Advanced Legal Fiction Writing
Advanced Legal Fiction Writing with Personal Attention
September 29-30, 2007
Chicago, IL
Crowne Plaza Chicago O'Hare
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Executive Summary
This is an advanced writing program conducted in an
intimate group setting. It is designed to give you the personalized
attention and knowledge needed to help you break through and get
published.
Registration is strictly limited to a maximum of 36
attendees. This weekend course is being held in an easily
accessible, "fly in, fly out" location near Chicago's O'Hare
airport.
The course leader is New York Times best selling
author Robert Dugoni, Jr., Esq. Bob is a superb teacher and will
provide
the attendees with invaluable advice on how to take
their writing to the next level and get it published. Each attendee
will also receive substantial personalized attention, specifically:
� Written feedback on the first chapter of their
work from accomplished novelist and writing instructor John Hough,
Jr.
� A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with accomplished
novelist and writing instructor John Hough, Jr.
� Written feedback on their query letter and synopsis from literary
agent Sorche Fairbank
� A private 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with literary
agent Sorche Fairbank
Faculty
Robert Dugoni, Esq.
is the New York Times
Bestselling author of The Jury Master and Damage Control
(Warner/Hachette), as well as the critically acclaimed expose, The
Cyanide Canary, (Simon & Schuster) a Washington Post 2004 Best
Book of the Year Selection and the Idaho Book of the Year. The Jury
Master was chosen by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine as one of
"The Best of the Best" first novels of 2006 and sold to publishers
in twelve foreign countries. Bob is also a two-time winner of the
Pacific Northwest Writers Association Literary Award for fiction.
Bob graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a degree
in journalism and worked briefly as a reporter for the Los Angeles
Times before obtaining his doctorate of jurisprudence from the UCLA
School of Law. He has practiced as a civil litigator in San
Francisco and Seattle for twenty years. In addition to writing Bob
is an accomplished speaker and teacher. Visit his website at
www.robertdugoni.com.
Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank
established
Fairbank Literary Representation in 2002, when she first moved to
Cambridge, MA. Since then, Ms. Fairbank has had the pleasure of
working with a wide, dynamic, and varied list, representing multiple
best-selling authors, Pulitzer Prize finalists and winners, Edgar
recipients, award-winning journalists, and of course her favorite
kind of client the first-time author. In addition to her agenting
duties, Ms. Fairbank can be found teaching courses and giving
seminars and lectures on the elusive art of the query letter.
Updated information on Fairbank Literary can be found at
www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SorcheFairbank/.
John Hough, Jr.
is the author of the novels A
Two Car Funeral, The Guardian, The Conduct of the Game, and The Last
Summer. He is also the author the non-fiction works A Peck of Salt,
A Dream Season, and A Player For a Moment. He is a former speech
writer for United States Senator Charles Mathias and a former writer
for the New York Times while serving as the assistant to James
Reston. John is an experienced writing teacher and coach. He resides
on Martha's Vineyard.
Click here for registration information.
Schedule
S
aturday,
September 29, 2007
7:00-8:00 Registration & Continental Breakfast
NOTE:
Students should bring to class
an additional copy of their presubmitted first chapter of their work
and synopsis and be prepared to discuss them and accept and have
their work critiqued.
8:00-8:30 Introduction of Instructor, Robert
Dugoni, Esq.
Bob will
explain how he went from a journalist to a lawyer to a best-selling
novelist. He'll discuss the pitfalls along the way, living with and
learning from rejection, and how he taught himself to write novels.
Questions and Answers
8:30-10:00 Executive Summary of How to Write
Publishable Fiction:
Learn
the fundamental relationship between good stories and journeys, as
well as critical writing concepts such as to outline or not to
outline, and using writer's block positively. Bob will also teach
his four stages to writing to help lessen anxiety, as well as
discuss the qualities all good writing has in common. Questions and
Answers
10:00-10:15 Break and Networking Opportunity
10:15 - 12:00 Advanced Story Structuring:
From your initial query letter
to your published novel, the writer must convey that she understands
classic story structure. Using in class exercises and assignments,
students will use story structure to understand the holes in their
story's plot and how to fix them. Students will also be better
equipped to make educated choices on such things as prologues and
opening chapters, and to make critical judgments about the middle of
their book, and how to ensure that the ending brings into collision
the forces the writer has set in motion to deliver an emotionally
charged and intelligent ending. By the end of this portion of the
class, students will have ideas for improving their synopses.
Questions and Answers
12:00-12:45 Lunch with Faculty (provided)
12:45 -2:00 Advanced Character Development:
Learn the basic character
profiles, when and where these characters traditionally fit within
classic story structure, and how the writer can use characters to
create problems, solve problems, or impart information seamlessly.
Better understand why your protagonist must evolve, and the stages
of character evolution in traditional story telling. Questions and
Answers
2:00-3:15 The Most Common Writing Mistakes The
Class is Making and How to Avoid Them:
John Hough, Jr. will present a
succinct analysis, based upon the class' submissions, of the most
common writing mistakes the class is making. John will offer
practical advice on how to eliminate these mistakes. Questions and
Answers
3:15-3:30 Break and Networking Opportunity
3:30-5:00 Creating Memorable Characters:
Learn techniques to creating
memorable primary and secondary characters through the utilization
of physical and psychological attributes, clothing, mannerisms, and
dialogue. Using examples from well-known fiction and non-fiction,
including authors Stephen King, Stephen Hunter, J.R.R. Tolkien, and
the instructor's own work, students will study the techniques for
making:
1. Heroes not wimps. A well-rounded protagonist is
heroic, yet still vulnerable and capable of change.
2. Villains not caricatures. An antagonist is
frightening when he/she is real. That means creating well-rounded
villains and avoiding cardboard stereotypes and clich�s.
3. Sidekicks and mentors: Learn how to make a
secondary character stand out using markers, without the character
overtaking the story from your primary characters. Questions and
Answers
Sunday, September 30, 2007
6:30-7:00 Continental Breakfast
7:00-9:00 The First Three Pages:
Your first chapter should set the tone
of your novel. Using examples and student work, Bob will discuss
what makes a strong opening sentence, how to write a beginning that
grabs the reader's attention, and his do's and don'ts of the first
three pages. Questions and Answers
9:00-9:15 Break and Networking Opportunity
9:15-10:00 Prologues - Should I do it? And Second
Scenes - Where Do We Go From Here?
Learn to make educated decisions on
prologues, and how to keep the story moving in your second scene.
Questions and Answers
10:00-11:00 The Biggest Mistakes Attendees are
Making in Marketing Their Work and How to Avoid Them:
Literary agent Sorche Fairbanks will
identify and explain the biggest mistakes the attendees have made in
their submitted query letters and synopses and will provide
suggestions to eliminate these mistakes. Questions and Answers
11:00-12:00 Creating and Sustaining Tension and
Suspense to Keep the Reader Turning the Page:
Bob will teach his technique for
identifying the emotional highs and lows of your novel and how to
build tension toward each by posing story questions, holding onto
the answers to the questions posed, setting up the protagonist for
failure, planting seeds of doubt, and building tension within and at
the end of scenes. Questions and Answers
12:00 -12:45 Lunch with Faculty (provided)
12:45-1:45 Power Editing Your Manuscript to Make
it Better:
Learn Bob's five
steps to power editing your manuscript. 1) Making judgments about
your protagonist and antagonist. 2) Evaluating secondary characters.
3) Tightening the manuscript by being relentless in moving the story
forward. 4) Reviewing word and sentence choice - adjectives and
adverbs vs. verbs, original similes and analogies; active vs.
passive voice; and 5) Polishing your work to eliminate typos and
misspellings, and other mistakes that make the reader lose trust.
Questions and Answers
1:45 -2:00 Break and Networking Opportunity
2:00-3:30 Critique of Student Manuscripts &
Concluding Remarks:
Students should be prepared to share with the class their
presubmitted first chapter introducing a protagonist, antagonist, or
secondary character. The class will discuss techniques learned and
offer suggestions to bring the students work more fully to life.
Questions and Answers
What Bob's Past Attorney Fiction Writing Students
Have To Say:
"Very helpful and practical"
"Specific, not generalized"
"Extremely good - will help with my project"
"The written materials were excellent and the in class exercises
were outstanding."
"Very helpful and practical"
"Many, many substantive �how to' tips"
"Can't imagine being able to put more into one day"