You almost make me wish I wrote fiction.

If you're chewing a nail and wondering if you should apply this year, the answer is yes. And not just for Jim's Gibsons (but Jim's Gibsons are pretty all right).

Next year in Martha's Vineyard. Next year in the holy land. (Actually probably not; next year, though the kid will have graduated, we'll only be beginning to dig out of the hole of college debt.)

Does anyone know of a similar workshop for mystery writers? I have a family member who is working on their third mystery; I'd like to suggest a workshop to them, and possibly help pay, but I don't know enough about the genre to find a workshop with a proven track record and published instructors that is aimed at writers past the level of Writing 101.

I'm so glad VP is still going strong!

Y'all probably don't remember me, but I was (as pre-married Rachel Horn) at Viable Paradise III, the class with Greg van Eekhout and David Moles in. Though I'm not (yet!) as successful with my writing as they, I can attest that that week in Martha's Vineyard was one of the best of my writing life. First of all, it gave me the impetus to finally finish my first novel, which I had been futzing around with for almost 10 years. But equally as cool, the critiques I received from the instructors and my fellow VPers were both very helpful in the short run, with ideas and skills for rewrites, and in the long run, they spurred me to join The Wordos, a professional writers group that helped me learn and practice even more. The VP instructors also gave me insights into the business side of writing I would not otherwise have had.

And of course, there was lots of fun: the potluck dinner, beer night, all the fine storytelling, the wonderful island backdrop, not to mention the "Henry IV" reading night, with Macdonald as Falstaff, iirc. Good times.

So, thank you, to all the staff, for making Viable Paradise so special. I hope this year's class is equally blown away.

Of course I remember you, Rachel. VP III was an -- interesting -- year. That was our first year at the Island Inn. It was also the year Rae died. We didn't have staff at that time. That was intense.

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#4 : Disguised

I don't know much about the mystery scene, so I asked around. The following were recommended:

Killer Nashville

Crime Fiction Academy

See also, the "Events" section at http://www.mysterywriters.org/

Thanks very much for the suggestions. I will investigate.

Extra encouragement for anyone still deciding whether or not to apply - Go for it. Best decision.

And now it's down to two weeks!

What I don't know about fiction writing could sink an island. I'm going to apply for this one day. Maybe next year. I've been in a writing program (not fiction) and they can do wonders for somebody with ambition but little experience or understanding of a form. Swear to gawd I wish I understood fiction as a writer the way I understand it as a reader.

"Fresh ribbon"? Okay.

Also: "Microsoft", not "MicroSoft".

Unless this is some sort of Holy Text, Not One Word of Which May Be Altered, someone might want to do an update.

Iku-Nuku 117G :

Hunh?

Are you sure you're responding to the right thread?

Are you sure you're responding to the right blog?

Well, my comment got "held for review" (probably because of the link), but if you go to the application information page you'll see what I meant.

So: Yes. Right thread, right blog.

We include the basic instructions for hardcopy MSS submission because we don't want to penalize applicants who haven't yet joined the computer age.

We'd hate to lose a good applicant just because they happen to be working with a second-hand Smith-Corona they picked up at an estate sale.

Ah. Inclusiveness.

Can those Smith-Corona folks view the website with Chrome or are they stuck with Internet Explorer?

Iku-Nuku 117G: Can those Smith-Corona folks view the website with Chrome or are they stuck with Internet Explorer?

Depends on what the branch of the public library down the street from them is using, I suppose.

I've semi-seriously considered writing stories on a typewriter. Fewer distractions.

I haven't gone so far as to find a typewriter, but I've done some writing on an ancient laptop with no internet connection and no games.