March 18th Meeting Report

We enjoyed a nice meeting at IHOP last night where we listened to three readers and had an informative discussion about the importance of writing a bio, synopsis, and elevator speech. Next week we will not have any readers scheduled, but everyone is encouraged to bring a bio and read it to the group for suggestions and feedback. The following week we will be reading synopses.

For those who were unable to be at our meeting, I've written up a few notes I took on The Hardest Writing You Will Ever Do:

Your bio will likely be the hardest writing you will ever do.
You should write three bios: short (25-35 words), medium (50-75 words), and long (100-150 words). Then you can select the appropriate one for various publishers, agents, or projects with out needing to re-draft your bio each time depending on the length preferences of your current project.

A Bio is an essential item for every writer.

You bio sells YOU to your audience, your elevator speech sells your BOOK.

The purpose of your bio is to tell your audience why you are the person to write your book. What qualifications do you have? How does your background relate to your work?

Your bio should be:
*Written in Third Person
*List FACTS, not wishes
*Cite relevant experience
*Be "tight"

Your bio should not be personal unless your book is personal, and even then it's best to stay on the clinical side. Your bio should not tell your book story (that's what the synopsis is for). A publisher is looking for what will sell YOU and who YOU are in your bio, not what your story is or what will sell your book.

Get online and look up the bios of your favorite authors, or start opening the books around your house and see what's there on the insides of the dusk jackets, then get to work drafting your own bio!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

A big thank you to everyone who has donated items to the raffle, Amanda let us know tonight of a few more exciting donations. It's going to be a great raffle!

If you would like to advertise at the conference, HWG members can get a business card size add for $5. An email will be sent to all members shortly with prices. Adds must be submitted before March 29th.

Next week we are having elections. An email will be sent out to the group, and if you CAN NOT come to the meeting then you may vote electronically by replying to the meal. Otherwise please vote at our meeting. Jay and Nancy will be counting the votes.

The ballot is as follows:

President:
Gregory Kompes
Jo Wilkins

Treasurer:
Karlo O'Hanian

Conference Coordinator:
Darrah Whitaker

Publicity:
Angelina Hill

Education Chairperson:
Darlien C. Breeze

BRAGS:

Congratulations to Donald Riggio who attended an oldies show in California last week and sold 30 copies of his new book Beyond Vinyl.

Congtatulations to Henry Schmidt who has a book titled "Smitten and Then Some" that will be coming out in May.

Congratulations to Ariel Belanger on having a short story "Clockwork Rainfall"accepted for publication in the online magazine Azure Keep Quarterly.

UPCOMING MEETINGS:

Our next weekly meeting is Monday, March 25th at the Lutheran Church on Tropicana, where we will be voting on the officers positions that are up for election this year. The next Westside meeting will be March 27th.  For more information see the calendar at the bottom of this post.

QUOTES OF THE NIGHT:

"The rig was an antique death trap and Willie drove it like he wanted to be just a memory."

- Toni Pacini

"But Gregory is saying I don't have enough narrative."

WRITING TIP from Jo Wilkins:

Escalation – Keep your story under control. Don’t give the reader too much at one time. Make them want more; seek for it on your pages. Ration out your facts/clues in the elements of the storyline. Build this escalation and open the plot to the reader like the petals of a bud blossoming into the full bloom of the storyline, one scene at a time. Just keep the roller coaster effect going, give the reader time to breathe periodically. Don’t keep the tension too high for too long, but remember that every scene must have some tension in it.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pirate Fest, a large event held in Las Vegas this year, is going to have an author's row. Here's what Melinda Strelak, an organizer sent out:

"I am going to be able to have an authors row this year if anyone is interested. I have been working on publishing notes on facebook with reviews, and they are also on our main web page. If you know of anyone who wants to also participate let them know. The space is free for you. Just bring books to sell, sign, and talk to people. You keep all your money. As an avid reader I want to get people reading. I am also pushing in my blogging to go direct to the authors sites to purchase books and support authors. If you need a space please let me know. Table and chair will be provided. Let's get this ball rolling! April 26-28 in Las Vegas."

Find more at: 

www.LasVegasHaunts.com
www.PirateFestLV.com

CALENDAR:

March / April 2013 Sun           Mon           Tues          Wed            Thur           Fri             Sat
	18 IHOP  in  Henderson 6:30-8:30	19	20	21	22	23
24	25 Lutheran Community Church 6:30-8:30	26	27 West side meeting Skinny Dugans 6:30 p.m.	28	29	30
11	April 1 IHOP in Henderson 6:30-8:30	2	3	4	5	6
7	8 Lutheran Community Church 6:30-8:30	9	10	11	12	13
14	15 IHOP in Henderson 6:30-8:30	16	17	18 Writer's Conference	19 Writer's Conference	20 Writer's Conference
21	22 Lutheran Community Church 6:30-8:30	23	24	25	26	27

Have a great week!

Editor- Jenny Ballif