Aims of the course:
- To introduce students to a range of fantasy writing
- To help students experiment with different styles and techniques in their own work
- To encourage students to begin writing a fantasy story or novel
Learning outcomes:
As a result of the course, within the constraints of the time available, students should be able to:
- Develop an understanding of the ways in which a fantasy story or novel can be approached
- Show knowledge of the genre
- Assess the merits of fantasy pieces and begin to incorporate new qualities learned from other writers into their own work
Course content overview:
This course will begin with an introduction to fantasy writing: what it is, its conventions, and the recent rise in popularity in the publishing.
Each week will focus on a different aspect of fantasy writing: the history of the genre, character and voice, stylistic options, and world-building.
Students will learn how real-world research can enhance fantasy writing and influence the way in which a story is told.
The course will encourage students to establish a writing regime.
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online):
Orientation Week: 12-18 July 2021
Teaching Weeks: 19 July-22 August 2021
Feedback Week: 23-29 August 2021
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards,etc).
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
What our students say
"I found the course incredibly enlightening and helpful. I learned some concepts about fantasy writing that I hadn’t considered before.”
“I enjoyed this course immensely. The videos were just the right length, well presented, and with just the right amount of variation between video, text and written assignments.”
“Natasha was wonderful. She offered very thoughtful feedback and constructive criticism to all of us.”
