Worldbuilding Like a Pro

INSTRUCTOR: AP Hawkins
​TIME: Sunday, February 2, 1-4 pm CST/CDT
PRICE: Early bird price: $45 for members, $60 for nonmembers. The deadline for early bird pricing is Monday, January 27. After Monday, January 27: $55 for members, $70 for nonmembers. Become a member here. Apply for a scholarship here.
LOCATION: Writespace, 1907 Sabine Street, #125, Houston, TX 77007 (map).
LEVEL: All levels
CAP: 15

Expansive and detailed worldbuilding is the bread and butter of science fiction and fantasy, but every genre needs worldbuilding on some level. Setting, culture, and how those elements affect the plot and characters (the most basic elements of worldbuilding) are things that every author must consider to make their book come alive for their readers. But anchoring readers in an unfamiliar world can be a tricky prospect. Too much exposition can bog the story down, too little and readers won’t have enough information to understand what’s going on. So how can authors ensure their worldbuilding is effective and properly balanced on the page?

Join science fiction and fantasy author A.P. Hawkins for a detailed workshop on the finer points of worldbuilding, from plot scaffolding and POV to incluing and “book bibles”. With plenty of examples and writing exercises to get your creative juices flowing, you will learn how to anchor your readers in the unfamiliar and make your invented worlds feel like home.

A.P. Hawkins is a biologist turned speculative fiction author and editor based in Houston, Texas. Her short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies, including Analog Science Fiction and Fact and The Librarian anthology series from Air and Nothingness Press. In 2024, A.P.’s short fiction earned a semi-finalist award in the Writers of the Future Contest. A.P. is a co-host of Writers Lunch, a weekly online writing workshop, and a co-founder of Tomeworks, an editing collective dedicated to helping genre authors build better books. She volunteers as a first reader for Hexagon Magazine. When she’s not writing or editing, A.P. enjoys gaming, crafting, and spending time outdoors. She dabbles in cosplay, quilting, baking, and painting minifigures for tabletop role playing games. For updates on her writing and other endeavors, you can follow A.P. on social media (@ahawkwrites) or visit her website, aphawkinsauthor.com.

Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash

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