March 24, 2015
Fiction Writing Talk and Workshop
Instructor: Barry Lancet, author of Japantown and Tokyo Kill
Date: May 10, 2015 (Sunday)
Time: Lecture session 2:00-3:30 p.m.; Workshop session 3:45-5:00 p.m.
Lecture and/or workshop fee: 1,000 yen
Place: Wesley Center, Room 204
RSVP: If you want to have a manuscript critiqued during the workshop portion, please let us know by email in advance at SWET.
Fiction of all types has a few salient points in common, and it is these, as well as an author’s unique voice, that make for a riveting novel. The lecture session, with a Q&A, will focus on contemporary and genre fiction, the factors common to all compelling books that attract us as readers, and pointers on what should be focal points for writers.
The workshop portion will focus on a more detailed discussion of what makes a successful manuscript, including an examination of the opening pages of submitted ms samples. We’ll take a closer look at common pitfalls that nearly every beginning writer (and some intermediate ones) makes and will include some must-do’s and don’ts, ideas on how to edit your own work, how and when to approach an agent or publisher, and a few pointers from outside experts that Lancet has culled over the years.
NOTE: Everyone is welcome to attend one or both sessions. If you would like to discuss your ms, please send the first three to five pages (10 at most) to barry[at]barrylancet.com at least a week in advance (May 3) and be prepared to bring an additional 5 to 10 copies for other workshop participants. We will try to get to every piece of work. Copies of the work will be returned to authors at the end of the workshop.
ABOUT the speaker: Before he began writing fiction, Barry Lancet worked as a book editor for Kodansha International (with offices in Tokyo, New York, and London) for over 20 years. His position gave him inside access to many traditional and business circles in Japan, and some of his experience found its way into his books. Japantown (2013, Simon & Schuster), his first international mystery/thriller, won the Barry Award for Best First Mystery and has been optioned by J. J. Abrams for a TV drama. Tokyo Kill (Fall 2014, S&S) was selected as a fictional must-read for Asian leaders. Lancet still makes his home in Tokyo but visits the U.S. often.
For more information, please visit http://barrylancet.com/ or look for Barry on Facebook and Twitter (@barrylancet).