Workshops starting 8/20/12

Here is a list of workshops I found:

Re: Workshops Starting This Week and Next

Sun Aug 19, 2012 11:17 am (PDT) . Posted by:

"sahara_stx" sahara_stx

Workshops Starting This Week and Next

See all our workshops at: http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/workshoplist.php

Show Don't Tell
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=837

The Dirty Little Secrets of Character Development
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=842

Puzzling Out the "Necessary" Bits
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=975

Story Sense/ Story Logic
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=976

Re-visioning Your Manuscript (How to Revise at a Deep Level)
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=996

Character Flaws
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1150

Fixing Your Fiction
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1153

Motivating Your Characters
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1266

Loglines – Just the Facts, Ma'am
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1284

Takedown! Close Combat Up Close Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1389

Creating an Effective Book Business Plan
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1533

Writing Adult While Writing YA - Navigating Two Worlds
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1545

Contest Slut: It's Not a Dirty Word
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1546

A Writer's Guide to Psychology
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1547

HELP! MY STORY'S CRASHED! Getting Your Manuscript Rebooted When Your Muse Has a Breakdown Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1554

Steam Punk Creation
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1555

25 Words from Query to Sales Success
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1556

Self-Editing for Writers
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1573

Harry Potter for Writers: Mystery Plotting, Myths, and Snape
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1575

Q/A - Scrivener vs. Word: The Pros and Cons of Writing Software **New**
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1578

Write What You Know - Building Novels Around Your Strengths
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1529

Core Curricula for Authors 302 - Editing Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=1503

The Hero's Journey Registered
http://www.savvyaut
hors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=899

Want to know about other events at Savvy Authors - Conferences, Chats,
Webinars, Contests and Special Events? Join our very low volume,
announcement only mailing list and stay connected:
http://groups.
yahoo.com/group/Savvyevents/

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at savvyauthors @ gmail.com

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@ gmail.com

Permission to Forward Granted and Encouraged!

Writer's Block

What happens when life gets in the way of writing? Talking to a writer friend about the problems we've had with sitting down to write, she suggested that maybe the best writers don't have much of a life. As we threw out some author's names, it seemed that their best writing happened at lonely or unhappy times in their lives. But, could that really be the answer? I hope not.

Authors have suggested that the answer to writer's block is to write. So, I'm writing. I've been finding it difficult to work on my book lately. A couple of reasons come to mind. The number one is fear. Although I've been told that my writing is good, I'm afraid it isn't good enough. That leads me to the question, "Good enough for what?" For a publisher? Today, if you can't find a publisher for your work, you can always self-publish. My own idea of what is good enough is probably the problem. In my second draft, I'm constantly looking back to rewrite something. I've heard many successful authors say you need to get through the whole draft before you rewrite. I'm trying to listen to their words but it's difficult. Another fear I harbor is finishing the book. Once it's finished, I'll have to let people look at it in it's entirety, not the bits and pieces I've given to critique partners. Oh dear!

Today, I'm writing this blog simply to write something. I'm guilty of enjoying a week's vacation with a lot less writing than I'd hoped. However, I've enjoyed being with family and friends and getting in a lot of swimming. Perhaps, I'm not suffering enough for my writing. Perhaps I'm not motivated enough. I don't know. After I finish this blog, I'm going back to my protagonist and see if I can ruin her day. And I'm going to go to my calendar and block out some writing time around my work week. I'm too close to the finish line. Vacation is over!

s

I Believe. Do You?

Since I’ve begun writing about ghosts, people who had never mentioned any interest in the paranormal, have told me incredible stories. Friends, colleagues and students have enlightened me on the subject by describing their own encounters with the supernatural.

My initial response to stories about spirits is often skepticism. I’m afraid to believe they’re real. However, skepticism immediately morphs into acceptance. I know ghosts, spirits, or specters are real because I experienced the phenomenon in my own home. We had a wandering ghost who liked to walk down the stairs and open the door to the living room. I only experienced the activity once, but my mother heard him often. I say him because a friend of mine, who I discovered is a medium, said she saw a little old man. I also witnessed my dog standing at the door to an empty room, fur straight up on his back, as he furiously barked at nothing. 

Later, during my short career in Real Estate, I realized that some homes, even rooms, have a distinctly negative aura. When I’d show one of these houses, I’d find myself holding my breath and looking over my shoulder until I was able to leave. I don’t know why I felt that way. Perhaps it had nothing to do with evil or the supernatural but I didn’t want to stick around to find out. I was very glad to leave.

Stories about the occult fascinate me and give me great ideas for my work. If you’ve had a strange or scary experience with the spirit world, I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment or email me at novatrek2@gmail.com. 

Margo

Did the Devil Visit Salem, MA in 1692?

The underpinnings of paranoia are embedded deep inside our own fears, ever ready to be unearthed and manipulated by evil, unscrupulous individuals. (That’s why I read Stephen King during daylight hours. Although, Stephen King is neither evil nor unscrupulous!)

Although the history of Salem, MA is graced with an illustrious maritime history, today it may be better known for its disgraceful part in the witch trials of 1692.

Most people aren’t aware that, at the time of the witchcraft hysteria, Danvers, MA was known as Salem Village and Salem, MA was called Salem Town. During that time, rivalries developed between families from Salem Town whose wealth came from maritime commerce and those from Salem Village whose fortunes came from agriculture.

Puritan villagers found the squabbling factions so abhorrent, that they blamed all the vicious sniping on the devil, priming the superstitious populace for the explosion about to ensue.

At that time the oppression of women also played its role in the acting out of the young accusers. The attention they garnered was probably heady, the drama exciting. I’m sure those first young girls never thought out their actions to their deadly conclusion. The possibility has been raised that a fungus in the rye they consumed, may have given those girls the symptoms they portrayed. Perhaps that’s how it started. However, some accusers were “cured” immediately when the “witch” touched them. That argues for the influence of the devil or the devilish actions of pranksters.

It’s interesting to note that the first women to be accused of witchcraft included a slave, a homeless beggar and an elderly impoverished woman; each someone who could be seen as beneath the accusers’ station with no power to cause them any negative consequences.

Unfortunately, one of those first women to be accused not only confessed but embellished her confession. Whether from fear, hysteria, or her Caribbean beliefs, the slave, Tituaba, declared that there were other witches out there who wanted to destroy the Puritans. Her terrifying words fed into the Puritan fear of the devil and set the stage for one of the most shameful events in the history of Massachusetts. By the time the magistrates came to their senses, 19 people had been hanged and one person pressed to death.

If you’d like more information on the Salem witches, you can go to this website, http://www.salemwitchmuseum.com/about/ or visit the museum in person.

Wondering how something like this could happen? Look at our history: The Inquisition, The Holocaust, or any one of the Great Wars. Or check out the famous Orson Welles radio broadcast from October, 1938, called War of the Worlds. It played on listener’s fears of extraterrestrial beings. Ever seen a UFO?

Sleep tight!

Can You Say Tension?

A few weeks ago, I attended an eight-hour, Donald Maass workshop. I 'd heard great things about his book, "Writing the Breakout Novel", so attending the class in Dedham, MA made perfect sense. A quick thanks here to New England Sisters In Crime for sponsoring and taking on most of the expense of the event.

Mr. Maass began by having us dredge up all the fear, superstition, worry and hurt inside our protagonist and then using those emotions to fuel our story. In order to have a page turner, he insisted, you need to have tension. He spoke of the big picture where tension builds up to vital parts of the story and then he spoke about tension throughout the pages. He explained that tension is what keeps the reader turning the pages.

So, I looked at my work. Every few chapters I'd tossed in some tension, mostly around ghostly happenings. That wasn't enough? I have quite a few books hanging around my house in bookcases, baskets and bags in the closets. Wondering what some of my favorite authors did about tension, I snagged a few to reread some passages. Guess what? The books I had loved had tension throughout. Those were the books that had ruined my sleep. Hmmm! Looked like Donald Maass was right. Tension made for an exciting read.

Looking through those books, I realized that tension didn't necessarily occur only at the big fear times in the story. We usually have tension in smaller life events also. Things like entering a room where you don't know anyone or running into trouble at work. Maybe you've made a mistake and you're waiting for someone to find out. Maybe your car won't start. There are so many small occurrences in our daily lives that cause us anxiety. In our writing, we can add that stress to our characters' lives and keep the reader interested and turning pages.

In this edit of A Trace of Evil, I've been letting the reader see Dani's human foibles and her secret fears and I think the story has become much stronger. Hopefully you'll all think so, too, when it's finally done. In the meantime, add a little angst to your character's life and have fun writing.

A Peek at "A Trace of Evil"

During this long timeout, I’ve been working on my book draft to send to an editor.Writing this story is a lot of fun and I thought you might like to have a peek. A Trace of Evil is about a young woman who leaves a controlling boyfriend only to find her new apartment has a controlling ghost. The story begins with Dani inspecting the apartment. This is a scene from the bedroom, the only room in the apartment with origins in the Eighteenth century. Here's a snippet of conversation between Dani and her older sister, Kirsten:

To myself I muttered, “It’s a little gloomy in here. I suppose I could perk it up with some bright colors.”

Kirsten, who missed nothing, gave me an incredulous stare. “Look at the floor boards. They’re gorgeous and I’d die for a fireplace like this. The apartment is perfect for you.”

Leave it to Kirsten to know what was best for me.

“Is it?”

“Of course.”

Ready to tell her I could make up my own mind, Eddie took me aside. When he told me the rent, I fell in love with the place myself.

“You can move in next week, if you like. I’ll have it cleaned.”

Before I could ask why such a great apartment had been vacant for so long, Kirsten poked my arm. “Earth to Dani.”

“What?”

“Do you want it?”

Did I want it? Knowing what rents were like in Salem, I’d be foolish to turn it down. “Okay, Eddie. I’ll take it.”

Heading back to the kitchen, (my kitchen, I thought with a thrill) I caught the smell of tobacco. I glanced up at the loft . . . was that smoke? I stopped and squinted in the dim light. Nothing. Nothing but shadows.

May Workshops

Looking for a workshop during the month of May?

One of my favorite workshops was given by Margie Lawson. Check out her offerings. But be prepared to work!

http://www.margielawson.com

Or, comb through the list on the Savvy Authors webpage.

http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/workshoplist.php 

 

The authors running these workshops are always ready to answer questions. Whether you're a newbie to the writing business or well on your way to success, there is probably some little gem within one of these classes that you can use.

Whatever you do, have fun,

Margo 

p.s. When I first typed "writing business", I made an error and wrote "writhing business". Not too far off, huh?