Futurescapes
Mar. 9th, 2021 01:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
singedsunThe final bit of Futurescapes is this weekend, it's the three day workshop portion to get critique on our writing from our breakout groups and then help with pitches and synopsis for querying novels. We had three classes in the last week/end: mystery, fantasy and sci-fi and they were so helpful to get my brain moving on my novel again. Also, the mentor for the group I'm in is Christian Heidicker who writes middlegrade horror like "Scary Stories for Young Foxes". He wasn't my first choice, but he was definitely on the short list for me of mentors I was hoping to get. My story is definitely adult, not middlegrade, but I was hoping I'd get someone into horror at least, and he is.
Christian, during the story structure class I had with him last month recommended a new book by George Saunders called "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain" which is a study of Russian lit short stories (Tolstoy, Chekov, Gogol) and how they can be examined to learn how to set scenes, study structure and generally apply those lessons to your own writing. I don't often enjoy "craft" books... but this one is different. I'm LOVING it and I think anyone who likes to read would probably enjoy it, even if writing isn't your thing, it's just amusing and interesting and it's got such an easy tone to it. Saunders was a Russian lit professor at Syracuse, so he's got a lot to say about the seven stories he picked and it's all good, thoughtful stuff.
Our critique groups are broken down to seven people, plus a mentor, and we were instructed to introduce ourselves to each and share our excerpts with other but not to actually provide any feedback until class time. I haven't had any kind of directed art critique since I was in art school (a LONG time ago) so I'm a little nervous it.
Mostly I'm so looking forward to having two days off this week to attend the conference (even if it is virtual) I really, really need that time off.
Christian, during the story structure class I had with him last month recommended a new book by George Saunders called "A Swim in a Pond in the Rain" which is a study of Russian lit short stories (Tolstoy, Chekov, Gogol) and how they can be examined to learn how to set scenes, study structure and generally apply those lessons to your own writing. I don't often enjoy "craft" books... but this one is different. I'm LOVING it and I think anyone who likes to read would probably enjoy it, even if writing isn't your thing, it's just amusing and interesting and it's got such an easy tone to it. Saunders was a Russian lit professor at Syracuse, so he's got a lot to say about the seven stories he picked and it's all good, thoughtful stuff.
Our critique groups are broken down to seven people, plus a mentor, and we were instructed to introduce ourselves to each and share our excerpts with other but not to actually provide any feedback until class time. I haven't had any kind of directed art critique since I was in art school (a LONG time ago) so I'm a little nervous it.
Mostly I'm so looking forward to having two days off this week to attend the conference (even if it is virtual) I really, really need that time off.
no subject
Date: 2021-03-10 09:36 pm (UTC)fingers crossed for helpful and not-hurtful feedback!