Exploring Invisible Disabilities in Horror

May 30, Thursday, 4 P.M. PT

In this workshop, we’ll explore autonomy, its importance, and the ramifications the loss of it can have on disabled people and, in turn, characters with chronic illnesses. We’ll walk through some of the best practices concerning writing disability as well as discuss how to avoid tropes and the low-hanging fruit. With both solo and group exercises, the authors should leave with a better understanding of writing disability, creating unique characters that will resonate with their readers without feeling exploitative, and be able to hold space for empathy and education in horror.

Instructors: Elle Mitchell and J.B. Kish

Elizabeth (Elle) Mitchell is a multidisciplinary artist and author of dark fiction, crip fic, and essays. She is a co-chair of the HWA’s Oregon chapter and a workshop instructor. Elizabeth spends her downtime gaming, fighting for disability rights, researching, and eating more than her share of homemade baked goods (when her body allows). Being a woman with several invisible illnesses, she enjoys living a semi-horizontal life with her husband and spoiled furbutts in the PNW.

J.B. Kish is a weird fiction and horror author that helps emerging writers design a strategy to reach their goals. His writing has been featured in Underland Press’ The Cozy Cosmic, Metaphorosis Magazine Best of '22, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and Unsettling Read’s Still of Winter Anthology. His author workshops have been developed based on eight years of helping clients roadmap and achieve their goals. When he’s not writing, he facilitates workshops for people looking to improve their public speaking and presentation skills. Learn more at www.jbkish.com.

ENROLL

$65

StokerCon 2024: Exploring Invisible Disabilities in Horror

Live, In-Person at StokerCon 2024: Explore autonomy, its importance, and the ramifications its loss can have on disabled or chronically ill characters.

In this workshop, we’ll explore autonomy, its importance, and the ramifications the loss of it can have on disabled people and, in turn, characters with chronic illnesses. We’ll walk through some of the best practices concerning writing disability as well as discuss how to avoid tropes and the low-hanging fruit. With both solo and group exercises, the authors should leave with a better understanding of writing disability, creating unique characters that will resonate with their readers without feeling exploitative, and be able to hold space for empathy and education in horror.