At Context 20 in 2007, we offered seven short workshops geared toward the specific interests of attendees. This page includes the descriptions as they appeared on our website.
"I thought your Context '06 writing program was great. And Gary Braunbeck's workshop on dialogue was one of the top five writing workshops I've attended. Ever. Some writers can write but their knowledge doesn't necessarily translate to the classroom. Gary can both write and teach. He was a dynamo!"
– Sammi Soutar, Context 19 workshop attendee
Friday Workshop
Michael A. Arnzen: Writing SF/F/H Poetry
(Friday, September 28th, 7-10 pm)
Join award-winning poet and writing professor Mike Arnzen as he leads a 3-hour workshop on crafting poetry for science fiction, fantasy, and horror markets (which, unlike literary journals, actually do pay and don't charge annoying reading fees!). SF/F/H poetry, in Arnzen's view, is not simply aplayful exercise in rhyme or an expression of emotion, but a "thoughtexperiment" in the genre. "Free verse" (or open form) poetry will beemphasized in this workshop, but writers of all forms and all levels ofexperience -- from novice to published -- are warmly welcome to participate,as we explore the elements of good poetry through discussion of providedexamples and fun, creative, in-class exercises.
However, you have an (easy!) assignment: bring a ROUGH draft of a shortpoem (any style, fifteen lines or less) to the workshop, inspired by thefollowing phrase, which must be the title of your poem: "Blood is not Redon the Moon".
Participants are encouraged to share their work at the open poetry reading,which will be held Saturday night of the convention. $15.
Saturday Workshops
Timons Esaias: World-Building Workshop
(Saturday, September 29th, 9am-noon)
World-Building isn't just charts, maps, forms, voids, clans and tedious courses in orbital mechanics. And it's not just for SF/F/H, either. We'll discuss when to do it and how not to let it bog you down; world-building resources; techniques for designing and developing your world; and then selling it to the reader. Exercises will focus on your project, with chocolate and malt-ball rewards for sharing. Emphasis on craft rather than details, though we will address the Moon Muddle, the Pack Animal Question, and other specific pitfalls. Not to mention those charts, maps, orbits, lineages and social structures. $15.
Gary A. Braunbeck: Maintaining Emotional Realism in Speculative Fiction
(Saturday, September 29th, 1pm-4pm)
Join Bram Stoker Award- and International Horror Guild Award-winning author Gary A. Braunbeck for an intensive 3-hour workshop on creating and maintaining emotional realism in fantastic fiction through characterization, dialogue, and the small, telling human nuances that can reveal so much about a character's emotional state without them having to say a single word. The workshop will focus on various methods writers can employ to summon the emotions needed to tell an effective – and affecting – story, and how to avoid easy (and lazy) manipulation. All workshop participants will be given a (short) pre-workshop assignment to write and bring with them. $15.
Tim Powers: Plotting The Novel
(Saturday, September 29th, 4:30-6:00pm)
Join World Fantasy Award- and Philip K. Dick Memorial Award-winning novelist Tim Powers for his seminar on plotting novels. A Q&A will follow Tim's talk.
Sunday Workshops
Diana Botsford: The Art and Business of Adaption for Visual Media
(Sunday, September 30th, 9am-noon)
From the printed page to the silver screen. A practical exploration of howto adapt anything (novel, short story, comic, article, or idea) into ascreenplay. This 3-hour workshop will focus on both the craft and thebusiness of creating a screenplay derived from pre-existing materials –whether they're your own or someone else's. Participants will learn thesteps involved with transforming a novel into a two-hour screenplay,including streamlining plot and character as well as the legal issues ofadapting someone else's work. Currently head of the screenwriting program at Missouri State University, Diana Botsford's writing/producing/VFX credits include Star Trek: Next Generation, Spiral Zone, Dusk 'Til Dawn, Harts of the West, Nightmare on Elm Street, and other film and television projects. $15.
Tim Waggoner: Writing Great Openings
(Sunday, September 30th, 1-3pm)
The most important part of any story is its beginning. Without a strong opening, you risk losing your reader's interest. Strong openings become even more important when it comes time to try to sell your story or novel, since many editors won't read past the first page or even the first paragraph if you don't enthrall them right away. Veteran author and writing professor Tim Waggoner will give you tips and exercises to help you write prose that grabs your reader from the first sentence and doesn't let go. $10.
Tobias Buckell and Paul Melko: Writing Cover Letters and Synopses
(Sunday, September 30th, 3-5pm)
Your cover letter is the first thing an editor sees -- is it helping you break out of the slush pile, or is it sending the wrong message? And while cover information is sometimes optional for short markets, letters and synopses are crucial when it comes time to sell your novel. If you've ever felt boggled at the thought of boiling a 100,000-word novel down into an engaging 2- or 3-page synopsis, you need this workshop. Tobias Buckell and Paul Melko are here to show you how to craft letters and synopses that will make the best first impression on editors. $10.
Labels: workshops, writing
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