Next month I’m teaching a webinar on writing from outside your perspective. Because that’s a straight forward subject and not at all controversial. Also because I’m sick of authors doing such a piss poor job of it while editors and publishers stand by and let these crimes against fiction continue. So when the Writers’ Guild of Alberta reached out to ask if I’d be interested in opening this can of worms live on the internet, I said: You betcha! Here’s the teaser…

How do we write from outside our experience? Specifically: how do we create characters whose skin colour, ethnicity, sexuality, and/or gender are not our own? How do we ensure the characters ring true? In this workshop we will cover dangerous tropes and how to avoid them, the importance of research, subject matter experts, why getting it right is important, practical advice for character building, and ask the crucial questions: why do you want to tell this story and are you equipped for the job?

This session is open to all and geared to writers at any stage of the game. You might be starting on your first story or have several books in print. I’m talking about things that rarely, if ever, get taught in classes, MFA programs or workshops. You don’t have to be a member of the Writers’ Guild of Alberta to attend. Cost is $10 for students, $25 for members, and $35 for everyone else. Saturday, October 17th 10- 11am (MDT) or 1:30-2:30pm in Newfoundland and parts of Labrador. For more details or to register, visit the Writers’ Guild of Alberta’s website.