In this Intro to Magic Realism course, learners will explore the foundational craft elements necessary to create fiction and poetry that seamlessly blends the miraculous with the mundane. We will delve into how to evoke wonder and mystery by applying the "matter-of-fact" technique—where the supernatural is integrated into the everyday without explanation—across short stories, flash fiction, poetry, and novel concepts.

Topics will include developing grounded characters who accept the impossible as ordinary, using sensory detail to anchor the fantastic in a tangible reality, and mastering the "hush of the marvelous" to build a rich, evocative atmosphere. Students will also learn how to employ literary techniques unique to magic realism, such as the use of collective consciousness, the distortion of linear time, and the power of metaphor to transform cultural and personal histories into living myths.

Through practical exercises, multi-format writing prompts, and the analysis of masterful works—from the foundational prose of Gabriel García Márquez to the contemporary indigenous poetics of Natalie Diaz, among other exemplary writers. Hence, participants will gain the tools and confidence to weave the uncanny into their work. By the end of this course, you will be prepared to challenge the boundaries of reality, unlocking your creative potential in a genre that finds the extraordinary within the ordinary.