Creative writing: an introduction to fantasy writing

A man writing in a notebook at a table in a coffee shop, with a camera beside him and a blurred background

From the history of fantastical story elements to the evolution of different styles and worldbuilding techniques, this course will focus on some of the foundation stones of fantasy writing - and ways to start putting them together. Every week will start with a mini-lecture and some reading, which will include extracts of novels and stories from right across the genre. Students will also have the chance to take part in online discussion and writing exercises, and to give and receive feedback on their own writing.

Course Dates

No upcoming courses. We are hoping to run the course again but the dates are TBC.

Key Features

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.

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.

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

Teaching Week 1: The history of fantasy

Purpose:

this unit will open a discussion about what fantasy is and where it comes from, and raise questions about what counts as fantasy, what doesn't, and how far back in the history of writing it's possible to find it

Learning outcomes:

to provide an understanding of the background of the genre
to experiment with writing short-form fantasy

Teaching Week 2: Fantastical characters

Purpose:

this unit will investigate how fantasy characters can differ from those in other genres, and explore what makes a good character

Learning outcomes:

to provide an understanding of how to embed fantastical elements in character
to experiment with the creation of a new character
a look at the tools needed to create a character-based fantasy plot

Teaching Week 3: Language and voice

Purpose:

this unit will explore how language can be used to reflect voice and character, and to reinforce setting

Learning outcomes:

to provide an understanding of different writing styles and the influence those styles have on the narrative and characters
to experiment with at least two contrasting styles

Teaching Week 4: World-building

Purpose:

this unit will examine how sense of place, world-building, and landscape affect character and plot in fantasy pieces

Learning outcomes:

to provide an understanding of the interlocking nature of world-building, character, and plot
to experiment with creating a new feature of an imaginary world
to engage in discussion with your fellow students' work

Teaching Week 5: Editing

Purpose:

this week will explore how to refine a first draft. It will discuss the role of research in fantasy writing, whole-story editing techniques, and sentence-by-sentence editing techniques

Learning outcomes:

to provide an awareness of good writing
to provide an understanding of how to improve your own work, both in large, whole-plot strokes, and on a sentence level

Week 6: What Next?

Purpose:

assessment of student learning
assessment of student satisfaction
encouragement of further study

Schedule (this course is completed entirely online):

Orientation Week: 19-25 May 2025
Teaching Weeks: 26 May-29 June 2025
Feedback Week: 30 June-6 July 2025

Study commitment and Certificate

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).

Virtual Learning Environment

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).

Certificate of Participation

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.