kitwit studio - creative space

Writers of all aspiration levels:

If you've ever ummed and/or ahhed about investing in a couple of months on this the platform (which I couldn't recommend highly enough or with more conviction or enthusiasm), then now seems to be the time.

If you haven't ummed and/or aahed yet, because you haven't heard of them: if any interest at all in writing exists within you, this is about as good a starting point - or deepening point - as there is. Friendly, cool, and for absolutely any level of interest and skill.

That's it, that's my endorsement.

Hello Facebook types. How's it hanging?

We need to ask you something pretttyyy important.

So.

Right.

Ugh this sucks.

Right.

As you know the pandemic has proper knackered arts orgs and artists all over the shop and that, unfortunately, includes us. For the last 18 months, we’ve been unable to run our live events safely and, honestly? It’s left a huge hole in our beeswax. Add to the nightmare with the cowboy web developers and things at WHQ HQ are a little on the precarious side.

Recently the Arts Council decided we weren’t allowed to apply for the Culture Recovery Fund because we asked for both too much and too little (we don’t understand either)*. We have absolutely maxed out all available credit and aren’t eligible for any of the other covid support packages and eeesh it has left us in a very bum-clenchy situation.

Since the beginning of the pandemic we have run hundreds of free online workshops and courses for writers stuck in covid hell and worked our little butts off to make sure no one missed out on the community they needed during the weird-ass timeline we forked into in early 2020.

Last year, we awarded over 20 bursaries to systemically excluded writers, ran 312 webinars and workshops and saw our writers wrack up over 200 publications and 50 longlistings, shortlistings and competition wins. One longlist had TEN Writers’ HQers on it, and one anthology featured SEVEN of you writerly maniacs.

But it’s not just about the publications. It’s about DOING THE WORK and hoo boy have you guys worked your arses off. We’ve seen you rack up those words, complete first drafts, fifth drafts, synopses, queries, collections, scripts, poems, a billion pieces of flash fiction, non-fiction, articles, journals, MA applications, podcasts, spoken word performances, self-published manuscripts, NaNoWriMo drafts and, most important of all, you’ve posted an endless stream of support and feedback on our forum, celebrating wins and rejections alike.

We love Writers’ HQ and we know it’s an important place for so many of you and we are determined that we won’t be scuppered at the final twist of the pandemic sh*tfight.

Tl;dr Writers’ HQ is really in the sh*ts right now and if you have the resources to help us continue supporting writers across the world, we would very much appreciate it. We’re not a mega corp that can suck up the losses of the last 18 months. Writers’ HQ is a labour of love run by Sarah and Jo and Natalie (and Poppy and the rest of the amazing workshop team) from their living rooms because we believe the writing of stories should be accessible to everyone regardless of ability, class, neurodiversity or wealth, not just the rarified types normally allowed by the publishing gatekeepers.

So. If you can, there are three ways you can help us right now:

1. BECOME A MONTHLY WRITER'S HQ MEMBER

Not only does your monthly sub give you access to like the best writing community and courses and workshops in the ENTIRE WORLD EVER PLUS ONE but it really is the best way to support us right now, and it helps us to continue offering plenty o’ free stuff for those who need the free stuff.

GET YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE >>
https://writershq.co.uk/membership/
2 DONATE TO THE WHQ BURSARY

Our bursary pot helps us to give systemically excluded writers access to all our writing resources.

TOP UP THE POT! >>
https://writershq.co.uk/sponsor-a-writer/

3 SPREAD THE WORD

Don’t keep us to yourselves! We’re too good to be a secret! Tell everyone you know about Writers’ HQ and let them see for themselves what awesome-sauceome writerly goodies we have to offer. If you have a website, please consider putting a link on it pointing to us, or just spam your friends demanding they check us out.

Share the blog >>
https://writershq.co.uk/a-smol-plea-for-your-kindly-assistance/

And the I Heart Writers' HQ image

Thank you thank you we love you 🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

Our March Mushroom update now on Medium (link in bio) 🦊🧡

We look back on a year since our first - and shortly after, our last - kitwit studio class, and a 2020 programme that remained hypothetical but that we're still very proud of!

The best lesson to take from it all was found in a "grow your own mushrooms"-kit of all places. Read all about it in our March update on Medium.

Do you have a special relationship with language and words? We'd love to have you along on our Adventures in Writing this February! 🦊

Round 2 of our course starts on 23 February, and I'll tell you all about it here ✏️ https://kitwit.teachable.com/p/kitwit-adventures-in-writing

Can't wait!

We're back on Social Media for February, and unscattering! 🦊🧡

We are on Medium now, and this link will take you there, and tell you more about what we've been up to and what all these pictures are about: https://kitwitstudio.medium.com/

In short: ⁣
⁣
🦊 in October, we got into a Social Dilemma, and launched Adventures in Writing and Adventures in Drawing, which kept us busy for the next 8 weeks⁣
⁣
🦊 in November, Dani graduated from writing workshop school, and finally travelled back to Edinburgh⁣
⁣
🦊 in December, we finished the Adventures courses, and had a boardgame-tastic Christmas together!⁣
⁣
🦊 in January, we took stock and realigned the kitwit vision with how we enjoyed (or not) online teaching⁣
⁣
🦊 in February, we are gathering up all these pieces, launching Round 2 of Adventures in Writing, and plotting kreative labs for the year ahead

Low-Key Art: Watch Someone Paint (aka "Watch someone else's paint dry" 🌞)

📌 OUR FIND:
Wow Art on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdZutxI1UnH9N3Fh_TeQ4Kw

👉 "In the first stages of Lockdown shock, there was a lot of YouTube happening for me and not a lot else. What I needed was some soothing music, a reminder that my interest in creativity was alive if dormant, that I could appreciate it in others, and that it was ok to let others do their thing for the time being. So this channel became part of my morning routine." ~ Dani

🦊 THE LITTLE FOX SAYS:
Gathering ideas and inspirations in the back of your brain is creating. Appreciating the work of others is a valid part of creative practice.

👇👇👇 ACTION ITEM:
Be it Bob Ross or someone else: Post a link or screenshot to a video, channel, account,... that you particularly like. No matter the platform, technique, style or quality. Let's give each other options!

✍ What do you like to watch someone else create? Share it with 🧡