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Trauma & Temptation Workshop by Autocrit
A Six Week Journey Into The Art of Writing Darkly
Stories that flirt with trauma, taboo, and temptation are usually the ones people can’t stop thinking about. They keep us up at night, they make us uncomfortable, and they make us come back for more.
But writing them? That’s where things get tricky. Push too far and you lose your reader.
Play it too safe and it’s not dark at all.
Trauma & Temptation: Writing Dark is a live, 6-week course about how to write in the shadows without losing your grip. We’re going beyond craft-light, surface-level fluff, and into the reasons why we’re drawn to the dark in the first place.
Along the way, you’ll discover how to build characters who live in the grey, and how to write the kinds of scenes that hit your reader in the gut and make them whisper, “Holy shit, I know I shouldn’t want this – but I do.”
What We’ll Cover:
- The Allure of Shadow: Why taboo and temptation hold power, and what readers expect when they see “dark” on a cover.
- Morally Grey Characters: Antiheroes, broken saviors, irredeemables. Where’s the line — and what happens when you cross it?
- Fear & Desire: How horror and romance share the same pulse of tension, dread, release.
- Taboo & Consent: Writing kink, dub-con, and pain without handwaving or apologizing.
- Reader Trust: Trigger warnings, hard no’s, and how to market dark without lying about what you’ve written.
- Future of Dark Fiction: Where this corner of storytelling is headed — and what readers are hungry for.
If you’re ready to write stories that tempt, terrify, and refuse to let go — this is where you start.
Please be aware that the content discussed in this course could be potentially triggering. You should be able to tell by now if this is or isn’t for you.
Live session dates and times for the cohort are:
Session 1 – Wednesday, October 1st, 6:00pm ET
Session 2 – Wednesday, October 8th, 6:00pm ET
Session 3 – Wednesday, October 15th, 6:00pm ET
Session 4 – Wednesday, October 22nd, 6:00pm ET
Session 5 – Wednesday, October 29th, 6:00pm ET
Session 6 – Thursday, November 6th, 6:00pm ET
If you can’t make it to a session, don’t worry – recordings will be uploaded for you to enjoy at your own pace alongside the rest of the course!
Registration: $199