In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to successfully build a new world for fiction—whether it's a totally fantastical universe or simply a fictional town in our own world. During the class, participants will collaborate to create a setting by adding elements to a map, then answer a series of questions to flesh out the rules and customs of this invented place. Finally, everyone will write a short exercise about a character living in the setting and (if desired) share their story with the group. Participants will walk away brimming with new ideas, tools, and techniques for creating their own fictional worlds.