World Building for Novelists: A Two-Part Mini

OVERVIEW:

A Two-Night Mini Online Course

Fantasy authors Intisar Khanani and Alisa Alering are ready to share the inner workings of world building, from physical elements of the environment, to social and cultural systems, and everything in between!

This program is a great fit if you’re looking for a short course of two, 75-minute sessions offering limited interaction with the community, but loads of information.

• Tuesday, July 12, 2022 (7pm – 8:15pm EST)
• Thursday, July 14, 2022 (7pm – 8:15pm EST)
• Webinar-style program with closed captioning available and limited interaction in the chat
• Optional post-course critique opportunity available for an additional cost (details below)

Feedback Expected:

• None included in the course. There will be limited interaction in the chat feature of the webinar-style program.
• An optional, post-course critique opportunity is available for an additional cost of $100. This critique includes written feedback on your opening scene (up to 7 pages). Written feedback will be provided within 4 – 6 weeks of submission. Spots are limited to the first twenty writers who submit. Details will be released during the final night of the course for this optional paid critique.

WHY THIS WORKSHOP?

Fantasy authors Intisar Khanani and Alisa Alering want you to know that there is more to world building than setting.

World building in your novel includes crucial aspects of developing a physical environment, AND the social systems that your characters inhabit. When physical and social systems interact, truly immersive fictional worlds come to life.

Join us to learn more about:

• Creating a vivid physical setting for your story
• How setting interacts with character and informs plot
• Developing diverse, intersectional communities
• Representing social mores, customs, and manners
• The two questions you MUST ask about every world-building choice
• and more!

IT’S A GREAT FIT FOR:

• Middle grade or young adult novelists who are interested in making their fictional and fantastical worlds as multi-dimensional as possible.
• Writers of fantasy or speculative fiction. World building is vital in all forms of fiction, and requires special considerations in fantasy and speculative fiction.
• You’re looking for something short, sweet, and smart! This is not a full workshop; it is two 75-minute sessions with limited engagement meant to open up world building as more than a setting on a page.

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

At registration: You will receive a Zoom link to use for each night of the course.

Part One: Tuesday, July 12, 2022 (7pm-8:15pm Eastern)

• The Physical World: A story has to take place SOMEWHERE
  • Elements of a strong setting
  • Tips, Tricks, and Techniques
  • Mistakes to watch out for
  • What to Leave Out
• Research to Get it Right

Part Two: Thursday, July 14, 2022 (7pm-8:15pm EST)

• The Social World: An Overview
  • Homogeneity vs Heterogeneity
  • Intersectionality
  • Social Mores, Customs, and Manners
  • Conflict and Power
• Interplay with the Physical World
• Q & A
• Information about optional critiques

Optional, After the Course Critique: An optional, post-course critique opportunity is available for an additional cost of $100. This critique includes written feedback on your opening scene (up to 7 pages). Written feedback will be provided within 4 – 6 weeks of submission. Spots are limited to the first twenty writers who submit. Details will be released during the final night of the course for this optional paid critique.

Please note: 
If you’re unable to attend either session for any reason, you’ll have access to the recordings (with closed captioning) through August 31, 2022.

HOW IT IMPACTS KIDS:

Readers grow beyond the book through imagination and exploration. This workshop will help authors explore ways root the worlds of their stories in ways that will encourage readers to think, imagine, and explore!

Why do we mention this? Learn about the Highlights Foundation mission.