Speculative Fiction: Worlds, Characters, Craft, and Publishing

Course summary: Learn to write compelling speculative fiction across science fiction, fantasy, horror, and hybrid forms. Build consistent worlds, believable characters, and ethical conflicts; research what matters; revise with useful feedback; and complete an original short-story portfolio with a publishing plan.

Course overview: This course follows the ten chapters of the source manuscript in their original order. Four standalone lessons develop each chapter into applied writing practice. It is designed for aspiring fiction authors and experienced writers entering speculative genres. No specialist background is required. Allow about 2–4 hours per lesson, plus time for the final draft. The course builds toward a 2,500–3,500-word original speculative story and supporting craft documents.

Learning outcomes: Identify speculative genre promises; test a what-if premise; design internally consistent settings; create choices under pressure; distinguish researched facts from invention; critique story clarity; compare publication routes; and revise a complete short narrative.

Completion and assessment: Finish each lesson’s writing lab and self-check, retain your planning and revision work, then submit the final portfolio in Lesson 10.4. Use the 100-point capstone rubric there to assess readiness; a weak criterion should lead to a named revision, not a guess about a grade.

AI writing partner policy: The author owns the creative decisions. AI may help test alternate loglines, ask consistency questions, or flag confusing rules when you supply a short excerpt. Check every suggestion against your world ledger and sources. Do not upload confidential material without permission, present generated research as verified, or allow AI to replace your personal voice.