Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 14:36:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: dicconf <dicconf at radix.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Great Con Redux...(DMZ Version)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

On Mon, 17 Oct 2005, Mike B. wrote:

> At 03:03 PM 10/17/2005 -0400, Lawhorn, William - BLS wrote:
>> Speaking of interesting con things.  I thought I heard talk of a reviewers
>> workshop for next year.  That could be a great addition to the programming.
>> We all love to read Science Fiction, some even write it, but it would be
>> even better if we could all write about it.  That would improve the work of
>> current and future reviewers and hopefully create a pool of people and
>> material to use in the WSFA journal.
>
> I'd love to see someone *write* something too.  Either a single author
> going through whatever it takes to create a short story, perhaps with
> audience interaction, or a panel of them creating a group work.  From idea,
> through planning, to actual first draft...or even second (being able to
> edit your own stuff is critical).  Seeing the sorts of decisions that are
> made, and why, would be really helpful to lots of wannabes, and perhaps
> even some active writers.

Here's a slightly different approach that might be of interest:

Have an author -- or maybe an aspiring author -- write a short story
before the con.  Give copies to the panel of reviewers to analyze, maybe
on the classic (?) Elizabeth Moon (?) model: a one-sentence summary of
what they thought the story was about; how it succeeded; how it failed;
how it could be improved.  Then, at CapClave, make copies of the story
available to the attendees at the session so they can follow the critiques
as the reviewers speak.  This might require signup for the session so's to
know how many copies of the story to provide...oops, change that: a
pre-announced limit on attendees so the copies can be prepared in advance.

Does this sound (1) doable and (2) interesting?

-- Dick Eney