Phenomenal Writing Prowess…Itty Bitty Meeting Space.
Recap Aug 2, 2011
Headcount: Rita, Cherry, Orvall, Linda, Kim, Mark, Robyn, Summer, Emily, David, Beth, Elizabeth, Braden, Shirley, Karen and her daughter, Natasha, Brian, Heidi
Welcome and thank you to Stephen Hines, graphic novelist/young adult-novelist.
His bio from his website: I was born a poor white boy in a little Ohio hicktown up north (Willard: where the men are men & the sheep are nervous) and moved to southwestern OH in 1998. Now I'm an older albino leperboy who works too much (I teach, therefore I'm insane).
So far I've written one novel, Hocus Focus, published in 2008, and one graphic novel, Valedictorian USA, which is being published issue by issue. There are samples of Valedictorian on the book's section of my site (click the title on the main menu). Please buy a copy if you like what you see.
Also, I recently finished a web comic strip series called Clyde the Redneck.
What am I working on now? Well, for now: a memoir mini-comic series called Crackerstacker, a super-secret one-shot comic...and I'm ghost writing a memoir for a retired state highway patrolman. http://www.stephenhines.org/
At our meeting: 20 years married, 40 years old. 13 years as a high school English teacher.
1 novel published – Hocus Focus à agent wanted it “Edgy”, asked him to add some stronger language to the piece. Penguin Books had been interested until they got to the language. Agent didn’t tell the publisher the language could be easily taken out…the deal didn’t happen, Stephen parted company with his agent.
Got into writing primarily because of Star Wars….LOVED it. Wrote fanfic-prequels before there were any prequels. Learned how to read in 1st grade, was writing stories by age 10. Sent some of these to Piers Anthony, who actually responded and offered suggestions and good advice, while simultaneously crushing Stephen’s 10-year old ego by calling his story “trite”… However, Stephen was not deterred.
WEBSITES MENTIONED BY STEPHEN:
· SPACE (Small Press and Alternative Comic Expo) in Columbus
http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm
· Lightning Source http://www.lightningsource.com/ a p.o.d. service, good quality and good consistency …makes you jump through a lot of hoops, though
· Digital Webbing.com http://www.digitalwebbing.com/blog/ you can put an ad in their classifieds their art + your vision
· Rink – A P.O.D from Indiana. The only thing I could find was this site http://www.rinkprinting.com/index.html
· Ka-blam http://ka-blam.com/printing/front/?cat=5 e-lance setup contract for art, web-based.
Stephen freely admits that he asks his students to help him with the artwork for his covers and novels (he supplies the stories and dialogue) – his students usually know more about photoshop than he does. Sometimes, he asks local JVS graphic arts students to help publish his work, as an alternative to P.O.D. – but admits that he is often at the mercy of the student’s motivation or lack thereof.
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Face to face interaction is the best way to get the word out…sell yourself, then sell your book
OTHER TRIVIA--
His wife, Missy Hines, is on the board of the TROY BOOK FESTIVAL. Says there’s a bookseller in Troy that goes out of her way to promote self-published authors, takes 20% off cover price though
First Book Stephen Fell In Love With As A Reader: WINNIE THE POOH… he had his scratch and sniff hardback version of this book up through his teens.
He celebrated selling his first book by getting a tattoo.
Does not recommend getting an EIN #
Via Linda à report income, take off all expenses
August 16, 2011 Re-Cap
In attendance: Rita, Elizabeth, Summer, Braden, Elaine, Beth, Chuck, Heidi, Cherry, Billie, Robyn, Linda, Brian, Emily
Welcome to our new members: Robin, Elaine, Chuck and Billie!
Welcome and thank you to speaker Patricia A. Rasey, who gave us an interesting, fact filled talk.
Her bio from her website: A daydreamer at heart, Patricia A. Rasey, resides in her native town in Northwest Ohio with her husband, Mark, and her lovable Cocker Spaniel Gypsy. A graduate of Long Ridge Writer's School, Patricia has seen publication of some her short stories in magazines as well as several of her novels.
Ms. Rasey is a three-time recipient of the Word Weaving Award for Literary Excellence and a three-time winner of the prestigious RIO Award Of Excellence. She is also a three-time EPPIE finalist and was a 2001 nominee for Romantic Times Magazine's Best Electronic Book. Additionally, Twilight Obsessions and Twilight Visions, two anthologies she was a part of, was nominated for the PEARL, the Paranormal Excellence Award in Romantic Literature, in the Best Anthology category. Her short story, In The Mind of Darkness won the P&E 2002 Horror short story category.
When not behind her computer, you can find Patricia working, reading, watching movies or MMA. She also enjoys spending her free time at the river camping with her husband and two sons. Ms. Rasey is currently a third degree Black Belt in American Freestyle Karate.
Ms. Rasey's work includes the novels...
-- Deadly Obsession (currently not available).
-- Kiss of Deceit.
-- Facade.
-- The Hour Before Dawn, sequel to the best-selling Deadly Obsession (currently not available).
-- Eyes Of Betrayal, sequel to the best-selling Kiss Of Deceit.
-- Love You to Pieces (not yet published).
-- Lawfully Yours, her first historical romance.
-- Eternally Yours, sequel to Lawfully yours.
-- Dark Savior.
...As well as the novellas and award winning short story...
-- Fear the Dark
-- Sanitarium
-- In the Mind of Darkness
Patricia spoke to us about writing romantic suspense. She worked off a handout: Writing And Pacing Suspense. I am sure Patricia wouldn't mind emailing you the handout. patricia@patriciarasey.com
Some of the highlights of the evening:
Convince your reader that not only is something happening, but that something is going to happen.
You must achieve the right pacing in order for the suspense to work. Always keep the plot moving forward. (Flashbacks tend to set the forward momentum back.) Every scene you write should have to do with the plot and moving it forward. If you use flashbacks put them in dialogue or in a scene.
A dozen ways to check your pacing. (by Kelly L. Stone)
__1. Does every chapter relate to the theme of the story?
__2. Is the story's climax also the climax of the character's projectile (arc)?
__3. Do the climaxes of the subplots tie back into the main plot?
__4. Within each chapter, are there a number of small changes in dynamics?
__5. Does the foreshadowing create suspense?
__6. Is exposition subordinate to the story? Are flashbacks at the most dramatic moments?
__7. Is the emotional pacing varied?
__8. Does the opening grab the reader's attention?
__9. Do chapter breaks end with something to hook the reader?
__10. Do scene cuts work to build drama and suspense?
__11. Is the language varied? Are sentences varied? When you read through, are there places where the language gets hung up?
__12. Overall, is the story told in the most dramatic and suspenseful way possible?
Leave little climaxes at the end of each chapter to suspend the reader.
You need to hook the reader in the 1st 5 minutes.
You should begin with a bang and end with a bang.
Always read your work back to yourself!
Patricia gave us another handout that she finds useful: Style Blunders in Fiction by Jodie Renner.
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Sincerely,
the web-admins:
Kim S YCityAdmin1@gmail.com
Rita S ycitywritersforum@gmail.com
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WE HAVE WAYS OF MAKING YOU WRITE!!!
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