When: October 28th – November 5th, 2023
Where: Online — Available everywhere and at your own pace
Price: $125
Scholarships Are Available!
How can you create convincing characters who see the world in really different ways? Nisi Shawl’s talks and exercises explore the roots of religions and other models for understanding the universe, helping you to depict practitioners of non-dominant group faiths OR believers in your invented religions and cosmologies. Personal responses to your questions and concerns clarify useful techniques you’ll want to integrate into your approach to writing immediately.
Topics covered include the wide range of religious stereotypes, the reasons for and influences behind religious movements, and examples of authors doing a good job of representing nonstandard religions.
Who Should Take This Class?
Writers of all genres — Literary, YA, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Children’s Books, Romance — and all mediums — Prose, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Comics/Graphic Novels, Games — at any point in their career from newbie to professional
Our classes are not only for white people or cis men or other authors who hew closer to the dominant paradigm. They’re for all writers who want to decolonize their writing and be more inclusive and representative.
Course Format and Time Commitment
The class does not have set meeting times. You can access lectures, other class materials, and group discussions at any time from anywhere in the world as long as you have an Internet connection. All class discussions will take place in a private online forum and all class work is done on Google Drive.
The time commitment each week will depend on your level of participation. The bulk of the class consists of hands-on research exercises based on topics students want to know more about. Discussion threads tend to be wide-ranging, so students should try to check in at least once a day or every other day. You may manage your time as needed based on your own schedule.
Accessibility and Technical Requirements
The class takes place in a private WordPress forum with a theme designed for accessibility. We’ll utilize Google Drive and Google Groups. All of these services are accessible to students using screen readers. Most lectures are text; required videos have closed captions and/or transcripts.
If you have questions about potential needs, or if there are any other ways we can make a class accessible for you, please contact us before registering and we’ll answer within 24 hours.
Other than a computer, the only other technical requirement for the class is a Google account. If you don’t have one, you can create a free one just for this class.
Full and Partial Scholarship Opportunities
We have full and partial Vonda N. McIntyre Sentient Squid Scholarships available for this class. If you do not have the financial means to pay for all or part of the registration cost for this class, we encourage you to apply. We have a broad definition of financial need that ranges from writers who do not have the money at all to writers who have the funds but can’t afford to use them for a writing class.
We especially encourage writers who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic to apply. Wherever you exist on the financial needs spectrum, don’t self reject! (Still not sure whether you should apply? Read this post.)
Our scholarships are available to any writer regardless of background or identity. We set aside a portion of scholarships specifically for students who identify under the POC, BIPOC, or BAME umbrellas as well as for Palestinian writers/writers of Palestinian heritage.
If you can afford to pay for part but not all of the registration fee, please apply for a partial scholarship. Under this financial aid plan you can let us know the amount you can afford. If you cannot afford to pay at all, please apply for a full scholarship.
To apply, please fill out this form by 11:59PM Pacific October 7th. You’ll be asked to provide:
- A brief (300 or fewer words) statement of financial need
- A brief (500 or fewer words) description of a work or works in progress that you hope the class will help you write.
- If you identify as POC, BIPOC, BAME, or Palestinian, you may indicate that if you wish.
Deadline: 11:59PM Pacific October 7th. We will notify all applicants of their standing two weeks before class begins. If you have any questions, please use our contact form to ask!
Refund Policy
If you find that you need to drop the class, you may do so via Eventbrite.
If you send a refund request up to 15 days before the class start date, you will receive a full refund minus a service fee.
Beyond that time you will not have your registration fee refunded. However, you will be able to use your payment as credit toward enrollment in a future class.
Register Below
If you have a Gift Card, discount, or code to access tickets, please enter it into the “Promo Code” field at the top of the Registration box below and click Apply before you begin the process. If the whole box below gives you trouble, click here to register on our Eventbrite page.