Creative Writing Workshop Series builds upon sought after workplace skills through fantasy worldbuilding

Is the pen truly mightier than the sword? The UHCL Writing Center just might be able to answer that question. The Fantasy Worldbuilding Creative Writing Workshop Series takes place every Wednesday between Sep. 24 and Nov. 14 from noon to 12:45 p.m. in the Writing Center. This workshop is a collaboration between Lead Writing Consultant Austin Green and Writing Consultants Cassandra Waggett and Matt Smith.

“We want to get students to think of the writing process more deliberately,” Waggett said. “Along with wanting people to call themselves creative writers, our biggest goal is to foster a community of writers here at UHCL.”  

The first session, held Sept. 24, focused on what defines the fantasy genre and what a reader expects from the writer. For the purpose of this workshop, fantasy was defined as any plot that cannot take place in the world as we know it. Once a working definition had been established, the second session’s focus was world infrastructure and mapping.

On Oct. 3, in the second session, participants were led through the process of choosing specifics about the world they wanted to build. The Writing Center staff had to keep moving new chairs into the room to accommodate everyone who was interested. The session ended with each participant mapping out a fantasy world using colored pencils.

The themes of the upcoming sessions will be more fluid and may change based on what attendees have requested. Currently, the workshops are free and open to all UHCL students, faculty and staff. Even if one was not able to attend the first couple of sessions, those interested may still join in at any point during the Creative Writing Workshop Series.

The resources from each session will be made available in the Writing Center to anyone who wants them.

Those still interested in the fantasy genre may also be interested in learning there will be a fantasy Literature class offered in the spring, which will be taught by Senior Lecturer in Writing David Day.

“I’m a gamer, as well as a teacher and reader,” Day said. “[This class] analyzes heroism and the notion of individuality in [various fantasy media]. The goal is to have fun, but find out what makes that fun work.”

Day’s class aims to take a historical survey of the fantasy genre. By moving from past fantasy literature into the present, this class examines the works of writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien, H. P. Lovecraft and George R. R. Martin. While this class delves deeply into fantasy literature, it includes a night of playing Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).

“I didn’t realize how integral the skills from D&D were,” said Stuart Larson, department chair of Communication and Studio Arts and associate professor of graphic design. “It’s a difficult skill to be able to tell a story, be creative and keep it engaging.”

Larson acknowledges the need for fantasy writing and literature at UHCL. When doing a study on potential employers, he found out that a major employer in Houston strongly requested that applicants had a knowledge of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work.

“[Being able to tell a story] is a useful skill because it uses imagination and creativity,” said Andy Robb, president of the student organization the Storytellers. “It could be translated into creative problem-solving in the workplace but also helps people adapt to team members with varying personality traits/social skills.”

The Fantasy Worldbuilding workshops are the first one of its kind at UHCL. Depending on how successful it is, there is hope that it may continue and/or inspire new genres of writing workshops in the future.

“If there is sufficient interest then there is the possibility that these building workshops could explore other genres as well,” Waggett said. “A lot of students may think that the writing center is just for essays, but that isn’t true. While there is sometimes a stigma around fantasy writing, the Writing Center is a safe space to share your writing. If you are imaginative or creative then these workshops are for you.”