Sensitivity in Writing

Sensitivity in Writing

This workshop addresses how to not harm, alienate, or enrage a community you are writing about. If your work includes people, groups, or traditions you are not intimately familiar with, whether it’s a cultural or religious celebration, LGBTQ characters, a disabled individual, or a historically marginalized community, it’s way too easy to make a blunder that you could regret. This course will help you minimize that likelihood.

This workshop is not a space to debate the concept of political correctness (PC), trigger words, or the idea of “cancel culture,” but rather is about acknowledging our current climate and successfully navigating and working within that reality in crafting fiction.

In this workshop, you will learn:

How to step back and be patient about this topic.

How good intentions with little understanding can equal big blunders.

What the consequences for your work and your reputation can be if you’re not mindful.

Why words matter.

Some basic terminology/vocabulary words useful for discussing these issues.

What the consequences for a community you’re writing about can be if you’re not mindful.

Common pitfalls to avoid when creating characters and plots.

General tips on how to write with sensitivity.

The role of sensitivity readers.

How to know when you should seek outside consultation.

Who to consult, who not to consult—and why—and how to seek the right help.

Class times

10:30 AM to 4:30 PM with a lunch break 12:30 to 2:00 PM

Harrie Farrow

Harrie Farrow is a novelist, poet, and editor with a background in investigative reporting, feature

writing, and blogging. She brings to her work an eclectic personal history including growing up in the Virgin Islands, spending her 20s in San Francisco, and owning a fine dining restaurant in the Ozarks. She has also traveled extensively in Europe and the Caribbean. Harrie has varied experiences with advocacy and activism, including being arrested several times for civil disobedience in Washington D.C., and is also a thrice-elected official who represents Eureka Springs in county government.