There's an oft-quoted and oft-misunderstood adage that new writers hear, "Write what you know." A literal adherence to this principle would eliminate the entire fields of fantasy and science fiction writing. Perhaps less obviously, it would severely limit the power of good writing to illuminate the world around us, or tell stories that show alternatives to received wisdom.

In The Different Body Problem, we explore the problems and opportunities that come with stepping outside a writer's comfort zone. WE talk about how to address issues of difference on the human scale, such as race, gender or cultural assumptions. We extend this conversation to cover characters and cultures with radically different physical realities or cultural assumptions. And most importantly, we write, doing a number of exercises designed to get writers thinking about stories, characters and settings from unusual angles.

In this capsule, we'll practice these skills by a brief conversation about writing a character with a different sensorium, followed by a writing exercise and feedback. Participants will not need any writing experience or to have a story planned; the exercises are meant to be completed within the class session.