Level: All

Instructor: John Pipkin

Writers of historical fiction often struggle with the basic questions: How does one research details essential for creating convincing characters, settings, and dialogue? To what extent should research drive plot? How accurately should a novel strive to portray history? This three hour class addresses strategies for researching and writing, and examines mistakes made by first time (and established) writers. Through lecture and Q&A, we’ll examine how much research is “enough” and when to decide to “abandon” the facts. Students should bring questions so they can work through specific issues in their own writing.

Date: Saturday, Dec. 4, 9am – noon

Limit: 12 Participants

Registration Deadline: Wednesday, Dec. 1

Teachers CPE Credits: 5 Language Arts

Fee: $90 Discounted Fee: $81

NOTE: The required $10 Gemini Ink registration fee is marked as shipping and handling on PayPal.

About the instructor: John Pipkin’s critically-acclaimed historical novel, Woodsburner, (Nan Talese/Doubleday, 2009), was awarded the First Novel Prize by the New York Center for Fiction, the 2010 Fiction Award from the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and the Texas Institute of Letters 2010 Steven Turner Award for First Novel. Woodsburner was named a “best books of 2009” by the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor. Pipkin attended Washington & Lee University and received his Ph.D. from Rice University in 1997. He was recently awarded a Dobie-Paisano Fellowship for 2011.

SAVE THE DATE: Pipkin will also be participating  in December’s First Friday Reading on Dec. 3 at 6:30pm at Gemini Ink, located at 513 S. Presa. The event is free and open to the public.