Event Description
Seminar
Crafting The Short Story – in Two Parts
with Presenter Peter A. Balaskas
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Saturday, July 20, 2013
You can take either Part 1 (June 15) or Part 2 (July 20), or both for a reduced rate.
PART 1 on Saturday, June 15
Peter Balaskas will discuss the craft of short story writing, the importance of writing cogently for brevity and impact, and various critical elements of this special writing genre. In a nutshell: What do I as an editor look for when publishing short stories in published anthologies?
The June 15 seminar will be divided into two halves. In the first half, Peter will discuss the CREATIVE aspects of short story writing: plot, styles, themes, etc. In the second half, after the break, he will discuss the BUSINESS aspects of short story writing: where to submit work, how to find trustworthy editors, how to write cover letters when submitting your work, etc.
PART 2 on Saturday, July 20
Strictly a writer’s workshop, where Peter will teach and moderate. Everyone brings 5 pages of material. Peter will give an introduction of the seminar, explain critiquing rules. Followed by individuals reading excerpts of their work, to be critiqued by the participants.
Our presenter:
PETER A. BALASKAS has been a chemist, theatre actor, NBC page, NBC camera technician and founder and owner of his own award-winning publishing company, Ex Machina Press, until he finally found his own professional groove as a copyeditor, voice-over artist, SEO web page writer, and speculative fiction writer.
Peter was awarded “2007 Publisher of the Year” by the DIY Book Festival in Los Angeles, and “2009 Publicist of the Year” by the Book Publicists of Southern California for his work as Managing Editor and Marketing Manager of Ex Machina Press. His first book, “The Grandmaster,” was awarded Best Science Fiction Novel of 2007 by the Hollywood Book Festival. His horror story collection, “In Our House,” was nominated for the 2012 Pushcart Prize for Fiction.
He also serves as a journalist for Splash, Newport Beach, and Bespoke magazines.
Peter is now researching and writing his first full-length supernatural crime thriller, and he has the chronic morning sickness to prove it!
His website is PeterABalaskas.com.