Total: 4-hours approximately
(Noon-01:45pm Friday and Saturday,
The Harry Preston Room, Radisson Blu Hotel).

Vampire fiction is now more popular than ever and shows no signs of dying the true death. Over the years bloodsuckers have morphed from the nasty decay-encrusted undead that return to prey on family and loved ones, to a sophisticated being that seems more highly evolved than humans, and frequently befriends us to the point of shared passions. Today there is room for vampires at both extremes of the spectrum—vicious, violent, ruthless killers or tender, sensual, ultra-responsive lovers.

The biggest problem with writing vampire fiction is that it's all been done before! But has it? Exclusive to World Horror Convention 2010 is a four-hour writing workshop held by award-winning author Nancy Kilpatrick over the Friday and Saturday afternoons that focuses exclusively on how to write blood-or-other-sucker fiction that has not been done before. For the writer of vampire fiction, this is your opportunity to go where none of the undead has already staked a claim!

Nancy Kilpatrick is the author of the four-book vampire series "Power of the Blood", which has been published and reprinted by several imprints on both sides of the Atlantic, and has also been published in French, Italian, German, Spanish, Hungarian and Russian. In addition, she has published three stand-alone vampire novels—Eternal City, As One Dead and Dracul—two erotic vampire novels, and the collection The Vampire Stories of Nancy Kilpatrick. She is the editor of ten anthologies, the most recent to be launched at WHC 2010—Evolve: Meet the 21st Century Vampire!

Nancy has taught various writing and editing fiction courses for twenty-two years through George Brown College in Toronto; ten of those years in the classroom, the remaining twelve online. She has also taught "Writing Horror and Dark Fantasy" for Writers on the Net, and "Writing Vampire Fiction" for Coursebridge, both online. She also conducted editing workshops at the World Horror Convention Phoenix 2004, where she was the special Editing Workshop Guest of Honor; World Horror Convention San Francisco 2006, and World Horror Convention Toronto 2007, where she was a Writer Guest of Honour.

It is crucial for writers who wish to explore this intriguing figure in their fiction to develop a fresh approach to writing about the vampire—one that will garner attention from publishers, editors and agents in a recessional market that is flooded with vampire fiction.

Those who sign up will be given a pre-reading list of three books that cover the three distinctive "types" of vampires. At the workshop, you will also be provided with a list of vampire fiction that stretches into eternity, plus some non-fiction books that detail the vampire as he/she has been and is becoming.

Workshop participants can bring with them the opening page of a short story or novel, plus a short story (1 page) or novel (up to 2 pages) plot synopsis. During the workshop you will discuss how to identify the archetypal vampire; assess how that archetype appears in vampire fiction; discuss 36 plots extant in vampire literature and how to create plot twists, and learn what makes a unique vampire and how to create that one-of-a-kind being.

Through brainstorming ideas for a vampire short story to be written overnight (750 to 1,000 words) participants will receive feedback regarding whether or not their presentations of the vampire are unique and their plots fresh.

Places are strictly limited to 14 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration is just £30 per person for both two-hour seminars. Just pay in advance via PayPal. Please note: You must be a current member of World Horror Convention 2010 to participate in Workshop events.

Please note that due to the nature of this event, if you cancel or fail to attend either of the seminars, you will not receive a refund.

SPECIAL OFFER! Nancy Kilpatrick has recently edited her tenth anthology, a compilation of vampire stories entitled Evolve: Meet the 21st Century Vampire! from Edge Publishing, that will be launched at World Horror Convention 2010. The publisher is offering participants of the editor's workshop a 20 percent discount on either the signed or trade editions.

MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE

Whether or not you can attend the Workshops, if you would still like Nancy Kilpatrick to critique your vampire fiction, you can send an electronic version of the first chapter of your novel to: nancykilpatrick@whc2010.org.

Only a maximum of 10 manuscripts will be accepted on a first-come basis. The cost of an individual critique is £15 (to be paid in advance) and is only open to World Horror Convention 2010 attendees. Deadline for submission is December 31, 2009. Please double-space the manuscript, put your name, address and e-mail information on the first page, insert page numbers, and use a 12-point font. Nancy Kilpatrick will then arrange to discuss it with you in a personal and informal 10-15 minutes meeting at the convention.

Please note: The opinions expressed in these workshops and meetings are purely subjective and based on the experience of the tutor. Other people's opinions may differ.