{"id":11131,"date":"2018-10-13T14:46:02","date_gmt":"2018-10-13T14:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/odysseyworkshop.org\/newsite\/wordpress\/?page_id=11131"},"modified":"2026-06-21T15:40:50","modified_gmt":"2026-06-21T15:40:50","slug":"syllabus","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/about-the-workshop\/syllabus\/","title":{"rendered":"Modules"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wpb-content-wrapper\"><p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Your Personal Odyssey Modules&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:center&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message css=&#8221;&#8221;]<strong>NOTE: This is the guide for the November 2025 eighteen-week workshop.<\/strong>[\/vc_message][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;YOUR GUIDE TO MODULES&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056335887{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]This guide will help you plan and schedule your work, and help ensure that you complete all required work in a module. It contains information on the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The lengths of modules and due dates<\/li>\n<li>Requirements to complete a module<\/li>\n<li>Requirements to complete a repeated module or a custom module<\/li>\n<li>Videos in each module<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;THE LENGTHS OF MODULES AND DUE DATES&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056374071{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Below, you&#8217;ll find the dates when you&#8217;ll be starting a new module and when all the work for a module must be completed. You must complete six modules during the program session to graduate.<\/p>\n<p>You are expected to turn in work throughout the time you are working on the module. Ideally, you should be turning in new work every day. Working regularly and intensely is how you will get the most out of the program.<\/p>\n<p>You should not turn in a large clump of assignments on the final day of a module. The more work that is turned in on the final day, the less time your instructor will be able to spend reading each piece of work and discussing it with you.<\/p>\n<p>Note: Your manuscript submissions have their own deadlines and are due by 8 AM ET on the dates listed in &#8220;Your Guide to Submissions.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Note: Below, terms like &#8220;3rd module&#8221; indicate the third module that you choose to study, whichever one that is. The term &#8220;Module 3,&#8221; in contrast, is the title of the specific module focused on Character and Dialogue.<\/p>\n<p>Work for a module must be turned in by 5 PM ET on the end date listed.<\/p>\n<p>1<sup>st<\/sup> module: Monday, November 24, to Saturday, December 13<br \/>\n2<sup>nd<\/sup> module: Sunday, December 14, to Saturday, January 3<br \/>\n3<sup>rd<\/sup> module: Sunday, January 4, to Saturday, January 24<br \/>\n4<sup>th<\/sup> module: Sunday, January 25, to Saturday, February 14<br \/>\n[WINTER BREAK: Sunday, February 15, to Saturday, February 21]<br \/>\n5<sup>th<\/sup> module: Sunday, Sunday, February 22, to Saturday, March 14<br \/>\n6<sup>th<\/sup> module: Sunday, March 15 to Friday, April 3[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE A MODULE&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056382904{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]To complete a module, you must do the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Watch the required videos<\/li>\n<li>For each video, complete a Video Reaction\/Reflection<\/li>\n<li>Complete 5 journal entries<\/li>\n<li>Formulate with your instructor and complete an individual assignment<\/li>\n<li>Complete 2 critiques on the pieces provided<\/li>\n<li>Submit a story or novel excerpt no more than 6,000 words long with the Submission Attachment (see &#8220;Your Guide to Submissions&#8221; for more details)<\/li>\n<li>Meet with your instructor 3 times (4 times for the first module)<\/li>\n<li>Complete a Post-Critique Reflection<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE A &#8220;REPEATED&#8220; MODULE&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056394316{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]If you want to delve deeper into a particular topic, you have the option of &#8220;repeating&#8221; the module on that topic. Repeating a module doesn&#8217;t mean having twice the time to do the work above. Repeating a module means you first complete the module, as described above, and then you choose to explore that module topic more deeply by doing additional work. All new content will be provided that explores additional concepts and techniques to help you deepen your skills with that topic.<\/p>\n<p>To complete a repeated module, you must do the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Watch any videos that you didn&#8217;t watch the first time<\/li>\n<li>Watch\/listen to\/read new content added to the module (it may be necessary to buy a book)<\/li>\n<li>For each piece of new content, complete a New Content Reaction\/Reflection<\/li>\n<li>Complete 2 journal entries<\/li>\n<li>Formulate with your instructor and complete a more extensive individual assignment or 3 regular individual assignments<\/li>\n<li>Complete 2 critiques on the pieces provided<\/li>\n<li>Submit a story or novel excerpt no more than 6,000 words long with the Submission Attachment<\/li>\n<li>Meet with your instructor 3 times<\/li>\n<li>Complete a Post-Critique Reflection<\/li>\n<li>(You may also want to review previously watched videos and other content if helpful)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;REQUIREMENTS TO COMPLETE A CUSTOM MODULE&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056406797{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Students may request a custom module to study a topic that is not already the focus of a module. Requests should come several weeks before the module would start. If it is within our ability to provide the custom module, we will. The requirements to complete a custom module will be similar to those of a \u201crepeated\u201d module.[\/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;VIDEOS IN EACH MODULE&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056414201{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]You should watch the required videos in the order listed below. The videos should appear in that order on Screencast, with the first video being in the upper left corner, the next video to the right of that, and so on. Watch any additional videos as time allows.<\/p>\n<p>Note: Q&amp;As involve guests answering questions from students and cover a wide range of topics.<\/p>\n<p>Note: YPO = Your Personal Odyssey<\/p>\n<p>Note: Required videos in each module are highlighted in blue.<\/p>\n<p>Note: Each module has a document called &#8220;Connecting Handouts with Lectures&#8221; that will tell you which handouts are referenced in each lecture.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_accordion style=&#8221;modern&#8221; shape=&#8221;square&#8221; spacing=&#8221;5&#8243; gap=&#8221;5&#8243; c_align=&#8221;left&#8221; c_icon=&#8221;triangle&#8221; c_position=&#8221;left&#8221; active_section=&#8221;*&#8221; collapsible_all=&#8221;true&#8221;][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 1: Orientation, Introduction, the Writing Process, Showing versus Telling, Description, and Emotion&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704505864560-b4dee385-45e6&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos = 18 hours<sup>1<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 21 hours 28 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>1<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue. The others are optional, and you may watch them if time allows.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>An introduction to the workshop. How having your work critiqued and critiquing the work of others can help you improve. How to critique, how to deal with having your work critiqued. The challenges you&#8217;ll face during Your Personal Odyssey. The need for deep practice. The eight elements of fiction.<\/p>\n<p>Tools and techniques for prewriting, drafting, and revising. The effect your writing process has on your ultimate product. Changing your writing process to improve your writing. Creativity and problem solving.<\/p>\n<p>Journal discussion on theme, which is covered more in Module 2.<\/p>\n<p>Showing versus telling. The advantages of each. Significant details, strong details. How to make your fiction vivid and involving. Degrees of showing. Deciding when to show and when to tell. Description. Types of emotions evoked by fiction. Methods of conveying emotion. Emotional moments and techniques. Showing on the macro level.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lectures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Fonda Lee on the revision process. Revision is where the magic happens; it\u2019s how a shoddy first draft transforms into a compelling, resonant, polished finished story. This workshop will focus on breaking the revision process down into manageable chunks, auditing your draft for common issues, untangling your story\u2019s problems, heightening its themes, and deepening its layers. We\u2019ll also discuss how to effectively receive and incorporate feedback from critique partners and editors.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-1.png?resize=750%2C305&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"305\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25253\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-1.png?w=960&amp;ssl=1 960w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-1.png?resize=300%2C122&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-1.png?resize=768%2C313&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-1.png?resize=600%2C244&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 2: Story, Originality, Genre, Theme, Premise, Setting, Description, Worldbuilding&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704505864575-639961e2-9d2f&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos ~16 hours 12 minutes<sup>2<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 22 hours 4 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>2<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue plus two of the four guest lectures and two of the four Q&amp;As highlighted in green, your choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Originality in genre fiction. Why is so much fantasy, science fiction, and horror so familiar? Why we need to understand genre. Discussion of genre analysis essays in the textbook. Developing your own ideas, your own sensibility. What is a story? What is the &#8220;truth&#8221; at the center of your story? Theme, countertheme, and premise. The importance of unity and how to use theme and premise to create a unified story or novel. Working within a genre. Tips and techniques for originality. Resonance and how to create it.<\/p>\n<p>Journal discussion on outlining, which is covered more in Module 4.<\/p>\n<p>The potential of setting. Worldview, storyview, and characterview. Developing a setting and world. Creating atmosphere and emotion. Common problems in setting and tips for overcoming them. Focusing your world around a magic system or novum. Techniques for including exposition while keeping the story moving ahead (which will be covered more in Module 4). Making your setting an integral part of the story. Choosing significant details while considering the point of view. When and how to include details. The connections between setting\/world and plot, character, style, and theme. The strangeness budget.<\/p>\n<p>Techniques for writing flash fiction.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lectures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>E. C. Ambrose on &#8220;Making It Real.&#8221; We often say that our task in writing fiction is to tell stories. In fact, what makes fiction sing is that it can convey an experience that the reader has never had, in a totally believable way. This is a special challenge for authors of speculative fiction. We need the reader to enter a new world, or to perceive the world around them in a new way. We need to do this as soon as possible, and with total clarity, so that the reader grasps the things that make our worlds unique, and gets excited to discover more. When a rich setting and distinctive character voice come together, they draw the reader in to explore the other aspects of your story. We\u2019ll look at choosing or crafting the details of the story world and presenting them from the perspective of a unique character to make the story come to life.<\/p>\n<p>Eric James Stone on making your science-fiction science believable. Eric will discuss how to come up with science fiction ideas and how to make them sound plausible. Where to research scientific concepts and how much research is enough. Getting the reader to trust your authorial voice. Avoiding&#8212;or disguising&#8212;the infodump. Distinguishing advanced technology from magic. Creating aliens that make evolutionary sense. How to break the laws of physics and get away with it. Continuing trends, converging technologies, and black swans.<\/p>\n<p>Melissa Scott on worldbuilding as a foundation for story. Melissa will discuss worldbuilding as a springboard for character and plot, and the mechanics of revealing that world to your readers. She will cover methods for creating truly original worlds, as well as where and when to rely on the conventions of the genre. Research that doesn\u2019t overwhelm yourself or your readers, exposition without lumps, and creating the illusion of large worlds in small spaces.<\/p>\n<p>P. Dje\u0300li\u0301 Clarke on History, Speculative Fiction and Worldbuilding. Phenderson will discuss how history can influence speculative fiction in genres like fantasy, alternate history, and more, and how to utilize history in worldbuilding.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-2.png?resize=750%2C351&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"351\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-2.png?w=961&amp;ssl=1 961w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-2.png?resize=300%2C140&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-2.png?resize=768%2C360&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-2.png?resize=600%2C281&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 3: Character and Dialogue&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704506107357-afac9362-ae37&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos ~16 hours 18 minutes<sup>3<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 21 hours 37 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>3<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue plus one of the five guest lectures and one of the three Q&amp;As highlighted in green, your choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Creating characters who are interesting, believable, and make us care. Tips and techniques for developing character. Common character weaknesses. The importance of a character&#8217;s goal. Figuring out your character&#8217;s emotions. Emotion arcs. Internal conflict. Externalizing internal conflict. The two types of character arcs. Character change. Character complexity and the Johari Window. The connection between character and plot.<\/p>\n<p>Supporting characters who will help create a strong story. The adversarial ally and other character types.<\/p>\n<p>The six methods of revealing character. Writing strong dialogue. Idiolect. Subtext in dialogue. Beats. Methods to increase tension in dialogue. Types of conversations. Oblique dialogue. Conflicts between the six methods of character presentation. How to make a strong protagonist.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lectures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>David Corbett on \u201cFrom Helplessness to Habit: Backstory as Behavior.\u201d Few problems generate more confusion or difficulty than how and where to use backstory&#8212;the facts of a character\u2019s past that inform the present. In this two-hour presentation, award-winning author David Corbett (<em>The Art of Character, The Compass of Character<\/em>) will guide students in an extensive exploration of how to use moments from the character\u2019s past defined by helplessness, both painful and promising, to develop the habits of behavior&#8212;pathological maneuvers and persistent virtues&#8212;that shape the character\u2019s behavior and attitude toward life at the outset of the story. Those same moments of helplessness can be used to recognize the thematic longing at the heart of the character, from which her story can be built. Finally, the class will cover how to structure your story from the \u201cmisbegotten yearnings\u201d and\/or \u201cmistaken desires\u201d that so often result from how one responds to those earlier moments of helplessness, whether trying to protect oneself from the pain of life or hoping to pursue the promise of life.<\/p>\n<p>Jeanne Cavelos provides a Special Topic Lecture on &#8220;Growing until You Can Acknowledge the Lie and Find Love,&#8221; an in-depth analysis of a complex character arc, that of Pat in the novel\u00a0<em>Silver Linings Playbook<\/em> by Matthew Quick. Pat&#8217;s character arc combines growth and transformation.<\/p>\n<p>Meagan Spooner on creating characters with substantial arcs. Meg will draw on her acting and theater background to discuss common character types in theater. She&#8217;ll explain how to find the right starting point for your protagonist\u2019s arc, leaving room for the protagonist to change and grow. Setting up situations that prompt character change and then showing that change through the character\u2019s altered reactions to events. Finding the right end point for the arc. How much character arc can you fit in a novel? How much in a short story? Arcs for supporting characters. Creating a point of view and voice that reflects the character\u2019s change. Meg will take participants through the six-question method for developing a character.<\/p>\n<p>Nisi Shawl on &#8220;Dialect and Representation.&#8221; Nisi will discuss marked categories and the unmarked state\/dominant paradigm. Ways to depict marginalized peoples&#8217; unique voices via dialogue. Arguably, everyone speaks in one dialect or another. But when characters\u2019 speech patterns depart from standard forms, how can we reflect this on the page? We can show differences that enrich readers&#8217; understanding of these characters and of our settings and stories. Or we can alienate our audience by drawing attention to dialogue in all the wrong ways. Examples, discussion, and exercises deepen students&#8217; understanding of how to best represent nonstandard speech patterns.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca F. Kuang on character descriptions and physicality. Character description often feels like a rote checklist of features&#8212;eye color, hair color, height, build. How can we create vivid, memorable characters who remain in the reader\u2019s imagination from their first meeting? How do you describe a character\u2019s attributes without sounding like a DnD sheet, or a Bertillon report? I will discuss methods of describing characters by wedding physical and non-physical attributes in ways that not only help the reader see them clearly in their mind\u2019s eye, but gain a better sense of what drives them, and what role they will play in the story.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-3.png?resize=750%2C377&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"377\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-3.png?w=954&amp;ssl=1 954w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-3.png?resize=300%2C151&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-3.png?resize=768%2C386&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-3.png?resize=600%2C301&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 4: Plot and Structure&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704506198339-e99df2cd-a242&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos ~15 hours 48 minutes<sup>4<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 32 hours 42 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>4<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue plus one of the seven guest lectures and one of the seven Q&amp;As highlighted in green, your choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Making the journey from idea to story to plot. Generating a story statement from theme, countertheme, or premise. Creating conflict through goals and obstacles. Conflict at multiple levels. Connecting plot and character. Creating a plot that evokes emotion. The shape of your plot. Braided, mosaic, and collage plots.<\/p>\n<p>Units of structure: scene, chapter, act. The requirements of each scene. One-act structure. Three-act structure. Analysis of structures in several stories from the textbook. Subplots.<\/p>\n<p>Beginnings, middles, and ends. Exposition, escalation, suspense, pacing. The causal chain. Unintended consequences. The causal chain of character. Scenes and sequels (and prequels). Creating a strong climax that feels both surprising and inevitable. Epiphanies and character change. Resonance. Two types of revelations. The resolution or denouement. Plot tips. The overall emotion arc. Plotting for different lengths. The MICE Quotient.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lectures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Barbara Ashford on creating compelling scenes. Barbara will discuss techniques to hook readers into every scene, create conflict that pushes the POV character forward on her journey, and craft a strong prompt that encourages readers to turn the page. Exercises and scene analysis will help students determine the inner and outer turning points of character change. Use turning points to calibrate pacing. Break down a scene into beats to focus on the emotional truth of every moment, pinpoint shifts in emotions, and explore ways to color emotions so that the actions and reactions of characters are not only clear, but vivid.<\/p>\n<p>Brandon Sanderson on magic systems and how to tie them to plot, characterization, and worldbuilding. Brandon will discuss the stages of plot&#8211;promise, progress, payoff&#8211;and the dangers of misaligning these stages. He&#8217;ll also cover &#8220;Sanderson&#8217;s Laws,&#8221; four rules that help to create better magic systems, and how to innovate with worldbuilding. Internal and external consistency in magic systems. Finding the struggle in your plot; mental struggles, emotional struggles, flaws, costs. The advantages of going deeper rather than wider.<\/p>\n<p>E. C. Ambrose on generating plot from the heart of your story. No plot, no problem! Or should that be, no problem, no plot? So often we get excited about an idea for a story&#8212;then we have trouble developing the actual *story* from that idea. We&#8217;ll brainstorm conflicts and complications based on your story seed, whether that&#8217;s character, concept or world-building, and talk about how to use those conflicts to develop a plot that will build toward a satisfying conclusion.<\/p>\n<p>Gregory Ashe on using scene and sequel to structure your story, control pacing, provide character-driven momentum, and create clear goals, conflict, and struggle. Greg will talk about the elements of a scene, the elements of a sequel, and how well these clear-cut categories hold up (or break down) when the rubber meets the road.<\/p>\n<p>Mary Robinette Kowal on the MICE Quotient. In this workshop, we learn about the organizational structure of the MICE Quotient, through which most stories (fictional or nonfictional) can be explained. Together, we learn how to make this structure work for you when writing. Mary provides additional insights into mystery structures and character arcs.<\/p>\n<p>Nancy Kress on writing in scenes. Effective scenes are the building blocks of successful fiction. This workshop will discuss the various kinds of scenes, including the purposes and most effective placement of each type; the shape of successful scenes; and the elements that make a scene not only come alive but also determine the reader\u2019s emotional reaction to the characters. Through both brief writing exercises and analysis of successful published scenes, the workshop will examine how strong scenes create tension, the engine that keeps readers turning pages. Discover key methods for improving your fiction!<\/p>\n<p>Tim Waggoner on techniques for writing strong novels. Topics covered include novelistic scope, the action-idea, the inciting incident, classic plot design, plotting using scene and sequel, the spiral method of plotting, what to do if your plot starts to sag in the middle, advanced novel-writing techniques, and how to keep going for the long haul.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-4.png?resize=750%2C523&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"523\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-4.png?w=947&amp;ssl=1 947w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-4.png?resize=300%2C209&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-4.png?resize=768%2C535&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-4.png?resize=600%2C418&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 5: Point of View and Style&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704506264672-db712b07-dcdc&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos ~16 hours 4 minutes<sup>5<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 17 hours 15 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>5<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue plus one of videos highlighted in green, your choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Considering whether to make the viewpoint character, the protagonist, and the main character all the same character, three different characters, or something in between. The advantages and disadvantages of various points of view. Which viewpoints can work best in which types of stories. The effects point of view can have. Different types of first-person narration. The connection between point of view, voice, and style. Finding your story&#8217;s voice. Types of distance in point of view. How to minimize psychic distance. Developing a strong, consistent point of view. Common weaknesses in point of view.<\/p>\n<p>The importance of making every paragraph, sentence, and word serve your story. Common stylistic weaknesses. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Writing unified sentences. Avoiding the phony archaic manner and other common pitfalls in fantastic writing. Techniques to strengthen style. How to emphasize certain words or sentences. How to make readers feel events through the rhythm of your sentences. Describing action. Using complex sentences to generate and convey emotion. Figurative language. Using sound to reinforce meaning. Developing a strong style suitable for your story and setting. How style can reinforce or undermine your novum. Learning and being inspired by others without copying others. How to create flow. Invented languages.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lecture:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Jeanne Cavelos provides a Special Topic Lecture on &#8220;Going Cold.&#8221; Jeanne discusses an unconventional way of evoking emotion in readers. We talk a lot about conveying emotions in a clear and powerful way, about making readers feel what the character is feeling, about bringing readers close to the protagonist, close to the viewpoint character. This can definitely create an emotional experience for readers. But is this always the best option? Some writers feel that going cold, being restrained in conveying character emotions, is an important strategy when emotions become intense, allowing a space for readers to participate, to imagine and create those emotions themselves. Jeanne explains this technique.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-5.png?resize=750%2C220&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"220\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-5.png?w=953&amp;ssl=1 953w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-5.png?resize=300%2C88&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-5.png?resize=768%2C225&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-5.png?resize=600%2C176&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=&#8221;MODULE 6: Publishing&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1704506360319-dc6abc93-d6b1&#8243;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]Required videos ~16 hours 52 minutes<sup>6<\/sup><br \/>\nAll videos = 19 hours 52 minutes<\/p>\n<p><sup>6<\/sup>In this module, you are required to view all the videos highlighted in blue plus two of the four guest lecture recordings highlighted in green, your choice.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Description:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Separating the writer person from the business person in your brain. How successful writers make sales and build a long-term career. Dealing with rejection. Secrets for publishing success. Understanding the book publishing industry and how book publishers think. The publisher&#8217;s list. Major trade publishers. Trends in publishing. What agents and editors are looking for.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the self-publishing marketplace. Traits of successful self-published authors. How to turn yourself into a self-publishing business. Should you self-publish? The pros and cons of various types of publication. Tips and warnings.<\/p>\n<p>How to research and evaluate a book publisher or an agent. Qualities to look for in an agent. What an agent can do for you. Query letters, cover letters, synopses, sample chapters, author bios. What happens to your submission? Profit and loss statements. Review of sample novel contracts. Tips for novelists. Publicity and promotion.<\/p>\n<p>Magazine and anthology markets for short fiction. Researching and evaluating markets. Understanding what magazine editors and publishers want. Trends in short fiction publishing. Dealing with rejections and trying to figure out what a rejection letter really means. How to respond to a request to revise and resubmit. Short fiction contracts.<\/p>\n<p>Continuing your progress beyond this workshop and setting goals. How to remain productive. Reading your own material with a critical editor&#8217;s eye. Spotting your own weak areas and strengthening them. Controlling your internal editor. The race. Perseverance and being the hero of your own writing journey.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Guest Lectures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Scott H. Andrews on &#8220;Short Fiction Publishing from the Other Side (Submissions, Slush, What Editors Are[n&#8217;t] Looking For, Rewrites, and Contracts), Story Openings, and Writing (and Life) as a Workshop Grad and Neo-Pro.&#8221; Scott will provide his best advice to writers submitting their work, dealing with rejections and revise and resubmit requests, and evaluating publishers&#8217; contracts. What editors are hoping for each time they read a submission.<\/p>\n<p>Sheree Ren\u00e9e Thomas on &#8220;The Short Story Writer&#8217;s Guide to the Multiverse: Three Ways Not to Get Rejected on the First Page.&#8221; What we should know by the end of page 2. Why your last line matters. Pacing and Prose. Nuts and Bolts&#8211;What to keep and cut in a cover letter. Standing out in the best way. Why some stories are rejected. The Secret Language of Editors: Decoding rejection letters. How to approach rewrite requests. Building professional relationships (fiction vs. journalism). Speculative Fiction is Literature. A World of Your Own: Editing anthologies and collections. Parallel Universes: Diversifying your writing portfolio. &#8220;Don&#8217;t Quit Your Day Job?&#8221; Careers in Publishing.<\/p>\n<p>Steven Barnes on principles of success for writers. In an uplifting, energizing session, Steven presents an overall toolbox of the conceptual and psychological tools that he and his students have used to craft careers: not just plot and characterization, but breaking writer\u2019s block, brainstorming, dealing with fear and depression, knowing when to retire a story, entering and maintaining flow state, making consistent progress on your journey to mastery, and much more.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-6.png?resize=750%2C384&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"750\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-25261\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-6.png?w=954&amp;ssl=1 954w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-6.png?resize=300%2C153&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-6.png?resize=768%2C393&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/module-page-6.png?resize=600%2C307&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_accordion][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The syllabus for Your Personal Odyssey is to come.\u00a0 Below is the syllabus for the Odyssey Writing Workshop.<\/p>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDJTIxLS1UaGlzJTIwaXMlMjBhJTIwVEFCUyUyMFBSTyUyMFRBQkUuJTIwUGxlYXNlJTIwZWRpdCUyMGl0JTIwaW4lMjB0aGUlMjBUYWJzJTIwUHJvJTIwQXJlYS4tLSUzRSUwQSUwQSU1QlRBQlNfUFJPJTIwaWQlM0QxODE1MiU1RA==[\/vc_raw_html][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=&#8221;yes&#8221;][vc_column][vc_raw_html]JTNDJTIxLS1UaGlzJTIwaXMlMjB0aGUlMjBCYWNrJTIwVXAlMjBvZiUyMHRoZSUyMFN5bGxhYnVzJTIwdGFicy4lMjBETyUyME5PVCUyMEVESVQuLS0lM0UlMEElMEE=[\/vc_raw_html][vc_tta_tabs style=&#8221;flat&#8221; shape=&#8221;square&#8221; color=&#8221;black&#8221; spacing=&#8221;10&#8243; gap=&#8221;10&#8243; active_section=&#8221;1&#8243; no_fill_content_area=&#8221;true&#8221;][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fab fa-wpforms&#8221; add_icon=&#8221;true&#8221; title=&#8221;Description&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1611124423605-c491a8ba-49cf&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h5><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-11054 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web-300x200.jpg?resize=166%2C111&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Jeanne Cavelos\" width=\"166\" height=\"111\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?w=2000&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/Odyssey_class_June2018_by_Lomanno_0126_web.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 166px) 100vw, 166px\" \/><\/h5>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Course Description<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Odyssey is a workshop for writers of fantastic fiction, which is an umbrella term covering fantasy, science fiction, horror, magical realism, slipstream, alternate history, surrealism, and anything in between. Over half of our class time is spent on lecture\/discussion. Lectures provide an advanced, comprehensive curriculum, covering the elements of fiction writing in depth. To improve your writing, you need to understand the various tools and techniques writers can use to create a strong story or novel. We&#8217;ll study some of the most beautiful and powerful writing in the field to gain understanding of what these tools can do when wielded with skill. We&#8217;ll also cover the common failings of developing writers and how to avoid those pitfalls. The rest of our class time is spent workshopping your stories and giving you feedback that is both truthful and helpful. Our goal as a class is to provide a supportive yet challenging, energizing environment that will help you improve your writing and make it the best it can be. We will focus first on how to write well, and second on how to write fantastic fiction well. To help make you more aware of the elements that create strong writing and a strong story, you&#8217;ll read short stories by some of the top writers in the field; read essays on writing and on writing fantastic fiction in particular; and read each other&#8217;s stories and comment on them. You&#8217;ll also complete daily journal entries, write a lot of new fiction, and revise some of your previous drafts.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-book-reader&#8221; add_icon=&#8221;true&#8221; title=&#8221;Texts&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1611124423628-28abddf4-d6d6&#8243;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h2>Texts<\/h2>\n<h3><b>Required: <\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5><strong>Cavelos, Jeanne, ed.\u00a0 Odyssey Writing Workshop.\u00a0 Norcross, GA:\u00a0 XanEdu Publishing\u00a0Services, 2019.<\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5><b>You will need a spiral notebook to use as a journal, or you can type your journal entries on the computer, if you prefer<\/b><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-pen-alt&#8221; add_icon=&#8221;true&#8221; title=&#8221;Assignments&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1611124743149-ec221dcf-cd1b&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>Assignments<\/h3>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p><strong>Each student should perform the following tasks:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8212;write at least 20,000 words of new fiction<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;revise at least 4,000 words of fiction<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;read and critique other students&#8217; stories, with critiques totaling at least 40,000 words<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;complete assigned readings<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;complete assigned journal entries<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;meet with me for at least three private consultations<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Note that many students do much more than these minimum amounts.<\/p>\n<p>Some assignments will be specific to the individual, focused on improving weak areas.<\/p>\n<p>All fiction must be typewritten, double-spaced, in standard manuscript format.\u00a0 All submissions made during the workshop must be under 6000 words in length.\u00a0 If you have something longer, you should discuss options with me.<\/p>\n<p>Students are expected to spend at least 60 hours per week outside of class writing and working on class assignments.<\/p>\n<p>After the end of Week 2, you should not submit anything for critique that was written before the workshop began, unless you have significantly, radically revised it since arriving at Odyssey.<\/p>\n<p>A Note on Novels:\u00a0 You are strongly encouraged to work on short stories while at Odyssey, because most writers improve more quickly when writing short stories.\u00a0 If, however, you aren&#8217;t passionate about any short story ideas, and you really want to work on a novel, you are allowed to do so.\u00a0 You can submit chapters or scenes for workshopping instead of stories.\u00a0 In your private meetings with me, we should discuss how these various chapters fit together in the overall plot of the novel.\u00a0 Ideally, you should include a synopsis of the novel as part or all of your pre-class submission (see below), so we can discuss it in our first meeting.\u00a0 If you plan to work on a novel, I suggest you discuss this with me before Odyssey begins.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=&#8221;fas fa-calendar-alt&#8221; add_icon=&#8221;true&#8221; title=&#8221;Schedule&#8221; tab_id=&#8221;1611124822753-56026a1a-574d&#8221;][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n<h3>Odyssey 2019\u00a0 Schedule<\/h3>\n<p>The course takes place over six weeks.\u00a0 Each week will have the same basic structure.\u00a0 Of 23 hours of class time per week, approximately 11 hours will be lectures and class discussions; 3 hours guest lectures, in-class writing exercises, and question-and-answer sessions with guests; 9 hours workshopping sessions.\u00a0 The following will give you a general idea of the topics covered.\u00a0 Although we&#8217;ll focus on different topics each week, we&#8217;ll actually be discussing most of these topics throughout the six weeks.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Pre-Class Assignments<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><u>Submission<\/u><\/p>\n<p><strong>May 2:<\/strong>\u00a0 I need to receive from you a second piece of writing (not your application submission) that I can critique before class begins.\u00a0 Please email your pre-class submission as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file, properly formatted.\u00a0 The story, chapter, or novel synopsis must not exceed 4,000 words.\u00a0 You may submit only 1 story or novel excerpt.\u00a0 This way, by the time I first see you, I will have already read and critiqued two of your pieces (I&#8217;m also critiquing your application submission).<\/p>\n<p>If you send a novel chapter, I strongly suggest you send the first chapter.\u00a0 If you want to send a later chapter, include a brief synopsis of the events up to that point.\u00a0 The total word count of chapter plus synopsis must not exceed 4,000 words.<\/p>\n<p>During the first week or so of class, you will turn in a third submission to be workshopped by the entire class (this can&#8217;t be one of the previous two submissions).\u00a0 After we workshop that third submission, you will meet individually with me to review those three pieces and how they reflect where you are as a writer and what you need to focus on during the opening weeks of Odyssey.<\/p>\n<p><u>Favorite Story<\/u><\/p>\n<p><strong>May 13:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pick one of your favorite short stories of fantasy, science fiction, or horror by another writer to share with the class.\u00a0 The story should be no longer than 10,000 words.\u00a0 At the top of the document, write the title of the story and the author&#8217;s name, and below that write &#8220;submitted by&#8221; and your first name.\u00a0 Below that, write a few paragraphs explaining why this story is your favorite.\u00a0 Below that, paste the text of the story.\u00a0 Email this as a <u>single<\/u> .doc, .docx, or .rtf file to the Odyssey Resident Supervisor.<\/p>\n<p><u>Readings &amp; Journal Entry<\/u><\/p>\n<p><strong>May 31:<\/strong>\u00a0 In May, you will receive the Odyssey custom text by mail.\u00a0 You will be required to read about half of the text and to write a journal entry about those pieces before the start of Odyssey.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>NOTE:\u00a0 ALL TIMES BELOW ARE EASTERN (US) DAYLIGHT TIME, EDT<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 1 (June 1-5)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Introduction and orientation.\u00a0 What is fantastic fiction and why do we want to write it?\u00a0 How is writing fantastic fiction different from writing other types of fiction?\u00a0 How is it the same?\u00a0 Discussion of critiquing guidelines.<\/p>\n<p>How to approach writing a first draft.\u00a0 The effect your process has on your ultimate product.\u00a0 How to revise.\u00a0 Creativity and problem solving.<\/p>\n<p>Showing versus telling.\u00a0 How to make your fiction vivid and involving.\u00a0 Degrees of showing.\u00a0 Deciding when to show and when to tell.\u00a0 Methods of conveying emotion.<\/p>\n<p>Workshop student stories (students cannot turn in for workshopping either their application submissions or their pre-class submissions during this first week).\u00a0 Readings on revision, and reading of a short story by J. G. Faherty.\u00a0 Students have their initial private meeting with me during week 1 or week 2.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 4<\/strong>, 7-8 pm, question-and-answer session with J. G. Faherty.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 5<\/strong>, guest lecture by J. G. Faherty on horror as the backbone of genre fiction. Covering how we find horror in many shades across all the genres (romance, mystery, thriller, SF, dark fantasy, paranormal\/magic realism, weird fiction, etc.) and how different genres intersect in obvious and not-so-obvious ways. Horror is the heart of so much speculative fiction, and overlaps in so many different ways, and it always has, right from the beginning. For instance, Shelley&#8217;s <em>Frankenstein<\/em> is both horror and SF.<em> A Song of Ice and Fire<\/em> is horror and fantasy. <em>Silence of the Lambs<\/em>&#8211;horror. We&#8217;ll go into what defines horror, why it&#8217;s necessary to so many plots (the emotional impact), and how it sneaks in without anyone realizing it.\u00a0 Afternoon workshopping session with Greg Faherty, and he will have individual conferences afterward with students whose stories were sent to him ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 2 (June 8-12)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Originality in genre fiction.\u00a0 Why is so much F\/SF\/H so familiar?\u00a0 Developing your own ideas, your own sensibility.\u00a0 What is the &#8220;truth&#8221; at the center of your story?\u00a0 Theme and premise. \u00a0Working within a genre.\u00a0 The importance of unity and how to write a unified story.<\/p>\n<p>Developing a setting.\u00a0 The novum.\u00a0 Making your setting an integral part of the story.\u00a0 Choosing significant details while considering the point of view.\u00a0 When and how to include details.\u00a0 Creating atmosphere.\u00a0 The connections between setting, plot, character, and theme.\u00a0 The strangeness budget.\u00a0 Common weaknesses in setting.<\/p>\n<p>Workshop new or revised student stories.\u00a0 Readings on character, and reading of a short story by Brandon Sanderson.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 9<\/strong>, 2:30-3:30 pm, question-and-answer session with drop-in guest John Joseph Adams.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 11<\/strong>, 7:00-9:15 pm, guest lecture by Brandon Sanderson on magic systems.\u00a0 Brandon will discuss &#8220;Sanderson&#8217;s Laws,&#8221; four rules that help to create better magic systems, and he&#8217;ll explain how the rules of magic should be tied to plot, characterization, and worldbuilding.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 12<\/strong>, Afternoon workshopping session with Brandon, question-and-answer session with Brandon, and he will have individual conferences afterward with students whose stories were sent to him ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 3 (June 15-19)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Creating characters who are interesting, believable, and make us care.\u00a0 Various ways of revealing character.\u00a0 Which characters do we love? \u00a0Which do we hate?\u00a0 Which don&#8217;t we care about?\u00a0 The importance of a character&#8217;s goal.\u00a0 The Johari window.\u00a0 Internal conflict and the character arc.\u00a0 The growth arc versus the transformation arc.\u00a0 Externalizing internal conflict.\u00a0 The connection between character and plot.\u00a0 The causal chain of character.\u00a0 Challenging your character.\u00a0 Writing powerful dialogue.\u00a0 Subtext.\u00a0 Common weaknesses in character.<\/p>\n<p>The advantages and disadvantages of various points of view.\u00a0 Which viewpoints can work best in which types of stories.\u00a0 The effects point of view can have.\u00a0 The connection between point of view, voice, and style.\u00a0 Types of distance in point of view.\u00a0 How to minimize distance.\u00a0 Developing a strong, consistent point of view.\u00a0 Common weaknesses in point of view.<\/p>\n<p>Readings on plot, and reading of a short story by Eric James Stone.\u00a0 Students will have private meetings with me during week 3 or 4 assessing their progress and discussing problems and possible ways of solving them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 16<\/strong>, 2:30-3:30 pm, question-and-answer session with drop-in guest Carrie Vaughn.\u00a0 After, Carrie will have individual conferences with students whose stories were sent to her ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 18<\/strong>, 7-8 pm, question-and-answer session with Eric James Stone.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 19<\/strong>, guest lecture by Eric James Stone on making your science-fiction science believable. Eric will discuss how to come up with science fiction ideas and how to make them sound plausible. Where to research scientific concepts and how much research is enough. Getting the reader to trust your authorial voice. Avoiding&#8211;or disguising&#8211;the infodump. Distinguishing advanced technology from magic. Creating aliens that make evolutionary sense. How to break the laws of physics and get away with it. Continuing trends, converging technologies, and black swans.\u00a0 Afternoon workshopping session with Eric, and he will have individual conferences afterward with students whose stories were sent to him ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>*WEEKEND EVENT:\u00a0 Saturday, June 20, 3:00-4:30 pm:<\/strong>\u00a0 Odyssey Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy Slam, Barnes &amp; Noble, Nashua, NH.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 4 (June 22-26)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Building a suspenseful, involving, unpredictable plot. \u00a0Using the conventions of the genre to lure your readers in and surprise them.\u00a0 Different types of plots.\u00a0 One-act structure.\u00a0 Three-act structure.\u00a0 Building suspense, controlling pacing and the flow of information.\u00a0 Dealing with exposition.\u00a0 The requirements of story.\u00a0 The requirements of each scene. \u00a0Scenes and sequels.\u00a0 The MICE Quotient.\u00a0 Making your plot believable.\u00a0 The causal chain.\u00a0 Escalation and unintended consequences.\u00a0 Beginnings, middles, and endings.\u00a0 How can you tell if your climax and denouement are working?\u00a0 Common weaknesses in plot.\u00a0 Connecting plot and character.\u00a0 Creating a plot that evokes emotion.<\/p>\n<p>Readings on style, and reading of a short story by E. C. Ambrose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 23, <\/strong>2:30-4:30, possible additional lecture session.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 25,<\/strong> 7-8 pm, question-and-answer session with E. C. Ambrose.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 26,<\/strong> guest lecture with E. C. Ambrose about generating plot from the heart of your story. No plot, no problem!\u00a0 Or should that be, no problem, no plot? So often we get excited about an idea for a story\u2014then we have trouble developing the actual *story* from that idea. We&#8217;ll brainstorm conflicts and complications based on your story seed, whether that&#8217;s character, concept or world-building, and talk about how to use those conflicts to develop a plot that will build toward a satisfying conclusion. \u00a0Afternoon workshopping session with Elaine, and she will have individual conferences afterward with students whose stories were sent to her ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 5 (June 29-July 3)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Saying what you mean and meaning what you say.\u00a0 The elements of style.\u00a0 Avoiding the phony archaic manner and other common pitfalls in fantastic writing.\u00a0 Writing clear, concise prose and powerful description.\u00a0 Developing a strong style suitable for your story and your setting. \u00a0What makes for a powerful, compelling narrative voice?\u00a0 Finding your story&#8217;s voice.\u00a0 Learning and being inspired by others without copying others.\u00a0 Rhythm, sound, and other stylistic tools.\u00a0 Flow.\u00a0 Common stylistic weaknesses.\u00a0 How style can reinforce or undermine your novum.<\/p>\n<p>Readings on publishing, and reading of a short story by Barbara Ashford.\u00a0 Students will have private meetings with me during week 5 or 6 assessing their progress and planning goals and directions for the future.<\/p>\n<p><strong>June 29<\/strong>, 2:30-3:30 pm, question-and-answer session with drop-in guest Sheila Williams.\u00a0 After, Sheila will have individual conferences with students whose stories were sent to her ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>July 2,<\/strong> 7-8 pm, question-and-answer session with Barbara Ashford.<\/p>\n<p><strong>July 3,<\/strong> guest lecture by Barbara Ashford on creating compelling scenes. Barbara will discuss techniques to hook readers into every scene, create conflict that pushes the POV character forward on her journey, and craft a strong prompt that encourages readers to turn the page. Exercises and scene analysis will help students determine the inner and outer turning points of character change. Use turning points to calibrate pacing. Break down a scene into beats to focus on the emotional truth of every moment, pinpoint shifts in emotions, and explore ways to color emotions so that the actions and reactions of characters are not only clear, but vivid. Afternoon workshopping session with Barbara, and she will have individual conferences afterward with students whose stories were sent to her ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Week 6 (July 8-12)<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Reading your own material with a critical editor&#8217;s eye.\u00a0 Spotting your own weak areas and strengthening them.\u00a0 Controlling your internal editor.\u00a0 Continuing your progress beyond this workshop and setting goals.\u00a0 How to remain productive.<\/p>\n<p>Understanding the publishing industry.\u00a0 Submitting your work and building a long-term career.\u00a0 What agents and editors are looking for.\u00a0 What they can do for you and what they can&#8217;t do.\u00a0 Figuring out what a rejection letter really means.\u00a0 Trends in publishing.\u00a0 What it takes to succeed in self-publishing.\u00a0 Ways to make your work stand out.\u00a0 The pros and cons of various types of publication.\u00a0 Tips and warnings.\u00a0 Researching markets.\u00a0 Assessing your progress over the six weeks and where you go from here.<\/p>\n<p>Workshop final submissions by students.<\/p>\n<p><strong>July 6<\/strong>, 7-8 pm, question-and-answer session with Scott H. Andrews.<\/p>\n<p><strong>July 7<\/strong>, guest lecture by Scott H. Andrews: \u00a0&#8220;Short Fiction Publishing from the Other Side (Submissions, Slush, What Editors Are[n&#8217;t] Looking For, Rewrites, and Contracts), Story Openings, and Writing (and Life) as a Workshop Grad and Neo-Pro.&#8221;\u00a0 Scott will participate in our afternoon workshopping session, followed by individual conferences with students whose work was sent to him ahead of time.<\/p>\n<p><strong>July 10<\/strong>, 7-9 pm:\u00a0 graduation party!\u00a0 Each person will give an assessment of progress over the previous year, and announce writing plans for the following year.\u00a0 Then we eat and celebrate![\/vc_column_text][\/vc_tta_section][\/vc_tta_tabs][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;Your Personal Odyssey Modules&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h2|text_align:center&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;&#8221;][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_message css=&#8221;&#8221;]NOTE: This is the guide for the November 2025 eighteen-week workshop.[\/vc_message][vc_custom_heading text=&#8221;YOUR GUIDE TO MODULES&#8221; font_container=&#8221;tag:h3|text_align:left&#8221; google_fonts=&#8221;font_family:Actor%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal&#8221; css=&#8221;.vc_custom_1782056335887{padding-top: 3px !important;padding-bottom: 3px !important;padding-left: 10px !important;background-color: #d1d1d1 !important;}&#8221;][vc_column_text css=&#8221;&#8221;]This guide will help you plan and schedule your work, and help ensure that you complete [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":274,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/template-page-sidebar.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-11131","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.odysseyworkshop.org\/about-the-workshop\/syllabus\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 4.9.8\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Odyssey Writing Workshops | For writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror.\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Modules | Odyssey Writing Workshops\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:url\" 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