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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Writing Craft » Page 79

Writing Craft

A Gathering of Twitches

By Karen Ballon February 22, 2012
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twitch

This blog is from one twitch to another. Let me explain…

My husband loves that I’m a writer. He loves my creativity and passion. And he loves how happy I am when I’m writing. He knows when I’m writing because I get “twitchy.” Translation: Distracted. Otherwise occupied. Caught up in scenes and conversations no one but I—and that multitude in my mind–can see or hear. He knows that when the twitchies hit, he’s only wasting breath to ask me things like, “Did you pick up milk today?” or, more true-to-life, “Why is the milk in the oven?” He knows when I’m lost in twitchiness that I don’t realize what’s happening in the here and now. And so he just sighs, checks to see if the milk is still cold, then puts it away. Or goes to the store for a new gallon.

Happily, he doesn’t mind too much when I’m a twitch. He even likes to come to my world for visits—short visits, that is–and help where he can. Like the time he helped me write a scene where a cougar attacks my protags. My darlin’ Master Security Officer knew the kind of gun my hero would use (no, silly, I didn’t kill the cougar, just scared it off!), the distance said gun could shoot, how the bullets would react hitting the ground as opposed to hitting large boulders, and so much more. Oh yes, he loves all of that. But the one thing my grounded, “just-the-facts-ma’am” hubby can’t do is understand my world. The world in my head. The world peopled by characters who sometimes seem far more real than the person sitting next to me in church. Truth is, the only people who understand this world of words and publishing are those in it. Fellow Twitches.

That’s why I love writers’ conferences. There’s nothing like being surrounded by people who really get it. When you’re at a writer’s conference, no one looks at you cross-eyed when you say your characters kept you up all night arguing. And no one runs screaming from the room—or calls 9-1-1–when lunch conversation turns to the best poisons to use to kill someone and not leave a trace. When you attend a writers’ conference, people can spend hours debating the use of semicolons in fiction or whether e-books are a godsend or the devil’s spawn. There are few places I, and many of the writers I know, feel as at home as at a writers’ conference. Which is why, when someone asks me what advice I can give them as they’re developing their writing career, my response is almost always: attend a writers’ conference.

I know it’s an investment of time and money to attend a conference. I get that. But friends, we need to gather together in these places. We need time with our fellow twitches, to learn and grow. To talk and share, to worship and celebrate and pray together for God’s guidance on this journey. I attend conferences to speak and teach, but I always receive so much in return: fellowship, encouragement, enlightenment, and an ever deepening understanding of the publishing industry. As with any training for any job, the investment you make in a conference is well worth it. Where else can you receive focused, hands-on teaching? Critiques from professionals who don’t want anything from you, but seek only to help you. And where else can you have face-to-face time with industry insiders? There’s no substitute for an editor knowing who you are because s/he has met you.

I believe in these conferences so much that throughout the year, I’ll be asking folks associated with the best of the best to stop in here for a visit, to share with us what their conference is about and why it would benefit you as a writer to attend. The first conference spotlight will happen next week, when Rachel Williams, director of the Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference joins us. So stay tuned!

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Category: Conferences, Craft, Creativity, Get Published, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, writers conferences, Writing Craft

News You Can Use – Feb. 21, 2012

By Steve Laubeon February 21, 2012
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My Favorite Article of the Week - Please read it and make your agent happy.

What Publishers Can Learn From the Airlines- Andy Le Peau of IVP renders a very clever take on what publishing could look like if they would only emulate other industry practices.

Amanda Knox Signs a $4 Million Book Deal - Sigh...Think about it for a second. In 2005 a relatively unknown senator from Illinois got $1.9 …

Read moreNews You Can Use – Feb. 21, 2012
Category: Book Business, Grammar, News You Can Use, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Agents, Book Deals, Copyright, Dystopian, Google+, Grammar, News, Pinterest, Publishing News, Social Media, YA Novels

7 Ways Agents Measure Social Media

By Steve Laubeon February 20, 2012
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Guest Blog by Thomas Umstattd We are thrilled to have Thomas Umstattd as our guest today. His company built our web site and we unabashedly recommend their services. Thomas built his first website at the age of 13 and taught his first web design class at only 16 years old. He has been helping authors and small businesses use the web ever since. Thomas currently serves as the CEO of Castle Media …

Read more7 Ways Agents Measure Social Media
Category: Agency, Book Business, Branding, Guest Post, Marketing, Social Media, SteveTag: Branding Platform Agents, Facebook, Marketing, Social Media, Trends

Charmed, I’m Sure

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 16, 2012
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Dear Editor:
You really should meet this author! He knows all the best places to dine. I couldn't believe the fabulous meal we were served at a hole-in-the-wall place I'd never heard of until I made his acquaintance. He has also been quite generous and charming to my family. My husband and my kids have nothing but great things to say about this wonderful author!
In our meetings both in person …

Read moreCharmed, I’m Sure
Category: Book Business, Book Proposals, Get Published, Pitching, Tamela, Writing CraftTag: Editors, Pitching, Proposals, Rejection, Tamela, Writing Craft

A Visit with Angela Hunt!

By Karen Ballon February 15, 2012
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Today’s guest blogger is Angela Hunt, a master craftsman and wonderful woman. Angie is one of the first novelists I ever worked with, so we go back a loooong ways. In fact, I think we’ve been friends now for almost 25 years. She’s agreed to share her thoughts about writing, the changes in publishing, and how she refuels creativity. So without further ado, ladies and gents, I give you the amazing …

Read moreA Visit with Angela Hunt!
Category: Book Business, Book Business, Guest Post, Karen, The Publishing Life, Writing CraftTag: Angela Hunt, Publishing A-Z

Modern Speech

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 9, 2012
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A couple weeks ago we discussed local flavor in expressions. It got me to thinking that I grew up in an era where no one thought anything of saying, "He should be shot," or "My father is going to kill me," for minor infractions. One of my friends noted that if a teenager said that today about her father, someone would call Social Services. After the Columbine tragedy that left so many dead or …

Read moreModern Speech
Category: Craft, Language, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Craft, Grammar, inclusive language, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Five)

By Karen Ballon February 8, 2012
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As promised last week, when all else fails to spark your creativity, give one of these a try. They almost always work!

1. Do something relaxing. Take a pad and pencil or a mini-recorder along to capture ideas when they spark. Some relaxation ideas:

A nice, long bath
Play with your pet. If you don’t have one, go to the dog park and borrow one!
Go to a movie
Cook something you …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Five)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Writing Craft

Fresh Formulas

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon February 2, 2012
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Some have a hard time appreciating the talent involved in writing genre fiction. By genre fiction, I mean novels that fall into a defined category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense, or cozy mystery. Many of these novels are published by mass market publishers (like Harlequin) and fit in lines they have formed for the sole purpose of selling the genre.

These are …

Read moreFresh Formulas
Category: Agency, Branding, Craft, Creativity, Genre, Get Published, Romance, Tamela, Trends, Writing CraftTag: Book Business, Craft, Genre, Ideas, Proposals, Romance, Tamela, Writing Craft

Let Creativity Flow (Part Four)

By Karen Ballon February 1, 2012
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Great discussions on creativity, everyone. Just reading your comments is sparking my creativity! So here are the last of my thoughts on what you can do when that well of ideas seems to have run dry:

Take a Time Out. Remember how that works? Time outs? When you were a kid and got a little out of control, Mom sent you to the Time Out chair to cool off. Well, this is a similar principle. Too often …

Read moreLet Creativity Flow (Part Four)
Category: Creativity, Karen, Writing CraftTag: Creativity, Karen, Proposals, Writing Craft

Clarification on Sale of Heartsong to Harlequin

By Steve Laubeon January 30, 2012
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New information has surfaced regarding the sale of Heartsong to Harlequin.

In my post on Friday I made the assumption that the sale included all the backlist and the currently contracted titles. This was reflected in point #5 in the post.

That is not the case. Harlequin did not buy the backlist or the currently contracted titles. Those will remain the property of Barbour Publishing. Thus …

Read moreClarification on Sale of Heartsong to Harlequin
Category: Agency, Book Business, Get Published, Romance, Steve, TrendsTag: Agents, Book Business, Editors, Publishing News, Trends, Writing Craft
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