When J.R.R. Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937, he ushered in a new era of fantasy fiction. Tolkien’s work is fantastical, and yet his presentation is at least as as realistic as stories set in the “real” world. How does he achieve this balance? That’s one of the questions we will examine in this class.
In Writing with Hobbits, we will examine The Hobbit with a writer’s eye, to see how we can make Tolkien’s techniques work in our own writing.
Writing through the Wardrobe includes 17 short recorded lectures, six 60-minute live Zoom discussions, as well as a dedicated online forum for discussion and optional writing exercises.
*Recordings of the discussions will also be available for learners who can’t attend the live discussions
Topics to be covered include:
Date and Time:
Tuesdays, September 19 to October 24, 2023 from 10 AM – 11 AM (student) and 1 PM – 2 PM (adult)
Cost: $97
Intended Audience:
Adult, High School, Middle School*
*There are two “cohorts” of Writing with Hobbits–one for adults (college-age and up), and one for high-school and middle-school students. The course content is the same for either cohort, but the two cohorts are separate in the discussion forums. Adults will be interacting with adults, and students will be interacting with students.
Please register for the appropriate cohort.
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
Reading: two to four chapters of The Hobbit each week
Writing: 300-500-word exercise
Watching: Three pre-recorded lectures per week, plus one live Zoom discussion per week
Online Discussion: I will post several discussion questions each week. Hopefully they will lead to fruitful discussion in which you can participate as time allows.
