Ken Liu

In this workshop on secondary worlds, author Ken Liu will lead attendees on a reexamination of the concept of "worldbuilding" to find an alternative to the traditional approach of "objective" worldbuilding. Instead, a character-driven, "subjective" approach can unlock your creativity in crafting a compelling new world. The format of the workshop will consist of a mini-lecture followed by writing exercises (total of 60 minutes).

Stacey McEwan

Conflict is the driving force of every plot. Whether your characters are suffering from heartbreak, mortal wounds, or something between, crafting conflict is essential in the creation of a gripping story. This course will discuss the focus question: "What does my character want most?" and then explore ways to make them work for it, or even better, suffer hideously to the brink of demise. 

Ghabiba Weston and Courtney Shack

In this course, the Storybeast therapist-neuroscientist duo will walk you through the contextual framework of emotion to guide readers into rooting for your characters. You will acquire tools to dig deep into themes and core wounds steering character transformations and relatability. From hook to heart, we'll teach you how to embrace your storybeast.

Emily Rath

In this course, we’ll focus on exploring the power of writing good spice in romantasy. A little bit of “spice” can be effectively incorporated into all types of romantasy writing. From longing looks to searing kisses, well-written spice has the power to deepen plot and character, reveal information, and hook the emotions of your reader. Together, we’ll learn to craft great spice by breaking scenes down into five key components.

Hannah Whitten

Fantasy court intrigue made…well, not easy, but less intimidating, with key things to keep in mind and organizational strategies so your plots stay twisty, not twisted.

Sarah A. Parker

Step between the pages with Sarah A. Parker and learn her tools and tricks for creating a rich world full of tangible characters!

Carla Hoch

A quick and bloody guide to writing fight scenes from start to finish.

Carla Hoch

Fights begin long before the first punch both off and on the page. Learn what to consider before writing a fight scene including the why, the where and the three whos. Learn how a character’s reason for fighting impacts the style, speed and severity of the fight, how a location of a fight is more important than who is fighting, and how to fit the scene to the character’s natural abilities as a fighter and your ability as a writer. Finally, learn how to combine all of these factors in a way that appeals to the most important participant in the fight scene: the reader.

Summer England

Reading morally grey characters can often be a personal, moral dilemma - that we happen to love. But how do we successfully write a morally grey character? What even makes a character morally grey in the first place? And how do we make moral compasses (or the lack thereof) sexy? We’ll discuss all these questions and more in this literary chaos course!

L. Penelope

A Story or Series Bible is the canonical documentation of your character, settings, and other elements in your fictional world. Think of it as a personal reference guide, and whether you’re writing a standalone novel or a long series, it’s an incredibly useful tool. Learn how to organize and create your story bible and get an overview of software options like Scrivener and Plottr, which make the task easier.

Jessie and David Peterson

Professional language creators David J. and Jessie Peterson will provide practical advice for creating a language sketch that will support naming characters and places and translating short phrases for a fictional world. The session will also include a guided demonstration that allows participants to begin outlining a language sketch of their own.

Noah Sky

Self-editing can be difficult, especially when you've spent the better part of eternity knee-deep in your book. This course will explore simple ways you can keep your drafting cleaner, your sanity intact, and your editors happy.