It’s the last week before the summer sessions of Crafting the Short Story and Writing Horror: the Dark Side kick off. Time is getting short, but it’s not too late! There’s still time to register for either of these fun and informative classes.
Blurb for Crafting the Short Story:
“Related to – but entirely separate from – novel writing, short story creation can be a tricky art to master but also fun and rewarding. It has been suggested that writing short stories can even be more difficult than novels. Impossible? Take this course and judge for yourself.
“Here’s an opportunity to focus on writing effective short stories, covering many of the basics of short story writing. You’ll learn how to set the scene, create and develop believable characters, avoid common pitfalls and much more.
“With an emphasis on developing the craft through good writing practices and habits, the course offers tips and advice on discovering the joys of short speculative fiction.
“The course also covers important topics such as editing and preparing your work for publication. There is a segment that focuses on submitting for publication, publishing contracts, identifying and avoiding scams, and more, to help avoid the worst of the potential pitfalls in the publishing world.”
This class runs on Thursday evenings 6:30 – 8:30 AST, from May 16th to July 11th (8 weeks, no class May 23rd).
Blurb for Writing Horror: the Dark Side:
“The word “horror” often conjures images of masked, machete-wielding monsters doing unspeakable things to innocent teenagers. That’s definitely part of it, but there’s a lot more to the story.
“Horror is a genre unlike no other. Its purpose is to unsettle, to elicit a strong emotional response from the reader through “safe scares”. It’s also perhaps the most misunderstood genre of all.
“Horror is hack and slash, blood and guts. It’s creepy ghosts and haunted houses. It’s psychological thrillers, gothic tales, atmospheric tension, human drama, and of course, monsters. It spans generations and appeals to a wide audience – from Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe to Neil Gaiman and R.L. Stine, horror brings joy (and scares) to kids and adults alike.
“In this course, we’ll dispel some of the myths surrounding horror, and explore the key elements including, what turns an ordinary story into a spooky tale, how to build and maintain suspense, developing strong characters (human and otherwise), how to write an ending with maximum impact, and more.
“This course shares some basic elements with Crafting the Short Story, and emphasizes developing the craft through good writing practices and habits.”
The class runs on Monday evenings 6:30 – 8:30 AST, from May 13th to June 24th (6 weeks, no class May 20th).
If you, or someone you know, has ever wanted to try their hand at fiction writing, Crafting the Short Story is a great starting point. Interested in the horror genre, and all it encompasses and entails? Writing Horror has you covered. Even if you’re an intermediate or more advanced writer, there’s still plenty you can take away from either of these classes. I’ve had first-time (or first time on a long time) writers, established authors, and everything in between join my classes. The vast majority have learned or developed something they can use in their writing, and rekindled (or rejuvenated) their love of writing.
Don’t live nearby? No problem! Back in the winter of 2020, we switched to virtual classes, and haven’t looked back. I’ve had writers from as close as just across the river from my house, and as far afield as Trinidad and Australia join me.
Links to both classes can be found here – unfortunately, there are no longer links to individual classes. If you’re intrigued but would like to know more, feel free to reach out – I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. While you’re at it, why not pop over to my contact page and get signed up for posts and updates just like this one sent directly to your inbox. As always, thanks for reading and visiting. Your support and interest are always appreciated. Always remember that reviews are the lifeblood of authors, be sure to leave reviews for books by any and all authors you’ve read and liked. Until next time, be safe, talk soon!
-JP
Joe Powers, Author 