One session seminar, Sunday, October 25th, 2-4pm Eastern / 11am-1pm Pacific
online; 25 students max
$70
Enroll in this class.
Join screenwriter/teacher Lauren Veloski for a 2-hour writing “playdate” filled with all the upending possibilities of the speculative genre. The spooky season surrounding Halloween is of course primetime for ghouls and monsters and menace. We can ALSO consider this time of year a portal for ALL flavors of stretched and scrambled reality. This workshop is your invitation to peer more deeply through the looking glass towards Maximum Expansion in your writing. Together, we’ll try our hands at the speculative genre—moving your craft towards curious, irreverent, and fantastically unhinged ideas!
A “realistic” ( = genre-less) rendering of life presents rooms just as we expect them, skies just as we expect them, the sun setting on an infallible clock, the moon rising with no complaint or rebellion, and on and on.
The moment something “strange” is afoot, we’re suddenly on new terrain—which feels dangerous. It’s why so many of the “speculative genres” are about fear. But dropping the floor out from beneath your characters is about more than scare tactics—it’s the gateway to unlocking your wildest imagination and sharpening your narrative choices. Even non-fiction writers can benefit from “spooky” play!
Together we’ll:
—Demystify speculative writing by looking at the writing in vital, pop culture artifacts like “Widow’s Bay,” “Severance,” “Stranger Things,” “Donnie Darko,” and more.
—Challenge genre exclusivity/gatekeeping by dispelling the assumed “rules” of the speculative genre.
—Practice disrupting the sturdiness of “realistic writing” with “ONE THING AMISS” thinking. Simply flipping a switch on one aspect of the “ordinary” transports your reader/viewer into genre rebellion.
Everything is possible if we aren’t afraid to reshape “the facts” into “the fantastical.”
To get there, we’ll:
—Do bite-sized (but big-hearted) generative WRITING EXERCISES using fun & freeing PROMPTS
—Share any fears & insecurities about pushing beyond our comfort zone into blazing GENRE
—Notice where the “UNREAL” meets the “UNCANNY” and hone this special sauce for our own inventions
—Celebrate the POWER-INVERTING POSSIBILITY of “the spooky” by spitballing reality-inverting premises!
This is not a screenwriting class, and NO screenwriting experience is necessary! “Spooks, Portals, & the Upside-Down” is open to ALL writers. Come ready to play!
Enroll in this class.
About the Instructor
Lauren Veloski is a screenwriter, comedy writer, creative coach, and founder of THAT'S BANANAS. Her first feature script, the indie comedy “SORRY, THANKS,” was praised by Lena Dunham for writing “as seamless as any studio rom-com—if studio rom-coms had astute, nuanced dialogue.” An “unromantic comedy” about casual douchebaggery, “SORRY, THANKS” world-premiered at SXSW, played 15 fests internationally, and sold to IFC/Sundance. After 15 years as the “story brain in the room” on countless television and film projects, Lauren launched THAT'S BANANAS in 2022 to do what she most loves: work one-on-one with writers at all levels, helping them come fully into their badassery and power on the page. Visit her online at www.thats-bananas.com
Testimonials from Lauren’s Popular Screenplays for Badass Women Class
“Lauren is the kind of teacher I wish every student, creative, and young-girl could have. It is both refreshing & healing to be guided by a person who believes you story is worth sharing simply because it is yours and therefor it is special. This class, the materical brought forward for analysis and the saftey created for conversation & sharing is truly motivating.”
“This is a fantastic course! I loved the environment Lauren created – so supportive, enthusiastic and intellectually engaging. Her resources are fantastic, it feels like a curated experience – well worth it!”
“This class is a blast whether you’re totally new to screenwriting or more experienced. Lauren does a great job of balancing the class between reading and watching great films and shows, teaching industry standards in format and genre and working on your own project- brand new or work in progress. The group was wide ranging in experience and expertise, but Lauren set a great tone of encouragement and positivity. I would definitely take another class with Lauren.”
“Lauren was very encouraging and really available to her students. She is super knowledgeable and passionate about screenplay writing. I appreciated how insightful she was in analyzing the scripts we read in class and getting to heart of the scenes we workshopped. I learned a ton and I know that I will continue to use her handouts as reference as I go further on my screenwriting journey.”
“Lauren was a great instructor especially since this was the first time I took a screenwriting class. I appreciated how she catered her class based on everyone’s individual experience, and how she also provided 1x1 sessions to ensure we were all supported. She also provided great feedback on my project and she was always super encouraging and thoughtful, especially in moments where I felt stuck. I would highly recommend Lauren’s classes to others!”
“This course covered so much ground. It was my first foray into screenwriting and I am so glad, because Lauren is a really thorough, experienced, and supportive teacher with an interesting angle to teaching screenwriting. I’m compelled to keep working on the project that I began while in this class and hope to take another Badass class soon.”
Student Testimonials from Other Classes Lauren Has Taught
"Lauren Veloski is like a scriptwriting oracle. I feel ready to make my own thing now, but more importantly, I feel like I have the kind of permission I was seeking to carve a spot for myself. Lauren is a cheerleader, a warrior, a sage." —Lindsay Hunter, Author of "HOT SPRINGS DRIVE"
"Lauren is the best screenwriting teacher I’ve ever had. No, seriously. Remember your favorite teacher from school who made you feel seen and met you where you were at and knew exactly what you needed to hear? That’s her.” —Aliza Small, writer & comedian
“I want everyone who feels like they have a story trapped inside them to take a class with Lauren, regardless of whether that's a screenplay or a novel or a short story. This class felt like the safest place ever to explore my creativity and be vulnerable in sharing my ideas, and that's such an incredible gift for a writer.” —Kristina Johnson, writer