Creative Writing: Writing a Successful Fantasy

“The best thing for being sad,’ replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, ‘is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails.” With that in mind, this half-day session aims to welcome all aspiring fantasy adventure writers, however they feel. We will hone our writing skills in this genre by using fun exercises, stimulating writing prompts, and exploring a range of short extracts from highly successful published Fantasy novels. We will look at developing interesting characters and fresh but useful dialogue. We will also explore choosing an audience, point of view, world-building, and developing a tense and satisfying plot. As well as looking at extracts from the greats such as Tolkien, Le Guin, and George R.R. Martin, we will look at self-publishing and small publishers as an entry route into getting your work published.

We aim to:

• understand the pros and cons of world-building

• debate the conventions of the genre

• hone our practical writing skills

• Look at entry routes into publishing

• Be aware of our strengths and areas for development

After the course, aspiring writers will have developed their craft and editing skills, enabling them to make their Fantasy novels happen. They will also feel confident to undertake a wide range of creative writing courses.