Image description: A bright yellow rectangle with an icon of a book on the right and a laptop screen on the left, flanking text: “#CripLit Twitter Chat, Writing Workshop Acessibility, December 17, 2017. 4pm Pacific/7pm Eastern. Guests: @ClarionWest @ClarionUCSD @LambdaLiterary.”

For our tenth #Criplit chat for disabled writers we’re trying a variation on the format we used for the Editor Roundtable. We’ve invited representatives from three summer writing workshops to come and chat for an hour about what they’re doing to make their writing programmes accessible.

This is a great opportunity for writers to learn about some of the venues that would welcome them, and to ask their own questions of specific programmes. I hope you’ll drop by and take part. Read on for more details.

#CripLit Twitter Chat: Writing Workshop Accessibility
Sunday, December 17, 2017, 4 pm Pacific/ 7 pm Eastern
Co-Hosts: Nicola Griffith @Nicolaz and Alice Wong @DisVisibility

Guests: Representatives from Clarion West Writers Workshop, Lambda Literary’s Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices, and Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop.

Co-partners of #CripLit, novelist Nicola Griffith and Disability Visibility Project’s Alice Wong, are proud to host the tenth #CripLit Twitter chat for disabled writers.

This is the writing workshop roundtable in which we talk to the staff and representatives of some of the leading summer workshops for emerging writers. The format will be slightly different from previous chats. It is designed to get basic information from each of our guests that we think would be useful to writers considering whether to apply to one of the workshops, and to allow writers to then ask their own follow-up questions.

We will divide the hour into six segments. We have prepared a question for the workshop representatives to lead off each segment, which should provide some time for writers to ask their own follow-up questions. Reps will answer as many as they can. Reps may also have questions for writers. And writers may have questions or suggestions for each other.

All disabled writers are welcome to participate in the chat including (but not limited to) reporters, storytellers, essayists, poets, cartoonists, bloggers, freelancers, unpublished or published. We want to hear from all of you! Check the #CripLit hashtag on Twitter for announcements of future chats that will focus on different genres or topics.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Follow @nicolaz and @DisVisibility on Twitter.

Follow guest hosts: @ClarionWest@ClarionUCSD@LambdaLiterary

Use the hashtag #CripLit when you tweet. The questions will be timed several minutes apart.

Note: this week’s questions are aimed initially at the staff and representatives of writing workshops.

Check out this explanation of how to participate in a chat by Ruti Regan: https://storify.com/RutiRegan/examplechat

If you don’t use Twitter and want to follow along in real-time, check out the live-stream:http://twubs.com/CripLit

#CRIPLIT TWEETS FOR 12/17 CHAT

Welcome to our 10th #CripLit chat. This is the writing workshop roundtable featuring staff & representatives of leading summer workshops for emerging writers.

The format for this #CripLit chat: Our chat’s questions are for the staff & after they respond you all can ask them follow-up Qs

We want to give you all the chance to talk with workshop staff directly with our questions as a way to start the convo #CripLit

If you respond to a question such as Q1, your tweet should follow this format: “A1 [your message] #CripLit”

Q1 Please introduce yourself and your workshop—mission, size, etc—& include links to Submission Guidelines & other useful info. #CripLit

Q2 Tell us about your workshop venue. How would you describe its accessibility? #CripLit

Q3 What help do you offer disabled writers a) with the application process? b) during the workshop? #CripLit

Q4 Do you have experience of working with disabled writers? Are any of your faculty disabled? #CripLit

Q5 In what way/s do you consult with disabled writers about our needs? How do you integrate/implement suggestions? #CripLit

Q6 What advice do you have for writers, disabled and nondisabled? Any actions or strategies you can suggest? #CripLit

This concludes our 10th #CripLit chat! Please keep the convo going.

Be sure to tweet co-hosts @nicolaz@DisVisibility questions, comments, and ideas for the next #CripLit chat

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Deciding whether to attend Clarion West, for disabled writers, Elizabeth Bartmess
On being an ill writer, Alicia Elliott
An Open Letter to All Writing Programmes, Nicola Griffith
Lambda Literary Writers Retreat For Emerging LGBTQ Voices
Clarion West Writers Workshop
Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers’ Workshop

ABOUT

Nicola Griffith is a British novelist, now dual US/UK citizen. She was diagnosed with MS the same month her first novel Ammonite was published. Her other novels are SlowRiver, The Blue Place, Stay, Always, Hild, and the forthcoming So Lucky. She has a PhD and is married to writer Kelley Eskridge. They live in Seattle where Nicola emerges occasionally from work on her seventh novel to drink just the right amount of beer and take enormous delight in everything.
Twitter: @nicolaz
Website: https://nicolagriffith.com/blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicolagriffith

Alice Wong is a San Francisco-based disability advocate, freelance journalist, television watcher, cat lover, and coffee drinker. Alice is the Founder and Project Coordinator for theDisability Visibility Project (DVP), a community partnership with StoryCorps and an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability stories and culture. Currently she is a co-partner with Andrew Pulrang and Gregg Beratan for #CripTheVote, a non-partisan online campaign encouraging the political participation of people with disabilities.
Twitter: @SFdirewolf
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/356870067786565/
Website: http://DisabilityVisibilityProject.com