Introvert and Insecure about Networking - No More!

Time for another Insecure Writers Support Group post. To join up, simply click on the badge:

Drawing a topic from my long list of insecurities, today I thought I'd tackle 'networking'.

Networking is a great buzz word in business, but for me, it simply means connecting with peers. Sounds less intimidating that way, doesn't it? And yet, it still scares me.

It's important to connect with others in your industry, especially for writers, as we are not conditioned to interact with the humans on a daily basis. Networking allows you to benefit from the wisdom of colleagues who have been through the trial and errors you're about to embark on. You can also meet industry professionals who can give you a helping hand to achieve your career goals. But I think, most importantly, it allows you to help emerging writers on their journey to publication -- that can be so rewarding.

And yet. I attend conferences, workshops, seminars, and I simply can not go up and speak to someone unless they speak to me first. I always convince myself I'm just bothering people.

Lucky for me I have the internet. You can approach people you don't know at all, converse, ask for favours, joke around, and all without ever having to look them in the eye!

But I would like to improve my networking skills, so, I've decided to create a networking opportunity to encourage introverts to connect with other writers, face to face, without the need for even a tiny bit of courage! I'm coordinating the Rainforest Writing Retreat - a two day retreat set in the beautiful Gold Coast hinterland (for our Aussie writers). We'll have writing masterclasses with expert presenters and publishing advice. But more than that, we'll be taking part in planned networking activities.

Ever purchase hundreds of contact cards, but were too afraid to hand them out? One of our activities will have everyone swapping cards, you'll actually have a list of names that you must tick off as you collect their card. We'll also have 'get to know you' games, chat sessions and everyone teams up with a roomie for the twin-share accommodation.

So, if you've wanted to attend an event that meets your dreams--don't wait for it to appear, create your own!

My retreat:

https://www.facebook.com/RainforestWritingRetreat

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Why You Don't Want to be a Perfect Writer

Ray Bradbury teaches me to focus on detail.

I've come across writers dismissing writing classes as a waste of time.

I'm wondering if those people are attending the right workshops, or if they're attending with the best attitude? Being a course junkie, I've seen the usual personality types that come to courses and there's always a few people that are terrified of 'failing' the activities. They're certain they'll be the worst in the class and humiliate themselves. Often they won't read out their work, or participate in discussions. They'll sit up the back and build an invisible forcefield around themselves and it works. But it doesn't just stop humiliation getting through, it prevents feedback, encouragement and growth in their craft.

At the other end of the spectrum are the students who need to come first at everything. They're incredibly competitive and can sometimes be harsh with critiques (both receiving and giving). They'll sign up for a beginners cooking class, even if they're a seasoned chef because they want to come home after every class and say, 'I really wowed them tonight, I'm way better than the teacher'. They walk away reassured, but haven't pushed themselves outside their comfort zone, as a result their writing hasn't had a chance for growth.

I don't want to be the best writer, and I'm not afraid of being the worst. I've written a lot of crappy stuff. In fact, in writing workshops, on the spur of the moment, all my writing is clunky and crappy. But I'm learning and improving. I don't want to be the best writer, I want to be the most-improved. I don't believe the sum is greater than the parts (well okay I do, 'cause the maths people insist but only if by greater they mean more). More is not better, it's just more. I don't want to be the best writer, I want to be the best writer I can be today. And I want that level to be way lower than it will be next month. 

I read authors' works and acknowledge how much better they are at sentence structure, description, dialogue, weaving themes. Then I put aside my jealousy and celebrate their skill. Talent you're born with, but skill can only be acquired by working at it. So, I work at it.

I'm using short fiction to tighten my writing style and I've been studying Ray Bradbury's stories. Simple, approachable, magical. I'm practicing zooming in on a small detail, to make the story come alive, the way Bradbury does. I've also challenged myself to write in second person, because he pulled it off so beautifully in one of his stories.

I hope as writers you can feel proud of your progress and excited about the lessons to come. Embrace the learning. You don't have to take on writing classes to learn, there are many ways, but writing classes can still be a good source of information.

What challenges are you going to tackle to push your writing?

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How to Write Better Description

Photographs can help provide detail for descriptive writing

One of my lightbulb moments in writing came when it finally sank in that specific was better than general. For example, we could say:

The boy bounced the ball.

But we can all see that's pretty vague. It doesn't conjure any clear image in the reader's mind. Perhaps say:

Bobby Reynolds dribbled the basketball across the court.

Now we have a better idea of what's happening. And I'd have to admit, that last one is how I'd probably describe a boy playing basketball. Other than 'dribble', I have no knowledge of the game. Truth is, if I don't know what a basketball game really looks like, then I won't be painting the picture with my words. So how can we get better detail? By studying the specific. If you were to watch some YouTube clips of a game, read up on the rules and lingo or even better, turn up for a live game, you'd get a better feel for the actions, emotions and surroundings.

In our writing group last week, we looked at improving our descriptions by using more specific detail. This was a really fun exercise (adapted from one I found in Don't Forget to Write), it involved writing and drawing (but don't worry, because no amazing artistic skills are required). You could use just about any topic for this exercise, I chose to use animals. Here's the steps:

A 'before' sketch of a crocodile

1. Each participant is given the name of an animal (big red kangaroo, chimpanzee, octopus, draft horse, snow owl, sea turtle, rhinoceros, crocodile, etc).
2. Once you know which animal you are using, try to draw a picture of it. There should be no visual aids or prompts, just draw from memory.
3. Write a short descriptive passage about that creature.
4. Now I hand out to the participants a figurine and blown up photograph of the creature, to compare to their drawing.
5. You redraw the creature, this time taking particular notice of the small details you overlooked previously. For example, the way the fur/skin/feathers/scales sit, how the creature holds itself, the particular shape of the eyes, etc.
6. Once you're happy with your new sketch, write a new descriptive passage, this time including some of those smaller details.

I love the little ears on the seal, I would have forgotten those without a photo.

All the animal pics on today's blog are taken by Tim Clancy

I worked on an octopus and my memory conjures up the likeness of Henry from the Wiggles:

Picture from The Wiggles official site, click to visit www.wiggletime.com

But with the help of a photo and figurine, I was able to write about an octopus in a way I hadn't considered before:

Lilly spread her arm out in front. The water was thick and bubbles effervesced from her breathing apparatus, making patterns up towards the blue light above. The octopus swayed from side to side. It floated a little closer, curious about the girl in front of it. It’s long tentacles swished and curled about, each taking their own direction, moving to their own silent rhythm. On each tentacle little suction cups pulsated. It was the eyes that surprised Lilly the most. The way they’d look right into hers, taking her in. You’re a funny thing, they seemed to say. Now the tentacles encircles Lilly’s hand, caressing it gently. It was patting her like she was its new pet. 

My sketch of an octopus after seeing a photo.

So try to get the specific detail in your description writing. A few carefully placed key words or verbs will help the reader find the scene believable. Now you try - maybe watch a clip of someone playing basketball and write a short passage? Share it if you want to. I love to see what you're writing!

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How to recycle posts and build worlds

You may get a feeling of deja vu reading my post today. No you're not imagining it, this is part of a great blogfest run by Denise Covey (L'Aussie to most of us online) over at Romantic Friday Writers. The idea is to repost one of your favourite posts from the April A-Z Challenge. I love to recycle, so here is my W post from April. Click on the pic to go sign up for the blogfest!

World Building Workshop

Build an amazing world for your story

Today I'm sharing a creative writing workshop I run for kids. It's on World Building and this is an important part of science fiction and fantasy stories. You can follow along and write up your own responses, or you can use the worksheet we use in class. It can be downloaded and printed from here:

World Building PDF

I've broken this workshop into two parts, the lists and the drawing. You can do either first, I love the lists, my kids will probably want to draw theirs first. 

 Step 1: The Written World Description

• Binaries and Parallels - What's the same as our world and what's different?

• Temperature - Is it below freezing or really humid? The temperature of your world will affect the type of vegetation you have, and even the action that can take place (imagine The Wizard of Oz without a tornado). Is your weather seasonal or is it always like this?

• Landscape - When your character stands still, what can they see and how far can they see? Can they see Mountains, ranges, hills or a horizon?

• Ground cover - Dirt, rocks, pebbles, sand, grass or snow? How does it feel to walk under your character's feet? What sound is made when they walk on it?

• Vegetation - Tree varieties, weeds, shrubs, edible fruits, mushrooms and flowers. This can create scents and colour to your story. Plants are used for more than shelter and food. Sometimes they can be medicines and sometimes they are just for enjoyment. Do your characters like to pick flowers? Or maybe there's a plant like tobbacco that they smoke? And maybe it's not good for them and they find out they could die from it. Maybe some yummy looking berries are poisonous.

Now beyond the ground.

• Laws of Physics - Will your land obey them? Is there gravity? How might this affect your characters?

• Sun/Moon/Stars - What is the natural light like or what alternatives are there for light? Does sun or moon or stars play a role in your character's religion?

• Civilisation - Is your world built up or entirely natural? Are there pathways, roads, houses, airports, industry?

Step 2 - Drawing

• Draw rough maps of the entire area and show how your different locations meet up.
• Draw up an outline of each town, where are the homes, the shops, the tavern, etc.
• Then go wild and paint or sketch lots of views of your world, be as artistic as you want!

Want to visuaslise your world but don't have crayon skills?

• Make a virtual world in a game like Sims3 or Second Life or perhaps you can suggest one?
• Search online, steal National Geographic magazines and travel brochures. Cut out all the elements that match your world and glue them onto a large sheet of cardboard. Layout the pictures to align with your map, showing where the rainforest is compared to the Castle and what you pass when you travel from one to the other. You can keep this by your desk while you write.

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E is for Easter and Editing

Love vintage? You HAVE to check out French, Pink, Poodles and Pearls

Tomorrow begins Easter weekend and for me, time to edit. There's a few manuscripts backed up to edit, and a few more waiting to be written, but this weekend I'm focusing on some short stories. I don't usually read short stories or write them, but I've been dabbling as a way of tightening my skills. Editing is its own skill that needs to be strengthened. There's a few ways you can do this:

1. Search the Net - There's loads of great sites out there, try this one: The Editor's Blog
2. Take a workshop - Look up your local writer's centre, mine is QWC
3. Read a book - Grab something like Revision and Self-editing by James Scott Bell
4. Get professional help - This is what I recommend if you funds allow. I have a wonderful manuscript editor helping me with my girls' mystery novel. Through this process I'm learning a lot and my manuscript is becoming much tighter. It's important you find someone you're comfortable working with, I'm very appreciative to my editing angel, Margot Finke.

Enjoy your weekend, and your chocolate!

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Telling A Story Masterclass

Me totally invading Brian Falkner's personal space

I'm still recovering from inspiration overload I received at the recent CYA Conference. The day kicked off for me with a writing masterclass hosted by author Brian Falkner.

This master class ran for a few hours and was absolutely jammed packed with tips and advice on writing. I have about ten notebook pages filled. Here's just a tiny taste of what we enjoyed:

Muse
If you turn up every day at the same time, ready to work, and start writing without inspiration - then eventually your muse will turn up too.

Characters
As an exercise we were asked to share one observation about the person sitting next to us. Then we were asked to share one thing about ourselves. What was noticed was that we tend to make superficial descriptions of others, like the colour of their hair, or if they wore glasses, and we offer more personality descriptions of ourselves. So don't just decide your character is 5ft tall, short brown hair and freckles, instead tell us that they pick up any shiny objects they find on the ground, just like a magpie. This was summed up as shallow vs deep characterisation.

Conflict
Conflict must come from the story and not be placed simply for more conflict. Obstacles must seem impossible to overcome. When faced with a dilemma, give your character two choices - each with their own dire consequences, or, make them think up a third option. Also, danger must always be immediate, not something coming slowly. Characters are avoiding an oncoming train, not a possible problem that may happen some time next year.

Scenes
If you have trouble writing a full scene that includes a variety of writing techniques, try the following method:

1. Start by writing the narration. Explain what happens in this scene, where your character moves and what he does.
2. Go back through your paragraphs and insert description. Give the reader a sense of place and images for characters.
3. Now go back through what you have and add dialogue and actions.

We also talked about narration, description, writing tips, point of views, dramatic irony, overlapping suspense lines and much, much more.

Brian Falkner has a great range of novels, and I've chosen to begin by reading Brainjack:

Check out the book trailer!

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A Writer's Idea of Souvenirs

Supanova was a new experience for me. I loved seeing so many people in costumes, ranging between store-bought, elaborately designed and homemade with sticky-tape and cardboard. Loved them all. Lots of pop-culture like manga, anime and dvd's, but also lots of books. Oh yeah, books *rubs hands together*.

My day started off with Jennifer Fallon's writers workshop on how to write a series. I'll share more about that soon. Today, I just want to share some of the souvenirs I bought home. The girls got loads of cool manga stuff, including this must have fox hat for Emily:

And for Matilda? Something less subtle - mittens to match your ears:

But my favourite purchases were the books! 

We got this series, signed by both the authors:

Matilda found these cuties:

I couldn't wait to try something by Jennifer Fallon, and she generously signed them:

And I am absolutely in love with these books by Kate Forsyth:

Emily was so excited to meet Kate Forsyth and get her books signed, she can't wait to read them and blog about them in the book review site she shares with her sister, Paper Dolls.

And to top the day off, the lady hosting the Penguin Books stand was so impressed with Emily's choice of costume (Katniss from The Hunger Games, complete with silver arrows and bow and golden mocking-jay badge), she gave Emily a free copy of Marie Lu's Legend. This novel won't be released until November, so Emily's quite excited about reviewing it early.

Now we need to look for more shelves for Emily's room as it fills with yet more books.

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10 Top Issues to Address in YA Fiction

Wassup YAs?

YA (young adult) is a huge market. So what makes a story appeal to teens? Apparently, they want novels that are relevant to their age group and the problems they face. A YA today may share some basic desires and problems with a YA in 1939, but you'll find there are quite a lot of differences too.

At a recent writers workshop we discussed YA issues, then I spoke to my English class of 16yr. olds and we elaborated and tightened that list. Here are the issues we came up with as important to young adults today.

1. Sexuality. This is a biggie. As I write this, I hear teen girls in the hall hassling a boy to find out who he 'made-out' with on the weekend. Many teens find this age-bracket very confusing, identifying their own sexuality and what is considered right or wrong by their peers. Some are embarking on their first sexual relationships (whether we want them to or not) and others are terrified about what will be expected from them (this is not just the girls). The students told me they do not like novels that ignore this issue completely.
2. Relationships and friendships. Social peers are the most valued relationships at this age (as a mum I want to think that must be a mistake, but sigh, no). Being left out or worse, pushed out of a social group is extremely painful.
3. Social power. There are hierarchies within groups for the teen bracket. Those are defined by your social power - how much influence you have over your peers. This can be influenced by sporting achievements, attractiveness and even how powerful you are on Facebook.
4. Social responsibility - The kids pleasantly surprised me by rating this as very important. Many teens see it as their responsibility to look out for their mates. This can also mean standing up for the underdog or even standing up against your peers (and risking your social power).
5. Bullying - Wow this has evolved over the years. When I was a kid you risked being punched (or worse - spat at) but now the most common risk is via Facebook slandering. I still haven't figured out why kids care so much about what some moron says about them on Facebook, but they do. Must have something to do with that social power hierarchy. One of the issues raised in my writing workshop was the fact that kids are online early in the morning, late at night and via their mobiles during the day (even during class time - grrr). This suggests there is no 'off' time - that people can reach you, and therefore bully you 24/7. At least in my day, when you went home in the afternoon it was all over.
6. Risk taking. Drugs, alcohol and misadventure are all playing a part in a lot of teens' lives. Unfortunately they believe that we as adults do not know what we are talking about and feel they are completely safe because they have their mates with them. Planking was a new topic that became an obviously dangerous pastime for students recently.
7. Belief system. Teens are coming into an age where they stop taking information provided by adults as being right and start making their own decisions about their belief system. This might manifest in some teens as an interest in or a rebellion against religion, or it might just be their ideas on social justice.
8. Freedom. Many teens feel they should be able to go out and explore life, live it the way they want, but due to financial and parental restrictions, they can not. This is quite frustrating (but after suggesting risk-taking as a part of their life, I can understand the parental restrictions!).
9. Anger. This has manifested in many teens, most likely due to hormonal changes as well as a desire for freedom but still feeling restrictions from family. In the extreme we have boys and girls lashing out with physical violence or self-harm (such as cutting).
10. Multiculturalism. This is a two-sided issue. It's important to teens to have a feeling of assimilation, so this would be heightened for any teen feeling their culture does not fit in with the local teens ideas of what is acceptable. It is also an issue for teens to accept new cultures into their community. This is an issue we are dealing with in class now as prejudice is one of the themes we are exploring.

Some themes will easily link together. In class we are exploring the relationship between prejudice, bravery and growing up. You can always add a theme in the editing stage. If you see one here that you think may be important to a scene in your novel, you can go back and foreshadow it. 

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James Phelan - What a Thrill

I attended a writers workshop on the weekend, hosted by thriller writer, James Phelan. This was my first workshop with ACT Writers (located in Canberra), it was a small and friendly group and James was very approachable.

James Phelan is an Australian Thriller writer well known for his Lachlan Fox series. James told us he makes sure each novel in a series stands alone and can be easily read out of order. In fact, James suggests reading his later Lachlan Fox books, because, like all writers, he improves as he writes and learns.

Always one to do what I'm told, I bought:

I've started reading it already. You can really learn how to increase pace and tension by reading a good thriller, I'm flying through these short punchy chapters.

You may also recognise the name James Phelan from his dark 'Alone' YA series. I picked up the first book to read (even though James totally blew the ending for me!): 

I love the sound of this one, this is what the back cover says:

Four Teenagers. One Destroyed City. Thousands of Infected Predators.

Jesse is on a UN Youth Ambassadors camp in New York when his subway carriage is rocked by an explosion. Jesse and his three friends, Dave, Mini and Anna, crawl out from the wreckage to discover a city in chaos. Streets are deserted. Buildings are in ruins. Worse, the only other survivors seem to be infected with a virus that turns them into horrifying predators...

Outnumbered. No sign of life. Just them. And you... ALONE.

I've also ordered:

In this book, James interviews writers and literary figures to discuss the craft and industry.

In the workshop James shared stories of writing and publishing and we looked at different aspects of writing Thrillers, such as pace, weaving clues and even script-writing. Now you may not be a 'Thriller' writer, but to me, all good novels must have thrilling moments.

Some advice James Phelan gave:

• Seriously consider using a pseudonym - once you get known as an author you can attract some followers you'd rather not have.
• In dialogue - the tag 'said' is most accepted by the reader and can disappear without pulling you out of the story. James does not like dialogue tags like 'pushed' (so if you're ever editing his work...)
• Look to classic examples for creating characters with depth. James favours the character Rick Blaine from the timeless movie, Casablanca. Rick gives us examples, hints and outright tells us what type of character he is (he never sticks his neck out for anybody) - but, in the unforgettable ending, Rick shows us just how selfless he can be. He reveals his 'true' character. (You can learn more about character development in a previous post: Prue Mason - Character to Plot Workshop)
• James prefers to use concise sentences and sparse language in his novels. 
• For a great book on writing structure, James recommends Robert McKee's Story:

I've just downloaded his course on audiobook from iTunes, but will check out the paperback as well (you can also get some of James Phelan's thrillers on audiobook).

Overall, it was a valuable experience and I hope to see a bigger crowd next time. You can find out more about James Phelan by visiting his website:

http://jamesphelan.com.au/

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Learning and Writing

It's been a busy writing time for me lately - and I'm loving it. Today I'm off to a writers workshop in Canberra on writing thrillers. Okay, my writing is for kids, but they like a thrill too.

This week I undertook the first module for my course Online Writing Books for Children and Young Adults through the Sydney Writers' Centre. The course offers PDF handouts and MP3 downloads. This week we looked at some beliefs about children's books and explored our own history with reading. We also had an exercise in writing, we wrote a vivid memory from our childhood and then rewrote it from a different character's point of view. It was a good way to explore different angles of the same scene. 

Have you had a scene which is pivotal for the main character but have a secondary character just sort of standing there? How about trying to write the scene from their point of view? It can give them more value.

Anyways I must dash to make my workshop, but here is what I wrote for my writing task (and probably not well edited so excuse any bloopers):

The Lie:

We are quiet because Miss Coombs is speaking and we love her, and we’re nine and afraid of getting in trouble.

Ever so carefully, I tear a lined piece of paper from my book. Then I start to write, asking Cathy about her holiday plans. I hope Miss Coombs won’t notice the scratching sound my pencil makes on the paper. I slide it to my left. Brian Smith takes it with a stupid grin on his face. He’s pulling some expression, like he’s smiling while someone punches him in the gut. Now he’s reading my note?

I nod towards Cathy and when he still doesn’t get it, I point at her. Finally, he slides it on.

‘My family is going to Scotland.’

I write back that I’m going to my Dad’s in Queensland. Slide.

‘Sounds boring’.

Some friend!

‘I’m moving up there, so I won’t be coming back’ – I lie.

That’ll show her.

She cries. Not just tears – big loud hiccup sobs.

Miss Coombs snatches the note. She calls me up to the front of the class. All the kids are looking at Cathy. Not me.

“Charmaine, did you write this?” Miss Coombs asks.

It’s hard to meet her steady gaze. In her hand I see the note. My palms feel sweaty.

“Yes Miss.”

“Is it true?”

I should tell the truth. I should.

“Yes Miss.”

Miss Coombs’ face goes all... weird, and she... hugs me!

I’ll tell the truth tomorrow, it’ll be fine. Won’t it? Miss Coombs announces my plans to the class and informs them we’ll be having a farewell party at the end of the week. Oh-oh.

* * * *

Girls are stupid. They ruin our footy games. We can whack Roger right into the ground and the teachers laugh, but tap Poppy Salvietti and you’re sent off because she cries. They’re always crying about something. Now we have to do dancing for sport. Dancing! Yesterday Charms was my partner, which is not too bad (better than the blubbering Poppy Salvietti). Charms is okay, for a girl.

Not that I like her or anything. Maybe I’ll see if she wants to play tag at lunchtime. I’ll ask. It’s no big deal. I’m gonna do it.

Slide.

Wha…? Charms just passed me a note. She must like me! What do I do? Okay, look cool. Can she hear my stupid heart pounding so loud?

There, gave her my best smile. She really digs me.

She looks… confused? Annoyed? I should read the note! My hands are fumbling, why’d she have to fold it up a zillion times?

‘What are you up to for the holidays?’

Huh? Not, do you like me, or, I like-like you. Maybe she wants to catch up over the break. I’ll bet that’s it. I bring back the smile.

Ow! She elbowed me! Now she’s nodding and pointing to McMurray, the girl that sits on the other side of me, Charms’ best... friend.

Oh.

I slide the note to McMurray and sit back in my seat. I’m just sliding notes back and forth. Great! Now McMurray’s crying! How do they ever make it through the day?

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Sharing the Writerly Love

Location, location, location

In my world of Kindle:

There are titles published in Australia I can't access for Kindle from Amazon, not because they don't have Kindle format (they do), but because I'm located in Australia??? 

From what gossip I could gather, I take it publishers are worried that allowing Australians to buy Australian books on Kindle will affect Australian book sales (i.e. you won't go to the book shop and buy the paperback). They're right. It does affect sales. If I can't purchase it for my Kindle, even though the format is there, then I just won't purchase it. I had this trouble with Tim Winton's Cloud Street (I already have a paperback copy, but I wanted the Kindle version as well) and Dan Wells' I am Not a Serial Killer. That tactic should be about as successful as musicians choosing not to sell their songs on iTunes because it might affect CD sales. Sigh.

But the good news. Kindle sample pages have boosted sales (well, from me anyway). I've finished Hooked by Les Edgerton (and I will keep hassling you about it until you read it). The book does not just explain how to open your novel with a hook, it tells you how to introduce characters, subplots, inciting incidents and more. It also helped me to understand the power of writing by scenes. 

Kindle Samples I will now buy:

Seize the Story: A Handbook for Teens Who Like to Write by Victoria Hanley - this will be great inspiration for modelling my creative writing classes for my high school students.

Creating Characters and Plots: Secrets of a Jungian Toolbox to Guide Inspiration by Roger Burt - I'm very interested in the Jung applications to writing (you can see my post on Jung here).

But the ones I'll pass, thank you:

How to Write a Novel: 52 Tips for Developing Your First Book by Patricia Gilliam - the sample was just an introduction which didn't really tell me or promise anything special.

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott - I'm sorry, but the sample section made it seem so ambiguous and boring.

Also this week:

I came across these book giveaway contests:
Book Junkie is celebrating 500 followers (wow).
Dreaming in Text is giving away a signed copy of Nathaniel Wolfe and the Bodysnatchers (great title).

I recently took part in an online writer's workshop through:
The Muse Online Writer's Conference

The one day workshop was for writing children's stories and we got to workshop our first 200 words and complete some exercises. I received some useful feedback and good e-books to help me through it. I recommend you check out what workshops they have available.

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V is for Virtual Workshops

I've gathered a few video clips on writing - watching videos on writing workshops is a great way for me to avoid actual writing. These are the ones I felt carried significant messages:

Share

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