DragonCon 2010 Writer’s Hourly Workshop Info

New York Times Bestselling authors Aaron Allston and Michael A. Stackpole combine their talents to provide a fourteen hour-long seminars on writing which will help you turn your dreams of being published into reality. With over fifty years of publishing experience between them, and hundreds of publications from bestselling novels to short stories, graphic novels and gaming material, Stackpole and Allston have build long careers through strong storytelling techniques and secrets they will share with you. The seminars cover everything from the very basics and writing in a franchise universe, up through plotting and characterization, and even cover presenting your manuscript and strategies for success in the age of digital publishing. Why hope for success when you can learn from working writers and guarantee it?

-The cost for the Hourly Workshop is $8 per seminar (in advance) or 90 for all 14 seminars (in advance).  Contact the Dragon*Con Office if you wish to pay in advance: (770) 909-0115.

-The cost at the door is $10 per seminar.

- The seminars will be held in the Hyatt, room Hanover A/B.

Writing Seminar Program for Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston

Friday (starting at 10 AM)

Seminar 1: (The Rules of Writing) New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole presents the Rules of Writing. These are the insider tips and tricks that you'd pick up in the first five years of your writing career, all presented here in an hour. Gleaned from personal experience and the experience of writers dating back to the 1930s, these tricks will cut three years out of your development as a writer.

Seminar 2: (Tools of the Trade) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston talks about the inventory of a productive writer, including computers, software, furnishings, services, and reference works -- as well as what you don't need but people are determined to sell you.

Seminar 3: (Writing Careers in the Post-Paper Era) 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 scouting report and practical action plan for the future is a must.

Seminar 4: (Providing the Experience) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston discusses three closely-related elements of fiction: Point of View (the “camera” of your story), Emotion (how the story makes the characters and readers feel), and Description (how the author’s descriptive techniques define the reader’s experience).

Seminar 5: (Characterization) Characters are king in literature and New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole brings you a toolbox full of techniques to create compelling and memorable characters. Readers read for and remember characters, and after this course, yours will be unforgettable, which will keep them coming back for more.

Saturday (starting at 10 AM)

Seminar 6: (21 Days to a Novel) New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. 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 character creation to world building, practical plotting devices, dialogue development and character voice creation tools. This program is a practical, kick-in-the-pants place to start your career.

Seminar 7: (Style and Mood) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston talks about establishing and sustaining the tone of a novel – how to switch from technique to technique, like a pitcher switching from a curve ball to a fastball, in order to make the readers experience exactly what you want them to.

Seminar 8: (Writing a Successful Series) 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 special emphasis on techniques designed to maximize impact in the new era betokened by digital publishing. He also discuss ways to build mysteries and suspense into your work, to keep readers coming back again and again.

Seminar 9: (Ruining Your Career Before It Gets Started) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston walks you through the minefield of deadly career-killers, including query letters that spell doom, research practices that murder a writer's reputation, "everyone knows" false facts that lead novices and even experienced writers into quicksand, and fan interactions that are pure poison.

Seminar 10: (Twenty-One Ways to Kill Your Novel) New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole walks you through the twenty most common "first novel problems" (which plague more than just first novels) and provides a host of solutions for them. If you dread hearing someone say, "I liked your novel, but...," this seminar is guaranteed to erase the sorts of problems that lead to just such a statement.

Sunday (starting at 10AM)

Seminar 11: (Plotting) 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.

Seminar 12: (Plot Analysis) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston adds to your writers’ toolkit with methods to analyze, strengthen, and repair plots. He describes the four basic components of a plot (scenes, themes, points, and arcs), the types of functions that scenes perform (and how to detect when a scene is doing nothing for your story), and methods to break down a story to discover whether all its plot components are sound.

Seminar 13: (Edit to perfection) So, you've got your pile of 100,000 words. What now? New York Times Bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole guides you through the intricacies of actually editing your novel. He'll cover those tough questions, like what needs to be trimmed, where do things need to be tightened, and what to do when characters are present, but just not engaged in the story. He'll even provide that key bit of advice so you know when your book is done, and ready to send in to an editor.

Seminar 14: (Showing Off Your Manuscript) New York Times bestselling author Aaron Allston discusses ways to put your fiction before the eyes of others, including advance readers, workshoppers, editors, and agents. We’ll also talk about the hazards of showing off your manuscript, including submission mistakes, hurtful reviews, and loss of creative energy.

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