Another Writing Dream™ come true

Today I fulfilled another Writing Dream™: I taught a speculative-fiction-writing workshop to some terrific kids (who happen to go to the best school in the whole wide world including Hogwarts). We talked about genre fiction and what distinguishes it (in broad terms) from literary fiction, the elements of what makes something a good piece of genre fiction, and how the Milford model of crit groups (à la Clarion South) works. They're off drafting their stories over the next week, and then they'll do a peer critique in modified Milford-style crit groups.

Before the third meeting, they go off and do a redraft, to be critiqued in their groups again (another divergence from strict Milford model, but it's my workshop.) The fourth meeting we'll talk about how to format and submit stories, how to find markets, how to read their stories out loud effectively, how to publicize their writing achievements and endeavors, and where to go for more information and training.

I'm having so much fun! To any of my brave young writers who may have tracked down this blog, first, thanks for making the effort, and second, I hope you're having fun, too! Now go and write. I'll do the same.