Hudson Valley RWA Autumn in New York Mini-Event
Saturday, November 10, 2010
Please join us at our November meeting, when our very special guest will be Wild Rose Press Editor TRISH OWENS. Trish will discuss The Wild Rose Press and its various lines, the pros of e-publishing, and what to expect when you publish. In addition to a Q&A session, Trish will take pitches for all TWRP lines. TWRP is actively seeking romance stories, so polish up those pitches. If you’re planning to attend, please RSVP by October 8, 2010 at HVRWA. Saturday, November 13, 2010, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Palisades Mall Community Room, W. Nyack, New York. See our web site for more info! http://hudsonvalleyrwa.com
- Get Your Stiletto in the Door this fall
The Chick Lit Writers of the World special interest chapter’s 2010 Get Your Stiletto in the Door writing contest is open, this year with two divisions, two new categories and an impressive slate of final round judges. Prizes will be awarded in separate divisions for unpublished manuscripts and published novels.
Get Your Stiletto in the Door by polishing the first 5,000 words of your unpublished manuscript and submitting it electronically by Oct. 1. Member entry fee, $15; non-member, $25. Published novelists must submit four printed and bound books by Oct. 15. Entry
fee, $25. For rules, an entry form and updates on judges, go to Get Your Stiletto in the
Door, http://chicklitwriters.org/home/get-your-stiletto-in-the-door. To sign on as a first-round judge, contact Stiletto Contest Coordinator Brooke Wills, contest" href="http://mc/compose?to=contest" target="_blank">contest.
- Muse Therapy
Instructor: D. D. Scott
When: October 1-31, 2010
Cost: $20 for HCRW and CRW Members, $25 for All Others
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
D. D. Scott style – is all about injecting life into tired and/or stressed out muses. She will give writers fun and fabulous tools to analyze their muses’ funks, reign in their creative divas and up their page counts. Instructor D. D. Scott has an active blog of her own on her website at http://www.DDScott.com and is linked to on Romancing the Blog. Register for Class
- Hudson Valley RWA announces its 25th Annual HOOK, LINE & SINKER Contest!
Hone your skills in hooking an editor or agent by entering the first 3 pages of your unpublished manuscript in our Hook, Line & Sinker Contest. The five entries with the highest scores will be ranked by Harlequin editor BRENDA CHIN.
Entry Fee: $10
Deadline: Nov. 1, 2010
Accepting both electronic and hard copy entries.
For more information, see our web site at:
http://hudsonvalleyrwa.com/contest
- Ancient City Romance Authors (ACRA) is pleased to present the winners of the 2010 Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award for published authors.
Historical Romance
1st Place – Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell aka Karen Schwartz
2nd Place – A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist
3rd Place – Where the Wind Blows by Caroline Fyffe
Inspirational/Traditional Romance
1st Place – A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley
2nd Place – Learning to Let Go by Elizabeth Pina
3rd Place – Sunset Beach by Trish Perry
Short and Long Contemporary Romance
1st Place – Scene of the Crime: Bridgewater Texas by Carly Cassidy
2nd Place – His 7-Day Fiancée by Gail Barrett
3rd Place – Her Best Bet by Pamela Ford
Romantic Suspense
1st Place - Cover of Darkness by Kaylea Cross aka Kari Lee Walker
2nd Place - No Turning Back by Kaylea Cross aka Kari Lee Walker
Tied for 3rd Place - Last Gasp by Carla Cassidy
Tied for 3rd Place - Under Fire by Beth Cornelison
Erotic Romance
1st Place - Drive Me Wild by P. J. Mellor
2nd Place - In the Flesh by Sylvia Day aka Livia Dare
3rd Place - Rogues Run by Lara Santiago aka Laura Freeman
Paranormal Romance
1st Place - The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
2nd Place - Garden of the Moon by Elizabeth Sinclair
3rd Place - Wild Magic by Ann Macela aka Fredericka Meiners
Strong Romantic Elements
Tied for 1st Place - Seeing Red by Susan Crandall
Tied for 1st Place - Flying Free by Amber Polo
2nd Place - Murphy’s Law by Sandy James
Tied for 3rd Place - According to Jane by Marilyn Brant
Tied for 3rd Place – All the Right Reasons by Sandy James
Single Title Contemporary Romance
1st Place - Healing Luke by Beth Cornelison
2nd Place – Faith of the Heart by Sandy James
3rd Place - It Happened One Night by Lisa Van Auken
- The 2010 Suzannah for Writers
This unique contest sponsored by the NOLA STARS is for PUBLISHED and UNPUBLISHED writers and mimics an editor’s desk pitting genre against genre for six finaling spots. Here’s who we’ve lined up to judge:Emmanuelle Alspaugh (Judith Ehrlich Literary Agency)
Alexandra Machinist (Linda Chester Literary Agency)
Jill Marsal (Marsal Lyon Literary Agency)
Keyren Gerlach, Harlequin/Silhouette
Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing
Danielle Poiesz, Pocket BooksThe winner of the Suzannah receives $300.00 provided by the Suzannah Nelson family along with a beautiful trophy. So spiff up your entry (7200 words including a synopsis) and get ready to enter by September 30th. For more information, visit http://www.nolastars.com - RWA’s Mystery/Suspense Chapter is pleased to announce our COFFIN College of Felony and Intrigue KILLER INSTINCT online workshop for the month of October 2010.
WORKSHOP: HOW TO AMP UP EMOTIONAL INTENSITY
CLASS DESCRIPTION: During this workshop we will look at the basic building blocks of emotion as they relate to romance, romantic suspense, erotic romance, and other romance sub-genres.INSTRUCTOR: Laurie Sanders, Founder, CEO, and Editor at Black Velvet Seductions.
**PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE 27TH day of the month PRIOR to the start of the COFFIN class. Cost of each Workshop is (Currently) $15.00 US for KOD Members, $30.00 US for non-KOD Members. (RWA membership NOT required to take the course). For more information check out our website at http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org
- RWA’s Mystery/Suspense Chapter is pleased to announce our COFFIN College of
Felony and Intrigue MURDER ONE online Workshop for the month of October 2010.
WORKSHOP: WHAT THE ACTION HEROINE KNOWS–AND THE WRITER SHOULD: MARTIAL ARTS, FIGHTING, AND WEAPONS IN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE
CLASS DESCRIPTION: In this interactive workshop, Black belt and writer Rob Preece helps writers come up with fight scenes that work (both from a physical and story perspective), that appeal to the reader’s imagination, and that go beyond the cliche of the knee in the groin.**PAYMENT MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE 27TH day of the month PRIOR to the start of the COFFIN class. Cost of each workshop is (Currently) $15.00 US for KOD
Members, $30.00 US for non-KOD Members (RWA membership NOT required to take the course). For more information check out our website at http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org
- RWA® Online Chapter presents: SHORT STORY, BIG IMPACT: Taking the Short Story Road to Success
Instructor: Anna Hackett
Dates: 4th – 31st October 2010; Registration Opens: 20th September 2010; Registration Deadline: 3rd October 2010
Fee: $15 Non-Chapter members. RWAOL Chapter #136 members; free.
Payment method: PAYPAL is recommended! It’s safe and fast! Check and money orders also accepted. FMI: http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org/campus.htm
Email: workshops AT rwaonlinechapter DOT org
NOTE: -Use your real First and Last Name & Choose Pay Option.
ONLY Chapter #136 members choose the Chapter Member option button.
For more information: (workshops)
CLASS DESCRIPTION: What’s the difference between flash fiction, short stories, novelettes and novellas, and why write one? How can writing a short story help with crafting full length books? Anna Hackett provides writers with the skills they need to write a short story: from structure to pacing, characters to conflict. The course includes interviews with bestselling authors, insights from Deep Editing expert and international presenter, Margie Lawson on how to revise short stories, and fun exercises to practice your new skills.
- The Synopsis — Bane Or Best Friend? by Rosemary HeimThis article first appeared in the August 2002 Midwest Fiction Writers – The Midwest Muse Newsletter.Okay, I admit it. The thought of writing a synopsis doesn’t strike terror in my heart. I won’t go so far as to say that I love writing the dang things, but will admit that I seem to have a knack for them. My synopses have always brought a request for the full manuscript. Friends who have enlisted my help in writing their synopses have reported the same.
There are books and articles and web sites galore with information about writing a synopsis. As with any advice, it’s important to determine what works for you and not worry about the rest.
How do I do it? My first step is deciding not to be intimidated by the process. Like many other things in life, if you tell yourself that it’s going to be hard or terrible or just plain icky, well, the process isn’t going to be pleasant. So, I set out with a positive frame of mind.
There are key elements I keep in mind while writing my synopsis. These remain constant, whether I’ve written the book or it’s still in the formative stages.
Key one – It’s a romance. Everything relates back to the genre I’m targeting.
Key two – GMC. It stands for Goal, Motivation, Conflict. Deb Dixon has literally written the book. It’s available at www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com. The quick summary is Character wants “X” because “Y” but “Z” gets in the way.
Key three – Theme. Describe the book’s theme in one or two words.
Key four – Story structure. What are the turning points of the book?
Key five – Keep it short. The more details I tell, the more details the editor or agent can get hung up on and question.Once you have a handle on those details, you can begin writing. Whether you spill out the whole story and hone the synopsis down from there, or begin with the skeleton and flesh it out, ask how does this relate to the relationship. Focus on that, add details as necessary.
Start off with your hero and heroine. General wisdom says a paragraph for each. This is where the GMC comes in very handy. If you have a strong marketing hook, you want that up front as well, so start with whichever character provides that.
Example:
Alexandra “AJ” Davidson has a camera she knows everything about, a gun she knows nothing about, and a longing to go home. If only she knew where home might be. But she witnessed the murder of her best friend and now has no memory of her life. For Ryan Williams the closest thing to a home is his friend’s Hawaiian guest cottage. The closest thing to a serious relationship is…nothing. Life is easier, and safer, safeguarding his heart. All in all, his life suits him just fine.These two paragraphs let you know home is the theme, amnesia is the hook and you have a pretty clear idea of each character’s GMC and how they are going to interact. All without actually spelling it out as though I’m repeating a magic formula.
From there you want to hit the main turning points of the story. For a romance, those are generally the inciting incident/first meet, first kiss, first love scene, crisis/black moment, and resolution. For each of these events, tell the characters’ reactions and what happens.
Event ✒ Emotion ✒ Reaction/Action ✒ Event
Example:
Ryan discovers more than he wants about himself as he searches the house for clues. AJ’s home is a stark reminder of everything Ryan’s childhood lacked. Ryan realizes AJ represents home and belonging, everything Ryan has denied himself since childhood. Becoming emotionally involved with her will lead to disaster. In spite of intentions to play it cautious, need grows, passion takes control and they make love. The pleasure Ryan finds in AJ’s arms is tainted by his new assignment– to uncover the truth….Event – searching the house
Emotion – reminders of the painful past
Reaction/action – getting involved would be bad; thwarted intentions
Event – his job gets in the wayUsing this framework, I can work my way through the key points of the story in a fairly cohesive manner.
Leslie Wainger has given a workshop at national for the past several years titled “Inside The Editor’s Mind” (this year’s title was “An Editor’s Opinion”). The session provides an invaluable peek into how the editor’s mind works. If you missed the workshop, purchase the tape. When
the synopsis is strong, she knows within a couple paragraphs if she will be interested in the book. Anything after that just helps show the writer can carry the story through to a satisfying conclusion.I probably haven’t convinced you that the synopsis can be your best friend. But I hope you can see it as a little less the bane of a writer’s ©existence.
- The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA Presents
Story, Theme and Vehicle Presented by Susan Meier
October 4, 2010 – October 31, 2010
http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=88
In Story, Theme and Vehicle, Susan Meier explains how knowing your book’s story type, story question, and the difference between its theme and its “idea” will keep your book focused. Learn the five easy steps to a synopsis and the four steps to a one-paragraph pitch.WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop. Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.HOW: Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal. The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members. Please note payment is due at the time of registration.REGISTRATION: http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=88
- Online Class: Herbal Lore and The Historic Medicinal Uses of Herbs
Instructor: Beth Trissel
Dates: October 4-29, 2010
Registration Deadline: October 2, 2010
Fee: $10/HHRW members, $20/others
To register for this class: http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/classreg.htm
FMI: HHRW Campus Coordinator: classes
Format: Course is conducted via Yahoo Groups email with lessons and Q&A. You will receive an invitation to join the group a few days before. If you don’t receive this invitation, please contact the Campus Coordinator: classes
