About the Course

Writing Workshop: Modern Fantasy

This course transports readers to magical worlds where animals speak, toys come to life, and eccentric characters perform seemingly impossible feats. Worlds turn upside down, and the familiar becomes the unknown. Explore classic and contemporary texts to learn the traits that characterize modern fantasy. Venture into extraordinary places like Middle-earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and witness the incredible adventures of unlikely heroes, like those in Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Desperaux. In this workshop-style course, read, discuss, and reflect upon what these whimsical worlds tell us about our own. Respond to modern fantasy texts in a variety of written assignments, including literary analysis and reflective writing. Armed with your newly developed understanding of the genre and an appreciation of its nuances, you will then craft your own works of fantasy.

Typical Class Size: 14-16
 

Course Overview

This course is

ungraded.

Summer Dates & Locations

Registration deadline extended:

After May 16, 2025, registration is available upon request pending eligibility and seat availability. To request placement, email [email protected] after submitting a program application.

Session One

Birdseye view image of the campus of Mirman School
Mirman School
Los Angeles, California
-
Day cost: $3,959
Enroll
Image of Gilman School Baltimore
The Gilman School
Baltimore, Maryland
-
Day cost: $3,149
Enroll
Image of Speyer School in New York City
Speyer School
New York, New York
-
Day cost: $3,959
Add to Waitlist

Session Two

Image of Gilman School Baltimore
The Gilman School
Baltimore, Maryland
-
Day cost: $3,149
Enroll
Image of Speyer School in New York City
Speyer School
New York, New York
-
Day cost: $3,959
Enroll

Testing and Prerequisites

  Math Verbal
Required Level Not required CTY-Level
Check your eligibility using existing test scores If you do not have existing test scores:

Students must achieve qualifying scores on an advanced assessment to be eligible for CTY programs. If you don’t have qualifying scores, you have several different testing options. We’ll help you find the right option for your situation.

Sign up for Testing Learn More

Cost and Financial Aid

  • Tuition
    • Varies
  • Application fee
    • Nonrefundable Application Fee - $55 (Waived for financial aid applicants)
    • Nonrefundable International Fee - $250 (outside US only)

We have concluded our financial aid application review process for 2025 On-Campus Programs. We encourage those who may need assistance in the future to apply for aid as early as possible. We are committed to serving all talented youth regardless of financial circumstances. Financial assistance is available based on need.

Learn More

Course Materials

Students should bring basic school supplies like pens, notebooks, and folders to their summer program. You will be notified of any additional items needed before the course begins. All other materials will be provided by CTY.
 

Sample Reading

These titles have been featured in past sessions of the course, and may be included this summer. CTY provides students with all texts; no purchase is required.

  • The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman
  • Love, Sugar, Magic by Anna Meriano
  • The House at the Edge of Magic by Amy Sparks
  • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

About Language Arts at CTY

Explore storytelling

Want to have fun reading popular stories and writing your own tales of adventure? Pen your hero's journey and explore a diverse range of books in Behind the Mask: Superheroes Revealed, or have fun shaping your prose and experimenting with different formats and styles in Fiction and Poetry.

Find your voice

Take your writing to the next level! In Writing and Imagination, you can build your vocabulary and gain the tools to write your own creative fiction. You'll learn to craft compelling narratives about your own experiences in Crafting the Essay, and have fun learning new literary devices and figurative language in Writing Your World.

Meet our instructors and staff