Want to darken your creative writing, increase the dreadful ambiance of your latest piece, or just learn the conventions and expectations of the modern horror genre? Join local horror author Clay Vermulm to learn the strategies and principles of writing contemporary dark fiction.
Through a scaffolded series of lectures, readings, writing exercises, and film studies, students will analyze and put into practice the writing techniques and genre-specific utilization of story convention as optimized by the best horror writers working today. Some writing experience is helpful, but not required.
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of class, students should have a firm and comprehensive grasp of the tropes and conventions within the horror genre, the expectations of horror readers and how to subvert them, and how to employ this knowledge in their creative writing to create dark ambiance, tone, setting, and character in whatever story they wish.