Ventana Sierra Advanced Writer's Workshop - Defining Giving Back

Greetings Turbo Monkeys

I write this from Carson City, Nevada, where I am experiencing the first ever Ventana Sierra Advanced Writers Workshop.

I’ve learned to include sales figures, articles and social media stats in my Pitch Kit by Laurie McLean.  http://forewordliterary.com

How to “turn” a pitch by Michael Bourret (and what the market is seeking at this moment)  http://www.dystel.com/staff/mike.html

To ask the right questions by Judith Curr

http://imprints.simonandschuster.biz/atria

Why this book?

Who will read it?

How will you tell your readers about it?

... Most important “What kind of cake is it?”

Lorin Oberweger taught me that slow things should be told quickly and that fast things should be experienced slowly and with great detail.  http://www.free-expressions.com

This world builder learned from Emma Dryden that not only should I describe the physical landmarks but I should also create the tenets, values and emotions of the worlds I design.  And that the world within my characters should also be as deeply detailed.  

http://www.drydenbks.com/about.html

This is an amazing workshop and I highly recommend you be here next year.

But seriously, the biggest lesson I learned at Ventana Sierra was the definition of giving.

The faculty gave back their honorariums, others gave scholarships, Ellen Hopkins is giving back to writers...but the Ventana Sierra Organization is giving so so so much more.

Ventana Sierra was formed specifically to help highly motivated young people, who desired college or career training, but were financially unable to accomplish their goals to build solid career paths toward a more positive future. The application process is stringent, the expectations high. Those who enter the program must commit to a minimum of two years substance-free, and maintain a 3.0 GPA if they choose a college track. Those entering career apprenticeship programs must receive regular above average reviews by their mentors.

In exchange, participants will receive housing, tuition and books, transportation, medical care and life skills classes.

"We're new, so we're trying to jumpstart the program now. We have purchased our first house, which will serve up to six young people, and hope to purchase another house by the end of the year so we'll have living quarters for twelve, six boys and six girls. So it will provide housing, life skills classes, food, medical care if they need it—whatever assistance they need to be able to concentrate on learning or reaching career goals without having to, you know, struggle by living on the street, or by, or whatever. I just want to make it easy for them to be able to get that." 

 --  Ellen Hopkins

Take a moment from learning your craft, from designing your world and from your writer’s life and visit http://ventanasierra.org

Is there something you can give? 

Likes? Shares? Time? 

Have a wondrous day!