Webinars and Seminars

Online webinars and in person seminars are presentations geared toward authors, editors, and other writing-adjacent roles. They cover Writing the Other topics such as representation, cultural appropriation, decolonizing your writing craft, and much more. Most webinars and seminars include a Q&A with the presenter.

If you’d like us to give a online webinar or in person seminar to your group, convention, or class, please contact us.

Click here for all webinars and seminars currently open for registration.

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Writing Inclusive Historical Fiction Webinar

In this webinar we’ll examine techniques for finding and accurately interpreting historical sources, go over ways to interrogate the dominant paradigm’s versions of the past, and learn how to focus our narratives on the lives of the formerly marginalized. Exercises, lectures, discussion, and examples work together to make this a powerful and energizing class for everyone ready to explore the exciting field of inclusive historical fiction. [...]

Healing History’s Wounds with Speculative Fiction

Stories can wound or heal. In this webinar, award-winning author and editor Nisi Shawl will talk about the ways stories can hurt, the ways they can help, and how you can use their power–particularly when writing speculative fiction and alternate history. The webinar will review common stories with harmful effects and discuss ways to subvert or pass them by. The webinar also includes live exercises to provide practice in these valuable techniques. [...]

Writing Revolution: How To Create Believable Resistance Movements with Helen Gould

Stories about rebelling against an unjust system or a tyrannical ruler have always been popular, often becoming lucrative franchises (A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…). However, they also frequently portray a simplified narrative about how resistance works or avoid the nuances of what it means to fight an oppressive force. This one-day workshop will establish an understanding of the building blocks that can be put in place for a realistic foundation for a dystopian society, oppression, and rebellion. Instructor Helen Gould will cover real-world examples of political resistance from around the world, discuss the morality of important issues like the use of violence, and explore what kind of characters you might need in a story about revolution. [...]

Write Characters Your Readers Won’t Forget Webinar and Workshop

Riveting, evocative storytelling hinges on the choices your characters make. These pivotal choices are not necessarily the high action moments in your plot, but they are the moments that define who your character is and becomes. By charting a handful of critical moments of choice in your story, by examining the pressures and risks at each moment, by taking into account how your character’s identities inform their actions, and by understanding deeply how your character pushes against their history and environment at each step, you can create a powerful mini-outline. [...]

The Heroine’s Journey – The Other Ancient Story Structure

We’ve all heard about the Hero’s Journey, but how often do we hear about the Heroine’s Journey, Western culture’s other prominent story structure? In this webinar, New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger provides a full break down of what aspects of the heroine’s journey make for compelling narratives and voracious readers, where these elements originate, why they’re successful, and how to write them. [...]

What To Do If You F%#! Up – Avoiding the #AuthorsBehavingBadly Tag

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a writer of fiction will, in the course of their career, screw up. A truth not universally acknowledged is that authors can recover from a screw up, even a highly public one, by avoiding specific behaviors that do nothing but escalate and make the situation worse. Nisi Shawl and K. Tempest Bradford will break down what authors should not do and advise on what they should do, instead. [...]

Non-Linear Story Structures from Non-Western Traditions | Webinar 2023

Western storytelling traditions decree that a linear structure (along with the three act structure, the hero’s journey, and a rising self-esteem arc) are mandatory features of any satisfying story. This is Western-centric silliness. In this webinar, author Henry Lien will explore non-linear structures, specifically cyclic and nested structures, using examples from non-Western stories and films. [...]

The Heroine’s Journey – The Other Ancient Story Structure

We’ve all heard about the Hero’s Journey, but how often do we hear about the Heroine’s Journey, Western culture’s other prominent story structure? In this webinar, New York Times bestselling author Gail Carriger provides a full break down of what aspects of heroine’s journey make for compelling narrative and voracious readers, where these elements originate, why they’re successful, and how to write them. [...]