Class : Intro to Fantasy The Fellowship Begins

Look, it's a fantasy class! Not just any fantasy class, but an Introduction to Fantasy class. As if there were one or more fantasy classes after this. (Which there aren't...yet) What could possibly be so complex about writing fantasy that it needs an intro class to get us started? 

I'm glad you asked. There are more than ten subgenres in the fantasy section of fiction writing. In this intro course, we'll cover the most basic of the basics, the nuts, bolts and cotter pins that hold fantasy together. In order to keep ourselves focused, we'll stick to Epic Fantasy only, a.k.a. High Fantasy. If you have read or seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy, you've experienced Epic Fantasy.

J.R.R. Tolkien brought fantasy to the masses. Before he wrote The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fantasy was considered a kids' genre, full of fairy tales. He showed the world what a true writer can do with imagination and a pen. Generations of writers have been working from his inspiration ever since, in one way or another.

In homage to the father of modern fantasy, and more importantly, because LoTR has a bit of every basic fantasy element in it, this class will use examples from Lord of the Rings to demonstrate the different aspects of fantasy stories. It's also what inspired the names of the class and assignments.

If you haven't seen these movies or read these books, I recommend them, purely because they are such a great example of fantasy, and they'll help you understand the genre better. But no, folks, it's not required. There won't be, like, a book report at the end. There'll be something infinitely more awesome! *rubs hands in glee*

Assignments:

1.1 The Wide World is All About You - worlds and heroes

1.2 My Fighting Uruk-hai - races and creatures

1.3 A Light for You in Dark Places - magic spells and items

1.4 Evil is Stirring in Mordor - fantasy's themes

1.5 It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door - final project

P.S. My teaching assistant for this course is the creepy denizen of the deep dark waters over there. ----> 

He's better known as the Watcher in the Water, which sums up his job pretty well. He'll be keeping an eye on you during each assignment.

Please keep to the rules below. The dwarves of Moria were late with their homework, and we all know what happened to them...

1. All Storywrite rules apply. Please, respect the teachers and fellow students.
2. The student should contact the teacher is s/he is away for more than two weeks, or is unable to complete the course in three months.
3. Courses are copyrighted to the teachers and the materials/discussions are not to be shared outside the classroom.
4. If there are any student-teacher issues/conflicts, they should be taken to the Director.
5. No fanfiction, anime or dark fantasy (vampires/werewolves) will be accepted. Epic fantasy only.
6. There is no rule six.
7. Fantasy writing is ALL about using imagination. Please use your own ideas. Plagiarism is not acceptable. Names will be Googled.
8. You must read and sign the full Student Code of Conduct before entering this course. Here is the link: Student Code of Conduct