From Dune to Godzilla, blockbuster movies capture the fascination of large audiences. Whether you're a pop culture fan or a cynic, one thing is for sure: summer blockbusters have a lot to teach about what to do (or not do) in your own writing practice.
This generative course will discuss what lessons you can take away from these popular multimedia franchises. We'll cover critical media literacy and discuss ways to turn your media intake into a source of inspiration for your own work. Additionally, each session will include prompts to help you generate new writing and build craft skills in areas such as worldbuilding, characterization, and story structuring.
If you've ever wanted to harness the power of the major blockbuster in your own writing, this course is for you!
Instructors: Johnny Caputo is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) and a voter for the Nebula Awards. His speculative fiction has appeared in Mithila Review, Cast of Wonders, Allegory, and other venues. When not writing, he spends his time teaching at various institutions and wandering the woods around Cleveland.
J.L. Scott is a writer from Northeast Ohio with fourteen years' experience teaching in higher education. She holds a BA, MA and MFA in Fiction, is an editor for Mom Egg Review, and a Team Leader for PenParentis, a non-profit organization that supports parent-writers through fellowships, accountability groups, and community. She has given presentations for parent-writers at Inkubator for Literary Cleveland and at the Youngstown LitFest. She writes short contemporary fiction, science-fiction and fantasy. Her work has appeared in places like The Black Fork Review and Typishly. She can be found on Twitter @JScottRoller or https://jscottroller.wixsite.com/writer.
---Details: What Summer Blockbusters can Teach You about Writing takes place Thursdays June 13, June 20, and June 27 from 6:30-8:30 pm remotely through Zoom.Genre: FictionLevel: All experience levels welcome.Format: Literary analysis and discussion with generative writing outside of class.Location: This class takes place remotely online via Zoom.Size: Limited to 15 participants (including scholarships).Suggested Sequence: Follow this class with a craft and/or generative poetry workshop.Scholarships: Two scholarship spots are available for this class for writers in Northeast Ohio. Apply by April 15.Cancellations & Refunds: Cancel at least 48 hours in advance of the first class meeting to receive a full refund. Email info@litcleveland.org.
