Writing Workshops

Using Fairy Tales, Magical Realism, and the Surreal to Conquer Writer's Block with Soraya Palmer (September 2024)

$495

8 Sessions

Out of stock

Once a week Wednesdays, 7:00 pm EDT - 9:00 pm EDT September 25 to November 13, 2024

The Center for Fiction

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This course is for anyone who’s had a really exciting idea for a story or novel… only to feel stuck or defeated when they sat down to write it. You’ll learn how to tap into the childlike parts of your imagination that make writing fun and push through feelings of self-doubt and “stuckness.”

For inspiration, we’ll read both classic and contemporary authors who have mastered elements of magical realism and the surreal, including Angela Carter, Carmen Maria Machado, and George Saunders. You’ll do in-class writing exercises and receive weekly reading assignments to help you develop complex characters, build tension, and create vivid settings by adding unexpected elements (a haunted house, a talking mirror) or fantastical changes (an inexplicable physical transformation). Each week, you will also write a story or chapter inspired by a prompt offered by the instructor; every student will have the opportunity to be workshopped.

Some interest in magical realism and surrealism is recommended to get the most out of this course, but no prior experience is necessary.

Course Outline:

Week 1: An introduction to the class and the genres of magical realism, surrealism, and the strange.
Weeks 2–7: In-class writing, discussions of assigned readings, and an exploration of established authors’ writing techniques. Two students will be workshopped each session.
Session 8: Closing.

This course is held in person at The Center for Fiction.

Led by

Soraya Palmer

Soraya Palmer

Soraya Palmer is the author of The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts. She is a Flatbush-born-and-raised writer and licensed social worker who has done organizing and advocacy work on the issues of gender-based violence, criminalized survivors, gentrification, and police brutality. Soraya has been awarded a residency at Blue Mountain Center in Upstate NY and the Nawat Fes Residency in Fes, Morocco, and is a 2024 Fiction NYFA/NYSCA fellow. She teaches Fiction at the MFA program at CUNY City College and magical realism as a genre at The Center for Fiction. She lives in Brooklyn with her cat Nicholas.

About this series

Writing Workshops

We strive to make our classes the most inviting and rewarding available, offering an intimate environment to study with award-winning, world-class writers. Each class is specially designed by the instructor, so whether you’re a fledgling writer or an MFA graduate polishing your novel, you’ll find a perfect fit here.

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