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Tag: fiction

Writers Resources: Audio Downloads of Writers Seminars

Posted on July 22, 2010 by LJ

You might think of me as Johnyta come lately, but I recently discovered a wonderful resource for writers:  audio downloads of writers seminars.  The Romance Writers of America (“RWA”) offers audio downloads of the seminars given at its annual conferences in 2008 and 2009.  www.rwa.org  The seminars are given by bestselling authors, editors of large publishing houses and the like.  The topics of the seminars run the gamut from seminars on the craft of writing to seminars on writers' careers (i.e. networking, building an audience, surviving tax audits) to seminars on getting published (i.e. genre jumping, what editors seek, what bestsellers have in common).  There are also downloads available of seminars on how to do research for your book and the writers life (critique partners, finding your muse, etc.).  The downloads are $8.00 each ($12.00 for two-hour seminars) and are a great value.  Those who can't afford to attend the conferences can take advantage of one of the main benefits of attending for a fraction of the price.

The seminars are not limited to how to write romance novels either.  The craft seminars are applicable to all genres of fiction.  They cover such topics as how to write good dialogue, how to set the pace in a novel, how to build suspense, points of view, how to effectively edit the novel, the art of backstory, etc. 

I downloaded a seminar on how to do successful re-writes that will prove invaluable in reworking my romantic suspense novel and editing my second book. The author fully explained and helped me to understand some basic concepts of novel writing that I didn't know about.  Some examples of the things I learned from the seminar are: (1)  every scene in a novel should have a purpose,  (2) every chapter of the novel should have a hook to make the reader want to continue to the next chapter,  (3) if you start the book with too high a level of tension, you will have no place to go afterward, and (4) it's a good idea to ratchet up the tension in the book by increasing the stakes.  These concepts are extremely basic for experienced writers, but are not so second nature to novice writers like myself.   Hearing the author who gave the seminar talk about how much work her novel needed before it finally got published and became a bestseller made me feel better about my works in progress.

Check out the seminars on the RWA site and let me know what you think.

Peace.

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Posted in WritingTagged agents, audio downloads, backstory, bestselling authors, chapter, craft of writing, editing, editors, fiction, genres, getting published, hook, publishers, romance, romance novel, Romance Writers of America, romantic suspense, RWA, scene, suspense, tension, writers conferences, writers reources, writers seminars, writing seminarsLeave a Comment on Writers Resources: Audio Downloads of Writers Seminars

Get Inspired

Posted on June 12, 2010 by LJ

One evening, after a particularly grueling day at work, I dragged myself home, warmed up some food and had dinner sitting on the couch in front of a TV tray while I watched cooking shows.  I wasn't in the mood to write a blog post.  I certainly was not in the mood to write fiction.  In fact, I wanted nothing more than to just mindlessly veg in front of the TV set.  There wasn't much of me left.  I was mentally exhausted from getting up early in the mornings to work out and write and then practicing law until well into the evening hours.  

I decided to check my e-mail.  There was a message there from someone I had met at the Silken Sands Writers Conference.  She had read my blog and said that it had inspired her to eat better and to start working out.   Those few words lifted my flagging spirits.  It felt so good to know that my blog was inspiring people to live a healthier life. It gave me a sense of renewed energy.  That night, I jotted down several ideas for blog posts and began thumbing through my recipe box for recipes to add to the site.  The next morning, I wrote a new blog post and started my recipes page.

Later that day, I thought about how a few kind words could inspire a person to keep going – whether it's to write, to follow a dream, or whatever.   But for that e-mail, I might have decided that I just didn't have enough time to maintain this blog in addition to working, working out and working on my fiction.  Life has a way of beating us down sometimes.  I realized then that I needed to find sources of inspiration wherever I could to deal with those times. 

As I searched for sources of inspiration, I realized that they were all around me.  For example, when I read about the epidemic of childhood obesity in America and think of my nieces (who are not obese by any means but who eat as much junk food as the typical American child), I want to set a good example for them in terms of pursuing a healthier lifestyle.  When I listen to one of them tell me that some of the kids in her class tease her because she likes to eat vegetables (and they don't), it inspires me more to show her, by example, that being an individual is a good thing – especially when it comes to one's health.  When I read about other attorneys who have written bestsellers, had their stories made into blockbuster films and are now able to pursue their dreams full-time if they should so desire, I get inspired to write fiction.

I keep a vision board – a corkboard with pictures and print cut out from magazines that represent different goals or aspirations that I have (becoming more money savvy, losing weight, etc.).  Every time I walk past it, I see a picture of a smiling woman in great shape in workout gear.  She is measuring her tiny waist with a tape measure.  Above her head is the title “Healthy Living.”  Seeing that image  day after day inspires me to  get up most mornings and work out.  You may laugh, but since I am 45 lbs lighter than I was 14 months ago, it appears to be working.

What can you do to get and stay inspired?  Well, it depends on what you want to get inspired to do.  If you want to get inspired to live a healthier lifestyle, then maybe reading blogs like this one or checking out health-related websites can help.  If you want to get inspired to write, then joining a writers group, attending a writers conference or attending a poetry reading  may be just the ticket.  If you want to get inspired to learn how to cook, check out cooking websites or take a cooking class.  If you want to get inspired to exercise, then find some sort of exercise you would likely enjoy and try it.  It may be trying out a belly dance workout in the privacy of your own home, investing in a Wii Fit, taking a Zumba class, getting a bike and going bike riding or taking a walk with your child in a park and then having a healthy picnic. 

Get out.  Live.  Try something new. Get inspired.

Peace.

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Posted in UncategorizedTagged belly dance, blog, blog post, childhood obesity, cooking, exercise, fiction, healthy, inspiration, inspired, recipes, work out, working out, workout1 Comment on Get Inspired

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