Surviving DFWCon's 2022 Query Gong Show

Image by Hans from Pixabay

 The DFW Writers Conference was back in person this weekend for the first time since 2019, with a brand-new Query Gong Show. For those new to this site, the Query Gong Show is a riff on the 1970's TV talent show in which contestants performed until judges stopped them by striking gongs. DFWCon's version is less brutal but still not for the fainthearted.

Here are the rules: writers submit their literary queries anonymously to a panel of literary experts who strike table-top gongs to signal the point at which they would stop reading if receiving these queries in their own emails. Writers can get gonged once, twice, without stopping the reading (by DFW's mellifluously voiced George Goldthwaite). But three strikes and they're out!

When DFWCon debuted its Gong Show years ago, no query survived gonging. But over the years, first one query, then more, passed the test.

This year four -- FOUR! -- of the ten entries made it to the finish with no more than one, two, even in a couple of instances, no gongs whatever from the panel comprised of Cate Hart (Harvey Klinger Agency), Terrie Wolf (AKA Literary Management), Sue Arroyo (ComCat Publishing), Amy Collins (Talcott Notch Literary Services), Kevin O'Connor (O'Connor Literary Agency), and Naomi Eisenbeiss (Inkwell Management).

Have writers learned from the results of previous Gong Shows? Or, as some viewers suggested, is it simply that there's more information online -- and at conferences such as DFW's -- about how to fashion their queries?

To help writers survive query ordeals, here's a rundown of panelists' suggestions:

• Don't be generic. As Wolf, Collins, and Arroyo mentioned at different point, don't use phrases that suggest recent Netflix shows. And Hart gonged for an entry with a stereotypical logline. Don't use cliches -- be specific.
• Exercise sensitivity. Collins gonged two queries for ethnic stereotypes and problematic racial language. Wolf gonged a children's book for its treatment of disability. (That book did escape a dreaded third gong).
• Don't do a gross-out. Although panelists sometimes admitted their lack of familiarity with the genre of a query, a reference to "rotting flesh" stopped O'Connor as it probably would have stopped even agents who were die-hard horror fans.
• Be upfront about your book's genre, theme, and wordcount. Panelists were instructed not to gong simply because they didn't represent a specific genre. But in real life, be sure those match the requirements listed on the website of the agent you're querying.
• Make sure those genres and wordcounts match literary norms. Both Eisenbeiss and Arroyo noted that the wordcount for one entry felt too light for the amount of worldbuilding its genre required.
• Write just enough, but don't forget the important stuff. Multiple agents confessed themselves lost in queries that were overly long and complicated, but in some cases didn't tell them what was actually at stake in the story. Will the world end in ice, fire, or the dreaded meh?
• Don't chase trends. More than one agent also reported receiving queries that involve viruses. (Wonder where that idea came from?)
• Finally, for those writing fiction, finish the book before querying. A query stating that only one chapter had been completed received the dreaded three gongs simultaneously.

That's all for now. But there will be more highlights about the DFWCon in future posts, including -- how to write a query!

Weird & wonderful fall writing contests and events

(Updated November 15 with information about DL Hammons' WRiTE CLUB contest.)

How long has it been since I posted about writing contests? Well, that's too long! Here's a sampling, both wonderful and weird, to whet your writing appetite. The good news -- they're all virtual!

First -- WRiTE CLUB, DL Hammons' popular reader's choice contest, has officially kicked off for 2021. Submissions accepted November 15-28. It's fun! It's Free It's got great prizes. See DL's site  for details.

Now-October 26: The Writers Guild of Texas annual flash fiction contest offers cash prizes to the top four stories. Entries must be 300-1000 words, original, and not previously published. No poetry, essays or fan fiction. See the guidelines for additional requirements. First entry fee for nonmembers is $35, which includes a complimentary WGT membership through December of the following year, $15 each for additional entries (maximum of three). WGT members may submit one entry at no additional cost. Additional submissions cost $15 per entry. See the site for additional guidelines.

Now-November 15: Carve Magazine's Prose & Poetry Contest 2021 offers cash prizes and publication for winners in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Writers may submit multiple entries, with maximum wordcounts of 10,000 for prose, 2,000 for poetry. Stories (literary only -- no genre fiction) essays, and poems must be previously unpublished (including on-line publication). Entry fee: $17. No mailed submissions. See the site for full details.

Image: Ryan McGuire for Pixabay

December 2: Twitter's quarterly pitch your book by tweet event, #PitMad (brought by Pitch Wars) tempts literary agents and acquisition editors to request manuscripts by "liking" the authors' 280-character pitches. Open to all unagented writers working in all genres. Work must be completed and polished but unagented. Include the #PitMad hashtag and an age sub-hashtag. Writers may also include multiple genre or additional hashtags and may multiple manuscripts. Just don't pitch more than three times for any single work during the day. Not yet ready to query? No fear -- #PitMad repeats quarterly, starting again March 2022. See the Pitch Wars site for details.

Now-December 31: L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future contest is for new and amateur writers of science fiction and fantasy. Repeats quarterly. Cash prizes for first through third-place, with each quarter's first place winners competing for an additional annual prize. Original works only, not previously published in professional media, up to 17,000 words. No entry fee. See the site for details.

Want more? Need more? Of course! So check out Arthur Klepchukov's Writing Contests Worth Your Time and Erica Verrillo's Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity blog. And don't forget Reedsy's list of contests as well as Ralan.com!

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Then there are the writing/literary conferences. Pandemic protocols moved many of what were normally spring and summer events into late autumn, even early winter, so there's till time to catch some old favorites and make new ones.

October 25-28, 30-31: The Texas Book Festival opted for a hybrid formal. October 25-28 events are virtual, those 30-31 in-person at outdoor venues in Austin, Texas. Free as always, but check the site for details.

November 1-30: Maybe NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month) isn't exactly a conference. But this self-described seat-of-your-pants creative writing event has gone world-wide. Start a book, make friends virtually or in-person, and give yourself an excuse to let someone else roast the Thanksgiving turkey!

November 4-7: The World Fantasy Convention goes bravely hybrid -- live from Montreal, Canada, or in your living room. Many details still to be hashed out, so see the site and remember to check COVID-19 protocols for international travel.

November 5-6: New to me is the Fiction Intensive Virtual Writing Conference, taught by the likes of of Steven James, Donald Maass, Tosca Lee, and more authors, agents, and editors. As always, see the site for registration and complete details.

November 18-20: The RWA Conference (Romance Writers of America) opted for full-on virtual. Check the site for details and registration.

December 15-17: Finally on my list of major literary conferences is WorldCon, the international science fiction event, to be held in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned to the site for details.

As we near the end of 2021, look ahead. Some 2022 events are staying virtual -- which means less expensive. Events like Donald Maass's BONI (Breakout Novel Intensive), going virtual June 13-19, 2022; and Breakout Novel Graduate Learning Retreat January 17-23, 2022. And yes, there are in-person versions of both. See the Free Expressions site for details.

(Post updated to include Writers Guild of Texas flash fiction contest)

The world in your hands – 2020’s virtual literary events

It started when an ad flashed across my screen for a literary event on the other side of the country. An event I never have the funds to attend, much less the nerve to travel to during a pandemic. Then, as I was about to scroll past, the magic words appeared – now online!

I dashed to the website, checked the cost – less than half of what the in-person event would have been, plus no travel or lodging fees, pulled out a credit card, and then wondered what else is there that I’d love to go to if only I could afford it. And wasn’t scared of catching my death of COV-19 to attend.

Usually, this blog concentrates on event in Texas, especially in my region of the state. But with online events, no place is too far!

image: cocoparisienne from Pixabay

June 26-28: Writers’ League of Texas bills the 2020 version of its annual Austin, Texas, event as an “unconference.” Sad to report, this one doesn’t include the list of agents and editors that are usual sweeteners, but there’s still plenty of craft information as well as other goodies such as genre meetups for writers and the popular “yoga for writers.” And it’s free! See the site for details, but hurry, this one’s coming up fast. The final schedule should be available June 23. See the site for details.

June 27: 2020 Austin African American Book Festival has also gone virtual. It's free but attendees must register on Eventbrite (see the site for links). The festival includes four Zoom sessions from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with New York Times bestselling authors Isabel Wilkerson and Dr. Damon Tweedy, American Library Association-recognized librarian and archivist kYmberly Keeton, and a tribute to poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The festival's theme -- "We Wear the Mask: Surviving Oppression in the 21st Century," pays homage to one of Dunbar's most famous works. 

July 6-14: Thrillerfest is the New York conference whose announcement first ignited my attention, with package prices starting at $149. At that price, writers get the basic Mega CraftFest, which includes videos with more than 120 of the best thriller authors in the world. Or upgrade to Master Class for $399 with a maximum of 10 attendees per instructor in a private Zoom room. Pitch sessions with agents and consulting sessions with editors are available for additional fees, although most are already sold out.

CareerFest is a free add-on with both CraftFest and Master Class and includes discussions of what agents want in a pitch, social media use, book reviews, and more. See the site  for details.

July 29-August 2: WorldCon is the worldwide conference on science fiction and fantasy, originally scheduled to be held in Wellington, New Zealand, now goes virtual, with the likes of author guests of honor Mercedes Lacks and Larry Dixon and toastmaster George R.R. Martin, and more. To attend, buy memberships through the sponsoring convention, CoNZealand. Cost is $300 NZ for attending adults, with discounts for teens and children. At this writing, program details have not been confirmed. Check the site for updates and payment information.

August 28-30: Romance Writers of America are also going virtual with the annual RWA Conference. Early registration opens June 23, at 11 a.m. Central Time, starting at $139 for RWA members and $189 for nonmembers, with discounted rates available for students. Expect inspiring speakers, workshops and networking. Recorded sessions will be available to attendees for the remainder of 2020. (Wondering about the recent publicity surrounding RWA’s diversity issues? Black authors who are RWA members may attend free of charge. One hundred scholarships will be available for non-RWA member Black authors. Details available when registration opens.)

October 16-17: Bouchercon is the world mystery convention, originally scheduled for Sacramento, California, but now virtual. Details are still being worked out, with registration opening July 1-October 4. Refunds for attendees who registered for the Sacramento conference by April 16 should receive a full refund. Keep an eye on the site for details.

October 29-November 1: Not to be outdone by WorldCon, the World Fantasy Convention 2020 has also gone virtual. Cost $125. Programming details still to come, but guests include author guest of honor Stephen Gallagher, editor guest of honor Anne Groell, artist guest of honor David Cherry and author special guests Brandon Sanderson, C.J. Cherryh, Cindy Pon, and Stephen Graham Jones.

November 5-7: Writer's Digest Annual Conference also goes virtual, with a new date. Still with writing instruction--including pre-conference workshops with David Corbett and Windy Lynn Harris, plus inspiration and publishing advice in flexible viewing sessions. Registration is open. Cost for the basic conference (November 6-7) is $349. The pre-conference workshops (November 5) are available as add-ons to the basic conference for $149 each, or can be bought as stand-alones for $199. There's also a pitch-slam add-on for $149, with preparation starting August 14. See the site for details and registration. 

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What’s not on this list?

 I’m still waiting for ArmadilloCon to respond to my request about the status of its August 7-9, Austin, Texas, sci-fi/fantasy event.

 FenCon, the Dallas-area sci-fi/fantasy convention originally scheduled for September 18-20, has been postponed until 2021. Memberships, vendor and art show space already purchased will be rolled over to 2021 or contact the convention by September 1to request refunds.

The Historical Novel Society has also cancelled its 2020 conference in Durham, England, but plans to reschedule for 2022. (Note: the HNS North American conference is still on track for June 24-26, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas.)

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I woke up June 23 to a report of an assault at the 2019 (nonvirtual) Bouchercon. The incident was passed on to Thrillerfest which, although not associated with Bouchercon, initially published the victim's name. (This information had been deleted before I saw the post.) Although virtual conventions will eliminate the possibility of physical assault, please exercise compassion and common sense in all contacts, including virtual ones.

(This post has been updated 10:25 a.m. CDT, June 23, to note assault report at a previous year's convention and at 4:01 p.m. CDT, June 25, to include the Austin African American Book Festival. Information about the Writer's Digest conference was added June 29. I will not add more updates to this post, but will provide more details about the late summer and fall conferences in additional posts.) 

Totally Texas -- Science fiction for the people

FenCon VIII/DeepSouthCon 49

Crowne Plaza North Dallas,

14315 Midway Road, Addison

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The fan-run literary sci-fi and fantasy convention known as FenCon returns to North Texas this coming weekend, September 23-25. It’s not just about wild costumes, although there are always plenty of those at the Con, now in its eighth year. Many fans, like the young man in the illustration for this post, design and make -- in some cases, build -- their own wearing apparel. And FenCon has workshops to help you get them right, concentrating this year on steampunkish Victoriana.

Not sure what steampunk is? You’ll know once you’ve seen the “Hustle in Your Bustle” demonstration on Friday’s program schedule. But even if you’re not into bustles, literally or otherwise, the convention offers readings and book signings by local and nationally-known authors, editors and artists.

Or fans can visit discussions on everything from choosing e-readers to the evolution of women in comics. From a discussion of cartoon characters Phineas and Ferb to a workshop on the making of professional-looking wings. Programming for children and young adults runs all three days as well and ranges from serious NASA science to arts and crafts projects on Harry Potter wands and the construction of dragons from chenille pipe cleaners.

The breadth and variety of programming prompted local CBS station KVTV to list FenCon VIII as one of the best literary events this fall in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Memberships for the entire event or one-day will be available when registration begins at the Crowne Plaza hotel at 9 a.m. Friday. See www.fencon.org/ for information on events and membership prices.

I’ll be there, participating in a writers’ workshop led by Hugo award-winning editor Lou Anders. Sorry, that workshop is sold out. But maybe I’ll see you in the panels or at a party or Saturday night’s costume parade. I’ll be the one dressed as a writer and you’ll be the one -- well, I can’t wait to see your bustle!

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Other good stuff this week -- some of it free:

Rosalyn Story returns to Dallas Tuesday, September 20, to read and sign her newest novel, Wading Home. Ms. Story is a violinist with the Fort Worth Symphony and was one of the featured writers at SMU’s literary festival earlier this year. At Skillman Southwestern Library, 5707 Skillman Street in Dallas. Refreshments at 6 p.m., with reading at 6:45. Free.

Shakespeare Dallas is back at the Samuell-Grand Amphitheatre, 6200 E. Grand Blvd., Dallas, starting Wednesday, September 21. Enjoy Hamlet outdoors in the cooler fall temperatures. Times and ticket prices at
www.shakespearedallas.org/

Autumn at the Arboretum currently boasts nearly 50,000 pumpkins imaginatively displayed. You’re bound to find plenty of photo opportunities if only you can get the kids to stay still long enough. At 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. See www.dallasarboretum.org/ for details.