Excellent Meeting!

Hey, everyone!

Fantastic turn out last night - and thank you for the excellent meeting last night. We were blessed to have Brett Burner come and share with us his extensive knowledge on E-Books, Print on Demand, and his views on what makes a Christian Book.

For more information, please go to www.lamppostpubs.com

And, for an exciting article on Brett's mission -- read this review:

Worship & The Arts


For anyone who is interested, here is a You Tube Promotion from Zondervan for Brett's graphic novel: Hand of the MorningStar...a must read for all ages...



Take care and God bless each of you in your writing endeavors. If you have questions or comments you would like to share with the group as a whole, please post them here. Brett will be notified, and can post responses on our blog.

~Ashley

Meeting Preparation - 9/23 - An evening with LampPost Publications

Hello, everyone!

I'd like to invite you all to come meet Brett Burner of LampPost Publications!

Brett is joining us next Tuesday, September 23 at Promise Land Christian Bookstore - to discuss the varying aspects of Print on Demand publishing, and share his knowledge on the publishing process as a whole.

The questions we've asked him to talk on (and I'm sure there are many more good ones) are:

Everyone is invited to attend. At 7 p.m. on October 23, Brett Burner of Lamp Post Publishing will be our speak to the group at Promise Land bookstore on the 79 South/Temecula Parkway east of Pechanga Parkway. Turn in at the Longs Drug Store and go left to find Promise Land on the right.

Questions Brett will answer are:

What is a POD publisher?

What types of books do you publish / are you planning on publishing in 2009 & beyond?

How many authors do you work with?

How do authors find you, or vice versa?

What makes a query standout for you?

What happens after the contract is signed? Editorial process to E-book and print.

What sort of marketing do you do to support your authors? reviews? book signings? etc.?

Where do you see E-books going in the future?

Thanks for joining us for this exciting, informative meeting! and be sure to post your questions here so that we can alert him ahead of time! :)

Have a wonderful day, and many blessings on your writing as the conference approaches! wish I could join you...

~Ashley

Matt Bronleewe's new thriller, House of Wolves

Today I received in the mail a preview copy of Matt Bronleewe's new thriller, "House of Wolves." I also received bookmarks and signed bookplates. If anybody wants one, email me privately with your smail mail address and I'll drop one in the mail. For more info on the book, here's his web site. 

Other than that, I just finished Cathy Marie Hake's historical romance "Fancy Pants"--all-in-all a fun read. What are you guys reading?

Dona

Group News

Hey everyone - Just wanted to put up a post to declare open for group news.

Does anyone have anything new to add, share, or submit prayer requests for? This is an open forum, so please leave a comment to this post, so all group members can see.

Much love and many blessings,

Ashley

What are you writing for?

I'm intrigued by today's Writing Tip comment--and was wondering if you all would weigh in with your thoughts.

Writing is both a privilege and a business.

There is so much truth in that. This gift we are all blessed with is a privilege. How are you using your gift? Are you playing with it? Are you honing it as a skill? Are you writing for yourself? For your friends? For your family? Or do you see this as your future?

We are entering the fall season - with thoughts towards writing for a more public audience. We are inviting guest speakers:

• A Publisher
• A Literary Agent

Our topics for fall are still under consideration as we review what you want to receive from our next series of meetings. Please chime in, and let us know how we can serve you and your needs as writers who take time out of your busy lives to hone your skills, and understand that balance is needed.

Looking forward to hearing your comments...

~Ashley

Reaping Results from Group Critique

Reaping Results from the Group Critique - by Beverly Nault

Think of your critique group as a greenhouse. Whether infant or mature, each PLANT requires pruning and fertilizing, just like a story, article or scene. Follow these guidelines for an abundant HARVEST worthy of today’s market.

When you submit for critique:

Have Patience – only unwanted mushrooms grow overnight. Be ready to learn, it takes a discerning eye to identify weeds in the money crop. Even mature writers can learn a thing or two.

Listen – Babbling about your hours in the field wastes valuable time. Save chit-chat and seed swapping for later.

Accept advice and input. You waste everyone’s time if you don’t intend to glean wisdom.

Never argue, explain, or apologize. Let me explain. Briefly introduce the context, but if you defend or argue, you could have stayed home and read the ‘script to the chickens. Apologizing means you didn’t spend enough time checking for typos, errors, or other problems.

Take it all in. Some input you should take with a grain of salt, some you might take to heart. Consider all feedback, maybe your co-author has a point. Friends and family members, sometimes even busy editors, may not offer the honest perspective fellow authors will.

Now, grab your hoe, um, pen, and take a turn in someone else’s garden to prepare for the HARVEST. Here’s how to cultivate:

HELP by beginning with a positive comment about at least one, preferably several things, in the submission. Your remarks may inspire the author to develop a special technique or style. Also, you wouldn’t dump a truck load of fertilizer on a seedling, so try to measure out advice appropriate for each member’s readiness.

Agree and move on. If you concur with another’s remarks, say so, but keep it simple. For example; “I agree with Farmer Joe that dandelion patch needs work. Now about these boll weevils.”

Resist rewriting. Your style is different from everyone else’s, don’t try to clone. You should, however, suggest alternatives to clumsy or clichéd smaller sections. Also, resist asking questions; receivers should listen, not expound.

Value concept and content. It’s not just a good idea, it’s the law–freedom of speech, right? If the work is for a specific market, you can identify something that’s possibly offensive or that might alienate, but what others grow, er, write, is not your concern.

Explain only (and briefly) if you’re an expert or professional. Maybe you know more about the rare blooming titan arum than the average Jane and the piece mentions a second annual bloom. Gasp! Authors rely on valuable resources, and we should check each other’s facts and information whenever possible. That being said…

Stay focused. Following rabbit trails consumes precious time.

Thank other authors for presenting their precious cuttings and encourage them to return with another scene or revision for the next session. Nurture, nurture, nurture.

By sharing our own and reviewing each other’s creations, we gain knowledge, skill and the courage to plant seeds for a fruitful harvest. That rare titan arum? It only blooms once a year. When it does, it smells like rotting fish. Eww. No stinkers here please.

Endings

On our plot skeleton, the legs represented two reactions to all the protagonist had gone through. We see many novel, movies, television shows that have a negative or "no change" ending. The author if asked would probably say they prefer to be a realist. Things aren't always Polyannaish. Right? I mean we live in a real world they might add.

Now here is my moral question for you all. I understand we won't all agree, but I want to hear what you think. Is it our moral duty to end with a positive happy ending? Think about it and give your answers plus reason why.

I look forward to hearing your answers,
Dan