Saturday, April 19th, 2025

Live Seminar Via Zoom 10AM – 1PM Central

Any questions about this class? Use the Chat Button (lower left) to talk with us.

Instructor Amber Sparks is the author of an upcoming novel, Happy People Don’t Live Here, an upcoming short story collection, Did Parents In the Middle Ages Love Their Children? (both from Liveright/W.W. Norton), and four collections of short fiction, including And I Do Not Forgive You: Revenges and other Stories and The Unfinished World. Her fiction and essays have appeared in American Short Fiction, the Paris Review, Slate, Tin House, Granta, The Cut and elsewhere.  

The monster has always been a key figure in literary fiction across the world - whether supernatural or human, pure evil or just misunderstood, monsters have served as antagonists, protagonists, and anti-heroes in short stories and novels since more or less the beginning of fiction.

We’ll talk about the history of literary monsters: from Humbaba in Gilgamesh to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein to Stephen King’s IT to Anne Rice’s Lestat to Shaun Hamill’s A Cosmology of Monsters. We’ll decide how to figure out what kind of monster your work of fiction needs, and we’ll create an in depth monster profile.

We’ll play with form and structure, looking at contrasting tones and themes to balance the darkness. We’ll do some writing exercises around portraying the monstrous and introducing them seamlessly into a story.

And you’ll take home the draft of a short story that’s an exercise in the monstrous form. 

Can't Make It Live?

No problem! The session will be recorded and available to watch after the seminar concludes.

COURSE TAKEAWAYS: 

Amber Sparks' Making Literary Monsters seminar will pinpoint key elements: crafting monster profiles, selecting suitable monsters, experimenting with form, and keeping a consistent tone.

A Deep Understanding of Literary Monsters and Their Lineage: Students will examine iconic monsters throughout literature—from ancient epics to contemporary horror—gaining insights into the archetypal roots and evolving significance of monstrous figures over time.

A Customized Monster Profile for Their Own Fiction: Through guided exercises, participants will develop an in-depth profile for a monster that fits seamlessly into their project’s genre, theme, and tone, ensuring uniqueness and narrative impact.

Techniques to Balance Darkness with Structure and Style: Attendees will explore how to integrate monstrous elements into a story in a way that enriches rather than overwhelms the narrative, experimenting with form, contrasting themes, and tone for maximum dramatic effect.

A Draft of a Monstrous Short Story: By the end of the seminar, students will walk away with a working draft that showcases their newly honed skills—serving as both a standalone piece and a springboard for deeper exploration of the monstrous in fiction.

TAKE THIS CLASS IF:

• You're finding the constraints of your current writing practice too limiting.
• You want exposure to a range of new approaches to bring to your writing practice.
  
• You want an expanded sense of what is possible in your work.
  

TESTIMONIALS:

"I took the class on a whim after seeing Amber mention it on Twitter. It exceeded my expectations. I come from a very traditional educational background and found Amber's perspective quite refreshing and very useful for my work in progress."

"Really this class blew my mind. It as exactly the espresso shot my private writing practice needed. I really appreciated the concrete craft lessons. I am at a stage of writing where this is exactly what I need."

"One of the more creative workshops I have ever taken. Amber Sparks really got me to think in different and creative ways. It was the right class at the right time for me."

"I really enjoyed Amber Sparks' workshop on Fractured Narrative! Great list of possible approaches to non-linear story-telling with helpful references to specific author's works as examples. Good exercises. Really enjoyed the chat input from other attendees as well. Great value for the price."

"Every class I have taken with Amber has exceeded my expectations!"

"The most valuable part for me was the prompts and the mini-workshop. Highly recommend."

ONLINE COURSE STRUCTURE:

This class will meet via Zoom on Saturday, April 19th, 2025 from 10AM - 1PM CST

• Amber Sparks | Live via Zoom

• This class will meet via Zoom on Saturday, April 19th, 2025

• 10AM - 1PM CST

• Seminar is fully ONLINE and meets via Zoom