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Advanced Fiction Writing - With Personal Attention-August 9-10, 2012

Hyannis, MA

Advanced Fiction Writing - With Personal Attention
August 9-10, 2012, Hyannis, MA (Thursday and Friday)
The Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis

This is an advanced writing program conducted in an intimate group setting. It is designed to give you the personalized attention and knowledge needed to help you break through and get published.

Registration is strictly limited to a maximum of 36 attendees.

The course leader is New York Times best selling author Robert Dugoni, Jr. Bob is a superb teacher and will provide the attendees with invaluable advice on how to take their writing to the next level and get it published. Each attendee will also receive substantial personalized attention, specifically:

» Written feedback on the first chapter of their work from accomplished novelist and writing instructor John Hough, Jr.
» A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with accomplished novelist and writing instructor John Hough, Jr.
» Written feedback on their query letter and synopsis from literary agent Sorche Fairbank
» A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with literary agent Sorche Fairbank

Limited Registration: This course will be conducted in an intimate group setting. Registration is strictly limited to 36 persons on a first come basis. You are strongly encouraged to register early, as we expect this course will rapidly sell out.

Venue: A limited block of rooms has been reserved at convention rates ($210 + tax) at the site hotel (The Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis). These rooms will be assigned on a first request basis. To reserve your room, please call 866-828-9111 and mention the SEAK Conference. The resort is surrounded by 52 totally private acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and offers an 18-hole par 54 golf course, a private patio or balcony for the 232 guest rooms, a complete fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, a whirlpool, a complete spa, a free beach shuttle and free parking. The Resort and Conference Center at Hyannis is conveniently located within walking distance of Main Street with its many shops and restaurants. Public beaches and the ferries to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are minutes from the hotel.

Submissions: Each attendee will be asked to submit the first chapter of their work (up to 15 pages), their query letter and a one or two page synopsis for review and feedback from our coaches and use in the class sessions.

Tuition: $1,995. This includes:

• 2 Days of Advanced Intimate Group Instruction by New York Times Best Selling Author Robert Dugoni.
• A course manual unavailable elsewhere.
• A copy of Robert Dugoni’s best selling text.
• Written feedback on the first chapter of their work from award winning novelist and writing instructor John Hough, Jr.
• A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with John Hough, Jr.
• Written feedback on their query letter and synopsis from literary agent Sorche Fairbank
• A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with literary agent Sorche Fairbank
• Breakfast with faculty each day
• Lunch with faculty each day
• The personalized attention and knowledge needed to help you break through and get published.

Cancellations: Conference Cancellations: Conference cancellations received in writing before July 15, 2012, will receive a full refund. Persons canceling after July 15, 2012, will not receive a refund.

FACULTY:
Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed and New York Times Best Selling Author of the David Sloane series; The Jury Master, Wrongful Death, Bodily Harm and the most recent, Murder One. He is also the author of the best-selling stand alone novel Damage Control and the nonfiction expose, The Cyanide Canary. Bob is a contributor to several anthologies, speaker and national teacher on the craft of writing. Dugoni’s books have been likened to Scott Turow and Nelson DeMille, and he has been hailed as “the undisputed king of the legal thriller” by The Providence Journal and called the “heir to Grisham’s literary throne.” Bodily Harm and Murder One were each chosen as one of the top five thrillers of 2010 and 2011. Dugoni’s fifth novel in the David Sloane series, The Conviction, will be released by Simon and Schuster in June 2012.

Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank established Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002, when she first moved to Cambridge, MA. Since then, Ms. Fairbank has had the pleasure of working with a wide, dynamic, and varied list, representing multiple best-selling authors, Pulitzer Prize finalists and winners, Edgar recipients, award-winning journalists, and of course her favorite kind of client the first-time author. In addition to her agenting duties, Ms. Fairbank can be found teaching courses and giving seminars and lectures on the elusive art of the query letter. Updated information on Fairbank Literary can be found at www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SorcheFairbank/.

John Hough, Jr. is the author of the novels Seen The Glory, A Two Car Funeral, The Guardian, The Conduct of the Game, and The Last Summer. He is also the author the non-fiction works A Peck of Salt, A Dream Season, and A Player For a Moment. He is a former speech writer for United States Senator Charles Mathias and a former writer for the New York Times while serving as the assistant to James Reston. John is an experienced writing teacher and coach. He resides on Martha’s Vineyard. John was the recipient of the prestigious W.Y. Boyd award for his novel Seen The Glory: A Novel Of The Battle Of Gettysburg.

SCHEDULE

Thursday, August 9, 2012

7:00–8:00 Registration & Continental Breakfast
NOTE: Students should bring to class an additional copy of their presubmitted first chapter of their work and synopsis and be prepared to discuss them and have their work critiqued.

8:00–8:30 Introduction of Instructor, Robert Dugoni: Bob will explain how he went from a journalist to a lawyer to a best-selling novelist. He’ll discuss the pitfalls along the way, living with and learning from rejection, and how he taught himself to write novels. Questions and Answers

8:30–9:30 Executive Summary of How to Write Publishable Fiction: Learn the fundamental relationship between good stories and journeys, as well as critical writing concepts such as to outline or not to outline, and using writer’s block positively. Bob will also teach his four stages to writing to help lessen anxiety, as well as discuss the qualities all good writing has in common. Questions and Answers

9:30–9:45 Break and Networking Opportunity

9:45–12:00 Advanced Story Structuring: From your initial query letter to your published novel, the writer must convey that she understands classic story structure. Using in class exercises and assignments, students will use story structure to understand the holes in their story’s plot and how to fix them. Students will also be better equipped to make educated choices on such things as the opening chapter, to make critical judgments about the middle of their book, and how to ensure that the ending brings into collision the forces the writer has set in motion to deliver an emotionally charged and intelligent ending. Questions and Answers

12:00–12:45 Lunch with Faculty (provided)

12:45–1:45 Continued Advanced Story Structuring: Students will continue to learn classic story structure and apply it to their own works in progress. By the end of this portion of the class, students will have ideas for improving their query letters and synopses. Questions and Answers

1:45–3:00 The Most Common Writing Mistakes The Class is Making and How to Avoid Them: John Hough, Jr. will present a succinct analysis, based upon the class’s submissions, of the most common writing mistakes the class is making. John will offer practical advice on how to eliminate these mistakes. Questions and Answers

3:00–3:15 Break and Networking Opportunity

3:15–4:00 Character Evolution in Story Structure: Students will learn the stages of character evolution in traditional story telling, why their protagonist must evolve, and where the character’s evolution traditionally fits within classic story structure. They will learn how to use characters to create problems, solve problems, or impart information seamlessly. Questions and Answers

4:00–5:00 Critique of Student Synopsis/Outlines: Students will have the opportunity to read their synopsis/outlines aloud to receive feedback from the instructor and their classmates. Questions and Answers

Friday, August 10, 2012

6:30–7:00 Continental Breakfast

7:00–8:30 Creating Memorable Characters: Learn techniques to create memorable primary and secondary characters through the utilization of physical and psychological attributes, clothing, mannerisms, and dialogue. Using examples from well-known fiction and non-fiction, including authors Stephen King, Stephen Hunter, J.R.R. Tolkien, and the instructor’s own work, students will study the techniques for making:
1. Heroes not wimps. A well-rounded protagonist is heroic, yet still vulnerable and capable of change.
2. Villains not caricatures. An antagonist is frightening when he/she is real. That means creating well-rounded villains and avoiding cardboard stereotypes and cliches.
3. Sidekicks and mentors: Learn how to make a secondary character stand out using markers, without the character overtaking the story from your primary characters. Questions and Answers

8:30–10:00 The First Three Pages: Your first chapter should set the tone of your novel. Using examples and student work, Bob will discuss what makes a strong opening sentence, how to write a beginning that grabs the reader’s attention, and his do’s and don’ts of the first three pages. Bob will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of prologues and second scenes and where to go once you’ve written a killer opening chapter. Questions and Answers

10:00–10:15 Break and Networking Opportunity

10:15–11:15 The Biggest Mistakes Attendees are Making in Marketing Their Work and How to Avoid Them: Literary agent Sorche Fairbank will identify and explain the biggest mistakes the attendees have made in their submitted query letters and synopses and will provide suggestions to eliminate these mistakes. Questions and Answers

11:15–12:15 Creating and Sustaining Tension and Suspense to Keep the Reader Turning the Page: Bob will teach techniques for identifying the emotional highs and lows of your novel and how to build tension toward each by posing story questions, holding onto the answers to the questions posed, setting up the protagonist for failure, planting seeds of doubt, and building tension within and at the end of scenes. Questions and Answers

12:15–1:00 Lunch with Faculty (provided)

1:00–2:15 Power Editing Your Manuscript to Make it Better: Learn Bob’s five steps to power editing your manuscript. 1) Making judgments about your protagonist and antagonist. 2) Evaluating secondary characters. 3) Tightening the manuscript by being relentless in moving the story forward. 4) Reviewing word and sentence choice - adjectives and adverbs vs. verbs, original similes and analogies; active vs. passive voice. 5) Polishing your work to eliminate typos and misspellings, and other mistakes that make the reader lose trust. Questions and Answers

2:15–2:30 Break and Networking Opportunity

2:30–3:30 The Seven Deadly Sins Your Manuscript Will No longer Have. Critique of Student Manuscripts & Concluding Remarks: Bob will review the seven primary mistakes inexperienced (and experienced) novelists make and use student manuscripts for discussion, emphasizing suggestions to bring the students’ work closer to publication. Questions and Answers

Here’s What Past Attendees Have To Say:
“The best conference I’ve attended”
“Excellent with good personal feedback”
“Fantastic!”
“Great course! All of the material is helpful and the faculty presents it easily and with obvious passion”
“It exceeded my expectations. I learned an enormous number of hints, tricks and traps”
“It was excellent, just what I needed”
“Phenomenal!”
“Truly something for all levels here – from inspiration, to craft issues, to the query process. The personal feedback part made the most difference”
“Superb”
“Terrific – better than expected”
“Very helpful and useful. Now I see a lot of my writing mistakes”
“The one-on-one time with John was invaluable”
“Well organized, excellent ideas, surpassed my expectations”
“Without a doubt, the most useful seminar I’ve attended”
“The personal attention my work received from John Hough propelled me to make the manuscript white hot, and Bob Dugoni’s concepts and tools gave me the concise insights into how to do that, while Sorche Fairbank’s comments kept me in
relentless pursuit of the right publisher. SEAK is a tremendous resource for the committed writer who wants the best environment in which to learn and discern.”
“You put together an exceptional conference. I have never received such practical advice to help with my writing. In addition, the presenters were fabulous people.”
“We were very impressed with Robert Dugoni, who is one hell of a good teacher.”

Price: $1,995.00