Writing the Other | Online Writing Classes and Workshops

Representation is fundamental to writing great fiction. Creating characters that reflect the diversity of the world we live in is important for all writers and creators of fictional narratives. But writers often find it difficult to represent people whose gender, sexual orientation, racial heritage, or other aspect of identity is very different from their own. This can lead to fear of getting it wrong–horribly, offensively wrong–and, in the face of that, some think it’s better not to try.

The hard truth is this: Representation and Diversity are too important to ignore.

It IS possible to write characters who represent the “Other” sensitively and convincingly. Through our classes, workshops, and seminars and the resources available on this site and elsewhere creators can get a solid foundation in how to craft characters from any background, no matter how different they are from you.

Recent Classes

Diverse Narrative Structure

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020Writing the Other

In this course author Henry Lien will demonstrate that elements that we consider staples of European/Western storytelling–such as the three-act story structure, the empowerment arc, and individual heroism–are not universal across all cultures. [...]

Research Skills for Fiction Writers

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020

Are You My Ally? A Webinar for Writers and Creators

June 5, 2020June 13, 2020

Inclusive Narrative Voices Seminar

May 28, 2020July 3, 2020

Available Any Time: On-Demand Webinars

Writing Deaf and Blind Characters | On Demand Master Class

January 21, 2019January 7, 2019Writing the Other

Partially deaf and partially blind writer and editor Elsa Sjunneson-Henry walks writers through the process of researching and understanding both conditions for fiction writing. [...]

Writing for Trans and Non-Binary Narratives | On Demand Master Class

November 22, 2018November 22, 2018

Writing Native American Characters: How Not To Do A Rowling | On Demand Master Class

July 24, 2016March 21, 2018

More than Eunuchs and Extraterrestrials: Writing Positive Portrayals of Asexual Characters | On Demand Master Class

July 24, 2016March 21, 2018

News & Events

Purchase Gift Cards for Classes

March 31, 2020May 21, 2020Writing the Other

Writing the Other now has an easier way for people to gift our classes to writers. Gift cards are available through GiftUp! and can be used for any of the classes we teach with ticketing through Eventbrite. [...]

Help Us Help Writers Isolated Due To COVID-19

March 20, 2020Writing the Other

If we can raise $5,000 we’ll be able to offer more scholarship spots in upcoming classes and also create some free or donation-based webinars. [...]

Support the Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Scholarship

November 20, 2019May 24, 2020Writing the Other

Are you interested in helping us help writers learn how to combat cultural toxicity? To create fiction that is inclusive, and that better represents and reflects the world? Yes, it’s possible. But we need your support to make it happen for more people. [...]

Podcasts and Videos

Writing the Other on Writing Excuses – Being an Ally

April 5, 2020April 5, 2020Writing the Other

Erin Roberts joins Tempest, Piper J. Drake, and Dongwon Song to talk about how to be an ally to members of marginalized groups. [...]

Writing the Other on Writing Excuses – Writing Characters With Physical Disabilities

December 11, 2019Writing the Other

Nicola Griffith joins Tempest, Piper J. Drake, and Dan to talk about how to faithfully represent people with physical disabilities through the characters we create. [...]

Family, Culture, and KidLit – a Conversation with Shveta Thakrar

October 9, 2019October 8, 2019Writing the Other

A conversation with YA author Shveta Thakrar about writing YA and Middle Grade families outside of the WASP or Western family framework pushed by most media and literature. [...]

What our students say about us

The workshop was one of the highlights of the Potlatch science fiction convention last February. It’s a Don’t Miss.

― Christie Maurer on the Classic Seminar

Many writers live in fear of making offensive mistakes. This workshop is crucial for understanding how that fear can lead to marginalization or elimination of characters that challenge the status quo. And it’s fun, too.

― A Seattle student on the Classic Seminar

What an incredibly valuable class. This course provided a thoughtful and supportive place to dig deep into tricky issues and questions, and to examine our own context and assumptions. The resources were incredible, and I know I’ll come back to them over and over. The discussion was illuminating and my approach to my writing has already changed. I’d recommend the four week Writing The Other course to any author without hesitation.

― Amie Kaufman, author of the Starbound Trilogy

The conversations and community that emerged over the course of the Writing the Other intensive was as valuable as the issues discussed within the readings and exercises, if not more so. So glad I did this!

― Fran Wilde, Nebula Award-winning author of Updraft