#writing workshop

[conindiundrum]

being a writer is funny because one day you think “is this too similar to everything that’s ever been written before??” And another it’s more like “wow this is completely different and unrelated to anything and entirely unmarketable.” And then you sob. It’s all the same project btw

[elumish]

Do you have any suggestions for accessible writing workshops?

Sorry, this has been living in my inbox for a while.

I'm not sure what your focus is for accessibility (cost, accessibility from a disability standpoint, percent of applicants admitted), but I'll do my best.

I have direct experience with two writing workshops, so I'll talk about those first.

Alpha Young Writer's Workshop: This is an in-person short story writing workshop in Pittsburgh for teens (aged 14-19) focusing on sci fi, fantasy, and horror. They don't require that you're American, they have some scholarship opportunities, and they are committed to meeting accessibility needs. However, they only accept 20 students per year, and there is an age limitation, so from that standpoint it's not a particularly accessible program. I went in 2010 and so can't really speak to how it's run now, but I built a tremendous network from it of alumni across different years, including some of my closest friends.

Futurescapes Writers' Workshop: There are a set of writing workshops, all of which are separate applications and separate requirements. For the ones that I took part in, you submitted an excerpt, a summary, and a query, and you were split into small groups to review each others' work and get feedback from authors, agents, or editors. I found it most useful from the standpoint of hearing how to tailor my work for the querying process but did not find most of the feedback I got from other students particularly useful. It was decently expensive, though there are scholarships. It is run virtually and they run two times a day, which makes it more accessible for people across time zones. I'm not sure how selective it is, but there is an application process.

Other writing workshops I don't have direct experience with:

Clarion Workshop: A full-time, six week residency program at UC San Diego for sci fi and fantasy short story writing. From what I've heard, very selective--they only take 18 students. The cost is $6,000, though there are scholarships.

Clarion West: A full-time, six week residency or online program in Seattle for speculative fiction short story writing. Also very selective. It is $3,200, and there are scholarships available. There seems to be some more flexibility about residency than with Clarion.

Depending on what you're looking for (genre, length of program, online vs in-person) I recommend spending some time doing some research and finding what fits best for you. I am most familiar with the more well-known speculative fiction ones because that's the world that I live in, but there are a ton, and what works for one person won't work for another.

[books]

Writers! Assemble!

Calling all #writers on tumblr! We have something very special lined up for you here on @books this month: Your very own Betts (@bettsfic) is running a writing workshop!

Who is @bettsfic?

Betts has been on Tumblr since 2012, where she mostly answers writing advice asks but occasionally goes on reblogging sprees of fleeting hyperfixations. She’s the Editor-in-Chief of OFIC Magazine (@oficmag), a literary journal for original fiction by fanauthors. She also leads the Fanauthor Workshop (@fanauthorworkshop).

Beth's fiction has most recently appeared in The Write Launch, Barren Magazine, and Rivet Journal. She received the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund Grant and was a Hudson Prize and Launch Pad Prose Competition finalist. Her work has been supported by the Millay, Jentel, and Kimmel-Harding Nelson Center artist residencies, among others, and she’s been teaching creative writing for seven years as a college instructor and a freelance writing coach. You can find out more at bethweeks.com.

What's this about a workshop?

A writing workshop is generally a gathering of writers sharing work and giving feedback. In this case, we’re hosting what’s called a generative workshop, which means we’ll be introducing core writing concepts and providing prompts for you to work on and share. 

How does this work?

Each Monday over the next four weeks, starting August 14, we’ll post a workshop post for the week at 10 AM EST. 

On Wednesdays, Betts will answer any questions you might have. Please send us your questions here on @books on Monday/Tuesday, so she can review them and prepare answers for posting on the Wednesday of that week.

Every Friday is Feature Friday! Betts will select work from the #tumblr writing workshop with betts tag page, and we'll reblog it to Books. 

How to join:

You can get as involved as you like. Message us here at Books to be included in the tag list on each Monday workshop post so that you get a notification. 

You can also simply follow along quietly on the #tumblr writing workshop with betts tag page.

Questions? 

Ask any questions you might have before we start here, and Betts will answer them here on Books through this next week.

So, sharpen your pencils, polish your keyboards, and follow the #tumblr writing workshop with betts tag, and we'll see you in the writers' room <3

[adastra-sf]

Science Fiction & Fantasy Writing Workshop 2025

Using the short-story form, we’ll help you master the elements that create great fiction. This proven workshop serves writers at all levels to master the elements that create great stories editors want and readers love through an intensive workshop experience. Led by award-winning author Chris McKitterick since 1995, with special guest instructors.

Thanks to the country's new stance toward international visitors, we've lost a couple overseas participants, and thanks to DOGE, we lost a US participant, so we still have a few spots available for this summer. Apply now to reserve your spot!

Ad Astra workshops welcome all flavors of speculative fiction including fantasy, hard SF, horror, magical realism, slipstream, speculative philosophy, and so on. We strive to put together creative cohorts diverse in genre, background, and experience, with an emphasis on developing mutually supportive creative teams adept at respectfully offering useful critiques and accepting feedback in the positive spirit they're offered – this helps everyone learn and grow, not only as authors but as members of the spec-fic community.

We offer several scholarships to grant people of all economic situations equal access to our programs.

Apply now and start your journey to spec-fic mastery!

[mi6-cafe]

How to make a moodboard workshop

Are you interested in Last Moodboard Artist Standing but have never created a moodboard before? Or maybe you want to brush up with some tips and tricks from creators in the fandom? Great news! @ato-the-bean and KittenKin will be running a workshop for you.

Join us in the MI6 Cafe Discord on April 26th at 11am PST (Your local time here). No specific software is required, although they suggest coming prepared with some images for inclusion and a gmail account if you want to follow along with the Adobe express portion.

Discord invite link

[just-here-for-the-moment]

Short story workshop! ✍️✍️✍️ August 2024

Y'all, I am interested in hosting a short story workshop to share my knowledge and my passion for writing and to help other writers who are seeking a place to connect with fellow writers.

However, I am so tired of seeing workshops that cost $200+ for just a few hours! If you're interested in attending a low-cost writing workshop, please read more below the cut...

I'm going to host video-call short story workshops at the very low cost of pay what you can! My suggested donation is around $30.00, but if cost is any kind of an issue, please put a note in the Google form and we can work something out!

8/9/24 Update: Our first workshop will be Sunday, August 11 at 3 p.m. Central US/4 p.m. Eastern US

There are additional times and dates on the Google signup form. Please let me know if you don't see something that works for you. (And rest assured, I'll be adding some European/non-US times soon! Please message me if you're outside of North America and we'll get something set up!) Sign up here at the Google form

FAQs... Who the hell are you? Hi! I'm Claire, I'm very friendly and have been here on Tumblr writing adult fanfiction since 2021. In my first year on Tumblr, I wrote 216,860 words of short story fanfiction. That's a LOT! Fanfic led me to getting back into creative writing, which was a lifelong passion but had been dormant for almost twenty years. Rediscovering writing saved me from one of the deepest depressions I had ever experienced, and I'm so grateful to it and to the other writers I've met over the years for saving my sanity.

What do you know about writing, anyway? A ton! I'm a huge nerd, and when I have a passion for something, I research endlessly and deeply and am always learning something new. Since I started writing fanfic in 2021, I have taken 3 college courses in creative writing, self-published my first book, and I read non-fiction "books about writing" more than I read all other genres combined. (I really love writing!) I'm also "that friend" who knows the difference between affect/effect, vice/vise, they're/there/their, and other really nerdy grammar and spelling and punctuation rules, and I've beta-read for over a dozen other Tumblr authors over the years. After self-publishing in September of 2023, I found that I enjoyed the process so much that I decided to make it my vocation. In March of 2024 I opened a small business to provide self-publishing guidance and author services to other independent authors. I am currently working with my first client to edit and hone a manuscript and query letters for pitching to agents, and I'm also co-editing an anthology of original short stories from some of my favorite Tumblr writers that will debut in January 2025, published through my company.

Why so cheap? I don't have $250 lying around for a one-day writing workshop, and I'm guessing you don't, either.

You write a LOT of smut; do we also have to write "spicy" stories? Nope! Smut is not required - this is a general short story workshop to help you craft any kind of story your heart desires! I love writers and writing, and I'll be your cheerleader no matter what genre of short fiction calls to you and makes your fingers fly!

What do we get out of this? The workshop will consist of two parts. The first will be a 60-minute group video call (time/date TBD), where I will present the basics of short story form, function, and several prompts. Each participant can use one of the prompts, or bring a short story that you've already started. If you would like to get some feedback, I'll ask you to send me your short story draft within 10 days. Two weeks after the first call, I'll host another 60-minute group call, share some of the stories from the group, and provide workshop feedback and guidance to continue your writing! It is totally optional if you want to share your story with the group, but at the very least I hope to provide a welcoming space to talk about writing and to expand your knowledge - you might even make a new writer friend or two!

What if I'm shy/prefer to remain anonymous? I am more than happy to set up a 1:1 workshop with just me and you! Please indicate that on the signup form and we'll set up a time to chat.

Sign up here at the Google form and let's talk writing!

[victusinveritas]

Writing advice from a good sci fi author.

Some science fiction/fantasy creative writing students I have encountered, a field guide

1. World-Savers: these are generally older students, have no real interest in SF/F, are writing a book to express political or metaphysical ideas they consider to be radical and necessary for the future of life on Earth. In reality, they're writing long Platonic dialogues about their ideas, and authority from various culture and pop culture tropes (aliens, noble savages, fairies, resurrected presidents)–to the extent that their work has a plot at all, it involves a Christ figure transforming the world via a sacrifice. The ideas aren't very radical either: "pollute less" and "love your neighbor, unless they're a dick" are common. Occasionally the message for the world has to do with something more prosaic: reverse budgeting, the evils of Affirmative Action, the importance of installing solar panels, how dare Eileen divorce me and fuck like three guys in the six months after she moved out, etc. These students are utterly confused by actually existing SF/F stories they read, and often interpret them in bizarrely sexual ways. They don't believe in numbering the pages of their manuscripts, and often attempt to submit work in PDF so it won't be stolen.

2. Children with Money: recent college grads, or drop-outs, these people have read Harry Potter, Twilight, and perhaps three or four other best-selling young adult series and nothing else. They are easily upset, especially when someone suggests reading more. Their main interests are YouTube personalities, video games, and a sort of Puritanical pansexuality that actually makes smut boring. They often "forget" to read the work of other students, and have no idea how to use a printer. They warn the other students that their story might be "too intense" because it contains, for example, a depiction of a car accident. Their stories are routinely awful, and always contain a character named "Aidan." Sometimes their parents come to class to make sure I am "not a serial killer", as though they could possibly tell from looking at me. (Oh, "Mamatas" IS a white person name...I guess?)

3. Anointed Ones: They contact me, or the people running the workshop, beforehand, to make sure that "the class is right" for them. They have file cabinets full of their stuff, and after many decades of toil, they are ready to reveal their work to the world. They just need a mentor, and an ally—could I be the one they've been searching for lo these many years? Prior workshops were full of callow teachers and jealous students. Why they were only allowed to submit ten pages a week! Some of them have actually read fairly widely, but you wouldn't know it from their work: three adjectives per noun, a fetish for speech tags other than the word "said" or no tags at all. Often these stories include as characters philosophical prostitutes with very sensitive nipples. They never miss a class and often show up more than thirty minutes early. One time, I had to hide in a closet to avoid an extensive pre-class conversation with one.

4. Frightened Proles: These have read Stephen King and Dean Koontz and sometimes even horror writers from this century. They generally have working-class jobs and write about working people who encounter the supernatural on the late shift. They really hope they can sell their novel soon, but they know it'll take a lot of work. (Ten more drafts oughta do it!) They wear baseball hats to class and look like enormous eight-year-olds. They get very excited when I mention professional wrestling or do a taiji move in class. Their significant others are often nameless—"my girlfriend" "my wife." They buy my books and bring them to class for autographs. Some of them get published after, especially flash fiction.

5. Repairables: decent writers, often involved in the SFF "scene", who need to be fixed after a bad experience with Clarion or another workshop or an overeager editor at a semipro magazine who told them some idiot nonsense they decided to believe because they were told it was "unprofessional" not to consider editorial feedback. These either get published...or lost to MFA programs, video game jobs, fandom, podcasts, or other writing-shaped pursuits. Most of them are ferocious name-droppers; the ones who heard of me beforehand know to keep quiet though.

[cenviswasteland]

this is bad workshop etiquette but i received this annotation from my professor and i just.

"Is he gay? I thought he was"

...is he gay?

is. is he GAY?

IS HE GAAAAYYYYY????????

FUCKING I DONT KNOW. HE HAS GAY SEX ON THE PAGE IS THAT GAY??? IS GAY SEX ANY INDICATION OF IF MY PROTAGONIST IS GAY OR NOT, STEVE??? JESUS CHRIST

[slippinmickeys]

I’ve been listening to North of Zero on @audiofanficpod and honestly, this is pantsing at (my) finest. I still don’t know how I did it. If you haven’t read it, even if you don’t like post-col fic, give this one a try?

[elismor]

Recent Fic Omnibus

By way of explanation, the Waxer*Boil discord server has been doing weekly workshops for authors/artists. Every week, we have a prompt and 45 minutes to fill it. The goal (for me anyway) is not to produce complete, well, anything. I am just enjoying the exercise and these are not beta read and only edited because I have to type them in after writing by hand and cannot help myself from making small changes.

I am posting mine to AO3 as chapters in a single work, which can be found here.

Each chapter has a "tag like things" in the notes when I list things that may help readers decide whether or not they want to dig in. I am only adding character and ship tags to the whole work, so as not to have a wall of tags that might be misleading to those who are looking for polished works on AO3.

"flickering lights" Waxer*Boil Server workshop prompt 2 The one with clones on their way to the brig on Triple Z

"that last moment of quiet before something happens"  Waxer*Boil Server workshop prompt 3 The one where Kix and Jesse deliver a baby

"the smell of fresh air" Waxer*Boil Server workshop prompt 4 The one with Boil and Flood on the beach

"soapy hands" Waxer*Boil Server workshop prompt 5  The one where Cohawk goes shopping for soap

"close quarters" Waxer*Boil Server workshop prompt 6 The one where Cohawk are in a restaurant

[jllongwrites]

We're excited to offer the trans-specific "Invoking Trans Divinity" writing workshop to the community on 5/8 (all trans/gnc folks welcome) & 5/21 (trans/gnc BIPOC space)! This totally secular creative space invites folks to create and call in the strength, solace, and love of those who have served as beacons, teachers, and cheerleaders. Email photo.galluzzo@gmail.com to register!

[tychodorian]

Are you an aspiring writer looking to improve your skills? Good news! I'm a self-published author of award-winning books with a MA in Publishing, and this month I'm teaching a workshop on Planning for Pantsers and how to improve your outlining process.

If you're interested, you can sign up for the class here:

[keter-kan]

Back with Chapter 7! How are we feeling about the balance between povs's and flashbacks? Trying to balance the emotional integrity of the scenes and worldbuilding can be difficult.

The aftermath of the surprise siege is upon them, May and her men needing to prepare for what comes next.

tw: mentions of death, bodily horror and harm, murder, war, blood

Ch. 7

It took what remained of May’s men another hour to clear the courtyard of all attackers, and another few hours after that to properly barricade the main square of the small town surrounding the manor. There was a line of destruction straight through the middle of the once beautiful yard, showing where the other troops had marched through to get to the Manor—to Oryn.

Scouts were sent out into town to assess the damage and bring as many townsmen into the barricade as they could. Although most men of the duchy were already wielding weapons under May’s command, any that couldn’t still find themselves wanting to serve her in any way that they could. The entire population was loyal to May’s blood, not a single one of them turning down the chance to defend their homes when asked.

As May paced back and forth in front of the main gate to the courtyard and watched her men scurrying back and forth to make sure everything was set before they were attacked again—which they most definitely would be considering the slaughter wrought today. The only thought raging through her pained head about Oryn and their safety and whether or not this attack could potentially have anything to do with them.

It’s obvious, she thought. They wouldn’t have gotten into the attic… they were tracking him, listening to me. This had everything to do with Oryn.

Demetrius came limping towards her, still a hulking form despite his burns and other miscellaneous injuries.

“The barricade is sufficiently guarded and secure, my Lady. Scouts are being directed to their designated areas as we speak,” he said through a hoarse throat, hacking up a glob of ash-stained phlegm, the bit of blood staining the dirt beneath them.

May shook her head, worry plaguing her. “I can’t afford to lose my Chief General, Demetrius. You need medical attention. Go,” she commanded, looking him up and down with scrutiny.

He held her gaze longer than usual; he never liked letting her know how much pressure he held. And yet, just this once, he let his eyes meet hers.

May shuffled where she stood, crossing her arms. “That wasn’t you, was it?”

“No,” he only let the shock play on his face for a moment. “But that wasn’t you, either, I surmise.”

Word travels fast. It’d been a half a day since May had skewered one of her own men, the blood that served her own staining her blade. How many know? Does he? It was a question that had never crossed her mind before: how much would it take for her men to betray her?

Demetrius towered over her, and yet his presence was that of a scared child. “Do you think it was him?” he murmured.

May took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. “I do. But I don’t think he knows.”

Demetrius shook his head. “How can he not know?”

A small group of scouts was seen scurrying through the growing crowds, the townsfolk clearing the way with loud shouts and demands of clearing the way.

~

Maureen paced the length of the cabin, her long hair flowing softly behind her in a graceful waft. Elisa sat upon the cushioned stool with her back as straight as a board, following Maureen back and forth. Starla was merely prepping the afternoon tea, humming a soft song to herself.

Oryn sat beside Starla on the soft wooden counter. It always smelled so lovely when Starla was the one to make the tea. Oryn could never figure out what made hers different from the other two; it just tasted better.

They could all but see the haze of tension cascading over the room. It was terrifying in a way that made their hair stand on end. Oryn couldn’t think of a time when any of them ever expressed so much fear before. Well, once. But that was another matter entirely, nothing like this.

“When he arrives,” Maureen mumbled, “we need to have a plan. We need to be ready to strike before he decides to do anything drastic and—”

“He won’t,” Elisa interrupted. She slowly stood up, stretching her neck and back. “It won’t come to that. However, I do think a plan needs to be set, just in case.” Her hard eyes met Maureen’s, something unspoken being shared between them.

Oryn all but jumped in their seat as Starla stopped her humming and spoke up. “You’re both so cynical,” she chided, sighed as she grabbed a few mugs from the cupboard. “He’s the one that left him with us. If anything, he’s the only other living thing on the face of this good land that shares our goals.” She started to set the small table with their finest placemats.

“But what if—”

“You shouldn’t expect—”

Starla shot them both a glance, the fire roaring in the mantle behind Maureen dulling under her gaze. “We are more than capable of handling ourselves. How much do you think the poor old man truly knows of us? Of our capabilities? Whatever you assume of him, stop. He’ll be here sooner rather than later and the last thing I want is for him to feel as if he’s unwelcome. We need to discuss what comes next. And Oryn,” she said, turning to them. “Don’t ask too many questions. In fact, ask none at all.”

It was rare of Starla—of the three of them—to set her boundaries with such brute force, letting her powerful senses overtake her and express themselves. They decided to listen.

She continued to set the table and arrange the baked goods and tea, letting Oryn have a small taste of the honey and sugar. As Maureen and Elisa sat down at the table to wait, their gazes towards one another never broke. The air was electric with their fear.

There was a knock at the door.

The forest was silent with anticipation.

Maureen and Elisa stood from their seats. Starla opened the door.

The man who stood there was old and frail, the white wisps of hair on his head matching the scraggly beard flowing down his chests. The gray robes were modest and seemingly understated for someone of his status.

“Hello, High Councilor,” Starla said, smiling with pride and bowing just slightly to show her respect.

“Please,” Jonas said, “No need for such formalities.” As he returned her smile, Oryn saw a heaviness in his eyes. He reached an arm around Starla’s shoulder, Starla leaning in and hugging him.

“It’s good to see you. You look well,” he said, pulling away to take a look at her.

Her smile softened as she looked him over, a different weight heavy in her own gaze. “As do you. Please, come sit,” she said, beckoning to the set table full of pastries and tea. Maureen and Elisa both curtly nodded their heads as they waved towards the man, sitting after doing so and starting to fill their own plates. Oryn took that as the queue to fill their own.

They sat for a few moments in silence as they ate and drank, Oryn delighting in the fact that they were being allowed so many treats. They didn’t notice the odd glances and long stares from the four adults at the table with them.

“You look well, child,” Jonas said, setting his napkin down on his emptied plate, letting his cup sit idly on its saucer.

Oryn looked from Maureen to Elisa to Starla, each of them glaring into his soul with their own piercing gaze as if they were each willing what words to come out of their mouth.

“I’m sorry,” Oryn said, making eye contact with the man as they swallowed the last of their pastry. “But I don’t think I know you.”

Jonas nodded, leaning deeper into his chair. He took a long, deep breath. “How much have these lovely ladies told you about how you came to be here?”

Oryn’s brows furrowed in confusion as they once again looked from one witch to the next. Now, though, the three of them each avoided their gaze, squirming in their seats.

They knew an opportunity when they saw one.

“Not enough,” they mumbled, their own gaze darkening as something deep within them said it wouldn’t be smart to ask.

Jonas nodded yet again, maintaining his gaze with them. The witches sat silently in their seats.

“Your mother,” Jonas started, tapping a finger on the table, “she died.”

Oryn nodded. “Yes. And that’s why the three of them take care of me,” they said, gesturing towards where they sat.

“That’s right,” he sat up straighter in his chair, leaning forward as his gaze grew deeper. “I’m the man that got you here. To make sure someone could take care of you.”

Oryn nodded, not understanding the behavior of the witches; what could possibly be so nerve-wracking about an old man with a soft spot for a motherless baby?

“My mother,” Oryn’s curiosity had gotten the better of her. “You knew her then?” their voice was innocent, yearning.

Jonas smiled widely, finally breaking her gaze. “I did,” he said, a small frown creeping to his face. “I knew her well.”

“What was she like?”

The three witches’ necks all but snapped as their heads swiveled and their gazes met Oryn’s. It must have been one of the questions she wasn’t allowed to ask.

They were all silent again for a moment, a solitary tear brimming in his eyes and running down Jonas’s cheek. “She was wonderful,” he muttered more to himself, “and dedicated and beautiful. It was a shame she had to pass so young.”

The relief was palpable, everyone’s shoulders relaxing and sighs being let out.

“Oryn,” Starla said, a forced smile splayed on her lips and an edge behind her voice. “Go outside and play. We have important work we have to do with Jonas today.” Her eyes flicked to the door.

Oryn sighed, looking one last time at each member of the table before hopping off of their stool, grabbing a final pastry, and heading out the door.

Jonas shivered, his gaze becoming cold and hard as his fist slammed down on the table. “What is that?”

“He grows fast,” Maureen mumbled, “much faster than a human.”

“His appetite…” Elisa whispered.

Starla shook her head at them all, meeting Jonas’s gaze. “That’s a young boy,” she said, her voice firm and back straight. “A young boy who has been loved and provided for, even when the things we must provide are challenging and… unethical.”

Jonas closed his eyes, resting his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “It hasn’t even been a full five years,” he muttered to himself, “and he’s seemingly twice that age.” He lifted his head, his eyes meeting Starla’s. “Don’t you forget what he did to her. Do you understand me?” He stood from his seat, walking towards the window that overlooked the yard where Oryn had gone out to play. “That boy… that thing… the things he’s capable of…” he trailed off.

“You think we don’t know that?” Maureen snapped, twiddling her fingers in her lap. “You think we haven’t taken the utmost care in nurturing something your people think is the devil?” She scoffed, getting out of her own seat and standing next to Jonas, following his gaze out the window towards Oryn.

Starla stood as well, starting to clean the mess of the table. The daggers in her voice were sharp. “My good High Councilor, don’t you forget who have been the ones raising him all this time; the ones fighting to understand his nature, his abilities, his…” she trailed off, stacking cups in the wash-bin. “The things we’ve had to witness. And the worst of it is the fact that he has no idea what he’s capable of.”

[sailtomarina]

cw: referenced/implied sex, discussion of a safeword

Hermione was still washing up when he returned home. Patting her face dry, she sensed him before she felt him, a looming presence that he could hide if he chose to. She stayed still as fingertips fluttered against her waist, then around to tug her tight against him.

“Hello, love.”

“Welcome home, Draco,” she said softly, watching him in the mirror and the way his silver eyes glinted at her as he kissed along the curve of her neck.

He pulled open the silk ties of her robe to reveal naked skin beneath, still damp from her bath. “You look ready for me.”

“Mhm.”

“Did you think about what we’d discussed?” His tone was light, like he was asking her about her day or the weather, but Hermione knew better. Depending on her answer, tonight might pass much differently than usual.

“I did.”

“And?”

Maintaining eye contact through the glass, she shrugged off her robe to reveal the jewel-capped plug winking up at him from her arse.

“I’d like to. Tonight.”

His reaction was immediate: eyes darkening, hands gripping her hips hard enough to bruise.

“Are you sure? Don’t just do this for me. You have to want it, too.”

“I do.”

The groan that wracked his body nearly had her bending over right then and there. She loved her wizard, and seeing him here like this, desperate for all of her, made Hermione want to give him anything and everything.

“Safe word?”

“Ferret.”

He huffed in amusement, but didn’t let up his grip. “Don’t hesitate to use it.”

She nodded, but he scowled at her response.

“Yes.”

“Good girl.”

The familiar praise warmed her now just as much as it had at the start. She would always be good for him, even when she was bad.

WC 297

Written for Day 6 (Kinky versus vanilla) of the HP Fanfic Writers' Guild Discord Smut Workshop. Limit: 300 words.

What do you think his safeword is if hers is "ferret"?

[cvoyage618]

How do I know I'm ready for a writing workshop?

Hello new writer! Considering a workshop to get feedback on your latest project? That's a fantastic idea! Workshops are an amazing experience and great way to work through ideas faster while gaining personalized insights on what you can do to improve your work.

But, as I'm sure you know, the workshop is not a glamorous space. It's a bunch of creatives, all at different levels of experience and from different genres, sitting in a room together, debating what makes a work 'good' or 'better'.

It's tough! You never know what other people's intentions are or what they think is appropriate in a workshop space. If you've never been critiqued before, the experience can be jarring, unpleasant, and overwhelming. So before you sit down at the coffee shop or click into that mysterious Discord call, make sure to ask yourself some essential questions I've listed below.

What do I want from this workshop?

Before attending, it's incredibly helpful to understand what you are hoping to gain from the experience. Consider what you are struggling with most in your current project. Are you facing writers' block? Is there a scene that just isn't working? Or a character you just can't make sense of?

When you have an answer to this question, make sure to communicate that to your fellow workshop attendees. If it's a decent workshop, they'll take your question and use it to inform the feedback they provide you with. Hopefully you walk away with an answer to your question and ladder to scale that block with!

These types of questions can also help direct feedback if your fellow workshop attendees are less familiar with your genre or style. By giving them one or two things to focus on (character voice, narration, dialogue, etc.), you can help direct their attention to the parts of the piece you want to address. Without doing this, some workshop attendees might get distracted by their own personal writing hang ups or resort to giving generic advice.

What are the limitations of my genre or style?

To start, if you can't clearly describe what genre you're writing in, I would seriously consider that before attending a workshop. Being able to describe your piece concisely and effectively to a group of other writers makes a huge difference when they're providing feedback.

It's really common for workshop attendees to be older, retired individuals, so they are coming to the space with a lifetime of different reading experiences. You may think your piece is clearly science fiction, but the 2,500 words they get from your work may not clearly communicate that to them if they have preconceived notions about what science fiction must look like.

I, for example, once brought a piece in asking about the character voice in a fantasy piece, and another writer told me that my language wasn't 'fantasy' enough for a piece with an elf protagonist. This man was older, so it was easy enough to assume he was thinking of The Lord of the Rings when he spoke. But my project was always going to be closer to Legends and Lattes then to anything Tolkien, so I just had to smile, nod, and take the feedback politely while knowing I wasn't going to use it at all.

Speaking of -

Can I handle critique? How do I know if I can't?

This might be the most important question to ask yourself before you step into a workshop, but it is really hard question to answer if you've never shown anyone else your writing before.

First and foremost, most workshops do not require you to bring writing in. You are more than welcome to show up and provide feedback while bringing nothing of your own. If this is your first time trying a workshop, do that! This is a great way to gain an understanding of what kind of feedback other writers provide, and to start building your definition of 'good' and 'bad' feedback based on the critiques you give others.

The more you practice giving feedback, the more clear it will become when others are not providing kind, constructive responses to your work. It's important to remember that critiquing is a skill like any other, and its one that aids your writing ability as well as your fellow writers'. Once you know how to critique others, you'll get better and better at reading your own work for revision.

Once you've got answers for all three of these questions, go forth and explore! There are so many fantastic spaces where writers gather, try out a few before you decide where to settle. And if someone in the group is particularly helpful, reach out! Exchange longer work with a friend. Ask questions. Build community.