Writing the Radical Self

Marginalised people are rarely afforded the right to tell their own story. And when they are, they are expected to tell it in ways that maintain the status quo and reinforce dominant cultural narratives. In this course we’ll attempt to deconstruct dominant concepts of memory, time, structure, and identity within modes of writing that draw from the lived experience of the writer. This includes, but is not limited to, memoir, autobiography, autofiction, personal essay, and fiction.

Over eight weekly 2-hour sessions, we'll look at the creation of the self through memory & perspective, how we can build new structures to create counternarratives, how blurring the lines between realism and fantasy can allow us to get to the actual ‘truth’ of our lived experiences, and inventing our own language and stylistics.

Each session will involve group discussion around a topic and set readings, as well as experimenting with a variety of generative writing exercises. *All reading and writing set between sessions is fully optional

All Sessions take place on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm UK time via Zoom.

*Please note that all the below topics will be covered, but the exact structure is still subject to change

Session 1 - Navel Gazing as Radical Practice: Febos, Feminism & Counternarrative

Session 2 - Constructing the Self: Memory & Identity

Session 3 - Stepping Outside of Ourselves: Experiments in Narrative Perspective

Session 4 - Breaking the Rules: Neuroqueering Language and Style

1 Week Break

Session 5 - F**k the Hero's Journey: Alison, Aker and Alternative Structures

Session 6 - Fiction or Fact?: Breaking the Reader/Writer Contract

Session 7 - Monsters, Magic and Machines: When Realism Just Won't Cut It

Session 8 - Do it on Purpose: Leaning into Yourself

This course aims to be neurodivergent, disabled, chronically ill, and trans* centred.

As standard:

-Sessions include live closed captioning

-Sessions are recorded and shared with course members

-All slideshow and reading materials shared directly with members

-All exercise instructions are written out and given verbally

-No pressure to use mics or cameras - students can choose to use the chat function to communicate with the group

-No pressure to share work. 

-All sessions will have a mid point break, but students are encouraged to eat, drink, stim, move about the room, and take breaks as needed.