Britt goes to Madcap!
Donation protected
I have been writing for a long, long time. The picture above was taken when I was fifteen; even then, one of my dreams in life was to write stories that reflected my life more than the stories I had access to at the time. In the time since, I've written dozens of stories, although I've rarely been brave enough to share them. Recently, I took a leap of faith and applied to the Writing Cross-Culturally Workshop through Madcap Retreats, where I would be able to learn from writers whose work I admire, like Laurie Halse Anderson, Marie Lu, and Zoraida Cordova. I'm absolutely amazed to discover I was accepted! However, although I applied for a scholarship, I did not receive one. Between both my wife and I being in school in addition to our full-time jobs, and because we're expecting a baby in May, we just can't swing the money for the workshop right now.
From the website for Madcap Retreats: "The mission of Madcap Retreats is to provide a yearly, rotating calendar of workshops and retreats that won't break a writer's bank. We work with writers at all stages of their careers, from aspiring to long published, and since we don't operate from a single geographical location, we are able to offer events in many regions of the United States. Our primary goal is to make attending retreats and workshops aggressively affordable, diverse, and as accessible as possible."
What makes the Writing Cross-Culturally Workshop special for me is its focus on creating diverse stories with diverse casts, and learning how to do that with compassion and understanding, even when the characters you are writing about don't look or live like you. That is exactly what I'm trying to do. I am currently working on two novels. The first is a contemporary YA novel featuring a Latina character who has to grapple with her connection to her racial identity when her mother marries a white man. The other is a fantasy YA novel set in a world where aggressive colonialization has led to the destruction of a country, the perversion of its religion, and the oppression of its people. All the characters in this cast are black and brown; the story's lore and setting relies heavily on the history of the French colonization of the Carribbean in the seventeenth century. I am neither Latina nor Carribbean. Although both stories explore issues and ideas relevant to my own life as someone who can claim a lot of "diversity" in my own right, I know that I still have a lot to learn about compassionate, realistic, and faithful representation of people whose experiences are not my own, and I am so excited about the possibility of learning from other writers about how to do that.
Expenses
The $800 will cover the workshop, supplies, lodging, and meals. I'll be able to bunk in a room with other attendees for the four nights and three days of the workshop. A 50% deposit is due by Friday, December 22nd, and the rest will be due by January 15th.
Thank you!
It would be incredible, amazing, wonderful (and a bunch of other words meaning the exact same thing) to be able to go and it would mean so much if you could help me out! I am so grateful to everyone who has already supported me and my writing until now and I know that this opportunity can only help me grow.
From the website for Madcap Retreats: "The mission of Madcap Retreats is to provide a yearly, rotating calendar of workshops and retreats that won't break a writer's bank. We work with writers at all stages of their careers, from aspiring to long published, and since we don't operate from a single geographical location, we are able to offer events in many regions of the United States. Our primary goal is to make attending retreats and workshops aggressively affordable, diverse, and as accessible as possible."
What makes the Writing Cross-Culturally Workshop special for me is its focus on creating diverse stories with diverse casts, and learning how to do that with compassion and understanding, even when the characters you are writing about don't look or live like you. That is exactly what I'm trying to do. I am currently working on two novels. The first is a contemporary YA novel featuring a Latina character who has to grapple with her connection to her racial identity when her mother marries a white man. The other is a fantasy YA novel set in a world where aggressive colonialization has led to the destruction of a country, the perversion of its religion, and the oppression of its people. All the characters in this cast are black and brown; the story's lore and setting relies heavily on the history of the French colonization of the Carribbean in the seventeenth century. I am neither Latina nor Carribbean. Although both stories explore issues and ideas relevant to my own life as someone who can claim a lot of "diversity" in my own right, I know that I still have a lot to learn about compassionate, realistic, and faithful representation of people whose experiences are not my own, and I am so excited about the possibility of learning from other writers about how to do that.
Expenses
The $800 will cover the workshop, supplies, lodging, and meals. I'll be able to bunk in a room with other attendees for the four nights and three days of the workshop. A 50% deposit is due by Friday, December 22nd, and the rest will be due by January 15th.
Thank you!
It would be incredible, amazing, wonderful (and a bunch of other words meaning the exact same thing) to be able to go and it would mean so much if you could help me out! I am so grateful to everyone who has already supported me and my writing until now and I know that this opportunity can only help me grow.
Organizer
Brittney Anne
Organizer
Decatur, GA
