Non Fiction Writer's of Boise

(This is a direct copy of an email from Cindy Salo)

BOISE NONFICTION WRITERS Speaker Series fall/winter session is going strong. Contact Harriet Shaklee (hshaklee{at}uidaho{dot}edu) to suggest your favorite writer, editor, publisher, teacher, etc. as a speaker.

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BOISE NONFICTION WRITERS Speaker Series, fall/winter session

Rediscovered Bookshop, 7079 Overland Rd., Boise

http://www.rdbooks.org, 208.376.4229.

These events are FREE and open to everyone.

Self Publishing: Presentation and Q&A. Teresa Sales, from Caxton Press, will help you publish your book. Caxton Press was founded in 1925 to give a voice to new writers in the West. Join us to learn more about this Idaho publisher of Western Americana nonfiction. Wednesday January 6, 2010, 6:30-8 pm.

Writing for Movies and Television. Local writer and director, Doug Copsey, will share his knowledge of these growing fields. Wednesday February 3, 2010, 6:30-8 pm.

Working with Graphic Designers and Indexers. Don Gura and Lori Van Deman will describe how to work effectively with these professionals. Wednesday March 3, 2010, 6:30-8 pm.

Inventing the Truth: Creative Nonfiction. Author and pilot, Clay Morgan, is a Special Lecturer and Director of Initiatives at Boise State University. Join us to learn more about creative nonfiction and The Initiative for Story, which investigates how Story works in our lives and our minds. Wednesday, April 7, 2010, 6:30-8:00 pm.

The Power of Music

A sweet lullaby soothes your troubled infant into a peaceful slumber.

Hymns of faith calm the troubled soul.

National anthems expand your bosom with patriotism.

Energetic rhythms move your feet and body seemingly of their own accord.

Steady beats and entrancing music lifts the air on your neck in anticipation of impending doom.

That's probably a bit much, but music does affect our moods. Likewise a good play list can inspire and drive your writing. So find out what works for you and write today.

Please feel free to share what works for you. An easy place to build a play list for free is through playlist.com http://www.playlist.com/

Happy Writing!

Show, Not Tell

Show, not tell are common words in the world of fiction. It's important to show the reader by actions, dialog, body language, and setting rather than telling them what happened. For example:

The angry dog chased me down the street.

I heard a growl emerge from behind twenty sharp teeth. My feet were frozen to the concrete. "grrrr" The spell was broken. All I could see were brown tree trunks as I pounded down the street.

I'm know this is not a perfect sample, but I think you get the idea.

When critiquing your work, be sure to ask yourself if someone is telling you the story or if you're living the story with your characters. This is important even if you are writing from an omniscient point of view it's important to make your story come alive in the minds of your readers.

So, remember to show, not tell.

Children's Writers Critique Group

We've just begun a new critique group in Nampa, Idaho. Our next meeting will be on Saturday, February 21 from 2:00-4:00 at the "Coffee Garage" in Nampa. We will be upstairs at the big table .

We hope to see you there!

Do I have to be an Illustrator?

"Do I have to be an illustrator to publish my stories?"
In most cases the answer is no.

Writing for Children

Fiction Books
Children's book editors generally prefer to choose the illustrator although you can make recommendations. You must be careful though, you don't want to take away the joy or vision that the editor has for your manuscript.
Illustrations account for most of a picture book's appeal. If your determined to send in your own illustrations be sure they meet or exceed the quality of your writing. Personally, I would recommend submitting your work separately unless you feel your illustrations are critical to the work. You might consider noting that you are also an illustrator and including your sample card*.

When submitting your story you may make illustration notes. Remember an editors' time is in high demand. All writing and notations should be kept brief and necessary. If it's obvious don't note it!

Non Fiction Books
If it is a family story you may want to submit photos and etc. Otherwise, they generally use a vast database of professional photos. If you have quality photos that would work well or are necessary for the book I'd suggest sending quality copies. Four to six to a page for easy reference. I would always note that the photos are suggestions only. It's better to sell your story than lose it because they're not interested in the photos.

Magazines
Magazines are more receptive to an author's illustration or two.

Writing For Adults

Books and Magazines
Illustrations are not necessary for adult fiction books. Although, I've been told that publishers of both adult magazines and non fiction books are encouraged by quality photos. Don't let a lack of photos hold you back from your writing. Write first, play with photos later.