Writing science fiction
This course will be delivered online. See the ‘What is the course about?’ section in course details for more information.
Choose a start date
- Course Code: HW666
- Dates: 04/02/25 - 11/03/25
- Time: 18:00 - 20:00
- Taught: Tue, Evening
- Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 weeks)
- Location: Online
- Tutor: KR Moorhead
Course Code: HW666
Choose a start date
Duration: 6 sessions (over 6 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
Whether you’re writing a philosophical space opera or a dystopian epic, this course will help you get to grips with the tools and techniques great science fiction writers use to craft intelligent, compelling stories.
This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera is best (e.g. a PC/laptop/iMac/MacBook), or a tablet/iPad/smart phone/iPhone if you don't have a computer.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.
What will we cover?
- Worldbuilding in science fiction
- Science fiction sub-genres
- Concept and thought experiments
- Characterisation.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Understand techniques used by science fiction writers
- Build your own science fiction world
- Structure your own stories.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an introductory course and suitable for complete beginners as well as more experienced creative writers.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
A mix of group work, writing exercises, excerpt analysis and formal instruction from the tutor.
City Lit Writing endeavours to create a safe and welcoming space for all and we strongly support the use of content notes in our classes. This means that learners are encouraged to make their tutor and classmates aware in advance if any writing they wish to share contains material that may be deemed sensitive. If you are unsure about what might constitute sensitive content, please ask your tutor for further clarification and read our expectations for participating in writing courses at City Lit.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Writing materials.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
You may want to consider 'Getting away with murder: how to write crime fiction' or 'Writing Horror'.
All students are invited to join us at Late Lines, our regular performance night for City Lit writers. Students are also encouraged to submit their work to Between the Lines, our annual anthology of creative writing. For the latest news, courses and events, stay in touch with the Department on Facebook and Twitter.
KR Moorhead is a trans non-binary, neurodivergent writer and educator. Their novel, The First Law of Motion, was published by St Martin's Press in 2009. They lectured in Creative Writing for 14 years at the University of East Anglia, where they earned an MA in Creative Writing: Prose Fiction in 2007. KR also has a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education Practice and a Post Graduate Diploma in Education Practice and Research, with a focus in feminist and other critical pedagogies. As a freelance creative writing mentor and facilitator, KR has launched FLUX: Trans* Writers Circle, a series of successful 'Crash Courses' in elements of writing and writing practice, and a programme of author and publishing industry professional events called An Audience With. They have facilitated sessions for Writers in Bloom, Beyond Form Creative Writing, Devotion Workshop, Norwich School of Creative Writing, and Oxbridge Academic Courses, and currently teach on Writing the Novel and the Writer's Portfolio for The University of Hull's online, part-time MA in Creative Writing.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
