Hi all--Dave just asked me to start spreading the word about this. He's going to be running another of his week-long workshops next year. If you haven't had a class from Dave or had the opportunity to hear what he has to say about the business, this is an excellent opportunity, and very reasonably priced. I highly recommend it. Here's the email he sent me:
DAVID FARLAND'S NOVEL-WRITING WORKSHOP
Who is teaching and what credentials does he have?
Dave is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling writer in two
fields. As Dave Wolverton, he began his writing career in 1987 when
he won the Writers of the Future Gold Award for his short story, "On
My Way to Paradise," and shortly afterward was given a three-novel
contract by Bantam Books. His first novel spent several months on the
Locus Science Fiction Best-seller List, and won a Philip K. Dick
Memorial Special Award for being one of the best science fiction
novels of the year. Dave continued writing science fiction for the
following ten years, writing several bestsellers, until at the end of
ten years he decided to follow his childhood dream of writing fantasy,
and moved into a new genre. With the move, he changed his writing
name to David Farland, so as not to confuse his readers. His first
fantasy novel, The Runelords, became a runaway hit around the world
and has millions of readers. The third book in the runelords series,
Wizardborn, hit the New York Times best-seller list.
Over the years, Dave has won numerous awards for his short fiction in
particular, and set a Guinness Record for the world's largest
booksigning--a record that he still holds. In 1991, Dave became a
judge for one of the world's largest writing contests, the L. Ron
Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest, and for the next several years
he read thousands of stories each year, edited an annual anthology,
and taught writing classes to new writers.
To date, Dave has written and edited nearly fifty books. These
include novels for adults, young adults, anthologies, middle-grade
readers, and picture books.
As an instructor, Dave has taught eight workshops in conjunction with
the Writers of the Future, has taught upper-division classes in
science fiction and fantasy writing at Brigham Young University, has
appeared as a guest lecturer and instructor at dozens of conventions,
and has taught at over a dozen other private workshops. Some past
students who have recently published include New York Times
bestselling YA author Brandon Mull, bestselling fantasy author Brandon
Sanderson, hot new thriller writer Virginia Baker, and hot new
children's fantasy author Jessica Day George. (Way to go, all of you.
You rock!)
Dave has also worked as a video game designer on such hits as
StarCraft's Brood War, and as a video game scripter on other games.
Dave has also worked as a movie producer in Hollywood, and is
currently the Director of Storytelling and the head of the Publishing
Department for a large new animation studio called CNW, Crocodiles Not
Waterlilies.
What Will the Focus of the Workshop Be?
This class will focus on what to look for when editing your own work,
and will teach you how to fix it. Now, don't be confused: we're not
focusing on things like proper capitalization and comma splices.
We'll be focusing on such things as "how to capture a wide audience,"
"how to make your description sing," "how to heighten the drama and
humor in your stories," and so on. In short, we'll be working at
teaching you how to edit the content of your story, rather than just
looking at stylistic elements. Beyond that, this class will deal
heavily with the business of writing--how to sell to editors and
agents, how to market your books, and so on.
Who Should Intend?
Don't come if you're a beginner. Dave is worried that this class will
overwhelm someone who has never tried to write a story.
It's helpful if you have taken classes in creative writing and worked
at the art for at least a couple of years. It's doubly helpful if you
think that you've got a great idea for a novel, and you've got it well
begun. Even if you've already published a book or two, this class
should help expand your horizons.
This will be an intensive class, and you will be working 8-12 hours
per day, possibly longer. If you aren't up to that challenge
physically, mentally, and emotionally, please don't apply. You need
to be able to take criticism gracefully and to critique others with
both gentleness and firmness.
You will need to be willing to do the following: 1) Buy and read
several textbooks on writing before coming to the workshop. 2) Finish
the first 25 pages of your novel, along with a 30-page outline before
coming to the workshop. 3) Read and critique others' work during the
course of the workshop. 4) Be prepared to rewrite your own work
during the course of the workshop (which means that you will need a
computer or typewriter, and get access to a printer).
When and Where Will the Workshop be Held?
March 31 thru April 7, 2008, in Saint George, Utah (Hotel Venue to be
announced)
What Will it Cost?
Tuition is $400. Payment must be made in full in order to reserve a
spot. If you have to cancel for any reason, the tuition will be
reimbursed in full up to 60 days prior to the workshop. It will be
reimbursed at a rate of 50% from 59 days to 14 days prior to the
workshop. But there will be no reimbursement if you cancel within 14
days.
You will of course need to make your own way to Saint George for the
workshop, find accommodations, and buy your own food. Dave is willing
to help make arrangements for those who might want to share hotel
rooms. He may also be able to put up two or three attendees in his
home for a nominal charge.
To Register or for further information--
Email
[email protected], or phone him at 435-986-3858
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It's been fun playing with you while it lasted, though.