Our course syllabus begins at Cycle I, which is entirely self-contained. Theory taught during Cycle I is complete and focuses on characters, plot and speculative worldbuilding, while providing you with tools and short exercises to start writing or editing your work. Most of our students opt for moving on to more advanced cycles after that; there we revisit what we’ve already learned, going into more detail, we further expand our knowledge of speculative fiction, we acquire even more tools, and, most importantly, we get to work diligently on our personal projects.

CYCLE I

The Basics

The specifics of speculative fiction, how demanding it can be and how to prepare yourself for facing those demands.

Worldbuilding

How to construct believable, original settings that directly benefit the narrative.

Speculative Fiction Protagonists

How to create fleshed-out characters, both heroes and villains, for speculative fiction.

Clichés that Need to Die

One of the biggest issues with the genre and how to work around it, without losing the archetypal elements that attract readers to your narrative.

Plot & Movement

How to set up and move on with your plot without getting lost along the way.

The Secrets of Description

How to evoke tone, information and imagery without confusing or overwhelming the reader.

Points of View

Who narrates, how to choose the ideal main character and how to stay firmly in their head.

Inspiration, Research & Sources

Things you need before sitting down to write & how to use your environment to produce original stories, worlds and imagery.

Short Story

How to write speculative short fiction, and where to submit it.

Evolution & Trends

New names, subgenres, trends and issues in speculative fiction.

Revising & Editing

Besides providing you with a theoretical how to, our course also offers targeted exercises, extensive examples drawn from both classic and modern speculative oeuvres, as well as editing and reviewing of the participants’ own work.

Time to Publish

Introduction to the publishing world, both in Greece and abroad. Advice, tools, names, where to publish and what to watch out for if you’re ready to share your work with the audience.

WORKSHOP-STYLE COURSES (Cycles II-V)

For those who keep up with our courses, we cover a vast variety of speculative fiction theory which includes, among others:

• Combat scenes and sex scenes
• Mystery plot
• Non-human protagonists
• Alternative plot structures
• Writing a great first paragraph
• Magic & Technology
• Writing a good outline
• Transitions
• In-depth POVs
• Neurobiology for writers
• New speculative genres
• Japanese narrative forms
• Uncovering and conveying theme
• 8, 5 and 3-point story arcs
• Editing and feedback
• Sensitive subjects, unconventional characters
• Peculiarities of horror
• Cover Letter & Agents

8 GENRES, 8 STORIES

Our bootcamp workshop is intended for those wishing for a true writing challenge, having completed at least two other cycles. We focus on and analyze a different subgenre of speculative fiction every time and, then, we write a short story in said genre, which we later discuss with the instructor and our peers. Genres included are fantasy, horror & science fiction, but also steampunk, mythpunk, urban fantasy, alternative history, magic realism, solarpunk etc. Our goal is to ascertain that, finishing this workshop, participants will have a number of completed short-stories in their arsenal, as well as a better idea of the entirety of speculative fiction’s range.