This will be a quick post because I’m still exhausted from the trip to Writers of the Future (WotF) and back. Yesterday, I talked about the awards ceremony at WotF, but today I wanted to touch on a part I find even more exciting than the awards ceremony: the workshop!
In addition to an evening in the spotlight, the winners of these contests (can’t forget our favorite artist friends too) get a week long chance to work with the best of the best in their field. Who are these experts? Well… the list is getting so long I can’t keep it straight. I recall Kevin J. Anderson, David Farland, Echo Chernik and Lazarus Chernik, but you can check all of the judges out here and here. Or you can just trust me. They are all experts.
For a week the winners get to learn I don’t know all what (but I will) from the judges. I was lucky enough to get to see their marketing day. If you haven’t witnessed it Jody Lynn Nye (oh yeah, she was there too) taking a rambling newbies pitch and turning into a sleek and well refined pitch is amazing (as is her knitted dragon). They have you practice interviewing skills, give you tips and advice, and help the winners with how to work as a team.
Kary English led this part because she was part of the group that first helped make a science fiction and fantasy anthology (yes, a WotF anthology) a bestseller. Everyone you learn from this day knows what they are talking about. The awards show is impressive and well worth attending, but the workshop is prize that I couldn’t put a value on.
Hey, even wizards have to learn their spells.
Bonus! Jody’s knitted dragon she was working on!
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