SLIDING SCALE: Your Story Voice and Writing the “Other”
with Nisi Shawl
Genres: Fiction, Novel, Short Story
Online
Online Intermediate
Intermediate 1 Session
1 Session The rich variety of personalities we experience every day inevitably makes it into our writing. There’s a question that comes up for every writer, whether they’re writing about people, animals or invented beings: How do I write someone or something whose experiences differ from my own so they feel just as alive with agency on the page? And how do I do it in a way that feels respectful and true?
In this class we explore our role as writers in expressing the attitudes and perceptions of characters representing our worlds’ gorgeous diversity. We’ll look at techniques to give the cast of our stories variety and vibrancy, as well as the pitfalls we might encounter along the way.
We’ll start by covering terms for what we see in writing, such as “the unmarked state.” Then we’ll spend time analyzing and practicing narrative techniques for achieving respectful representation. We’ll discuss some of the choices we make as we develop our voice and style, and the effects of those choices on our portrayals of differing communities. We’ll review examples highlighting other authors’ strategies for representation and practice them, making them our own.
This thought-provoking class is designed for authors at any stage in their writing journey who want to build their skills around writing characters with backgrounds different from their own. You’ll leave the class with firm experiential tools for shaping your writing to suit characters representing different demographic categories.
This class focuses on:
- Generative Writing: Focuses on producing new writing through prompts and exercises.
- Creative Play & Exploration: Focuses on playful, experimental writing activities designed to break creative blocks and spark ideas.
- Craft & Technique: Focuses on improving writing skills, exploring elements like plot, character, or dialogue.
- Close Reading & Analysis: Engages deeply with published texts to examine craft, language, and style.
What to expect:
- Reading & Analysis: Published works will be closely read as part of the learning process.
- Lecture: Instructor-led teaching
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- No reading and/or writing outside of class.
Students say…
“Nisi Shawl is a legend.”
Registration Dates:
- May 19: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- May 26: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- May 31: Last day of Early Bird discount
- June 2: Last day of Early Bird discount
This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House in Capitol Hill.
The real meat of writing work happens in revision. It can feel messy or hard while it is happening, but it’s also a time of immense growth as a writer. And it is what will allow your story to meet the vision you originally had for it.
Still, revision can feel very intimidating, regardless of how seasoned you are as a writer. All too often, workshop and reader feedback, your own inner editor, and the sheer scale of the work ahead of you can conspire against you. It can feel easier to start something new than to return to what you’ve already written!
So how do you know what’s worth revisiting? Moreover, how do you go about rewriting it?
In this four-hour intensive, we’ll demystify revision by starting it together on an existing piece and breaking the process down into manageable components:
honing your goals for your work
clarifying and articulating the creative choices you have made
and playing and experimenting with possible solutions to your problems.
By the end, you’ll have:
- a map for what you need to do next for your story-in-progress,
- ideas for ways to change what you’ve already written in order to help it align with your vision for your piece,
- a structured process you can return to again and again for future projects, and
- greater confidence in your ability to listen for what your work needs.
Bring the first and last pages of a completed draft you’re ready to share with peers as well as your openness to experimenting with changes and your readiness to write.
This class is ideal for writers who’ve taken a workshop class (or many!) and feel unsure and/or unclear about next steps. If you are starting to approach a larger project like a revision of a novel, this will also help you start to sort out what needs to happen as you revise.
Required Materials: the first and last pages of a completed story draft
This class focuses on:
- Creative Play & Exploration: Focuses on playful, experimental writing activities designed to break creative blocks and spark ideas.
- Craft & Technique: Focuses on improving writing skills, exploring elements like plot, character, or dialogue.
- Writing Life & Process: Focuses on developing writing habits, overcoming procrastination, or sustaining creative momentum.
What to expect:
- Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation
- Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities.
- In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write.
- In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class.
- Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work.
- No reading and/or writing outside of class.
Students say…
“The focus on revision and rediscovering the spark was such an interesting and rarely taught subject that the material was entirely new. I’ve taken a lot of craft classes and everything here felt fresh. I am reinspired for my work and I can really thank Carolyn and my classmates for it!”
“Carolyn is a wonderful instructor. She is fun, insightful, engaging, generous, and supportive. She made every class interesting; the classes themselves were well-structured, and they built on one another in helpful ways…I learned tons from this class, and it will change the way I approach writing.”
Registration Dates:
- May 19: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- May 26: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT
- May 31: Last day of Early Bird discount
- June 2: Last day of Early Bird discount
About Sliding Scale:
To help provide financial accessibility to our class offerings, some classes each quarter are offered with a sliding-scale tuition model, allowing students to pay what they can for the class. We encourage all registrants to pick the level of tuition that is right for them for these classes—no application required!
Sliding scale tuition starts at 10% and goes up to 125% of the standard pricing. Payments above the 100% rate help fund future accessible writing classes and programming. Early bird and member discounts do not apply to sliding-scale classes.
Nisi Shawl
Nisi Shawl (they/them) is the multiple award-winning author and editor of over a dozen books of speculative fiction and related nonfiction, including the Nebula Award finalist novel Everfair; the standard text on inclusive representation, Writing the Other; and the first two volumes of the New Suns anthology series. Their most recent publication is the middle grade historical fantasy novel Speculation, which Lee & Low published in January 2023. They’ve taught and spoken at Duke University, Spelman College, Stanford University, Sarah Lawrence College, and many other institutions. Once upon a time, they conducted a filmed, onstage interview with Octavia E. Butler.
FAQ
Complete FAQEach class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any).
Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.
Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers.
Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft.
Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.
Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at.
Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.
Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.
Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.
All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.
Zoom information for both classes and events are now available in your account.
- Login to your account.
- Go to “My Account.”
- Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
- Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.
You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.
If you have any questions please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org
Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.
We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.
Lastly, we announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page.
Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual. The following policy applies to all payment plans:
- We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
- The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
- Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
- We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
- If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
- If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.
Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!
During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!
While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.
Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.
Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.
To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.
In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.
We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.
We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.
If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.
You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.
Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar.
Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.
Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!
Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today.
If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page.
Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support Hugo House and our mission.
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