Warbler’s Note: This marks the introduction of an ongoing series of posts aimed at providing the writing community with resources of all kinds, from conventions to software, podcasts to exercises, and much more. The first will be a shout-out for the upcoming Writing the Other course.
I attended a class from the Writing the Other series last year, and not only was it supremely helpful in building my characters, it opened me up to a wonderful network of writers I now communicate with regularly. Tempest and Nisi are doing something spectacular for speculative fiction with these courses, and if you or anyone you know has interest in taking this course, I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you are genuinely interested, please contact me for a coupon code for a $100 discount on tuition.
Directly from K. Tempest Bradford, here are the details:
Writing Inclusive Fiction April 6 – May 14 (students may enroll in class up to April 9)
Writers often wonder and worry about if it is possible to write characters whose gender, sexual orientation, religion, racial heritage, or other aspect of identity differs from their own. Many authors are afraid to try even though it is possible to do so sensitively and convincingly. In this five-week course, authors Nisi Shawl and K. Tempest Bradford delve into this tricky skill through a combination of readings, videos, discussions, and writing exercises in a safe, supportive atmosphere. The class is appropriate for all writers (fiction, plays, comics, screenplays) from all backgrounds and any skill level.
This class will cover Language & Description, Characterization & Identity, Dialogue & Dialect, Worldbuilding Without Appropriation, Researching the Other, and MUCH more. In addition to instruction from Shawl and Bradford, students will have access to the video and resources from three Writing the Other Master Classes on writing Native American characters, Trans & Non-Binary narratives, and Deaf and Blind characters, plus exclusive access to a guest lecture on worldbuilding without appropriation by Max Gladstone.
The course does not have set meeting times. You can access class material and discussion and participate in class at any time, day or night, from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. All class discussion will take place in an accessible private online forum and all class work done on Google Drive.
There are 20 spots available for open enrollment. The course costs $500, but we have several options for writers who wish to take the class but need financial flexibility, such as Payment Plans, Pay What You Can Afford, and full Scholarships. The scholarship deadline is April 2nd, so please click the link below to find out how to apply right away if you’re interested.
