Top 10 Tips from Speaker

July 21, 2011 by marianne h donley in category Archives tagged as Erin Bauer with 1 and 0

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By Erin Bauer

I just renewed my membership with RWA for the first time. An easy choice, when I think of all the wonderful advice Iâ€™ve picked up at meetings and conferences over the past year. Hereâ€™s a list of the top ten tips:

1. Find the material that showcases your voice best. Donâ€™t change or repress your individual voice â€“ find the right frame for it. (Jane Porter)

2. Look for a critique partner whoâ€™s good at the things youâ€™re weak at. (Tessa Dare)

3. Writerâ€™s block is a step in the natural growth of an author, the process of gaining new mastery. Authors who work through their writerâ€™s block think they are better writers when they get to the other side. (Dennis Palumbo)

4. Novelty is not the selling point of your book. It might catch someoneâ€™s attention but it wonâ€™t keep their attention. (Zoe Archer)

5. Every scene must have a goal. (Carol Hughes)

6. Dialogue is faster paced than narrative. Donâ€™t bog down a conversation too much with musings or unimportant actions. Important details about where your characters are and what they are wearing go before or after. (Joan Johnston)

7. Think of characters and setting like an iceberg. Only 10% of what you know about them may show in the book, but you need the other 90% in your mind. (Terry Irene Blaine)

8. Adverbs allow you to be lazy when choosing verbs. When an adverb crops up in your writing, locate the verb it modifies and try to think of a different word that conveys just the right meaning. (Anne Frazier Walradt)

9. Take the tangent. If your story veers off in an unexpected direction, find out where itâ€™s going. (Leanne Banks)

10. Readers may love or loathe a character that is done right. Indifference is the response you should worry about. (Tessa Dare)

Author Bio

Marianne H. Donley

Author Bio

Marianne H. Donley writes short stories, funny romances, and quirky murder mysteries. She also owns and manages the multi-author blog, A Slice of Orange. Marianne makes her home in Tennessee with her husband, son, and a really sweet, bad dog. She is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, Music City Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Charmed Writers. You can follow Marianne’s various social media here: https://linktr.ee/mariannehdonley

http://www.mariannedonley.com

Marianne H. Donley

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AN ELEMENT OF MYSTERTY: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF INTRIGUE

$17.99eBook: 99¢

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, A. E. Decker, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Debra H. Goldstein, Dianna Sinovic, Ralph Hieb, Courtney Annicchiarico, DT Krippene, Christopher D. Ochs
Series: A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology, Book 7
Genres: Mystery, Short Story Anthology
Tags: 2022, Anthology, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales

Dare you read our latest
Sweet, Funny, and Strange® Anthology?

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A READABLE FEAST

$14.95eBook: $3.99

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, A. E. Decker, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Diane Sismour, Ralph Hieb, Sally Paradysz, Courtney Annicchiarico, Jerome W. McFadden
Series: A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology, Book 3
Genre: Short Story Anthology
Tags: Anthology, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales, The Short Story Award

Yearning for a tantalizing tale?

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FUR, FEATHERS AND SCALES: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales

So cuddle up with your favorite pet-real or imaginary. No matter. You’ll find just the right story to share.

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LET IT SNOW

$8.99eBook: 99¢

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Diane Sismour, Ralph Hieb, Jerome W. McFadden
Series: Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Collection, Book 1
Genre: Short Story Anthology
Tags: Anthology, On Sale, The Short Story Award

Tales as different as snowflakes.

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ONCE AROUND THE SUN

$14.95eBook: $3.99

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, A. E. Decker, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Diane Sismour, Ralph Hieb, Sally Paradysz, Courtney Annicchiarico, Jerome W. McFadden
Series: A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology, Book 2
Genre: Short Story Anthology
Tags: Anthology, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales, The Short Story Award

Stories about winter, spring, summer and fall, and seasons of life, seasons of love, and even seasons of discovery.

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ONCE UPON A TIME

$18.95

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Diane Sismour, Kidd Wadsworth, Ralph Hieb, Christopher D. Ochs
Series: A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology, Book 4
Genre: Children’s Literature
Tags: 2016, Anthology, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales, The Short Story Award

Step through our castle doors into a world of imagination!

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UNTETHERED: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF THE PARANORMAL

$17.95

Authors: Marianne H. Donley, Carol L. Wright, A. E. Decker, Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC, Dianna Sinovic, Kidd Wadsworth, Ralph Hieb, Courtney Annicchiarico, DT Krippene, Jerome W. McFadden, Christopher D. Ochs, Jodi Bogert
Series: A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology, Book 5
Genres: Paranormal, Short Story Anthology
Tags: 2018, Anthology, Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales, The Short Story Award

Stoke the campfire and get ready for some chills and goosebumps when you open this paranormal addition to the award-winning Bethlehem Writers Group’s “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” anthologies.

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