Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? It’s important to not only write and read on a regular basis, but to understand the genres that you write in, and how you fit in. This class will talk at length about many different genres that contribute to the current dark fiction landscape (fantasy, science fiction, horror, Southern gothic, crime, neo-noir, transgressive, magical realism, and literary fiction) while simultaneously learning techniques, mechanics, structure, and essential elements that can be applied to ALL writing.

Course overview

This course is reading and writing intensive. You will read four books in four months—one novel per month.

Each week you will complete the weekly assigned reading:

1. One instructional column from Richard’s Storyville series at LitReactor.

2. At least one short story which relates to the column.

3. A portion of a novel.

Discussion will surround how to apply the elements and the column and topic to your own writing and you will complete a writing assignment—200 to 1,000 words—utilizing what you’ve learned.

The weekly Skype call lasts 1.5 hours and will cover that week’s short story, the column and subject, and the novel.

Additional discussion will occur in a private Facebook group.

At the end of the month, you will turn in an original short story, up to 4,000 words, based on whatever inspired you over the course of our studies. Richard will read, edit, and critique each story, and return it to you with advice on what to do next (keep editing, drop it, polish it up, send it out). You are also responsible for providing feedback on the stories workshopped each month, in a timely basis.

At the end of the semester you will get one hour of private Skype time with Richard to talk about anything you like—your work in class, other projects, the industry in general, markets, query letters, how to get an agent, what to do next, etc.

CONTENT WARNING: We will read stories and novels that contain sex, violence, and other potentially upsetting material.

BOOKS

The following books are included in the price of the class and will be mailed/emailed to you.

• The New Black (Dark House Press) edited by Richard Thomas (PDF)

• Exigencies (Dark House Press) edited by Richard Thomas (signed)

• After the People Lights Have Gone Off by Stephen Graham Jones (PDF)

• The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers (PDF)

You are responsible for providing the following books:

• Bird Box by Josh Malerman.
  $22.15.
  272 pages.
  ISBN: 978-0062259653

• Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer.
  $8.12.
  208 pages.
  ISBN: 978-0374104092

• Come Closer by Sara Gran.
  $5.98.
  168 pages.
  ISBN: 978-1569473283

• Perdido Street Station by China Mieville.
  $15.12.
  710 pages.
  ISBN: 978-0345443021

who is this class for?

1. Students who are looking to go beyond the mechanics of short story writing and take their prose to the next level.

2. Beginners who have no fear and an open mind.

3. Authors who write genre fiction and are looking to make their work more literary.

4. Literary authors who are looking to add some genre or supernatural aspects to their realism.

5. Anyone looking to expand their understanding of contemporary dark fiction.

6. Authors that are looking to publish in the top magazines, websites, and anthologies.

7. Writers who have the time and discipline to read and write every week for the next sixteen weeks.

8. Authors who enjoy Richard’s writing, and/or the work he’s published at Dark House Press, Gamut, and/or the four anthologies he’s edited.

syllabus

Week One: Dynamic Settings “Wilderness” by Letitia Trent (Exigencies)

Week Two: Revealing Character “When I Make Love to the Bug Man by Laura Benedict (The Lineup)

Week Three: Innovating genres “The Last Manuscript” by Usman T. Malik (Exigencies)

Week Four: Shifting Sympathies “Cat Calls” by Rebecca Jones-Howe (Exigencies)

Week Five: Love Instead of Death—Writing With Heart “That Baby” by Lindsay Hunter (The New Black)

Week Six: Making Relationships Feel Real in Your Fiction “See You Later, Fry-o-Lator” by Monica Drake (The Lineup)

Week Seven: Avoiding Tropes in Horror “Windeye” by Brian Evenson (The New Black)

Week Eight: Supernatural & Speculative Fiction—Getting Weird Without Losing Your Audience “Second Chances” by Stephen Graham Jones (After the People Lights Have Gone Off)

Week Nine: Manipulating Your Readers “Rust and Bone” by Craig Davidson (The New Black)

Week Ten: Dramatic Structure and Freytag’s Triangle “It’s Against the Law to Feed the Ducks” by Paul Tremblay (The New Black)

Week Eleven: What is Neo-Noir Fiction? “Dial Tone” by Benjamin Percy (The New Black)

Week Twelve: Ten Ways to Avoid Cliches and Stereotypes “Twenty Reasons to Stay and One to Leave,” “Asking for Forgiveness,” and “Splintered” by Richard Thomas

Week Thirteen: Writing the Grotesque “Ceremony of the White Dog” by Kevin Catalano (Exigencies)

Week Fourteen: Breaking Hearts “Parts” by Holly Goddard Jones (The Lineup)

Week Fifteen: Endings, Twisted and Otherwise “Father, Son, Holy Rabbit” by Stephen Graham Jones (The New Black)

Week Sixteen: Writing Horror Stories “The Familiars” by Micaela Morrissette (The New Black)

Sound good? We’d love to have you.

Want more info? Click below to learn about discounts, payment plans, our referral program, and our cancellation policy.

the details

Class Size: 8 Students
Cost: $1,200 (Discounts and payment plans available.)
Platform: Skype
Structure: Video
Duration: 16 weeks
Schedule: Tuesdays from 8:00 to 9:30 PM CST

objectives

• To expand your understanding and the definition of various appropriate genres

• To find your place in the world of dark fiction.