Katrina M
- Research Program Mentor
MA at Dublin City University
Expertise
Creative writing; Prose fiction; Poetry; Literary Analysis; Mythology and Folklore analysis; Science Fiction and Fantasy; World building; Film theory and history; Screenwriting
Bio
I am a published writer with a BA in Cinema Arts and Science (concentration in screenwriting) from Columbia College Chicago and an MA in Creative Writing from Dublin City University. Over the past six years, I have worked with students ranging from first grade all the way up to college sophomores. As a writer and student, I know how important a good support system is in education and creative endeavors. How transformative good feedback can be, and how helpful it is to have someone to bounce ideas off of. Speculative fiction (specifically science fiction/fantasy and things just slightly spooky) is my jam. I love reading, writing, and watching stories and poems in this genre. My inspiration for writing comes from nature, road trips, folklore and mythology, and my cats.Project ideas
Ext. Forest - Day
Have an interest in writing your own short or feature-length script? In this project, we'll look at the differences between literary and visual storytelling. First, we'll cover how to properly format a film script and the free online apps you can use to write your first movie. Then we'll discuss the story you want to create, who your characters are, what goals they want to achieve, and what fatal flaws and antagonists are getting in their way. Is your main character someone we're supposed to like, or are they an anti-hero? After getting a sense of the story, we'll plot it into the three-act structure. What is your inciting incident? What is their saving the cat moment? What is your rising action and midpoint? What happens at the climax? Next, we'll practice how to write visually. And then, you'll start writing your very own script! Finally, we'll discuss how to edit your script and what steps you need to take to submit your script to film festivals and studios.
Writing the first draft: Novel and Short Story
Getting started on your first draft can be difficult. Sometimes writing that first sentence is the hardest part. In the first draft, you're still getting to know your story and characters. In this project, I'll support you through the process of writing your first draft. First, we'll discuss what kind of story you want to tell and your goal length. Then we'll discuss how to create characters and antagonists and how to begin plotting out your tale. Throughout the process, we'll also discuss how to defeat writer's block, write for genre, connect beginnings, middles, and ends, discover the hero's journey, think outside the box, and the best ways to end the first draft.
How to edit a novel or short story
You've got the first draft of your novel or short story written. Now what? Knowing how to edit your book effectively is an essential step in getting your story published. You've just spent a long time getting to know your characters and pouring your time and energy into a piece of writing. It can be hard to know where to start editing, what to keep, and, more importantly, what to cut. Together we'll go through your story, looking at the genre, plot points, and character arcs, and decide what pieces serve the story well and what are not. This will include referencing other published pieces similar in tone or style to your work and studying where they succeed and fail and where your story can fit into the market. Finally, we will discuss the best ways to publish your story: your self-publish options, publications you can submit to, and how to get started reaching out to writer's agents.
Twisted Fairy Tales
Folklore, fairy tales, and mythology have existed for as long as humans have been around to tell them. Oral histories and stories reach back centuries to the dawn of humanity. These fairytales, folklore, and mythology are still felt in today's stories: movies, books, and artwork. Famous authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Alexandra Bracken, V.E. Schwab, and Tracy Deonn have all been heavily influenced by ancient legends. In this project, the student will choose a story theme in fairy tales, folklore, mythology, or legends and analyze how that theme has developed over the centuries. Why was the story first begun? How has that story changed since it was first told? What new threads have appeared within the story? Why does that story still persist today? The student will research this theme within classic and contemporary tales and how the theme has been retold in different societies. They will explore why this particular story and theme has survived the ages and investigate what about this story and theme resonates with current audiences. At the end of the project, the student will have an in-depth paper analyzing a particular Twisted Fairy Tale and the purpose it has served over the years.