About the course
This course is designed for experienced editors who want to add fantasy to their existing repertoire or for newly qualified editors who want to edit fantasy or specialise in fantasy fiction. It will also be of interest to editors specialising in other speculative genres and to romance editors who wish to work with romantasy. The course will also be accessible and interesting to writers planning their novel revision.
Over the four weeks, you’ll learn about several models and approaches that link to common developmental problems that fantasy fiction stories often have. In each session, you’ll explore a particular approach before applying it to a practical exercise. Weekly sessions will also include opportunities to discuss common editing issues related to the week’s topic, plus groupwork to strengthen understanding.
By the end of the course, you will:
- Understand how fantasy differs from other genres and how that impacts your approach to editing
- Know about key elements of fantasy fiction and the most common problems writers have when drafting
- Be confident about adding fantasy fiction editing to your services
- Know where to seek out help and resources
How does the course work?
This virtual learning course is delivered over four live sessions, each lasting one and a half hours. Delegates are required to attend all sessions as follows:
Session 1, 4 February, 2.00-3.30pm GMT - Fantasy genres and character: From Lord of the Rings to Fourth Wing
- We’ll discuss subgenres in fantasy, with specific focus on how horror and romance often form part of fantasy novels. We’ll also discuss the Romantasy boom and touch on editing for market versus editing for technique. Finally, we’ll look at common problems with character that editors need to watch out for in fantasy novels.
Session 2, 11 February, 2.00-3.30pm GMT - Worldbuilding and setting: Calling a rabbit a smeerp
- We’ll discuss the importance of worldbuilding in fantasy fiction, and the difficulties linked to creating a believable, compelling, consistent world. We’ll discuss worldbuilding-driven versus character/plot-driven novels, and how newer authors often overemphasise worldbuilding in their writing. We’ll finish with the most common worldbuilding problems and how you can tackle them as editors.
Session 3, 18 February, 2.00-3.30pm GMT - Story structure and POV problems: Why Save the Cat! could ruin a novel
- We’ll take a look at common story structures used in fantasy fiction and the problems that can arise when authors try to follow rigid templates or don’t plot their novel in advance at all. In the second half of the session, we’ll briefly discuss the use of first person, third-person limited and omniscient narration in fantasy fiction, and highlight common issues with POV that often come up in edits.
Session 4, 25 February, 2.00-3.30pm GMT - Bringing it all together
- Fantasy writers often struggle with fight scenes. These can be some of the hardest scenes to write. In this session, we’ll look at some examples of fight scenes and use them as a springboard to integrate the theoretical insights and problems discussed in the three earlier sessions.
Places on our virtual learning courses are limited and sell out quickly. If your chosen course is already fully booked, please email [email protected] to be added to the waiting list.
Please note that we use Zoom for our online courses. Please ensure that you are able to access this system where you are based before booking your place. Please note the CIEP's terms and conditions before booking your place.
