posted
Hello from Maui! Already into our second day of the retreat. I met Mags at the reception dinner last night. She was sitting at our table and she read my name tag and said "Do you post to Hatrack?" Too cool.
Ben Bova spoke to us today and the tract with Terry Brooks is awesome. I am getting so much information and I hope some of it sticks.
It is cloudy, hot and muggy and the ocean is right outside the front door...I may stay here and go native
posted
I've lived on hawaii till I was 17 years old. I go back once every 2 years with my wife and Nickolas my son to see my parents, but it is not paradise. My paradise has only been realized in the past 7 years, here in Oregon. But believe what the media says, by all means. Tourism is after all the only way that chain of islands keeps it's wal-marts open.
Posts: 7 | Registered: Aug 2003
|
posted
What a wonderful line "Tourism is the only way the islands will keep their walmarts open" (sorry if its not exact - they don't let you see what you are responding to....
What a hoot. (Sorry, just pointing out a get turn of phrase) Back to your regularly scheduled posting...
posted
Dia, just copy the text you're responding to into your post. You can add the quote things to repeat it in your post or delete it out once you're done with your response. (I realize this is a little like the blind leading the blind, but I knew this one. )
Posts: 1810 | Registered: Jun 2002
|
posted
Actually, I find this really annoying about this board. All the other ones I use have an option to automatically quote the text you're replying to. I can't find one for this site... Posts: 626 | Registered: Jun 2003
|
quote:they don't let you see what you are responding to....
Well, it may depend on what browser you're using, but in my browser the messages in the topic appear at the bottom of the page in a frame you can scroll through.
posted
I was asked to post about the conference and all I get is someone who wants to blast my appreciation of a new experience(I haven't lived here for 17 years so I find it exciting, however I have been to Oregon about 30 times and am not so excited) and complaints about how the text works on this board...sorry I wasted everyone's time. Terry Brooks and Ben Bova have had some awesome things to say but i guess you have all heard it.
Posts: 173 | Registered: Dec 2002
|
posted
marianne, some times a thread goes off topic, and that's ok. Maybe if you shared what you thought was interesting about the workshop, you can get the thread back on track, instead of complaining, but doing nothing.
posted
Not to be rude, but I am not very impressed with Terry Brooks. Biggest rip-off of LOTR there is, and not even very originally ripped off (if you get my meaning).
posted
Actually, Marianne, after your first post I was going to suggest you give us some actual info rather than just saying Ben Bova spoke and wow, but then I thought that might be asking too much of a gal on vacation, that maybe Polynesian Paralysis had already kicked in – a little hoomohalu. But it doesn’t sound like that aloha spirit has taken hold of you yet.
Kwsni’s right about the thread going off on a tangent being no big deal. We can point to dozens of instances on the entire site, and it’s never stopped anyone from posting back on target.
So don't be huhu. Hang loose. Post your nuggets and let those who will, glean from them. The others? Ho' omanawanui. Be patient with them.
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited August 26, 2003).]
posted
I haven't had time for any polynesian culture to soak in as I have been in class every day all day since Friday....wit homework. Ben Bova's talk was about the elements of story . He spoke about being passionate about what you write. You make a promise to your reader and then you make them what your protagonist to succeed.. He says that the character (protagonist)has an inner conflict that mirrors the conflict with the antagonist. There are no villians in good literature, only characters with a different point of view than the protagonist...hmmm, what else did he say...mags has had him for instructor all week so maybe she can add to it.
I myself have not read Terry Brooks' novels, but I have read his book on writing and he is an incredible teacher. I saw improvement in every person in the class. He stressed the importance of writing every day if you want to be serious about writing...the best way to learn to write is to do it.
posted
Hi, I'm new, so please excuse any faux pas I might commit.
I grew up in Hawaii, and was very excited, when I started exploring writing as a "career" (potentially), to discover that such a writing conference existed on Maui. If I ever get to move back home (and I am homesick for Hawaii every day), I would be interested in this conference.
Are there any details you care to share about your experience in attending in general or specific, other than what you have already posted? Something we can't learn from reading about the conference on-line?
Mahalo!
P.S. - I'm sorry Sei has had a poor experience, and that it threw you off. I personally am glad that there are a few Wal-Marts out in Hawaii now... Our traditional shopping centers, such as Ala Moana, have been redirected towards tourists, which is good for the economy, but hard for locals when it comes to finding what we need for reasonable prices. When I returned to Oahu for my mother's memorial, Wal-Mart was the only place I could find an appropriate muu muu that was also affordable. Sounds like a story!
I hope that you do get a chance to experience Maui, tourist style: walk in Lahaina, swim in Ka'anapali Bay, do the drive to the Seven Sacred Pools (small car!), experience sunrise at the top of Haleakala, snorkle at Molokini, try the pineapple wine at Tedeschi Vineyard (if it is still there), eat a manapua and a malasada and some kalua pig (so onoliscious), try poi (it's ok not to like it!)... you get the idea. And if you are too busy, aole pilikia - no trouble - maybe just the manapua, and hit the ocean you see from your front door.
[This message has been edited by punahougirl84 (edited August 27, 2003).]
[This message has been edited by punahougirl84 (edited August 27, 2003).]
posted
Well, I am not sure how specific you want me to be, but let me add that the retreat was agreat experience for someone new to the craft, as in unpublished. The conference was really geared towards getting published and most of the agents wanted to talk to someone who had a complete manuscript. The seems to be a large volunteer group that consists of folks who pay their way there and find lodging, but they get to hang out for free. The kalua pork is to die for...plate lunches are fun...coconut shrimp...ymmm. Napili beach is beautiful, but the mai tais there weren't as good as Wailea's. There was no time for snorkling, but I am in Honolulu right now and we will go snorkling here...
posted
I thought the conference was geared to more experienced (published) writers - you've helped me already!
See if you can get someone to drive you up Tantalus - best view of Honolulu there is, day or night - from Diamond Head to Ewa. I imagine you'll go snorkling in Hanauma Bay - you'll love it. Don't forget lots of sunscreen on the backs of your legs, especially behind the knees. Can't tell you how many tourists we saw with "lobster legs," in lots of pain. Enjoy!
I got back last night. I had promised myself that I wouldn't get on the net, not even to check email, and I'm truly glad that I did (or did not as it were).
For a tract I had Ben Bova's class on science fiction writing, and everyone in my class felt they walked away better writers for it. All of us had to submit writing, and the first day Ben asked us how far we were in the stories we had submitted, then told us to ignore what we brought, and started us with new stories. - it was a great exercise and it was nice because that meant we all started on even ground - as opposed to some manuscripts being more polished than others because of the number of rewrites, etc. - so we started with him giving us an item in our universe, and we had to come up with a decent background by the next day (2-3 pages min). then the day after that, it was to take that background and create characters, the following day, have a short story (or the first chapter of a novel) done. --- so it was definately write write write.
The bad thing was that Ben was sick for the first few days (and I mean SICK), but he got over it, and our days of little work were quickly over. - I was averaging about 3 hours of sleep a night.
In the mornings, a classmate and I would go swimming for an hour before getting ready for the day (which worked out fine, since I kept automatically waking up about 5:30am). After that a quick breakfast, and off to the morning keynote speeches - a quick break then homerooms for most of the rest of the days. There were also critique sessions in the evening, and movies which were diseminated, to show screen writing, etc.
Elizabeth (Liz) Engstrom - who was in a magazine (I think SF&F) recently is the director, and she taught some also. - I got a great amount of emotional support from her.
By the time of the break between the retreat and the conference, I really needed one. I went took a nap and then kicked it on the beach with camera(s) in hand for the rest of the afternoon. - I really needed a breather from writing.
When writing a story always think of whose story is it and what is at stake. (one of the instructors said that when she teaches, she has people write a story, then write it from two other POV's) The writer much convey what is at stake, and why they reader should care.
~ 4 pages is the farthest you can get into the story and not tell the reader what is going on.
Try to impress with conflict, not with information.
You should set a time bomb on the first page. (this actually ties in with the fact that you should never go more than 4 pages without telling the reader what is happening.)
If a character is strugglinw with a problem, it should be obvious, and grevious.
Steal from the best. (we are talking ideas here, not blocks of text - though it was commented on more than once, that copying an published author in wrote form will help to get rhythm - not for submission)
Heinleins rules for writing are indeed good to follow.
and most importantly: IF YOU CAN CONCEIVE IT, YOU CAN WRITE IT
posted
last item (yes, I purposefully posted these seperately, so someone wouldnt get lost in reading a novel)
After having been to the conference and retreat, I would say unless someone doesn't want to learn the craft, but only to sell what they have done, then go to the conference alone. Otherwise, by all means take the retreat and conference. - if you can only afford one, then I would say the retreat definatley is worth the cost.
I met a a good dozen plus people there who have been to the retreat multiple times, and a few people who are published authors who are still participants in the retreat.
The instructors push you, and it would be really hard for someone to not be better by the end. - and best of all, there are others who feel your pain with you, so it makes it easier to swollow down.
posted
Thanks for the scoop on the conference...very good information! If you wouldn't mind telling me offline (in respect to your privacy) how much this cost, I would appreciate it. It definitely sounds worthwhile, assuming the price wouldn't bankrupt me! (Email is hildy9595@aol.com).
Edited to add: Thanks for the link, Mags!
[This message has been edited by Hildy9595 (edited September 03, 2003).]
posted
I know hildy asked for info offline, but...
the url for the MWC is http://www.mauiwriters.com/ - they don't have the tracts set up for next year yet, but a few of the tracts seem to be every year.
Part of the reason for the direction, is that I have no idea how much it will be next year.
[This message has been edited by mags (edited September 03, 2003).]
posted
In this case, it means a source of dramatic tension and suspense. You give the reader some idea of what's at stake, and then put it under threat.
Posts: 8322 | Registered: Aug 1999
|
posted
yep, survivors right. - sorry, I had just heard that so many times that I didn't even think that other people might not have heard the same lectures. Posts: 142 | Registered: Jan 2003
|
posted
It's also called "the or-else factor" in that you let the reader know that the characters need to do certain things, "or else" something terrible will happen.
Posts: 8826 | Registered: A Long Time Ago!
|
Printer-friendly view of this topic
