Writers & Illustrators of the Future Blog

K. D. Wentworth and Tim Powers telling the students about the activities that are scheduled for the day, including a trip to the library, meeting a stranger and having a conversation with him/her and how this relates to the story they have to write after doing this.

All the new writers gather in front of the library. From left: Gary Kloster, Krista Hoeppner-Leahy, Matthew Rotundo, Heather McDougal, Donald Mead, Cheryl Holland, Emery Huang, Jordan Lapp, Gra Linnaea and Schon Zwakman.

After coming back from the library to do research Tim Powers discusses some final points with them before sending the group off to meet a stranger and strike up a conversation with them.

Fiona is having a lively conversation with this "stranger" who is getting less strange, the more she talks to her.

Gary is approaching the stranger with the big guitar, still figuring out what he should talk to him about.

Emery is having a lot of fun with his "stranger." This security guard was probably bored anyway and was happy to talk to somebody.

The four 1st place winners are doing their first radio interview! From left: Jordan Lapp, Emery Huang, Matthew Rotundo and Donald Mead.

Tim Powers has released them to go and write their story within 24 hours. Here are (from left to right): Cheryl Holland, Gra Linnaea and Heather McDougal.

I got a little bit behind with the posting of the workshop photos last week, so I am catching it up now!

Here are some photos from the first day of the illustrators workshop and more photos from the writers workshop are following soon.

Joni Labaqui is touring the illustrators through the Writers & Illustrators of the Future hall at Author Services Inc.

The judges and workshop instructors; Ron Lindahn, Val Lakey-Lindahn and Stephen Hickman.

The illustrators are reading a story which they will then illustrate.

Grand Prize winner Oleksandra Barysheva at the workshop.

The judges critiquing one of the illustrations with all the winners listening and learning. From left to right: Tobias Fruge, Brianne Hills, Ron Lindahn, Val Lakey Lindahn, Joshua Stewart, Jamie Luhn, Oleksandra Barysheva and Evan Jensen.

Everybody is learning from the observations about the illustration of Tobias. From left to right: Evan Jensen, Luke Eidenschink, Ron Lindahn, Mark Payton, Val Lakey Lindahn, Brianne Hills, Tobias Fruge, Ryan Behrens, Joshua Stewart, Aaron Anderson, Oleksandra Barysheva.

Final meeting with the illustrators for the day.

Hi there,

We tested the live video stream today and it all works great!

It will be streaming at 500 kbps (kilo bites per second) and for best transmission it is recommended that for the time of the event, you just run the video stream on your computer over your internet connection. Running other applications or computers over the same connection might result in slows of receiving the video stream.

Here is the link again to the website:

www.writersofthefuture.com/w25/live.html

Have fun watching the event!

The winners are getting a tour of Author Services which starts with the L. Ron Hubbard Fiction Library.

Joni tours the winners through the Writers of the Future hall which is packed with photos of previous awards ceremonies and books that were published by winners of the contest for the last 25 years.

Tim must think it is very funny, whatever it is that K. D. is explaining to the new writers.

Coordinating judge, K. D. Wentworth, with several of the winners, Krista Hoeppner, Mike Wood, Emery Huang, Cheryl Holland (who came all the way from Wales, GB) and Fiona Lehn.

Tim Powers is making a point.

Fiona, Krista and Mike listening attentively to the words of their instructors. Especially that key phrase from Tim Powers, "write this down, this is gold."

The writers receive the objects they will be using for the story they are going to write. They all seem genuinely happy about the objects they received. From bottom left, clockwise: Donald Mead, Jordan Lapp, Krista Hoeppner-Leahy, Gra Linnaea, Fiona Lehn and Matthew Rotundo (in the center).

The conclusion of Day 2. They learned a good deal and are in good spirits about starting Day 3 with the research they need to do, in order to write a story within 24 hours which will be critiqued by the other winners.

Luke Eidenschink arrives at the airport and so does Brianne Hills with her mother. They received a warm welcome and were brought straight to the hotel.

Here is from left to right: Jamie Luhn, Oleksandra Barysheva and Evan Jensen.

This is Author Services Inc. in Hollywood, the home of the Writers of the Future Contest and Galaxy Press (publishing house of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future anthology). We are ready for a productive week with the writers and illustrators.

Illustrators are getting checked into the hotel by Joni Labaqui, director of the Illustrators of the Future Contest.

The first meeting takes with the workshop instructor, Ron Lindahn. Ron, who teaches the workshop with his wife Val Lakey-Lindahn (who is missing from the photo) is doing a great job every year with the new illustrators. From left to right: Jamie Luhn, Aaron Anderson, Joshua Stewart, Ron Lindahn, Jason Toth (Galaxy Press), Brianne Hills, Oleksandra Barysheva (she is kind of hidden) and Ryan Behrens.

Hello Everybody.

Thanks very much for your comments!

We are in the thick of the workshop and the event preparations for Saturday. Judges are arriving in Los Angeles with Dave Wolverton flying in this morning, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta arriving this afternoon as well as Eric Kotani (aka Yoji Kondo). Doug Beason arrived yesterday and Sean Williams has been here since the beginning of the week. More judges are coming in for the barbecue tonight.

As to illustrator judges, we have had Vincent Di Fate and Stephen Hickman here with the winners in addition to Ron and Val Lindahn.

But here is the link to the live video transmission of the event on Saturday. Make sure you are online at 8.30 pm PST to watch the full event, live!

http://www.writersofthefuture.com/w25/live.html

Further we have several winners talking about the workshop at the forum, so if you want, you can join in the discussion with them:

http://goldenagestories.com/beta/bb/phpBB2/index.php

I'll shortly be posting more photos from the workshop of both the writers and illustrators. Stay tuned.

The first winners have arrived at the airport and are being greeted by Writers of the Future. From left to right: Peter Breyer (Writers of the Future), Schon Zwakman, Emery Huang, Gra Linnaea.

The Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood is where the Writers and Illustrators of the Future winners are staying during the week. It is a historical site as this is where the first Acadamy Awards, also known as the Oscars, were awarded.

The 2 winners from Canada have arrived! From left: Fiona Lehn, Joni Labaqui (Writers of the Future Contest Director) and Jordan Lapp.

Donald Mead and Gary Kloster have arrived and are being checked in with the help of Joni.

Several of the winners are being welcomed by Joni Labaqui (Writers of the Future Contest Director) at the hotel. From left to right: Krista Hoeppner Leahy, Gra Linnaea, Schon Zwakman, Joni Labaqui, Emery Huang.

The very first meeting with all the writers of the future winners as well as Tim Powers (judge and workshop instructor), K. D. Wentworth (coordinating judge) and Joni Labaqui. From left going in a circle around the table: Heather McDougal, K. D. Wentworth, Gra Linnaea, Mike Wood, Emery Huang, Tim Powers, Joni Labaqui, Matt Rotundo, Donald Mead, Schon Zwakman, Krista Hoeppner Leahy, Fiona Lehn, Gary Kloster, Jordan Lapp.

Tim Powers with Gra Linnaea on Hollywood Boulevard after the first meeting where they got to know each other.

The writers of the future on Hollywood Boulevard after the initial meeting with the workshop instructors. From left to right: Gra Linnaea, Joni Labaqui, K. D. Wentworth, Matt Rotundo, Gary Kloster, Krista Hoeppner Leahy, Donald Mead, Mike Wood and Emery Huang.

Labels: WotF XXV