Do you like free workshops and events? We do, and we've never heard of anyone who doesn't like free education! Use this wide variety of live sessions to get a taste of what learning under InkNQuill is like. Get an introduction to our version of disruptive education: writing practice combined with critical theory in an online (and occasionally in-person) environment.

Combining the practicalities of life as a writer, these free workshops will develop your understanding and practice of a wide variety of topics. We will teach all types of writers - from the experienced to those just starting - to combine critical theory and practical realities of writing as a disruptive, intersectional practitioner. 

From critical Disability and Queer theory to ethical dilemmas of authorship to more practically minded writing workshops and illustrating power dynamics of the traditional writers' circle, this series of short workshops will entice you! If you enjoy these, please consider supporting us by enrolling on one of our paid courses, which you can see on our Courses Page. 

If you would like to access this guide in a more traditional format, please view it here. 

Ever wanted a quick one-off taster of critical disability and Queer theory? Are you curious about these critical approaches? This session leads onto the full course Queerness and Disability nicely, providing an introduction to what both of these critical approaches do, how they function, and introducing a critical theorist from queerness and disability to help students grasp the relevant idea. Take the first step on your journey to becoming a critically engaged creative writer. You will learn: 

• The meaning of critical engagement with Queer and Disability theory

• How and why to become a critically engaged writer in this exciting field 

‘Whose truth is it anyway?’ Is uncovers and gets to grips with the realities of misinformation and provides education on identifying and understanding the field of misinformation.  

This one-hour session combines critical theory insights with creative writing practicals. You shall effectively understand how to approach the use of information for artistic effect, and develop your ideas around authorship. You will learn:

• How to effectively define key terms relating to the field of critical media literacy (for example, misinformation and disinformation)

• How to critically engage with theories of misinformation and use these in our creative writing to effectively deconstruct dominant narratives of “truth”. 

Deadly Dystopias’ considers the variety of dystopian representations across media, from the visual to the traditional teen fiction novel and the narratives of dystopian fiction, rooted in rebellion.

In an hour and a half, you understand the overarching narratives, popular genre tropes, and develop short, bold creative writing to start a portfolio. You will learn:

• The definition and tropes of dystopian fiction

• How to effectively subvert these tropes in a text and create your own bold, socially-conscious fiction

This session critically engages with the poetry of the songwriter, Tyler Joseph, and considers how he disrupts the expectations of the poetry genre through ‘mini rebellions’. You will learn: 

• The basics of poetry writing (including key terms: rhyme, rhythm) and how Joseph uses these to disrupt the status quo

• How you can use techniques that Joseph uses in your own poetry work to create socially engaged, disruptive writing 

Situating your personality within storytelling is a tough challenge for new writers, who are still learning the craft. Understanding how to effectively convert their personal experiences into creative writing, via fictional means, or autotheory, is a challenge. Although there is a separate session specifically for autotheory and memoir, this session will go over the personal foundations of this type of creative, intersectional practice.

This session will consider what makes personally compelling writing, and how you can use these ideas to create your own personally engaging writing. You will learn:

• Hallmarks of personally engaged creative Writing and how to draw interesting narrative events from it

• Why writers value personal exploration through creative writing, and how to do this yourself

This session considers narrative non-fiction, with a focus on auto-theory and memoir. It shall provide some critical examples, discuss how to write our own and build upon other sessions. This one-hour practical session will allow you to craft and understand the requirements of quality non-fiction writing and start the journey to crafting your own. You will learn:

• The definition and wide variety of narrative non-fiction styles out there

• How can we use the tools of the trade to write our own

This session is designed for aspiring teachers and instructors (and anyone wanting to run a Writer's Room, better known as the critique circle). Although writers, artists, and anyone who wants to learn how to run a feedback session is welcome, you’ll need to reconsider what “power” means—that’s a big hint. This interactive, in-person session deals with constructing a Writer's Room and how we can redistribute power relations within this structure. All you’ll need to bring is your work-in-progress, but you might want to reconsider if you think you'll get traditional feedback—there is no need to bring your hidden gems. We’re all human (mostly).

You will learn:

• How to redistribute power within the critique circle setting and effectively engage individuals within the critique process.

• How to effectively run a Writer's Room session, including diversifying the delivery of the critique format.

This one-hour session considers how we can take elements of intersectional approaches to academic subjects (such as the Humanities and Social Sciences) and infuse them directly into our creative writing practice. You will learn how to look across disciplines, drawing from a variety of theoretical lenses to fuel your next creative project.

You will learn:

• How to use a multitude of different academic and cultural influences to spark new writing.

• How to write and effectively synthesise these differing disciplinary elements together.

Ever wanted to consider the responsibility authors have to their readers? This one-off session explores a writer's responsibility over representation and the traditional notion of “telling a good story.” Critiquing the ideas of Philip Pullman alongside the famous concept of the "Death of the Author," this workshop will work wonders for your perspective on narrative impact.

You will learn:

• How to navigate the complex ethical quandaries that come with writing fiction.

• How to balance the roles of who creates and who consumes thought-provoking fiction.