1 Session, Saturday, November 11th, 1-4pm Eastern Time

online, 15 students max

Does the thought of creating a longer work from scratch make you break out in hives? Are you comforted by the idea of writing with a roadmap? Do you think you have a modern spin on a classic idea that will blow people’s minds? Then adaptation might be the right route for you.

In this one-day workshop with writer Caitlin Kunkel, writers of all levels will examine stories in the public domain (Greek myths, religious texts, fairy tales, etc.) and subvert, rethink, and reinvent them for modern audiences. Through writing prompts, group work, an exploration of dramatic questions and class feedback, each student will leave the workshop with at least two fleshed out ideas for adapted works that can work across mediums.

Participants should come to class with one story they would like to work with (must be in the public domain). They will leave with an expanded version of their initial idea, suggestions for new dramatic questions and modern contexts, class feedback on structuring their project, and an additional project idea from a story provided by the instructor. They will have an understanding of how adaptation can be used to break a modern story, and learn how to utilize a dramatic question when it comes to conceiving and structuring ideas.

About the Instructor

Caitlin Kunkel is a comedy writer, long-time teacher, and author. She created The Second City’s Online Satire Writing Program, taught/spoken at a slew of colleges including Northwestern, Yale, Brown, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Penn State. She co-founded The Belladonna Comedy and the Satire and Humor Festival, and co-wrote the satirical gift book New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay, named one of the Top 10 Comedy Books of 201 by Vulture.

Finding Your Story Through Adaptation, 1 session fiction workshop with Caitlin Kunkel