Welcome to your class on creating original fantastical creatures. Before we begin, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s no one correct method of world building. You may also have varying levels of reality in your new world. Or you may not be a fantasy writer at all. Not to worry, this creative writing exercise will still stretch your skills.  As an ocean science educator, I am going to teach you...

The good guys get all the attention. You spend pages developing your hero’s back story and personality but fail to give the ol’ bad guy the same love. What’s a good story without a kick-ass villain? A shallow one. From Dracula to Hannibal Lecter and a legion of others, villains are iconic. Here’s how to end favoritism and craft a juicy villain of substance: one readers can sink their teeth...