tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8765244287456389962024-02-06T21:33:06.148-05:00Writing Unleashed with Laura M. HarkinsAdventure Exploration Discovery Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-86637273429238371132015-08-30T16:48:00.000-04:002015-08-30T16:48:49.240-04:00I Found What Where?: A Captivated Audience<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8puhMc4P5I7eTnp8_JrNbESq_g8qay-6EVVqjE7toLkAdPWwVMYpnQaIbOO8hky_NTYBbCrhARn1ewT5MU11vChocLz16sUx8kWAeW3oRt8qX5NeiBbjAXT579XjVntuqIoSzxlgrgY/s1600/1440723031639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf8puhMc4P5I7eTnp8_JrNbESq_g8qay-6EVVqjE7toLkAdPWwVMYpnQaIbOO8hky_NTYBbCrhARn1ewT5MU11vChocLz16sUx8kWAeW3oRt8qX5NeiBbjAXT579XjVntuqIoSzxlgrgY/s320/1440723031639.jpg" width="180" /></a>I found myself reading the oddest thing the other day. Ok, maybe not odd considering I'm a bibliophile. I mean, if it has words, I'm taking a moment to read it. Even if it's directions on a shampoo bottle or the back of a cereal box.</div>
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So, I was sitting at the counter along the window at the Chipotle near my house shoveling a carnitas bowl into my mouth staring at my cup of Mr. Pibb. I first noticed this picture of a woman with wild hair flowing around her. I can relate, so my interest was peaked. I twisted the cup in my hand, following her hair to see where it ended. That's when I saw it. A two-minute story. </div>
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I was stoked. Not only did I get an easily digestible story, but it was written by a well-known author. I almost fell off my stool. </div>
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Apparently, it's an initiative called Cultivating Thought. A clever idea to make the thoughts and words of a unique and talented group of thought leaders, authors and comedians more accessible to a larger population of people. They share a two-minute story you can only find on the side of a take out bag or a paper cup filled with Mr. Pibb. </div>
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Head to your local Chipotle or check out the website <a href="http://cultivatingthought.com/">here</a>. <b>Let me know which ones you liked best!</b></div>
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Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-40908141609580521292014-10-06T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-06T08:00:04.083-04:00"Two Lies & a Truth" Blog Tour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">GUESS THE TRUE STATEMENT & WIN JESSICA BELL'S THRILLER, <span style="color: #cc0000;">WHITE LADY</span>! (Statement #54) </span></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/fiction.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0SgELbrhO69grS6-nJ6zRP7c61jYFwDjQBPUD8W_oEY0PrIfKITizoxrhzAhCw3edS5NbSXwmzcfXspObw31gVxFZTQGljLlDYnHL6uZlwGusqvPY7Fl1O4hPpzoRFRDkhQJw1PWOzk/s1600/White+Lady_by+Jessica+Bell_cover.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell's latest novel, <a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/fiction.html" target="_blank">WHITE LADY</a>, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below. To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true: <br />
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<b>The first novel Jessica Bell ever wrote was ...</b><br />
<b>a. </b> published <br />
<b>b. </b> purposely deleted from her computer <br />
<b>c. </b> accidentally lost <br />
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What do you think? Which one is true? Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does. <br />
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Want more chances to win? You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting. <br />
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If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book. <br />
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<i>Click <a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/white-lady-blog-tour-participants.html">HERE</a> to see the list of blogs. </i><br />
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<b>ABOUT THE BOOK:</b><br />
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<i><b>*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.</b></i><br />
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Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she's rehabilitating herself as a "normal" mother and mathematics teacher, it's time to stop dreaming about slicing people's throats. <br />
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While being the wife of Melbourne's leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she's determined to make it work. <br />
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It does work. Until Mia, her lover's daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia's back. It isn't long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them. <br />
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But is protecting the kids really Sonia's motive? <br />
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<b>Click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6GuSQPKBOI">HERE</a> to view the book trailer. </b><br />
<b>Click <a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/fiction.html">HERE</a> for purchase links. </b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBUVjdfCAaVATixKUBdCpTIoflWTLBnJB08d_syeP56aZ8l_xU98KQ3wGDWM0Vu_7lDFPl0QOpQooLYFvmJ3sT35K504h7x29u2kgKBcBvrJY6OCjuuGomAF76zbG5ucn6DXgI99NBUY/s1600/black+and+white_Jessica+Bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBUVjdfCAaVATixKUBdCpTIoflWTLBnJB08d_syeP56aZ8l_xU98KQ3wGDWM0Vu_7lDFPl0QOpQooLYFvmJ3sT35K504h7x29u2kgKBcBvrJY6OCjuuGomAF76zbG5ucn6DXgI99NBUY/s1600/black+and+white_Jessica+Bell.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/">Jessica Bell</a>, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of <a href="http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/">Vine Leaves Literary Journal</a> and the director of the <a href="http://www.homericwriters.com/">Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop</a> on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning. <br />
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<b>Connect with Jessica online: </b></div>
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<a href="http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://www.homericwriters.com/">Retreat & workshop</a> | <a href="http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.vineleavesliteraryjournal.com/">Vine Leaves Literary Journal</a> | <a href="http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell">F</a><a href="http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell">acebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell">Twitter</a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-11919286913773576712014-09-24T18:13:00.000-04:002014-09-24T18:13:33.994-04:00A Kitten Every 100 Words! <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2mUSxXjRbREmoPLgIF0thp4XP1wc2VEDNqExAZRODtMvj_M3Pux_2WwE1zGq76jgmDzCnjhXfgzIo2Xf_JEE9Q74BfJSkK2OOX6wlLtwnnRrp6Ah6m7vff4Vnv0fYLYZ7eekXDZIVvI/s1600/20140922_152222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI2mUSxXjRbREmoPLgIF0thp4XP1wc2VEDNqExAZRODtMvj_M3Pux_2WwE1zGq76jgmDzCnjhXfgzIo2Xf_JEE9Q74BfJSkK2OOX6wlLtwnnRrp6Ah6m7vff4Vnv0fYLYZ7eekXDZIVvI/s1600/20140922_152222.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winchester </td></tr>
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I welcomed a new member to my family this week. A polydactyl or Hemingway kitten called Winchester (homage to <i>Supernatural</i><i>)</i>. His brother Tennant is still getting used to him, but they're both such love bugs it shouldn't take long.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tennant & Winchester</td></tr>
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So, in celebration, I bring to you a little motivational writing tool I found on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ELlitmag?fref=nf" target="_blank">Electric Literature's Facebook</a> page: <a href="http://writtenkitten.net/" target="_blank">Written? Kitten!</a> You write 100 words, then a picture of a kitten appears. You write 100 more words, another picture of a kitten appears. Mind blown!<br />
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Enjoy!! <br />
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<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-86055687752416671892014-04-24T15:56:00.000-04:002014-04-24T15:56:28.673-04:00Micro-Fiction to Micro-Cover Letter
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<i><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;">Catching an Employer's Eye in 150 Characters or
Less</span></i></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">A few months ago I applied for a writing job, that
I subsequently did not get, that required me to sell myself in 150 characters
or less. In this fast past world where publishers and bloggers format their
articles to fit on a cell phone screen or people discuss their lives,
adventures, and mindless dribbles in 140 characters, I wasn't
surprised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">A challenge nonetheless…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I tried to stay with the food theme of my cover
letter, more or less because I couldn't think of another angle at the time. It
came out all right. Here's what I submitted:<i style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Combine an
infectious laugh, creativity, and self-motivated work ethic in a large bowl.
Pour into any sized work environment. Watch me flourish.</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My best attempt to deliver a succinct list of my
most important qualities and abilities along with showcasing my writing
ability. I look at it now and see a dozen ways to improve it. Woulda, coulda,
shoulda. Here’s my revision:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Combine Creativity
and Self-Motivated Work Ethic in a large bowl. Pour into Any work environment. Results:
Quality Prose and Increased Productivity.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>I would love to see how you would approach
this assignment. Write a 150-character or less cover letter you would submit to
a potential employer in the comments section below. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-81696406946020501842014-03-13T14:28:00.000-04:002014-05-09T18:53:09.274-04:00Neil Gaiman, The Badger, and Your Favorite Characters from Children's LiteratureOver at <a href="http://tor.com/">Tor.com</a> Stubby the Rocket talks about <a href="http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/03/neil-gaiman-is-a-badger-now?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_term=tordotcom&utm_content=-na_clickformore_continuereading&utm_campaign=tordotcombookcoverage" target="_blank">The Story Museum's newest exhibit</a>: photographs of British writers and storytellers dressing up as their favorite children's lit characters. Neil Gaiman chose Badger from <i>The Wind in the Willows</i>. What a fun idea!<br />
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I always loved <i>Ottie and the Star</i> by Laura Jean Allen. An adventurous little fellow who meets all kinds of new sea animals on his journey to find the star. I still have the book report I wrote in first grade. So, if I had the chance to dress up as my favorite children's lit character, I believe it would be Ottie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXpz_Qq0OL5hyphenhyphen5PZiy9eNMSzFkrW90AhFB4ZjZ5i3z74X47UEJ49nMnVYXnU6b9bS968LMRkrJn8AFOgzjs9JLgicLCE2dde6_aFsCEh6sDyq_qCB9V_9beDj4qTCmtpsPtws5_D7-ME/s1600/2014-03-13+15.05.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXpz_Qq0OL5hyphenhyphen5PZiy9eNMSzFkrW90AhFB4ZjZ5i3z74X47UEJ49nMnVYXnU6b9bS968LMRkrJn8AFOgzjs9JLgicLCE2dde6_aFsCEh6sDyq_qCB9V_9beDj4qTCmtpsPtws5_D7-ME/s1600/2014-03-13+15.05.19.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></div>
A close second would be <strike>Charlotte</strike> Scarlet Monster from <strike>a book whose name eludes me</strike> <i>Scarlet Monster Lives Here</i> by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Dennis Kendrick, <strike>but is hiding</strike> I found in a box somewhere in my parent's attic.<br />
<br />
<b>Which character from your childhood would you dress up as?</b>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-16198377660017572852014-03-03T13:37:00.001-05:002014-03-14T22:48:21.580-04:00Brushing the Dust OffIt's been well over a year, 16 months to be exact, since I entertained the blogging world with my dazzling prose (hahahah!).<br />
<br />
Life.<br />
<br />
What a pain in the ass. She played with me like a cat with it's prey, setting off every one of my triggers. Grasped between her teeth, I went limp.<br />
<br />
I woke up on the ground. My face scraped up with pebbles imbedded in the cuts. Looking up, I saw her standing above me, pointing her well-manicured finger in my face while her shoulders bounced with laughter.<br />
<br />
She takes pleasure in my pain. This past year, in particular, has been incredibly challenging. I know there's more strength hidden inside me. And it's time to look inward and recharge. <br />
<br />
During my hiatus, I kept busy reading fiction, reading craft books to improve my writing, and writing when my schedule and procrastination allowed.<br />
<br />
I burned sage to shoo away all the negative energy surrounding me and created some new goal: finishing my current WIP (stuck at Chapter 9) and researching MFA programs. <br />
<br />
So, I'm brushing the proverbial dust off and returning to the writing scene. No promises. Small, manageable goals. Moving forward.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD1Ddt1VzzupZ-1-oR9AcfuC2ba7Ezoc294RAPZ5IDFhP6aKXwxTzMYCR6qu2zWzCqNFaE2rkhjkCS6wiMREOkb6Y8QeRJh-RMaoVurlW2EUueM7jVDmC3nw3aBimrWoHdgSmmQA6yi8/s1600/Photo+on+2014-03-02+at+04.10+%234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD1Ddt1VzzupZ-1-oR9AcfuC2ba7Ezoc294RAPZ5IDFhP6aKXwxTzMYCR6qu2zWzCqNFaE2rkhjkCS6wiMREOkb6Y8QeRJh-RMaoVurlW2EUueM7jVDmC3nw3aBimrWoHdgSmmQA6yi8/s1600/Photo+on+2014-03-02+at+04.10+%234.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Keep your fingers crossed.<br />
<br />
<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-72870069167964814832012-10-27T01:12:00.001-04:002012-10-27T01:12:12.710-04:00Tom Hanks's 'Full House' Poetry Slam<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoLXW_SZ7Xj6x1e4i0jYEbRRmUfFitP45fOwEUA19s3dph6Fwe1x1jngcmmmwLBs2l9QroPR308hsV68HY0bqsiVPhHV558muSElgJJD4iWVmA_-tBbOM1mQx_XFZFIwzNWmhoHbG5xY/s1600/tomhanks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoLXW_SZ7Xj6x1e4i0jYEbRRmUfFitP45fOwEUA19s3dph6Fwe1x1jngcmmmwLBs2l9QroPR308hsV68HY0bqsiVPhHV558muSElgJJD4iWVmA_-tBbOM1mQx_XFZFIwzNWmhoHbG5xY/s1600/tomhanks.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://franchiseherald.com/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I needed something different to do than watch T.V. when I came home from work tonight, so I scoured the Internet for literary news. Tom Hanks came up. Surprisingly. He did a poetry slam on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'.<br />
<br />
Hilarious!<br />
<br />
It brings me back to pizza Friday's and TGIF with my parents and little sister in the glorious 90's. I admit I cringe whenever I catch a clip of <i>Full House, </i>but I loved it at the time. Bless my parents for sitting through those episodes. <br />
<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5rqlIKw8eWLmcP2qOpnbJGLhG4qHykJ3rX_I8BrkFXsVwJUVhEog1YC5bz9f5f7PPYdobL0mWv02urOvDi1tFDy6uUGKdLcLq5KkAGEVpNYIHDSPjdQUcvgSzw5mOIBqMDZbhro1Nfs/s1600/mikemyers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5rqlIKw8eWLmcP2qOpnbJGLhG4qHykJ3rX_I8BrkFXsVwJUVhEog1YC5bz9f5f7PPYdobL0mWv02urOvDi1tFDy6uUGKdLcLq5KkAGEVpNYIHDSPjdQUcvgSzw5mOIBqMDZbhro1Nfs/s200/mikemyers.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4chandata.org/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tom's bit also reminded me a little of Mike Myer's in <i>So I Married An Axe Murderer</i> with his Woman poem. What a great movie!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The links are below. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/10/24/14665995-tom-hanks-does-full-house-poetry-slam-on-late-night-with-jimmy-fallon?lite" target="_blank">Tom Hanks</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlkoQ4bUE5k" target="_blank">Mike Myers</a><br />
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Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-63715464352803161452012-10-06T12:38:00.000-04:002012-10-10T10:24:38.372-04:00Barbara Kingsolver Comforts My Soul<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDh4Yrn9fWdbnS7GA5ftUpWp6tD0bKwtbe1omCyz0QOzbLOjPG2QV0YJHNeI8GVdk-rTDlPn5iuQr_xgMJBafSCGbjEp1I-ipFNAMCK7B9PClFbW_DBitWSsMOnE8Fvgtz-QXC0H8Bv8/s1600/animaldreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQDh4Yrn9fWdbnS7GA5ftUpWp6tD0bKwtbe1omCyz0QOzbLOjPG2QV0YJHNeI8GVdk-rTDlPn5iuQr_xgMJBafSCGbjEp1I-ipFNAMCK7B9PClFbW_DBitWSsMOnE8Fvgtz-QXC0H8Bv8/s200/animaldreams.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As a novice writer, I spend every
moment buried in novels that evoke just about every emotion from me. My
favorite novels, besides mysteries, are literary fiction by authors like Jhumpa
Lahiri and Barbara Kingsolver, who sit at the top of my list of all-time favorites.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whenever I read one of Barbara Kingsolver’s novels it always
feels as though she’s speaking directly to me. It feels silly to say that I
admire her characters and look to them for inspiration, but they’re the ones I
connect to the most. Not real people. (Perhaps that’s why writing feels so
natural to me.) I see bits of me mirrored in her characters Taylor (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bean Trees</i>) and Codi/Cosima (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal Dreams</i>). Their stories aren’t
identical to mine. I just know exactly how it feels to run away in search of
something, looking for a place to belong. Their dilemmas and life questions
push away my loneliness and fill me with hope that if they could make it
through tough times so can I. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Barbara also keeps me enthralled with her use of nature in
her novels. It grounds the story and appeals to my love of the tangible world. When
I’m reading, it feels like I’m drifting from my body into a like-minded
character immersed in the world around them. I can picture the peacock’s blue
and green shimmer in the shade of the orchards in Grace, Arizona and the bean
trees growing despite the arid climate in Tucson, Arizona. I notice I stare out
the window longer than usual when I’ve put the book down, taking in as much I
can as if it all could disappear without notice. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This is why Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite
authors. Her words, characters, and story stay with me long after I’ve finished
reading. They never feel overdressed or forced. I love finding the moments that
hit home hard and make me cry. Those moments release the anxiety and
frustration, a catharsis. That’s why her novels are some of the few I’ve read
over and over again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here’s a hard-hitting moment from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Animal Dreams </i>that inspired this post: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’d come on this trip knowing I still had to leave Loyd in June, that
Grace wouldn’t keep me, but maybe I was just keeping to the road. I felt guilt
slip out of me like a stone. “It’s a nice thought,” I told him. “I guess I’ll
probably carry something away with me when I leave Grace.”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He looked at me carefully, started to speak, then stopped. And then did
speak. “It’s one thing to carry your life wherever you go. Another thing to
always go looking for it somewhere else.”</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-81811706415293563152012-09-27T16:32:00.002-04:002012-09-27T16:36:04.454-04:00Oooh! I Lurve Excerpts! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO2Emc7V6WZxiZJBmiK18pHqE-2FxfbWC7BvTago-Crg0ZTRD_9zPr6pp7uVLh1c_6xiAOD4d17Tbn04h8EhekHswGiYnuA-iTVvhtEIuwulfFucv-MHpTwGh01UDR11LFNKvAdtYLiA/s1600/thegirlwhofellbeneathfairyland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiO2Emc7V6WZxiZJBmiK18pHqE-2FxfbWC7BvTago-Crg0ZTRD_9zPr6pp7uVLh1c_6xiAOD4d17Tbn04h8EhekHswGiYnuA-iTVvhtEIuwulfFucv-MHpTwGh01UDR11LFNKvAdtYLiA/s320/thegirlwhofellbeneathfairyland.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
The silliness is spilling out of me today. I've got my Dexter's Laboratory t-shirt on and exciting ideas for my WIP skipping around my mind making me caffeine-jittery to the point I'm knocking things over in my apartment. Granted, the inability to stand up on my two feet is nothing new, I can barely contain the the surge of passion. So, before I destroy everything I own, I thought I would sit down and share something I stumbled across on Tor.com (I'm a huge fan of the sci-fi website) and, then, get to writing.<br />
<br />
Last week, I wrote about serialized fiction and whether it had a place in our literary world anymore on the Bucks County Writers' Group blog. Then, I came across the first few chapters of Catherynne M. Valente's middle grade novel <i>The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There</i>. Tor.com serialized the first 5 chapters of the sequel to Valente's first Fairyland book, <i>The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making</i>.<br />
<br />
What a great way to hook readers. Instead of making all the hard work Valente put into her novel FREE for a short time on Amazon, she made a 5-chapter excerpt available to her audience in hopes of convincing them to purchase the novel. If a story has legs to stand on, it will capture its audience in the first few chapters. Now, I can't wait to hit the store to pick up Valente's two novels.<br />
<br />
Her writing is rich and brings me back to a time when my sister and I would build forts out of my parents furniture by draping blankets over it to create tunnels and little secret rooms. The writing is elevated, giving the narrator an authority and making the story accessible to middle grade readers and enjoyable for adults.<br />
<br />
Don't take my word for it. Read it yourself.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://buckscountywriters.blogspot.com/2012/09/serial-fiction-thing-of-past.html" target="_blank">Serialized Fiction: A Thing of the Past?</a> by Laura M. Campbell<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There" target="_blank">The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There</a> </i>by Catherynne M. Valente <br />
<br />
Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-15841996607147914752012-09-20T11:36:00.000-04:002012-09-20T11:36:25.218-04:00International Book Week?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Do we really need an excuse to have fun with books? I think not. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From what I understand, this unofficial game of International Book Week, possibly started on Google+, asks you to grab the closest book to you, open to page 52, and post the fifth sentence on the page. Do not include the title. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>"There's no harm in flirting."</i></b></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-vYFjtmO9Lm90UfIb3Owkkgg-y2IHk7Pl7ZLPHIKcR7zFOT4-W3Rbr86aSUdWal88fGjzgPOqjKr7KtuFWJUP61T2EzzzQmK_jDdiGoM7dDMxbTgSGQYgYFo4mciRLVPT0fa_z2WDJk/s1600/Office+Library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-vYFjtmO9Lm90UfIb3Owkkgg-y2IHk7Pl7ZLPHIKcR7zFOT4-W3Rbr86aSUdWal88fGjzgPOqjKr7KtuFWJUP61T2EzzzQmK_jDdiGoM7dDMxbTgSGQYgYFo4mciRLVPT0fa_z2WDJk/s400/Office+Library.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hint. It's one of these. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Post your fifth sentence in the comments below! </span></i></b></span></div>
Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-76248625093471570862012-09-13T13:32:00.004-04:002012-09-13T13:32:55.681-04:00Winning FREE Books <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Winning free books rocks my socks. I love it! My favorite part is walking into the vestibule I share with my downstairs neighbor to find a brown box with a mailing label addressed to me. I giggle. Then frantically futz with my keys to get two sets of doors open to get into my apartment, grab the scissors from the knife block, quickly cut open the box, and gently pull out my books. Butterflies fill my stomach with the weight of the book in my hands, the smell of the paper, the intricate world, fascinating characters, and thought-provoking story waiting to be discovered.<br />
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The whole point of becoming a writer for me was to pass on the wonderful experience of diving into a book and getting lost in the author's imagination and words. I want give readers a story they'll enjoy. I'm still in the crafting process. In the meantime, I have a few new additions to my library courtesy of mshatch over at <a href="http://mainewords.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">mainewords</a>. Thanks! I can't wait to start reading.Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-72330036617797931562012-09-05T12:38:00.003-04:002012-09-05T12:38:57.612-04:00Thank You, Dreamworld: Subconscious Inspiration I dreamt last night. And in this dream, I found myself in a leather jacket leading the investigation of a heinous murder case that took place in a high-rise apartment building. It was my first case as a detective and I had to prove myself.<br />
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In true Laura fashion, it took me 10 minutes to find a walkie-talkie that worked and I got stuck in the elevator trying to reach the 11th floor with no success. I woke up when I not only couldn't get to the 11th floor, but also couldn't get off the damn elevator.<br />
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Thoughts bounced around my head as I laid in bed...could I do this in real life? No. I'm the farthest thing from an authoriatrian. Then I thought how that might segue into my stories. I tend to gravitate towards writing stories with amateur sleuths, characters that aren't tethered to strict rules that police must obey. So, it might be time to push through the comfort zone and try giving one of the characters in my WIP a more authoritarian role to contrast the main character who tends to bend and slip under the rules in order to survive and find justice.<br />
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My dream also left me with a question...how do police, detectives, and private investigators find the bravery to face possible death or serious bodily injury? There's no doubt that a criminal facing prison or the death penalty would do anything to avoid their fate. <b><i>So, what would motivate a person to go up against the criminal, to put their lives on the line, in the pursuit of justice?</i></b> <br />
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<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-83408163496259912232012-08-29T09:29:00.000-04:002012-08-29T09:29:23.375-04:00E.J. Wesley's Anticipated Book Cover RevealDrumroll please...<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1 by E.J. Wesley Cover Reveal Party</span></b></div>
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Author E.J. Wesley is throwing a blog party to celebrate the release of his new book cover and wants you to join in the fun. Jump over to his blog to learn about how you can win some awesome prizes, including $50 toward a cover of your own and advance reader copies of <i>Blood Fugue</i>.</div>
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Cover work by Sketcher Girl, LLC - <a href="http://sketchergirlstudios.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://sketchergirlstudios.<wbr></wbr>com/</a></div>
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<b>What's the Story About?</b> </div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6307132646204072966" name="13965827680a4b57_13944ace249387bd__GoBack" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><i>“</i></a><i>Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”</i></span></blockquote>
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Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried. She wears loneliness like a comfy sweatshirt. By the age of twenty-one, she was the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thought…</div>
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<i><span style="color: #660000;">“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.”</span></i></blockquote>
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Suddenly, instead of burying her history with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.</div>
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<i>BLOOD FUGUE</i> by E.J. Wesley, is the first of the <i>MOONSONGS</i> books, a series of paranormal-action novelettes. At fewer than 13k words, <i>BLOOD FUGUE</i> is the perfect snack for adventurous readers who aren’t afraid of stories with bite. Available wherever fine eBooks are sold September 2012. </div>
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The Open Vein, E.J.'s blog - <a href="http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">http://the-open-vein-<wbr></wbr>ejwesley.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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E.J. Wesley on the Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/EJWesley" style="color: blue;" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/EJWesley</a></div>
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Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-71390288348984376232012-08-22T10:44:00.001-04:002012-08-22T10:44:31.082-04:00Need a break from toiling away on your WIP? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm selfishly engrossed in a story about second chances I'm currently writing, and I'm loving every minute of it. So, today I want to leave you with something fun to do when you need a breather. Keep writing fellow scribers! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First, determine your personality type (if you don't know already) by taking the FREE MBTI test </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.personalitypathways.com/type_inventory.html" target="_blank">here</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then, find out what novel character you're most like by checking out <i>Huffington Post</i>'s <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/06/myers-briggs-fiction_n_1652300.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#slide=1160154" target="_blank">16 Fiction Book Characters' Myers-Briggs Personality Types</a>.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm an <b>ENFJ</b>. My fiction character match-up is Charles Damay from <i>Tale of Two Cities </i>by Charles Dickens. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Who did you match up with? </i></b></span></div>
Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-79876950676646068102012-08-17T22:57:00.002-04:002012-08-17T22:57:23.471-04:00Reaching the Summit: Tackling Writing Obstacles<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Blue Ridge Mountains</span></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One sure thing in this life, and this writing life, is you will face obstacles everyday. I'm about to reach the top of one mountain I've been climbing for two months. I'm at the point when muscles scream in pain and exhaustion slips into delirium, and it takes everything you have left to just lift your foot and take another step.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tomorrow is my last day at one of my part-time jobs, which will end an almost two month stint of working 7 days a week. It didn't leave me much time to sit down in front of my computer and write. So, because I made the decision to commit to my writing, I pushed through and wrote when ever I could. Long hand became my method, instead of the white keys of my beloved purple laptop, and I pushed through to make some serious progress on a short story.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This challenge strengthened my resolve for the next challenge that lays ahead of me. It revealed, if I keep lifting my foot regardless of the pain, lack of sleep, and hopelessness, I can find the time to write, and that a little bit of writing everyday makes a big difference. The euphoria of accomplishment will make the walk down this mountain pleasurable. I'll have the time to restore my strength, so I can welcome the next obstacle. </span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: yellow; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">FREE Books and Swag! That's right. FREE. BOOKS. AND. SWAG. I know, crazy town. But it's the truth. Find out more over at <a href="http://buckscountywriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bucks County Writers Group</a>.</span></b>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-61611674505093455072012-08-08T07:55:00.000-04:002012-08-08T07:55:54.955-04:00Childhood Monsters, Book Cover Reveal, and Book Giveaway!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I know. There's a lot going on today. Life is easier when the posts write themselves.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, there's lots of promotional fun going on with E.J. Wesley, Christine Rains, and the Bucks County Writers Group, and I'm super excited to share it all with you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>First</b>, E.J. Wesley over at The Open Vein is gearing up for his book cover real at the end of August and needs some writerly help getting the word out. Stop on over and sign up to help a fellow writer share the product of determination and hard work!</span><br />
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<a href="http://the-open-vein-ejwesley.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Call To Arms</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Secondly</b>, Christine Rains' paranormal romance novella, FEARLESS, released yesterday and she's holding a kick-ass blogfest. All you have to do is pull your childhood monster(s) out of the dark recesses of your mind and write about them on your blog. </span><br />
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<a href="http://christinerains-writer.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What Was Your Childhood Monster Blogfest</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here goes...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My childhood monster didn't take on a corporeal form like the satiny clown in Robbie's bedroom in <i>Poltergeist</i> or a hunched over sinewy creature with long boney fingers and glowing yellow cat eyes lurking underneath my bed. I never knew what <i>it</i> looked like, the <i>it</i> that caused me to leap onto the mattress from three feet away to avoid walking directly next to the bed with my ankles exposed where the bed skirt stopped or hiding my head under the covers with my eyes shut tight to ensure that what ever might be floating outside my second-story window couldn't see the color of my eyes. If <i>it</i> could see the color of my eyes, <i>it</i> could get me. <i>It</i> took the psychological route in order to strike fear in my child mind. I never knew what it was or where it hid. I could feel its presence, but <i>it</i> was clever and stayed just beyond my vision waiting to grab me and drag me into eternal darkness. I would stay awake for hours praying that <i>it</i> would find some other child to prey on.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That same <i>it</i> still haunts the dark spaces and unexplained noises in my apartment, but instead of pulling my comforter over my head, I search it out and try to find a logical explanation. I'm brave now. But those days when <i>it</i> would release the fear, letting it coarse through my body, making me act a fool and squeal in hopes of scaring <i>it</i> away are quite fresh in my memory. My heart beats just a bit faster remembering.
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Lastly</b>, I want to let everyone know that Bucks County Writers' Group will be posting book reviews this month of August and we're planning a book and swag giveaway to build readership for our blog. Stay tuned for guidelines and prizes! You won't be disappointed. </span><br />
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<a href="http://buckscountywriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bucks County Writers' Group</span></a><br />
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<script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=154842" type="text/javascript"></script>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-5967802796992582582012-08-01T07:00:00.000-04:002012-08-01T07:00:12.464-04:00YA Fest!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjxeJywcTtdQIzfDVnxJ74jfrW-I3-DvLh6iwv0wHpVzsGyfzVORWdPhEDh2QC8NibCz309YUORjRCCc5MbeUV0gRNzYLvJ2L3xNvR0TBoohkF4AC-Dp6IQLx6z8qCuHYmbIiRDgMyLE/s1600/YA+Fest+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHjxeJywcTtdQIzfDVnxJ74jfrW-I3-DvLh6iwv0wHpVzsGyfzVORWdPhEDh2QC8NibCz309YUORjRCCc5MbeUV0gRNzYLvJ2L3xNvR0TBoohkF4AC-Dp6IQLx6z8qCuHYmbIiRDgMyLE/s320/YA+Fest+Logo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.yafest.blogspot.com/p/about-ya-fest.html" target="_blank">YA Fest</a> at the Easton Area Public Library in Pennsylvania kicks off on Saturday, August 4th. I'm super excited for more than one reason. First, I have the ENTIRE day off from work. Woohoo! Second, I get to take a mini road trip with my writing buddy, <a href="http://magpiewrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Alex</a>. Road trips always promise laughter, good music, and unforgettable memories. Top that off with two crazy writers, and I'm bound to love every minute. Third, I get to immerse myself in a free writing event and meet new writer friends.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hanging with like-minded folk helps the creative juju start moving, especially when you need a kick in the pants to get the words on the page. I also enjoy surrounding myself with other writers because it makes conversation a bit easier, especially when you don't have to pick and choose what you say for fear that a non-writer won't have a clue what you're talking about or share your insane passion for the written word and story telling. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, for the rest of week when I'm not working on my critique group submission, I'll be putting together some conversation topics that will hopefully elicit some great dialogue. I would love to hear what topics you enjoyed at writerly get-togethers, if for nothing but to make myself sound cooler. </span><br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What have you brought to the discussion during writing festivals, conferences, gatherings, etc? </span></i></b><br />
<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-41797125129032874262012-07-25T07:42:00.000-04:002012-07-25T07:42:46.148-04:00Snippets from HoME: TrappedHappy Wednesday! We're half way closer to Friday. I'm a week and half closer to <a href="http://www.yafest.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">YA Fest</a> in Easton! And I'm putting the finishing touches on a <i><a href="http://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/437/whispering" target="_blank">Readers Write</a></i> piece (Trying Too Hard) for <i>The Sun</i> magazine due at the end of the month.<br />
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At this point, I haven't mastered the art of balancing two jobs with writing, but I'm getting closer. So, today I want to leave you with <i>Snippets from HoME</i> titled "Trapped". I've been gathering observations and clips of conversations that stuck with me that I've tinkered with, and I am now sharing with you. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>Trapped</b><br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What's on your busy schedule this week?</span></i></b></div>
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Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-60070129453340262432012-07-19T13:14:00.000-04:002012-07-19T13:14:33.874-04:00Avoidance: What Should You Be Doing?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's 12 o'clock on a Thursday. The end of the week is almost here. I'm exhausted. All I want to do is crawl up on my couch and watch movies while the sun hides behind grey clouds blanketing the world with a moroseness, but I can't. I signed up for a writing contest with my first submission due on Saturday. I've been brainstorming all week, but have yet to get all those great ideas on paper in the form of a story. I work tonight. A double shift tomorrow. All day Saturday. There's not much time left. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Top it all off with craptastic Internet service courtesy of Comcast. Which is why I'm taking advantage of FREE WI-FI at the B&N with its rich people watching environment and swaying to Fiona Apple. The cafe is comfortably filled with people. How desperate I am to take a peek inside their heads to see what's really going while they munch on their "create your own combos", letting the caffeine course through their veins. What are they avoiding? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sid, the Schindler Elevator Corporation employee, tears through gossips magazines while he sucks his frappuccino through the Starbucks' signature green straw next to me. A reprieve from the warm, moist air outside. What is he avoiding? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In front of me, two teenagers are missing in action while their bottles of Deer Park water keeps their box of <i>Essential SAT Vocabulary </i>company on their table. Where would they rather be? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A striking caramel colored man with thick, dark eyebrows sits diagonally from me flipping through Mojo magazine with his hand resting on his forehead as if he's shielding his eyes from the sun, but he's inside. What is he really avoiding?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Out of the corner of my eye a wrinkled and grey bearded man walks into the cafe unsure of where to sit. He buys a cup of soup and settles down at a small table with two inches of space from the neighboring table. The soft lighting on the ceiling shines off his balding head. He looks around. A business man sits down in the neighboring table with a tablet in hand. The old man leans in and starts talking. What is he avoiding?</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">So, as you read through blog posts today, tell me, what are you avoiding?</span></b><br />
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<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-87654870583153574922012-07-13T10:10:00.000-04:002012-07-13T10:10:06.296-04:00Decent Exposure<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This week's post is coming to you a few days late. Two weeks ago I didn't have a job. Today, I have two jobs. Unfortunately my blog got pushed to the side while I got life straightened out. So, without further ado...</span></i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It's one thing to place yourself in front of the computer and commit your thoughts and words on your blog. It's a whole other story in terms of getting your post in the hands of readers. This past year I spent time with Pennwriters, Inc. marketing their online courses, writing SEO-friendly website copy for Yellowbook, and marketing my personal blog and my writers' group blog (<a href="http://buckscountywriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">check us out</a>). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've found many different social media programs and outlets that helped reached a large group of people. I use the following:</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ping-In</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pingomatic</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Google+</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Twitter</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Facebook</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">LinkedIn</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Writer'sCoffeehouseOnline Yahoo! Group</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reading and commenting on other blogs</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, the readership for my personal blog is over 100, but my writers' blog needs more exposure. And both blogs could benefit from increased daily traffic. I would love to hear what techniques you employ and what programs you utilize to gain exposure for your blog and increase readership and traffic. </span></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">How do you get your blog posts in the hands of more readers? </span></i></b></div>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-49514116981549347312012-07-04T11:23:00.000-04:002012-07-04T19:00:33.391-04:00Insecure Writers Support Group: Finding Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNPX8HlGB_RfPK5o2Z5IWLsQG2x0j_b6qhSvmjwN5aFHnZsbhNLaSJo0AoWPIYXy8mye9Fbxs_cOGfzzsqYNqzwRJV6GHPztwEqRgSGrrOq0C028qPR349x167viwcPt1j8TEjBNf2x8/s1600/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNPX8HlGB_RfPK5o2Z5IWLsQG2x0j_b6qhSvmjwN5aFHnZsbhNLaSJo0AoWPIYXy8mye9Fbxs_cOGfzzsqYNqzwRJV6GHPztwEqRgSGrrOq0C028qPR349x167viwcPt1j8TEjBNf2x8/s200/InsecureWritersSupportGroup.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some days a nice walk just isn't enough for me to work out my current WIP's plot problems or figure out where my characters need to go next or what to add to give the story more depth. On those days (which happens to be most days) I look to other writers. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whether it's <a href="http://www.thesunmagazine.org/" target="_blank">The Sun</a> magazine, a novel, or a comic book, I find reading someone else's words and studying their craft inspires me to write. I keep a little note pad near me to take notes or copy snippets so I won't forget. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We should learn from one another, especially those of us who've reached the publication level. These authors found what works and I plan to get me a relatively cheap, but valuable education.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrf3Tx3O4rz6iUC0370nkrxL_DOabNt3cCZJ2UiRK2mCDZCwA6aywg0e_yveiAPYvmWxPolWwuwcCC9iCycUyOZiRSKpro7VEIN9hZ6LTolU0YsbaBuxe3l0i8i5ZF8qItkhMOyzZ3ng/s1600/batmancourtofowls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrf3Tx3O4rz6iUC0370nkrxL_DOabNt3cCZJ2UiRK2mCDZCwA6aywg0e_yveiAPYvmWxPolWwuwcCC9iCycUyOZiRSKpro7VEIN9hZ6LTolU0YsbaBuxe3l0i8i5ZF8qItkhMOyzZ3ng/s200/batmancourtofowls.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Recently, my boyfriend asked me to read one of his Batman comics. This way he can share what he likes to read with me, and gives us something to discuss when we've run out of things to talk about. <i><a href="http://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/batman-vol-1-the-court-of-owls" target="_blank">Batman: Court of Owls</a></i> has been an exciting read and it has really helped my writing .</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I enjoy writing detective stories, mystery, and the macabre. This story arc not only packs it all in six issues, but it excites your visual senses with fantastic artwork. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A quote from one of the characters really put the craft of mystery and detective stories into perspective for me:</span></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"My point is, sometimes we become so concerned with little dangers that we don't see the big one, right beneath our feet." ~Lincoln Marsh</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Misdirection. An important writing tool to keep readers engaged and provide suspense and depth to a story. It's reassuring to know I don't have to go far to find help to defeat my writing challenges. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>Share an inspirational read or a snippet you've come across lately that has helped you and your writing. </i></b></span></div>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-42504070408962994022012-06-27T07:00:00.000-04:002012-06-28T09:37:22.565-04:00Who Cares About An Oxford Comma?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://guardian.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Source</span></a></td></tr>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Alias: Series Comma. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I didn't care for the longest time. I'm sure it was during some class in college when I found out I didn't <i>have</i> to use this extra comma. And because the Grammar Police <i>highly suggested</i> its use, I threw it out of my writing tool box. Just to give a big F U to the establishment. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">That was until the establishment hired me to write website copy for small businesses. Then, as per the house style, I was expected to include this uptight comma. It took a while for me to get used to including it in my copy, but after writing 3-4 websites a day, 5-days-a-week, it became second nature.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now, I find myself using it in my own writing without even thinking. The rebellious spark within me still glows hot, but is it really such a big deal? It's interesting to see what happens when you make a habit of something. After doing it every day, it becomes second nature. There are plenty of other writing rules out there I can snub my nose at, so I concede victory to the stodgy grammarians. </span></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Oxford Comma: Yay or Nay?</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In the meantime, enjoy Vampire Weekend's aptly titled song "Who Gives a Fuck About An Oxford Comma?" and break some rules! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-32866478318638759162012-06-20T13:24:00.000-04:002012-06-20T13:24:45.706-04:002012 Writers' Conference @ Hunter College<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On June 9<sup>th</sup>, I traveled NJ Transit and the NYC
Metro to reach Hunter College on 68<sup>th</sup> and Lexington for the Writers’
Conference 2012. Sponsored by <a href="http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/ce/the-writing-center" target="_blank">The Writing Center at Continuing Education at Hunter College</a>, the
brochure laid out a variety of writing-related panels to choose from and
promised a chance to hear famous authors like Harlan Coben and Mary Higgins
Clark speak about writing and the publishing business. It didn’t disappoint.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This conference ended up more of an informational
smorgasbord than networking event for me. Granted, just attending the
conference gave me the foot in the door I needed if I submit to the specific magazines
or literary agents that attended. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The suspense panel was my favorite. The friendship between
the authors on the panel made it very entertaining. Plus, the information was
coming from successful writers that demonstrated what a good story, craft, and
perseverance could achieve. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Below I’ve put together highlights, interesting snippets,
and valuable information I scribbled in my notebook during the panels I
attended. I hope you find it helpful! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Editor’s Panel:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ed Brown (publisher, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laptop
Magazine</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tyler Cabot (senior editor, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Esquire Magazine</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Allen Houston (executive editor, Manhattan Media)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Beena Kamlani (senior editor, Penguin Group USA)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Yona McDonough (fiction editor, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lilith Magazine</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Marianne Rohrlich (former columnist, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The New York Times</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First and foremost, editing makes publishing. Be sure to
submit writing completely FREE of grammatical and punctuation errors. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">An editor is your ally. When starting out, try to meet or
call the editor on the phone. Most often you’ll communicate via email. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pitching ideas…</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Present an ordinary subject with a unique
approach. Be clear, simple, and focused. Demonstrate how your idea or article
differs from what’s already published. Insert your personality. Don’t be afraid
to be clever.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Email Subject Line: “Story Idea:…” </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The first idea might not spark interest. So,
show up (in person, on the phone, or through email) with multiple ideas. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Peruse the bylines and table of contents of a
publication to determine if there is room for new comers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Be sure to read many back issues to ensure your
article or idea will fit the publication.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Increase your chances of acceptance by pitching
to a specific location within the publication that your article or pitch would
fit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Limbo Time: wait a couple weeks before following
up. BUT always follow up. You never know if it was lost in the shuffle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Suspense Panel: </b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJkcSxF5D-70r-uEUP4ILkJ6oOAGdOC-0AqhCeCey-n7oDrkVSzVmPz6FOMlT6kbbKaTVprCw50JprbjdQPvX7ieAACjQDRSep-NOKSo5YmkFstedkj6qs2-YCSWsfyjeXqTIDA__VxQ/s1600/suspensepanel2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJkcSxF5D-70r-uEUP4ILkJ6oOAGdOC-0AqhCeCey-n7oDrkVSzVmPz6FOMlT6kbbKaTVprCw50JprbjdQPvX7ieAACjQDRSep-NOKSo5YmkFstedkj6qs2-YCSWsfyjeXqTIDA__VxQ/s200/suspensepanel2012.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Andrew Gross (author,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Eyes Wide Open</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>15 Seconds</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lee Child (author,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Worth Dying For</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">and</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Killing Floor</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Steve Berry (author, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Columbus Affair</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Jefferson Key</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joseph Finder (author, <i>Buried Secrets</i> and <i>Vanished</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Harlan Coben (author, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stay
Close</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tell No One</i>)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Joseph Finder: "Publishing is ALWAYS in crisis."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ask the right question to achieve compelling writing. Drive
your audience to read the next page: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Not: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do you bake a cake?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How do you make your family hungry?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It’s not just about the story, but how will you get someone
to read. Entice them. Coax them. Put them into a situation where they need to
continue reading to get the answers. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Suspenseful writing: Present a question and don’t answer it
till the end of the story. Each time you answer a question you should present
another question to keep the reader turning pages.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It can take up to 10 years to find your place. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Lee Child’s 12<sup>th</sup> novel was his first
U.S. #1</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Harlan Coben grossed $20,000 on his first 6
books. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgERYQN9LGVoGD0DQIJzCsLluIrTjhzv20ky7ZrsYYOqg5ak6JQObtRlfdidhKnx0smB3GNKCPrVTlrLFzZtbEW4ObkWnoyTP3uy0VTYojCuzfUOtPe96i9frCDvmBJib_Tcl9pJeC9TE/s1600/%253Cuntitled%253E+660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgERYQN9LGVoGD0DQIJzCsLluIrTjhzv20ky7ZrsYYOqg5ak6JQObtRlfdidhKnx0smB3GNKCPrVTlrLFzZtbEW4ObkWnoyTP3uy0VTYojCuzfUOtPe96i9frCDvmBJib_Tcl9pJeC9TE/s200/%253Cuntitled%253E+660.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Harlan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Harlan Coben: </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“If what you write is good enough, you’ll be
ok.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->“Write. Send it out. Then, start writing your
second one because your first one is probably not as good as you think it
is.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chasing the market is flawed. The minute you finish your
novel that is trying to catch the trend bandwagon, that trend is outdated.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Andrew Gross on working with James Patterson (paraphrased):
The novels are Patterson’s idea. They won’t see the light of day without his
creativity and ideas. The work proportion is irrelevant. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.leechild.com/index.php" target="_blank">Lee Child’s Jack Reacher </a>series has been adapted for a <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0790724/" target="_blank">movie</a>
with the same name. Tom Cruise will play Reacher. Child spoke about the decision
to cast Cruise as Jack Reacher. Although he doesn’t embody Reacher’s height and
size, Cruise can play the part of Jack Reacher. His acting ability makes him
the best candidate to portray Reacher’s intellect and quiet introspection, to
“portray what’s in his head on screen.” </span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GP4aZSd5s-jYKQoDofLbwXEI-aMRsYgwhSzzsj5n86_0CLxNbFWf0nTtVCTsFp6EIobBhYNcw-S92EqS1q67UOuqCbyA0MxPDmM1iPq7kzKxUEN4gHOjnL6TQduYTWidtsjFJdSVFaw/s1600/maryhigginsclark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GP4aZSd5s-jYKQoDofLbwXEI-aMRsYgwhSzzsj5n86_0CLxNbFWf0nTtVCTsFp6EIobBhYNcw-S92EqS1q67UOuqCbyA0MxPDmM1iPq7kzKxUEN4gHOjnL6TQduYTWidtsjFJdSVFaw/s200/maryhigginsclark.jpg" width="121" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Lunch with Keynote Speaker: </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mary Higgins Clark</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Carol Higgins Clark </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One word: Hilarious! Mary Higgins Clark had me giggling the
entire time. She’s getting older and struggling to move well on her own.
Someone helped her get on the little stage. When she reached her chair safely,
she turned around and spoke to the crowd, “And to think I used to be a pole
dancer.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mary’s full of life, laughter, and incredible insight. The
stories she shared with us will keep my networking/cocktail party conversation
bag filled. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mary uses three sentence beginners to create her stories:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Suppose…</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->What if…</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Why?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mary whispers two words to herself when she faces writer’s
block: Royalty Checks</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>What’s the difference
between what Mary writes and what her daughter Carol writes?</i> Mary goes for
the jugular. Carol goes for the funny bone. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can’t use more than 1 line of music without paying for
the rights. Carol was fined $10,000 for that mistake. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Offer to pay research experts.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Character Names:</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mary uses charity dinner lists to create
character names. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Just be careful. Carol liked the name Blaze
Darling. When she Googled it, it turned out to be the name of the hottest porn
couple. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The editor at the publishing house needs to like the manuscript
more than the literary agent. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Small Press Panel:</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gloria Mindock (editor and publisher, Cervana Barva Press)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Mark Pawlak (poet, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jefferson’s
New Image Salon</i>)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Susan Tepper (author, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">From
The Umberplazen</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What May Have
Been</i>)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Terry Richard Bazes (author, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lizard World</i>)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If the Big 6 Publishers don’t want your book, it’s not a
comment on your writing, rather a comment about whether it is sellable, a commercial success.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Small publishers interest is QUALITY.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You don’t need a literary agent to work with a small
publisher. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If a small press publishes your book, you need to hire a
publicist. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Vanity Press-asks an author to use their money to publish
book.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Small Press Locator:</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.newpages.com/" target="_blank">NewPages</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.pw.org/small_presses" target="_blank">Poets & Writers </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.cbsd.com/" target="_blank">Consortium</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.pgw.com/home/" target="_blank">Publishers West </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.spdbooks.org/" target="_blank">Small Press Distribution </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/home/index.html" target="_blank">Publisher’s Weekly</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://duotrope.com/" target="_blank">Duotrope</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.clmp.org/" target="_blank">Council of Small Presses and Literary Magazines </a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.livingstonpress.uwa.edu/" target="_blank">Livingston Press</a>-Affiliated with the University of West
Alabama </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Joe Taylor</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 1.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">o<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Separately
or combined (off-beat, Southern)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flash-Fiction-Chronicles/111807932198001" target="_blank">Flash Fiction Chronicles</a> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><b>Literary Agent Panel: </b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Katherine Sands (literary agent, Sarah Jane Freyman Literary
Agency</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adam Chromy (founder, Artists and Artisans, Inc.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ellen Geiger (vice president and senior agent, Frances
Goldin Literary Agency</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Helen Zimmermann (founder, Helen Zimmerman Agency)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Query Letter-woo and win literary agent</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Know agent's name</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Know guidelines</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Research agents to find the right one, or at
least one that represents the genre you write in. </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Lead with your strengths (endorsements,
publishing credits, etc.) The publishing credits you have, the better the
chance of snagging an agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->NO cute. NO blue swirly font.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Avoid starting out with word count</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Why you? Why now?</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Novel synopsis: setting, hero, and dilemma.</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 79.0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -43.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Multiple/simultaneous submissions is understood.
</span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Have at least 10 people read query letter before
sending to agents. </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Average response time: 2-3 weeks (will be on
agent’s guidelines) </span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Send out 10-15 to test the water. If you don’t
hear any feedback, change the letter. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Slush Pile-blind queries</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Solicitation-agent seeks author out</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Zimmermann discussed the new publishing model emerging in
the business: Push author and book to big publishing agencies. No success?
Agency publishes book.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Choosing between agents: Who is offering the BEST strategies
to sell your book?</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Get a written agreement</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Then</b> <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Now</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Books and Readers—Content and Consumers</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Katherine Sands: “Happy Hookers-hook an agent quickly in the
first few sentences.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">“An unhappy childhood is a writer’s paycheck.”</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Adam Chromy: “A novel presents a message (value), then, takes
it away, and, finally, brings it back in the end.”</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What writing conferences, seminars, or workshops have you attended so
far this year? </span><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-6588227737810488812012-04-20T21:40:00.001-04:002012-04-20T21:40:23.076-04:00The Smell of Old Books, Scientifically SpeakingI don't know about you, but I love the smell of old books. A friend of mine from work sent me this little gem that explains what we're smelling and why. Now, I'm sure I could have paraphrased, but Richard's English accent makes the explanation far more scholarly than mine could ever be. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aUaInTfrDnA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-876524428745638996.post-41042016766299050532012-03-07T12:02:00.001-05:002012-03-07T12:03:20.778-05:00The Insecure Writer's Support Group: Who Knew?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt8YiKjGEOdTyz4upazKWsJHDEJaiBboGaNSnM9LbaVRaxA8q7xjItwZiI4gODp8C1_3zfEe7JGL7EmYtFUN8b1XGpkQ6VmExEErf-b42jMIJOgZtfZD80tl-y51fabKSYXdht9E_B0E/s1600/Photo+on+2012-02-23+at+14.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyt8YiKjGEOdTyz4upazKWsJHDEJaiBboGaNSnM9LbaVRaxA8q7xjItwZiI4gODp8C1_3zfEe7JGL7EmYtFUN8b1XGpkQ6VmExEErf-b42jMIJOgZtfZD80tl-y51fabKSYXdht9E_B0E/s200/Photo+on+2012-02-23+at+14.35.jpg" width="170" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My lack of knowledge astounds me every day. In the process of
researching for a blog post, I came across the do's and don't's of dialogue.
When a character trails off, you use the ellipsis (...) and when a character is
cut off by another character, you use the dash (—). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’m not sure when I should have learned this bit of information. Did you
know that? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Either way, I jumped on the emotional rollercoaster a writer and artist
know well. The first thought that came in my head was “Doh!” My self-esteem
took a plunge, making my stomach drop and the air to whoosh out of my lungs.
How could I be such a doofus? Will people make fun of me? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once the pity party ended, I realized that it’s ok not to know
everything. The fact that the world still holds so much knowledge and
information undiscovered by me blew my mind. What a wonderful feeling to know
nothing. Look out world, here comes my knowledge hungry curiosity! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What have
you learned recently that made you palm smack your forehead? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Get the dish on dialogue over at the <a href="http://buckscountywriters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bucks County Writer’s Group blog</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Check out other insecure writer’s at the <a href="http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/insecure-writers-support-group.html" target="_blank">blog hop</a>. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Laura M. Campbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07118305776404765529noreply@blogger.com5