Remembering the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ in Pictures

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Writing, Writing Conferences

The 2017 Write Stuff Writer’s Conference™, hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, has come and gone. Once again, our resident photographer, Joan Zachary, took pictures during the March sessions. 

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Thursday, March 22, we held a full day workshop with bestselling author, Bob Mayer. In his seminar, he guided attendees through all the steps to develop an original idea, create characters, establish point of view, create setting, manage dialog, and how to go about selling our works in today’s market.

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Friday Morning, March 23, Bob Mayer focused on the challenges in the business of writing; researching a story project, POD, and the future of publishing.

In the afternoon, Jane K. Cleland conducted a session on Mastering Suspense, and Managing Structure & Plot.  

Jane Cleland

Dan Krippene, Social Media Chair for GLVWG, offered a one hour presentation on how writers can use Pinterest to connect with others and enhance author brand.

Pinterest Presentation

Dan Krippene

Early Friday evening, Dianna Sinovic moderated GLVWG’s annual Page Cuts Critique Session, which gave participants an opportunity to have a short piece of their work critiqued by three panelists composed of writers and agents.

Richard White, Tabitha Lord, Veronica Park

Friday ended with a welcome reception where participants had the chance to network with presenters, agents, editors, and other conferees. 

 

Conference Chair, Dawn Sooy, spoke about the group’s 25^th anniversary, and founding member, Peggy Adamczyk, reflected on GLVWG’s history through the years.

Dawn Sooy

Peggy Adamczyk

GLVWG member and professional magician, Arjay Lewis, entertained the event with amazing displays of prestidigitation.

Arjay Lewis

Arjay Lewis

Of course, no conference would be complete without a visit from ‘Samuel Clemmons’ (aka Charles Kiernan).

Charles Kiernan

Charles Kiernan

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The main event for GLVWG’s 2018 Conference encompassed a busy day with six presenters on subjects for self publishing, weapons in fiction, time management, steampunk, writer beware, and ways to improve writing. 

Bob Mayer

Jane Cleland

Richard White

Tabitha Lord

Matt Betts

Ben Sobieck

 

Those not attending the first morning session, had the chance to hear the latest publishing industry trends from a panel of Agents and Editors, Sheree Bykofski, Noah Ballard, and Amara Hoshijo. 

Sheree Bykofski

Noah Ballard

Amara Hoshijo

Agent Editor Panel

After introductions by GLVWG’s President, Keith Keifer, and Conference Chair, Dawn Sooy, our conference keynote speaker, Bob Mayer, gave an upbeat talk on “I Will Make It Work”, encouraging writers to find their passion and mine it. He also had us laughing with stories of his military days in the Green Berets.

Dawn Sooy

Keith Keifer

Following the day’s last sessions, winners were announced from the Flash Fiction Contest (of which the winner’s entry will be posted on the blog at a later date). Bernadette Sukley conducted the raffle for the many door prizes available at the conference. 

Bernadette Sukley

The day ended with a book fair, where participants could purchase signed copies from authors and presenters. 

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Our thanks to Joan Zachary for providing the conference photographs.

 

We hope to see you next year at the GLVWG Writers Conference 2019.

Meet Jane Cleland

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Jane Cleland, Writer Courses, Writing, Writing Conferences

We are excited to have Jane Cleland participate at our GLVWG Write Stuff Conference ™, where she will share her knowledge on topics such as:

·         Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot

·         The Art of Distraction: Using Red Herrings to Create Suspense

·         Using Metaphors to Add Richness and Texture to Your Work

 

Jane K. Cleland was born in Boston and reared in Newton, Massachusetts, graduating from Newton High School. She then attended the University of Denver, graduating with a B.A. in English and Theatre. She obtained an M.B.A in Marketing and Management from Babson College and an M.F.A. in Playwriting and Speechwriting from Western Connecticut State University.

She chairs the Black Orchid Novella Award, one of the Wolfe Pack’s literary awards, granted in partnership with Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. She is a past chapter president of the Mystery Writers of America/New York Chapter and served on the national board as well. Additionally, Jane is the host of the Writer’s Room, a series of interviews with today’s bestselling crime fiction authors that appear on cable television and online, and she speaks frequently at writing conferences, association meetings, and universities.

Meet Matt Betts

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Matt Betts, Writing, Writing Conferences, Writing Courses

Matt Betts will be at the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™ on Saturday, March 24, 2018, where he’ll talk to attendees about:  What is a Media Kit and Why Do I Need One, Make History with Your Writing, The Rhyming Dead (Horror Poetry), and Steampunk – Where Everything Old is New Again.

Matt Betts was born and raised in Lima, Ohio and went to college in Toledo to study communications, specializing in broadcasting. He signed on with the campus radio station as a news anchor and reporter not long after he arrived at college – before he took his first communications class, in fact. After graduation, he worked for some radio stations as a DJ, a reporter, and anchor. More than any other format, Matt worked at Oldies stations, which fed his love of Elvis, the Beatles, and other great early rock icons.

Matt met and interviewed comedian and actor Larry Miller one night at the club. Larry gave some advice that stuck with Matt long after. Larry was a classically trained musician who still played regularly, and when asked if it was all too much, Larry suggested that creativity is creativity. You don’t have to do just one thing. Whether you’re writing a poem or a script, that creativity feeds the other things you do. It helps you be a better actor, musician, etc. It is advice Matt has applied to his writing career from the beginning, allowing his love of pop culture to infuse and inform all of his work, including poetry, short fiction, and his longer works.

Matt’s short and flash fiction has focused a lot on humor and horror. His work appears in Arkham Tales, Ethereal Tales, the Triangulation: Taking Flight anthology, Bizarro Fiction! The Journal of Experimental Fiction 37, A Thousand Faces and Cinema Spec: Tales of Hollywood and Fantasy.

Matt’s poem “Godzilla’s Better Half” was nominated for a Rhysling Award, the Science Fiction Poetry Association’s highest honor. His poetry has appeared in Star*Line, Escape Clause, The Book of Tentacles, Illumen, the 2010 Rhysling Anthology, Kaleidotrope, and others.

Matt’s book Odd Men Out is a steampunk-horror-historical-thriller crossbreed where giant lizards and zombies roam a desolate United Nations of America received acclaims from David Pitt, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal.

 He currently lives in Columbus with his wife Mackenzie, and their two wonderful boys.

To read more on Matt:

• Home – http://www.mattbetts.com/
• Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mattbetts

 

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Article by Dawn Sooy: Conference Chair for the 2018 GLVWG Write Stuff Conference™

The Archeology of a Story

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Brothers Grimm, Fairytales, Literary Fairy Tales, Mythology, Storytelling, Writing

 

In a recent craft discussion at the GLVWG monthly meeting, professional storyteller Charles Kiernan discussed the evolvement of literary storytelling.  Before the invention of the Guttenberg Press, or handwritten accounts by trained scribes, legends, folktales, and mythology were passed down through generations by word of mouth. The following are notes from Charles’ seminar.

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 Mythology, legends, folktales, and fairytales can be lumped together as pre-literary.

Mythology: Myths are the creation stories of a given culture, replete with characters representing fundamental aspects of that culture. And yet those characters have personality traits that appear to be individual. These gods and goddesses are both universal and unique. We, as individuals, tend to identify with one or another of these divine beings. Each of us has our primary myth.

Legend: This form of storytelling deals with maybe/historical heroes and heroines, again associated with a given culture. King Arthur, Sigurd, and Roland come to mind. They touch on and converse with mythological figures. The distinction between the two is not always clear.

Folktales: More often stories of the common people, although not always. Legendary figures like the indomitable Irish warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill can appear as Fin McCool, a downgraded, buffoonish giant in the folktale.

Fairy Tales: These are a sub-category of folktales. The distinction between the two is that fairy tales have the element of magic. It hurts me to say “sub-category.” Fairy tales are superior to folktales and perhaps the origins of myth.

There is the argument among folklorist about whether fairy tales come out of myths, or if myths come out of fairy tales. I suggest the answer is “yes.”

 Literary Fairy Tales: These are, of course, fairy tales written down with an eye on the literate reader, one use to literary conventions. His name is Hans Christian Andersen.

Ok, maybe that is not fair, but he does exemplify the literary treatment of fairy tales.

Chris Redding Presentation at GLVWG

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Chris Redding, Editing, Ghost Writing, Professional Writing, Writing, Writing Fiction

Aren’t many writers out there, especially new authors, who don’t dream of hitting it big with a bestseller.  The odds of it are akin to winning the lottery.  Chris Redding gave a presentation at the GLVWG September general meeting and offered some tips for making money with the craft before you get published.  In the afternoon session, Chris gave us her top ten list of writing good fiction.  The following is a summary of her talks.

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Morning Session, September 24, 2016

How to make money before you get published

Writing for others is a good way to build a portfolio.

1. Who can you write for? Here’s a few examples.
   1. Magazines – which are getting smaller, and more focused by subject matter.
   2. Newspaper contributions
   3. Beta Reading – Sites do exist where people will pay to beta read material
   4. Writing, Editing, Proofreading
   5. Speech Writing – Lot of corporate folks who need a ghost speechwriter.
   6. Ghost Writing – Penning someone else’s story
2. What skills are needed?
   1. Writing ability – Seems obvious, but necessary to gain trust of potential client
   2. Professionalism and good Business Sense.
   3. Motivation, Perseverance, Discipline
   4. Goal Setting
3. Start Broad. Look for specific jobs where you have expertise. If you’re into gardening, search for all on-line sites and publications that do gardening. A few more examples:
   1. The academic community can be very lucrative, especially students where English is not their primary language. Graduate students who need someone to pen their thesis.
   2. Reputable book review organizations are always on the lookout for credible reviewers
   3. Business writing for corporations, executives in need of someone to take their ideas and organize it into a presentation.
   4. Doctors who don’t have time to pen their articles.
   5. Short fiction for magazines. Chris mentioned the “Confession Market”, or short stories written in the 1st person for magazines such as Women’s World, or True Confessions.
4. In choosing markets, look for news agencies, writers markets. Writer’s Digest and Publisher’s Weekly good places to look.
5. For those without a portfolio, Chris suggested a few sites to browse, but cautioned a need for careful vetting of potential clients.
   1. Upwork.com, Freelancer.com, Guru.com
6. Then, there’s the money side.
   1. When starting out, might have to accept lesser fees until established.
   2. Editors and Proofreaders may charge by the page or number of words
      1. Established, well-known editors charge hourly rates, ranging from $35 – $100 per hour.
   3. Ghost writing someone else’s book can run from $7,500 – $50,000.
7. Things to consider with a writing job.
   1. Will it further your career?
   2. Most periodicals pay by the article, which usually have a defined word length. Some periodicals don’t pay, operating on the premise “the writer gets exposure”. Unless you’re desperate, suggest avoiding these.
   3. Pay careful attention to fee structure and fine print with bigger jobs
   4. With big projects, like ghost writing a book, or preparing materials in business, insist on a written contract. Always front-load the fee. Chris recommended at least 50% of the fee up front, 25% when rough draft is complete, the remainder upon completion. Agree on how many rough drafts will be allowed.
   5. Try to avoid ghost writing projects where potential clients unrealistically believe their story will be a bestseller, and offer percent of future proceeds.
   6. Always have an “out” in all contracts, if project isn’t working for you and the client.
8. Problems you might encounter.
   1. Chris looks at all writing jobs with respect to how much of a “pain-in-the-derrière” a potential client might be.
   2. Client not making themselves available to keep the project moving in a timely manner.
   3. Subject matter not a good fit for your expertise, or not a good fit with potential client.
   4. How taking on writing jobs affects your work/life balance.
   5. Lot of nutty people out there. Go into all projects with your eyes open.

Program Speakers for September, October, November

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Alissa Grosso, Chris Redding, GLVWG Program Speakers, Kathryn Craft, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Tips

Mark your calendars, GLVWG’s Program Chair, Brenda Havens, has lined up excellent speakers for the new fiscal year, following the general meeting at the Palmer Library in Palmer Township.

Chris Redding

September 24, 2016

Chris Redding will present a morning session on “How to Make Money Before You Hit It Big”. Ghostwriting is just one of the ways that a writer can make money while building a career. Chris Redding will take writers through the various types of writing that will make them short- term money, and to websites where they can find those jobs. Included in the session will be tips on obtaining and retaining clients for a steady income.

In the afternoon, Redding will lead a 90-minute workshop on “Layering: Not Just for Cakes”. In this class, students start with two pages of dialogue, and transform it into a fully functioning scene. By adding each element of what needs to go into a story individually, students will see how it all makes the whole, and will be able to add all the elements seamlessly, including description and character emotions. Instead of deconstructing a scene, they will construct a scene from the ground up.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Chris Redding lives in New Jersey juggling her family, a part time job, and her writing. She has seven books, a short story and a collection of short stories published.  Website: http://chrisredddingauthor.blogspot.com/

 

Alissa Grosso

October 22, 2016

Easton author Alissa Grosso will speak in a morning session on “10 Lessons for Writers from a Former Indie Book Reviewer”.

In the afternoon, Grosso will lead a 90-minute workshop titled “From First Draft to Published Novel (a talk on revisions and edits)”.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Alissa Grosso is a young adult novelist whose books have been published on four continents. She’s the author of the novels Popular (Flux, 2011), Ferocity Summer (Flux, 2012) and Shallow Pond (Flux, 2013). She frequently speaks about the world of books and publishing,  and the ups and downs of being a writer on her YouTube channel Awkward Author. Her writing has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines and websites, and she is a monthly contributor to YA Outside the Lines. Alissa is represented by Jim McCarthy at Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. Her website is alissagrosso.com

 

Kathryn Craft

November 26, 2016

Pennsylvania author Kathryn Craft will present a morning session titled “Developing a Confident Voice”. Readers respond to the confidence in an author’s tone. It’s that “mysterious something” that elevates prose beyond the ordinary. It inspires trust. The reader may not be able to analyze it, but he knows it when he sees it, and responds by continuing to read. Writers despair that author confidence is an intangible, bestowed by sensibility or absorbed by osmosis. Both may be true, but there’s a third element: craft. In this presentation, writers will pick up tips to infuse their prose with confidence.

In an afternoon workshop, “I Wrote It, Now What?”  based on the presenter’s personal experience as well as the types of issues she encounters daily as a developmental editor, attendees will take a hard look at what it really means to “develop” a work of writing. Hint: It isn’t only about dotting “i’s” and crossing “t’s”, and it can’t possibly be addressed in one additional draft. Attendees will leave with a game plan for how to organize a multiple-drafting process that will bring to fruition the full potential of their work. Prerequisite: a near-to-fully drafted novel.

The afternoon workshop is free for GLVWG members, and $15 for non-members. Register at glvwg.org

Kathryn Craft writes stories that seek beauty and meaning at the edge of darkness. Rich with material for further thought or discussion, her novels make a great choice for book clubs. Long a leader in the southeastern Pennsylvania writing scene, Kathryn served for more than a decade in a variety of positions on the boards of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group and the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, and volunteers as time allows with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Kathryn also hosts writing retreats for women and speaks often about writing. She writes a monthly series, “Turning Whine into Gold,” at the Writers in the Storm blog, and freelances as a developmental editor at Writing-Partner.com. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppies Writers, a marketing cooperative of women’s fiction writers.