Writing Disabled Characters with John Wiswell

The World Health Organization reports that over a billion disabled people are alive today, yet disabled characters are relatively rare in fiction. Award-winning disabled author John Wiswell will cover how to begin researching disabilities and cultural attitudes towards disabled people, their roles in stories, and the kinds of stories often written about them, exploring how writers can do better.

Topics Covered include:

• Recognizing the wide diversity of disabilities
• Differentiating between the Social Model and Medical Model of disability
• Discerning the different challenges and approaches applicable to writing disability-inclusive stories versus stories specifically about disabled struggle and marginalization
• How to research a disability and avoid common narrative pitfalls

This class meets online once for two hours.

Meeting Dates:

Tuesday, March 12, 4-6 pm 

About the Instructor: 

John Wiswell is a disabled writer who lives where New York keeps all its trees. He won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story for "Open House on Haunted Hill," and the Locus Award for Best Novelette for "That Story Isn't The Story." His work has appeared at Tordotcom, the LeVar Burton Reads Podcast, Uncanny Magazine, Diabolical Plots, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, and other fine venues. His debut Fantasy novel, Someone You Can Bring a Nest In, is due out from DAW Books in 2024.

Website

This event will be held in Zoom. By registering for this class, you agree to follow the Clarion West Code of Conduct and Zoom policies. 

Limited Free Seating: 

We offer a percentage of seats in every class to People of the Global Majority (Asian, Black, African, Latina/o/x, Middle Eastern, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and/or have been racialized as 'ethnic minorities') for free, regardless of financial need. 

Eligible folks should complete this form to enter the lottery for free seats.  If a seat is available, we will email you 7-10 days before the class begins. For more information, see our equity and inclusion policies.

Sliding Scale Pricing:

The Supporting Tuition rate is shown for each class or workshop for folks who can pay it. Paying the Supporting Tuition rate enables us to continue to pay our staff and instructors equitably, as well as support access to classes for others who may be in a different situation. 

The Helping Hands rate is available to folks under more limited economic circumstances, no matter your background.

For more information, see our financial aid policies.

Our Refund Policy:

Clarion West will refund all class fees if the request is made 30 days before the class date. Refund requests made within 30 days of the class will be honored if we can fill the seat.

Any exceptions are subject to approval by our workshop staff.