5 Sundays, October 2 – October 30, 7-9:30pm 
“Zombies. Vampires. Aliens. Heroes and villains and criminals. Worlds of wonder and dark alleys full of terrors. If these elements catch fire in your imagination, you’re in good company,” says instructor Jay Ridler. “Genre fiction (crime, horror, fantasy, and science fiction) requires the use of all the normative conventions of fiction, and the added challenge of breaking the laws of reality to tell amazing stories that stretch our imagination and speak to our deepest desires and fears.”
“In this class we’ll explore how genre fiction ticks from the inside out. I will show you many of the techniques involved in using magic that works within your stories, making your fantastical worlds reflect character goals and needs, and that help make the best genre stories strong and successful. There will also be in-class exercises and homework assignments to help you create stories and characters that are out of this world.”
Blending the basics of storytelling with the unique elements of genre fiction, this class is ideal for beginners as well as experienced writers familiar with the tropes and techniques of fantasy.
Jason S. Ridler is a writer, improv actor, and historian. He is the author of A TRIUMPH FOR SAKURA, BLOOD AND SAWDUST, the Spar Battersea thrillers and the upcoming BRIMSTONE FILES series for Nightshade Press. He’s published over sixty stories in such magazines and anthologies as The Big Click, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Out of the Gutter, and more. He also writes the column FXXK WRITING! for Flash Fiction Online. A former punk rock musician and cemetery groundskeeper, Mr. Ridler holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. He lives in Berkeley, CA.