Inspire:

Two New Groups Forming in Elk Grove and Fair Oaks!

Hello writers,

I have wonderful news to share! We are starting two new critique groups in Elk Grove and Fair Oaks.

Elk Grove:

If you live in or around Elk Grove, I hope you will join us for critique meetings on the 2^nd Tuesday of each month.  Beginning Tuesday, July 14, we will meet at my house from 7-9pm.

Need directions? Call me at 916-607-7796.

Also, there will be no meetings at Ettore’s on the 2^nd Tuesdays.

Fair Oaks:

If you are looking for daytime meetings and live in the Fair Oaks/Sacramento area, we have a new critique group meeting at Sunrise Community Church beginning August 11^th at 10am. Sue Tornai will lead the group. The address is 8321 Greenback Lane, Fair Oaks CA 95628.

For more information contact Sue Tornai via email: suetornai (at) sbcglobal (dot) net.  

For dates and times of all our meetings, check the sidebar.

Keep writing!

Gratefully,

Beth

Inspire Christian Writers Now Meeting in Elk Grove

Beginning July 14, Inspire writers will add a new location: Elk Grove! We will meet once a month, on the second Tuesday, through the summer and meet weekly beginning in October. For all meeting locations and dates, check the left-hand sidebar.

Gratefully,

Beth

Inspire Christian Writers Group Critique Guidelines

We have several new Inspire members! Welcome Lenore, Suzanne, Gina, and Kari! Here are our guidelines for sending manuscripts and critiquing other writers.

When Submitting a MS for Critique:

1. Email your best effort to the group. Self-edit and rewrite until your work is as good as you can get it. Then submit it to the group.
2. Limit word count to 1500 words max.
3. Double-space your ms.
4. Include your name, title of ms and page numbers.
5. Use a standard font in a size we can see. 
6. Prepare your ms as if you were submitting it to an agent or editor.
7. Submit by midnight Saturday prior to our Tuesday night meeting by sending it to all the email addresses in our roster. 

For Those Giving Feedback:

1. Always begin and end with something positive or encouraging.
2. Offer suggestions for repairing things you think need changed, being sensitive and gentle. (Ephesians 4:15: "Speaking the truth in love.")
3. Don't talk about commas, spelling, etc. Mark but don't mention.
4. Offer constructive criticism on clarity not style!
5. Give both general and specific feedback. Be as constructive as you can.
6. Offer criticism in a spirit of love for your fellow writer.
7. Always feel free to say nothing.

    

For Those Receiving Feedback:

1. Have thick skin—understand what you are receiving is given in the spirit of love.
2. Accept critique graciously. Ask for clarification if needed but avoid defending your work.
3. Except for obvious errors in grammar—all changes are up to you.
4. Realize there is always room for improvement.
5. Express thankfulness.
6. Feel free to say nothing.

We are happy to have several new members. I know you will all help to make these writers feel right at home in our groups. Together we are all growing in our craft and our knowledge of the Christian publishing industry.

Keep Writing,

Beth

Effective Interviews in 10 Easy Steps by Sue Tornai

Great articles begin with great interviews. Here are 10 Easy steps to help you get the most out of your interviews.

 

1.      Read all you can on the topic in advance (internet, articles, books).

2.      Tell the interviewed what you want to discuss in advance (with an outline). Prepare questions in logical order and flow. Don’t miss anything.

3.      Conduct interview on their turf so they think they are n control (no restaurants or airports). Find quiet venues.

4.      Build trust. Ask open ended questions to get thoughts, opinions, and feelings.

5.      Use these kinds of questions: What makes you laugh/cry? What is your favorite fantasy? Who are your heroes? What was more fun; getting to or being on top? If you could go back to age 18, what would you say? Where do you see yourself in ten years? What do you want to be remembered for? What do you like best/worst about yourself?

6.      Maintain eye contact but don’t stare. Watch body language, but don’t make the interviewed person nervous. Keep smiling. Use a tape recorder but also take notes.

7.      Sit near the person with no barriers (tables) between you. Lean slightly forward during the discussion and nod affirmatively when listening.

8.      Keep your mind on the topic. Do not interrupt the interviewed person. Don’t be witty. Keep focused.

9.      Keep the interview one-on-one.

10. Follow up with a thank you note. Transcribe the interview and write the first draft as soon as possible.

 

Sue Tornai’s articles have appeared in THE LOOKOUT, THE UPPER ROOM, POCKETS, and CONNECTIONS. She has written for Christian Ed Publishers and Augsburg Fortress. When not writing, Sue enjoys biking, camping and fishing along the lakes and rivers of Northern California and teaching Sunday school. One of her favorite pastimes is reading historical Biblical fiction. She is currently writing a novel and screenplay in this genre.

A Double Dose of Book Signing Fun

Mark your calendar for a great book signing featuring two Inspire writers.

Greg Cochran and Dee Aspin will be signing books on June 27 at

Borders 2030 Douglas Blvd, Roseville, CA 95661

 

Greg will be signing Saving Grace, an engaging story of Jake Brody, a man transported back in time to solve a string of missing children’s cases and end the evil perpetrated against children. Saving Grace is rapid-fire reading.

 Greg says, “In our lives, we encounter good and evil every day. Often, evil masquerades as good, and offers instant reward. Recognizing evil, and making the correct choice is really what Saving Grace is about.”

To learn more, visit Greg’s website: http://www.gregcochran.net/

 

Dee’s book, Lord of the Ringless, is a devotional book and study guide for single Christian women. It encourages women to seek God first in their quest for a mate. It provides heart-warming stories of how others have overcome the pitfalls of dating and waiting and found contentment with Jesus Christ as the center of their lives.

You can learn more about Dee and her book at www.lordoftheringless.com

I hope you will join us at Borders!

Gratefully,

Beth

 

The Inspire Christian Writers Group proudly presents:

10 Mistakes Beginning Writers Make

By best-selling author Lee Roddy

Learn how to write novels that readers love from a seasoned pro! Lee Roddy will share the insights that have made him one of our favorite storytellers. His books have sold millions of copies.

 Join us on May 12^th at 7:00 pm

At Warehouse Christian Ministries

9933 Business Park Drive

(directions are in left sidebar )

For more information call: Beth 916-607-7796

I hope you will join us for this fun and informative workshop.

Gratefully,

Beth

 

Hooray for Sue Tornai!

Hooray for Sue Tornai!

Please join me in congratulating Sue Tornai on the sale of her article, “Victory Over Depression.” Sue’s article will appear in the September issue of Light & Life. It will also be available online this fall with a video interview of Peter Arballo, the subject of “Victory Over Depression.”

Sue’s articles have also been published in THE LOOKOUT, THE UPPER ROOM, POCKETS, and CONNECTIONS. She has worked on assignment for Christian Ed Publishers and Augsburg Fortress. When she is not writing, Sue enjoys camping and fishing along the lakes and rivers of Northern California and teaching Sunday school. One of her favorite pastimes is reading historical Bible fiction. She is currently writing a novel and screenplay in this genre.

Stay tuned for more exciting news from Inspire Writers!

Gratefully,

Beth 

Inspire Christian Writers Group Meeting Tonight

Inspire is meeting tonight at 7pm at our Roseville location: Jericho Coffee House.  Directions are to the left of this post. Also, please notice the new meeting information for May, also located in left sidebar.  See you tonight!

Gratefully,

Beth

Get Your Novel Past the Slush Pile: Audience with an Agent Contest

Would you like to get your novel past the slush pile and into the hands of an agent? Of course you would and here’s your chance. Stop by Novel Matters for details about the Audience with an Agent Contest.

Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency will receive the six best entries and review them for possible representation.

Get those manuscripts finished and polished and submit them. You might just win an Audience with an Agent.

Gratefully,

Beth

Great Quotes on Juggling Home and a Writing Career

Here are some more great quotes from Mount Hermon. These were also shared by Barbara Curtis. She is the mother of twelve (12!) and has written nine books, thousands of articles and posts daily to her blog, MommyLife.net. She understands the struggles that face writers who are committed to managing their homes and training their children.

“I have to continually balance ‘being a writer’ with being a wife and mother. It’s a matter of putting two different things first, simultaneously.”   Madeleine L’Engle

“I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live.”   Francois Sagan

“How can you sit down to write until you have stood up to live?”              Thoreau

 

“I feel that art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. I think that art has something to do with an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.”       Saul Bellow

 

“The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes." St. Augustine

 

It’s great to know that others have carved the path I tread, one that requires dual purpose and singular focus.

Gratefully,

Beth