Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Craft and Business of Writing 805 Writers’ Conference delivers the skills and knowledge writers need to succeed. Perfect for novelists, nonfiction, magazine, and screenwriters. More sessions – 35 professionals to hear and meet 15 Authors, 7 Literary Agents, 7 … Continue reading →

Santa Barbara author Shelly Lowenkopf, best known as the author of the popular The Fiction  Writer’s  Handbook,  will read at Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 28. The event is free and open to the … Continue reading →

“Writing good fiction is at least as hard as learning how to play concert piano, Norman Mailer once said. And yet some part of us is fooled into thinking it ought to be easier than it is because the medium … Continue reading →

Thog’s Masterclass Missing Link Dept. ‘He was wearing a grey cap, grey jacket, white shirt, navy-blue striped tie and white socks, which he’d pulled up almost to his pink kneecaps.’ (Claire North, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August, 2014) … Continue reading →

By Robin Winter Why do I need an editor? I can read– in fact I’m really good at that. I can get all those great advice books that tell me how to self-edit, and then I’m there, right? No. The answer … Continue reading →

Watch the Shadows Robin Winter White Whisker Books 978-0-9863265-0-9 (May 1, 2015) Impressionistic writing invites the imagination into this sci-fi mystery with idiosyncratic characters. The sight of a plastic grocery bag drifting on the wind is common all over, but … Continue reading →

You’ll need a book you want to read, a highlighter pen, and some stick on arrows like you see on legal documents that say: sign here. Here’s what you mark up in the book: l. Words, phrases, sentences you admire. … Continue reading →

Thog’s Masterclass Please add your own in the comments below. Neat Tricks ‘Alex’s snub-nosed face sagged open. His blue eyes revolved incredulously.’ (Paul Anderson & Gordon R. Dickson, ‘Heroes are Made’ aka ‘The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch’, May 1951 Other … Continue reading →

10:35 – 11:35 AM Toni will speak on “Mastering  Editing  Skills”  Techniques  that  help  the  writer  learn  the  all  important  skill  of  self-editing:  Avoid  The 10 Most Common Mistakes First Novelists Make. Insights you’ve not heard  before from an agent. … Continue reading →