The Fanauthor Workshop is a biannual Zoom course for writers of fanfiction. My goal is to create a supportive space for fanauthors to receive constructive feedback on fanfiction, original fiction, or creative nonfiction. If desired, I also provide guidance on moving outside of fan spheres to traditional publishing or other creative writing programs such as MFAs.

Participants of the workshop receive:

Attendance in a 5-7 week course during which you’ll provide feedback to your peers and workshop one piece of your own work, up to 6,000 words.
Access to the Fanauthor Workshop Discord server, where you’ll be able to chat with other workshop members, plus a private channel for your group specifically.
A one-hour consultation with me to go over your workshop feedback, come up with a plan for revision and/or publication, or anything else you’d like to discuss regarding your writing.

Sessions | How to Apply | FAQ

2023 Sessions

Spring session: Applications open January 20 and close March 20. The workshop will take place weekly, beginning on the second Friday of April.

Fall session: Applications open July 20 and close September 20. The workshop will take place weekly, beginning on the second Friday of October. Note these dates may change depending on potential shifts in my schedule.

The number of weeks the workshop will run (5-7) is dependent on the number of participants. Each workshop will have between 8 and 12 participants.

Group A: 12 to 2pm EST
Group B: 6 to 8pm EST

Testimonials

I very much enjoyed the workshop experience. I got to know a lot of different fanauthors that I wouldn't have met otherwise, and I thought that there was good information to take away not just from the feedback I received on my piece, but on the feedback others received as well. Not only that, but it really felt like a writing summer camp, like a vacation from everyday life and something to look forward to at the end of every week. I highly recommend!

—Emma V.

This was super fun!!! I learned a lot about structure and narrative and how to tie things together. I think I have learned how to better spot narrative flow issues and rough patches.

—Ham

I felt like I learned a tremendous amount! I feel like I have many more tools and much more language to grow and improve as a writer upon finishing the workshop, and a much greater knowledge of the mysterious world of MFAs, literary magazines, and publishing generally. It was also validating to work with other fic writers.

—S. Eli

It was so valuable to get feedback from those within my fandom and outside of it. The detailed analysis on my writing is exactly what I was looking for- it was such a welcoming environment for my first formal crit circle post college. The book and essay suggestions each week were fantastic, I've already started applying them to my writing. I loved the literary feedback from those in the group deep in academia mixed with the meow-meow tumblr vocab of it all.

—Emilie

This was an amazing experience! I thoroughly enjoyed the exposure to a diverse body of work and the ranging aesthetics/interests of all participants. Beth's questions were insightful and really helped me to think critically about each piece even on the most basic level. I feel like my appreciation for the craft has doubled and my own writing will be elevated as a result. This has definitely set the bar high for all other workshops!

—Amber

I really enjoyed learning what the creative workshop format is all about since I had never been to one before. Talking about craft with talented writers definitely honed my ability to identify and address global and local writing issues. This program was also really useful for letting me know that I don't want to do an MFA. Five weeks was a good amount of time for this program for me, and that was while working with people from a fannish background; I can't imagine enduring an entire year or two of analyzing well-written literary content in which characters are so frequently unhappy. I love that this is a pathway to an MFA for others, but I'm just going to embrace my trashy literary palate! :D

—C

I had a good experience in the workshop! Yes, I got one of my stories reviewed, and the feedback was very helpful, but also reading other people's stories and discussing their own strengths and weaknesses taught me more about story building. It was a quick and succinct six weeks. My biggest takeaway was realizing I need to develop a more critical eye in my writing. I want to recognize how to diagnose my own story's pitfalls and see effective solutions. Hopefully, next year I can take the workshop again.

—Poppy

When I applied to the Fanauthor Workshop, I was looking for a community of like-minded writers and I found it! It's impossible to quantify just how fantastic it was to be surrounded by so many insightful and creative people, all of whom were focusing their considerable skills on helping my work Pokemon-evolve into its best version. I've made some amazing friends and the way I think about and discuss writing has expanded so much.

—G

The workshop was an absolute delight! Not only was it wonderful to spend two hours a week chatting about writing, I definitely came away with really valuable feedback on how to improve my writing. Getting that external perspective on my work was invaluable - it proved to me that my writing does have merit, and pointed out the places where I could do better, without ever being negative or disheartening. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

—JC H.

I think the discussion was really interesting and it was helpful to see the general impression my work made and seeing what others were doing. There's nothing like talking with other authors to really enrich your own experience.

—Sharon

My experience with the workshop was fantastic! I learned a lot from the other writers and enjoyed reading the crit letters everyone submitted. There were amazing recommendations for continued learning that I will be looking into as I continue building my skills. This is exactly what I was looking for: a chance to engage with other writers as we all assist each other with getting better at our craft. I loved every part of it! It's so fun being welcomed into such an accepting community: all of the writers were amazing and had so many great tips and tricks!

—Sunshine

HOW TO APPLY

Eligibility

Anyone over the age of 18 who considers themselves a participant of fandom and who is familiar with fanfiction may apply.

Cost

The cost is "pay what you think the experience is worth,” with the recommended amount of $250.

Application requirements

To apply, you will need:

A brief cover letter discussing your fan/writing history and goals as a writer. More specific instructions provided in the link below.
Maximum 2,000 words of your writing, either original fiction or fanfiction. This may be previously published/posted work.

There is no fee for applying.

Apply here

Faq

A workshop is a group of people who meet to give feedback on a creative work.
Historically, the creative writing workshop has employed something called the “Iowa model” named after the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. The Iowa model is one in which a writer shares a piece of writing and sits silently as the others discuss it.
Having been in many workshops myself using various models, I choose a more structured approach, one in which a writer may opt to be more interactive during their workshop.
It’s-a me! Beth!
You’re on my website so you can poke around at my credentials, but the gist is: I have a Master’s degree in creative writing pedagogy and half a PhD in creative writing (long story). I’ve been teaching writing for 6 years and I’ve been a writing coach for 2. I’m also an avid fic writer myself and I’ve posted over 2 million words of fanfiction.
I hosted the first Fanauthor Workshop in 2017 as an independent study in my MFA. It was a big success and, since then, I’ve had a lot of people ask when I plan to host another. I decided it was finally time to bring it back.
The Fanauthor Workshop takes place twice a year in spring and fall. It lasts for 5-7 weeks: the first week is an introduction/priming session, and there are 4-6 sessions of workshop thereafter.
Each session will have two groups, one that meets in the early afternoon and one in the evening (EST). This is so that writers in different timezones can participate.
We’ll meet weekly over Zoom. A working camera , mic, and stable internet connection are necessary to attend.
Any writer over the age of 18 who considers themselves a participant of fandom.
Participants will have an opportunity to request specific trigger warnings. However, because there are no content restrictions to workshop, you must be willing to read work of any nature.
Unfortunately each workshop only has a maximum of 12 spots, and so I have to limit the number of participants I can accept. Also, occasionally I have applicants who are not in fandom and have never read or written fanfiction.
If you apply and don’t get accepted, please know it has nothing to do with the quality of your work, and I encourage you to reapply for the next round.
You can workshop any piece of fanfiction, original fiction (a short story or the first chapter of a novel), or creative nonfiction up to 6,000 words.
Note that if you workshop fanfiction, there is a chance there will not be participants in your fandom, and so we will not be able to speak to aspects of the piece like characterization or canonical accuracy.
It is ill-advised to workshop poetry, scripts, or flash fiction. However, if you would like feedback on any of these forms, you can schedule a consultation with me.
Your piece should be ready to be workshopped and uploaded to our shared drive one week prior to your scheduled workshop.
Yes!
You can email me at ekweeks@gmail.com or fill out my contact form.