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Right now, we live in a dystopian world. Perhaps it’s no surprise that speculative fiction is growing in recognition. Fiction can be a figment of your imagination, or a creative response to the world around you. This online speculative fiction workshop will invite you to speculate, to reach with your mind towards the infinite boundary, and to craft literary fiction that indulges in conjectural thought.

Is this course right for you? Read our FAQ >

This one-week online workshop explores fundamentals of writing speculative fiction across ‘genres’ of fantasy, science fiction, horror and the paranormal and cross-genre writing. It includes writing exercises and the opportunity to give and receive peer feedback.

Expected Learning Outcomes

1. Familiarity with the basics of speculative fiction, including definitions, worldbuilding, and elements of the fantastical, science or ‘the alternate’, fear, revulsion or spook.
2. Confidence to creatively explore a range of techniques and styles in unfamiliar genres, including genre bending.
3. The production of work that reflects in-depth understanding of speculative fiction.

Participant Requirements

Participants must be familiar with the art of writing fiction in some form of creative writing, including the short story or novel, with a basic understanding of writing a beginning, middle and end, writing characters and setting. This workshop is suitable for anyone interested in or already writing speculative fiction.

Please expect to spend a minimum of six hours on the course, noting that the amount of time needed to read, respond to discussions, write, revise and critique will vary from person to person. To get the most out of this course, we recommend logging in each day while the course is running. You don’t need to log in at a specific time and there are no live meetings.

Internet access and confidence using basic computer software are essential for this program. Please read our FAQ before enrolling.

• There will be a new lesson posted each day while the course is running (see course dates in the blue box above).
• You can complete the lesson material in your own time.
• There will be assignments which have deadlines. To be guaranteed tutor feedback, you will need to complete the assignments by the deadline.

We recommend allocating an hour a day to the course while it is running. By setting aside this time, you will get the most out of the course, and be able to engage with other participants and the tutor.

You can find out more about the course by reading our frequently asked questions.  If you have any questions, please contact us.

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