In addition to being a literary agent I am also a writer. I've written three novel-length romance and fantasy manuscripts with a fourth half done. I've written short stories, novellas, podcasts and oodles of publicity materials. So when we created SFWU, I came at it from a writer's point of view. What did I want in an online university targeted solely towards writers? I wanted affordable, easily accessible classes that were both deep and broad enough to help me through plot, character and pacing problems at the exact moment I needed assistance; give me inspiration when writers block hit; educate me about the publishing process; provide short tips on using social media and the new technology that is transforming the publishing industry; and more benefits like these. I wanted a community of other writers and publishing professionals to network with and learn from. I wanted a hub that I could return to time and time again to improve my craft, explore my writing world, create a writer's community and maybe someday sell my work.
I think we've succeeded in phase one. The university is live. It has a lot more than classes. You can create your own profile and explore the profiles of the other members. You can comment on classes, blog about anything having to do with writing, post topics to the forum and join in discussions surrounding topics posted by other members.
In phase two we'll add more live events, video classes, online multi-week classes. In phase three we may even become an eBook publisher of tools for writers. The sky is the limit.
What do YOU want from San Francisco Writers University?
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I would love to hear about great books about writing people have read and also hear about techniques or strategies other authors have used to improve their craft and take it to the next level.
What resources have people used on here, how have they used them -- simple things
As a formarly quiet mouse just learning to roar, I'd like to make sure it's not just the loudest and most persistant voices that get edited. Some fragile gems may be lost because they are disheartened by all the bluster and rah rah rah. They don't feel worhy of shouting "rah rah" for themselves, but if they don't they'll soon be buried under a pile of less talented loud mouths getting all the gold.
What can we do about this?
I agree with mfogelsong below. I love to workshop -- read and be read, critique and be critiqued. I need to remain accountable, so I wil continue to write to someone. I began to write because I had to, and I still have to but I also crave feedback, and assistance from my peeers. I am a social person, and writing is a lonely proofession, so let's get together, and see what you have to read. I am willing to take a look at someon'e first chapter, and in turn will submit mine. That's what I want, feedback, interaction, a peer group.
I want to build editorial partnerships that work well. For example, what if you offered a chance for everyone to showcase a chapter from their WIP, and all who submit a chapter in said forum are then eligible to team up as mentors. So let's say I really like Sally Smelly's first chapter, "The Woes of Stinky Cheese" and she really likes my first chapter, "I Ate My Grandma and Burped Melaleuca," then Sally can contact me via the forum and say, "Hey, you wanna swap a chapter for critiquing?" If Sally enjoys my critique and I get a lot of helpful tips out of hers, we may move on to edit/critique each other's second chapter as well. If not, then bye-bye Sally (hopefully with no hard feelings). Eventually, if you find a writer/editing partner with whom you're compatible, you may end up editing/critiquing one another's entire manuscript, benefitting both parties.
That's exactly what this writer wants. I've been on many writerly blogs and forums, but I've never found one with that format. Just saying...
Hi Laurie,
Thank you for an awesome beginning.
I am going to be watching both the "E" trend in publishing and regular.
Best,
Carina
I would like the 1939 issue of Detective Comics introducing the caped crusader, but I'll settle for a class on genre and its relevance in the new ebook, P2P publishing world. Is that something we can swing? The class I mean, not the comic. I recognize that that is a pipe dream.
Rock on Laurie! Great start!
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