Registration for this course is now closed.
Writing Horror with Dana Schwartz
a six-week workshop
Course Description:
What makes a story make the hairs on the back of your neck to stand up? What makes a story that keeps a reader from falling asleep once they finish? How do you turn a good idea into a great story? From Mary Shelley to Shirley Jackson, Bram Stoker to Stephen King, the history of horror literature is vast and varied. The goal of a great horror story isn’t just to unsettle, but to enlighten, to find a fundamental truth of human nature and twist it into something unforgettable. After all, nothing is scarier than what’s inside our own heads.
This course, consisting of six, two-hour class sessions led by Dana Schwartz, will guide you through the history of horror writing with the goal of you completing your own short story. In the sessions, we will discuss and close-read assigned stories, and then learn how to apply the principles we learn to our own writing. We’ll also be learning the fundamental practices of workshopping, breaking off into groups to write individually and collaboratively.
“Horror” encompasses an incredibly wide range of writing: this course is for those interested in the macabre and the gothic, but also those who are interested in science fiction or fantasy. Some horror is domestic and psychological; other relies on an external threat. All genres and writing styles are welcome here.
Faculty bioS:
Dana Schwartz - Instructor
Dana Schwartz is the author of five books, including the No. 1 New York Times bestsellers Anatomy: A Love Story, and Immortality: A Love Story. She is the host and creator of the history podcast ‘Noble Blood,’ and a frequent cohost on Crooked Media’s ‘Hysteria.’ Dana has also written for television and film, and contributed to a number of anthologies, including the Star Wars book, From a Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi.
The Details:
Tuition: Sliding scale, $250-$350
Dates: Saturdays from 12:00 - 2pm (EST) starting September 2nd and ending October 7th.
Recording: Classes WILL be recorded for later viewing, but the course is best experienced if participants attend each session live.
Cost: Full price is $300. If you can’t quite afford that, we have a price option of $250. If you would like to pay $350, all money above $300 will go toward scholarships that we will offer and help subsidize.
Scholarships: If you need more financial assistance than our sliding scale offers, you can submit a request for a partial or full scholarship. This form was due by Friday, August 11th to be considered.
Registration for this class is now closed.
Prep work or pre-reqs: None! We will have assignments ready for you when you arrive. All you have to show up with is the desire to write!
Questions? Email Nathalie: nathalie@notsorryproductions.com