Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction | March 2016

Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward

The Classic Workshop Returns!

Are you afraid to write about characters whose racial heritage, sexual orientation, or religion differs from your own? Do you think you’ll get it wrong or cause offense?

In this renowned workshop, basis for the classic text Writing the Other: A Practical Approach, authors and editors Nisi Shawl and Cynthia Ward teach you to write sensitively and convincingly about characters of diverse backgrounds.

Appropriate for all fiction writers, Writing the Other: Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction combines lectures, discussions, and writing exercises in a safe, supportive atmosphere.

PLEASE NOTE: This is an introductory workshop for the concept and practice of writing the other, and it is the basis for the writing handbook Writing the Other. If you have read the book, this workshop repeats the information given there in a different format and offers students the opportunity to do the exercises and get feedback from the instructors and your peers. It is different in scope from the 6 week and weekend intensive workshops.

The class will cover:

  • Identifying differences from the unmarked state that are, in this culture, considered to be deeply significant differences
  • The Dominant Paradigm
  • The Marked and Unmarked States
  • Parallax
  • Categorical Thinking
  • Congruence
  • Resonance

This workshop is appropriate for all writers (fiction, plays, comics, screenplays, and games included) from all backgrounds and any skill level.

Writing the Other : Bridging Cultural Differences for Successful Fiction

When: 2PM – 7PM (Eastern) Sunday March 13, 2016
Location: ONLINE via GoToMeeting
Price: $150 + service fee
Register at Brown Paper Tickets

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