An Exercise in Collaborative Writing at Civil Media '09, Salzburg

In Other Wor(l)ds
An Exercise in Collaborative Writing
Friday, November 6th 2009, 10.00-12.00, JUFA Salzburg

At the workshop, we will discuss and practice collaborative writing in the genre of feminist-queer speculative fiction. We are going to hold individual authorship hostage for two hours. Because of time limits, we won’t wait for inspiration. Since we aren't professionals, we won’t worry about controlling the narrative either.

We’ll jam. Assuming there will be six of us, we’ll end up with six stories. Each of us is going to begin by writing his / her own story. Fifteen minutes later, you’ll pass the text to the next person. After reading it, she / he / xe will continue where you stopped. The workshop is over when everyone has written a part of every story. If there is time left, we can also mix, polish, dismember or assemble all of it.

If you can, bring your notebook. If we have six, we can make an online zine immediately after the workshop. If not, bring your old school pen!

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The workshop rests on the idea that while technological innovation, such as online open-access media, does influence socially innovative uses of that – and older – technologies (for example, zines), innovative articulations of ideas also change the use of existing technologies. As any science fiction reader will tell you, speculations about new technologies can suggest technological innovation. Feminist-queer sci-fi readers might add that social speculative fiction also suggests social change. For example, science fiction can turn ideas into characters. Since ideas disguised as people are inevitably gendered, we will genderfuck with character roles and try to embody some utopian ideas along the way. But first, we’ll make up the characters and discuss the rules.

This is what we did at the Ladyfest in Amsterdam last year.

Type: Workshop
Language: English
Suggested overall duration: 2 hours
Suggested number of participants: 6, no previous experience (or gender;) necessary

The Civilmedia09 "unconference" is going to take place at JUFA Salzburg. Address: JUFA Salzburg, Josef-Preis-Allee 18, 5020 Salzburg, +43(0)662/84 26 70 / Map

I will also participate in the panel on Participatory culture and technology in on- and offline networks on Saturday, Nov. 7th, at 10. 00. I'll speak in the name of feminist and queer festival Rdeče zore / Red Dawns from Ljubljana. Details.