EPISODE 14 - USING CHARACTERS PROFESSIONS IN UNUSUAL WAYS

HOW CAN A CHARACTER'S PROFESSION WORK FOR ME AS A WRITER?

Selecting professions for your characters, and deciding how they would act under a given set of circumstances, is one of the most important decisions a fiction writer can make. 

• Will they respond in a way normally expected of someone trained to do what they do? 

• Will they go “over-the-top” or perform in a scared or devious manner? 

Each reaction might become the basis for an entirely different story. However, once the theme choice is made, even if they act strangely, unexpectedly or inappropriately, the character still operates under the umbrella of their profession, whether it is positive or negative.  

EPISODE 13 - MARKETING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK WITH GUEST JON D'AMORE

HOW DID JON D"AMORE PROPEL "THE   BOSS ALWAYS SITS IN THE BACK" INTO A BEST SELLER?

"Actually I’d known for more than two decades that I had the desire and ability to write...it’s just that New Jersey wasn’t the place to do it. So, I drove to L.A.—and stayed. As soon as I got there, I began to write. I didn’t stop until the manuscript and screenplay for “The Boss ALWAYS Sits in the Back” were finished. With manuscript and screenplay in hand, it was time to decided what to do next. Should I query agents, hope a publisher would snap it up, then maybe see it in publication within three to five years? Or, do what so many were doing at that time, and become my own publisher? That’s the route I chose." 

EPISODE 12 - F is for FACTS

 HOW MANY FACTS DOES YOUR READER REALLY WANT TO KNOW?

In the old Dragnet show, Sgt. Joe Friday used to say, "The facts, ma'am, only the facts." But when a writer is creating a book or story part of their process is making sure to check facts,particularly when they are setting out a particular set of circumstances. If you get it wrong, some of your readers will know and possibly spread the word. 

The internet is a wonderful source of information, but if you can't find what you want, let your fingers do the walking. Once you've figured out who might have the information you need, pick up the phone and call. It might be a friend, or the public relations division of a police department, hospital, public entity or any number of possibilities. When Morgan St. James was writing "Betrayed," she needed to know what would happen in the late 1950s if an inmate in an Illinois prison was beaten to a point where they had to be on lifesupport. The information was not readily available on the internet, so she called the public relations department at the prison in Illinois and discovered her answer, The Public Relations officer researched her and called back with the information that the policy had changed over the years. What would have happened now, wasn't the caSe then. Back then the inmate would have been kept in the prison infirmary. So, St. James was able to portray the scene correctly for the era.

Okay,let's assume you've got the facts, details and any other pertinent information. How much does your reader REALLY want to know? Are you overwriting and boring them with details fans of your genre really are not interested in?Is the technical information much more than they care to read? Do they want the story to just keep moving?
In a lively discussion authors Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller will share their knowledge and experience when it comes to, "Just the facts, ma'am."

EPISODE 11 - USING YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES AND EMOTIONS

 THE SITUATIONS MIGHT NOT BE THE SAME, BUT THE FEELINGS ARE

One of the most important qualities a fictional character can possess is to seem real to the reader.
Forget just stringing together a series of words describing physical attributes and how the character carries out routine or off-the-chart situations—perhaps spiced with inner thoughts. 

There is more to creating someone with feelings and emotions and a physical presence. Doing that doesn’t have to be daunting. Because the reader sees events through the eyes of these players in the story, at all costs avoid moving paper dolls or overblown figures through the scenes.

Authors Morgan St. James, Dennis N. Griffin and Eric James Miller share their techniques for transferring their own experiences and emotions to the characters they create. 

EPISODE 10 - FROM IDEA TO BOOK

DARRAH WHITAKER TURNED HIS "GREAT IDEA" INTO A HILARIOUS BOOK

 
How do you go from the great idea to a published book. 

Do you search for an agent and publisher, or follow the growing trend of self publishing? 

Darrah Whitaker is the author of the book "My Life as a Sperm," and is also the conference coordinator for the Las Vegas Writers Con-
ference. 

Listen as Darrah shares his journey from concept to comple-
tion, capped off with a fun reading of a passage from his book.

EPISODE 9 - EDIT YOUR WAY TO PUBLICATION

 EDITING IS THE FROSTING ON THE CAKE WHEN PRODUCING A GOOD BOOK

Words have always been a passion for Cindy Davis who has been a freelance editor since 1998.
Cindy says, "I have loved every minute of guiding my authors toward publication," and now she will share tips and techniques with authors at all stages of their careers. Cindy's credentials include:

• Written eighteen novels: thirteen mysteries, one women's fiction, one romantic suspense, and a young adult fantasy trilogy
• Two regional self-published books (both have sold more than 4000 copies locally)
• One humorous non-fiction
• One self-help for writers
• Fifteen years editing for eight publishing houses
• 170+ articles and stories in national publications
• Two years penning a humorous newspaper column
• Instructor for WritersCollege.com
• Over 550 edited novels to date. Most all have gone on to publication

EPISODE 7 - THE IMPORTANCE OF WRITERS CONFERENCES AND GROUPS

WHY JOINING A WRITERS GROUP AND ATTENDING CONFERENCES SHOULD BE HIGH ON YOUR AGENDA

Writers Tricks of the Trade welcomed Guest Tony Todaro, Founder of Greater Los Angeles Writers Group and the CEO of West Coast Writers Conferences. Tony  discussed the benefits of attending writer's conferences and belonging to writers groups for writers at all stages of their careers. Many writers who attend conferences have evolved to guest speakers or give workshops themselves, but there is always something to be learned. The next Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference is June 26-28. The co-host of the Writers Tricks of the Trade Show, Morgan St. James, will be presenting a workshop for that conference and participate in panels. For details on this outstanding conference, visit http://www.wcwriters.com/bigstory/program.html

EPISODE 6 - TURNING LIFE EXPERIENCES INTO A COMPELLING MEMOIR

AUTHOR/MUSICIAN JON D'AMORE NOT ONLY WROTE A COMPELLING BOOK, HE LIVED IT!

  Our guest Jon D’Amore was first published at 10 when a story he’d written about the Civil War was distributed throughout the county school system. During that time, he began studying the guitar. By his 20s, having honed his love and knowledge of music, Jon was traveling cross-country as a musician.
  While touring, Jon was also a feature writer for New Jersey’s 3rd largest newspaper, The Passaic Herald News, allowing him to enjoy the best of his favorite worlds…playing music and writing. Eventually, he found a different side of life. He said, “Goodbye and it’s been a slice!” to the music business and entered the corporate world. By the millennium another change had taken place.   
  For more than two decades, Jon knew that within him there was the desire and ability to write, so he drove to Los Angeles and started as soon as he arrived.
  As an insider with no mob ambitions, Jon had been a trusted ear and learned of the life and death manipulations that made friends and relatives from his world disappear. When the smoke cleared, Jon was one of the few left standing. The others were either dead or in prison. The Boss Always Sits In The Back isn’t “just another mob story.” It reveals the demise of the mobsters who ran northern New Jersey…as told by someone who was there.
He didn’t stop until the manuscript and screenplay for The Boss Always Sits In The Back were completed. Jon has written and co-written several screenplays and articles. He still resides in California where he continues to write…and listen to music and will share what it takes to write a compelling memoir and publicize it.

EPISODE 5 - PROMOTING YOUR BOOK FRUGALLY

CAROLYN HOWARD-JOHNSON, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER, SHARE SECRETS OF PROMOTING YOUR BOOK WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK

Our January 14. 2015 guest, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, is best known as The Frugal Book Promoter, but she is also a literary writer, poet, and all round smart and giving marketer.
DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR TIPS FROM THE GURU OF FRUGAL MARKETING AND PROMOTION!
As a college freshman, she was the youngest person ever hired as a staff writer for the Salt Lake Tribune--"A Great Pulitzer Prize Winning Newspaper"--where she wrote features for the society page and a column under the name Debra Paige.
Later, in New York, she was an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping Magazine. and also handled accounts for famous fashion publicist Eleanor Lambert who developed the first "10 Best Dressed List." It was her fun job to write releases for celebrity designers of the time including Pauline Trigere, Rudy Gernreich, and Christian Dior.
She was given the Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment Award by California Legislature members, Carol Liu, Dario Frommer, and Jack Scott and says she is really proud of that. In its first edition, "The Frugal Book Promoter" became an instant best seller as an e-book on ebookad.com and the paperback opened to rave reviews on Amazon. It is now in its second edition, expanded and updated. It became the first in the How To Do It Frugally series. "The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success" was the next. The Book Publicists of Southern California honored her with their Irwin Award and the "Pasadena Weekly" for literary activism.

EPISODE 4 - WRITING HOLIDAY THEMED STORIES

THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO WRITE A HOLIDAY-THEMED STORY

It's Christmas Eve and the Elves are busy zipping around with Santa--what happens next? Holiday-themed books and stories can go in many directions when the author uses the "what if" test while creating the plot. They can be fiction, non-fiction, funny, romantic, thrillers, whodunits, fantasies and just about any genre you can think of. They are also ripe playgrounds for the author to add twists. Think about the iconic movie "It's a Wonderful Life," and how many directions that story could have taken. What are some of the elements that draw readers to these books as each holiday rolls around? Do they sell well? Since it is Christmas Eve, Denny and Morgan will be with their families, and this show will be a pre-recorded broadcast for your enjoyment. It will also become part of the archived shows available for future listening. So lift your glass of Christmas cheer while you listen and think about all of the holidays that will inspire and have inspired a huge variety of plots.