Creative Writing: Playing with Words

Creative Writing: Playing with Words
Program Leader: Eliot West

A week of guided prompts, conversations, and storytelling games that help you explore writing with curiosity and joy, all within a playful, welcoming, queer- and neurodivergent-led space.

 Creative writing can seem “Very Serious”—and that can make it feel intimidating. But stories and language are meant to be fun! Writing can be playful, loose, and full of the surprising delights that make us human. This week of programming is for anybody who’s willing to jot a few words in a notebook and see what happens—whether you’re “not a writer” or a seasoned pro. 

This queer- and neurodivergent-led space will welcome many ways of thinking, expressing, and imagining. You can expect guided writing prompts, thoughtful conversation about writing as a process, collaborative and solo storytelling games, and more. Grab a pen and let’s play!

Eliot West is an editor, writing coach, and Loft Literary Center Teaching Artist with a specialty in inclusive storytelling. They edit romance and fantasy, scholarly nonfiction, digital interactive fiction, and more. As a coach and educator, they help writers across genres develop writing practices that work for their particular brains and lives. Eliot holds a PhD in English literature, with a focus on the novel—though their truest education comes from reading queer romance, working closely with writers, and guiding manuscripts as they grow. Learn more at eliotwesteditorial.com.