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OCCRWA January Online Class

December 31, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as
PITCH PERFECT with Janet Wellington

January 14 – February 10, 2008

Enrollment Information: http://www.occrwa.com/classes_January.htm

COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: January 12, 2008
Moderator: Kitty Bucholtz at kittyrosebucholtz@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE CLASS:

Pitch Perfect: Getting to the Heart of your Romance Novel or Women’s Fiction Story (for pitching and for querying)

Everyone needs to learn how to pitch. Okay, maybe everyone except those few heavy hitters who have the luxury of only having to share a vague idea about a story with their editors because their stuff always sells well (we hate them, but let’s move on…).

So, the rest of us need to be able to present our story ideas within query letters, synopses, and during frightening agent and editor appointments at writing conferences!

•Can you use a 3-word phrase to describe your story? How about in one sentence?
•Can you capture the essence of your tale in 25 words or less?
•When your listener wants to know more about your story, do you know what to say and, more importantly, what NOT to say?
•Do you know the biggest benefit of having an agent or editor appointment at a national or regional writing conference?

The main goal of this class is to help you understand the different types (and lengths) of pitches you need to prepare, and for you to learn several ways and styles of organizing your pitch (that you can utilize in query letters as well as agent/editor appointments).

What do you get? If you read and comprehend all the lectures plus complete all the assignments, you will create your very own pitch that you can utilize for query letters, synopsis blurbs, and/or as a verbal pitch to agents and/or editors at conference appointments. Or, this process will clearly point out where you need to do some more work on your story. It might be a painful awakening that you have some serious revising to do, but it will be time well spent.

Either way, you’ll have gotten to the heart of your story.

About the Instructor:

After much hard work and the help of many other published and unpublished writers, Janet Wellington sold her first romance manuscript in 1998. Now, in addition to her own writing, she also teaches writing workshops at conferences and online. And she believes in giving back to the writing community and coaches other writers on craft and how to navigate the publishing maze through her business called Wellington Word, where she offers line-editing and manuscript critiquing.

Her favorite mantra is: If you’re going to dream, dream big…and do it! And she adds, “Getting published is a miracle achieved by four things: (1) Courage, (2) Perseverance, (3) Luck, and (4) Talent…usually in that order!”

PITCH PERFECT with Janet Wellington
January 14 – February 10, 2008

Enrollment Information: http://www.occrwa.com/classes_January.htm

COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: January 12, 2008

For more information, please see the website http://www.occrwa.com/classes_January.htm or email moderator Kitty Bucholtz at kittyrosebucholtz@yahoo.com

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My New Year’s Resolution

December 29, 2007 by in category Archives

This is one of my favorite times of the year. My family and I celebrated two birthdays and had a really nice peaceful, Christmas. I hope yours was the same. I definitely ate more this week than it takes to sustain life – and I enjoyed every bite of it.

Now its time to start thinking about New Year’s resolutions (if you’re the type of person who makes them). I could fall back on my annual vow of eating right and exercising more, but I know that will be history by my birthday in mid-January. I could vow to write more and procrastinate less, which miraculously I’ve actually been doing, so I don’t think that counts.

So instead how about this? I will challenge you to make a few small positive changes in your life whatever they may be and I will try to do the same in mine. Sometimes it’s the smallest changes that make the biggest difference.

Happy New Year Everyone!

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Dear Barbara

December 29, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

Dear Barbara,
I just can’t seem to get motivated to write this time of year. All the distractions of holiday shopping, decorating, cooking, eating have my mind in a whirl. How do I stay focused long enough on my story to get some writing done?
Signed: Preoccupied in Placentia

Dear Preoccupied,
Get it together, girl! Sit down right now for one minute and close your eyes. Put everything out of your mind except your story. Here, I’ll do it with you. I’m sitting, thinking, getting excited . . .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oh, sorry, where was I? Oh, yes. I just worked out a whole scene. See how easy that was? Now, do that twice a day. You gotta have at least two minutes in a day! You go, girl!
– Barb

***

Dear Barbara,
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Maybe I’m not really a writer. I hear other writers say their characters visit them at night, sit on the ends of their bed and talk. The characters come to life and reveal their deepest darkest secrets and innermost feelings. I lay awake at night but have had no such visitations. Maybe I lack the imagination to be a writer.
Signed: Baffled in Brea

Dear Baffled,
Frankly, I’d be terrified if one of my characters showed up and started talking to me. Except for the hero of my latest story, of course. He could visit me in my bedroom anytime! Seriously though, writers are – um – a different breed. And every one has their own method of constructing a story. You find what works best for you. And hey, get some sleep!
-Barb

***

Dear Barbara,
I’ve hit a saggy middle in my Romantic Suspense. Any suggestions on how to spice it up?
Signed: Dull in Diamond Bar

Dear Dull,
Kill someone!
-Barb

***

Visit this column next month for more sage advice from Dear Barbara!

Barb DeLong

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Happy Holidays!

December 23, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as ,


Today is my first regular day to blog, and it may seem like an odd time to start, right before the end of the year. Or perhaps not.

Friday was the Winter Solstice, the shortest day, and longest night, of the year. It signals the beginning of winter, so we string up lights on our houses and city streets to keep the darkness at bay, for a little while, at least.

This celestial event has long been a cause for celebration. The Romans called it Saturnalia; the Celts called it Yule. Today we call it Christmas. Chanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, also occurs in December, though not always in conjunction with the solstice.

The one common element in all of these festivities is the notion of bringing light into the darkness, whether it’s lighting the candles on a Menorah, a yule log burning in the fireplace, electric lights on the tree, or a star shining brightly, leading the way to Bethlehem.

My wish for you this holiday season is that the light of inspiration will fill your mind with wonderful story ideas, irresistible characters, and sterling prose in the upcoming year.

Happy Holidays!

Linda McLaughlin / Lyndi Lamont

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The Lone Writer: How I’m Spending My Winter Vacation

December 21, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

I’m feeling quite proud of myself at the moment. My family is supposed to leave for the ski slopes any second now and I’m sitting here typing away. That’s commitment people!

As a Southern Californian living in the land of eternal drought there is something so magical about snow. I guess snow is kind of like Las Vegas at night, with all those fun noises and the lights shining bright you don’t sit there and think about how sad everything looks during the day. Snow is an amazing white blanket that hides the dirty stuff. It’s fantastic.

I know what you’d all like to ask…do I ski? Yes, and I love it! Last year I spent several days on skis zooming down the slopes (Dana zooming, not this-should-be-on-tv zooming). This year I hope to at least manage a snowboard lesson.

I always see pictures like this and it looks fun. How about you, dear reader. Do you ski or snowboard? do you have any advice?

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