Inside Writing: A Reivew of Gotham Writing Virtual Workshops
Written by MVWG Member Teri Holford
Zoom. Groan. Interviews. Yawn. Beverage of choice. Big smile! I’ve brought these three things together this summer while following a weekly series of zoom interviews with published authors and literary agents. Called Inside Writing Gotham Writing Workshops, every week is a live conversation dedicated to a different genre of writing: memoir, horror, literary fiction, YA, middle grade, sci fi/fantasy, nonfiction, mysteries/thrillers, graphic novels/comics, commercial fiction, picture books, children’s fantasy, and query letters. Host Josh Sippie, an aspiring novelist himself, facilitates a conversation between the world of writing and publishing. For an hour each week, zoomers like me get a fascinating peek into the craft of writing in a particular genre and the craft of what agents are looking for and how they take writers to the next level.
To watch a live interview, you simply sign up for the “free class”, but they are ultimately posted online for anyone to watch (see here) and they have created a podcast with an audio version (see here). These conversations are razor sharp and the banter is sincere.
I’ve learned a considerable amount of insight into each of the genres. Listening to experienced professionals share their own wisdom, their highs and lows, along with some advice for aspiring writers, has been a great way to spend an hour every Wednesday at noon. What I especially like is that the questions are just as thought-provoking as the answers--sometimes even more so. Maybe that’s because host Josh Sippie has a writer’s soul. After watching this pot-pourri of genres, I can say that I feel much more informed, comfortable and open-minded with the “aboutness” of all the genres covered. This in turn makes me a better reader, and hopefully contributes a secret pinch of something towards my writing. I was actually surprised to notice my interest level in sci fi/fantasy after watching that particular interview. These conversations have triggered me to pay attention to things that would otherwise have passed me by unnoticed.
Host Josh also has fun taste in shirts. Not only do they echo the genre of the week, but they also go along with the music he’s chosen as well as his quirky matched background. He starts out the hour with a quote, then has his guests give their working definition of the week’s genre. Then it’s on to his engaging questions. He ends the session by asking his guests for reading recommendations (in the genre, of course) and one piece of advice for aspiring writers before getting to the audience questions. I’ve watched all of them so far. Some of them were particularly inspiring and I’d re-watch them with pleasure in order to pick up on nuances that I’d missed, while others left me less inspired but definitely more informed. Not to mention my fangirl moments. There’s something giddy about sharing a live moment with a published author and a NY literary agent while they chase their cat away from the screen, or open the door to let their barking dog out that brings this collective work-from-home down to a very human level. And I like that. So chase away zoom fatigue with a bevvie of your choice while you listen to a well curated collection of author-agent interviews. Provst!
Teri Holford is the creative genius behind the Curriculum Center at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse as well as a French speaking dog lover who currently calls the north side of our city home. Teri believes we should all embrace as much chaos as possible and is a founding member of Luna, one of MVWG’s Monday night critique groups.