World-building for science fiction and fantasy: A weekend bootcamp with Sally Gales | Guardian Masterclasses

Think about a speculative book, film or video game you have enjoyed recently. What comes to mind first? The intricately imagined world? The invented language of the people who live there? The ways in which the setting either helps or hinders the hero?

From Hogwarts to Wakanda, and Narnia to Gaia, world-building is a staple in all fantasy and science fiction. These worlds provide crucial backdrops to story – but they are so much more than circumstantial places. They are fundamentally essential to the plot, the characters’ journey, and to the authenticity of the story.

In this fascinating two-day bootcamp with the writer Sally Gales, who writes speculative fiction, you will learn what makes fantasy worlds so compelling – and how to create your own fully immersive fictional setting. Whether you’re in need of fresh inspiration for a work in progress, or want to add a new skill to your creative writing toolkit, this masterclass will guide you through the lively worlds of fantasy and tech that already reside within your imagination and just need teasing out.

On the first day, you will briefly explore the history of world-building before discussing the theoretical elements required for creating a world of your own that packs a punch and stays with your reader. On the second day, you will discover the specific systems needed for world-building, with a view to work through practical writing exercises and begin crafting a world of your own.

By the end of this explorative bootcamp, you will have built the foundations for a new world, gained the tools to analyse and understand the worlds you encounter in books, film and video games, and will feel a newfound confidence in your ability to adapt your insights into your own work.

This course is for …

• Writers with a desire to develop their skills in world-building and writing for science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction

• Writers who are looking for support and guidance in creating immersive and authentic worlds for their fiction

• Beginners with no idea what they necessarily want to gain, but who might be interested in getting explorative

Course content

• A brief history of imaginary worlds

• An examination of the role our world plays in the creative process

• The properties needed to create a new world

• The different levels of the world-building experience

• The structures and systems of world-building

• Analysing texts

• Q&A

Tutor profile

Dr Sally Gale obtained her Doctorate of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Glasgow. Originally from South Florida, she currently lives and teaches in Scotland. Before pursuing her doctorate, she worked as an architect, and she utilises her knowledge of built space to inform the worlds she creates in her speculative fiction. Her work has appeared in the anthology Scotland After the Virus, and is forthcoming in New Writing Scotland 39.

Details

Date: Saturday 25 June 2022 and Sunday 26 June 2022
Time: 2-5pm BST (both days)
Price: £249 (plus £7.80 booking fee)

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

2pm BST | 3pm CEST | 6am PDT | 9am EDT

You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 2 hours before the start time of 6pm (BST)

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