Tag Archives: Writing

The Six Online Bios Every Author Needs by Nate Hoffelder

I cannot stress enough the importance of reading this blog post.

Whether you are a writer just beginning, or an accomplished multibook published author, you want to read this post.

I will be updating my information this weekend. Authors don’t need just one or two online bios, says Nate Hoffelder. We need at least six. Here’s how to write each one.
— Read on annerallen.com/2021/01/6-online-bios-every-author-needs/

Celebrating 30,000 Views

Must be a happy moment. I’m nearly at 30k views and after nearly two years off due to life. I’m back and building my following, putting out posts which I hope you enjoy, including those I share.

The SCAM Publishers post written by Victoria Strauss from Writers Beware seems to be one of the best I’ve shared in a while. I thank you all for your comments and I’m glad it helps. Victoria’s article is great, as are so many others I find and I also hope you enjoy the ones I write as well.

My favourite this year is the one about Which English you use and who your Readers are, especially for those who want reviews. After all, you don’t want an American Reader to say you have spelling errors through your work when you’ve written in British English…Do you? I know I don’t

At the moment we are also celebrating five years of Awethors and our Awethology which we published in October 2015. About 54 Authors participated with two books of about 600 pages each. A lot of work and joy and the eBooks are still available FREE on Amazon.

Anyway, I’m wondering how to celebrate when I do hit 30k views…It could happen today or tomorrow. What should I do? Ideas are more than welcome in comments.

Thanks for listening to my rambles.

Authors with Kiwi Characters…

When I meet foreigners abroad I often get asked about the languages of New Zealand. Aside from the painfully cringeworthy “what language do you speak in New Zealand?” and compliments on how well I speak English (!), people often want to know if the way we talk in New Zealand is very different to other English-speaking countries. And the truth is, it is – kiwi slang is unique.

I can understand the curiosity. We generally only ever hear about American English and British English as the two standard forms of English. But did you know there are 54 countries which use English as an official language. What about all these other varieties of English? How do we speak?

Today I’m only going to educate you on kiwi slang, as it is obviously what I am most familiar with. Maybe you’re coming to New Zealand for a trip and want to get along with the locals, maybe you’re already here and struggling to understand kiwi speak. Or maybe you are just curious about how we talk in New Zealand, this tiny little corner of the world.

Either way, by the end of this article you can be sure you’ll be up to speed about all the kiwi slang, and you’ll be talking like a New Zealander in no time.

Disclaimer: I don’t claim to know all the slang and make no guarantees that it is used in the same way throughout the whole country. There might be some really obvious ones which I’ve missed because I don’t always know what’s slang and what’s not (I usually figure it out when I’m talking to a native English speaker from another country and get weird looks). The words I’ve included in this article are mostly words I would use, but I’m in no way representative of the whole country.

FIRST THING’S FIRST – WHAT IS A KIWI?

Summoning Your Muse with Ruth Harris

THIS BLOG POST IS FROM ANNE R ALLEN YOU CAN FIND THE LINK BELOW FOR MORE GREAT POSTS.

 

Writing and The Hidden Power Of The Subconscious:

Summoning Your Muse

http://annerallen.com/2018/03/summoning-your-muse/

 

F.A.I.L

How many times do we fail in life? How many times do we sulk or cry over it as if we’d spilt the milk on the floor.

I have had plenty of fails. I remember two exams I failed at school/college. One was my error the other belongs to the college – twice, because they handed out the wrong exam paper which none of us were ready for.

I’ve failed in life – to see what people are really like. I still do at times. I’ve failed and got frustrated over learning the business of publishing and the one thing that stays in my head is – Try and Try Again!  Actually I have a better one than this which I first saw on a t-shirt in Rotorua, New Zealand when I walked down the high street. I loved it.

F. A. I. L

First Attempt In Learning

There you go. It seems nobody fails at all. We are in fact learning as we grow.

If folks look at my writing from a few years back, though it is still similar, it has also improved a lot. As for my business. My latest learning curves have been with endnotes in ebooks and how to pull together a full colour children’s book. Yes I failed or..learnt as i pushed myself to get things right.

One thing I will say is that I am a perfectionist when it comes to formatting and publishing. I still make mistakes though. We all do. 

Go on give it a go and F.A.I.L First Attempt In Learning

31 Great Writing Conferences

31 Great Writing Conferences in April 2018

 
Maxpixel – CC0 license

There are some great conferences this month. If your manuscript is complete, you can pitch it to agents in New York, Las Vegas and Minneapolis. There are also retreats and workshops for writers who just need to get away for awhile to get the creative juices flowing.

Attending a conference is one of the best things you can do for your writing career. Conferences offer a unique opportunity to network with other writers, meet agents and pitch your book, and learn how the publishing industry works from editors and professionals.

I strongly urge you to plan ahead if you are thinking of attending a writing conference. Many offer scholarships that can significantly reduce the cost. And all of the intensive writing workshops have application deadlines. For a month-by-month list of conferences throughout the year see: Writing Conferences. (You will also find links to resources that can help you find conferences in your area on that page.) If you miss your ideal conference this year, plan for next year.
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Rananim online classes Courses run for eight weeks from April through May. “Participants receive personalized feedback on assignments from their instructor, as well as responses from classmates on discussion board forums. All instructors are university professors and/or working professional writers, who have experience teaching at the Taos Summer Writers’ Conference. Classes are limited to 15 students who will engage in conversation with you and your work. Firm deadlines and feedback help keep you writing and improving your work throughout the class.” International students accepted. Cost: $400 per class.

2017 Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp. April 4 – 9, 2018. Tahoe City, CA. The Writing By Writers Manuscript Boot Camp is for the writer who has a full book-length manuscript (novel, memoir or short story collection) and would like to engage with a small group for a serious and productive response. The long weekend will include an intimate full manuscript workshop, craft talks, readings, an agent panel and individual agent meetings – the perfect pre-publication boot camp for any manuscript. Classes are limited to 5 participants.Tuition includes one three-day workshop, admittance to all craft talks, panels and readings, a one-on-one with an agent, all meals (dinner on Friday; three meals Saturday and Sunday; breakfast, and lunch on Sunday) and lodging in a single room for three nights. Vegetarian meals are available upon request. FULL.

Tennessee Mountain Writers Annual Conference, Apr 5 – 7, 2018, Oak Ridge, TN. Speakers and session leaders include Kelly O’Connor McNees, Christopher Martin, Pamela Schoenewaldt, and more!

IBPA Publishing University. April 6-7, 2018, Portland, OR. The Independent Book Publishers Association offers 30+ educational sessions including experiential learning labs, insightful keynotes, a gala book award ceremony, networking events, and so more! Cost: $195-$475.

Writing on the Door: Children’s Literature Conference. April 6 – 8, 2018, Fish Creek, Wisconsin. Workshop topics include writing historical fiction for children; writing and illustrating; writing nonfiction, getting published and more. Registration for the conference is $120 before March 16. After March 16, registration is $150.

San Antonio Book Festival. April 7, 2018, San Antonio, TX. The San Antonio Book Festival is a FREE, annual, daylong event that unites readers and writers in a celebration of ideas, books, libraries, and literary culture. Featuring more than 80 nationally and regionally acclaimed authors, the Festival offers programming for all ages.

The Cambridge Writers’ Workshop Spring Writing Retreat. April 13- 16, 2018, New Orleans, LA. The retreat offers multi-genre workshops, as well as craft seminars and time to write. The faculty includes award-winning writers & a top NYC literary agent: Rita Banerjee, Diana Norma Szokolyai, and Natalie Kimber. All genres welcome. Genres include playwriting, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. The cost of the retreat is $1200, which includes tuition, lodging, and some meals. Register by March 20, 2018.

Michigan Writers Conference, April 14, 2018, Detroit, MI. A full-day “How to Get Published” writing event. Attending Agents: Eric Smith (P.S. Literary), Cyle Young (Hartline Literary), Jennifer Wills (The Seymour Agency), Stephany Evans (Pande Literary), editor Lauren Jablonski (St. Martin’s Press), Jennifer Unter (The Unter Agency), Linda Glaz (Hartline Literary), Vicki Selvaggio (Jennifer De Chiara Literary), Bethany Morehead (Hartline Literary), assistant Lesley Sabga (The Seymour Agency) and many more to come.

Writing in the Pines. April 14, 2018, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ. Choose from workshops in memoir, poetry and revision. Each workshop will meet for 6 hours and will offer craft discussion, writing prompts, writing time, sharing and inspiration.

William Paterson University Spring Writer’s Conference. Wayne, New Jersey, April 14, 2018.  Readings and workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The faculty includes Rick Moody.

Rally of Writers Conference. April 14, 2018, Lansing, Michigan. Michigan authors and educators in 15 breakout sessions and workshops on all aspects of writing, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, the Nuts & Bolts of manuscript submissions, and more.

Writers’ Day. April 15, 2018, East Longmeadow, MA. Workshops and seminars featuring Karol Jackowski, Sophfronia Scott, Lisa Romeo, Suzanne Strempek Shea and Jonathan Green.

Spring Big Apple. April 15, 2018, NYC, NY. Offers a session on queries and pitches, a Meet the Agents panel, an opportunity to pitch your project and a writing workshop with poet Lisa Irish.

Las Vegas Writer’s Conference sponsored by the Henderson Writers’ Group, Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada. April 19 – 21, 2018. Join writing professionals, agents publishers and marketing experts for a weekend of workshops and enlightening discussions about the publishing industry. A chance to pitch your manuscript and ideas to agents.

The Loft’s Pitch Conference. April 20 – 21, 2018, Minneapolis MN. The conference will cover two intense days. Friday will feature a kickoff seminar led by award-winning novelist and One Story editor Hannah Tinti, a working lunch to help you prepare for your pitches, a series of pitch and breakout sessions in the afternoon, and an evening event featuring visiting agents and editors responding to anonymous query letters. Registration limited to 162 attendees. Cost: $550.00.


Chicago-North RWA’s Spring Fling 2018. April 20 – 21, 2018, Oak Brook, IL. Three day Biennial writer’s conference geared towards both aspiring and established writers of any genre but focused on romantic fiction. Bookseller/Blogger/Librarian event, Masterclass in Craft and Marketing, Closing Gala.

Poetry at Round Top Festival. April 20 – 22, 2018. Round Top, Texas. The program features workshops, readings, lectures, craft talks, and panel discussions. The faculty includes poets Coleman Barks, Carrie Fountain, Kurt Heinzelman, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Naomi Shihab Nye, Emmy Pérez, Roger Reeves, and Javier Zamora. The cost of the conference is $125 ($60 for students) or $75 for Saturday only. Workshops are an additional $40. Private manuscript consultations are available for an additional $60.

Writing By Writers Boulder Generative Workshop. April 20 – April 22, 2018, Boulder, Colorado. Lectures, craft talks, writing exercises and class discussions. Each participant will have the opportunity to work in a small group setting with all three faculty members.

Chanticleer Authors Conference. April 20 – April 22, 2018. Bellingham, Washington. Sessions with a special focus on the business of being a working writer on topics such as marketing, publicity, platform, sales tools & strategies, publishing, production, distribution, organization, storycraft, editing, and more.

New York Writers Workshop Fiction Pitch Conference. April 20 – 22, 2018, Ripley-Grier Studios (NY Spaces) 520 Eighth Ave (36th/37th), 16th Fl. Participants polish their pitches with the help of conference leaders who are members of the New York Writers Workshop faculty, then they present them to three different editors from major New York publishing houses. Editors provide feedback and may request proposals and manuscripts after the conference.

North Carolina Writers’ Network Spring Conference. April 21, 2018, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. Features intensive workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, as well as publisher exhibits, on-site “lunch with an author” readings, and an open mic.

The Spring Writers’ Conference. April 21, 2018, Rochester, MI. Lectures, Workshops, and Panel Discussions in fiction, non-fiction, and business concepts of writing. Open to new writers, working journalists, and published authors of all genres. Professional development to move writers to the next level

Travel & Words: Northwest Travel Writers Conference. Apr 22 – 24, 2018, Yakima, WA. Workshops, panels, networking and Writer Matchmaking: Writers attending Travel & Words are looking for story ideas and possibly press trips. These “speed dating” sessions connect destination marketers with freelance writers and bloggers on the “Experienced” track.

Arkansas Literary Festival. Apr 26 – 29, 2018, Little Rock, Arkansas. “Prestigious award-winners, screenwriters, comedians, an expert witness, artists, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet are among the diverse roster of presenters who will be providing sessions.” Free.

Malice Domestic. Apr 27 – 29, 2018, Bethesda, MD. Malice Domestic™ is an annual fan convention in the metropolitan DC area that celebrates the traditional mystery, books best typified by the works of Agatha Christie. The genre is loosely identified as mysteries which contain no explicit sex, or excessive gore, or violence.

The Pikes Peak Writers Conference, April 27 – 29, 2018. Colorado Springs, Colorado. “The three-day conference is full of topical, in-depth workshops, dynamic keynote speakers, opportunities for one-on-one time with agents and editors, the chance to read your work aloud for constructive critique, plus time to socialize with fellow writers.

Monadnock Pastoral Poetry Retreat. Apr 27 – 29, 2018. Greenfield, NH.  Includes workshops, individual conferences, participant & mentor readings; hiking & kayaking (weather permitting). Each workshop uses dual mentors.

Colrain Classic 2018. April 27-April 30, 2018. The Inn at Manchester, Manchester, Vermont. A select group of poets will bring their completed or in-progress manuscripts to the Inn at Manchester, an elegant, family-run inn dating from the late 1800s spread across two buildings on sprawling grounds: the Main Inn and the Carriage House. Here, in this beautiful setting, poets will work closely with conference founder Joan Houlihan, (Lesley University Low-Residency MFA Program), Ellen Dore Watson (Smith College), Stephen Motika (Nightboat Books), and Martha Rhodes (Four Way Books). All poets with an in-progress or complete book-length or chapbook-length manuscript are welcome to apply.

Northeast Texas Writers Organization. Apr 28, 2018, Mt. Pleasant, TX. One-day bootcamp.

Western Reserve Writers’ Conference. Apr 28, 2018, South Euclid, Ohio. This free one-day writing conference takes place at Cuyahoga County Public Library’s William N. Skirball Writers’ Center, located in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch library. It features a choice of breakout sessions, a keynote address, and private sessions with editors. It occurs annually on the 4th Saturday in April.

Write Now! Apr 28, 2018, Raleigh, NC. One day writing conference hosted by Triangle Association of Freelancers.Sessions include screenwriting, financial tips for writers, pillars of freelance success, copyediting, trade pubs, column writing, publishing tips and more. Cost: $69; $59 for students with ID and seniors 65+; $80 at the door.

The Need to Write

WRITING – Yep I do this sometimes.  Mainly when I am bored to tears or my fingers just take off and flow over the keyboard.  Why write?  Well there are several reasons. Here are mine:

To teach someone about something they have little knowledge about, if I know more about the subject

To research for information and take notes. Be it for fiction or family history and blogs.

To share an experience in life, work or anything else that comes to mind.

To share a story and engage readers.

To entertain children and adults with something which can take them away from reality for a short while.

Because it is fun and my teachers at High School wouldn’t put me forward for O’level English (yeah it still shows at times.)

I’ve never been one to prove a point when I don’t know the answer, though I do love a good debate and weaving stories through theories is amazing fun.  Could it really happen?  Well this is what fiction is all about MAKE BELIEVE.  It makes you think, dream and perhaps encourages you to try something new or find the answer.

WRITING is also about learning, listening and gaining knowledge.  Most of us know about the world today because we read, be it books or online.  However, we have to be careful not to get sucked into so much FAKE news which is a constant on many social media accounts today.

SADLY Writing is also exploited, used against us in many ways.  We read things into bible passages, taking them out of context.  Personally I won’t listen to anyone quoting bible phrases unless they have read the bible from the beginning to the end.  I know my grandfather did.  He was a Minister.  A lovely gentleman, who sadly I didn’t get to meet.  Politicans have also used the written word to their advantage, making us angry over things which really have no meaning.  Lawyers can complicate the language so we don’t understand and I am sure there are times people have signed away their rights without realising it – until it’s too late.  Journalists…News Media, Organisations who tell you something is wrong – many things cross out paths in life and it is up to US to work out what is true and what isn’t. 

HOW OPEN MINDED ARE YOU?  

 

Sponsorship Program NOW OPEN

Are you a Fantasy Author? Do you have a book Unpublished, a one-off or the start to a series.  Then this could be what you need.  

Below are the details for submissions – it is FREE to enter.

The doors are now open for submissions for our yearly Sponsorship Program.  This program is sponsored by Plaisted Publishing House in conjunction with Lynzie Fitzpatrick – Editor, Fantasia Covers & KKAssist – Promotions Manager.

The genre for this year is FANTASY with all sub genres.  What you will need:

An Author Bio, Synopsis and First two Chapters of your novel.  You will need to submit via the link below. Submissions will close on May 31st 2017. 

Your novel is to be no more than 90K words and unpublished. Only book one of a series will be accepted as a submission.

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