Description: Are you writing an SFF novel or short story but find yourself getting stuck on the worldbuilding? This worldbuilding seminar is for any level of science fiction or fantasy writer aiming to enrich their worldbuilding. It will explore “hard” aspects of world construction including language, culture, technology, and magic systems; as well as “soft” considerations like creating a world that supports your story’s themes. We will read and utilize several short stories from SFF heavyweights like Ursula K Le Guin, Octavia Butler, and Ted Chiang as exemplars.  This class has no writing workshop component but, rather, will focus on world construction and brainstorming. Students will come away with the broad strokes of a world for their SFF short story or novel, as well as a better understanding of how to approach world creation.  

Instructor: Elyse Rudemiller

Dates: Begins Tuesday, May 13 and runs every Tuesday for six weeks total, skipping June 3

Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Level: Beginner and above

8 seats max

Location: Redbud headquarters, 719 N. Person St., Raleigh

$615: true price

$349: base price

$374, $399, $449: donate an extra $25, $50, or $100 to our scholarship fund

A note on pricing:  the “true price” reflects the true cost of the class, which includes paying a fair wage to our staff and instructors, rental fees for the Redbud headquarters and for the community spaces where we host our classes, website and administrative/commerce fees, outreach and advertising to spread the word about our offerings, and the coordination and administration for our community classes, which serve people who could not otherwise access creative writing. We’re not a university or a large corporation and that means we don’t have an operating budget we can rely on; we’re proud to be a small, local, women- and minority-run business that is passionate about bringing the transformative power of the arts to our community. Your tuition helps Redbud with the critical work of keeping the arts accessible to the public. 

We also offer students a chance to donate to our scholarship fund. At check-out, you will be given the option of choosing a donor price. If you choose one of these prices, the extra $25, $50, or $100 will go towards scholarships for students who would not be able to afford our classes otherwise.  Thank you in advance for considering making a contribution to inclusivity and access!

Read the fine print, including our cancellation policy, here.