Do you love to read creepy stories?
Do you want to be a master of WRITING them?

In this class, students will understand how to leverage techniques in their prose such as word choice, pacing, point-of-view, and more to evoke intentional emotions and reactions in their audience. Students will learn essential craft skills that create a complete, satisfying, and compelling story.

Upon completing this course, the art of viral horror will be something students feel that they can contribute to, not just spectate.

This class is for any student with an interest in horror stories, or who is interested in learning how to write genre fiction. While some prior knowledge of Creepypasta fiction is helpful, it is not necessary. (Creepypasta stories are horror related legends that have been  shared around the Internet) 

Students will also be introduced to a wide variety of different kinds of authors from all over the world, both contemporary and classic. Through the study of literature as craftsmanship, students will both discover a new appreciation for the art of storytelling and become empowered to write their own stories. 

Students will be empowered to write their own stories by learning the formula used in writing original works of creepypasta fiction. They will also discover a new appreciation for the genre by learning its cultural importance as contemporary urban legends. 

Lesson structure:
Each class focuses on a particular craft element in the genre using case studies from material developed by both independent creators and major production studios. After each case study, students will have time to write their own stories. They can choose to start a new story with a prompt, or they can continue developing a story they already started. 

Schedule, subject to change:
Week of 9/10: What is Creepypasta? A History of the Genre
Week of 9/17: The 7 Elements of Creepypasta
Week of 9/24: Where Do Ideas Come From? Finding Inspiration
Week of 10/1: From Story to Legend: Origins of the Slender Man Mythos
Week of 10/8: Creepy Images Case Study: Smile.jpg and the Russian Sleep Experiment
Week of 10/15: r/Nosleep — Thinning the 4th Wall
Week of 10/22: Generating Plausibility: Using AI to Make Creepy Images
Week of 10/29: Creepypasta Videos on the Internet
Week of 11/5: Found Footage: Blockbuster Creepypasta in The Blair Witch, [REC], Paranormal Activity, and Beyond
Week of 11/12: Alternate Reality Games (ARGs): From Marble Hornets, Local58, and Gemini Home Entertainment
Week of 11/19: Creepypasta Podcasts
Week of 11/26: Descriptions, Word Choice, and Pacing: Craft Elements
Week of 12/3: Revising our Work

MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
📓 DERRICK HEISEY, Writer and Teacher: Since 2015, Derrick has taught every grade level from Kindergarten to 12th. He is a licensed Special Education teacher with a degree in English Creative Writing from the University of New Mexico and a minor in Philosophy. He's published short stories and poetry, and produces a podcast where he reads his original fiction. According to him, mastering the written word is one of the most empowering journeys a person can pursue, and nothing brings him as much joy as sharing that passion with students. Everyone has something important to say; they just need to find the right words, and Derrick can’t wait to help his students discover their voices. When he isn’t teaching, you can find him in his garden inspecting tomatoes, scribbling in a notebook, or reading a book with his dachshund Charlie Marlow curled up on his lap.