March 2013
The March 1-3, 2013 workshop will be located at the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA, just two blocks from the beach and six miles from the Monterey Regional Airport.
Pricing | Register | Schedule | FAQs
Pricing
Choose from one of the options below:
FULL PACKAGE (Shared Room)………………………………720.00
LOCAL RATE (Workshop no lodging)……………………….600.00
GUEST (Meals and lodging)……………………………………..390.00
PRIVATE ROOM SURCHARGE………………………………..150.00
Register
Then call 831-667-2574 and give us your choice, name, e-mail and phone number along with payment using, Visa/MC/Discover/Amex. If we do not respond please leave a message with a call back number and a good time to call: We will call you back. Or…
Download our registration form: PDF or Word , fill in and send via snail mail with a check enclosed to: “Big Sur Writing Workshop” Henry Miller Library, 48603 Highway One, Big Sur, CA 93920. Your submission will not be considered until payment has been received. You will receive immediate confirmation of registration upon receipt of payment.
To complete registration, you must also submit the first two pages of text, or up to the first 500 words or the entire picture book text, via email (pdf). Also send a query letter and, if you like, a synopsis of your work(s) as these will be dealt with during the course of the workshop to help writers make them as strong as possible. Please email your submission to: magnus@henrymiller.org
Cancellation policy:
75% REFUND IF CANCELLED THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO STARTING DATE.
AFTER THAT NO REFUND
Some Helpful Tips
- In the past these workshops have sold out early, so we recommend that you register soon. Our policy is first come, first served.
- Works and writers may not be accepted if the content falls outside the faculty’s areas of expertise, or if the director feels the work and writer would not benefit from attending the workshops. You will be notified as soon as possible, with a full refund of registration fee, should your work not be approved. We suggest you hold off on making airline reservations until you receive notification of acceptance. Such notification is via email.
Any questions? Call us at 831-667-2574.
Please note: Registration deadline for the March workshop is February 20, 2013.
Schedule
Note: the times will remain the same, but some of the details may change as the workshop approaches.
Friday, March 1:
1:00—2:00: Check in to hotel—Embassy Suites Hotel, Monterey/Seaside
2:10: Welcome, orientation
3:30—5:30: Critique Group 1
5:45: Cocktail Hour in hotel lobby
6:45: Dinner and presentation by Magnus Torén about Big Sur and Henry Miller Library plus a song or two.
Saturday, March 2:
7:30—8:30: Breakfast at hotel
8:45—10:45: Critique Group 2
11:00—Noon: Query and Pitch with a panel of Editors and Agents.
Noon: Pick up box lunch in lobby
Revising time in afternoon
3:30—5:30: Return to Critique Group 1
5:45—6:45: Cocktail Hour at hotel
6:45: Dinner
8:30: Evening Program with Editors: What publishers are looking for
Sunday, March 2:
7:00—8:30: Breakfast at hotel
8:45—10:45: Return to Critique Group 2
11:00—Noon: Agents Panel
Noon: Check out and farewell
FAQs
How do I get to the Embassy Suites in Seaside, CA?
From SF, click here; from LA, here. The Embassy is located at 1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside, California, United States 93955; Tel: 1-831-393-1115.
What’s the nearest airport?
That’d be the Monterey Peninsula Airport. Once you arrive, you can call the hotel and ask for the shuttle by calling 831-393-1115. (The hotel is only 10 minutes away.) Airports within 2 hours driving time are San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco airports.
When’s check-in?
Check-in at the hotel is between 12 and 2 PM, however, due to the check-out time being 3PM there is no guarantee that you’ll be accessing your room until 3. In the unlikely event you won’t be able to access your room right away, the hotel will be able to safely store your luggage until your room is ready.
What if I want to stay extra nights?
If you are interested in staying extra nights before or after the workshop please call the hotel directly at 831-241-9116 and speak to Serena Huerta, (leave a message and she’ll call back.) Mention that you are part of the Big Sur Writing Workshop to get a discount on the room rate. If you need to speak with someone immediately during business hours you can also call Gretchen Andersen at 831-241-9133.
What should I bring?
Well, the rooms have TV, radio, wi-fi, and alarm clocks. Despite these modern conveniences/distractions, we hope you plan to write. So, naturally, bring pads, laptops, word processors, and yes, even a printer or two.
What can I expect in terms of critique groups?
The main format is small critique groups consisting of four to six people in each critique group with all or most writers writing in the same genre as much as is possible with the number of attendees and number of people writing in each genre.
How many pages should I bring? How many copies?
*Bring entire picture book texts if writing picture books—can bring up to 3 different manuscripts. If artist, bring art samples or dummies
*Bring a query or cover letter and/or synopsis (All writers—even picture book writers)
*For easy readers/chapter books: Bring one entire copy. (Or if short—under 30 pages entire manuscript) bring at least 6, can bring up to 10 copies of whole manuscript. Otherwise, bring about 30 pages of what you really want to work on.
*If you are working on a novel, do bring one entire copy, then 10 copies of from 10-20 pages (prefer the first 1-3 chapters) for each of the two critique groups. You are likely to be working with 10 different people over the course of the weekend in the groups so good to have one copy for each person—thus the 10. If you plan to work on chapter 8 in one of the groups and the first chapter in the other group, just 5 copies of each should suffice.
*All copy should be regular margins, double spaced and black typeface easy to read
*If you have your own small printer, feel free to bring.
What about the dress code?
Dress code is casual and comfortable. We will have a couple of cocktail parties but it’ll all be informal, casual and fun.
Should I bring, say, swimwear?
Yes! The hotel has an indoor spa/pool.
