Medical Fiction Writing Seminar 2004

Medical Fiction Writing Seminar 2004

SEAK's 5th Annual
Medical Fiction Writing For Physicians
September 10-12, 2004 Sea Crest Oceanfront Resort Falmouth, Cape Cod, MA	Registration Information Registration Form Faculty Schedule PDF Version Reviews from past attendees
Taught by NY Times best selling physician-authors:
Michael Palmer, MD author of Critical Judgement, Silent Treatment, Natural Causes, Extreme Measures, Flashback, Side Effects, The Sisterhood, Miracle Cure, The Patient, and Fatal
Tess Gerritsen, MD
author of Harvest, Life Support, Bloodstream, Gravity, The Surgeon, The Apprentice, and The Sinner

And featuring TEN Literary Agents looking for new physician-authors

NEW! NEW! NEW!

Preconferences - Friday, September 10, 2004

Nonfiction Writing For Physicians

Getting Your First Novel Published

Screenwriting For Physicians

Executive Summary

Like all SEAK training, Medical Fiction Writing For Physicians will be hands-on, lively, and interactive. Attendees will have the opportunity to get all their questions answered. There will be numerous writing exercises and attendees will have an opportunity to get their writing reviewed and evaluated. Medical Fiction Writing For Physicians has been designed to give aspiring physician-authors what they have never had before: hands-on and practical training on how to write medical fiction and get published.

To deliver this training, SEAK has put together a world-class faculty. New York Times best-selling physician-authors, Michael Palmer, MD, and Tess Gerritsen, MD, will be teaching the course. The faculty also features numerous literary agents looking for new physician-authors. Space is limited for this special conference. It is sure to sell out for the fifth straight year. Early registration is highly recommended.

Topics Covered

Personal Success Stories: Michael Palmer and Tess Gerritsen

Mechanics of Writing: Premises vs. Plot, Ideas, Settings and Atmosphere, Showing vs. Telling, Points of View

Character: Naming and Describing, Back Story, History, Motivation, Relationships, Conflict, Dialogue, Minor Characters and Evolution of Characters

Plot: Building Scenes, Pacing, Developing, Suspense, Crisis and Resolution, Opening Hooks

Getting Published: Agents and Editors, Writing a Synopsis and Query Letter, Acquisition and Publication Process, Manuscript Appearance, Ancillary Markets, and Book Tours

Writing Exercises and Group Discussion

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to have a manuscript to attend or benefit from this course?

No - All you need is a desire or interest in writing.

If I have never written fiction before, is this course for me?

Yes - This course will help both the new and experienced writer.

Will this course help me get started?

Attendance is the first step to getting started. Don't put it off.

Will this course be work or fun?

It will be lively interactive and fascinating. You will "work" as much as you want to.

Will I get a chance to meet and talk to Michael Palmer and Tess Gerritsen?

Yes - They will both be at the course for three days and available to talk with you.

Seminar Benefits

Network with faculty, colleagues and New York agents and editors looking for new physician-authors
Learn from your peers who have made the transition from practicing physicians to international best-selling authors
Gain practical writing experience
Have your writing reviewed and critiqued by a faculty member
Soup to nuts fiction writing: from naming characters to getting an agent and getting published
Gorgeous location
Breakfast and lunch with Michael and Tess each day
Network with faculty and colleagues

This is the only course of its kind in the United States

Be inspired and motivated!

Past Attendee Reviews

Dear Steve,

I attended the 5^th annual Medical Fiction Writing for Physicians in 2004 and wanted you to know that I have now published my first novel. Your seminar at Cape Cod was the catalyst that I needed. Tess Gerritsen really inspired me.

My novel is entitled Time To Testify and is published by Xlibris in Philadelphia. Thanks again for providing seminars for physicians who have had very interesting experiences and who want to tell them. My novel deals with very topical issues including vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), cesarean section rates, malpractice, and a deadly courtroom scene.

Many thanks for your help.

John N. Haswell M.D.

Dear Mr. Babitsky,

I really enjoyed the Medical Fiction Writing Conference last September. Tess and Mike were great teachers.

I wanted to share my recent good news with you. I was just awarded first place in a national short story competition, The Hackney Literary Awards. To accept this honor I will attend the Writing Today conference at Birmingham Southern College and will give a reading of my work, as well as receiving a cash award. I am very excited and wanted you to know that I credit your course for teaching me to write at a competitive level.

I also met another attendee, Karen Laugel, MD and she has been a great resource. We have exchanged manuscripts and critiqued each others work. She has been a great source of encouragement and inspiration for me. I would encourage this year's participants to network as well. Thanks so much. Good at this year's meeting.

Yours truly,

M'Liss A. Hudson, MD

I attended the SEAK fiction conference in Cape Cod. I still even a few months later recall the time there and enjoyed it thoroughly. Your conference, including Michael and Tess were great!

I also wanted to let you know that the SEAK conference was inspirational to me in a couple of ways. First, I thought of Michael's use of the prologue and came home invigorated to try it, and I think it has made a big difference for the start of my book. So, thanks. I am excited to send it off again to get an agents attention.

Also, the conference was invaluable to me to encourage me to finish a couple of non-fiction articles I was writing for a contest in Medical Economics journal. One of them was accepted and is now available in a web exclusive at their web site and I invite you to read it. The address is www.memag.com, to find the article scroll down the home page to the web exclusive portion and click on the "Would I make the right choice?" link.

Thanks again.
Take care, Jerry

Hi Steve and Colleagues;

I attended your SEAK Medical Fiction-Writing for Doctors in Sept 2002. In fact, I was the sole Canadian participant and won third prize in
your story contest that year. I haven't yet cashed in my coupon prize for a second SEAK conference. Anyway, I have some wonderful news to tell you.

I submitted my manuscript (containing the chapter that won the prize in your contest) in August to Knopf Canada, an imprint of Random House. After keeping it for five months, they phoned me out of the blue and said they loved it but could offer no promises to publish. We spoke again on the phone, I had my hopes up, but the dreaded rejection letter arrived in the mail. It was a very encouraging letter full of praise for my voice and storytelling, but the bottom line was that they could not publish an unknown author, especially a memoir.

The good news is that a second publisher agreed to fast-track my manuscript on the strength of Knopf's praise. He phoned me within two
weeks, told me how excited he was about my work, and has agreed to publish it. More than that, we have signed an agreement and he has
paid me an advance. He wants the book to be reviewed by the local literati, so it's being published in hardcover -- this year, in the
autumn. Needless to say, I'm thrilled. So are my family, my writing teachers, the members of my writing group, my medical students. My
wife has already started to plan the book-launching party. My sister, who owns an advertising agency (the largest independent agency in
Ottawa, our Nation's Capital), is going to promote it. So� either I'll sell a handful of copies and give away a few dozen, or it will take off
and be a best seller. In Canada (population 30 million), a best seller is only 3000 to 5000 books sold.

Many thanks for your encouragement and for the important things I learned at your conference. I'll send you a copy of my book in the
autumn this year.

All the very best, Ross Pennie MD

Dr. Ross Pennie
Microbiology Laboratory
Brantford General Hospital

What Last Year's Participants Had To Say About The Programs:

"Very good" "It inspired me" * "Fun, instructive" * "Terrific" * "Splendid program" * "Excellent" * "Exceeded my expectations" * "Thought it was inspiring and exciting. Loved that Tess and Michael ran the course" * "Excellent experience" * "I thought they were great. My only feedback is THANK YOU!" * "They were terrific" * "Overall very good. Learned a great deal in a short span of time" * "Their enthusiasm was evident and encouraging" * "It is truly inspiring that they are willing to mentor new writers" * "Both Tess and Michael were excellent" * "Loved it! Thanks Tess and Michael" * "They did a great job" * "I was star struck at the reception when Tess came to our table, and laying a hand on my shoulder, began to talk with all of us as if we were special guests at the course"

Faculty

Tess Gerritsen, MD

Tess Gerritsen, MD, is the New York Times best-selling author of seven medical thrillers: HARVEST (1996), LIFE SUPPORT (1997), BLOODSTREAM (1998), GRAVITY (1999), THE SURGEON (2001), THE APPRENTICE (2002), and THE SINNER (2003). She received her BA from Stanford University and her MD from the University of California, San Francisco. She practiced as an internist for five years before leaving medicine to raise her children and concentrate on her new career as a novelist. Among her other writing credits are nine romantic thriller novels, as well as the screenplay for the 1993 CBS movie of the week, "Adrift," starring Kate Jackson. The feature film rights for GRAVITY have been sold to New Line Cinema.

Michael Palmer, MD

Michael Palmer, MD, is the New York Times best-selling author of CRITICAL JUDGEMENT, SILENT TREATMENT, NATURAL CAUSES, EXTREME MEASURES, FLASHBACK, SIDE EFFECTS, THE SISTERHOOD, MIRACLE CURE, THE PATIENT and FATAL. EXTREME MEASURES was made into a 1996 film by Castlerock Pictures starring Hugh Grant and Gene Hackman. His books have been translated into thirty languages. He trained in internal medicine at Boston City and Massachusetts General Hospitals, spent twenty years as a full-time practitioner of internal medicine, and is now an Associate Director of the Massachusetts Medical Society's Physician Health Program.

Agents and Editors

Literary agents who work in commercial fiction and are looking for new physician-authors will be present.

Loretta Barrett is President of Loretta Barrett Books, Inc., in New York, a literary agency she founded in 1990. Formerly, she was Editor-in-Chief of Anchor Books and Vice President and Executive Director at Doubleday & Co.

Lucienne Diver has been with the Spectrum Literary Agency for more that 10 years. She represents commercial fiction and suspense.

Elaine English is an Agent at Graybill & English, LLC, in Washington, DC. She is an attorney who expanded her legal practice to include agenting of commercial fiction.

Scott Hoffman is a Literary Agent at PMA Literary Agency in New York City. A life-long book junkie, he represents literary fiction, genre fiction, and the occasional project that just can't be classified.

Elaine Koster is the Founder of the Elaine Koster Literary Agency located in the Lincoln Center of New York City. She is the former president of Dutton. Some of the authors she published were Stephen King, Ken Follett, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Martha Millard is the Founder of Martha Millard Literary Agency in New York City. She represents a wide variety of fiction and has a special interest in thrillers.

Peter Miller is an Agent at PMA Literary and Film Management, Inc. He is most interested in agenting action suspense fiction.

Susan Ann Protter is a New York Agent who is interested in suspense fiction including thrillers.

Katherine Sands is a Literary Agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency in New York City. She represents a wide range of authors in a wide range of fiction.

Michael Snell is the President of the Michael Snell Literary Agency founded in 1978 which has overseen the publication of over 500 fiction and nonfiction titles. Michael has co-authored or collaborated on 38 books.

Patricia Snell is the Vice President of the Michael Snell Literary Agency which has overseen the publication of over 500 fiction and nonfiction titles.

Andrea Somberg is an Associate Agent and Rights Director of the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City. She is actively looking to expand her list focusing on fiction.

Alice Tasman is a Literary Agent with the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency in New York City. She handles mainstream fiction and literary fiction.

Steven Babitsky, Esq.

Steven Babitsky, Esq. was a personal injury attorney for twenty years. He is the co-author of many works in the medical-legal arena. He is the co-author of ten books.

Beth Wechsler, MSW

Beth Wechsler, MSW brings a combination of writing and group facilitation skills to the workshop. Nationally known for her books about high-risk youth, her stories have been published in Yankee, eBay Magazine, The Boston Globe, Consumer Reports and regularly in Cape Cod newspapers.

Schedule
Friday, September 10, 2004
7:00-8:30 PM	Reception Personal Success Stories: Michael Palmer and Tess Gerritsen Discussion with Authors/Seminar Leaders
Saturday, September 11, 2004
7:30-8:00	Continental Breakfast
8:00-10:00	Mechanics of Writing: In Depth Premises vs. Plot, Ideas and Where You Get Theme, Setting and Atmosphere, Showing vs. Telling, Points of View Writing Exercise Group Discussion
10:00-10:15	Break/Networking Opportunity
10:15-12:15	Character in Depth Naming and Describing Your Characters, Back Story, History of Characters, Motivation, Relationships, Conflict, Dialogue, Minor Characters, Evolution of Characters Throughout the Book
12:15-1:30	Lunch (Provided) with Faculty
1:30-2:30	Character in Depth (Continued) Writing Exercise Group Discussion
2:30 - 2:45	Break/Networking Opportunity
2:45-5:15	Plot in Depth Building Scenes, Developing Suspense, Pacing, Crisis and Resolution, Opening Hooks Writing Exercise Group Discussion
5:15-6:15	Book Signing Palmer and Gerritsen
Sunday, September 12, 2004
7:30-8:00	Continental Breakfast
8:00-10:00	Plot in Depth Subplots, Handling Transitions, Starting and Ending Chapters, Suspense and Surprise, Themes, Flashbacks Writing Exercise Group Discussion
10:00-10:15	Break and Networking Opportunity
10:15-12:15	Getting Published Agents and Editors, How to Write a Synopsis and Query Letter, Publication Process, Manuscript Appearances and Mechanics, Ancillary Markets, Book Tours Group Discussion
12:15-1:30	Lunch (Provided) with Faculty
1:30-3:00	Research, Editing, and Revising: In Depth How to Research Cost Effectively, Editing Process, When is Enough Revising Enough
3:00-5:00	Writer's Problems and How to Overcome Them: In Depth Writer's Block, Distractions, Fears, Leaving the Nest (Spouses Invited)
5:00	Concluding Remarks