A dark and snowy evening; a decrepit mansion perched above a hilltop; an unnerving portrait with eyes that seem to follow our protagonist across the room—we all know the well-worn tropes of the literary ghost story, and, in this generative, two hour craft class, you'll have the opportunity to apply your specific sensibilities as a writer to a ghost story of your own. How can the sins and heartbreaks of the past be conjured into the present? What's the right amount of lore for a given haunting? How can you craft something original inside of such a storied genre? We'll begin this class by reading and analyzing Carmen Maria Machado's "Horror Story" before transitioning into generative exercises to help you unearth the kind of ghost story that only you can write.
This course is a part of Spec Fest, a two-day celebration of speculative fiction taking place the weekend of August 29-30, and is open to the public. To learn more and find passes, which include discounted registrations to this event, click here.
