WorldCon Post # 4: Writers' Workshop

I am a proponent of workshopping one's writing. Authors get too close to their stories and can't see all of the problems. Fresh eyes help strengthen a piece.

As I previously blogged, I registered for the writers' workshop at WorldCon. However, I did so with apprehension. Having participated in five previous workshops at two different Cons over the years, I knew that anonymous workshops can be stressful. I simply do not know where a fellow writer is in his/her journey, or how my comments might affect their willingness to continue the uphill slog toward publication*.

Therefore, it's important that I reexamine my original reasons for participating.

This clip art is a pretty good
representation of a writers'
critique group. You sit around
a table critiquing each other's
work. At DFWWW we read our
writing aloud for 15 minutes & then
receive five minutes of critique. In
other groups I've participated in the  
story is emailed ahead of time and
everyone brings a marked copy to
share with the submitter. Both
methods work equally well in my
opinion. I'd be interested to know
the thoughts of other writers.

1.    It's Worldcon. If I hadn't participated, I would have regretted it. The writers' workshop was one more positive experiences in probably the best Con I've ever attended.

2.    It's inexpensive. The nominal price I paid was a bargain compared to everything I learned. Without a doubt, this was the best Con writers' workshop in which I've participated. 

3.    The small group size (four aspiring, two professional authors) was perfect. Not too much to read, so I didn't feel brain dead. The stories were written at different levels of experience, but none were amateurish. I can honestly say I enjoyed every story and look forward to reading its polished form in a pro mag one day.  

4.    Yes, I grew. Going in, I knew something was wrong with my submission, but I couldn't pinpoint the problem(s). The critiques revealed several plot holes I had overlooked. To say I felt silly for failing to see my own errors is putting it nicely.

5.    A good friend told me 'networking' is a bad word and should not be used outside of the business world. Whatever you want to call it, I still suck at it. However, this workshop had such a good vibe we continued it afterwards by sharing lunch. That was a new experience and I felt that I had established some good friends in the SF&F writing community.

Final assessment: my five solid reasons for participating in the writers' workshop all proved to be valid. I'm happy I registered and I'm still buzzing from all the incredible mojo.

 

Next, the last post of the WorldCon series: my personal successes.

 

 

 

*It's easier critiquing people in my weekly writers' group. I know them and they know me. We've already established a baseline for critiques. Con workshops involve unknown factors. I have no idea if my comments will help or harm the participants. I know there are some writers who take the stance that all authors must possess a thick skin. I agree with that, but I still don't want to be the reason someone trashed their dreams because of a comment I made. 

  

 

WorldCon Post # 3: Community

During Worldcon 2013, I attended my first Hugo Awards ceremony. For those who don't know, the Hugo is probably the biggest award* in the SF&F industry. In a way, it was like attending the Oscars. Many of the nominees arrived in tuxedos. The ladies were spectacular in their gowns. The list of nominated writers read like a current pantheon of SF&F royalty.

Of course, I didn't get to sit up front with the pretty people (one day I will). I sat in the back with the regular joe audience, and the room was packed with us regulars. To get my up-close seat I had to be in line early. Gabe and Paul, my road trip buddies and roomies, bailed on me and decided to watch the live streaming. Unfortunately, the broadcast had difficulties and they missed much of the show. Besides, watching through a laptop cannot compare to being there in person. It was both a learning experience and a magical one. 

The winners presented a consistent theme among the many standard "thank you" and "couldn't-have-done-it-without" acceptance speeches. They spoke of the sense of community that binds all SF&F readers, writers, fans, and industry professionals. Many said they were nerds in high school who had been persecuted for their love of SF&F. Yet, when they discovered the Cons, they found their people. It didn't matter if their primary interest was writing, reading, making music, creating art, or wearing a costume, everyone was accepted as equals.



(Left to right) Tex Thompson, Paul LaMarre, Gabe Guerrero
(costumed as his orc cosplay character, Tarbuz), Alley Hauldren,
Grace Roeber, and me. (Not pictured Gerald Warfield)

That thought made me smile. I'm blessed to be a member of the DFW Writers' Workshop. While not everyone at DFW writes SF&F (thank goodness, the competition is already too intense) we share a sense of community that I've never found in any other organization. I'm also blessed that there are several SF&F writers at DFWWW. People whose work I admire. Stories that I enjoy following during each week's read. Folks knowledgeable of SF&F tropes who critique my writing and make it better.

Attending WorldCon with several of my fellow Workshoppers made me appreciate them all the more. The Con and its thousands of attendees were not scary because I already knew people there. We helped each other meet our favorite authors (I ate a bug so Gabe could meet Martha Wells, and Paul encouraged me to say hello to Joe R. Lansdale). We attended panels together; provided support as we spoke to literary agents; and entertained each other during meals. Without the strong writing community I'm a member of, I'm sure I'd never have taken the first steps toward writing a novel (even if my journey has been a long and often confusing one).

Next blog: my WorldCon Writers' Workshop experience.  

 

*There are many other awards in the SF&F community, and it's debatable if the Nebula is more important than the Hugo. However, I've yet to meet anyone in SF&F who does not consider the Hugo to be the more prestigious award.

WorldCon Post # 2: More Kudos

Solaris Presents was the first panel of my first full day at Worldcon. I have to admit I did not know much about this publisher from the UK, but found myself impressed with them. My fav publisher is Angry Robot (also from the UK), but Solaris may give Robot some competition. I purchased several Solaris books to sample.

However, what impressed me the most was Tex Thompson. All you have to do is read my August 15 posting to know that Tex and I workshop together and she's recently joined the ranks of the soon-to-be-traditionally-published. More than that, at WorldCon I saw the makings of a superstar.

I've observed more than a few panels consisting of established and newbie authors. Too many times, the newbies act as if they have to prove themselves. This can result in the newbies hogging questions and speaking over the established writers. Sad doesn't begin to describe it.

Tex was the epitome of professionalism. She shared a panel with Solaris editors and three of their authors.

Some big name authors.

Best-selling authors.

Tex carried herself with dignity and poise. She spoke over no one. She waited her turn and answered questions with confidence and authority. She proved she's not an insecure newbie. I can give no higher praise than to say when I participate in my first panel someday I hope I do as good a job as Tex did.     

Next blog: more stories from the WorldCon.

WorldCon Post # 1: Kudos

The 2013 World Science Fiction Convention (aka LoneStarCon3 & WorldCon) held in San Antonio, Texas, from August 29 to September 2, was one of the most positive experiences of my writing life. I'll blog more about my personal experiences in future posts. For now, I want to share some kudos for another. 

Gabe Guerrero, a good friend and great writer, spent the last year sculpting his body in preparation to cosplay his orc creation, Tarbuz. He lost weight (I'm not sure how much, but I know he long ago surpassed the number of lbs I've dropped). He bulked up by following a strict weightlifting regime. He crafted his orc costume with care, and all of his planning paid off. I can say without reservation

Gabe looks mean, but under
all that green paint he's really
a big softie.

HE WAS THE COSPLAY HIT OF THE CON

As Gabe describes it, he couldn't walk two feet without someone asking to take his picture. There were other non-SF&F events happening at the same time in the convention center and those people flocked to Gabe as much as the geeks did. Little old ladies wanted their picture taken with him. Small children screamed "Shrek!" and some even hugged him. (I guess little ones can't tell the difference between an ogre and an orc. Actually, many adults couldn't either. Gabe educated folks on the difference.)

As great as that is, it gets better.

Locus Magazine, the major trade publication for the SF&F industry took Gabe's picture. At first, they intended to use it on their blog. Now, the photo will possibly appear in a future issue. How cool is that?

His photograph is the artwork for an online article in The Austin Chronicle. (Gabe looks great, but I think the article's author got lots of things wrong about WorldCon).

A local Spanish language television station asked to take Gabe's picture. Using Spanish, they discussed among themselves how to pose him. When Gabe responded in Spanish that he'd do whatever they wanted, they were shocked.

"You're Latino?"

Apparently, it amazed them that people of Latin descent were fans of SF&F. How silly is that? The crowd at WorldCon was very diverse. I saw people of all genders, races, and nationalities. For all its shortcomings, SF&F is inclusive.

Finally, Gabe also won a Hall Award for his costume. Several of us encouraged him to participate in the Masquerade, but with no success. However, Gabe says he will participate in the Masquerade at FenCon in October 2013.

As I said, I'll blog more about WorldCon later. So much good happened, one post can't capture it all.

Lament for the Loss of the Amazing, Unexpected Find

I enjoy the Internet as much as anyone else does. However, I feel the world wide web robs humanity of the magic of the unexpected find.

"I'd like a rare, vintage thing-a-migger," you might say.

Type THING-A-MIG… into Google and before you even complete the word, thousands of URL's will appear where you may purchase a rare, vintage thing-a-migger.

That's too easy. It robs people of the surprise of the amazing find.

Yes, I agree it's also awfully damned convenient, but it's missing the magic of walking into a physical place - be it a yard sale, antique market, bookstore - looking for nothing in particular but finding the MOST AMAZING, RARE VINTAGE THING-A-MIGGER EVER! Does the proprietor understand what he/she is selling?

That is a magical experience.

Recently, Jacob, my youngest son, and I were shopping a used bookstore. He wanted to stop, I really didn't, but no ever wasted time inside a bookstore. They are always an adventure.

I browsed the SF&F and mystery sections as it my wont, with an occasional diversion to the history aisle. I had seen nothing that interested me, but knew Jake would have an armful (I've always bought him books with little concern as to cost). When he approached me, however, he held nothing but a thin, rather tattered comic book.

To understand this tale, we now need to detour into backstory (yep, that evil vice of writers). I grew up reading Stephen King. Loved his work as a youngin' (not so much as an oldin').

I also grew up reading Creepy and Eerie magazines. I still own every copy I ever bought, and anyone who knows me knows that's an oddity. I do not keep books. I read them once and then sell/donate/gift them to others.


I always wanted a voodoo
doll like the kid in the movie. 

Because of my fondness for King and Creepy and Eerie it's only natural my favorite movie based on King's work is Creepshow.

(Backstory over). The thin, rather tattered comic book was a copy of the magazine used in the movie to tie together the different stories. I had never seen one before. I didn't even know one had been published. Talk about an unexpected thing-a-migger. My first response?
"$15.95. That's kinda expensive."

Jacob shrugged. "I'll put it back. It's the only one they have."

I shrugged. "I have a 15% off coupon. I guess I'll get it."

It wasn't until I got home and looked the magazine up online that I realized just how rare and vintage a thing-a-migger it was. Editions in worse shape than the one I'd bought were selling between $90 and $145.

It wasn't until I mentioned it to the other geeks at my writers' workshop that I really realized just how rare and vintage a thing-a-migger it was.

"I'll give ya $150 for it."

"$200."

"You can't find those anywhere."

Yes, you can. Just Google CREEPSH…

But mine is more special.

1) Because Jacob found it, and he knew I'd like it because he's a geek like me.

2) It was the magic of the unexpected find.

Worldcon and Writers' Workshops

I registered for the writers' workshop at Worldcon (World Science Fiction Convention).

"You said you would never attend another writers' workshop at a con," said Paul, my fellow SF&F buddy.

"I know," I said, "but this one's different."

"How?"

Well …

1.   It's Worldcon. The biggest event for readers/writers/aficionados of SF in the world (hence, the name). I would be remiss if I didn't take advantage of the experience.

2.   It's inexpensive: $15. That's a nominal price to pay for what could be an enriching experience.

3.   Unlike the workshops at other SF&F cons that Paul and I have attended, the critique groups at Worldcon are small. In the case of my group, there are three other amateur writers and two pros to guide us. That's an improvement compared to workshops where 19 to 20+ writers are crammed in one room and we slog through everyone's submission. To be prepared for that arduous task meant reading 19 to 20+ submissions prior to the workshop. Mind numbing does not begin to describe the process (the very reason I've never applied to be a slush reader for a magazine).*

4.   Despite my bitching, writers' workshops help me grow. I've attended a half dozen so far and learned vast amounts at each one. The exhaustive hard work always pays off.

5.   Writers' workshops force me to network (which I really suck at). I've met pro writers who taught me much, editors who gave me a different perspective on the publishing industry, and fellow aspiring authors who became good friends.   

Five solid reasons. I'll report later if any of them panned out.

 

* I'm sure that makes me sound haughty, but I don't mean it that way. Truth is every writer is at a different stage in his/her development. Reading a submission from someone you've never met can be a challenge. Do you critique hard and risk hurt feelings, or soft and unfairly inflate an ego? I always try to give a fair critique - the same that I hope to get.

There Ain't No 'I' in Success, or It Takes a Writers' Critique Group

For me, one of the best aspects of participating in a writers' critique group is celebrating each other's successes. Big or small, when one of your fellow writers sells a piece they've written - be it a poem, an article, a short story - we can all enjoy a little bit of their success.

AND WHEN IT'S A BOOK THEY SOLD WE DO THE HAPPY DANCE WITH THEM!

 Tex Thompson of the DFW Writers' Workshop signed a two-book deal with Solaris for her cowboys-and-fishmen fantasy. It's cool that I now know another traditionally published novelist. It gives me renewed hope (that I'll get off my duff and actually do more writing).