So you want to create a main character that doesn't match your gender. You want the man believable, and you want to avoid all those silly stereotypes and macho cliches. How do you get into such a character's head? How can a gal 'write' a convincing guy? Our panelists are adept at doing just that and are happy to share their expertise.
Elizabeth Vaughan, Jean Rabe, and Marc Tassin invite you to a workshop where you can apply all the skills you've learned in the many seminars you've sat in on at Gen Con. We'll give you assignments, a little time to complete them, and critique your efforts. Attendance is very limited and pre-registration is required.
There's a difference in on-line versus paper markets ... how to write for them, how to submit, how to find the very best publications and rates out there. Join our panelists for a close look at the digital marketplace.
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole, the first author to offer fiction on the iPhone/iPod Touch through Apple's Appstore, gives you an up to date look at the digital revolution and explains how you can profit and develop your career. Mike's watched his internet income from writing double every year for the past three years, with the trend accelerating in 2010. If you intend to have a career in writing, this session is a must.
Don't write in one of those proverbial vacuums. Discover the plethora of writing organizations and web sites that can help improve your prose and help you peddle your short stories and novels. Included is a look at the alphabet soup available: SFWA, IAMTW, RWA, MWA, HWA, etc. Handout provided.
Series and serial presentations, have since the dawn of storytelling, dominated entertainment. New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole guides you through the intricacies of designing a series from the ground up, with secial emphasis on techniques designed to maximize impact on the new era betokened by digital publishing. He also discusses ways to build mysteries and suspense into your work, and to keep readers coming back again.
It's a different animal than simply writing a short story and submitting it to your favorite fantasy and sci-fi magazine. Sure, in some respects short fiction is short fiction. But there are some things you can do to increase your chances of being accepted ... and being invited ... to the various anthologies that come open. We'll also put in our two cents on how an editor can make a collection better.
Want to write the next big YA fantasy? You better approach it differently than that adult-horror-splatterfest you've been spending your hours on. The age of your intended readers should dictate your approach to storytelling. We look at the difference in children's lit, YA, and adult genres, including a discussion of markets and agents.
How can you make a sword fight feel real? A war scene authentic and gritty? A bar brawl seem so vivid you can taste the discarded peanut shells and wince at each punch? It's in the pacing and description, and our panelists will provide techniques to improve your 'fighting words.'
New York Times Bestselling author Michael Stackpole presents his three week program for preparing yourself to write a novel. This set of 21 exercises is broken down to give you everything from characer creation to world building, practical plotting, devices, dialog development, and character voice creation tools. This program is a practical, kick-in-the-pants place to start your career.