Class

Heroes, Villains, and Worlds: Fantasy Writing (for ages 12 to 14)

Welcome to the Loft's Summer Youth program at Open Book! Join us for a week of writing and all-day creativity!

SESSION 1:
Heroes in the Making: Building My Hero and Their World (for Ages 12 to 14) with Elise Toedt

In this class, we will create compelling heroes whose journey brings up topics of concern to fellow peers. We’ll have fun creating a character with a tragic flaw, talisman, and allies, along with the unknown world they venture into. To get into the mindset of the hero’s journey, we’ll look at the hero’s journey narrative structure as laid out by Joseph Campbell. We’ll watch Pixar short films and identify how they use this narrative structure. We'll read interesting and relevant short stories to see how writers use the structure. We’ll do character and world building writing exercises to get our ideas flowing, and then write and workshop a short story that uses the hero’s journey narrative structure in a world of our creation.

LUNCH & ENRICHMENT:
We'll break for lunch with more activities that will inspire us to express ourselves while having fun! We may explore Gold Medal Park to seek creativity outside the classroom! Please bring a packed lunch.

SESSION 2: Robots and Monsters are People Too (for Ages 12 to 14) with Matthew-Taber Hanson

Whether it be elves, vampires, robots, or aliens, fantasy and science fiction are filled with creatures that are not human but who think and feel just the same. These creatures let us explore what it means to be human and who the real monsters are.

In this class, we’ll create short stories focused on non-human characters, including brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revision.

Aspiring writers, grab your notebooks and pens, and let’s write at the Loft!