WRITING
WRITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
"SPECULATING SOCIAL JUSTICE"
6PM MONDAY
1 SESSION: FEBRUARY 27
Jenna Hanchey
From the instructor: “The limits of our imagination constrain what futures we think are possible – and thus what we work to create.
This workshop asks how we can use speculative fiction (the umbrella term for fantasy, science fiction, horror, magical realism, etc.) to broaden the types of justice we can envision in order to enable resistance to current oppressive structures and build better ways of relating to each other and the world.
We’ll look at short fiction examples from (post)colonial, BIPOC, and queer speculative fiction writers to see how they connect individual characters to structural domination, provide political import without seeming didactic, and stretch the boundaries of our imaginations. We’ll use questions like the following as writing prompts and then for reflective discussion: (1) Write a utopia or dystopia that can be used to motivate transformative action in our world. Why did you choose one over the other? (2) Write a scene using fantasy or magical realism that can inspire engagement in our world. How does the fantastic help us rethink our current situations? (3) Write a scene with an inactive protagonist that engages structural oppression. How might non-Western forms of storytelling provide different ways of understanding justice for self and community?"
Interested in teaching a Writing Under the Influence workshop? Please fill out our proposal form here »
Location: Phoenix
WRITING UNDER THE INFLUENCE
"THE SUBTLE ART OF EXPOSITION AND SUBTEXT"
6PM MONDAY
1 SESSION: MARCH 27
A. R. Corwin
From the instructor: “All stories need some exposition, but hitting the sweet spot—where your audience understands just enough that they want to read/see more, but not so much that they get bored—takes practice." Attendees will enjoy a brief interactive lecture on exposition and subtext, and then dive into a fun writing exercise to practice what they've learned. The workshop ends with sharing as a group, "where attendees will guess each other’s scenarios, providing everyone with some immediate feedback on your use of exposition and subtext. Storytellers of all mediums (novelists, playwrights, and screenwriters) will benefit from this workshop!"
Interested in teaching a Writing Under the Influence workshop? Please fill out our proposal form here »