The setting of a story is more than simply a backdrop. Whether it’s a far-off fantasy kingdom, a bustling city, a patch of forest, or a small town in middle America, a place can influence your characters tremendously. It can serve as a trap they need to escape, a home they yearn for, a catalyst for memories, or an ally that needs protection. In speculative fiction, a place may even be its own character with motivations and desires—think of the sentient Overlook Hotel in The Shining or the Cave of Wonders in Aladdin. 

Emotions are tied to place, and by viewing your setting as an element of the story that deserves all the love and attention of a supporting character, and its own arc, you can build a world that not only influences your protagonist but also your readers. Just like your characters, places are not static. Through a variety of generative, prompt-based exercises, we will explore our settings, allowing them to change and grow, and leave with a firm grasp of their power over our stories.

Instructor: Jacqui Castle

Dates: Begins Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024 and runs every Tuesday for six weeks

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

Level: Beginner and above

Location: online

$615: true price

$349: base price

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

(Returning students receive 10 percent off).

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 refund policy, here.