Once again it's time to begin planning PBW's Fourth Annual Left Behind & Loving It, a series of virtual workshops I'll be holding here at the blog this summer from July 13th through the 20th.
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, this summer event is something I started doing back in 2006 for writers like me who don't attend RWA National. We spend a week together online talking shop, sharing ideas, discussing writing and publishing and doing all the stuff you do at a writer's conference except wait in long lines for bathrooms, elevators, coffee and official pins and ribbons. We don't infect each other with anything but ideas, nor are we forced to eat bad mystery chicken, wear panty hose and heels, or arm wrestle some large chick in stretch pants over gratis Linda Howard hardcovers. It's pretty much pure bliss.
Last year I offered an open invitation to any blogging writer to join in and hold their own virtual workshops on their blogs or web sites, and I'm repeating that again this year. If you're willing to teach a writing or writing-related workshop(s) of any variety online at any time during that week, I'll be happy to link to it every day I hold mine. I'll give out more details on this later down the road, probably in mid-June.
Now it's your turn -- what sort of workshops would you like to see for LB&LI this time around? Let us know in comments.
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Everyone talks about how to get an agent.
ReplyDeleteI want to see a workshop on how to work with an agent once you sign with one. :)
Oh Darn! that's during our trip to OR. We'll be on the road for pretty much the whole time. Else I'd do something too. *grrr*
ReplyDeleteHi PBW!
ReplyDeleteIt was a nice surprise to stumble across your blog - I've been stuck behind the desk of a small sci-fi bookshop in Melbourne all day selling absolutely nothing (the recession has hit Australia pretty hard) and I was linkhopping to pass the time until I found PBW and realised the covers of your books were terribly familiar. I stood up and peered around the desk - yep, there you are! Just to the right of Stross and the left of Willett.
The idea of the virtual workshop is fantastic. I tried to hold some of my own back in 2007 but dwindling participation meant that the lessons died completely after the first month. Then again, I didn't have an established readership to sustain the idea in the first place. Since you're running LB&LI for the fourth time, I can assume yours run a little more successfully.
I'd love to take part, if there isn't some sort of obscure initiation process. I'd also be up for running a smaller workshop on my own blog, if there are any gaps that need filling. Where does one sign up?
Cheers!
Ruz
Oh, already? Where do the months go?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see something on exposition; handling it well, handling it poorly, when to step back and describe the surrounds, and how to do it without sounding like Attenborough...
I second Nadia's suggestion on working with agents. Agented-but-not-published is a weird place to be.
ReplyDeleteI'll be participating again this year. Not quite settled on what topic, maybe more than one.
ReplyDeleteI've finally hit a point where I'd like more about the art/life of being a writer, how to keep yourself open, how to be afraid and write anyway, etc., than craft. Progress? I hope.
ReplyDeleteDeep third POV, fear of success and when you cross the line from shiny to overwriting and killing it.
ReplyDeleteYeah!!!!! I already know at least one I want to do so count me in!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you and your fellow instructors might be interested in this... I found a LMS (learning management software) that I'm dying to try out. If anyone is willing to put there lessons in it - I'll host the site and manage it at no cost. I just want to test it out to see how it works. This way a lot of things would be in one place.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
I can't offer to teach anything, I don't think, since I'm not published or agented and am still trying and still learning. Couple that with my being a pantser and I'm pretty pathetic in the 'teach me this' department, though I could go through how I work as a pantser...
ReplyDelete:P
I'm just really looking forward to this. What I'd like to see is deep POV that's understandable and maybe examples such as "this is POV," "this is deep POV," now you try it with and get critiqued on them. I've tried the deep POV before that way, but when there's no feedback, how do you know you've done well? I need it to click, you know?
WOW! Long post. Sorry.
Mmm. Well...one of the criticisms that's been leveled at my writing is that I'm weak on action scenes and that I tend to over-write introspection. How to distinguish between over-writing and how to do action scenes would be helpful. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous idea. I'm a writing newbie and too intimidated to do any workshops but I can't wait to see what you have planned.
ReplyDeleteI'd love something about developing supporting characters more. I think developing main characters is easier because the spotlight is on them, but how do you develop supporting characters in a subtle way.
I can do deep POV. It's near and dear to my heart.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see a workshop on WRITER'S BLOCK. I've read tons of information on the topic, but I would still be interested in more perspectives.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your branding workshop last year, but found it hard to apply it to my own writing since I don't write series. Maybe another look at building a brand for someone whose work is a bit more all over the place?
ReplyDeleteI also really like your posts on the other creative things that you do. Maybe a workshop on how other creative activities tie into and help the writing?
I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with. Thanks so much for offering these!
I'm really excited about this. I'm not in a position to offer a workshop on anything, like nightmusic I'm unagented and unpublished, but if I weren't I'd host something.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see how this goes.
Venus -
ReplyDeleteYou don't need to be agented or published to host a workshop. What are you good at? How does that address your writing?
Last year I did a workshop on Astronomy, as I'm a science teacher. It was a blast.
Suelder
I would love to see something on the
ReplyDelete1)mechanics of writing the first draft...suggestions on how to outline vs index cards or anything else there
2)how to put words to paper on the 1st draft (ie: do you include formatting while writing dialogue, etc?)
anything related to the first draft would be great!
I would love to host a workshop on my newly rebooted writing blog. Workshop could be about a topic near and dear to my heart: break through your fears and write anyway.
ReplyDeletePBW, I'll definitely participate again this year -- just haven't decided what to talk about yet. :-)
ReplyDeleteJamie Engle and I wrote a book called MANAGING YOUR BOOK WRITING BUSINESS. If your peeps would be interested in that topic, I'd be happy to do a workshop on the subject during the key week.
ReplyDelete