Queer Crit(iques) Writing Series at Side Quest Books & Games

NOTE: Please only sign up for this writing series if you can make at least 4 of the 5 sessions! Payment is for all sessions; refunds not available for missing individual sessions.

About the Series

Peer feedback can be an incredibly valuable resource to writers at all levels. Unfortunately, committed workshops are too often prohibitively expensive and lacking in diversity. Sharing drafts and accepting feedback is a vulnerable experience, and being the only queer person in the room can not only make it downright unpleasant, it's also often just not worth going through it to get feedback from people who aren't the target audience for your transbian space opera anyway.

This is where the idea for Queer Crit(iques) came from. Running a writing workshop that fosters queer writers has never felt more pressing than it does now as a campaign continues to unfold to purge queer stories, history, and people from society.

Workshop Format

Over the course of our meetings, each participant will submit a short prose piece or excerpt to the group and have the opportunity to receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback from other writers. Every draft submitted will be the focus of discussion for thirty to forty minutes straight, and the writer of the draft will get to hear what the rest of the group appreciated about the draft, what it got us thinking about, and what suggestions we have for revision. The submission schedule will be set at our first meeting and spaced throughout the five weeks, with two or three drafts being shared each week to be workshopped at the following meeting. As time allows, we will also have craft discussions and do some in-session writing exercises.

This workshop is open to all experience levels and any creative prose genre, fiction or nonfiction. The only requirement is a willingness to share your writing, accept feedback, and come prepared to share your own.

About Your Facilitator

Hi! I'm Kay (they/them). I'm a cataloging assistant at one of Harvard's libraries and am currently getting a humanities degree through Harvard Extension with a minor in creative writing. I've been a passionate writer since I was a child, and I've had the privilege of taking many workshops to improve my craft and having a variety of mentors. When I'm not writing (or working) you can typically find me reading a book, performing as King Kayotic, or playing guitar (badly).

About the Venue

Side Quest Books & Games is a fantasy-inspired shop for magical books, indie tabletop role-playing games, and nerdy knick-knacks — all centering women and underrepresented creators.

The shop is located on the Bow Market balcony. There are bathrooms and an elevator in the Bow Market lobby. Outside food and drink are welcome in the shop. Masks are optional, but please let us know and stay home if you get sick.