MGOC Contributor: Diane Turnshek

DIANE TURNSHEK
EXCERPT from "Teaching Young Writers" by Diane Turnshek in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction:

I was never a young writer, but for ten years I have been teaching teens to write what they love. I feel that I am in a unique position to make observations about the differences between young writers and people who are merely new to the craft. Teaching them has taught me a lot. My experience shows me that young writers can turn out genre work equal in quality to that produced by battle-hardened, aged writers. Many of the young writers I have known, through inspiration and force of will, have learned what it takes to produce professional copy and have stuck with the challenging current publishing climate until their work sold.

Advantages to being a young writer abound.

--
Diane Turnshek is an astronomer and a science fiction author with short fiction in Analog magazine and elsewhere. She teaches astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and St. Vincent College, where she’s also taught creative writing. Since 2002, Diane has been mentoring graduate students at Seton Hill University in the MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. She founded Alpha, the SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers in 2002 and the Triangulation anthology series (as editor) in 2003. She served as Eastern Regional Director for SFWA, a professional organization of 1500 genre writers and directed the 2007 SFWA Nebula Awards in NYC. She has four delightful sons and a sweetly supportive dream guy.

MGOC Contributor Event: Diane Turnshek at Mars Desert Research Station

Many Genres, One Craft contributor Diane Turnshek takes researching her next novel to a whole new world...or as close as possible.

My work in progress is a YA novel set on Mars. In order to research the setting, I took a two week trip to the Mars Desert Research Station in the badlands of Utah. The Mars Society has been operating facilities like this for a decade to study how colonists would adapt to the isolation, rehydrated/dehydrated food, limited water supply, bitter cold and awe-inspiring red vistas. I didn't expect to have so much fun with my teammates, heading outside in spacesuits, off-roading on ATVs and being the subjects of an indy Swiss film. "Do your research!" now has a whole new meaning.

-Diane Turnshek
January 2013

MGOC Events: Morgantown Barnes and Noble Signing

Michael A. Arznen and Heidi Ruby Miller
Many Genres One Craft editors Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and contributors Jason Jack Miller, Timons Esaias, and Diane Turnshek joined a wonderful group of authors from the West Virginia Writers for a two-day event at the Morgantown Barnes & Noble.

Diane Turnshek, Jason Jack Miller, Daniel McTaggert, Timons Esaias

Many Genres Signing at Morgantown B&N

Many Genres One Craft editors Michael A. Arnzen and Heidi Ruby Miller and contributors Jason Jack Miller, Timons Esaias, and Diane Turnshek will be joining a wonderful group of writers for a book signing event this weekend at the Morgantown Barnes & Noble.

You can catch us both Saturday and Sunday at the University Town Center B&N from 1 - 4 PM.

Literary agent Christine Witthohn of Book Cents will also be available to hear pitches.

For more information, check out the event's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/417139628322815/permalink/420084961361615

MGOC Authors at Confluence 2012

Several contributors to Many Genres One Craft were guests at Confluence 2012, a Speculative Fiction Convention in Pittsburgh. Among the attendees were Gary A. Braunbeck, Lawrence C. Connolly, Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Lucy A. Snyder, Diane Turnshek, Tim Waggoner, and Albert Wendland.

Heidi Ruby Miller and Gary A. Braunbeck

Tim Waggoner, Heidi Ruby Miller, and Jason Jack Miller

Jason Jack Miller
posted by heidi

Support a Teen Workshop and Bid on a Copy of Many Genres

The Alpha Workshop Fundraiser, is a chance to donate to a scholarship fund for a worthy young genre writer's workshop and also pick up some excellent science fiction, fantasy and horror-related books and other services. Alpha is a fantastic workshop, described by (and oversen by) Diane Turnshek in her essay from Many Genres, One Craft. Contributors to our book who have taught as guests include Michael Arnzen, Scott Johnson, Lawrence Connolly, Timons Esaias, and others.

For their fundraiser, we've contributed a signed copy of MANY GENRES to their fundraising auction to support their scholarship fund.  BID ON IT HERE. Only a week to bid, so act quick: The auction will run January 13-20.

Here's info about the workshop itself:

The next Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers (ages 14-19) will be held July 18-27, 2012 in Pittsburgh, PA. At Alpha, students can meet others who share their interest in writing science fiction, fantasy, and horror. They can learn about writing and publishing from guest authors, including Tamora Pierce and Kij Johnson. Participants will write and revise a short story during the workshop. Applications are due March 1, 2012.

Many Genres Signing at Confluence (Pittsburgh, 2011)

Last month, Many Genres authors were highly active at Pittsburgh's annual Science Fiction/Fantasy convention, Confluence 2011. Attendees included Heidi Ruby Miller, Jason Jack Miller, Lawrence Connolly, Diane Turnshek (pictured above), Timons Esaias, and Michael Arnzen. Arnzen and Miller held a small "literary beer" to discuss issues raised in the book, and everyone from Many Genres sat on several panel discussions or participated in a lively book signing. Scott A. Johnson was also a special guest lecturer at the Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers, a summer writing camp that is discussed at length in Diane Turnshek's article from our book, "Teaching Young Writers."

Confluence and Alpha are held annually in late July.

See photos from the Many Genres signing, Confluence and Alpha at Michael Arnzen's social networking site, michaelarnzen.com. Photos and coverage are also available on Confluence's facebook page.

MGOC Events: Nebula Awards Weekend 2011

Among the attendees at the Nebula Awards Weekend at the Washington Hilton last month was Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction contributor Diane Turnshek, seen here with Catharine Asaro.

The Nebula Awards are presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

The 2012 Nebula Awards Weekend will be held Thursday through Sunday, May 15 to May 20, 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, near Reagan National Airport.

posted by heidi