I am proud to be teaching a series of online creative writing classes through the Alexandra Writers’ Centre. This autumn, starting on October 1, the class will be “Writing for Horror.” It is an extensive course that studies the building blocks of horror fiction. We’ll analyze how to make plots frightening yet grounded, how to create unique horror villains, how to evoke various kinds of fears, and how explicit to make the horror imagery (depending upon your story’s specific vibe). We’ll also explore a wide selection of subgenres (gothic horror, psychological horror, folk horror, etc.) so that you can discover which one best suits you. Even if horror isn’t your genre, the class will still be useful for showing you ways to incorporate specific scary scenes into other kinds of stories. By the end of this eight-week class, you’ll have a deep understanding of how to best make use of fear and horror in your fiction. If you are interested in learning more, visit the Centre’s Writing for Horror page.