IWSG: Someone to Admire

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

JANUARY QUESTION - Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

MY ANSWER - There were many at different times. First, and foremost, would be my mother. The woman is a pillar of strength, patience, and optimism. However, if I focus on authors specifically (since I have always loved to read and write) then in the 80s it would have been Beverly Cleary for her Ramona series and Carolyn Keene for her Nancy Drew series. (I didn't know then that Keene was a pseudonym for a group of authors). As I entered high school, my taste in reading switched to the horror series by Christopher Pike and the Fear Street series of R.L. Stine as well as the Sweet Dreams romance series by a variety of authors. As I entered college, my tastes in author and genres expanded to so many more. I fell in love with new authors and discovered some older ones I had never been exposed to. If I had to sum up what I admired about all of these people aside from just enjoying their work, I would have to point out their persistence. I admire anyone who can keep the woes of the world from interfering with their pursuit of their passions and dreams. For the ones I have actually met that I still admire, or admire even more now, I would add that they are patient and gracious with their time.

How about you? Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?

Serious Series

In case you didn't hear, the amazing Beverly Cleary passed away a few days ago just shy of her 105th birthday. Her Ramona books were one of the earliest series that I enjoyed. The only earlier precursors might be the Mercer Mayer Little Critter books and the Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel.

News of her death put me in a nostalgic frame of mind and I started thinking back to all of the book series' I have enjoyed over time, as well as to the ones I still haven't gotten around to reading. I also started thinking about the ones I would highly recommend versus the ones that might be a waste of time.

As a middle and high school student, I enjoyed several different variations or series of Nancy Drew. Then I discovered Christopher Pike and several of his horror series such as the Chain Letter and The Last Vampire before discovering and becoming consumed with R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Other author series I pored over in those years included L.J. Smith's The Secret Circle and Vampire Diaries as well as the Sweet Dreams romances by multiple authors. 

It would be so very difficult to pick the best book series ever written. You could argue genre, timing, in-depth creation of worlds, redefining characters, the number of generations who have enjoyed it, and so much more. Finding a new series to fall in love with has led to an all weekend binge for me in several cases. Some of the more popular series that I have enjoyed included Twilight, Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and more. Here are a few I've missed, but hope to try soon:

1.) The Brigid Quinn Series by Becky Masterman - the story of an FBI agent tracking down a notorious killer who murdered her colleague, this four-part crime series as been highly recommended to me.

2.) The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher - this fantasy series includes 16 books showcasing vampires, demons, and magic.

3.) Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan - this series based on Greek mythology has been in my TBR pile for a while. Students have often claimed the series is funny, and full of heroes, love, adventure, and characters I will never forget.

4.) The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - while I did read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as a young girl, I never picked up any of the other books in the series. It might be time for a revisit.

5.) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - I was visiting Scotland when they first began filming the television series version. I watched a few, but I didn't care for them. However, as is usually the case, I have been informed the books are so much better and the series did not stay faithful to them.

There are so many more series that I have enjoyed, and many more that I have yet to try - more than I wish to cover in this one blog post.

How about you? What was your first series? What is your favorite? Do you have one to recommend as a "must read" or even as a "must avoid" series?

Masterclass: A bargain Replacement for Writing Conferences

Due to the craziness that is 2020, face-to-face or in-person conferences have become a difficult thing to enjoy. Travel restrictions, limited capacities, masks, zoom malfunctions, etc. have all made attending writer's conferences more difficult this year - if not downright impossible in many circumstances.

However, there is a highly prestigious and worthwhile alternative to these. This popular and affordable option is MASTERCLASS.

According to the website, it’s “an American online education platform on which students can access tutorials and lectures pre-recorded by experts in various fields’.

Anyone can access a multitude of courses for the same price (or cheaper) than the cost of a single day of conference attendance. If you're not familiar with this company, they offer courses by well-known professionals considered the best in their field.

A typical MasterClass runs between 15 and 25 sessions. The segments range in time from 3-minute intros to more than 20-minute lessons. That makes for a class series of blocks at around 3 to 5 hours of total film time. It depends on the subject and the presenter.

There are three parts to a MasterClass production. One is the on-camera time where the presenter lectures and/or demonstrates. Two is a PDF workbook that acts as a script guide and notebook. Three is behind-the-scene access to material that adds value to your purchase.

The MasterClass purchase offers two options. One is $90 for a single class. Two is $180 annually for an “All Pass”. For under two hundred bucks, you can buy an unlimited subscription that gives you access to all classes. Given there are well over 50 classes, that’s an exceptional value.

I joined this year. I'm on my second class now, and I can't wait to access more.  There are more than a dozen courses under just the topic of "writing". Some of those include :

James Patterson — Thriller Writing
Dan Brown — Thriller Writing
David Baldacci — Thriller Writing
Neil Gaiman — Storytelling
Malcolm Gladwell — General Writing
Joyce Carol Oates — Fiction Writing
Margaret Atwood — Fiction Writing
R.L. Stine — Children’s Writing
Judy Blume — Fiction Writing
David Mamet — Plot Writing
Aaron Sorkin — Screen Writing
Shondra Rimes — TV Writing
Ron Howard — Film Directing
Martin Scorsese — Film Producing
Bob Woodward — Journalism

If you buy a membership, in addition to writing, you get access to professionals in art, cooking, business, science, lifestyle, design, music, sports, gaming, government, technology, and more.

Curious what other writers think of the classes? Check out What Masterclass Can do for a Writer

Interested in checking them out directly? Here is the link: https://www.masterclass.com/

Have you tried MasterClass? Have you attended a conference with any of the writers listed above? Have you attended any conferences in 2020?

Playing with Words and Authors

I've had an extremely difficult time writing outside of academic requirements since this pandemic hit. The emotional whirlwind, learning curve on new teaching environments, and various other recent life changes have left me feeling too drained to share much through composing for pleasure alone.

In an effort to self motivate, I've been reading more, sharing with new authors, experimenting with word play, and looking into taking a few classes. I thought I would share a few I've come across and see what you thought.

1) When Opposites Repel - this fun with words list is created by Leigh Lundin and shared on the SleuthSayers blog - a gathering spot for an excellent group of mystery writers to share their ramblings, and a great store of thoughts for writers of ANY genre.

2) Words You Think Are Synonyms-But They're Not - by Barb Goffman another member of the same SleuthSayers blog. 

3) Master Class - I just register for a membership to this group. I thought hearing the voice of some of these great writers discussing craft might be a great motivator. Authors include Judy Blume, Billy Collins, James Patterson, David Mamet, Neil Gaiman, Dan Brown, Margaret Atwood, R.L. Stine, Malcolm Gladwell, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Are you still writing during this pandemic? How are you staying motivated? Have you visited SleuthSayers, or taken a Master Class?

Shall We Play a Game?

Shall We Play a Game?

Sorry, I couldn't resist. If you've never seen the movie WAR GAMES, you should give it a try. With all of the remakes being pushed through Hollywood, I'm seriously surprised this one has not yet received a reboot.

Speaking of games... some years ago I participated in a blogfest game based on the famous Bernard Pivot questionnaire which was used for years on the INSIDE THE ACTOR STUDIO series hosted by James Lipton. This was a great show which you can catch replays of on youtube. Unfortunately, Lipton retired a couple of years ago, and then died earlier this month. Anyway, I digress. You can see that original post here: Bernard Pivot Blogfest.

I mention all of this now because recent events, conversations, and publications have inspired various versions of this game. I'd love for you to play along with me as well. Please share your comments below, or link to your own post about this game.

So, let's play!

What book(s) are on your nightstand? The Bible, Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut, a biography of the artist Prince, and a couple of Nora Roberts works.

What’s the last great book you read? I just finished reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien who I was fortunate enough to meet and interview a few years ago.

Describe your ideal reading experience (when, where, how?).  In the evenings - or late into the night, snuggled into my favorite pj's, with a dog in my lap, and hot chocolate to drink.

What’s your favorite book no one else heard of?  Wow, this one is difficult. I'm not sure what all would be considered "unheard of" as someone knows of it since it was published. Instead, I'll mention a favorite that is not currently being discussed in popular culture. I've always loved The Lady of Shalott. It's a lyrical ballad by the English poet Alfred Tennyson and based on the medieval Donna di Scalotta. It tells the story of Elaine of Astolat, a young noblewoman imprisoned in a tower on an island near Camelot.

Which writers working today do you admire most? I've read many works by, but not all of, and enjoy Nora Roberts, R.L. Stine, Karen Kingsbury, and Stephen King. 

Has a book ever brought you closer to another person, or come between you? Many books have brought me closer to my children. Reading and enjoying that time together is priceless. Some of our favorites have been Alice in Wonderland, the Harry Potter series, and right now we are enjoying Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. 

How do you organize your books? Mostly by genre, then by author, and then by favorites.

Disappointing, overrated, just not good: Do you remember the last book you put down without finishing? The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. I just couldn't...

How about you? It's your turn. Please leave your answers, or a link to your own post, below. 

Sharing Your First Conference

On March 3, I took my ten year-old to her first writer's conference. While she enjoys writing, I was worried she wouldn't like attending a conference. After all, how many preteens want to spend a Saturday in classes? My mom went with us. You can see her and my daughter, to the left, getting their first look around the conference location during registration. That's right, three generations of women in my family at the same conference. Clearly, writing is in the blood.

If you've never been to the Jambalaya Writers Conference, or one similar, there are usually multiple sessions at every hour and you pick the ones you want to attend. 

For the first hour, all three of us chose to take part in the "Tale of Two Authors" session. Both authors write romance and spoke briefly about the genre itself, but the main focus of the session was the varying approaches to publishing - Liz Talley got her start with traditional publishing houses such as Harlequin while Jaycee Ford started Indie. Now, the balance seems to be using both methods. These women were engaging and interesting. While my daughter has no interest in Romance (for now), I felt this was a nice, relaxing, open, and even fun first session.

At most conferences I attend, I have a specific goal. All of my day is spent towards one achievement, genre, editor, agent, etc. However, I decided to try a variety of sessions this time since I enjoy writing in a variety of styles. While I encouraged my daughter to attend any of the sessions that interested her, she generally chose the same ones I was interested in attending.

My mother chose a different speaker for the second session, but my daughter and I went to one hosted by Louisiana Poet Laureate Jack Bedell. I found this experience to be quite interesting and enjoyable. We particularly related to his comments on how writers can get too caught up in form and expecting the first draft to be perfection right out of the gate that it interferes with the story of the poem itself. He showed examples of other poets work, and his , where the poem started as a story or free writing with no form. We looked at their development from early draft to publication. Notice I say publication and not completion. Many authors go back a tweak following publication. The end of the class we spent writing our own freestyle story - no line breaks, no punctuation, etc. We both left that room with a promising first draft of our own.

My mother rejoined us in the next class on short stories. While I often write short, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much because nothing seemed new, interesting, or particularly inspiring. However, I think this was my daughters second favorite, so you just never know what or who will inspire.

Next, we took a lunch break. And of course, we ate Jambalaya!

Afterwards, the keynote speaker, R.L. Stine, regaled us all with funny tales and humorous notes. Did you know he got his start writing jokes? He also shared some interesting news - including upcoming books and movies! This was easily our favorite part of the day. 

Unfortunately, the conference organizers opened his following autograph session up for FREE to the public. So, we waited in line for nearly two hours behind people who HAD NOT paid to be there. We were one of the last ones to get his signature as he had to leave for another presentation.

While I applaud the library hosting the event for trying to bring FREE programs to their community, this should not have happened at the same time as, or even ahead of, those who PAID to be there - very tacky!

Our next session, hosted by Pamela Kopfler, was on writing the cozy mystery. She gave a brief explanation of the difference between regular mysteries and cozies. The remainder of the class was spent in a collaborative effort from the entire group on outlining a cozy mystery. I found this EXTREMELY interesting, because even though everyone present wanted something different (so many opinions and desires) it also offered a rare chance at collaboration that you don't usually get in a 45-60 minute session. I think we all left with a better understanding of what would and would NOT work in a cozy. We also left armed with a basic plot we could make our own.

While there were several more sessions available for the day. We chose to leave after this one as all three of us were getting tired, and we had a five hour drive yet to get home.

Overall, this is a good conference, and was a great first experience for my daughter who truly seemed to enjoy it.

What about you? Do you remember your first conference? Have you shared the experience with family members?