Notes from Val’s Desk
April 3, 2009 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Motivational, Notes From Val's Desk
As I concentrated on dusting the many books and putting a gleam on the rows of shelves, I picked up a small decorative picture frame. Sandwiched between a backing board and a dull piece of glass is one of my favorite little snippets of writing. I’d like to share it (the writing, not the dust) with you. This was written by Winston S.Churchill and is titled Thoughts and Adventures from “Hobbies,†a collection of essays published in 1932.
“What shall I do with all my books?†was the question; and the answer, “Read them,†sobered the questioner. But if you cannot read them, at any rate handle them and, as it were, fondle them. Peer into them. Let them fall open where they will. Read on from the first sentence that arrests the eye. Then turn to another. Make a voyage of discovery, taking soundings of uncharted seas. Set them back on their shelves with your own hands. Arrange them on your own plan, so that if you do not know what is in them, you at least know where they are. If they cannot be your friends, let them at any rate be your acquaintances. If they cannot enter the circle of your life, do not deny them at least a nod of recognition.
I think I’ll pay my writing books a little visit…..it’s been a while and I need to fondle them.
April President’s Message
April 1, 2009 by Marianne H. Donley in category ArchivesIt’s Spring; the season of renewal!
You caught my double entendre, yes? Of course you did if you read the announcement that came with this newsletter. It’s time to renew for your chapter. Past time actually, and we wouldn’t want you to miss out on this coming year!
Your new Board has brought a plethora of new energy and ideas to your chapter, and they’re open for more. Several of those ideas are based on need and reflect fundraising approaches. And many of you have already offered up suggestions on raising money. These are timely, as our numbers are not as strong as we hoped. You can view a synopsis of this year’s budget in this newsletter. We welcome your thoughts and questions.
You will see new items at the Ways and Means Table, on-line at Café Press, and at a Midnight Madness table in Washington DC. You will see more special one-day events such as the ones led by guest speaker Diane Pershing earlier this year. On-line classes will continue to bring you fresh voices and new outlooks to improve your writing and boost your career. We will continue to bring you monthly speakers who will motivate and inspire, provide you basic to advanced tools, and set the stage for your writing efforts.
Last month your Board approved a survey which will come to you in April, asking you what you want from your chapter, both in person and on-line, so we can continue to serve you in the best ways possible. Please, please, please take the time to fill it out and send it back. I truly want to see this Board setting the stage for the future, ensuring we are keeping pace with the times, and providing the most current and comprehensive assistance that you could ever want from local RWA. At the same time, I don’t want to see anyone left behind. We are all different, some technologically astute, and others a little techno-phobic. We are here to serve both, and all in between. But we can’t do this effectively without your help. Your Chapter exists to support you. Here is your opportunity to tell us how we can continue to assist you over the next five years.
It’s the season of renewal (did you?), the season of new ideas, of rebirth. Help your chapter be reborn as the springboard to your success. Please fill out the survey and lend us your thoughts and ideas to how we can best assist you, as an individual and a part of Orange County Chapter, to attain your writing goals.
Randi
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 moreFeatured Books
THE PRINCESS OF BOORAY
You would expect the life of a princess to be full of delight . . .
More info →
SEASIDE SWEETS
After her ex runs up her credit card, clears her bank account, and gets her fired, Seanna escapes to Seaside, Florida where the men are hot as the Gulf Coast sun…one in particular.
More info → QUEEN OF THE UNIVERSE
Can a charismatic TV writer convince her brooding handyman to star in her show in time to save her career?
More info →
