Welcome to the Horror Hallway - where storytelling takes a dark turn! This weekly ongoing class is a safe space designed for learners who love the horror genre, enjoy creative writing and storytelling, and are looking for a relaxed club-type environment to expand their creativity. 

It’s a great fit for three types of students: 

✔️ the learner who is a solid writer and needs to be creatively challenged

✔️ the learner who is a storyteller but may lack confidence in ability

✔️ the learner who just wants a place to hang out, have fun with writing, and bond with others

Members will:

✔️ learn to think outside the box and "on the spot" with flexible thinking writing activities

✔️ build personal confidence

✔️ bond with others who also enjoy creating horror stories

✔️practice positive peer interaction 

No one sees a learner’s paper or document and sharing is voluntary.

CLASS AGENDA
✔️ Each class starts with a chatbreaker and/or an opener activity such as "5 Minute Fiction," a popular activity using three provided random statements. Learners are encouraged to allow their minds to create without judgment. The chat is open throughout class for interaction between authors as the storytelling and voluntary sharing unfolds. 

✔️ We follow up with unique, creative flexible thinking writing opportunities, and learners may voluntarily share their flexible thinking with the group. See examples below.

SAMPLE FLEXIBLE THINKING TOPICS
To promote "on the spot thinking" and develop creative thinking, I don’t reveal my topics each week before class, but here’s a sample of a past class.

Develop one of the following scenes. If you'd like to accept the challenge, incorporate all 3:

✔️ write a scene opening with a scream

✔️ write a scene using 3 of the following: a claw, a day-old cup of coffee, crime scene tape, a vanishing mist, a broken lock, an envelope, a necklace with a broken clasp, and/or a parrot

✔️ write a scene taking place under a streetlight and opening with the line, "Thanks for the ride."

✔️ write a scene using one of the following characters seeking revenge for a past injustice: a vampire, a zombie, a creepy doll, and/or a ghost

CAMERAS ON FOR A SAFE SPACE
Black screens do not promote trust in a group. Because this is a social club and learners are vulnerably sharing their talents, learners are required to have working cameras in the “on” position for the duration of class. 

APPROPRIATE SHARING
There are parameters for healthy sharing in a school environment. Outschool records our sessions and the chat. Cursing, sexual content, and/or bullying are not acceptable or tolerated within any genre. 

AUTHOR TRANSPARENCY
Because this is a horror writing club, it is assumed that everyone is ok with the horror genre since they have opted into the class. "Trigger warnings" are still always encouraged and appreciated, however. Writers in my other creative writing classes  provide courtesy "heads up" to others before reading anything horror-related, and I would like to continue this tradition here out of respect.

TEACHER EXPERIENCE
✔ certified secondary English teacher with 30 years of teaching experience 
✔ published freelance writer with poetry and narratives appearing in Coping with Cancer, Sasee Magazine and the international bestselling books, Chicken Soup for the Soul 

TEACHING STYLE
✔ I'm entertaining and friendly
✔ I prioritize creating a safe, enjoyable space while giving you a quality, fun experience every time

CLASS STRUCTURE
✔ students may enroll at any time because sessions do not build on one another
✔ conveniently auto-drafted each week and subscription can be easily stopped at any time on the Outschool page