Students will revel in this class of mystery and uncertainty.  Whether you pick a heroine who silently screams uncovering the hidden horror that lurks in a decaying tomb, or create werewolves, ghosts, and other ghouls who have their own City of Darkness--we'll all create a world full of gothic gloom together before writing our own individual suspenseful stories.   

The Process: 
Step 1: We will start by creating a map of our new world together so students can visualize the haunted setting that will help them dive into writing.  Each week students will receive a writing exercise that relates to a popular trope in gothic narratives.  
Step 2: When the 20 minute writing time is over, students will be given the option to read their work out loud to each other. 
Step 3: Since we're discussing first drafts and haven't had a chance to edit it yet, the whole class will only comment on what we like and remember about the writing. We may also ask questions to help clarify the action in our minds, or find out if the author knows what will happen next. 

Class #1 Brainstorming: We will create a city full and brainstorm the following: characters, names, places, unusual magical items, and secrets to use in our stories. 
Class #2 The Inciting Incident: We will discuss how a stranger is introduced to start a story that will hook readers.
Class #3 Character Descriptions: We will learn how to use metaphor to create interesting character descriptions in just a few lines.
Class #4 Packing Up For the Trip: We will learn about Backstory & Info Dumps.
Class #5 Point of View: Leaners will try four things to create a deep point of view for their main character.
Class #6 Setting: How to use metaphors to create vivid settings. 
Class #7 Mood: Learn how to create a certain feeling or tone to your world and the people in it.
Class #8 World building 101: Learners will focus on how to create an exciting world through action. 

The "City Of" classes taught by Leeyanne Moore on Outschool can be taken in any order. Here are the other classes to try:
City of Monsters: 
https://outschool.com/classes/city-of-monsters-intermediate-fiction-creative-writing-workshop-KjQEuOyM#usVrGbvrE4
City of Doom: 
https://outschool.com/classes/city-of-doom-intermediate-creative-writing-TMlY1MvS#usVrGbvrE4