How do you create a dragon who's more than a cheap knock-off of Smaug, a vampire who isn't Angel or Spike, or a wizard who stands apart from Gandalf or Dumbledore? While this is a great time for aspiring writers of fantastic fiction to be working, with all manner of books old and new in print, the sheer number of fantastic narratives available can make the challenge of arriving at a character who isn't a reflection of some better known figure seem particularly daunting. After sketching out the parameters of the problem, this session will address it through a set of writing exercises. These will combine the participants' knowledge of popular figures in fantastic fiction with elements drawn from their personal experiences in order to develop their own characters, as well as to encourage them think about some of the situations in which those characters might find themselves.
John Langan is the author of two novels, The Fisherman (2016) and House of Windows (2009/2017), and two collections, The Wide, Carnivorous Sky and Other Monstrous Geographies (2013) and Mr. Gaunt and Other Uneasy Encounters (2008). With Paul Tremblay, he has co-edited Creatures... Read More →
