Wax Seals and Penny Dreadfuls: A Writer's Tools

One of the things I love most about the writing life is that I allows me to connect with other people. Some from far, far away whom I might never have met otherwise.  So when I send out signed copies for prizes or what not, I always try to include a special letter to my fellow book lovers.

The one I wrote for the Blackburn series is especially dear to me because it talks about how the heroine, Charlotte, helped me to process memories of some difficult times.  I hope her story inspires you like it did me.

Plus...I get to play with fancy quills and wax seals. Also a major writerly perk.

To keep from going mad with all the deadlines and writing goals, I have resolved to work more reading time into my schedule. I'm currently reading a lovely Penny Dreadful compilation I picked up a while ago. It begins with the estimable Mary Shelly. I haven't read Frankenstein in over a decade.  

It even has The Mummy's Curse by Louisa May Alcott. I've not had the pleasure of reading anything of hers other than Little Women so this should be a treat. I hear it is a creepy little tale involving hapless Egyptologists and ancient curses.

I'm currently working on a near future scifi thriller. So I get to do a lot of research on mega structures and neurotechnology. Not to mention wade through the space elevator arguments. There are apparently wildly differing opinions on the feasibility of such a thing.

It is great fun to imagine what might be. And creating the moody atmosphere of Veridian with all its neon and smooth, cold glass is something of a challenge. Its amazing how much I want to juxtaposition lush fabrics and vivid colors to that sterile world. Working on the wardrobe aesthetic of my main gal, Elara. Beauty, brains, and a bad temper.  I think some blood red lips might do. 

Photos by: m-ban, eden acrchives, and art of soulburn.  

NaNoWriMo Prep -- Yay or Nay?

First of all...National Writing Month is not a sprint. Its a month-long marathon of pushing for the coveted 50, 000 words. 

Many have started...few finish...even fewer 'win' with the 50K prize grasped in their sweaty, most likely cramping, fingers. It CAN be done though. You just need to prepare for it.

I know there are a lot of  opinions as to whether it is 'pure' or not to organize your thoughts or even outline a story before the bell, but I'm all for it. Why? Because I think it will help you reach your goal. 

And that is the whole point, right? Jump start a book -- get your first draft started?

So if you do plan on prepping for NaNo, there are a few ways to go.  I'm a huge fan of Randy Ingermanson's Snow Flake Method.  Its very step-by-step and you end up with not only plot blocks, an outline, and a rough draft of your synopsis, but you can work your steps into a very nice proposal.

Another program I've tried with great results is Scrivener. You can get a trial version that is free and lasts for 30 days which is all you need for Nano anyway. But once you start...this program will be one of your go-to organizational tools. We're talking research articles, photos, audio and video, all kinds of stuff!

Something I use now and have found works wonderful for visual people is a simple Index Card app. They have them for Windows, iOS, even phones. You can move scenes around and even import the outline to your computer which is very helpful.

Mindly is a great brainstorming tool. It works like a cluster brainstorm exercise, but you can assign colors and sizes to the difference spheres. You can also choose how to extendor telescope your ideas deeper as well. I use it on my phone, print out the 'mind map' and use it in my writing.  Easy peasy-lemon squeezy!

My pantser (discovery writer) friend makes outlines a la high school. And she weaves incredibly detailed and intricate plots. She's more of a free spirit and loves to just let go and let her characters 'be' but she does do some preparation.

NaNoWriMo may be a great opportunity to get that story that's been scratching in your skull out and on to paper. But as I said before, writing at that pace, without a plan, may result in a meandering mess.

If you have some great organizational ideas, I'd love to hear them. As I get ready for the month of November, I could use all the help I can get.  If you'd like to connect on NaNoWriMo's site...I am under: Raquel Byrnes.  :)

(Portions of the post are from a previous article from 2012.)

Dreadfully Creepy

There is something so AWESOME about starting a new project. Working through a three book series like the one I just finished is rewarding, sure...I feel happy to have completed Lady Blackburn's story.

However, the excitement of discovery in research, of brainstorming 'what if's,' and the start of weaving together the images in your head into a cohesive plot are some of my favorite things in the world.

This go around I will be writing a Gothic Mystery series entitled The Dreadful Darlings. So...SO happy to finally get to work on this project.

It was my motivation during the last chapters of The Chasm Walkers when my deadline loomed and my eyes drooped while writing at 2 in the morning.

I love the dark and dreary stories. A die-hard Poe and Henry James fan since childhood, I always did enjoy a good ghost story.

So here I am gathering dream journal entries and sifting through my subconscious for what scares me and you know what? I discovered something amazing.

I am not frightened by the dark. I am unnerved by the bright and blaring. The shifting shadows of a scorching sun on barren ground. The far out fringe of the desert dwellers where I live.  

In short...not the English moors or the murky bayou waters. I am afraid of the things that thrive in the light and heat.

This should be an interesting journey....

---

If you like creepy and exciting -- 

Check out my YA Steampunk Thriller, The Tremblers coming soon!

+Raquel Byrnes  

As Cmdr. Taggart Says...

I'm in the home stretch now. I can see the final chapters so clearly that I can almost taste them. Okay, I may need to work on my imagery here, but you get the point. The last book in my YA Steampunk series is coming to a close...EVER SO SLOWLY!

Its taken a lot to get here. Many tangents that had to be back-tracked. Too many wrong turns to retrace. Closing out a series is difficult. This I knew, but...this last book is such a struggle for some reason.

Perhaps it is because I pre-wrote the synopses for all three books via the publisher's request and so had a hard time just following the characters as they fleshed out.

Maybe my vision changed the deeper I delved into the story so the pre-imagined story line didn't fit anymore?

I am not sure.  I do know that I will not flesh out an entire series so tightly again. I loved knowing where I was going and maybe wrote some scenes ahead of time. That was helpful. I am a die-hard plotter after all. I live for charts and outlines and note cards.

But I also like the freedom of free writing and creative journeys so I need to find a balance there.  It is funny, this realization, that I might do well with some looser parameters and room to play because my critique partner, who is a dyed-in-the-wool pantser, just went to a conference workshop on plotting and is finally starting to embrace that in her process. The timing is cosmic sarcasm...I'm sure of it.

So as I head towards the climax of the story and the series, I will have to find the will to continue to grapple with this story that I have both loved and hated in turns over the past two years.  It is my favorite creation and the most painful to date to produce.

But as my Galaxy Quest Captain would exhort..."Never Give Up! Never Surrender!"

Look for The Tremblers, Book 1 in The Blackburn Chronicles out this fall.

+Raquel Byrnes 

Writing Helps Series: Useful Books

I've decided to do a series on different types of tools that authors can use to hone their craft, better their writing, ease their frustrations, or are just cool.

The first in the series of Writing Helps is BOOKS.  There are so many out there on the writing craft. From outlining to character development, ect. That's not what I am focusing on.

These books are practical research or information type of books that really help to sharpen the edges of your work. 

My recent favorite is The Emotion Thesaurus by Ackerman. I follow the Facebook feed for Writers Helping Writers which is where I stumbled across this gem. I started using the blog post at first, which had links to pages of what would eventually become this book.

It lists emotions in alphabetical order, then gives a list of physical signs, internal sensations, mental responses, and symptoms if this emotion is long term. 

Very cool, right? Talk about spiced up action beats! No more simple "clenched fists" or "furrowed brows" to show anger. This book really helps you narrow what you mean to clean physical and emotional images that drive home your character's inner struggle. 

The series also offers Positive and Negative Trait Thesaurus as well as Emotion Amplifiers to help with character motivation. And at less than $5 for the Kindle version...who can beat that?

The next useful little tool in my author box is The Daredevil's Manual by Ikenson. Another book that is similar to this that I also use often is The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Piven. 

Both books have step-by-step instructions on everything from hot-wiring a car to jumping from a bridge into a river. 

I have not tested the "Doing a Stoppie on a Motorcycle" or the "Sword Swallowing" but I did use a version of the "Escaping Plastic Wrap Mummification" in a recent WIP...so there's that.

As a reader, nothing throws me from the fictional dream faster than a ill informed scene. Take the time to research lock-picking or how your heroine should really jump from that high rise.  Your story will be all the better for it.

What are some books you find indispensable while writing? Share them with us so we can check them out.

 

Until next time...Go Write!

+Raquel Byrnes 

Grim and the Girl

So I'm rereading James Scott Bell's Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story because I read that and Writing the Breakout Novel by Maass EVERY TIME I begin a new project. I even have a Maass List where I check off elements of my story and the 14 Sign Posts list to make sure I'm hitting every beat of my novel.

I know...I'm a total Planner. My slightly OCD tendencies have been well noted and commented on by my crit partner, the illustrious Erin Kane Spock over at Spock Writes Romance. She is a Pantser through-and-through so you can imagine our conversations.

Something that really hit me this time though, while going over my notes, is the whole FACING DEATH thing that each character has to endure.  Whether it is actual physical death, career death, or even psychological death...the lead in your book faces some permutation of it.

I mean, my main character stares down actual, grueling, torturous death in my series, but the death of her dream...her hope...that hits me harder. It changes her more than toughening to survive does. It steers her choices in a far greater way than just trying to stay alive.

Her character arc just got a new dimension and I hope to really explore that. This got me thinking about an idea for book journaling that I came across a while ago. I think its from Bell, but I can't be sure. Its a way to keep your character from sounding like a mini-you -- you write in their voice, the reasons why they do not want to take part in your story.

I was using it as an exercise to isolate the "argument against transformation" without knowing I'd have an epiphany about my main character.  I had no idea that Charlotte was so broken over what she gives up that it was far worse for her than the prospect of death itself.

I encourage all of you authors out there to try a Character Journal and see what insights, if any, come out of it. I'd love to hear.

Until next time...Go Write!

+Raquel Byrnes 

Coming Up For A Peek

Hello to all you NaNo warriors! Just popping out of my cave to see how everyone is doing on their writing adventure. 

I, for one, am woefully behind on my word count.  I know, I know...its still only halfway through.  I can do it....  At least I will try my darndest.

For those of you floundering, tiring, or just plain overwhelmed here is a really cool link to tons of Pinterest stuff on NaNoWriMo.  Everything from writing tips to inspirational quotes can be found there.  Its a great stress reliever too!

Meanwhile I am trying to push forward through my "architect" style of total planning to just get the chapters out.

Its sort of challenging though because I am constantly wanting to go back and edit...which is my usual way of doing things.  I write a chapter, go back and edit it, plan the next one... all very deliberate.

Writing for NaNoWrimo is almost a visceral journey where you follow your gut and overlook things that bug you to move onward.

Argh! Darn my perfectionistic tendencies! 0_0

Anyway...I found this really great infographic on writer's block that was super helpful.

I hope you guys find it as inspiring as I did. I also find that watching movie trailers is extremely focussing for me. Something about the brevity and concise nature of presenting a story idea that really helps me to regain my footing.

Here's to two more weeks of writing like a crazy person!

By +Raquel Byrnes 

50K or BUST!

Here we are at the start of the NaNo adventure and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed already. I've done my share of plotting, outlining, and graph making. I think its just that putting in my word count...currently 3197...well, 6% doesn't  seem like all that much of a headway.

I have to remember that normally I take months to write a book so this is good progress...I shall chant this over and over to myself.

To make things a little more interesting I've posted the above chart for you "Discovery" writers or "Pantsers" as my crit partner calls herself.

Hope you are all doing well with the challenge!

+Raquel Byrnes 

At a Crossroads

Photo by MarkSmallwood

I used to love those, Choose Your Own Adventure novels when I was a kid. The seemingly endless ways I ended up dying in the desert was so fascinating to me. 

Flash forward to my current work in progress and I'm back staring at a scene and trying to visualize the countless iterations of, If This...Then This...

And its driving my batty.  

I am not a pantser. I am a planner, outliner, plot-block follower type of writer. But something about this character's arc has me constantly straying from my original plans.  Not a bad thing at all. But a dilemma nonetheless.

She's not so much at a fork in the road as a crossroads. Four possible actions that could lead her to the same conclusion, but by wildly differing paths. I tried to knock one or the other out but keep getting stuck.

I didn't want to waste days, maybe weeks writing out a scenario only to get to the middle or (gasp) the end and realize that it didn't sit well with me. So, being a former computer nerd, I decided that what I need is an IF/THEN flowchart.

I started it yesterday and you know what? I feel like its totally working. I already realized a certain decision didn't make sense and eliminated it. Being able to visually see the path a choice takes the character on is really helpful.

A sample (incomplete)...

I know this may seem simplistic to some, but boy did it get me out of a tough spot. I was spinning my wheels until a simple brainstorming exercise helped me literally see how one path was better than the other.

I am primarily a list type of person so this is new to me and I really wanted to share it with all of you. Sometimes thinking inside the box(es) is what you need to do to push forward. 

Anyway, until next time...Go Write!

Haunting Blogfest!

IT'S SCARY TIME! ! It's Halloween month! It's an exciting time! Its the Write, Edit, Publish Haunting Blogfest!

Today I'm participating in Denise Covey's scary sharing time. I've decided to post a scene from my speculative fiction WIP, The Tremblers.

If you get a chance...stop by the other participants in the blogfest for a frighteningly good time! :)
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The Tremblers~

My heart stuttered, fear flooding me.
“Tell me what your father knew about the Tremblers.”
“My father? He was…they took him.”
“Colonel Blackburn of The Order knew and had information about what is happening. You are his only child. Now tell me what he discovered.” Riley slammed his hand on the counter. “Tell me what I need to do to stop this.”
“She doesn’t know,” Ashton said evenly.
“What is he talking about?” I looked from Riley to Ashton, confused.
“Oh, you haven’t told her?” Riley clicked his tongue. “You didn’t let her know that you’re in league with those violent killers?”
“Killers?” I searched Ashton’s face, but his impassive faced looked back at me.
“The rioters. They wreak havoc both here and below. You’ve heard of them, correct, Charlie?” Riley raised a brow. “They just caused a coal mine to explode. Hundreds were killed…murdered. He protects them.”
“What?” The image of Ashton standing close to Lizzie snapped to mind. She had the scarf of the rioters. She spewed their hatred. “Ashton?”
“We can’t be sure it was them.” Ashton’s gaze slid from mine and I fought the doubt churning. I shook it from my mind.
“No. He’s trying to find out what is making the monsters too.”
“Monsters?” Riley yelled, making me jump. “They are more than monsters.”
“Riley, we are both—” Ashton began.
“No! You protect Lizzie and her violent tactics. Their actions send the Security Forces searching for them to Outer City’s ports. They bring nothing but brutality to the people up here. To my people. How long before they throw bombs at our towers?” He pointed a finger in Ashton’s face. “You may have pried Lizzie from my jail, but you will not leave here with Blackburn’s daughter. I will have my answers. I will stop what is plaguing my city.”
“My father didn’t tell me anything, I promise you,” I cried. “Please, what is this about?”
“You want to know?” Riley rounded the corner reaching for me.
“Riley, don’t,” Ashton stepped in front of me, blocking him. In an instant, the lawman was there with the wand. The prod connected with Ashton’s chest delivering a jolt.
I screamed as his head whipped back, his body going rigid with the shock. “Stop, just stop!”
“I’ll show you what your new friend Lizzie and her minions are doing.” Riley took me by the elbow, propelling me across the floor.
Over my shoulder, I saw Ashton slump to his knees, his dark gaze finding mine as he looked up. Riley pulled me to a barred door, heaved up the lock, and flung it open. In the soft glow of an ambient lamp, the cage in the corner of the room shook violently. I screamed, stumbling back, but Riley held me in place. Horror engulfed me as I took in the quivering limbs of the half-naked man. He snarled and lunged at the bars with pale, blue tinged skin. The smell of rot and filth blasted from his mangled face as he gnashed his ruined teeth at me.
An anguished wail tore from him as every muscle in his body convulsed sending his jet black eyes rolling into his skull. The floor tilted underneath my feet, the buzz in my ears overwhelming as I felt myself lose grip on consciousness.
“Don’t faint,” Riley yelled shaking me by the arm. “You look at this. Look at him and tell me you still want to protect Lizzie and Ashton’s secrets. Those explosions, the chemicals they use, they’re making monsters of innocent men.”
“I – I don’t…” I couldn’t speak, my mouth working around words that wouldn’t come. “What…what is that?”
“A Trembler. There’s more every day and The Order…Lizzie…they all know why.”
“No, she…” I didn’t know her. I didn’t know anything about her. I only knew what I saw in front of me; a gnashing, writhing creature in pain. I looked back at Ashton, his anguished expressing stripping me to the bone. He knew something. More than what he had told me.
“Do not say another word, Charlie,” Ashton breathed.
“Ash?” The look on his face made my blood run cold. He did not hesitate to forfeit my father. What would stop him from sacrificing me at the altar of his Order as well? “But, my father…”
“I heard when they took him, he gave you something. Information,” Riley snapped. “What did he tell you? What do you know?”
“No, Charlotte.” Ashton held my gaze.
I wondered now, at Lizzies words. She’d asked me if I thought I was able to trust Ashton. As if she knew the cost might be too steep to weather.
“Well, Miss Blackburn?” Riley raised the gun to my head. He pulled back the hammer and the sickening click of the tumbler sent my stomach lurching. “He will never betray The Order. Will you?”

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I hope you liked my creepy scene and I hope you hop on over to WEP for some more scary scenarios!

Cut and Then Cut Deeper

I am 45,000 words into my WIP and usually halfway through I check a list I have of story elements. Things like theme, character arc, scope of the plot, etc.  Things that every novel needs to tell a gripping story.

This is also the time that I tend to do major surgery on my chapters. I recently chopped out four, put them back in, sliced other ones out...and then rewrote them.

All this because at the mid-way mark I am familiar with the intricacies of my plot and internal workings of the characters.  This knowledge aids me in really looking at what I have so far.

Do I have character revealing scenes? How about ones that display their weaknesses or their unique

10 Blade!

strengths?  Do I have a moment that shows their true motivations?

Do I have conflict enough to avoid a sagging middle? How about tension and opposing sides that each have a valid point?

So I get out my figurative scalpel and start to debride my words from my ideas. What do I have underneath that needs to be revealed and how can I do it more clearly, more succinctly, and with more emotional impact?

I pull out my 9 Plot Steps worksheet that I've had since high school and make sure I have all of them either on the page or outlined to be written...

1. Triggering Event
2. Characterization
3. First Major Turning Point
4. Exposition
5. Calm Before the Storm
6. Negative Turning Point
7. Apparent Win for Villain
8. Revelation or Turning of the Tide
9. Victory for Hero/Heroine

After all my poking and prodding, I think I am ready to go back and layer some things in my first chapters. Thanks to my illustrious critique partner, Erin at Spock Writes Romance, I've talked through some ideas and have a definite direction.

So I'm off to the operating room to do some serious cutting. Until next time...Go Write!

Dark or Classic...

As a writer I fall deeply in love with my main characters. I care about them, fight with them, argue with them in elevators. We all do...right?  Right, guys? 

Okay, maybe its just me. But regardless of whether or not I may have issues. The fact remains that as authors, we need to be invested emotionally in our characters because if we aren't absolutely enthralled...why would our readers care?

In my experience, though, its hard to care about someone if you don't understand them.

So, every time I write a book I take time after I've already written a few chapters to really get a feel for what kind of person my hero is because even after planning and outlines and character sketches...you really can't see him until he's moving in front of your eyes as you write him.

First I have to decide if he's a hero or an anti-hero. This is the main hurdle because it will inform his decisions and even how he appears to some extent.

So, I ask myself a series of questions to better clarify if my main man is a Classic Hero or a Dark Hero...

Classic or Dark 

• Is he an idealist who stands up to bad guys or is does he stand up to any authority figure no matter the reason?
• Does he strive for peace and value hierarchy or is he rebellious?
• Is he clear in his decision act or is he pushed into acting by circumstances?
• Does he know his weaknesses and hopes to overcome them or does he believe they are justified?
• Does he learn from his mistakes and changes fundamentally or does he remain a rogue or self interested?
• Is he lawful or even a law authority or is he more of an 'end justifies the means' kind of guy?
• Is he a knight in shining armor or more of a fallen angel sort of figure?
• Is he steadfast in who he is or is he unpredictable?
• Do his morals hold to conventional norms or does he have a fluid idea of right and wrong?
• Finally, what is his motivation? Is he good from the get go or does he eventually come around, but not until the very end?

Whether Classic or Dark, heroes need to be complex. One of the hardest things to care about is someone who is unalienable, perfect, and predictable.

Think of your favorite super hero  and then decide what category they fall under. Then figure out why you are drawn to that type of character. You may find it surprising to see the same archetypes in your own work.

So think about it...Are you more Captain America or Iron Man...Stephan or Damon...

I'd love to hear what you come up with. Until next time...Go Write!

Back On Track...Finally!

Greetings from the mountains!

So today was our first day of school...YAY! I cannot rejoice enough to be on a schedule once again. Normally our summers are completely crazy with camping, family trips, visits and the like. What with my husband home (he's a school teacher) and putting our routine in a blender...I don't get a whole lot of writing done.

To top it off, my poor critique partner, Erin Spock over at Spock Writes Romance, managed to mangle herself at the gym to the point of needing surgery! She is totally in a bad way and if you have a moment pop on over to her blog and show her some love.

She keeps me on schedule. I know I have to deliver chapters to her every two weeks and I never want to disappoint. But...with my poor friend in a bad way...I have totally flaked.

Battling Distraction

But...school is ON!  Many of you know that I home school all 6 of my children.  
This year might be a little tough to balance. Although it is my 13th year and and I have tons of experience. I have a senior and two kindergartners...I KNOW...I'm insane.

All this has only served to tighten my routine. I will definitely be guarding my writing time with a vengeance! So hopefully I will be working more consistently from now on.

With writing comes blogging as I often feel more in the 'Writing Zone' after posting and touching base with other writer buddies. So here's to a new year and new direction!

Until Next time...Go Write!  

Hideous Light of the Day Star...

Day Star in my back yard

So I've just finished off a string of writing sessions that would make World of Warcraft gamers think I was way too intense. I feel like one of those skinny people that run on purpose for like...hours. What do you call that kind of insanity? Marathons? Yeah, like that.

Well I call it drive. More specifically, a deadline. But now as I climb out of the cave of despair and caffeine, I see that it was all worth it.

Writer on coffee high.

Starting with NaNo...which I totally flaked out on in like, four minutes and ending with a dedicated march toward completed pages by 12/31/2012...or the Mayan Armageddon, whichever came first.  I did finish ahead of schedule so, Yay!

That decision was of course, entirely selfish on my part, because with Christmas coming and all the fun parties and family stuff coming up...well, I didn't want to have to work. 

This is the first draft and I will go over it again a few times for revisions before I submit, but I am done. The story is out of my head and I can breath a sigh of relief for the two minutes I allow myself before I start worrying about changes.

So here's to Siyah and Raven, my two great muses during these past months!  Je suis fini!  Hallelujah!

I'm going out for a frothy coffee and some chocolate!

I Was Totally Impressed.

I just started to teach a creative writing class in which my students are all teenagers. The workshops I give are normally for adult writers, people seeking publications, those with a bit of, well, life experience. So when I took on the adolescent set, I was a little nervous about what to expect.

Let me just say...I am so impressed. Not only by their passion for writing which, lets face it, is rare, but also for their willingness to share it. I also love the angst.  You know, how everything and every moment could lead to disaster or life changing triumph?  Because, well, at that age its kinda true.

The late adolescence to early adulthood is a critical decade. Decisions you make now will most assuredly affect your future.  Maybe not what to wear, but certainly who you spend time with, and what you do with that time could be what sets the events in your life in motion.

To that end, I truly love reading the free writes of my students. They are at once, noir foreboding and bright eyed hopeful. Love and loss intermingle with possibility and the chance to get things right.  I am inspired by these writers.  Age-wise or not, it takes a strong person to delve into the emotional depths of story writing.

It makes me think back to when I would scribble out scenes in my black and white composition book instead of taking Biology notes like I should have been. I had so much I wanted to get onto the page, so many scenes, so many connections to explore.  

What do you remember about your early days of writing? What would you tell your past self about writing?

Photo by Spree 2010 Photograph by Calsidyrose

There's Too Many to Count!

So here's the thing. I'm trying to write this fast-paced thriller with twists and turns, unexpected tension, deep characters....

This is my REAL life. Thank the LORD for writing!

What are some hindrances you have to your writing mojo? Is it deadlines at work or kids at home? Do you find you're too tired or uninspired?

I encourage you to go to that coffee house and plug into the wall and just...write. Doesn't have to be perfect, just has to be on the page for now. 

In the wise words of one of my favorite authors, "Larry" from Throw Mama from the Train...
"A writer writes, always."

Until next time...start typing!

N is for Networking

One of the hardest things about writing for me is the glaze that falls over people's eyes when I start to talk shop.  Somewhere between talking about story blocking and mentioning conferences, they seem to always need to be somewhere else...like, now.  Ah, the solitary life of a writer, right?  Not necessarily.

I've come a cross some wonderful networking sites for writers over the past few years. Some of which I'll share with you. Ning is a site that allows you to create your own social network. I'm part of a group of called Scribblerati; a collection of writers that share their work and post informative articles. Another relatively new site is called Writeropia they have progress charts, market listings, lots of great stuff. Its still under construction, but what I see so far is great.

I know a lot of you participated in National Novel Writing Month or Nanowrimo's Script Frenzy. I've made some great connections signing up to buddy with another writer for encouragement.   Or better yet, join a national writers association like RWA, Writers Guild of America, or American Christian Fiction Writers.  They have forums where you can connect with writers by genre, ask questions of "experts", or just chat.  WGA has a great article on how stupid serial killers actually are in their Murder 101 article. It was fascinating. And of course, I can't forget all of the great poets we have on the challenge.  Writers-Network is a huge site for poetry. They have reviews, spotlights, even a forum.

The way to network that is the most fun though, is the writer's conference. There are so many to choose from. Whether you write paranormal fantasy, Christian romance, or you're a travel writer...there is a conference for you.  Two places to look for a conference worth your time and money are, Terry Whalin's Blog and Shaw Guides.  The reviews are honest and informative and will help you find the right conference to meet your needs. 

I hope you all have fun perusing the links and making connections. Its always nice to find a group of people that share your passion and insanity as an author.

Until next time...Go Write! 

Photograph by scragz, Uploaded on January 25, 2006. Photograph by Grzegorz Lobinski, Uploaded on May 9, 2009.