Bring Your Speculative Fiction to Life with Jayson Greene

A two-day weekend seminar and workshop on speculative fiction, led by Jayson Greene, focused on the craft of subtle world-building — the kind that slips readers into strange new realities before they notice the transition. Each day consists of one session.

Session 1 (Day 1): What To Reveal, When, and Why
How much information about your world is too much, too soon? Drawing on passages from Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police, Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, and Greene's own UnWorld, the session examines different approaches to withholding and releasing information without losing readers. Followed by a generative writing exercise, paired discussion, and Q&A.

Session 2 (Day 2): How Do Your Characters Feel? — Seeking Intersection Points With Reality
Characters rarely step back to comment on the nature of their world — and that restraint is a tool. This session maps characters' interior concerns against their created world, looking for "intersection points" where the two make contact. Drawing on Yoko Tawada's Scattered All Over The Earth and short stories by Puloma Ghosh and Kelly Link. Followed by a generative writing exercise, paired discussion, and Q&A.

No prior writing experience required. Ideal for writers who have attempted speculative fiction before.