Don't Murder Your Mystery, Don't Sabotage Your Submission

Roerden, Chris. Don’t Murder Your Mystery. Bella Rosa Books, 2006. Don’t Sabotage Your Submission. Bella Rosa Books, 2008.

This month, I look at two editions of the same book. Don’t Murder Your Mystery won the Agatha Award for best nonfiction book of 2006 and has been a finalist for the Macavity Award, the Anthony Award, and, under its new title, Don't Sabotage Your Submission was a finalist for ForeWord Magazine’s Book of the Year award. Writing professors use these books in their classrooms. Award-winning authors swear by Ms. Roerden’s advice. Best-seller Charlaine Harris recommends them. With credentials and kudos like those, I almost don’t need to write a review at all.

Why the two titles? Don’t Murder Your Mystery was written specifically for mystery authors, and its sample passages are drawn from mystery novels. Roerden broadened her focus when she updated the book; passages are now drawn from a variety of genres including mystery, romance, and thrillers. The changed focus demanded a new title. Because Sabotage is essentially a new edition of Murder, this review treats them as the same book.

The book is divided into ten “Parts," which are further divided into chapters. Part One covers the various players in the writing business—screeners (those who read your manuscript before it ever gets to an editor or agent), agents, publishers—and you, the writer. Roerden discusses motivations for each—what makes a screener stop reading, what forces drive the decisions of agents and editors, and why writers write. Part Two introduces the art of self-editing. The remaining eight Parts cover various categories of manuscript problems. Roerden explains how “First Offenders” like bad opening hooks and tension-killing prologues can strangle your story in it opening pages. “Killing Time” covers errors in pacing, and so on.

In each chapter, Roerden provides a diagnosis of a specific problem and suggestions for how to correct it. Over 200 examples from published novels illustrate effective use of the techniques she teaches. To make the examples clearer, she frequently takes a good passage and makes it bad, then discusses exactly why her version is worse than the original.

I found the book to be incredibly painful to read. Not because Roerden’s writing is anything but readable, not because the examples are anything but illuminating, but because as I read each chapter, I discovered new reasons why agents reject my manuscript after a partial read. With the exception of the chapter on Prologues and the one on shifting point of view, there wasn’t a mistake that I hadn’t made. The good news, of course, is that all of these mistakes can be corrected and thanks to Chris Roerden, now I know how to do it.

Whether you have written a mystery, a romance, or some other genre, or a literary novel, Chris Roerden’s book can help you improve a lackluster manuscript into something that will catch the eye of agents and editors.

Author Kathy Nappier talks Internet Publishing

Last week, as you may know, our leader John Rehg was not present at the beginning of the meeting. He was at his daughter’s wedding rehearsal, so I was delegated to lead the meeting. He did manage to come in at the end of the meeting. Just in time to take a few pictures for us. Thanks John!

I became a member in January and quickly recognized I wanted to be a part of this group. I asked John to allow me to help when needed and he has held up to this request.

Our speaker for the evening was Kathy Nappier and her topic for the evening was internet publishing aka epublishing or print on demand. Kathy has authored several books including Full Wolf Moon and Voyagers, and coming in fall 2009, Bitten.

E-publishing aka internet publishing is when an author uses a print on demand company, such as Lightning Source, Inc or CreateSpace to help produce the book.

Kathy talked about how there is a stigma on epublishing; however, the stigma does not have to stop you from using this form of publishing.

As many of you know, the publishing industry is dealing with layoffs and cut backs like many other industries. This does not have to deter your writing dreams. As Kathy mentioned, you may need to be more strategic in your marketing and promoting efforts.

The decision to go with print on demand or traditional publishing is one left to each individual. The more important part of publishing your book is to know your market and then promote your book.

By using internet publishing, you are able to bypass wondering if your book will get published because you are the one holding the reins on the publishing rope. Take your time and be sure your book sticks with high quality. Have your book edited and formatted properly. Some of the internet publishing companies offer these services for additional fees.

She went on to talk about a few places she frequents in order to keep an eye on the comings and goings in the writing and publishing industry; such as absolutewrite.com and preditors and editors.com . The links to these sites are located in the right sidebar.

Get acquainted with the local writing environment. You are a member of FWA and it provides opportunities; however, there are others too. Kathy mentioned the Locus List (resource link is below). Locus online provides listings of conventions for the year. Great resource for those looking for places to be seen with your books. Again, it is best to check out the pricing and pros and cons of each convention.

She talked about going to conferences such as Necronomicon and our own FWA conference as a great way to meet people in the industry and places to sell your book.

She also gave a few tips when going to conferences:

*Try to have a new release each time you go to a conference. Even a short story is better then nothing. You want to have something fresh to show fellow writers, agents and/or publishers to show you are actively writing.

*Try and find someone to “buddy” up with and share the costs of the display table, hotel and car rental.

There are online conferences and forums in which to participate to spread the word about your book. Here are a few she (and I) mentioned at the meeting:

The Muse Online Writers Conference (http://www.themuseonlinewriters.com)

Writers Mafia (http://www.linkedin.com/writersmafia)

Book Market (http://www.bookmarket.ning.com)

Scribophile (http://www.scribophile.com)

Locus Online (http://www.locusmag.com/Conventions.html)

Kathy also mentioned some of the other epublishers (or print on demand) such as:

Lulu (http://www.lulu.com)

Lightning Source (http://www.lightningsource.com)

Create Space (http://www.createspace.com)

Book Surge (http://www.booksurge.com)

Now with these print on demand companies there are different restrictions on layout, start up fees, copyright, and royalties. You need to be sure and do your research on each of them before using any of them for publishing your book.

Personal Note:

I truly enjoy coming to these meetings each month and plan on being a member of FWA for a long time. Thank you from me to you for welcoming me with open arms and warm hearts. I appreciate it.

Teresa

Tampa Writers Alliance 2009 Writing Contest Open

The Tampa Writers Alliance annual writing contest is now open (as of June 1) and closes on Oct 1. This is a great opportunity for any writer with unpublished work, as they award cash prizes! I've included a link on the right under Contests and Submissions.

I met Paul DuBose, their treasurer, at the April picnic in Largo, and he attended our June general meeting. Another one of the 3 major areas of writing (according to many) is making contacts. In addition to attending meetings and meeting people, entering local contests is another excellent way to get your name out there. Going to other groups' meetings is another way. TWA meets at the same location as the FWA Hillsborough group (Barnes and Noble in Carrollwood). I encourage all those who have the opportunity to stop in once in awhile at another meeting to get to know other writers in the area.

You never know who you'll meet!

John

Lessons for Success

Morrell, David. The Successful Novelist. Sourcebooks, Inc., 2008

A high-priority project at work leached time and energy from the rest of my life beginning in February. That included writing, which is why I haven’t posted a review in months. The project is over now, the product has been released, and the forecast for the rest of the year calls for less of that kind of madness. My goal for the rest of the year is to bring you a new review on the second Monday of every month. This month, it’s David Morrell’s The Successful Novelist, originally published as Lessons From a Lifetime of Writing: A Novelist Looks at his Craft.

Thriller writer David Morrell is the author of over two dozen books including a new novel, The Shimmer, that will be released in July. His novels have been the basis for feature films (the Rambo franchise was derived from his 1972 novel First Blood) and television (Brotherhood of the Rose, also being made into a feature film to be released next year). Morrell earned his Ph.D. in American Literature at Penn State and taught at the University of Iowa until 1986.

Morrell distills his experience as a best-selling novelist and a gifted teacher into The Successful Novelist, which reads like a Master’s degree program in writing popular fiction. That’s not to say that the book is dense or filled with the impenetrable jargon common to academic writing--far from it. It is very readable, almost conversational in tone. It’s the kind of book you can read straight through and then come back to focus on the specific area you want to study.

Morrell gives the book its graduate program feel by calling each chapter a "Lesson" and bracketing the lessons with the prologue "First Day of Class" and epilogue, "Last Day of Class." The lessons cover the topics you’d expect a book on writing to handle: plot, character, description, and dialog. But Morrell also shares his wisdom on research, dealing with writer’s block, the business of writing, and even dealing with Hollywood in "Lesson Fourteen: Rambo and the Movies."
You can’t help but come away from this book with a fresh understanding of the craft of writing and your own motivations in pursuing it. It’s one of the most helpful books on writing that I’ve come across.

James O'Neal Book Signing

Hi all!

Just a quick review of James O'Neal's book signing at Haslam's on Thursday. I went for two reasons. One, I was on vacation for my daughter's high school graduation, and she took an afternoon nap because she was exhausted from the excitement and early ceremony! So I had a window of time. Second, the author is more commonly known as James O. Born, mystery writer and one of the keynote speakers at our October conference. I wanted to meet him before the conference. Wait, there's a third reason. I haven't been to many book signings in the past. Actually probably none. So I wanted to see how it went. You know, for when I get to do one! (As most of us will, right? Right???)

Anyway, I also got to meet Ray, who I think is the owner of Haslam's. He's a really nice guy. His son was there, too, though I didn't personally meet him. But if you are going to sign books at a place, it helps to know the owner! (At least, I think it does.) Also, Haslam's is independent, and I like to support our independent booksellers.

I know what Jim will talk about at the FWA conference (sorry, can't reveal it!), and learned some interesting things about his work, his publishers, his agent. He's very friendly and I know that if you go to the conference in October, you're sure to enjoy his speech.

I also saw two other FWA members, one who has been out of town since, well, forever, to me. She was one of our winners in last year's RPLA contest, and it was great to meet her, too. Jackie Minniti is her name, and I'll be sending her some information for the newspaper she works for. The other, Vicki Morgan, (one of our newer members who has been writing for quite awhile and is also a member of PINAWOR), brought along a friend, Kathy, who does 'artistic expression' if I recall correctly. This involves writing, painting, music. They have a group that meets monthly and she mentioned there are several writers in it. I told her that might make a neat topic for one of our meetings, as it sounded like it could help stimulate creativity and imagination. I hope to hear from her soon.

Back to Ray, the Haslam's guy. He doesn't do presentations any more, but would be open to a Q&A session, informal. I then wondered, what if we had a panel of independent booksellers? Would you like to pepper them with questions? (I won't try to come up with a sentence with salt in it!) Might make another interesting topic for the future. Sometimes I wish we could meet more often, as there are so many interesting things to learn!

Speaking of learning, I picked up Kaplan's Revision. (A book on revising and editing, naturally.) I had heard it recommended, I believe by our August speaker, Lorin Oberweger (editor and sponsor of the Donald Maass workshops), or by Donald Maass himself, I don't remember. (But don't mind dropping names!!!) If you follow the link I put for the book, you'll find an opportunity to get published (no payment) in the short literary fiction and crime/noir genre. The editor includes brief reviews of five books on editing, including The First 5 Pages, which I have and is one of my favorites.

Happy writing!
John

Rick Wilber Elucidates Mystery Techniques

Dr. Rick Wilber, USF mass communications professor and author of several novels and numerous short stories, enlightened an audience of 28 at our new location on May 14, despite a passing, raucous thunderstorm. Rick covered topics that included building characters and being aware of the layers of meaning in text and subtext--the Iceberg principle where most meaning is hidden below the surface.

Dr. Wilber read from his forthcoming mystery novel, Rum Point, highlighting examples of choosing the important two percent of a character's description that should be included in the story. In detailing this specificity, two rules apply: 1) if it doesn't matter to the story, don't say it; and 2) it has to move either your character or your story forward.

He also mentioned that for new genre writers following the parameters of the genre are key to getting published, in addition to telling a story worth telling to someone else.

Rick kept everyone interested, laughing and questioning as he covered some of his own experiences in getting published.

Thank you to everyone who attended!

John

In 30 seconds

When you think about writing, do you smile from the inside out? Well, I do. As writers, I am sure the question gets a yes answer from you too.

However, do you have times when you think about writing and even though the idea makes you very happy, as soon as the thought enters your mind, a flood of "reasons" why you shouldn't enters too?

Think about why these reasons are coming up because in less than 30 seconds you could be allowing yourself to push away the one thing you really were put on this earth to do---write.

This happened to me this morning when I was thinking about the children's books my daughter and I want to write. I had started thinking about how the story could be arranged and BAM! within 30 seconds a flood of questions came in filling my mind, "Do you have time to really do this?", "Even if you get done, how are you going to get it published", "You will need to find an illustrator and that is going to cost money."

I started to think why bother---but then I stopped myself and said to myself, "Because I have wanted to be a writer for a very long time and every time I think about writing, it makes me really happy."

So I want to encourage my fellow writers to not listen to the 30 seconds of "reasons" not to write from stopping you from doing one of the things that makes you the most happy.

Continue writing. The other stuff will work itself out.

Your fellow writer,

Teresa Morrow

Diane Marcou Addresses Largest Crowd

Diane Marcou, ghostwriter, collaborator and memoirist enlightened the largest crowd of the year at Thursday’s general meeting on April 9^th. She handled questions during her presentation, covering fine points and her unique perspective on writing a memoir, and read from several books she has in print or in production. Diane covered the gamut of topics from her experiences in editing and working with others in producing a story that is both entertaining and personal.

Attendance reached 31, our highest total so far this year, at the last meeting at the Main library before it undergoes renovations. From May through August we will hold meetings at the North branch of the library. Details will follow shortly.

-- John

Got Stuck? Ideas to help get unstuck

Writing for me creates an escape. A kind of hide away where words dance joyfully in my head. I know it may sound a bit silly, but writing stimulates joy in me. Well, most of the time. Except when I get stuck and have trouble thinking of the next thing to write.

I am sure you have found yourself getting stuck and not knowing where the next scene is going or what your character may do next.

Here are a few things I thought may help the next time you get stuck:

Think about the reason why you started writing. Put yourself in the place of joy and happiness and start writing about how you are feeling. Pull in everything you are receiving from your senses and write it down.

Take time to refocus. You may be focusing on being stuck and not focusing on the possibilities of where your story can go to next. You can create a new story. Think about what you would be doing if you weren't stuck. Concentrate on the character's reaction to being in a hard position and how they would get out of it.

Move around. Change the scenery. Go for a walk. Put on some music and dance. Exercise. You could just be in the same place for too long and if you move and have new things to see, smell and interact with, it could possible allow you to move forward with your story.

I hope these help when you get stuck with your writing.

Do you have strategies, ideas or suggestions you have done when you have gotten stuck with your writing?
If so, please feel free to share them with us. Let's help each other keep writing.

New addition to site

Hi all!

We've added a new section to our blog called Getting Published Without Getting Taken. We will add to it as more links are received. Use this section to check out agents and publishers before making a deal that could cost you money. Personally, I write because I have to, to express what's inside. If I never get published, that wouldn't stop me from writing. However, the thrill of being in print motivates me to write the best I can, to be critiqued, to edit and revise, and to avoid the urge to just get something printed as fast as I can, no matter the cost. I'm sure you've read of all the rejections famous writers have received before their first publication. It will be a while before I give up and go the self-published route in the areas where that route is not the best (fiction, especially).

Let me know what you think of this section, what additional links we can post here, and what else you'd like to see on the blog. It's here for your benefit. Thanks for inspiring me to continue this journey.

John

Molli Marks Up the First Page

Publishing consultant Molli Nickell reviewed first pages, spoke on the state of the publishing industry and encouraged a captive audience to review their use of adjectives, adverbs and weak verbs in order to polish the first page (and others, as well) of their manuscript. She emphasized the need to grab attention, mentioning that most editors know within six or seven sentences if you are a writer. She also remarked that Times Roman is the new font standard, and cautioned against fudging on double-spacing to get more lines on the first page.

Though focused on fiction, Molli included advice for the non-fiction writer and reviewed several non-fiction works.

She concluded by mentioning four books that she has found very useful for the writer:
1. How to Write a Book Proposal - by Michael Larson (good for non-fiction, especially)
2. What's Your Story? - by Marion Dane Bauer (good overall plus for young writers - fiction)
3. Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook - by Donald Maass
4. The First Five Pages - by Noah Lukeman

You can read Sam's review of the third book, by Maass, on an earlier posting on this blog and I can second the motion that the fourth book is valuable, as I've read it and learned a lot.

UPDATE: Molli will return in October to review your synopsis!

On Conferences

I have returned from Sleuthfest 2009, tired but happy. I've already written about my experience at Sleuthfest on my personal blog. Short version: Wow. I met wonderful people ranging from beginners to best-selling authors. I attended fantastic panels and sessions where I picked up dozens of tips on craft. And I came back energized and encouraged, ready to write and now regretting that I must sleep--I'd rather be awake and writing.

Because I've been busy preparing for and then attending the conference, I don't have a book review for you this month. I do want to take this opportunity to plug not only Sleuthfest but conferences in general.

If you write genre fiction, a writer's conference for that genre is an excellent way to network with other writers in your field. From those who have only recently realized that they want to write on up to best-selling superstars, you'll make contacts who will help you--and be helped by you--throughout your writing career. Panels and lectures covering topics specific to your genre will provide you with information you didn't even realize you needed to know, and of course there will be craft-oriented sessions as well. In addition, most conferences off opportunities to meet directly with agents and editors.

If you don't write genre fiction, or write non-fiction, look for general writer's conferences. You'll get the same chances to pitch your work directly agents and editors, panels and lectures that will help you improve your craft, and the chance to network with other writers. There's nothing like spending several days among a crowd of people who value writing as much as you do. It will energize and inspire you.

Regardless of the path you plan to take in your writing career, attending a conference has benefits that far outweigh the costs. The FWA conference is scheduled for October 23-25 this year. Plan to attend. You won't regret it.

E Sabin Enlightens all on Editing

Elenora Sabin presented tips and techniques on revising and editing your work last Thursday, the 12th, to an enthusiastic audience. Using her own personal experience as a base, Elenora touched on sentence structure, using all the senses and working to get your final manuscript to match your original vision. She answered many questions about content and mechanics and included several handouts to take home; in addition, she shared some steps she takes to make her revision process go smoothly and help her editor when it's time to prepare the work for publishing.

We tried out a new seating arrangement, requested by members and inspired by PINAWOR, with tables set up in a rectangle. This worked very well and I received thanks for setting it up, but I confess it was set up about that way when I got there, and I only had to make a few minor adjustments. If the tables are not set up like that, it would take a lot of work to put them up. I usually try to get to the library around 5 p.m. for setup, and if anyone else can make it by that time it would help in getting the room setup like that every time. (hint, hint)

Again, a warm thank you to Elenora for sharing her experience and expertise. I know several of our members are also members of PINAWOR, and I would encourage those who can to join that group also. They hold some low cost workshops several times a year. Also, if you can't find the time to join a critique group, they do critiques most Saturdays (5 min reading - members only).

John

Writing the Breakout Novel

Maass, Donald. Writing the Breakout Novel. Writer's Digest Books, 2001.
Maass, Donald. Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Writer's Digest Books, 2004.

Do you dream of making a living as a novelist, or at least of writing that one smash-hit best seller? Well, forget it. You can’t. That’s the tone many books, web sites, and magazines take. It’s easy to come away feeling that agents don’t want to represent you and that even if one does, no editor will select your manuscript and that even if one does, the publisher will refuse to promote you. It’s a matter of pure chance who gets onto the bestseller list, anyway. Donald Maass says that’s all nonsense.

Breakout novels are books that "vault onto the best-seller lists," and the premise of Writing the Breakout Novel is that, "Breakout novels can be planned." Maass is honest about the long odds that novelists face but he counters honesty with hope: in spite of the lack of advertising and publisher support for most books, word of mouth is "the engine that drives breakouts." He promises that "Virtually all writers can write a breakout novel." He provides eleven chapters of helpful, encouraging advice coupled with analysis of existing breakout novels to help you do exactly that.

The foundation of a breakout novel is its premise. Using several famous novels, Maass identifies depth of setting; unforgettable characters; and unusual, dramatic, and meaningful events as key components of breakout premises. He examines breakout premises in terms of plausibility, inherent conflict, originality, and gut emotional appeal. Finally, he demonstrates how a breakout premise can be developed with a concrete example so compelling that you’ll wish you could find it on a bookstore shelf.

The premise is the foundation on which the other components of a breakout novel are built. Maass explains how to create larger than life characters whom readers will identify with and cheer for, how to select settings that affect the psychology of the novel, and how to weave compelling conflict into every page. He comes nearly full-circle with a discussion of theme. Like a premise, theme is a unifying force that winds through all the novel’s elements, but it does much more than that. It gives the story meaning. If that intimidating thought makes your stomach clench, don’t worry--Maas tells you how to build your theme, step-by-step.

Each chapter ends with a checklist of its most important points, which makes later review easy. He closes with advice on dealing with the publishing industry once you’ve got a finished, polished manuscript. The advice is still relatively current--the book was published in 2001--and is a good start. This is a book you’ll want close at hand whenever you are planning a novel.

But what if you’ve already got a manuscript, either finished or in progress? That’s where the companion Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook comes in. Frequently, workbook companions for how-to books are gimmicks that extract a few extra dollars from readers of the original book without providing new value. Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook is not that kind of workbook.

Where Writing the Breakout Novel helps you plan your novel, the Workbook provides exercises targeted at improving an existing manuscript. Sometimes you're directed to pick a random place in your manuscript. Other exercises ask you to select a central aspect of character, plot, setting, or theme. In each case, Maass prescribes multiple exercises for working with that portion of your novel. You’ll heighten or diminish turning points, change a character's motivation for a single scene, and deepen exposition without bogging the reader down. As you work through the exercises, you’ll recognize how to apply them to other areas of your manuscript, working toward one goal: producing a dynamic novel with breakout potential.

Whenever I feel absolutely miserable about my chances of becoming a published novelist, much less ever making a living at the craft, I turn to Donald Maass for encouragement and advice. These books inspire me to take control of my writing destiny. They deserve a place on every novelist’s bookshelf.

Bringing up Bobby

Many of you may remember "Bringing up Bobby," the short story I brought to last year's critique workshop meeting. This morning, I received an email from The Absent Willow Review accepting it for publication in their April 16 issue. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and encouragement!

Roy Peter Clark Touts Tools on T'ursday

Dr. Roy Peter Clark discussed several of the writing tools from his book to an enthusiastic audience of 25. Reading two of his own earlier journalistic pieces evoked poignant memories from several members. Roy used an example for in-depth evaluation of tool #2: Order words for emphasis, and used the same story to explain other tools when asked for clarification of specific strategies.

He also spoke about his City of Writers project, an idea that is still building, that celebrates and promotes those involved in writing and encourages others to participate. FWA is happy to work with him in any way we can to support this idea.

I had hoped he would use music in his presentation, but we found that the piano in the library auditorium is not owned by the library, and apparently can only be touched by the tuner of said instrument. Strange indeed.

I look forward to seeing you at next month's meeting, and thank those who were able to attend our first meeting of 2009.

John

The Creative Habit

Tharp, Twyla. The Creative Habit: Learn it and Use it for Life. Simon & Schuster, 2003.

I was tipped off to this book by a post on thriller writer Jeff Abbott's blog. His organized writer posts are full of tips on writing discipline, advice for other writers, and encouragement for pursuing creative dreams. In one of these posts, he mentions Twyla Tharp's book on creativity, The Creative Habit. Although Ms. Tharp is an Emmy and Tony award winning dancer and choreographer, the book isn't limited to dance. Of course it is written from a dancer's perspective, but Tharp has a broader understanding of creativity that makes this book worth reading for any artist.

Tharp dismisses the idea that good art is the result of a muse whispering in someone's ear, independent of skill or practice. Instead, she argues that artistic creativity come from hard work. "Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits." Mozart, for example, practiced and worked so hard at creating music that his fingers were deformed by the time he was twenty eight. That's a far cry from the popular belief that he was simply a prodigy whose success was the result of "God whispering in his ear."

In each chapter, Tharp identifies one aspect of making creativity a habit. Several chapters have to do with generating and developing ideas--through daily rituals that put you in a creative frame of mind, by exploring your background and personality (what she calls "Creative DNA"), or by harnessing your memories. She also discusses organization (and how not to over-organize) and overcoming the accidents and obstacles that occur during the creative process. And of course, she urges all creative types to practice, practice, practice, the fundamentals of their craft.

If the book has a flaw, it's that sometimes she goes overboard with examples. About half way through the book, I realized that once I'd gotten her point in each chapter, I could skip the rest of the material because it wouldn't add anything new. However, that's a minor complaint.

The most valuable thing about the book is that at the end of each chapter, Ms. Tharp provides a handful of exercises that specifically address the issues in that chapter. They aren't specific to dance, and many are clearly valuable to writers. You could do worse than to pick up this book and simply do the exercises without reading the rest.

On the other hand, the rest is kind of fun, too, and some of Ms. Tharp's stories about how she works are fascinating in their own right. This is a book well worth picking up.

Defeating Self-Defeating Behavior

Margie Lawson will present her one-day Master Class "Empowering Characters' Emotions" on October 22 next year at the FWA Conference. I've taken this course before and I can hardly wait to take it again--it's that good. Margie teaches an editing method that is the perfect diagnostic tool for writers looking to make their prose sizzle. She also analyzes how contemporary best-selling authors like Harlan Coben and Laura Lippman pack their stories with emotionally evocative language that keeps readers turning the pages. If you want to write gripping stories, you owe it to yourself to register for this course.

But you don't have to wait until next fall to learn something from Margie. A practicing psychologist, Margie teaches more than empowering characters--she also empowers writers. Whether you struggle with writer's block or simply feel that you could be more effective at accomplishing your writing goals, Margie provides tools to help in her on-line course, Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors, offered through Writer University. In this one-month workshop, Margie provides advice and strategies for overcoming paralysis, silencing your inner critic, managing your moods, making time to write, and more.

I took this course last year. I was already pretty good at time-management, but I struggled with a vocal inner critic that had kept me from realizing my full potential. Thanks to "Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors," I now recognize several varieties of "faulty thinking" (pessimism and perfectionism are my biggest problems) and have created strategies to counter them. I also picked up some great techniques for managing my mood--and when I'm in a good mood, I write better. This class, like "Empowering Characters' Emotions," is a bargain at twice the price.

Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors costs $30 and runs from January 2 through 30. What better way to kick off the New Year than to dedicate yourself to realizing your full potential as a writer?

December Meeting Review

Dianne Ochiltree gave a very informative presentation last night. We learned not only about the effort that goes into writing a children's book, but also about the promotion side of the business and some of the details about the different types of children's books. Dianne read her latest upcoming book and shared the story of her writing journey. We had 15 people in attendance, and I want to thank those who were able to make it. Next time I'll have to take pictures from up close!

Here's Dianne and I after the meeting.

May your holiday celebrations be filled with joy.
See you next month!

John

Dianne's Books for Sale

As promised in the final reminder for this month's meeting, here is the list of books (with prices) that Dianne will bring to the meeting. Would make great Christmas gifts.

CATS ADD UP!, a math early reader paperback in the 'Scholastic Reader' series, for ages 5-8, at $4 per copy.

PILLOW PUP, a hardcover picture book from McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, for ages 2-6, at $15 per copy.

TEN MONKEY JAMBOREE, a hardcover picture book from McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, for ages 4-8, at $17 per copy.

LULL-A-BYE, LITTLE ONE, a hardcover picture book from G.P. Putnam's Sons, for ages 0-4, at $17 per copy.

Hope to see as many there as can make it.

John