{In Your Write Mind Workshop}: Public Speaking for Authors

Hosted by Judi Fleming

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
You NEVER get a second chance to make a first impression. Make it count!!!

SKILLS:

• Learn to project your voice
• Take a deep breath and project from your gut not your voice/throat.
• Make eye contact with your audience so that they feel included and engaged.
• Don't be shy! Put on your "public speaking" persona.
• Pitch (of your voice should be friendly and welcoming) Pause (count to 3 and think about what you want to say. Audience won't recognize pause) and Patience
• Body language -- always be approachable.

AUDIENCE:

• An audience of one is still an audience.
• You have an audience all the time except when you're sleeping.
• Everyone is your audience -- passerby asking for directions to the restroom, clerk at the grocery store, kid's teachers, etc.

PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Out loud, not in your head. Stand in front of a mirror and practice.

{In Your Write Mind Workshop}: Cutting and Tightening Your Novel

Hosted by Kate Martin

"Writing is like a spider web -- what isn't there is just as important as what is." ~Janet Reid

Cutting your novel down to a manageable level can be daunting. Where do you start?

1. Do large cuts first:

• Full chapters -- Cut and/or combine chapters that are slow, unnecessary, or don't move the plot along. Also, start the story later so that earlier "backstory" chapters can be cut.
• Minor characters -- Give secondary roles to bigger characters -- if it fits with the characterization.
• Sub-plots -- if they're not necessary to the overall plot/theme, you can probably cut.

2. Paragraphs and Scenes:

• Redundant scenes -- if you have duplicate scenes that serve the same purpose, cut them or combine them.
• Repetitive narrative/dialogue -- if you've said it once already, no need to say it again.

3. Sentence by Sentence and Word by Word

• "That" and "just" are unnecessary words
• Cut as many dialogue tags as possible
• Don't be afraid of simple words -- instantly vs. without another thought
• You don't need to give every little detail -- readers' minds will fill in the blanks.

Other Tips & Tricks:

• Cut once on  your own.
• Then give it to someone you trust to cut it. When you get their cuts back, YOU cut again.
• Only edit/cut for an hour or hour and a half at a time.
• Edit by hand
• You might have to add scenes to clarify/compensate for some of the stuff you've cut. That's okay, just remember: you're trying to cut down your word count. Always keep that in your mind.
• Keep a notebook next to your computer to jot down notes and ideas.

{In Your Write Mind Workshop}: Things that Go Bump in Your Prose

Workshop Hosted by Ron Edison

~ Overuse of 'had' in narrative: Indicative of an unnecessary/unintentional flashback; becomes repetitive

~ Rid your MS of them or use contractions to make them less visible.

~ Using had in flashbacks: 3 elements that they should contain
1. Emotional trigger --  Transition sentence with the word had. Establish character & POV clearly
2. Flashback scene -- Written in simple past -- NO "had's"
3. Transition sentence -- brings you back to present -- usually an action at the start of a new paragraph

~ Determine emotional mood before you write

~ Show character DOING something

~ Tell, don't ask! Don't let your character ask too many questions (internally). It makes them appear weak and indecisive. Form them as statements instead. Ex: Was he a werewolf? I wondered if he was a werewolf. Are my parents dead? I hope my parents aren't dead.

~ Have an action goal for each scene: make your characters DO something, not just thinking about things. If character does need to think about something, summarize it.

~ Don't overuse "it" or "some" -- it's confusing and lazy. If you don't care about the details, why will your reader?

~ Physical actions don't always work as dialogue tags. Examples: you can't smile, sneer, sneeze, or laugh while you're talking. They should be separate sentences from the dialogue. Facial expressions are good to use, just don't overuse them. Talk with the hands or use big actions (throwing things, stomping away, etc.) *Watch TV with the sound off for ideas*

~ Be smart when naming your characters! Common complaints from readers/writers/editors:
           * Names ending in "s"
           * Names difficult to pronounce
           * People names for animals
           * Boys names for girls and vice versa
           * Names with same initial consonant (All your characters start with D or B)

~ Euphemisms are NOT your friends. AVOID THEM!

~ DO NOT EVER manipulate your readers. If your character has a plan -- tell your readers about the plan. Don't withhold critical information once you mention it.

~ Don't interrupt action with needless descriptions.

~ Slang does have an expiration date. Use it carefully.


RECOMMENDED READING:
"Ten Tips to Stronger Writing" by Linda George.