WotF Workshop Zoom Q&A with Orson Scott Card

I can't wait! These Q&A's are always so good!

Wow! This is super news. Love learning from Orson Scott Card. Will be nice to see what he has to say July 9.

I’ve taken a lot of writing workshops and have listened to panels by many famous writers, editors, and agents over the years. No one knows more about the craft of writing than Orson Scott Card. Don’t miss this, Forumites!

@physa I would appreciate you sharing this with your writer friends so they get through the workshop and are able to participate.

@nvhaskell Thanks, Nicole.  And please do let your writer friends know so they can take advantage of this as well.

Shared to my Wulf Pack Writers group, @johngoodwin  Please let us know how to access the Q&A when ready. I assume this will be a Zoom presentation.

QUICK SURVEY: Would you rather the live Q&A with OSC be on Friday night (July 8) or Saturday night (July 9)? He is fine with either. It will be 9:00 pm EST (6:00 pm PST) Just respond to this comment and I will go with the majority by the end of today.

@johngoodwin Friday night. I go out of town on Saturdays, so I would have to access the recorded version if on Saturday, so I prefer Friday

@wulfmoon Yes, I am doing a quick survey now to see if people prefer Fri or Sat night (OSC is fine with either day). Then I will start sharing the link with those who have completed the course.

I prefer Friday, but can do either. 

I'm okay with either day.  I also like to watch the recorded session to catch anything I miss in round one.

@storysinger Thanks. OSC will be covering a lot of material and a review when it's all over is smart.

Saturday night please! I cannot do Friday. 

Saturday please! Not able to do Friday.

Will there be a recording for those of us who can’t make it. I’d love to be there, but it’s a bad weekend.

@craydimensional Yes, it will be recorded and shared for those unable to attend.

I'd be able to make either day work. For a preference, though, I'd go with Saturday.

@cedars Thanks. I should have a good idea by the end of tonight and will formalize the date tomorrow and start sending out invite links to the Zoom event.

@johngoodwin I can make either day and time work.

@physa Thank you. It will be held on Saturday, 9 July, at 9:00 pm EST.

I've got it marked on my calendar. See you there.

Really excited to hear from Scott-Card!

Friday would suit me better (which becomes the following Saturday morning, here in Aus).

*Never mind. I'll try to make the Saturday

I finished my workshop tonight!

That's awesome(@annmarieinlr). The next step is to submit your story and earn your ticket to LA.

@scott_m_sands Saturday surveyed out better. I do hope you are still able to attend from Australia!

@annmarieinlr Well done and you will separately receive an email invite to Orson Scott Card's Q&A.

@johngoodwin 

Of course, WOTF always does a fantastic job with helping as many people as possible.

I'll try my best to make it!

Thanks. 

@scott_m_sands You are very welcome!

Just finished the Orson Scott Card Q and A. What I DEFINITELY found better than the terrific writing advice was just listening to Scott Card speak. He is immensely fun, super easy to listen to and honest. Amazingly valid. Very much worth your while listening to the recording if you weren't able to make it.

I thought I'd post a few highlighted notes, for those not able to attend (yes, these are just highlights-there was so much great information in the session). This is me paraphrasing what Scott Card said:

-with execution: if you can’t be clear enough to be understood, it doesn’t matter how good your idea is

-Don’t worry about ‘writing a story’, no dialogue, etc. Just tell what happens and why (preferably in past tense, in 3^rd limited POV or 1^st POV)

-to improve your editing process: have a wise reader do it. Don’t fiddle with anything- it will get more elegant, but worse. Your wise reader will point out what wasn’t clear. Only change when your wise reader says there’s a problem

-boredom/implausibility in a story always comes from a problem earlier in the story

-foreshadowing allows events later in the story to be plausible. It is not for suspense

-building an audience is not your job

-write the best story you can and immediately begin writing the next one

-don’t make a pseudonym if you have a great name, unless maybe your surname starts with Z

-you can do anything in writing, so long as it’s prepared in advance

-don’t kill off your protagonists. You MC is a character who suffers the most without dying

-spell out details for readers. Even if it feels obvious. You need to confirm for them that their guess/ideas were right

-Don’t write sequels to unpublished work

-Once a story has been through all the publishers and not been published, set it aside. Keep writing other things. After a few years, go back to it. You’ll read it and see things that didn’t work and you can change them.

-prologues are never necessary

-traditional publishing is the best option for real, full-length novels. Publish in hardcover, by someone who can get the book on the stands in stores

-Amazon is the only worthwhile self-publication site

-Don’t look for idea inspiration when researching, look for ways to make the story that you’ve already got work

-Don’t agree to do a signing with places (libraries, bookstores, etc) that don’t have a mailing list. It’s a waste of time as a new writer

-At a convention, never talk about your own work. People want to know about YOU. They will remember YOU, not your work. Sit there, and as people walk by, talk to them about the book they’re holding/jewelry they’re wearing. Talk to them about what they want to talk about.

-OSC only describes things that matter to the story.

-NEVER write a story with someone looking in the mirror.

-In Science Fiction, God cannot be an active character. You never need to insert your faith into your books, unless it’s part of the story. What you really believe will pop up anyway. Don’t try to hide your religion or include it.

-even if you sell some books, don’t quit your day job. Treat your writing income like this: money earned from writing goes to a family pool, vacations. The EXTRA things in life. Keep HALF of your writing earnings aside for taxes.

-‘elsing’ is where ideas get interesting. You get a good idea, then ask “what else …” then again “what else …”

-writers’ block is the best gift your subconscious mind can give you. It means the last thing you wrote, or are about to write, is crap. You’re not invested. So look for what else about the story will be exciting

-at the beginning of a story, you set up what kind of story it is. The ending will be about that

-all OSC’s characters are him. No way around it. He differentiates that by making them want and do different things

-write till you die.

I hope that helps some folks. But seriously- watch the recording! Scott card is awesome.