All great fiction is about facing our fears, and horror offers the perfect devices for digging deep to write meaningful and effective stories. Together, we’ll talk about ghosts and monsters; society and power; tension and suspense; and literary theories and subgenres—as well as the fundamental principles that power all stories. We’ll use guided writing exercises to generate ideas and develop an original piece of horror fiction.

What to expect:

presentation and handout on devices, tropes, and theories
recommended bibliography
guided writing exercises

About the Instructor

Stephanie Feldman is the author of the novels Saturnalia, a Locus Award finalist for Best Horror, and The Angel of Losses, a B&N Discover Great New Writers Selection, Crawford Award winner, and Mythopoeic Award finalist. Her literary horror collection The Night Parade and Other Stories is forthcoming in 2026. She teaches fiction writing at Arcadia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Student Testimonials

“Stephanie’s incredible class helped me home in on my novel’s structure—articulating the character arcs, finding new ways to challenge my heroes, and building everything to a more satisfying resolution. (I hope). Now I have a book deal with my novel coming out in January!” —Stephen Fishbach, author of Escape!

“Stephanie Feldman is not only a smart, perceptive, and spell-binding writer, she brings all of that to her approach as an editor. She's a generous yet astute reader who offers invaluable insight into language, character, tone, plot, and the overall structure of a novel. Her elegant, concrete suggestions will make you wonder Why didn't I think of that? and help you get where you want to go.” — Deborah Shapiro, author of Consolation and The Summer Demands

“Stephanie Feldman is a passionate and thoughtful instructor. Her feedback is engaged, personal, and encourages writers to keep an open mind and to push the boundaries of their work. It felt like she took the time to understood my goals and then taught me the best ways for me to go about achieving them.” — former student

Scary Stories 101: One Session on the Techniques and Theory of Horror Fiction with Stephanie Feldman