Week Zoom Workshop, Starts Wednesday, October 4th, 2023
Begins Wednesday, October 4th, 2023
Class will meet weekly on Wednesday nights via Zoom, 6PM - 8PM EST
Open to All writers!
Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.
Taught by Evan Fleischer, a writer, editor, and teacher. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Slate, The Washington Post, Vice, and numerous other publications. He has a MFA from Emerson College.
Read an Interview with Evan and get to know him in our Meet the Teaching Artist series.
Come join an adventure in this unique fantasy creative writing workshop.
Fantasy writing doesn’t just begin and end with The Lord of the Rings -- it’s Ursula K. LeGuin, Dungeons & Dragons, Princess Mononoke, and more.
Over the course of six weeks, students will be invited to explore the genre in a variety of ways -- including briefly playing Dungeons & Dragons -- as they workshop their fantasy fiction. No experience necessary. All are welcome.
Come analyze and engage wite the best varied media of the genre while having your fiction workshopped by peers. No experience necessary. All are welcome.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Week 1: Hard worldbuilding vs. Soft worldbuilding. Review of LeGuin’s articles. Introduction to D&D for those who need it.
Week 2: Reaction to Wizards of Earthsea. A bit of Dungeons & Dragons. First workshop.
Week 3: Reaction to Worlds Beyond Number. A bit more D&D.
Week 4: Reaction to Princess Mononoke. Potential introduction to Pathfinder. Workshop.
Week 5: Reaction to Legend of Zelda. Potential Pathfinder one-shot. Workshop.
Week 6: Giving more time to subjects we might not have had the chance to explore fully. Presentation of final revisions.
- “Rhythmic Pattern in The Lord of the Rings" by Ursula K. LeGuin
- “From Elfland to Poughkeepsie” by Ursula K. LeGuin
- A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
- Princess Mononoke (Film)
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Tears of the Kingdom
- Worlds Beyond Number (Podcast)
- Dungeons & Dragons (TTRPG)
- Pathfinder (TTRPG)
Note: Assigned texts are subject to change. Students aren’t required to purchase any text.
COURSE TAKEAWAYS:
- Participate in a community of like-minded peers.
- Explore the underpinnings of fantasy with intense intellectual curiosity.
- Produce at least 10-20 pages of material by the end of the class.
TAKE THIS CLASS IF:
- You're finding the constraints of your current writing practice too limiting.
- You want exposure to a range of new approaches to bring to your writing practice.
- You want an expanded sense of what is possible in your work in 2023 and beyond!
ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:
This class meets weekly via Zoom. Come prepared for a super fun class with live interaction on Zoom each week and plenty of writing, reading, and talking!
- Instructor: Evan Fleischer
- This class will have at least 4 writers
- Class Starts Wednesday, October 4th, 2023
- Class will meet weekly on Wednesday nights via Zoom, 6PM - 8PM EST
- Course is fully ONLINE.
Instructor Evan Fleischer is a writer, editor, and recent MFA graduate. He has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Republic, Slate, The Washington Post, Vice, and numerous other publications.