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When: October 19, 2013 Time: 7:30pm EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) For the Love of Comics Are comics more popular now than ever before? Let’s explore the industry, the names to watch out for and the publishers fighting the good fight. And let’s look at how a writer might go about having their story turned into a comic or graphic novel; how do they find an artist, and then where/how do they get the final product published. Is there money in comics or is it more for the love? And why is it that horror stories…

When: 12 September, 2013 Time: 3pm EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) The Nuts and Bolts of Self-publishing This is not another discussion (= argument) on the merits or otherwise of self-publishing vs traditional publishing, but an actual nuts and bolts chat covering how you go about self-publishing. What things should you look at, what needs to be done, to ensure your book is as good as it can be, and available in all the right places? What mistakes do some self-published writers make that hurt their careers and turn others off going down this route? We will…

When: 11 August, 2013 Time: 8pm EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) The Master: The Continuing Impact of Stephen King Carrie, Salem’s Lot, It, The Shining, The Stand, The Dark Tower series, Under the Dome, Joyland... Movies such as The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me, Misery, The Green Mile, The Mist... The comic American Vampire, plus all of those wonderfully chilling short stories... Stephen King’s impact on not just the horror genre but the writing world in general is immense. Let’s delve down into it and see what this impact is, and why his name will forever…

When: July 17, 2013 Time: 8.30pm EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) The Long Hard Road One thousand and one (or perhaps a few less) lessons learned along the long hard road to publication. Tips and suggestions that might help other writers get published, things you've discovered the hard way through trial and error--or should these mistakes be withheld from new writers so they can 'earn their stripes?' Let's cover the gambit, from writing classes and critique groups, submitting via the top down approach or to 'exposure' markets first, replying to rejections, hounding editors and other writers at cons--the…

When: June 10, 2013 Time: 3pm EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) The Future of Agents Do you think all the recent technological advances in publishing are sounding the death knell for the literary agent? Agents used to be the gatekeepers in the classical publishing model, deciding who gets through and who remains in obscurity, but that barrier seems full of holes now. If literary agents are to remain part of the publishing process, how will they need to adapt? * * * * * You can follow the Roundtable discussion in the comments section of this post. Note:…

When: May 11, 2013 Time: 12 noon EST (use the Time Zone Converter to find your local time) Writing a Series What do writers owe their readers when they write books in series? Or do they not owe anything at all? The readers are the people who buy the books and “pay” the writer with eventual [we hope!] royalties. The people and situations in a book and a series are the writer’s creation and for themselves foremost ... but if a writer isn’t thinking of potential readers, then why bother sending the book to an agent or publisher? Why try to…

When: March 18, 2013 Time: 3pm Pacific Daylight Time (use the Time Zone Convertor to find your local time) The Future of Writing Technology has surged ahead over the past few years and technological advances show no sign of slowing. We're living in the future. What does this mean for us writers? Does it open new pathways to success and unlimited options to explore our imaginations and present these worlds to our readers, or will it have an adverse effect? If there are always stories to tell, how will they be told in years to come? Will the written word…

When: February 11-16, 2013 Time: 3pm Pacific Daylight Time Screenwriting (topic suggestion provided by Michaelbrent Collings). How to get involved in the industry, the pitfalls and problems, the success stories. Screenwriting is a natural extension of story writing, but it is also a completely different art form. Let’s look at how it differs, and how difficult it is to create visual scenes for filming. And the end result; is it always how you viewed it would be? Are there any tips or suggestions you can offer for those just starting out, things you’ve learned along the way? Special Guests: Michaelbrent…

Oscar-nominated Pen Densham is our final guest for the HWA Roundtable on Screenwriting, which kicks off at 3pm on the 11th of February (Pacific Daylight Time) on the HWA's blog, and he called by to answer a few questions before the Roundtable begins. Here's the Roundtable topic in full: Screenwriting: How to get involved in the industry, the pitfalls and problems, the success stories. Screenwriting is a natural extension of story writing, but it is also a completely different art form. Let’s look at how it differs, and how difficult it is to create visual scenes for filming. And the…

Brad Hodson dropped by my virtual office today for a quick Q and A over some tea and scones. Brad will be one of our Special Guests for the HWA Roundtable on Screenwriting, which kicks off on the 11th of February right here on the HWA's blog. Here's the topic in full: Screenwriting: How to get involved in the industry, the pitfalls and problems, the success stories. Screenwriting is a natural extension of story writing, but it is also a completely different art form. Let’s look at how it differs, and how difficult it is to create visual scenes for…

Matt Lohr drops in today to have a quick chat with us in preparation for the HWA Roundtable on Screenwriting, which kicks off on the 11th of February right here on the HWA's blog. Here's the topic in full: Screenwriting: How to get involved in the industry, the pitfalls and problems, the success stories. Screenwriting is a natural extension of story writing, but it is also a completely different art form. Let’s look at how it differs, and how difficult it is to create visual scenes for filming. And the end result; is it always how you viewed it would…

In the buildup to the 6th HWA Horror Roundtable, I'll be chatting briefly with each of our guests. Today I have the pleasure of Signe Olynyk's company. Don't forget, the 6th Roundtable will be on Screenwriting and it will kick off on the 11th of February here on the HWA's blog. We have an excellent lineup of guests, including Michaelbrent Collings, Signe Olynyk, Matt Lohr, Brad Hodson, and Pen Densham. Here's the topic in full: Screenwriting: How to get involved in the industry, the pitfalls and problems, the success stories. Screenwriting is a natural extension of story writing, but it…

When: November 18-24, 2012 Time: 3pm Pacific Daylight Time (use the Time Zone Convertor to find your local time) The Editor and The Writer (a view of both sides of the creation coin, as Jason V Brock put it when posing the idea - thanks Jason!). What’s it like, as a writer, to have your work selected and shaped by an editor? And as an editor, what are the perils and rewards of editing the work of others? Are writers under any obligations to self-edit and get work into a professional shape before they submit anywhere? What about editors who…