Date/Time
Date(s) - Thu 7th May - Fri 29th May, 2026
6:30pm - 9:00pm
Building worlds and revealing them
How do you weave the multiple and dynamic strands of voice, character and world through your story without weighing down the tale? Through four interactive workshops led by Hannah Kaner, you’ll explore the foundations of world-building, and then delve into ideas and techniques that bring detail and depth to compelling characters and narratives as living parts of those worlds. Each workshop will include one or more writing exercise or activity.
Open to writers of all different levels of experience who are interested in fantasy writing.
Moniack in a Month: Fantasy includes:
- a short introductory welcome session
- four stimulating online workshops, preceded by optional drop-in social time
- one 30-minute tutorial
- a final ceilidh session – sharing of work
- Contact and support from your community of writers via Google Classroom (optional)
- Drop-ins before each workshop to help you get to know your group (optional)
- Support from your Moniack Mhor host
Hannah’s workshops will focus on the following themes:
Workshop 1 – Foundations: the world as a character
In this workshop we will look at how the world and the characters build each other. How history can both inspire and anchor a world, while allowing us to deviate. Through this session we will review different resources, consider where accuracy works for or against us, and discuss why history is more absurd than fantasy.
Workshop 2 – Horizons: built environments and the wild, what is in the water?
We have spoken about history, but people often see wild places as outside of time. But wilderness has its own history and sense of place. In this session we will engage with connecting landscapes outside the places of record and narrative control and making the world feel lived in by the character and the story. How does the world tick, what is the weather like, what do they eat? What is a treat? What do you see in a puddle at your feet, and what is in the water?
Workshop 3 – Spyglass: how the reader discovers the world, and the people in it?
Most of the time either your narrative voice or the character’s narrative voice is the window into the world. The Iceberg theory of worldbuilding will always leave most of it under the surface: sturdy enough to keep your world from toppling with just a sliver visible to the eye. But here, the question is: who is looking. This session will focus on character, and how to give your voice character, in relation to the world.
Workshop 4 – Movement: how to tread lightly, and what to bring to the surface
We’ve considered how to build a world and how to look at it, but one of the most difficult tasks is honing that expanse down to fit within the story and the reader’s eye, how to keep the narrative shifting at pace while keeping the world alive.
Each scene must impact the character, their emotions, their journey, or the world. They must shift something forward, even a little, or they lose their purpose. We will consider the uses and limits of narrative structure while thinking about the constant movement of world, character, and story.
Timetable
Week 1 Tuesday 7 May 18:30–21:00 Welcome Session and Workshop 1
Week 2 Tuesday 14 May 19.00-21.00 Workshop 2
Week 3 Tuesday 21 May 19.00-21.00 Workshop 3
Week 4 Tuesday 28 May 19.00-21.00 Workshop 4
Week 4 Friday 30 May 19.00-21.00 Ceilidh
Tutorials
Your one-to-one tutorial with Hannah will be scheduled when the course starts and will most likely take place in weeks 2 or 3.
Tutor
Hannah Kaner is the author of Godkiller, Sunbringer and Faithbreaker, all three #1 Sunday Times bestsellers. She has been shortlisted for the Hugos, Locus, British Book Awards and British Fantasy Awards, as well as longlisted for the Glass Bell award. Her work has been published in 16 languages.
Fees
The full fee for this online course is £360. A deposit of £100 is required to secure your place, which is non-refundable after a 14-day cooling-off period. The balance payment of £260 is due six weeks before the course begins.
Bursaries are available, and you also have the option to pay in instalments, please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk to enquire.
All activity takes place on Zoom, and workshops include a short break. Moniack Mhor staff will be on hand to support you during your course.
For more information please email online@moniackmhor.org.uk.
Access
Please let us know in your booking form if you have any access requirements when working online so we can do our best to support you. For more information about access to our courses, please visit our Access page.
Terms and Conditions
Please read our Terms & Conditions before booking.