I've teased this post for a while and it's finally here! I recently attended Futurescapes at the Snowbird Resort in Utah, and in the past I virtually attended Futurescapes in 2021. Futurescapes is a multi-day workshop focused on first pages (about 25), queries, and synopses, in which you and a small group (up to seven) of other writers work with a professional (author, agent, or editor) to improve your work. In my experience, the group has cycled between mentors for each critique item (pages, query, synopsis). I commented on my virtual experience previously, but now I figured I would write about how the in-person experience differed. That way, if someone is deciding between applying to the virtual workshop or waiting for an in-person version, they can see how both experiences worked out. Let's do some pros and cons.

As you can see the in-person experience had more pros and more cons than the virtual. Honestly, the virtual felt like a slightly more in-depth version of my usual critique groups but with a professional thrown in the mix. The in-person really felt like a workshop and a special treat because of the immersion. However, I recognize that I am privileged to be able to take time off work, have the money to attend, travel, and eat at the workshop, and have the physical mobility to travel to and within the resort. I also didn't experience altitude sickness, though many others did (I was born at altitude so it's my home turf). So, I fully recognize that virtual may be the better option for others. I will not make that call for you. 

Overall, I am so grateful for both of my Futurescapes experiences. I won't be sharing much of what I learned at the in-person workshop, because a lot of it was either really tailored to me and won't be useful for others or is the type of advice that the professionals get paid to give and I don't want to steal their intellectual property. Agents and authors gotta eat too. 

Futurescapes is for you if one or more of the following applies:

• you write science fiction or fantasy (this is a must, any sub-genre is fine)
• you have a complete or mostly complete novel
• you've been querying but not getting any bites and need help with your query package
• you're about to query but are new to the query and synopsis
• you are looking to network with more of the writing community with whom you want to be comfortable trading pages/beta reads in the future
• you have specific questions for the attending professionals that you'd rather ask in person
• you have the means, time, health, and ability to travel or you have the means and time for the virtual option
• you are not sure if you want to join a critique group and you'd like to try out the format first
• you want an immersive writing workshop experience with a solid track record to prove it's not a scam

Futurescapes is NOT for you if any of the following applies:

• you just want praise, no critique
• you plan to workshop an already published (self or trad) novel
• you don't have the time or desire to read anyone else's submitted work
• you don't have the means for the workshop (don't go into debt for this!)
• you expect the agents to immediately offer you rep once they read your workshop materials
• you don't write science fiction or fantasy
• you currently have an agent

That's my experience with Futurescapes! Will I attend again in the future? Well, I hope I'm offered rep by an agent before then, and therefore won't qualify. If you're debating attending but have questions for me, feel free to leave a comment below.

This past week I finished reading Jade Legacy, the third installment of Fonda Lee's Green Bone Saga. I reviewed the first book earlier this summer, but felt the series as a whole deserves some time. The saga is a trilogy made up of Jade City (2017), Jade War (2019), and Jade Legacy (2010). Jade City won the World Fantasy Award in 2018, and finaled for several other major awards. The series as a whole is a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Series in 2022. You get the picture: the series is popular and critically acclaimed. Unfortunately, the TV adaptation planned by Peacock was cancelled and is being shopped again, hopefully to a subscription service that I actually have. 

The second two books in the saga continue to follow Shae, Hilo, Anden, and the rest of the Kaul family's inner circle as they battle with The Mountain clan for power over Kekon. Jade War focuses on a few years directly following Jade City, but Jade Legacy covers about twenty years worth of time. Both Jade War and Jade Legacy are THICK books, but they have excellent pacing and move well, just like the first.  The scope of the story problems keeps getting bigger and driving toward a thrilling ending. Do I have strong feelings about who lives and who dies by the end? Yes. And that's exactly how I know the author nailed the series. 

My complaint about Jade Legacy is that it feels more like little vignettes than a tied together novel until the very end. However, I still enjoyed the read and that's such a minor complaint to have in a series like this. 

If you enjoyed Jade City, absolutely finish the series. It's for lovers of secondary worlds, Godfather-esque gang/mob conflicts, and if you liked Avatar/Korra, you'll be into this. It's not for you if you don't like long books, and don't want your MCs to be a little morally gray.

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Next week I'll post about my experience at the in-person Futurescapes at Snowbird workshop!

Hello there! 

Are you checking out my website because we met at Futurescapes? Leave your website or socials below if you want to connect!