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"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."
I’m hoping eventually to have the bulk of the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers classes up as on-demand versions, but it’s slow going. I’m so delighted that Kate Heartfield has turned her awesome Writing Interactive Fiction live class into an on-demand version and she’s very generously suggested making it free this first week in order to offer another resource for folks practicing social isolation to entertain and educate themselves.
I book teachers for classes that I personally want to take, and this was definitely one of them. After the first time Kate taught this class, I felt inspired to start noodling around with an interactive novel, although I’m still very much in the planning stages.
Here’s a link for the new class.
If you’ve ever found yourself choosing between possible endings or plot twists, why not try a storytelling format that lets you explore them all? Games and interactive fiction invite the reader to join in the storytelling process, and invite the writer to consider multiple facets of agency, characterization, pacing and plot. Learn some fundamental principles and techniques for interactive formats, or just gain a new perspective on ways to develop your non-interactive prose.
Kate Heartfield is the author of two interactive novels for Choice of Games: The Road to Canterbury, which was published in 2018 and shortlisted for the first Nebula award in the game writing category; and The Magician’s Workshop, published at the end of 2019. She is also the author of the historical fantasy novel Armed in Her Fashion, which won the Aurora Award for Best Novel and was shortlisted for the Locus First Novel, Crawford and Sunburst awards. Her two Alice Payne time travel novellas were shortlisted for the Nebula and Aurora awards. A former newspaper journalist, Kate lives in Ottawa, Canada.
If you’d prefer to take a live version in which you have a chance to talk with Kate, she is teaching it on Saturday, April 11, 2020, 1:00-3:00 AM Pacific time.
Live versions of the classes are performed in realtime, are limited to 15 students, and include a chance to interact with the instructor as well as a recording of the class. You can find the current list of upcoming live classes through June here. There are free scholarship slots available in every class.
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In June/July I’ll be teaching two multi-session workshops and a few one-offs. Here’s what’s coming up.
To register for any class, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net and tell me a) which classes you want to register for, b) what rate is applicable, and how you would like to pay (Paypal, Venmo, or check preferred.)
Find the Heart of Your Story: How to Use Theme, Motifs, and Symbols in Fiction
Everyone tells you that a story needs a theme, but how do you figure out what your story’s theme is? And once you know that, how do you go about conveying and underscoring that theme without hammering a reader over the head with it? How do motifs, symbols, and other devices work to enhance the theme? We will explore theme, motifs, and symbols from a craft perspective and develop skills with them through a mixture of lecture, discussion, and writing exercises.
This class is designed for writers who understand story basics and are looking to advance and refine their short story skills. Students will work with one story over the course of the workshop in order to apply new skills as they are acquired.
Meets Sunday evenings, 7-9 PM Eastern time, June 1, 8,15,25 and July 6. (5 sessions)
Cost: Free to Schoolhouse Rock and Super Extra Deluxe Campus Pass holders, otherwise $299 for Patreon supporters; $399 for all others. Partial and full scholarships available; BIPOC, neurodiverse, and LGBTQ+ writers are particularly invited to apply.
The Basics of Fiction Series
Each two hour workshop covers what you need to know to really understand one of the fundamentals of fiction. Each session focuses on a specific aspect of fiction: characters, world-building/setting, and plot and includes writing exercises designed to hone your skills in this area.
This class is designed for newer writers who want to strengthen a specific aspect of their writing or build their skillset overall.
Cost for series/individual workshop
The cost of single session classes:
Ready to Rock and Roll: Planning Your Book Publicity Campaign
Got a book coming out in the next year that you want to launch? Join me for a session where we’ll talk about different facets of book publicity, what steps you can take to maximize them, and how to create a plan that will carry you through the campaign.
This class is aimed at writers who are publishing independently or with a small press, although the plan will also help those publishing traditionally.
7-9 PM Eastern, Tuesday, June 10
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You Should Take This Class: Writing Second Person
Second person can be one of the most interesting POVs to work in, due to its complexity and relationship with the reader. How do you work with a reader’s innate resistance to being told what to do in order to exploit the unsettling nature of the POV? What stories are best suited to be told in second person. Through a mix of lecture, exercises, and discussion, you’ll learn how to use this POV and what to avoid.
This class is designed for writers who understand story basics and want to explore this POV in order to refine and advance their skills.
7-9 PM Eastern, Tuesday, June 17
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Canva Basics for Creating Book Covers, Zoom Background, Social Media, and More
The Canva tool can be a huge help when trying to create graphics. Learn how to use it for the things you’re most likely to want, such as Zoom backgrounds or posts sized for specific social media, as well as how to use templates and the resize tool to save yourself time.
This class is aimed at all writers looking to create graphics for self-promotion.
7-9 PM Eastern, Tuesday, June 24
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