Modern Folklore Short Story Course

About the event

Over 6 sessions, we will study the craft of dark fiction. We will first cover the building blocks of compelling short-fiction writing: structure, characters, atmosphere and pacing, before studying folk beliefs new and old, and the growing genre of online folklore.

Each session will involve a discussion of literary techniques, examples from renowned authors, and writing tasks. The last 30 minutes will be spent workshopping our own pieces and critiquing each other's works-in-progress constructively.

Our goal is to produce compelling short stories for a horror anthology, published in ebook form by Comma Press. Join us as we delve into this shadowy genre and emerge with fresh, spine-tingling tales to tell.

DATES

Jan 13, 27

Feb 10, 24

Mar 10, 24

Week 1 - Structure and characters

We will look at the overall structure of short fiction and how to create believable characters.

Week 2 - Atmosphere and place

We'll look at how some of the best dark fiction authors create atmosphere and the techniques we can use in our short fiction.

Week 3 - Folk belief, the occult and modern day horrors

In this session we'll explore how cautionary folk tales in different cultures endure into fears in the modern world and how we can layer these fears in our dark fiction stories.

Week 4 -Pacing

We will look at how to pace our stories - how to build tension and stoke fear.

Week 5 - Modern Folklore

We will look at modern day phenomena such as The Backrooms, Slenderman and Momo and how we are still telling stories to reflect societal fears.

Week 6 - Showcase

This week will be a showcase of our final pieces where we can receive constructive critique from the group to help refine what we will be including in the anthology.

PLEASE NOTE Classes are capped at 15 places to ensure a high-quality experience.

PRICE

£175 per ticket (+Booking Fees - or feel free to email George below to avoid booking fees) which covers 6x sessions including detailed feedback and publication in a Comma Press e-book anthology. £125 bursary tickets are available on a first come first served for writers of protected characteristics – simply email george.forster@commapress.co.uk to apply.

PLEASE BE AWARE: We cannot offer refunds for cancellations made within 30 days of the course start date. If the minimum number of attendees in not met before 2 weeks prior to the start date, the course will be postponed or cancelled with existing attendees given the option of holding their place for the postponed date or getting a full refund of the ticket cost.

Considering signing up?

We make our courses as accessible as possible: they span the UK and take place routinely throughout the year; you don't actually need any previous experience - just enthusiasm for short story writing; and you only need a pen, paper, laptop/computer, and internet access in order to take part and keep in contact.

Our Course Graduates

Past participants on our Short Story Courses have gone on to be published by the likes of Penguin, Canongate Books, The Best of British Fantasy, Granta, and Ambit Magazine, have work reviewed in the The Guardian, The Irish Times, Lit Hub, Sunday Express and Metro and recognised by awards such as the The Brighton Prize

Comma Press is not-for-profit publisher and development agency specialising in short fiction from the UK and beyond.

Matt Wesolowski is an author from Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK. He is an English tutor for young people in care. Matt started his writing career in horror, and his short horror fiction has been published in numerous UK- and US-based anthologies, such as Midnight Movie Creature, Selfies from the End of the World, Cold Iron and many more. His novella, The Black Land, a horror set on the Northumberland coast, was published in 2013. Matt was a winner of the Pitch Perfect competition at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in 2015. His debut thriller, Six Stories, was an Amazon bestseller in the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and a WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, and film rights were sold to a major Hollywood studio. A prequel, Hydra, was published in 2018 and became an international bestseller. Changeling, the third book in the series, was published in 2019 and was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. His fourth book, Beast, won the Amazon Publishing Readers’ Independent Voice Book of the Year award in 2020. Matt lives in Newcastle with his partner and young son, and is currently working on the sixth book in the Six Stories series. Chat to him on Twitter @ConcreteKraken.