About the Writing the Other Workshops

This is the point in the convention where I began to lose structural integrity, so even though I attended two other panels, my notes on them are sketchy indeed. So, this is the last panel post for the 2011 convention.

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The cast:

David D. Levine: SF Short Story Writer and a participant in the Writing the Other Workshop.

Ada Milenkovic Brown: Writer who has taken the Writing the Other workshop.

Nisi Shawl: This year's Wiscon guest of honor, and co-creator of the Writing the Other Workshops.

Cynthia Ward: SF Writer, and co-creator of the Writing the Other Workshops.

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Snapshots from the panel

This was the first time in some time that Ward has attended Wiscon, so it was the first chance that many at the convention had to talk to Cynthia and Nisi both about the workshops.

Information about The Writing the Other Workshop and the Writing the Other book, available from the fine folks at Aqueduct Press.

All the panelists suggest that writing the other isn't the problem. When writing people other than yourself, you need to do so with sensitivity and skill. Research is appropriate.

Risk taking is also appropriate. You can do a careful job with your work, but still get it wrong.

If you do get it wrong, listen with humility, and try again next time.

Levine told a story that he wrote about a son watching his father turn into a dog, which was a metaphor for transexuality. He was both praised and censored for the story.

The Writing the Other Workshops can be taught in communities, at writers groups, and at conventions. Just contact the authors.

The participants of the workshop mentioned that the workshop had really helped them both lower their anxiety when writing the other, and work at improving their writing and understanding how to better illustrate difference.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Social: The Rest of the Wiscon Whirl

There isn't too much left to tell. Sunday I had lunch with Shveta Tharkar . We know each other on line, and long ago discovered that we both had some weird variant of the outcast Midwest childhood. Shveta writes mystical fairies of South Asia, and it's pretty interesting stuff. When I read her work, I get a sense of being in two places at once.

After lunch, and an afternoon of panels and readings, I met up with Dan, Lisa, and Lisa for the dessert salon. Yes, we did eat dessert. Nisi Shawl gave her guest of honor speech, there was a heart-rending tribute to Joanna Russ, and the Tiptree was given out to a Baba Yaga book, which suited me fine.

Then, parties. Seanan McGuire (or if you prefer) pulled another night of bartending at the Whedonistas release. Later, we returned there for the Buffy Sing-a-long, and Dan spat alcoholic Shirley Temple on the sleeve of my posh dress. Good news? I'm funny. Bad news? Now I have dry cleaning.

Some time was spent at the superlative Genderfloomp dance, sponsored by Meghan McCarron and Liz Gorinsky. Why we hadn't thought of this before at Wiscon, I'll never know. They couldn't get me to wear a mustache for love nor money: I did so many years ago at a reverse gender day at the high school where I used to teach, and by God! that was uncomfortable.

Met up and spent a bit of quality time with Julia Rios, who seemed to enjoy her first Wiscon mightily.

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And the good times continued Sunday morning after the panel I've already written about. At the sign-out, I had a great time catching up with Lynne Thomas and Kathy Sullivan. I had some books signed, traded witty repartee about smart books with Nnedi Okorafor, regretted that I missed my Suzy McKee Charnas window, and packed up, ready to head back to Iowa.

Overall, a very satisfying experience.

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.

Marker

I'm leaving for my big Scandinavian adventure tomorrow. I wanted to leave a marker here for myself. I hope to be writing about the experience as I go, but I wanted to remind myself that I owed you two movie reviews ( Kung Fu Panda 2 and X-Men: First Class) at some point.

I also want to thank all the nice people out the reading the Exploding Watermelon story. Today I'll get that in the best shape I can, based on the feed back that comes in, and ship it out tomorrow morning before I go.

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When I get back, I'll have about two days to sleep, and it'll be all about The Clarion Write-a-thon. Remember: to see the Klarion/Clarion log, you need to donate $10. To be entered into the critique drawing, you need to donate $25. More money is acceptable. It's for a good cause.

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And no, I haven't forgotten about that make-up post either.

I will wave at you all from exotic ports of call, if I can.

Catherine

Mirrored from Writer Tamago.