For All My Sisters Out There

Have a great weekend!

Authors Gone Wild

When did it become acceptable for authors to air their grievances against publishers or agents or other writers on the Internet? And not only air their grievances, but name names?

Oy, people. First of all, lighten up. Rejection is not the end of the world. And if you're willing to learn, you can make your writing better through rejection. Once you get over the hurt feelings and righteous indignation, take an objective look at your manuscript. Perhaps that editor or agent had legitimate comments about what doesn't work with the story. Perhaps--gasp!--you can make the story even better by paying attention to what they're saying and making some changes.

Second, it's all a matter of opinion. What just doesn't work for one editor or agent might send another one over the moon with joy. You just have to find the right fit.

Third, ultimately it's up to you. If, once you've calmed down and looked at the manuscript with objective eyes, you decide you don't agree with the editor/agent's opinion, then fine. Don't make changes. But realize that if you have a second or third person give you the same feedback... your baby might not be as good as you think it is.

But, in my opinion, it's never a good idea to throw a tantrum--no matter how well worded--in a public venue like a blog or group/email loop. Sit down and have a good, private cry, vent to a few close friends, but it's really not a good idea to publicly diss an editor or agent--especially by name--and especially just because your book just didn't work for them.

Believe me, people remember. Publishers remember. Some even keep notes so they know they don't want to work with particular authors in the future if they're approached with a manuscript.

So keep your hurt feelings off the web, folks. It might feel good to vent in the short term, by in the long run, it will only do more damage. To you.

Discovering Story Magic Workshop

This is a workshop being sponsored by my local RWA chapter--and I've been hearing it's EXCELLENT! So if you're a writer and live in Arizona or a nearby state, you really should think seriously about attending this workshop.

Discovering Story Magic

A Three-Step Method for Writing a Book They Can't Refuse

When you are writing:

* Do your characters become three-dimensional and alive?
* Do conflicts escalate within the confines of a tight, interwoven plot?
* Do internal and external conflicts intertwine and become indistinguishable?
* Do you know the bedrock truth underlying your story?


Would you like to learn how to create this kind of MAGIC every time you sit down to write?

If so, join Saguaro Romance Writers at the DISCOVERING STORY MAGIC workshop on Saturday, November 3, in the sunny "Old Pueblo " of Tucson, Arizona!

The Discovering Story Magic (DSM) method will help you create a story organically, from the characters up. DSM works for all genres of popular fiction: romance, horror, fantasy, mystery, suspense... you name it.

This interactive, hands-on workshop will give you tools and skills using a three-step process to make your writing more powerful from the start. You will learn:

* How to build a firm foundation under your characters using the Character Grid.
* How to give your story a backbone by defining its Turning Points, and * How to use the Storyboard to organize scenes so that you track your pacing and place events to make your book as strong as it can possibly be.

We will practice these skills in the morning and then use them in the afternoon when as a group we will brainstorm a book.

You will leave with handouts that you can use again and again.

Multi-published authors, newbies, "plotters" and "pantsters" have all used Discovering Story Magic's flexible tools to produce salable fiction by weaving together character, conflict, plot, realization and turning points from the beginning of the writing process through revision and even the synopsis. All this before even putting a word on page one. Multi-published writers have even changed the way they write after attending this workshop!

Here are just two reviews:

From Roxanne St. Claire, national bestselling author and 2005 RITA finalist:
"I have no doubt that the story and character development techniques I learned through Discovering Story Magic took my writing from passable to publishable. For the first time, I was able to see a clear process of storytelling that gave me a path without forcing the direction of my story and provided a structure without putting me in a box. The day after I took the seminar, I used everything I'd learned to crystallize characters and map out a plot using a story premise that had previously been nothing but a cobweb of ideas. Within a few days, I was able to start writing and within a few months, I'd finished the book that became my first sale, to Pocket Books. One reviewer called that book "breathtaking...a novel from the soul." No ... it was a novel from Discovering Story Magic! Since then, I've sold 14 books to two publishers, within three subgenres under two slightly different names. I've completed ten manuscripts and every single one starts with Story Magic."

From Jasmine Cresswell, USA Today Bestselling author of more than 60 novels:
"As a writer, I feel obligated to provide my readers with a minimum of two things: believable, interesting characters and a coherent plot. STORY MAGIC, used correctly, is a no-fail system for achieving that -- and more. I recommend the system to any writer, new or established, attempting to make a sale in today's high competitive publishing environment."


For more than a decade, Robin Perini and Laura Baker have taught thousands of writers online and at standing-room-only events, conferences and universities across the country. They recently taught at the Romance Writers of America national convention in Dallas. And now they're coming to Tucson!

SEATING AT THIS WORKSHOP IS LIMITED to allow maximum interaction with the instructors. Register NOW!

When: November 3, 2007 , 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
-- Sign-in and coffee at 8:30 a.m.

Where: Sheraton Four Points Hotel, 1900 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson, Arizona

Fees: Registration fee covers all workshop materials and lunch - $75 RWA-Tucson members; $85 members of other RWA chapters; $95 all others

Register: Online at www.tucsonrwa.org to use PayPal or a credit card.

FMI email Linda Reed at lindareed@netscape.com or Marilyn Johnson at mm-wordplay@comcast.net.

Deliciously Naughty Writers

Come on over to the Deliciously Naughty Writers' blog and chat with me about my day job. Or at least pop over and say hi! :)

See you at DNW!

Deliciously Naughty Delurk

From 6 to 9 p.m. EST tonight, the authors of Deliciously Naughty Writers will be hosting our monthly delurk. We'll be sharing excerpts and holding contests for readers to win some fun prizes. If you're not a member, come on over and join. If you are a member, hope to see you there!

5th Annual Amber Heat Wave Contest

All you erotic romance authors who have been eying Amber Heat as a potential publisher, start working on your entry. The 2008 contest will be open in January and if you start your story now, you should have plenty of time to get it spit shined so it's ready to go when the window opens.

Entries are accepted from January 1st through January 15th (the first two weeks) ONLY. Click here for more details.

I'm Going Part-Time

And I can't wait! Beginning next week, I'm cutting my day job hours to 30--there's just not enough work there to keep me busy 40 hours a week, and I can afford the cut in salary at this point, so I'm going for it. It should give me at least another 2 hours of writing time a day, give me an earlier start, which is huge for me. I've discovered that if I'm not writing by 6:30-6:45 p.m., it ain't gonna happen. Because I'm too tired, usually.

Of course, the downside is that I'll have to pay for my entire benefit premium through COBRA, so I'll only have 18 months to do this. Unless something happens at work where they need me to come back full-time. But until one of the above happens, I'll be off work by 3 p.m., home by 3:30, and hopefully on the keyboard by 4:00.

Yippee!!