Stranger Horizons

A speculative fiction workshop for your wildest imaginings

A foggy landscape with grass, a path, and some rocks in the distance.

So you’ve got a huge imagination…

When asked about whether writers should “write what they know”, Ursula K. Le Guin once responded, “I think it’s a very good rule and I have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 22002. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them.”

This is a workshop where we’ll lift the lid on reality and let the wildest reaches of our imaginations lead the way.

Here’s how it works:

In each session we'll explore a different way of approaching speculative fiction, whether through the lens of character, world-building, or trope. Expect to stretch your creative muscles and embrace playful approaches to what your story may be.

This class is geared towards people who already have a project in mind, whether that is a 7-part epic space opera series or a glimmer of an idea for a short story. We also welcome all of the myriad forms of speculative fiction in this space and love navigating the edges of what's possible within this big genre. Bring us your high-fantasy, your hard sci-fi, your dystopian futures, your fairytale retellings, your real world with a twist and everything in between.

There will be optional homework each week to help deepen our connection to this genre and our own writing. There will also be three opportunities to bring in a piece for workshopping.

- Want to let their imaginations run wilder and wilder.
- Are currently working on a speculative fiction project or are willing to commit to one for the duration of this class.
- Are excited to workshop their in-progress work, and go deeper into their creative process.
- Are motivated by the idea of a community of like-minded speculative fiction writers.
- Are ready to work hard, both in class and at home between classes.
- Feel aligned with our fundamental beliefs.
- Lots of new writing and progress on your project
- Inspiration for exploring ever “stranger horizons.”
- Creative courage.
- Encouragement and support from a group of allies.
- A sense of what’s next in your spec fic journey.
- Critique or competition. We’re all about the love.
- Strict rules or guidelines on what speculative fiction is or should look like. This class celebrates the vast scope of wild and wonderful worlds that can exist in this genre.
- A completed manuscript.
- Feedback on already-completed work.

Details:

This workshop isn’t running this season but it will be back soon! Join our early bird mailing list for early access to registration or sign up for our newsletter.

Cost:

The fee for this 8-session workshop is $625. If you prefer, you can pay in 4 monthly installments of $156.25. Tax will be added for Canadians in your local provincial rate. See our financial policies.

If the price is a barrier, don't hesitate to apply for financial aid.

If you don’t have a credit card, let us know and we’ll gladly find a way to make it work.

Sign up here:

Join our early bird mailing list for early access to future registration or sign up for our newsletter.

Questions?

Your answer is probably on this page.

Looking for more options?

Take a peek at our other in-house workshops, or coaching services, or our monthly writers care package.

What people are saying:

After a couple years of almost joining workshops, seeing speculative fiction pop up as an option was all I needed to make the jump. Stranger Horizons was such a delightful way to explore all the weird and wonderful inside us all. Ailsa fostered a community with such a sense of joy, and a playfulness that let us each discover our own systems of magic.

Savannah Snook
Writer, Aspiring Magic-Maker