This textbook develops an 18-week program designed to guide prospective students through creating their own speculative fiction story, that is, a science fiction, fantasy, or horror story. Designed for homeschoolers and small-school settings, this textbook draws on excerpts from dozens of speculative fiction authors and writing experts. It gives detailed information about genre, cultural world building, physical world building, plot, character, character arc, heroes, villains, sidekicks, bystanders, description, conflict and tension, editing and revising, ‘your first chapter, ‘ voice, words and worldview, science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Each chapter in the course contains exercises for students, including extra credit activities, in addition to guiding the creating of an individual short story.
Cuprins
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE: GENRE
CHAPTER TWO: CULTURAL WORLD-BUILDING
CHAPTER THREE: MORE CULTURAL WORLD-BUILDING
CHAPTER FOUR: PHYSICAL WORLD-BUILDING
CHAPTER FIVE: PLOT
CHAPTER SIX: MORE PLOT
CHAPTER SEVEN: CHARACTER
CHAPTER EIGHT: HEROES, VILLAINS, SIDEKICKS, AND BYSTANDERS
CHAPTER NINE: CHARACTER ARC
CHAPTER TEN: DESCRIPTION
CHAPTER ELEVEN: CONFLICT AND TENSION
CHAPTER TWELVE: EDITING, REVISING
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: YOUR FIRST CHAPTER
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: VOICE
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: WORDS AND WORLDVIEWS
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: SCIENCE FICTION
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: FANTASY
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: HORROR
EXTRA CREDIT ACTIVITIES
GLOSSARY
LISTS OF RECOMMENDED WORKS
HELPFUL WEBSITES ACTIVE AT TIME OF PUBLICATION
AUTHOR & CONTRIBUTORS
VOCABULARY QUIZZES (answers in Teacher’s edition)