In 2022, the first chapter of my novel “Think Fast” took First Prize in the Chicago Writers Association First Chapter Contest.
As you can imagine, I was thrilled, mainly for the recognition. But there was also a prize — a week-long Novel-In-Progress Bookcamp at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI. I had no idea what to expect, but this was my prize, after all, and I was not about to miss out.
While I might never have stumbled upon this program on my own, it turned out to be exactly what I needed.
First, the setting. The Retreat Center proved highly conducive to stepping outside those day-to-day concerns that really crowd the creative spirit. Each night, I fell asleep to the sounds of chirruping frogs and the lazy sprawl of waves on the Lake Michigan shoreline.
The program was thorough and, coming from industry professionals, touched on points that working writers are confronted with daily, but which rarely receive mention in college writing courses. While I’m a pretty confident prose stylist, the publishing business was a complete mystery to me. There were sessions on composing the dreaded query letter, an opportunity to receive a blind evaluation from a panel of agents, as well as the chance to pitch face-to-face with an agent who repped your genre.
But for me, the greatest value of Bookcamp came from the fellowship with other people who take seriously this mad pursuit. If the subject of my novel ever came up in the course of my dayjob, I would discuss it with some embarrassment. Bookcamp provided that welcoming venue where thoughts and questions and acquired wisdom about writing built up over years could come tumbling out and find receptive ears, just as my own ears were wide for anything and everything I could learn from my fellow writers. I joked with S.J. Rozan, whose presentations could reference Somerset Maugham and Donald Westlake in the same sentence, how I wished I could turn her upside-down and shake out all the knowledge inside her.
I left Bookcamp feeling a totally different person to the one who arrived the previous Sunday. I have stayed in touch with some of my fellow Bookcampers and sincerely hope this shared experience will yield some enduring friendships. Needless to say, I plan to return in future years.
Thom Pharmakis is the Milwaukee-based author of Think Fast, a historical espionage thriller-in-progress that Thom waggishly describes as “Graham Greene meets P.G. Wodehouse.” Thom finds inspiration in the so-called literary thrillers of the 1930s, particularly Geoffrey Household and Eric Ambler, as well as modern practitioners such as Alan Furst and Joseph Kanon. Think Fast would make speedier progress toward its completion were it not for Thom’s full-time employment in the securities industry, where he serves the public as a licensed broker-dealer agent and registered investment advisor representative. In a previous incarnation, Thom spent over a decade writing for apparel retailer Lands’ End. This resulted in an effusive profile in Catalog Age, which was flattering, but, sadly, did not include a photo. Thom is far kinder than he appears in photos.
THERE’S STILL TIME TO ENTER
WIN A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO NOVELBOOKCAMP
Chicago Writer’s Association is open for entries for its 8th Annual First Chapter Contest.
Submit the first chapter of your unpublished novel (up to 10 pages) for a chance to win a full scholarship to attend Novel Bookcamp held June 16-22, 2024 at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wisconsin (approximate value $1500).
The opportunity is open to CWA members only. Join here. 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive cash awards. The top three entries will be published in the CWA’s Write City Magazine.
Please read the guidelines here. Non-refundable entry fee is $15. The deadline is October 1, 2023. Winners announced in December 2023.
