Fiction Fundamentals Part 1: Plotting and Planning
Summary:
In-depth workshop: learn how to avoid extra work by planning your story and all of its elements from the beginning.
Description:
Have you ever wasted time writing rough drafts of stories as you wandered from scene to scene, unsure of how to connect the dots, and only realizing who your protagonist is after you reach what you think is the end of the story? Did you then need to go back and make massive revisions, reworking characters and scenes to make everything flow from the beginning? We can show you how to avoid much of that heartbreaking and time-consuming work. While it may seem like extra work, planning your story, its characters, and the world they inhabit from the beginning will save you time and effort in the long run—and knowing what you need to include will save you a great deal of trial and error. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
In-depth workshop: learn how to bring stories to life and how to fill your writing with the details that matter.
Description:
You have a clear direction for your story as well as an understanding of its main characters and its world. Now it’s time to breathe life into your creation. Effective scenes need to grip the reader and keep him or her engaged. You’ll learn how to improve your pacing and how to inject your scenes with emotion. You’ll learn what constitutes quality dialogue and how it operates, and you’ll learn how to truly bring stories to life and how to fill your writing with the details that matter. Exercises will walk attendees through crafting a rough draft of a scene. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
Fiction Fundamentals Part 3: Putting on the Polish
Summary:
In-depth workshop: learn how to make your story sing through application of effective revision and editing techniques.
Description:
You’ve completed the first draft of your story, and since you worked through all the steps of planning and carefully crafting each scene, that means you’re done, right? Not quite. Now’s the time to add layers and make sure that your themes ring true. Only by re-seeing your work can you discover the hidden wonders that your subconscious was working on throughout the drafting process. You probably have a fair amount of grunt work to do as well. All first drafts are littered with mistakes or weak writing. By becoming aware of common pitfalls, you can fix issues in your completed first drafts and begin to avoid them more effectively in future drafts. Handouts and worksheets to be provided. Attendees are encouraged to bring a three-ring notebook and plenty of paper to take notes.
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole takes you through a series of exercises that builds a story from the barest spark through twists and turns.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole takes you through a series of exercises that will let you build a story from the barest spark through twists and turns. He’ll give you several story recipes and show you how you can work from them to create delightfully complex and engrossing stories.
Award-winning game designer and author (and 11-time Gen Con guest of honor) Matt Forbeck released a trilogy of thriller novels set at Gen Con. Come meet Matt and learn who lives and who dies.
Description:
Award-winning game designer and author (and 11-time Gen Con guest of honor) Matt Forbeck released a trilogy of thriller novels set at Gen Con. Come meet Matt and learn who lives and who dies. He will discuss the books, read from the stories, and then take questions from the audience. From the first book's back cover: WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW! Once a year, the greatest tabletop gamers in the world descend upon Indianapolis for Gen Con — the Best Four Days in Gaming — to play games, see friends, and have fun. Mostly the competition is friendly. Sometimes it is not. When a world-famous game designer turns up murdered at the convention, Liam Parker — the young game designer who stumbles across the body — makes it his quest to figure out who killed the man, and why. In the end, Liam must figure out the rules of this most dangerous game fast — or risk losing his life.
Meet Author Guests of Honor Mercedes Lackey and Larry Dixon. Includes a reading followed by a short Q&A session. Questions are collected at the start of the panel, so arrive early!
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole unravels the mysteries of creating compelling plots.
Description:
New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole unravels the mysteries of creating compelling plots. A novel is a huge undertaking, written over weeks or months, and the plot has to hold it all together. From creating an outline to maintaining flexibility, this seminar gives you the insider knowledge that will separate you from all of your peers.