July's Meeting was Personal - Blood Personal

Our July 14 meeting featured local thriller writer Frank C. Strunk, author of Blood Personal (his latest) as well as several earlier works. Frank covered a lot of ground over the course of the meeting, including sharing how he used his own background as setting for his stories. (Location, location, location!)

I think when you know the place you are writing about, it imparts a stronger sense of environment to the reader. (Though there are plenty of great stories set in places the author never visited. Especially true in Sci-Fi!)

Mr. Strunk talked about the craft, about writing good dialogue and getting into and out of scenes as quickly as possible. He discussed the publishing world and mentioned John Locke, the ebook million-selling author, and how that is changing the landscape of the business. In one discussion someone mentioned maintaining control over a POD project and deciding afterward that it wasn't worth the extra effort and time, and that the next time they would just use the POD publisher's services.

Frank was very easy to listen to and approach with questions, and shared additional time afterward at the diner with several of us.

The Passing of a Legend and Friend - July 16, 2011

I was notified this morning that our generous friend Diane Marcou passed away last night in her sleep, creating a void in the local writing community that will take some time to close.

At the first meeting of the FWA that I facilitated, back in September of 2008, I mentioned that I had received an ad for an upcoming workshop led by a Donald Maass, but couldn’t vouch for whether it might be worthwhile or not.

Diane was in attendance (she attended most of our meetings and presented at several), and said it was an excellent opportunity if one could afford it. It was the first of many of her recommendations of which I benefitted.

At Necronomicon later that same year, I had the good fortune to spend time with Diane talking about writing and life and getting to know her and become a friend of hers. I count that as a great blessing.

I won’t list all of her accomplishments, those are not important to me. Her greatest gift was her generosity of time and talent, and her genuine interest in helping those just learning the craft. She was a great person.

I was blessed to share dinner with her Thursday night after our monthly FWA meeting with some others of our group. I thought she never looked better. I guess she was getting ready to meet someone very important.

I will send out a notice of her memorial when it is received.

Thank you,

John Rehg

FWA St. Petersburg Writers Group leader

In addition, Billie Noakes, FWA member and longtime friend of Diane's has written a tribute and posted it on her blog here: http://billienoakes.com/2011/07/17/diane-curtis-marcou-a-tribute/

At our June meeting, Diane graciously stepped in when our scheduled speaker couldn't make it.

FWA Collection - Let's Talk

The FWA Collection - Let's Talk, its 3rd anthology of short stories written by members, will be going to press in time for the conference in October. Writers who have submitted have been notified, from what I hear, as to whether they made the cut or not.

At our July meeting we'll announce those selected from our group. I don't think we'll know who the top 10 are, as those stories are selected by the author of reknown, for this collection it's W. Bruce Cameron, author of "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter."

So, stop in to find out who will be included, and to listen to thriller writer Frank C. Strunk. Meeting is Jul 14 at 6pm at the St. Pete Main library.

New site feature!

I probably shouldn't have thrown all these posts out at once, so I'm dealing this one until Sunday. We've now added a page listing on the right column, and our first page will include author links and bios and other tidbits of information on upcoming speakers - so you don't have to search for them!

I hope you enjoy this and if you have any other page ideas, please let us know (in the comments below would be great, or via email to fwastpete).

Keep on writing!

Social Media and Webrings by Billie Noakes

Billie Noakes, storyteller and writer, shared with the group on how to use social media and what take advantage of in your quest for creating an online presence. Billie focused on Facebook, the number 1 social media site, and touched on other topics as well.

Her mention of networking meetings and Chamber of Commerce get-togethers reminded me of an FWA writer up in Pasco who sold her books at a farmer's market. What an interesting idea. (Now if only I wrote about gardening! But her's was not that kind of book - I think it was fiction.)

There are a lot of ideas out there that show that there's no one way to do things, and Billie's look into getting a following was both informative and enlightening. She showed several things via her laptop to those who stayed after.

Thank you, Billie! I've got to get back to my fan page and update it!

From Intention to Bookshelf - Janet Connor shares her soul

Janet Conner, author of Writing Down Your Soul, spoke on the realities of hard work required to get you from an idea for a book to having it published, on March 10. An engaging speaker, Ms. Conner shared how her own journey worked and was insightful and funny as well as touching on hardships.

One thing that struck a chord with me was how you can touch into an energy that can help you in your life. I know this may sound preachy, so I'm not going to go into it, other than to say you can check out her website for more information on her workshops.

I think the main thing is, keep a positive attitude and love what you are doing. You will hit bumps on the road and get gifts of help from unexpected sources. It reminds me of a saying I read in someone's office: If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life.

How true!
Thanks and my apologies for getting these speaker reviews up so late. I will stay up to date now, I think!

Poetry and Lark

Lark Underwood, former president of the Tampa Writers Alliance, spoke on April 14th, the night prior to the traditional tax deadline (but not this year), about all things poetic; read some of her poetry, and invited others to share theirs.

The evening was fun-filled and enjoyable, and was marked by the first use of a small amplifier with microphone. This was so well-received that we decided to use it going forward.

Lark captured the excitement and emotion that good poetry emits and shared her expertise with the attendees in an engaging way.

Thank you, Lark!

Bookstores and Valiant Mystery Writers - Jan/Feb

I'm condensing the previous 2 meetings into a single post so that I can catch up and not do a disservice to the presenters (by posting one and then another quickly - this way they share the same time at the top).

**************************************** January 2011

In January Nancy Alloy, owner of Books at Park Place in Disston Plaza (49th St and 38th Ave, St. Pete) and previous representative for Ingram's, gave an honest talk on the state of the book store and the industry and answered questions from the attentive crowd. (The link above goes to a story about her store from a June 2010 issue of Creative Loafing.)

Ebooks were a big topic, as they have been lately with all the press they are receiving, and talk also focused on distribution and marketing. The January 13th meeting provided a nice kickoff for our new year, and I think everyone is excited about the new things happening in the world of the written word.

Bria Burton read from one of her works-in-progress to practice speaking in front of a group.

**************************************** February 2011

Mystery author Diane Sawyer braved the stomach ailments long enough to talk quickly about characterization, and give away door prizes of her books. She showed off her latest book, The Treasures of Montauk Cove, her 5th Avalon mystery. (The link is to the book from another website - not one I earn anything from!) After several valiant attempts to continue, Diane had to bid adieu to tend to her illness. We thank her for making the effort, and finished the evening of February 10th with some readings by attendees.

April Brown read from one of her works this evening.


*****************************************

It's been a great start to the year and we look forward to more interesting meetings. Please stop by any time and see what's coming up.


John

December Author Showcase

I thought I was going to rest in December, but someone suggested we do an authors showcase, and the library mentioned they were thinking the same thing. Of the dates offered, the 11th was deemed the best, and so we proceeded to work toward that goal. Several people worked hard to make this happen, and I have to thank Sunny in particular for her efforts.

Our lineup included Margo Hammond, Diane Sawyer, E. Rose Sabin, Bill Lagano, Sunny Fader, Jackie Minniti, Vicki Morgan, Jude Bagatti, Janice Van Dyck, Helen Parramore, Mary Ann Marger, Lynda Lippman-Lockhart, Vince Carthane, Tom Fincher, Michael Nemeth, Michael Dalton, June Hurley Young, and me.

Books ranged from biography and memoir to photography and religion, with mysteries, talking birds and young adult fiction and children's books. We offered a drawing for a gift card, which Rose Sabin won. Several people gave readings, including Diane Sawyer and Rose Sabin.

Walk-in traffic was disappointing, we had hoped for more people flooding the library, but I enjoyed the opportunity to meet some new authors (new to me) who are in this area, and catch up with some familiar friends as well.

I thank all of the above people for their participation and hope that even if you didn't make a sale, you made some new friends and were able to talk about your work with other interested people.

I wish all of you a good new year filled with joy and success in all your endeavors. As I read recently on one of the blogs we have linked on this site, it's the writing we do for those closest to us that matters the most. I can second that thought (and did on his blog - storyfix.com). It's the joy we find in writing that keeps us going.

Hope to see you in January,
John

Diner Meeting Enlightened by Zombie Publisher

Aaron Alper, from Zombie Nation Publishing, discussed his experiences in publishing, specifically the history of the Zombie: St. Pete books and the direction his company intends to take. The meeting was held at the St. Pete Diner since the library closed in honor of Veteran's Day (Thursday, Nov 11).

The Diner, a popular after meeting spot for the St. Pete FWA group, gave us most of the back room for the meeting, and in addition to Aaron's insights, books were given away, as well as the annual ream. Pat H took home the top prize.

Everyone enjoyed a good time and the chance to sit in small groups and spend more time socializing.

Our next regular meeting will be held in January, but I encourage everyone to come out and support those published authors at the December Authors Showcase.

I'm thankful for everyone in the group and the wonderful times we've shared, the stories, and the things I've learned.

Thanks,
John

Eugene Orlando Muses on All Things Publishing

Eugene Orlando, FWA regional director for Hillsborough County and Brandon writers group leader, informed an attentive crowd on what the publishing industry looks like now at the October 14th meeting, and where it appeared headed in the future. He highlighted the amazing rise of book readers and downloads vs. paper copies and discussed his own move into the e-publishing business.

In the fast-changing world of publishing, many successes have been going against conventional wisdom, and the choices for writers, both new and established, is expanding. Only those who can adapt to this rapid pace will survive, and Mr. Orlando succinctly presented the facts and trends in the business.

See you next month,

John

R.A. Riekki Drops the Glove

Ron Riekki, author of U.P., spoke to an attentive audience on August 12th, challenging everyone to write more. He shared anecdotes from his writing and publishing career to-date, and pushed everyone to write more, write daily, and submit daily. Wow, what a schedule! (And I'll include a picture of him if I can only find what I did with it!)

If you go to the Amazon site, you can read the first line of his book (which he never did read at the meeting). I think he really laid it out for everyone in terms of how hard the work is in this field, and he's one of the first (if you haven't read Larry Brooks' storyfix.com - he also lays it out in no uncertain terms).

That said, if you don't do it for the love of writing, why do it? So, I'm aiming for a smaller goal to begin with, since I also work full time. Maybe submitting one short story a month. And that's in addition to working on my novel. Or a non-fiction essay, or a set of poems.

We had a great turnout of people from Michigan, even from the U.P., so I'm sure he was happy to see that and talk to those who could identify with his home area.

Thanks to all who made it and made him feel at home,

John

Dale Hutchings PR Tips Enlighten Audience

Dale Hutchings, PR specialist, gave audience members a simple formula for coming up with a marketing plan. Dale engaged those present in working on five basic steps needed to plan how to market yourself and your literary work. The interactive presentation focused on strengths and weaknesses in building your plan, and is an easy way to get started without feeling overwhelmed by what could appear to be a daunting task.

This simplified approach looks like a good way to get a PR campaign off the ground quickly and stay focused on those things that will benefit the writer the most. We thank Dale for sharing his expertise with us.

John

Billy Ashby Kicks Off Self-Publishing Series

Billy Ashby, from A&A Printing in Tampa, opened our series on Self-Publishing from the printer's perspective. Billy has worked in printing for 15 years, and the company has been in business for about 40 years. He brought several samples of their work and discussed some of the differences between his company and other online options, including owning your ISBN number, and being able to see the actual printing process!

Billy has partnered with the godfather of self-publishing, Dan Poynter, and Marc Grant, CEO of Mentor Equity Press International, and Pam Lontos, head of PR/PR, a public relations firm that has many nationally known clients, to provide a more complete solution from writing through promotion of your book here. I was able to attend their workshop last December and came away with a lot of great information. I've read some of Dan's books, Pam's book, and intend to use their ideas in promoting my own work.

Billy talked about layout and formatting, cover design, book sizes and the ramifications of using color in your manuscript. He answered all questions with a friendly, knowledgeable attitude, and hoped that the attendees learned something they could use, whether or not they chose his company to print their work.

Next in the series, in July, we'll hear from a local PR expert. We hope this gives you options to explore as you continue on your quest to be a published writer. As Dan mentioned in his workshop, when you have your name on a book, it gives you instant credibility. So keep on writing, and good luck!

Until next time,
John

Open Mic night a vocal success

In honor of National Poetry Month, 20 members and guests gathered on Thursday, April 8, to hear member and guest readings, and special presentations by AMP (Art, Music & Poetry open mic night every last Monday of the month) emcee Brian Duncan, from Studio620, and Aleshea Harris, from the Blue Scarf Collective, perform cell-phone and spoken word poetry. (Here's Brian reading one of his 'cell phone' poems.)

And Aleshea Harris performing one of several spoken word pieces.

Another way to tell a story, and these were great ones! It was a fun night, and I would recommend open mic to any author who wants to get more comfortable speaking in public. These types of events are always supportive of the speaker, and there are several venues around the Bay area that hold regular nights. Thanks to Brian, Aleshea, and all those who brought out their poetry and shared with the group.

Thanks,
John

Digital Storyteller Carolyn Handler Miller Captives March Audience

Carolyn Handler Miller, Sunny's close and long-time friend visiting from New Mexico, held an audience of almost 30 FWA members and guests spellbound with her presentation on digital storytelling on March 11. Miller, a former Emmy-nominated screenwriter, has worked on many projects, including Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego? She teaches and works in this relatively new field, and expounded on the unique challenges of writing for games and interactive websites full of rooms and avatars.

One of the biggest was coming up with so many alternate scenes and plot lines to allow for the user making different choices. Mrs. Miller handled questions from the group throughout her presentation, and everyone left with a better understanding of another option in the writing world.

This meeting  marked our first use of the microphone and screen. We thank Sunny for tracking down a projector that we could use, and the microphone improved the listening experience, and will be used in future meetings.

[Ed. note: Why so late? My apologies as I've fallen behind a bit on keeping up here. I'll post last night's meeting review this weekend, and want to remind all those procrastinators that not only are taxes due this coming week, but it's also the deadline for the Mystery In a Month workshop registration. We'd like to see your registration in the mail by Tuesday (with synopsis emailed by Tuesday so we know you're coming) in order to prepare for your presence.]

Ask Sam: What does the pin do?

Today's question is about the Word 2007 Recent Documents list:

What is the thumbtack for next to each document in the "Recent Documents" list? I click it but it doesn't keep my documents where I want them.

In Word 2003, the recent file list under the File menu defaulted to four entries; you could set it to a maximum of nine. Every time you opened a file, Word placed it at the top of the list. When the list exceeded its capacity, each new file would bump the last file from the list. Word 2007 introduced a longer "Recent Documents" list (default of 20, max 50) and the pin, which keeps selected documents from falling off the list.

But that's all it does. If you have ten documents in the list, and you pin the second one, it doesn't stay at number two forever. The next time you open it, it moves to the top of the list, just like it always has. If you open a dozen documents, those documents will be listed before the pinned file. However, if you open more documents than will fit on the list, pinned documents won't be removed.

I'd expect that when I pin a document in place, it stays where I pinned it. But the pin is still a handy tool that keeps you from having to hunt too hard to find documents you work with on a regular basis.

Ask Sam: How can I get rid of manual page breaks?

I had a great time attending Sleuthfest 2010, and I've written about the experience on my blog. But now I'm back to answer this week's question:

Sometimes when I type fast, Word breaks the page at weird places. How do I stop that from happening?

Most likely, you are accidentally pressing the Ctrl key when you hit Enter. That inserts a manual page break into the document. There's no way to stop that from happening other than to not press Ctrl. Your best bet is to not worry about manual breaks until you finish your manuscript, and then wipe them all out at once by following these easy steps:

1. Press Ctrl + H. The Find and Replace dialog appears.
2. Enter ^m as the "Find what" text. (Word 2007 users need to enter ^p^m because Word 2007 inserts an extra paragraph marker when you insert a manual page break.)
3. Leave "Replace with" blank.
4. Click Replace All.Word removes all of your manual page breaks.
   

Another common typing error is to hold the shift key down while pressing Enter, resulting in manual line breaks. To convert them to normal paragraphs, follow the same steps as above, but use ^l as the "Find with" value (Word 2003 and Word 2007).

Got a question about using Windows or Word? Send e-mail to stfalco AT yahoo.com.

Ask Sam: How do I filter comments?

Last week, I showed you how to combine comments from multiple reviewers into one file. While it is helpful to have all of those comments in one place, you don't always want to see them all at once. Fortunately, Word allows you to filter comments by reviewer.

In Word 2003, you use the Reviewing Toolbar. Click the Show drop-down. In Word 2007, use the Review Tab and in the Tracking group, click Show Markup. In both versions, click the Reviewers menu item. You'll see a list of all the reviewers who made comments in the file.

Uncheck a name to hide that reviewer's comments. Repeat the process for each reviewer whose comments you want to hide. When you're ready to view the comments for someone you've hidden, simply check the name on the Reviewer menu, and those comments will appear again.

There will be no "Ask Sam" next week. I'll return on March 8.

Got a question about using Windows or Word? Send e-mail to stfalco AT yahoo.com.

Ask Sam: How do I merge comments from multiple people?

Last week I showed you how to use Word comments to annotate your manuscript, but Word comments are also useful for critique groups. If everyone in the group uses this feature to critique each manuscript, you can merge those files into one that contains the comments from everyone in your group.

The easiest way to begin merging files is to save each file to the same location but with a different name. For example, let's say you've got a story called "Touchdown," and there are three other members of your group: Lew, Spencer, and Travis. You might have these files:

Touchdown-L
Touchdown-S
Touchdown-T

To merge the files in Word 2003:

1. Open the first file (Touchdown-L).
2. Click Tools > Compare and Merge Documents.
3. Select the second document (for us, Touchdown-S).
4. Click Merge.

Repeat steps 2 through 4 for each additional file to compare.

Once you've merged all the files, save the final document. You can save it as is (all comments merged into the last document you selected) or as a new copy. I usually save it as a new copy with "All" as part of the file name. In this case, it would be Touchdown-All.

Word 2007 users have to do things a little differently:

1. On the Review Tab, click Compare.
2. Click Combine.
3. Use the folder button on the left side of the Combine Documents window to launch the Open dialog.
4. Browse to and select the first document (Touchdown-L).
5. Use the folder button on the right side of the Combine Documents window to launch the Open dialog.
6. Browse to and select the second document (Touchdown-S).
7. Click More >>
8. In the bottom right corner of the Combine Documents window, click the radio button next to Original document.
9. Click OK.

The comments are merged into the first document. Save it and repeat the steps for each additional file to compare.

Now you've got all of the comments in one place for easy comparison and revision.

"Ask Sam" is a weekly feature. If you have questions about using Windows (XP, Vista, or Windows 7) or Word (2003 or 2007), send e-mail to stfalco AT yahoo.com and I'll try to answer your questions here.