Yet another Villa Diodati workshop behind me, and once more it was a wonderful experience: friends, great conversation, good food, and geekiness aplenty. Better still: this may have been the most productive VD of the 10.
As usual, a group of Villa Diodati speculative fiction writers—myself among them—gathered in an idyllic location (in this case, a quaint English cottage on the shore of a fishing pond) and gorged on good food and good company. As usual, mornings were for critiquing the short stories, novel outlines, and chapters everyone had submitted—and everyone else had had to read and critique—in advance. As usual, quality of the fiction was awesome (which should not keep amazing me; we had two Nebula nominees at the workshop and—at least—one more in the group).
What was unusual about this tenth Villa Diodati workshop was that the afternoons consisted, by unanimous vote, of writing, writing, and then more writing*. After lunch every day, we got together and announced that day’s targets to the group. Before dinner, we bragged about our afternoon achievements.
I’m not sure how many words of fiction were produced in this fashion, but by another statistic, the success and productivity of VD10 are readily apparent. Helped along by the Monday Submission Party**, and by the Foreign Market List***, the seven**** participants submitted a total of 30 pieces of fiction to various authors and markets. That’s more than four per writer! And even more amazing: at least two of those submissions—so far, and to my knowledge—resulted in sales, one of those even while we were all still at the cottage!
For my own part, I used one afternoon writing marathon to work the critiquing feedback I got from the group into a final version of Mashup. That particular story is now on its third submission. And during the Submission Party, I spelled the FML and found no less than six European and Oriental markets that might be interested in publishing translations of my previously published stories. Which makes seven submissions for me!
And still we found time for delicious meals and good conversation!
* As opposed to the writing exercizes, brainstorming, fun and games, and other activities we had at previous installments.
** Rest assured this does not involve leather, chains and/or whips; it’s not that kind of submission.
*** A wonderful web listing of markets (publications) around the globe that buy and translate previously published English-language fiction.
**** On the photo, from left to right: John Olsen, yours truly (top), Ruth Nestvold (bottom), Sylvia Spruck Wrightley, Nebula-nominees Nancy Fulda and Aliette de Bodard, and Stephen Gaskell (top).
