Virtual Writers’ Retreat and AGM
Sunday 18 September 2022
9:45 am – 5.15 pm
Join us for a day of workshops, networking, and fun! Have a say in SpecFicNZ’s activities for the next year. Hang out with other speculative writers around Aotearoa New Zealand. Win spot prizes throughout the day.
9.45 – 10 am Welcome/intro to the day
10 am – noon Workshop: Things I Wish I’d Known BEFORE Selling My First Book
Presented by Gail Carriger
Successful hybrid author and NYT bestseller Gail Carriger covers concepts and terms that established authors and book industry professionals use all the time, but that you might not actually completely understand. She reviews current industry standards and expectations of authors. She will help you determine which path is best for your book and career: traditional publishing, self publishing, or a hybrid of the two. She’ll cover the 4 things she believes EVERY author should have set up online BEFORE their first book launches into the world.
12 – 12.30 pm Lunch
12.30 – 1.30 pm AGM—Make sure you have your say! Join us to discuss the agenda for SpecFicNZ for the next year. Learn how you can get involved and get the most from your membership. Join the conversation and go in the draw to win a 30-minute one-on-one session with Gail Carriger!
1.30 – 3.00 pm Workshop: Creating a Sense of Place Using the Natural World
Presented by Robinne Weiss
As living creatures, we respond to the environment around us—to the feel of rain, the sound of wind, the smell of the freshly mown grass … But sometimes we forget to pay attention to these sensations as writers. Whether you set your stories in the Australian outback, downtown Auckland or on an alien planet, your characters will experience the environment with all of their senses. Learn how to tune into the world around you in order to include details in your stories that transport your readers into the scene alongside your characters. Bring both characters and setting alive with select details from the natural world.
3.00 – 3.15 pm Break
3.15 – 5.15 pm Concurrent sessions:
Special Edition Write Club
Hang out with other writers, share what you’re working on and spend some time putting words on paper in the company of other writers.
Member to Member Q&A
Pour yourself a glass or a cuppa and have a chat with your fellow writers. SpecFicNZ’s membership is a treasure trove of experience and knowledge. Talk shop with other writers. Share techniques, tips and troubles.