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The "invisible hand" is the same thing whether you attribute it to "Art" or "the marketplace". And you can't march to it except by skill and luck in either case, that's why they call it the "invisible hand" rather than the "loud drumbeat"
Those of us who've never thrown our backs out tend to have a hard time understanding what it means, let alone believing such a thing really happens. I believe it happens, but haven't the faintest idea what it really means. But lots of modern people have lost the ability to believe that something can be true, yet past comprehension. It's one of the great curses of our age.
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You're right of course, Survivor, but I think the speaker was taking liberties with the phrase "invisible hand." He simply meant we should write for ourselves as opposed to writing for the marketplace, while the agent advised writing for the marketplace if we were seeking publication.
I do thank you for your thoughtful acknowledgement of the mysteries of back problems, especially since you've not had the misfortune of being inducted into that miserable society. Your response helped forestall a bit of self pity I was entertaining when I misjudged how well I was doing and set myself back -- but I hate not being able to sit too long at my desk or go about my normal business.
Funny how beneficial a few simple words can be. So I got wise -- saw a doctor, rented a couple movies, and finally got Airframe -- and am determined not to feel like a shirker. The fate of the world doesn't rest on anything I have to do.
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Received in email and posted here in case anyone is interested and can attend:
The Writers Room of Bucks County offers the following events next week:
Sat., July 16, 1 – 5:30 p.m. Viewpoints and Complex Characters with Greg Frost.
This workshop will consider all viewpoints you might choose to write a story, how to develop and deepen your characters, how to “chart” them and make them work off one another. Through exercises in dialogue and misdirection, you’ll make your characters talk to you and to each other. Frost has been a finalist for almost every major award in the fantasy field: Nebula Award, James Tiptree Award, Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for Short Fiction, Hugo Award, International Horror Guild Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Some of his work has been included in the Best New Horror collection edited by Stephen Jones. In June of this year Golden Gryphon Press published a collection of his short fiction, Attack of the Jazz Giants and Other Stories.
Fee: $95 for members $105 for nonmembers. Register through our website: [URL=http://www.writersrroom.net ]www.writersrroom.net [/URL] email us at info@writersroom.net or call 215-348-1663.
Sun., July 17, 24, 31 and August 7 ( four sessions ), 3:30 – 6 p.m. Nuts and Bolts of the Writing Business: Secrets for building a writing career with Jonathan Maberry.
This 4-week, 10-hour series for budding professionals is led by Maberry of Elkins Park, a prolific, award-winning writer who has sold more than 800 articles and nine books. The need for well-written content is growing, thanks to the Internet, niche publishing, and a general decline in writing skills. Topics to be covered include: developing story ideas, writing effective query letters, how to make multiple sales from the same research, setting up your work environment, and dealing with family issues when working from home. Course materials and samples of queries, business letters, outlines etc. will be provided. Students will be encouraged to bring work-in-progress to discuss and get feedback. Maberry is the Director of Editorial Services at the Writers Room and a Board Member of the Philadelphia Writers Conference.
Fee: $100 for members $120 for nonmembers. Register through our website: [URL=http://www.writersroom.net ]www.writersroom.net [/URL] email us at info@writersroom.net, or call 215-348-1663.
Mon, July 18, 7 – 9 p.m. Etiquette for Writers with Jonathan Maberry.
This single-shot 2-hour program is designed to help writers of all levels of skill and experience learn the DO’S and DON’T’S of business etiquette. Topics include: Making First Contact, Follow-Ups and Follow-Through, Working with Agents, Working with Publishers, Asking for Money, and much more. This program will be led by Writers Room Executive Director, Jonathan Maberry who has authored nine books and published over 800 articles.
Fee: $30 for members $35 for nonmembers. Register online at [URL=http://www.writersroom.net ]www.writersroom.net [/URL] email us at info@writersroom.net, or call 215-348-1663.
The Writers Room of Bucks County
4 W. Oakland Ave. (corner of W. Oakland and Main St.)
********************************************* The Writers Room of Bucks County 4 West Oakland Ave. Doylestown, PA 18901 [URL=http://www.writersroom.net ]http://www.writersroom.net [/URL] 215-348-1663 Fax: 215-348-8137
[This message has been edited by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (edited July 14, 2005).]
There's one this coming weekend in Madison, WI. 4 agents you can pitch to. 3 don't like SF; the other looks fabulous for an SF writer . . . but I can't see going from VA to WI to talk to an agent for 8 minutes! Yet it might be a great idea. Does anyone know: how much better is it to pitch to an agent in person, as opposed to by mail?
I'm not going to the one in Columbus, after all. They've posted who's coming. Only one lists SF as an interest . . . and he's not an agent, but an editorial consultant.
The Richmond conference, they haven't posted who'll be there in terms of agents. Maybe this pitch session thing isn't such a big deal? But according to listings in Writers' Market, many agents say they get a lot of their new clients through conferences.
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.
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 dwolvert@xmission.com, or phone him at 435-986-3858
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Life, the Universe & Everything 26 is proud to announce our first guest of honor for LTUE 2008 (Feb. 14-16, 2008).
Gail Carson Levine, author of "Ella Enchanted," "Two Princesses of Bamarre," "The Princess Tales" and many other books.
For more information on LTUE, go to ltue.byu.edu.
LTUE is free to the public! Panels, presentations and workshops on various aspects of science fiction and fantasy (writing, art, worldbuilding, science, media) as well as a mini Educator's Conference.
LTUE is held on the campus of Brigham Young University and is sponsored by the BYU College of Humanities.
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