Introducing Rhubarb Writing Shed
The eagle-eyed amongst you might’ve noticed I’ve added a new page to this website – one all about Rhubarb Writing Shed, the LGBT-friendly novel writing community and course hub I’m in the process of launching.
While the page itself goes into a little more detail about what RWS will evolve to be, I just wanted to list here on the blog why I believe RWS can help LGBT novelists. The best way to do this is probably through a few bullet points so let’s go:
RWS will act as a welcoming and professional space for LGBT authors to develop their novels and their novel-writing skills
The general RWS community network will be free to join and entry will be subject to a strict non-discrimination commitment – disagreements are allowed, discrimination isn’t
RWS will offer targeted courses at budget prices to help novelists hone their skills
There will be no obligation for community members to join courses
Regular “scholarships” will be offered to writers who might otherwise be unable to afford the courses
I want to help create a space where LGBTQIA+ novelists can develop their skills without running into what I call the “pronoun problem”. There’s plenty of talking in the writing community about “authentic voices”, but I’m acutely aware that those voices need to be given the space to develop, and I’d like to contribute to that effort.
Rhubarb Writing Shed will launch officially very soon and it’ll be hosted on a platform that can be accessed via the web and downloaded onto Apple and Android devices.
I’ll be running a beta test of the first course (on characterisation) with a select number of pupils at a reduced rate – the spaces will be offered first to subscribers to the RWS mailing list, so sign up using the form below if you’re interested. As a thanks, you’ll get my exclusive ‘Anatomy of a Scene’ cheat sheet to help with your novel development.
Honestly? Developing Rhubarb Writing Shed in an enthralling and terrifying prospect wrapped up into one. I know there’s an audience out there for the kind of community and courses I want to develop, I just hope I can find them.