Writing Inclusivity

Workshop discussion topics include the following"

• How writers can create disabled characters who feel fully realized

• Moving beyond stereotypes and "inspiration" narratives

• The difference between visibility and authenticity

• How chronic and invisible illnesses affect daily life in ways readers may not always see

• The importance of sensitivity, research, and lived experience in storytelling

Holly Payne-Strange is a novelist, poet, and podcast creator. Her writing has been lauded by USA Today , LA Weekly , and The New York Times . Her English and Italian language poetry has been published by Door Is A Jar, Quail Bell , and Red Door Magazine , among others. She has also given talks at Fordham University and The Players Club. Her psychological thriller, Every Last Bone , features a protagonist whose experiences are shaped by a chronic condition, and the book was written with the goal of creating a character whose disability is an important part of her life without defining her entire identity.

Sponsored by the Library Foundation of New Orleans .