About Alpha
Writing
The days at Alpha will consist of lectures, writing exercises, activities, time for writing and time for just hanging out. Some topics we hope to cover are:
- creating new ideas
- character creation and portrayal
- plot - the glue that keeps those nice characters attached and in motion
- conflict and tension
- dialog, description and narrative exposition (including setting and ways to work back story into the narrative)
- pacing, mood, and imagery
- poetry
- the structural bones of the commercial novel, novella, short story, and flash story
- money matters
- scams, cons, vanity presses, and bad agents
- marketing and manuscript preparation (manuscript mailing party on Friday!)
Tentative schedule for the 2008 workshop.
Tuition
The workshop fee for 2008 is $950. This fee includes Alpha meals, housing, airport/bus/train pickup, transport to and from events during Alpha and to Confluence, Confluence membership and fictionwise.com reading packet. The fee does not cover travel to and from Pittsburgh, Confluence meals or hotel charges. Our detailed parental information page provides additional data on what the fee includes, plus information on housing and meals.
Application
To apply to Alpha, please click on Application and complete the online application form, send in the $10 application fee, and submit your application short story.
Submission story
Your submitted work does not have to be perfect. What we look for in the stories is promise, not experience. Send us what you feel is your best work. We encourage every young writer who is interested to apply.
You will need to submit a science fiction, fantasy, or horror story, 2000 to 6000 words long, to be submitted electronically to story-submit@spellcaster.org. You may not submit fan fiction (fiction using existing characters or worlds, such as Star Trek), and you must submit a short story, not an excerpt from a longer work.
We encourage international or disabled students and Betas to inquire at an early date in order for Alpha to make any necessary arrangements for accommodation, meals, etc. E-mail alpha@spellcaster.org if you have any special needs.