SLIDING SCALE: A Little Weird Goes A Long Way: Speculative Fiction Generator
with Tara Campbell
Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
In Person
In Person Intermediate, Advanced
Intermediate, Advanced 1 Session
1 Session This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House.
“I love sharing these tips that I've used to break out of writers' block and unleash a little weird in my writing. One of the exercises led to over a dozen published stories and my Philip K. Dick Finalist novel City of Dancing Gargoyles. Every time I teach this course, I'm blown away by the enthusiasm and creativity of the students, and we all come away excited about the story seeds that sprout during the class.” —Tara Campbell, instructor
Writing compelling speculative fiction doesn’t always require the creation of a whole new world—a little weird can go a long way.
In this three-hour generative workshop, we'll explore three playful techniques for transforming ordinary ideas into extraordinary stories. We'll craft narratives from common expressions, glean horror from unfinished business, and use deliberate paradoxes to create new ways of seeing the world. Along the way, we'll read sample stories and write to prompts in all three areas.
You’ll leave with three story starts, techniques for future story generation, and a new perspective on a world that is already stranger than fiction.
Whether you're new to speculative fiction or an experienced author looking for a burst of inspiration—or a break from that stalled WIP!—this class welcomes writers of all levels and genres.
This class focuses on:
- Generative Writing: Producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Creative Play & Exploration: Playful, experimental writing activities designed to break creative blocks and spark ideas.
What to expect:
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- Optional reading and/or writing outside of class.
Students say…
“The pacing and balance between in-class writing and practical prompts / genre explanation was spot-on. She brought us to the edge of a cliff, pointed out the important geographical features, then pushed us off, and ten minutes later, was waiting patiently at the bottom, ready to scoop us up and see what we’d turned into. I appreciated her honesty and humor. AND! She held time at the end for general questions about publications, word counts, and submissions, including backstage info on her own process and results, stuff I really want to know. Altogether a very valuable (and just plain fun) class.”
Registration Dates:
- August 11: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- August 18: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- August 25: Scholarships open
- August 30: Last day of Early Bird discount
About Sliding Scale:
To help provide financial accessibility to our class offerings, some classes each quarter are offered with a sliding-scale tuition model, allowing students to pay what they can for the class. We encourage all registrants to pick the level of tuition that is right for them for these classes—no application required!
Sliding scale tuition starts at 10% and goes up to 125% of the standard pricing. Payments above the 100% rate help fund future accessible writing classes and programming. Early bird and member discounts do not apply to sliding-scale classes.
Tara Campbell
With a BA in English, an MA in German, and an MFA in Creative Writing, Tara Campbell has a demonstrated aversion to money and power. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, she has also lived in Washington DC, Oregon, Ohio, New York, Germany and Austria. She currently lives in Seattle, WA.
She's proud to be on the current roster for the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, and is a mentor the the 19th season of AWP's Writer to Writer Mentorship Program. She's the recipient of the following awards from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities: the 2016 Larry Neal Writers' Award in Adult Fiction, the 2016 Mayor's Arts Award for Outstanding New Artist, and Arts and Humanities Fellowships for 2018 – 2022. She is also a 2017 Kimbilio Fellow and winner of the 2018 Robert Gover Story Prize.
Tara earned her MFA from American University in 2019, and is a fiction editor at Barrelhouse. She teaches creative writing with venues such as American University, Johns Hopkins University, Hugo House, Clarion West, the Writer's Center, Politics and Prose, Catapult, and the National Gallery of Art's Virtual Studio.
Follow her on: Twitter: @TaraCampbellCom or Instagram: @thetreevolution or Bluesky: @taracampbell.bsky.social or Mastodon: @TaraCampbell@writing.exchange or Facebook: CampbellTaraP
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
Zoom information for both classes and events are now available in your account.
- Login to your account.
- Go to “My Account.”
- Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
- Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.
You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.
If you have any questions please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, we announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual. The following policy applies to all payment plans:
- We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
- The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
- Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
- We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
- If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
- If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
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If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
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