Conference Schedule 2020
Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Making the Fantastical Real with Judith Starkston
Date(s): Saturday, February 22, 2020, 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Location: Thoren, University Club (view map)
Type(s): Craft Talk, Generative Workshop, Presentation, Workshop
Genre and Form(s): Fantasy, Fiction, Genre Fiction, Historical Fiction, History, Mixed Genre, Novels, Short Stories, Speculative Fiction
Tags: Magic, Supernatural, Mythical, Surreal, Period, Details
About the Session
The challenge for writers who incorporate fantastical elements in their fiction is to sustain readers believability and emotional engagement amidst the unreal, the magical, supernatural, mythical, or surreal. Embedding fantasy in richly historical world-building is one of the most canonical solutions, whether the author pulls the historical details from one historical period/place or weaves from multiple traditions. Using passages from J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula K. Le Guin, N.K. Jemisin and George R.R. Martin, this session will break down how to build convincing and immersive fantasy by using history. In an exercise designed to ground fantasy in historical detail, participants will apply these models to their own writing.
