Lacey Devlin

Launch Day: Harlequin Presents Pitch Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:55:00 +0000

The Act Fast! Editor Pitch Challenge forHarlequin Presentslaunches today. But this is no ordinary challenge because the editors are aftera short extract and a back cover blurb with entries closing Feb 27. It's a entry period, so you’dbetter get cracking!

Some handy information:

The official challenge is here.
The Harlequin Presents guidelines are here.

Keep in mind that the competition time is EST so ifyou’re in another time zone please, please, pleasemake sure that the competition is officially open. As with most things there’sa chance your entry may be disqualified if entered early and let’s face it,that would just make us all sad. So! Here’s a time and date converter.

Don’t forget to let me know if you’re entering soI can cheer you on and good luck!

How To Increase Your Daily Word Count By 8K

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:12:00 +0000

Busy, busy, busy. First off, congratulations toanyone who entered Nicola Marsh’s Valentine’s Day pitch for SIX EntangledPublishing editors. There’s a few entries in there I’d love to read so I can’t wait for theresults tomorrow.

Also, congratulations to anyone who entered theHarlequin Medical pitch competition! Their wait is a little longer (the 17^th)but it’s exciting to think that we could be about to discover the next ScarletWilson or Wendy S.Marcus.

I have a few things on my plate at the moment soI’m cheating with today’s blog post and redirecting you to somewhere equallyfabulous. Last year, fantasy author Rachel Aaron bloggedabout how she increased her word count from 2K to 10K per day. It’s the mostdetailed post I’ve ever read on an author’s word count productivity, and thebest thing is that she tells you how to customize it to work for you. I hopeyou’ll find it just as helpful as I did.

Here’s a preview:

When I started writing The Spirit War (Eli novel#4), I had a bit of a problem. I had a brand new baby and my life (like evernew mother’s life) was constantly on the verge of shambles. I paid for a sitterfour time a week so I could get some writing time, and I guarded these hourslike a mama bear guards her cubs – with ferocity and hiker-mauling violence. Tokeep my schedule and make my deadlines, I needed to write 4000 words duringeach o these carefully arranged sessions I thought this would be simple. Afterall, before I quit my job to write full time I’d been writing 2k a day in thethree hours before work. Surely with 6 hours of baby free writing time, 4k aday would be nothing…

But (of course), things didn’t work out likethat. Every day I’d sit down to add 4000 words to my new manuscript. I wasdetermined, I was experienced, I knew my world. There was no reason I couldn’tget 4k down. But every night when I hauled myself away, my word count had onlyincreased by 2k, the same number of words I’d been getting before I quit my dayjob.

Needless to say, I felt like a failure. Here Iwas, a professional writer with three books about to come out, and I couldn’teven beat the writing I’d done before I went pro. At first I made excuses, this novel was themost complicated of all the Eli books I’d written, I was tired because my sonthinks 4am is an awesome time to play, etc, etc. But the truth was there was noexcuse. I had to find a way to boost my word count and with months of 2k a daydragging me down, I had to do it fast. So I got scientific. I gathered data andtried experiments, and ultimately ended up boosting my word count to heightsfar beyond what I thought was possible, and I did it while making my writingbetter than ever before....

I think we’ve all been there at one time or another.Perhaps you’re there now. Here’s the link to help you boost your word count by8K!

Happy writing!

February Writing Workshops 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:38:00 +0000

Pleasenote that all course descriptions are in blurb form. There’s often more information at theofficial websites. The February writingworkshops are listed in order of start date and length.

Flash Fiction
Instructor: JimHarrington

Dates: February 13 –19, 2012

Course Description: Flash Fiction: What is it? How do I write it? Whyshould I bother? This workshop is aimed at writers who are new toflash fiction. The topics covered will include:

Day 1 -- What is flash fiction?
Day 2 -- Choosing a story to write
Day 3 -- That’s a story?
Day 4 -- Thinking about words
Day 5 -- Why write flash?
Day 6 -- Final questions/comments. Storiesdeadline.

Manning the Submission’s Box

Instructor: TinaGerow

Dates: February 13 –26, 2012

Course Description: You’ve slaved over your manuscript and it’sfinally perfect! The next step? Submitting. But what really happens once your manuscript hits the editor’ssubmissions box? Find out what are thepet peeves, do’s & don’ts, tips & tricks and even the horror storiesthat will help your manuscript stand out...or not.

Series Business – Is Writing A Series Right For You

Instructor: MistyEvans

Dates: February 13 –26, 2012

Course Description: No matter what genre, series are in demand byreaders and publishers alike. But is writing a series right for you? This workshopwill help you:

Examine the pros and cons of writing a series
Define and evaluate your idea
Develop a Series Bible to track plot lines,characters and story arcs
Develop a Pitch Bible that includes blurbs,synopses and a story arc to market to agents and editors
Turn your series idea into a workable project withtools, templates and one-on-one help

Query Bootcamp: How To Prepare Your Novel’s Query Package and Find the Perfect Agent

Instructor: F.T.Bradley

Dates: February 13 – March 10, 2012

Course Description: If you've been learning more about sellingyour work, you've probably heard that you need build a platform, or make a namefor yourself. But how do you even begin? This workshop will teach you how tofind your brand, how to find free ways to build a reputation and get your nameout there, and how to make sure you build your platform the right way. Turnyour series idea into a workable project with tools, templates and one-on-onehelp.

Kiss Me or Kill Me: Writing Cozy Mysteries 101 for Romance Writers

Instructor: LindaO. Johnston

Dates: February 13 – March 11, 2012

Course Description: The class will also addressthe basics of writing cozies: choosing a protagonist and deciding how she’llget involved solving mysteries; choosing a theme for the series; introducingand following through with a love interest (or not); throwing in a corpse ortwo, plus hiding clues for solving the murders; planning a series; and muchmore!

Nurturing the Writer Within

Instructor: MaryO’Gara

Dates: February 13 – March 11, 2012

Course Description: Blessed and cursed by writers over the centuries asthe inner writer is the intuitive, perceptive, storytelling, pattern-makingpart of our mind. Often berated as whimsical (or worse), the Inner Writerresponds to simple but specific routines, which are as unique as the writerthey serve.

During this four-week workshop, Mary O'Gara willshare simple but profound ways to nurture your inner writer in order to makeyour writing time more fun and more productive. Nurturing the Writer Within isan eclectic workshop with 21 easy ways to connect with and nurture your innerwriter.

Tweaking History: Steampunk And Other Tales Of Alternate History

Instructor: BethDaniels

Dates: February 13 – March 11, 2012

Course Description: Alternative history tales have been around for anumber of years in the fantasy world, some even written by historians.Currently the Steampunk version of history altering is in demand whether in theworld of romance or that of fantasy.

This workshop will cover what’s needed to readjustthe world to your storytelling muse’s delight. We’ll take things out, changethe winners in war, the circumstances in discoveries, and borrow and warpwhatever we wish whether the end result is Steampunk or something elseentirely!

Writing Inspirational Romance

Instructor: MarcyWeydemuller

Dates: February 13 – March 11, 2012

Course Description: What are the challenges and the satisfaction ofwriting inspirational romance? In this four-week workshop we’ll dig into theunique qualities of this genre, which readers continue to hunger for. And we’llbegin to brainstorm a novel of your own.

Layering, It’s Not Just For Cakes

Instructor: ChrisRedding

Dates: February 13 – 26, 2012

Course Description: Layering will teach the writer how to put allthe layers into a manuscript seamlessly. We will start with a page of dialogueand each lesson will show how to add different aspects that are vital to thestory.

The Alchemy of Writing

Instructor: AdeleSan Miguel

Dates: February 15 – March 14, 2012

Course Description: That book within you?Divinely inspired. You don’t need to struggle to let it out. Harness your powerand intelligence through a combination of meditation* and practical focus.Adele San Miguel will lead you to the place where you trust the words thatflow. The one where you do not struggle and strive, but relax and allow yourbrilliance. Impossible? Easy. Let the force be with you.

Flash Fiction II

Instructor: JimHarrington

Dates: February 20 – 26, 2012

Course Description: The first flash fiction workshop introduced flash fiction and discussedhow to trim the prose to make it lean and mean. This workshop furthers thatdiscussion. The first session provides a brief overview of what makes up astory. This is followed by a discussion of the importance of setting,character, point of view and voice, and how these elements work together toprovide the kind of story a reader wants to read. The workshop concludes with adiscussion of beginnings--specifically, the title and its job in a story.

Holiday Hocus Pocus

Instructor: DevonEllington

Dates: February 20 – 26, 2012

Course Description: Holiday-themed anthologies and stories keep growing in popularity. While the Christmas/Yuletide season sees the mosttraffic in that area, there are dozens of other possibilities. Spend a week of writing and brainstormingwith Devon Ellington on both popular and lesser-known holidays. Learn how to develop your ideas, fitformatting, seek out markets, and create a timeline for these pieces -- both inthe traditionally advised ways and the way Devon does it! This week-long intensive will require involveshort daily assignments and lots of interaction and laughter. Come prepared to write and try anything. We will discuss different seasons/holidays ondifferent days, and you’ll have the foundation of a year’s worth ofholiday-themed pieces by the end.

Practical Emotional Structure

Instructor: JodiHenley

Dates: February 20 – 26, 2012

Course Description: Your grammar is tight, your plot is high concept and your hero andheroine each have a transformational arc. Why doesn’t anyone care?

If you've been told your story is lacking anemotional component, join Jodi Henley for Practical Emotional Structure, aninteractive workshop that redefines reader expectations and emotional hooksusing emotional understructures, credibility, and subtext to make your storyresonate with your target audience.

Lights! Camera! Bestseller!

Instructor: ChrisRedding

Dates: February 20 – March 4, 2012

Course Description: Chris Redding will show you how movie making and scriptwriting techniques can make your novel come alive. She will cover the three act structure of most movies and instruct you on how you can use movie magic including shot lists to make your novel a bestseller.No need to write anything special for this class, just bring along any scene you’ve already written.

Everybody’s a Comedian

Instructor: BarbraAnnino

Dates: February 20 – March 10, 2012

Course Description: We all know what funny is when we read it.But do you know just what it is that makes that scene/line/description funny?This intensive, hands-on class will explore humor in various forms by examiningpopular fiction, films and essays to get to the root of humor. Participantswill learn the concept of timing, the power of three, the opposite effect andvarious other methods for injecting humor into your writing. Class includeswriting exercises and instructor feedback.

Author Marketing and Branding – The Real Deal

Instructor: CassandraCarr

Dates: February 20 – March 18, 2012

Course Description: In this course you will learn what branding is, what your platform isand how to develop it, including tips for book launches and signings, whatshould be on your website, how to put together author pages on sites likeAmazon and Goodreads, and much more!

Hunting the Elusive Hook

Instructor: KatDuncan

Dates: February 20 – March 18, 2012

Course Description: What is a hook and how can I use it? Whether you've never heard of hooksor have been writing hooks for years, this workshop will take you through thewhole gamut of ways to write hooks and use them effectively. Participants willlearn how to evaluate and create hooks for all kinds of uses in their writing,with a focus on hooking readers in the crucial story opening. The workshop willgo beyond the opening hook, showing ways to hook readers throughout an entirenovel. The workshop with cover ways to generate book titles, make the readercare about what happens next in every scene, build tension and micro-tensionwith internal hooks and tie up hooks in a satisfying way.

The Sensual Novella

Instructor: ElizaKnight

Dates: February 20 – March 18, 2012

Course Description: Sensual novellas are about much more than sex. And the guidelines aredifferent than for a traditional-length novel. This workshop will help youlearn how to plot a novella whether you are a heavy outliner or a “pantser.”You’ll see how easy it is to layer emotion into your love scenes and hook thereader from the very first sentence. The class will also instruct you on how topack more into less words, while still keeping your love story strong and youraudience captivated.

The Sky’s the Limit: Writing the Futuristic Novel

Instructor: PhoebeConn

Dates: February 20 – March 18, 2012

Course Description: Learn how to analyze your ideas to select the best and turn your firstbook into a series. When THE SKY’S THE LIMIT, set your imagination free tocreate larger-than-life characters with wrenching conflicts to overcome. We’llcompare our impressions of popular films with Futuristic elements, THETERMINATOR and AVATAR as well as other favorites.

Words That Sing

Instructor: MercyWeydemueller

Dates: February 20 – March 19, 2012

Course Description: Words that sing are the words that stand out to the reader. They impactthe heart and provide a lingering resonance. We choose these words like apainter chooses a particular color from his palette or a poet her sound. Theyare usually ordinary words that are fine-tuned for a clear purpose. So how dowe develop them? In this four-week workshop, we’ll sharpen our senses to hearlanguage, images and metaphors that give voice to our writing.

He Shot the Sheriff and I Know Why: Motivating Your Characters

Instructor: AnnRoth

Dates: February 27 – March 4, 2012

Course Description: If you've ever been told your charactersseem cardboard or cliché, this class is for you. Characters with strong, clearmotivations for their thoughts, dialogue and actions are never cliché . Duringthis week-long class we'll explore this thing called motivation- what it is,and how to develop and use it in creating characters so that they arethree-dimensional and believable.

Nonfiction Editing: From First Draft to Final Copy

Instructor: IreneRoth

Dates: February 27 – March 18, 2012

Course Description: In this three week NonfictionEditing workshop, Irene will outline the editing process that is involved inrevising a nonfiction article or book, from the first draft to the final copy.There are many stages to the revision process. She will outline these stages indetail in this workshop. After taking this workshop, writers will be able tosubmit manuscripts that will have a much greater chance of gettingaccepted.

Selling to Woman’s World Magazine: Beyond the Basics, Part I

Instructor: KateWilloughby

Dates: February 27 – March 23, 2012

Course Description: Woman’s World, one ofthe last remaining periodicals to publish short fiction, pays $800 for an 800word romance story, and if you sell to them there’s a good chance over amillion people will read your story.

Nice work if you can get it, right? Well, you can. My class, “Selling toWoman’s World Magazine—Beyond the Basics, Part I,” will give you the tools youneed to break into this tough market.

Twitter for Novices: Exploring and Enjoying the Twitterverse

Instructor: LaTessaMontgomery

Dates: February 27 – March 23, 2012

Course Description: Jumping into Twitter can be daunting task, even tothose experienced with other social media such as blogging and FaceBook.However, with my workshop, I take the fear out of this process by breaking uptheTwitterverse into easy to manage chunks. This is a hands on workshop throughwhich I will participants through each lesson and have virutal classroom hoursestablish so we can interact with each other real time via Twitter to aid inthe learning process.

Writing the New American Cowboy: Bikers 101

Instructor: ToddStone

Dates: February 27 – March 25, 2012

Course Description: No matter if you’re writing mystery,romance, fantasy or horror and no matter if your hero is a modern knight who values his freedom, rebel with orwithout a cause, or a bad boy with too many tattoos and a bad attitude, yourcharacter (and it can be a she and your heroine!) will better capture thereader's interest and heart when you better understand the different parts ofthe motorcycling world, the people who populate it, and how to use thatknowledge to rev up your novel.

The Depths of POV – An Advanced Look

Instructor: JuneDiehl

Dates: February 27 – March 25, 2012

Course Description: The Depths of POV focuses on the moreadvanced questions the writer should ask when deciding POV: Which POV is rightfor this story and why? How to pick the right POV character or characters? Howdeep should the POV go? When and how might I break POV rules? How is POVrelated to the other story elements? How can POV strengthen characterization?Reinforce setting? Add to the plot and subplots? Enhance the theme? Theworkshop explores the advantages and disadvantages of the subtypes of POV andincludes examples of each type from published works.

The Scottish Highlands: 16th & 17th Centuries

Instructor: SharronGunn w/a Sheila Currie

Dates: February 20 – March 31, 2012

Course Description: In the 16th & 17th centuries, the laws andcustoms of the Scottish Highlands were considered archaic; they were common inwestern Europe in the High Middle Ages, but had disappeared by the Renaissance.Highland chiefs were still inaugurated, not crowned, in ancient ceremonies andrevered by their clansmen as quasi-sacred figures. A Highland assembly for justice in the 17thcentury resembled a Viking Thing of the 10th or 11th centuries. Secularmarriage outside the church was normal. What really frightened Lowlanders andEnglish was the chiefs' ability to raise a small army at little cost tothemselves. The Jacobite Rebellions would have been impossible without clanarmies. This course shows how life in the Highlands was different from theLowlands and other parts of Great Britain and how similar to Ireland.

Want Style? Get Grammar – 101-303

Instructor: KatDuncan

Dates: February 20 – April 1, 2012

Course Description: What's a style or a voice andwhere do I get one? Whether you "get" grammar or not, your style andvoice come from how you use grammar. This grammar-based style-enhancingworkshop is for writers who don't "get" grammar or for those whothink they don't want to get it. Proper use of grammar and style makes a storyflow smoothly, page after page. Poorly constructed sentences and paragraphs ruinthe pace of your novel and make editors and agents pass up your manuscript.

Are you taking any workshops this month?

Happy writing!

And The Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:46:00 +0000

Hi all!

This is just a quickie post today to announce the winner for the Helen Lacey giveaway.

And the winner is... Anne MacFarlane.

Congratulations, Anne! Just pop over to Helen Lacey's website and leave your details on the contact form to claim your prize.

Happy writing all!

Think About What You Want ...

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 23:06:00 +0000

I'm so excited to have Harlequin Special Edition author, Helen Lacey, on the blog today! Welcome, Helen!

I’ve been writing most of my life and penned my first bookwhen I was seven years old. Finally, after twenty three years of submitting toHarlequin, I sold my first book to Harlequin Special Edition last year. Duringthose years I purchased dozens of ‘How To’ books. I also attended many conferencesand road shows, and participated in countless workshops, both online and inperson - on subjects such as Creating Compelling Characters,Goal/Motivation/Conflict, Maintaining Sexual Tension, Writing The BreakoutNovel, World Building etc. I listened to best selling authors, editors, agentsand publishers offer advice on the craft of writing, on the world ofpublishing, and the commitment needed to have a successful writing career. I hada dream of being an author and did whatever I needed to so I could break intothe ranks of the published.

But strangely, it wasn't at any of these events, or in anyof these books where I learned what would become the most important piece ofcareer advice I’d heard. And it’s something I remind myself of every morningwhen I fire up my computer and sit down to write. Like most writers, during myyears trying to get published I had a ‘real’ job. I worked for a nationaldepartment store as a sales manager. While I was there I was fortunate enoughto be given the opportunity to participate in a half day session given byAustralian motivational speaker PaulHanna. Since every “How To’ book I read was about the craft of writing, Ihad limited knowledge of who Mr Hanna was. But along with a conference roomfull of my colleagues and staff, I listened to him speak for close to twohours. And mid way through this session he said something that resonated sostrongly within me, I can barely remember anything else which was said. Andthis one statement changed the trajectory of my career and my belief that Icould sell my books, and that I could fulfil my ambition to be a publishedauthor.

“Think about what you do want .. . . and not what you don’t want.”

Perhaps not exactly the most grammatically correct sentenceever written. But as I sat in that crowded room, the message was loud andclear. For all the years I’d been writing and submitting, I always had this impendingsense of doom once the manuscript was posted off. I was, I realized,anticipating a rejection. Every time. I expected it because that’s what I’dalways received. Never did I think, “What I want from this submission is theopportunity for revisions.” Or, “What I want is the editor to love this story.”Instead, I’d have this internal monologue going on, insisting, “What I don’twant is a rejection.” Or, “I don’t want to get that dreaded letter in themail.” In a way, I was pre-empting my fate.

Then I deliberately changed how I approached submitting. Istarted entering contests and did it with a different mindset. Every time Isent off a contest entry I wrote down what I wanted - which was to place in thatcontest because the editor for the line I was targeting was the final judge.And it worked. I got the editorial request and a within two years had sold myfirst book.

I guess what it taught me is that I could learn all aboutthe craft of writing, I could go to conferences and workshops, I could investtime and money in professional critique – but if didn’t know what I wanted, how could I possibly getit? Suddenly, I was no longer in the dark – I had a plan and a purpose. Sodefinitely learn the craft, and attend conferences and network with other writers– but know what you want. And it’ll find you.

Thank you Lacey for having me visit today – I have agiveaway of my January release, Made ForMarriage from Harlequin Special Edition. I also have giveaways right acrossmy blog tour, and a grand prize of a $50.00 Amazon voucher and for those youlike a little bling, a fabulous silver Pandora Bracelet.

***

MADEFOR MARRIAGE

Equestrian CallieJones was used to difficult parents at her riding school. But Noah Preston tookthe cake.

How dare he questionher teaching abilities, after his headstrong daughter paid no heed to rules—herteacher's or her father's?

Single dad Noah wasready to apologize for overreacting. But he wasn't sorry for the way thestunning American riding instructor made him feel. And he soon learned thatthere was more to Callie than her smarts, sass and fire: a shattered heart thatthreatened to splinter even further. Could he make her see that he—and hisfamily—were for keeps?

Buy Links:

Amazon Amazon UK Book Depository

Helen Lacey on the web:

Website Facebook Twitter Blog Helen's Page at RomanceWiki

For full itinerary on Helen's Celebration tourcheck out Helen Lacey- Author Page

Thanks so much for stopping by, Helen!

Dust Off Your Medical Professionals

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:49:00 +0000

The Editor Pitch Challenge for Harlequin Medicial Romance 2012 has launched. So, if you have a delicious doctor, playful paramedic, naughty/nice nurse or vivacious vet clambering to be written now is the time to get those fingers working on the keyboard.

You have until February 10th to write a mind-blowing two paragraph blurb. If you're chosen by Assistant Editor, Flo Nicholl, you'll be pitching on March 1st and you'll need to have a fabulous partial manuscript to hand over.

For all the official information have a looksee at: http://community.harlequin.com/forums/write-stuff/editor-pitch-challenge-harlequin-medical-romance

You'll also want to keep an eye on that site because those official dates have been changed once. I don't expect they will be again but, hey, you never know. CONSTANT VIGILANCE! ;-)

In other news, you can download Nicola Marsh's special ops short story TAG TEAM for FREE from Amazon at the moment. Just click here.

Also, the fabulous Liz Fielding has released a new craft book! Liz Fielding's Little Book of Writing Romance is now available to all aspiring romance writers. Get it here.

So, are you pitching for Harlequin Medical Romance? Did you pitch for Harlequin Romantic Suspense? If I don't know I can't wave my pom poms for you!

Happy writing!

Start The Year Off With A Bang

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:14:00 +0000

I’m not a fan of resolutions. It’s not their fault, they’re a great concept but the New Year has never been a big event for me. I tend to just continue on with whatever goals or aspirations I had in the previous year.

Exciting stuff, right?

That being said, I’ve been reading a new book called The Seven Secrets of the Prolific by Hillary Rettig. It’s actually targeted to perfectionist writers and overcoming writing blocks etc but it has some great content that I think any writer would find beneficial. For example, Hillary offers strategies for dealing with rejections and my particular favorite was by Chris Offutt whose goal was a hundred rejections a year (pretty impressive, don’t you think?). And just like that rejection became a cause for celebration for Chris because it brought him that much closer to his goal. I thought that was quite ingenious and a great example of the impact of perception. I don’t know about you but I’d much rather open a bottle of champagne and toast my latest R than curl up in the corner and try to bite anyone who comes too close. Of course, celebrating rejections might feel like you’ve gone too far so instead celebrate the heck out of the submitting. I know I do. Just try and stop me.

Anyway, although it's not quite a resolution (because I haven't yet calculated how many Rs I want this year ;-) ), I do plan to take the time to celebrate each submission with a bit of extra flare.

And speaking of things to celebrate, we’re exactly twelve days into the new year and already exciting opportunities are popping up. VERY exciting opportunities. So hold onto your keyboards for this list:

Editor Pitch Challenge: Harlequin Romantic Suspense – There’s only a couple of days left in this one but it’s not too late if you’re raring to go.

Harlequin Heartwarming – Harlequin’s NEW category line. That’s right, a NEW line. If your voice fits, it’s a great opportunity to become a new Harlequin author.

Dead Sexy – Entangled Publishing has a NEW imprint and are calling all romantic suspense authors to step up and wow them. Another great opportunity to break out this year.

RARE Submission Call – Executive Editor of Carina Press, Angela James is looking to acquire for 2012. Don’t miss this.

Pitch Your Shorts – Entangled Publishing has at least SIX editors standing by to acquire at Jami Gold between now and January 16th.

YAtopia Pitch Competition – EIGHT Entangled Publishing editors are participating in this one and it’s open for a 24 hours period on January 25th.

Valentine's Mix-Up: Mentor for a Month Challenge - You can win a month to learn from Harlequin Blaze author, Tawny Webber! This one closes February 10th.

Phew. So who’s participating in what?

Welcome 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 07:20:00 +0000

May your 2012 be full of laughs and success.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

January Writing Workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Lacey Devlin) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:47:00 +0000

Please note that all course descriptions are in blurb form. There’s often more information at the official websites. The January writing workshops are listed in order of start date and length.

A Study In Recreation: Comparing And Contrasting A Study In Scarlet And A Study In Pink

Instructor: Beth Daniels

Dates: January 2 – 8, 2012

Course Description: Rewriting a classic…how the heck to do you that successfully? Do you stick with every single one of the original concepts or do you find replacements, ways to tweak, modify, and recycle elements in different ways?

To answer these and other questions, we’re going back to school and do a comparison/contrast of Arthur Conan Doyle’s first Sherlock Holmes novel, A STUDY IN SCARLET, and the re-imagined “A Study in Pink” from the BBC’s SHERLOCK series, which rewrites Holmes, Watson and Lestade as 21st century sleuths.

Showing the Transformational Character Arc – a practical hands on guide to what, why and how

Instructor: Jody Henley

Dates: January 2 – 8, 2012

Course Description: Do your characters change over the course of your story? Do they have to? In this practical hands-on workshop, participants will learn about the transformational character arc--what it is, how to find it, and whether or not it's needed. Although Showing the Transformational Character Arc is designed for all skill levels, because of the hands-on nature of this workshop, participants are encouraged to bring their work-in-progress and get ready to show change as we work through a variety of easy-to-use techniques in a supportive, feedback heavy atmosphere.

The Six Stages of Change : The Character Arc

Instructor: Mary O’Gara

Dates: January 2 – 15, 2012

Course Description: Evolutionary change is the basis of the character arc. The character moves from, maybe, naïve bliss to full-blown empowerment in the space of a novel, novella or short story. And the reader changes as the character changes.

In a two-week workshop, you’ll learn

• The six stages of change

• Behavior patterns for each stage

• What works to facilitate change at each stage (and what doesn’t)

• How the stages of change relate to character arcs

• Genre-specific ways to present the stages of change without slowing the action

Sleuth Facts: Real PI Procedures for Your Plot

Instructor: Linnea Sinclair

Dates: January 2 – 22, 2012

Course Description: Slink down any interesting back alleys lately? Retired Florida Private Investigator and award winning sci fi author, Linnea Sinclair, invites you to step into the world of private detective work and learn the basic procedures -- and some not so well known tricks of the trade -- that will add a touch of realism to your stories as well as provide plot twists and conflicts. How quickly can a PI locate someone? How easily can things go wrong on surveillance? What happens when a mundane case becomes a murder case? A former news reporter, Sinclair was a licensed private investigator in Florida for ten years and is featured in the nationally distributed instructional video, "Secrets of Top P Is?". She has also taught investigative methodology for writers at COFFIN (College OF Felony and I Ntrigue? online) and at various RWA and MWA conferences nationwide.

I Used To Hate Writing A Synopsis, But Not Anymore

Instructor: Susan Palmgoist

Dates: January 2 – 27, 2012

Course Description:

• Learn why a good synopsis is similar to a great job interview

• Learn why it’s a must have skill for every writer

• Learn what makes a good synopsis

• Learn what should always be included

• Learn what tense a synopsis should be written in and how it should be formatted

• Learn to write both a short and long synopsis

How To Start A Book & Get It Finished

Instructor: Laurie Schnebly Campbell

Dates: January 2 – 27, 2012

Course Description: For everyone who’s ever faced the sobering realization that writing isn’t ALWAYS a joyous dance from the first spark of an idea straight through to sending a swiftly-completed manuscript to an admiring editor, this class looks at all the steps between those two points — and how to make them easier, less stressful and more satisfying.

From “why am I writing” to “schedule conflicts,” “saggy middle,” “dwindling enthusiasm” and “writer’s block,” a series of (always optional) homework assignments will get writers focused on what they need to put the joy back in their craft.

Action Sequences: Writing Heart-Pounding Fight Scenes, Chases and Climaxes

Instructor: Angela Knight