Nathan Bransford - The Forums

Howdy, folks!

At the risk of repeating Sommer (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4464) March is creeping up on us, and that means BRANSFORUMFEST WRITING RETREAT PARTY OMG SQUEE TO MEET FRIENDS time! Is everyone ready?

I know we did a vote earlier, but with dates and times nailed down and the passage of time, I'd like to start over and get a more accurate picture of who wants what. So, even if you voted before, please vote now!

We are looking at 7 sessions, +/- 1 depending on the entertainment committee's plans. While before we had a Meet 'n' Greet option, this has been (most likely) moved to Sunday night as an icebreaker/get to know everyone so that on Monday morning we can start with "real" sessions and hopefully avoid any awkward moments.

So! Here is the list of options we've mentioned. Please vote for your top 8 choices, and we'll take the proper number of "winners" depending on how many sessions we end up having. Make sure to read them all, some things have changed!!

Story (no leader)
Character Development
Dialogue
Prose/Description
Revisions/Editing
Social Networking (no leader)
Writer Tools and Technology
Insecurities Roundtable
Book Share Roundtable
Critique Groups
Query Workshops (encompassing tag lines, elevator pitches, etc.)
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash
Mythology
Self-Publishing
Other (please specify)

Dialogue
Revisions/Editing
Social Networking (no leader)
Writer Tools and Technology
Insecurities Roundtable
Critique Groups
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash (I think we should do this actually several times throughout the week, impromtu writing sprints everywhere!)

Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash (!!!)
Critique Groups (I'm not participating, but I know most people want this one, so I vote for it)
Query Workshops (encompassing tag lines, elevator pitches, etc.)
Writer Tools and Technology
Dialogue
Prose/Description
Social Networking (no leader)
Character Development

Here are my 8, in no real order.

Revisions/Editing
Social Networking (no leader)
Writer Tools and Technology
Critique Groups
Query Workshops (encompassing tag lines, elevator pitches, etc.)
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash
Story (no leader)
Character Development

Well, I'll take anything, really, except queries. Please, to whatever Bransforum deities that may hear my plea, no queries. Although, I guess if everyone else wants them, I can go take a nap or something.

That said, my favorites:

Story (no leader)
Revisions/Editing
Social Networking (no leader)
Writer Tools and Technology
Insecurities Roundtable
Critique Groups
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash (fun!)
Self-Publishing

story
dialogue
prose/description
revision/editing
social networking
critique groups
query workshop
coffee shop take-over

This is not in any particular order. Had a hard time deciding because I really like writer tools/technology too.

Character Development
Dialogue
Prose/Description
Revisions/Editing
Writer Tools and Technology
Critique Groups
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash
Self-Publishing


And I approve of Sommer's idea! We should do the Takeover Writing Bash more than once! Fun times.

Mira wrote:Well, I'll take anything, really, except queries. Please, to whatever Bransforum deities that may hear my plea, no queries. Although, I guess if everyone else wants them, I can go take a nap or something.

That said, my favorites:

Story (no leader)
Revisions/Editing
Social Networking (no leader)
Writer Tools and Technology
Insecurities Roundtable
Critique Groups
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash (fun!)
Self-Publishing

Do you know if you are coming, Mira?

My choices are:

Story
Character development
Coffee Shop takeover
Revisions/ Editing
Critique groups
Dialogue
mythology
Prose/ Description

If I have to choose 8, here they are:

Story (no leader)
Character Development
Dialogue
Revisions/Editing
Book Share Roundtable
Critique Groups
Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash
Self-Publishing

Okay folks, here's where we stand right now:

Coffee Shop Takeover Writing Bash 9
Critique Groups 9
Revisions/Editing 8
Dialogue 7
Character Development 6
Prose/Description 5
Social Networking (no leader) 5
Story (no leader) 5
Writer Tools and Technology 5
Query Workshops (encompassing tag lines, elevator pitches, etc.) 4
Insecurities Roundtable 3
Self-Publishing 3
Book Share Roundtable 1 (personally, I say we all still bring our favorite books along since I'm sure we'll end up talking about this sooner or later)
Mythology 1
Other (please specify) 0

Since several have mentioned a desire to do the Writing Takeover Bash more than once, would people still want to take a workshop slot to do this, or simply plan these Bashes in between sessions and hold other workshops in the alloted spaces?

Keep in mind that if everyone votes for the sessions without leaders, we'll need someone to step up and lead them. We could run them as roundtables, but I worry that without a designated leader who can guide or has at least a little more knowledge than the peanut gallery group we'll end up floundering around and not really getting anywhere.

that's a good point. Maybe we should forgo it as a session.

I *might* be able to lead the Story session. *might*

Cookie wrote:I *might* be able to lead the Story session. *might*

What kind of things were you thinking for that session? Maybe we could co-lead. I have a few vague ideas, but I could study up if I had a partner to work off of and share the info with.

I don't know, but I would love to lead it with you! E-mail me your thoughts. And we'll plot together. Evilly.

I think we should reserve a slot for the Coffee Takeover Bash, so that everyone is available for it, and then plan the possible-others as we go. I worry that if we don't have an "official" one, some of us miss it due to tourist-y activity and spending time with husband/boyfriend.