Write Time

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Convention
Name: "Write Time" (previously, "Writeshop," and "Write On")
Dates: 1991-at least 2011
Frequency: annually
Location: Milton Keynes, England
Type: writing workshop
Focus: writing workshop based weekend con, started as solely The Professionals fandom, but expanded other fandoms, especially The Sentinel, Stargate Atlantis, and Sherlock Holmes
Organization:
Founder: Helen Raven, Sara S, and Felicity M. Parkinson
Founding Date:
URL:
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Write Time (previously, "Writeshop," and "Write On") is a series of small fan run writer's workshops that are held in the UK each year. On average 20-30 fan writers will attend.

In the early years the workshop focused on fan fiction from The Professionals, but more fandoms were later added. Participants were asked to write a story (often to a set theme that varied each year) of no more than 2000 words. The stories were submitted before the workshop and were bound together in a 'workbook' but one without titles or authors listed. Writers were also instructed to neither share nor copy their stories before hand. Attendees would review and critique each story, suggest titles and then choose one by consensus and then were asked to guess the writer who then "Owned up." Sometimes the authors were correctly identified, sometimes they weren't.[1]

Varying Titles

It began in 1991 and was called "Writeshop." It is unknown how many years it had that title.

In 1999, it was called "Write On."

In 2001, the name was "Write Time," a name with which it continued until at least 2011.

Some History

Slanted Light wrote:

First "Writeshop" held, 7th-9th June 1991, based around writing Prosfic and co-organised by Helen Raven and Felicity Parkinson. Idea proposed for format of future Writeshops, that attendees submit short pieces of fiction for discussion.[2] "Writeshop" seems to have evolved at some point into "Write Time", although the format seems to be similar to that described here. "Write Time" is a continuing annual event as of 2009.[3]

One of the organizers of that first workshop posted:

The first of these was "Writeshop 91", from the 7th-9th of June, 1991, and it was Pros-specific (the list of "Videos Available" in my copy of the program is 100% Pros). I planned the program and Felicity Parkinson did everything else. As far as I recall, it was in the closing session for Writeshop 91 that the idea was raised of having each participant write a short piece, and for the collection of pieces to be distributed before the weekend, to form the focus of discussion. We did this for the subsequent weekends in which I was involved, and it seemed to work very well.[4]

From The Professionals Timeline:

"First "Writeshop" held, 7th-9th June 1991 in Milton Keynes, based around writing Prosfic and co-organised by Whitehills and Helen Raven. The arrangement was (and still is) that the con is organised by two/three people. Whitehills does the bookings, deals with the hotel, and produces the Con zine of stories to be discussed and the co-organiser(s) deals with the programme, arranges the session leaders and chairs the con. The co-organiser has the right to change the name of the con if she wishes and it has been known by several different names over the years, but now seems settled on WriteTime. This year (2010) is the twentieth year that the Con has been held. Originally the theme was Pros only. However, as some fans wanted to try their hand at writing in other fandoms, the scope was widened which made it not wholly Pros related."[5]

Zine/Collection of Fiction/Booklet

In 1999 (perhaps earlier), the submitted stories were collected into a booklet/zine in advance. This publication sometimes included the gathering's schedule.

The booklet included the statement: "The copyright for these stories remains with the authors. Please, do not, under any circumstances, show the to anyone not attending Write Shop, or photocopy them."

The Stories

The fiction submitted and printed in the booklet did not include a title, author, or summary. They were simply referred to as "Story One," "Story Two," and so on.

Some years appeared to have a theme. For example: 2004's theme was "the seven deadly sins." In later years, some stories were a response to a challenge such as written as a fusion with a well-known novel.

Some of the stories were eventually expanded into published/more widely shared fanfics.

1991

The first workshop was called "Writeshop." It was held June 7–9, 1991.

1991: Con Reports

The WRITERS' WORKSHOP, hosted competently by Fiona, was, again, a bonus to any would-be writer, no matter in 'what fandom. One of my favourite programme items had been re-scheduled for Sunday morning, when Linda gave a very good talk about the technicalities of doing a Music Video. She is gifted in making the subject clear to technically' blind and daft people like me.

I am certain a number of ladies will now want to try and do a Music Video themselves, as a consequence of Linda's talk. I heard enough ideas for them to last for several videotapes.

There were, of course, a lot of other equally interesting talks or discussions on the agenda, namely a discussion late Saturday evening with truly international hosts. And then there were the Music Videos... How can I forget 'Send The Marines', to name just one of my favourites!

On a final note, let me say that I found the idea of buying trees and having them planted in Scotland as a tribute to Gordon Jackson, O.B.E. very fitting. Donations were collected at the Con, and I hope the Woodland Trust will find a good place for the trees.[6]

1992

It was not held in 1992.

1993

Writeshop took place September 24–26 at the Wayfarer Hotel in Milton Keynes.

The "story title" was originally "Live With It," but since that phrase was actually not in the episode "The Rack," the new story title was "Off the Hook."

1994

It is likely that there was no con this year.

1995

1996

1997

1997: Con Reports

WriteOn is a officially-Professionais slash writer's workshop convention, held down to a maximum of 25 members, in Milton Keynes, every September. What makes it most fun for me, most years, is that it really does focus on the writing side of fandom, and not the endless discussions of Bodie's eyebrows and Doyle's cookery. Not but what that's quite fun too, but the main disadvantage of being an iconoclast is that among Profs fans and ST fans most of the time I don't get to have these kind of conversations about slash couples...

WriteOn's uniqueness is that, about five months before the convention starts, everyone who wants to sends in a 1000 word story, or a 1000 word segment of a story, and these stories are what the discussions on Saturday focus on. There were 18 stories this year, which is good going. Two of the con contributed twice. And until Sunday afternoon, when everyone who wants to comes out, which is usually everybody, no one knows who wrote which story.

On Friday night the first session is "Name That Story"... And my two stories got named, the RoS one "Coup de Grace" and the Profs one "Profit Margin". The theme of the stories this year (people are free to ignore the theme if they like) was "the five senses", and with "Coup de Grace" (which I'd actually called "Five Virtues") I'd worked consciously on bringing in all five senses plus a few more that occurred to me. [C] liked it ([C] worked out which one was mine, and I worked out which one was hers, but as hers was the only other RoS story, I'm more impressed by her detective work than mine.)

I didn't have a name for "Profit Margin" originally, because originally it wasn't a Profs story. It still isn't Back in May, stuck halfway down the first page of "Five Virtues", I went off and wrote some more of my NextGen story where weird and strange things happen to Picard for the sake of getting him laid. I finished a scene and it occurred to me suddenly that it was a perfect "five senses" scene for WriteGn. Only it wasn't Profs, and I thought that sending in two non-Profs stories was a bit much. (One third of the stories were non-Profs, probably just the right amount) So... I took a copy, went through it with an automatic search-and-replace, did a bit more editing, and bingo, one strange scene from a B/D story. (I originally meant Picard to be Cowley, but it didn't work like that, so I turned him into Doyle.)

I had more than half-expected people to realise there was something off about the story, but no one did. It was very strange and very interesting, listening to speculations on what had happened before, what would happen next, exactly how many Bodies were involved, and so on...

So when I outed myself on Sunday... I wasn't surprised that no one was happy, I'd been getting slightly worried about the extent of people's enthusiasm for the long a/u B/D story they thought was lying in wait., but what really worries me now is how polite everyone was. All the English, at least [A] wanted to read the (unfinished) Next Gen version, and [A] spent Monday morning (when all the unEnglish congoers were sitting round waiting for transport and for Cat to finish packing) telling me that I was scum...

I ought to feel very guilty about it [pause for effort] But I don't — it was too much fun. Not repeatable, but fun. [7]

1998

1999

Write On was held September 24–26, 1999.

  • the limit was 30 attendees
  • the fiction booklet contains one Due South story, the rest are Pros
  • it contains two pieces labeled "not for discussion"
  • there were twenty-two stories total
  • the booklet was 30 pages long
  • some sessions/schedule [8]
    • titles session
    • discuss stories, overview
    • red pen
    • POV
    • sentences and verbs
    • ?
    • who wrote what?
    • consequences (Consequences?)
    • fan ? and art show
    • copyright

  • page in 1991 booklet

2000

2001

Write Time 2001 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2001

2002

Write Time 2002 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2002

2003

Write Time 2003 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2003

2004

Write Time 2004 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2004

  • schedule, printed in booklet, 2004

2005

Write Time 2005 was held in September

  • there were thirteen stories: Pros (6), Sentinel (5), X-Files, Pirates of the Caribbean
  • the program included watching songvids
  • the program booklet is 35 pages long

  • first page of program book, 2005

  • schedule, 2005

2006

Write Time 2006 was held in September.

  • there were sixteen stories: Sentinel (3), Pros (4), unknown fandom (3), Highlander, X-Files, original fiction, Harry Potter, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
  • the program booklet is 50 pages long

  • first page of program book, 2006

  • schedule, 2006

2007

Write Time 2007 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2007

2008

Write Time 2008 was held September 19–21.

  • front cover of booklet, 2008

  • schedule, printed in booklet, 2008

2009

Write Time 2009 was held in September.

  • front cover of booklet, 2009

  • schedule, printed in booklet, 2009

2010

Write Time 2010 was held in September. It is the twentieth anniversary of the gathering.

  • front cover of booklet, 2010

  • schedule, printed in booklet, 2010

2011

Write Time 2011 was in September.

  • first page of program book, 2011

  • schedule, 2011

References

  1. ^ by 4 March 2009‎, Kittyfisher on Fanlore, original "Writeshop" article
  2. ^ source: comment from co-organiser of Writeshop 91, helenraven
  3. ^ from PROS FANDOM HISTORY - POST THE THIRD..., October 18, 2009
  4. ^ source: comment from co-organiser of Writeshop 91, helenraven
  5. ^ source: whitehills, 2010 here, Archived version.
  6. ^ from Be Gentle With Us #4
  7. ^ from Strange Bedfellows (APA) #19 (Novmeber 1997)
  8. ^ handwritten notes, first names redacted, from a copy of the 1999 booklet in hand
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