A Fantasy Life
March 28, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Columns tagged as Janet Cornelow, Janet Quinn
By Janet Quinn Cornelow
Linda McLaughlin and I went to EPICon at the beginning of March. It was at
Linda and I went to a workshop on
One of the speakers, Marilyn Meredith, talked about the world she had built for the mysteries she had written. It has heavy Native American tones to it. Her detective lives between that world and the outer world.
That made me think about the fact that we build worlds for all of our stories. The world doesn’t have to have any magical elements to it. We create worlds in which our characters live. In Betrayals, I created the town of
Usually when writing a non-fantasy story, I don’t think about the fact that I am building a world to surround my characters, but I am. The Irish Countess needed a convent and a large farm. The Kilted Governess needed several sheep farms, a village, and an abandoned hut. So, all of those things just appeared.
It is usually called setting, but it is also world building. We have to put our characters into a world that is believable so our readers are anchored in the story.
Of course building worlds with magic and monsters is so much more fun. I bought a journal so I can start building my world for my urban fantasy. I can’t write on paper, but I like to be able to set my notes next to me while I do write. Journals are just so handy for all of that.
I can’t really start on the urban fantasy until Sam gets to where he needs to be. He is off hunting the slave hunters. He, Cooper and Arnou are angry, armed and dangerous. At least he’s moving again.
0 0 Read moreOCCRWA April Online Workshop – Show and Tell w Shannon Donnelly
March 26, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives********** permission to forward **********
Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the Orange County Chapter of RWA!
Show and Tell: An Interactive Workshop
With Shannon Donnelly
April 13, 2009 – May 9, 2009
Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassApr09.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: April 12, 2009
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com
ABOUT THE CLASS:
“Show, don’t Tell” is a cliché that has almost lost its meaning. But “showing” and “telling” are both valuable tools for any writer. In this workshop, we’ll use writing examples to figure out the truth hidden in this tired phrase.
The “telling” part of the workshop includes tips, tricks, and techniques to help improve narrative and identify when it’s time to tell your story. The “showing” part blends a set of exercises to strengthen an understanding of what makes a scene come to life.
TOPICS:
1) Telling: Use of the Narrative Voice
2) Showing to Pull a Reader into Your Scenes
3) Descriptions: How to Make them Vivid
4) Deep Viewpoint to Show a Character’s Inner World
5) Time, Transitions & Word Count–where Telling Helps
6) Showing and Telling–Not Absolutes
7) Write to Your Strengths: When to Show, When to Tell
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Award-winning author of romance novels, children’s books, video games, and non-fiction books, Shannon’s work has earned praise from Booklist and other reviewers, noting: “simply superb”…”wonderfully uplifting”….and “beautifully written.” Her numerous awards for writing include past finalist in the RWA’s RITA for Best Regency, winner of the Golden Heart Award, Grand Prize in the “Minute Maid Sensational Romance Writer” contest, (judged by Nora Roberts – which gave her a trip to Paris), the Laurel Wreath, Winter Rose, and multiple finalists in the Bookseller’s Best, Orange Rose, Holt Medallion, Colorado ACE, and other contests. Shannon is a member of Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA), Orange County Chapter (OCC) of RWA, East Valley Authors (EVA), and the Published Author Special Interest Chapter (PASIC). She regularly teaches online workshops, including a class for UCLA, and has spoken at RWA’s National Conference, as well as at RWA chapter meetings and other conferences.
She can be found online at http://www.shannondonnelly.com/ and www.myspace.com/randomfreshink.
Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassApr09.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: April 12, 2009
Coming in May – “Writing the Synopsis” with Camy Tang
Whether you’ve got a complete manuscript or you’ve just started one, this class will help you write a complete synopsis for your story. She will take you step by step so that by the end of the class you will have written a one-page synopsis, a 4-6 page synopsis, and also a more organic “character” synopsis.
For a full class roster, go to http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html. Check out our full 2009 list of workshops. Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group!
Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
********** permission to forward **********
0 0 Read moreUnexpected Benefits
March 25, 2009 by Marianne H. Donley in category Archives tagged as Lori Pyne, Musings At Midnightby Lori Pyne
I knew that studying character and character development would assist with the creation of three dimensional people in my fictional worlds. What surprised me was how understanding fictional characters’ goals, motivations, conflicts, fatal flaws, and so on helped me gain a deeper insight into living, breathing individuals: co-workers, friends, family, other parents on the playground. Real people.
Let me give two examples of writing lessons and how they have assisted me beyond my writing.
During an online class on the differences between males and females, the instructor explained that most men have poor peripheral vision and can focus on something to the exclusion of everything else. There was a discussion on evolution, men being hunters, women being caretakers and how the differences aided those separate roles.
After I finished reading the lesson, I went in search of my husband. I asked him follow me into the office to read an interesting lesson. He rose from his easy chair, stepped over the pile of newspapers at his feet and followed me to the back bedroom. When he finished, he raised his eyebrow. I explained that I now understood that he truly did not see the pile of newspapers that he’d just stepped over. I promised that I would not complain about such future oversights, if he would not feel I was nagging him when I pointed out a previously unseen mess. Mutual understanding was reach and a more collaborative partnership was created because of a writing lesson.
In a workshop on secondary characters, I learned that every character, even the villain, is the hero of his or her story, even if not the Hero of the current story being written and that secondary characters’ actions are motivated by that viewpoint.
So all of the villains in my life: my girlfriends’ ex-husbands, the backstabbing co-workers, the erratic drivers during my commute, all are the heroes of their own stories and view their actions as justified. My outrage is a waste of time and energy. Therefore, unless it is a life threatening or job threatening situation, I have learned to shake my head and go on with me life.
Have any writing lessons helped you in your day to day life or your own person relationships?
0 0 Read moreInformation on the Google Settlement
March 24, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Google SettlementAs some of you may know, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Author’s Guild launched a lawsuit against Google. Here is some background and info that may impact you:
Publishers have been asked to help in the task of notifying authors about the Google Litigation Settlement Agreement. In October 2008, AAP announced that a Settlement Agreement had been reached which, upon court approval, would resolve the two pending Google Book Search copyright infringement lawsuits – a class action suit brought against Google by the Authors Guild, and a separate suit brought against Google by five AAP members supported by AAP.
Because it resolves a class action lawsuit, the Settlement Agreement, if approved, will affect the rights of all book authors, book publishers and other persons – both inside and outside the United States – who own a U.S. copyright interest in books or certain other copyrighted works that Google, without permission, has scanned or may scan and display. It is important that such “class members†receive timely notice of the Settlement Agreement so they may exercise their rights and options, including whether to opt out of the settlement or, if not, claim their books.
With AAP, the Authors Guild and Google are coordinating notice efforts to ensure that their combined actions will satisfy the class action legal requirement to provide “the best notice practicable under the circumstances, including individual notice to all members who can be identified through reasonable effort.†Publishers have been asked to provide notice of the Settlement Agreement to their authors and direct them to the official settlement website at http://www.googlebooksettlement.com.
Please share the information with anyone you think might have had their work impacted.
Thanks!
Isabel Swift
0 0 Read moreNew Sale Story
March 23, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Lyon's Lair tagged as Lyon's LairAt the last OCC meeting, I received two roses for selling two more books in the Wing Slayer Hunter Series. When I went up to get the roses, I just gave a brief line about the next book and got off the stage.
My friends were annoyed with me. They said I should have talked more about all the books, and the series, and the sexy hunters…but that isn’t exactly what I would have wanted to say.
This is…
This series is about magic, and the witches and witch hunters who wield the magic to fight against evil. The first book, BLOOD MAGIC, is truly the book I always wanted to write and, interestingly enough, it was the hardest book I’ve written. I drew on everything I had, and when that wasn’t enough, I drew on friends: Marianne Donley, Laura Wright, Michele Cwiertny, Maureen Child, Kate Carlisle, Mindy Neff, Michelle Thorne, Sandy Chvostal and some that I’m sure I’m forgetting. They never let me lose faith in the book or myself, and they stepped in when I was in a panic. During revisions when I was so lost I couldn’t eat or sleep, Marianne said, “Send it to me right now.” And they got right back to me with suggestions that were dead on.
Friends like that? Priceless.
And my ace in the hole? I love my editor. I clicked with her from the first time I talked to her. She worked hard on that book, pushing me to do major revisions, always there to answer questions or brainstorm. We have a genuine respect for each others talents, and a trust that we each will do exactly what we say we will. She made BLOOD MAGIC a better book, and me a better writer.
Then the economy tanked. My publisher restructured and laid off employees.
I was trying not to panic.
My editor called to assure me that my place at Random House was secure. Oh good! My editor still had her job! The book was still on track to publish. I turned in the second book and wrote the proposal to sell more books in the series and was feeling pretty good.
Six weeks later, my agent let me know my editor had been laid off.
I was devastated. Losing an editor who believes in our work at such a critical time, particularly when publishers are tightening and cutting, meant the series could be dead before it even got started. My agent swore it was okay. I tried to believe her. (My agent and I were both very sad for my editor, who was simply a victim of the economy as a last hire.)
The weeks of waiting were endless. I did revisions on the second book, and kept trying to believe that they would buy more books.
It was getting harder.
Then I got the call from my agent that the publisher had offered for two more books.
Selling two more books under these circumstances is amazing, incredible and makes me feel very lucky. In spite of the tough economy, BLOOD MAGIC is doing well and the series is starting off strong.
So the one thing I want to get across is that this business of publishing—it’s always a struggle. But doesn’t that make success so much sweeter?
And the friends we make along the way? Priceless!
Jennifer Lyon always wanted to be a witch. When her witch-powers didn’t materialize, she turned to creating magic in her books. BLOOD MAGIC is the first book in an enchanting, passionate and supernatural series. Visit Jennifer Lyon at www.jenniferlyonbooks.com
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