Dr. Lara Ameen

[Writing Disabled Characters in Fiction] was such a wonderful experience! Lara is a fantastic instructor who has designed this course so thoughtfully, and she teaches with such kindness, enthusiasm, and adaptability. And I loved being in a group of writers who were also passionate about writing disabled characters. The course syllabus was well chosen to include a diverse range of genres and disabilities. Lara led excellent discussions, and I took lessons from each reading assignment & discussion and incorporated them into my draft. And my favorite part of each class was the workshop. The feedback I received from Lara and my classmates was detailed, thoughtful, and creative – it was very helpful as I developed the first few chapters of my novel. Additionally, everyone's support and enthusiasm for my disabled characters filled me with a creative spark. Finally, I learned so much from watching my classmates' creative processes in real time and seeing them improve throughout the course. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve the way they write disabled characters! ~ Lucy (WOW student)

Assigned reading was carefully and exceptionally picked. Lara's explanation of the reading furthered my understanding on how to appropriately write characters with disability. She carefully coached us through the next step of the writing process, and compassionately critiqued our assigned, pointing out areas that could be expanded on or improved. After struggling with my own disabilities that the people in my life don't understand, I now feel empowered to write characters with disabilities to properly convey similar experiences. ~ Danielle (WOW student)

My only complaint about Lara Ameen's [Writing Disabled Characters in Fiction] course is that I would have loved for it to continue for another week or two longer! Or three! Or four! Reading and discussing the opening chapters of several books helped me think about how to handle the opening chapters in my own novel. Feedback from the instructor and other students in the class helped me revise my first two chapters to make them stronger and more engaging. I was very creative in my writing when I was much younger then lost touch with my creative side for two or three decades. Before finding Lara's class, I was trying to revive my creative writing work but was struggling to reconnect with my creative side. Although I made some progress on my own through writing exercises and free writing in my journal and some initial brainstorming for my next novel, Lara Ameen helped me kick my efforts up to the next level so I could regain my confidence in my ability to write and eventually complete my first new novel in decades. Lara had a great balance between giving the constructive feedback I needed while also leading my cheerleading section, which helped me overcome my 'imposter syndrome' as a writer. Thank you, Lara! Keep on teaching! ~ Andrea (WOW student)

Lara is an experienced, genuine, and kind instructor. She started with a clear agenda for her Writing Disability in Fiction course—the first of its kind, as far as I know—but quickly pivoted based on our intimate class size and an understanding of where we were all at in our works in progress. She was also incredibly understanding of absences and worked to ensure everyone could still be included and get the most they could out of the course! Her enormous list of vetted book recommendations was very impressive and much appreciated. I’ll be returning to this list again and again as I work my way through my WIP! Lara’s careful attention and in-depth feedback—from callouts of ableist language to line edits and developmental questions—was hugely helpful, and I feel more motivated than ever to finish my WIP and make it the best it can be. So grateful for this course and for Lara’s expertise! ~ Lily Barrett (WOW student)

Taking the Writing Disabled Characters in Fiction course was a fantastic experience! I worked closely with my cohort and the instructor (Lara Ameen), improving my writing immensely. I hope that I can retake the course in the future. My biggest takeaway from the course was learning how to incorporate my disabilities into my characters in such a way that could help someone without a disability get a better grasp on what this disability looks like. Those who write characters with disabilities need to understand affirming ways to express that in their characters. Take this class! You will love it! ~ Cassandra Andresky (WOW student)