Deep South Con 50 Novel Writers Workshop
Deep South Con 50 will be offering a novel writers workshop with publisher and editor-in-chief of Baen Books, Toni Weisskopf and editor Lou Anders of Pyr. This is an opportunity to have part of your manuscript reviewed by people who buy and publish books!
Enrollment is limited to thirty writers, and registration cannot be confirmed until payment is received. All members of the workshop smust buy memberships for the convention before or at the same time as enrollment in the workshop. If you apply by postal mail, you may immediately send us an e-mail to reserve your slot for up to 10 days. The price is $125.
Workshop Format:
The workshop will start Thursday night, June 14, with two hours of lecture from Toni and Lou, followed by a Q&A session. And beer. On Friday, June 15, attendees will be split into smaller groups (three session of 5 for each editor), where they will receive a detailed critique from Toni or Lou. As well, each participant will critique all other submissions from the smaller group.
Manuscript Format and Submission Process:
The workshop is for novels only, in the science fiction, fantasy or horror genres. DO NOT SEND A SHORT STORY. The writer will submit no more than the first 5000 words of the novel, and an outline of no greater than 5 pages. Anything exceeding the limits will not be read.
Each participant will be required to provide both their submission and a written critique for the other participants in their smaller group prior to the workshop. This means that all submissions must be sent in no later than March 15, 2012. (March 23, 2012 - Deadline extended to April 2nd.)
All submissions will be sent via email to workshop@dsc50huntsville.com. Attach the manuscript as a Rich Text Format (.rtf) file. Send the manuscript and synopsis in a single file (do not break it into separate chapter files).
All manuscripts should be in standard manuscript format. This means at least 1-inch margins all around and double spaced, in 12-point Courier, Times Roman, CG Omega or Lucida Bright font. Your submission must include your name, email address, postal mailing address and telephone number on the first page of the manuscript.
After your name and address, space down half the page. Center the title and use standard capitalization rules (not all caps). Type your byline one double-space beneath the story title. The top of each subsequent page should have a header containing the author's last name, the page number and the name of the work (can be abbreviated), justified to the right hand side. For example: Austin - 2- Pride & Prejudice.
Minimal formatting, please. Do not format text boxes or sidebars into the manuscript; use block quotes. Indent paragraphs (don't use "first line indent" formatting in Word); center chapter headers and use standard scene break indicators (###, ***, etc.); use page breaks only at the end of chapters. Use underline to show emphasis. Avoid bold face and italics, as they tend not to show up.
Do not use "smart quotes"/curly quotes or single character elipses, mdashes, etc. Use straight quotes and apostrophes, . . ., --, etc.
Synopsis Format:
The synopsis should be no more than 5 pages, single spaced, written in present tense. The title should read: Synopsis of "[Work Title]" by [Your Name]. Each subsequent page should have a header with the author's name, page number and Synopsis, right hand justified. Again, use at least 1-inch margins all around and 12-point Courier, Times Roman, CG Omega or Lucida Bright font.
Your synopsis, like your novel, should have something in the first paragraph to "hook" the reader's interest. It should introduce your MAIN characters and their conflicts. Avoid confusion by referring to a character the same way throughout (if you introduce him as Charlie, always call him Charlie). Do not mention minor characters, events and scenes.
The synopsis should clearly define the story question (what is my story about?). Include a brief explanation of your speculative element (science, fantasy or horror) and your setting. Also reveal the theme or themes of your story. Keep details to a minimum. Give a bare-bones description of the plot arc, including any major twists or surprises, and any major subplots and how they tie in with the main plot. Show the major characters' arcs (i.e. how they are changed by the story events), their internal and external struggles and rising stakes that eventually lead to the novel's climax. Reveal the resolution of all major conflicts (the editor wants to know that the story has a satisfying ending).