Sunday, September 9th, 2007
October Meeting
Who:
Main Meeting: Karleen Koen
Premeeting: Jo Anne Banker and Vicky Dreiling
What:
Main Meeting: Alter Egos/Creating A Character Facebook
Premeeting: THE GOLDEN RULE OF THE CONTEST CIRCUIT, or Judge Others As You Would Have Them Judge You - Part 2
When:
Saturday, October 13th, 2007
Where:
Memorial Drive Christian Church, 11750 Memorial Drive, Houston, 77024
More about this month’s program:
Alter Egos/Creating A Character Facebook
Everything you need to create vivid characters is inside you. Come experience a fun, interactive workshop in which writing and imagination exercises show you how to dive inside and fetch details that create characters who stand up and walk around on the page.
Taken from my Continuing Education Something Novel 8-week class at Rice University, this is one of my favorite set of exercises, and one which my students’ find inspiring. It’s fast-paced, interesting, and when you’re done, you have the beginning of any number of characters waiting to be added as friends and the realization that your imagination is all you need.
“Her large cast-both historical and fictional-are sharply rendered, and the larger-than-life. Alice makes a memorable heroine-imperious, even vindictive, but always unwavering in conviction.” Publishers’ Weekly on Dark Angels
“Alice is a great character, vivid and three-dimensional, constantly seething with plots, ploys and pride.” Washington Post on Dark Angels
Karleen Koen is the author of three novels, Through A Glass Darkly, a New York Times Bestseller, Now Face to Face, and Dark Angels, released in September of 2006. She teaches a continuing education course on novel basics at Rice University in the fall and spring. She is an award-winning editor and writer, having worked in the Publications Department at the University of Houston and many moons ago on a local home and garden magazine. She has extensive freelance experience and is one of the founders of Women in the Visual and Literary Arts (WIVLA). Her interests are history, gardening, cats, shoes, and misbehaving grandchildren.
Premeeting - Judges Workshop
Forget the old parable of “Judge not, lest you be judged,” because if you enter onto the contest circuit, you can bet your ego you’ll be judged. Ever heard that the best defense is a good offense? Awareness of “good” and “poor” judging will help to keep you sane when an entry you were counting on to final so as to be seen by a targeted agent or editor comes back slaughtered by a less than wise or tactful judge.
Learn the ins and outs of judging, how to dissect a contest entry, fairly judge its pieces, and find positive things to say, while offering a worthwhile critique. Judging is also a great way to advance your own craft knowledge.
Join Vicky Dreiling and Jo Anne Banker for the second half of our contest judge’s training workshop, offered as an early morning presentation beginning at 8:15 AM on October 13th. Doors open at 8 o’clock.
Jo Anne Banker, as yet unpublished, is working on her third book, a contemporary targeted for Superromance. She is the president of West Houston RWA and a member of Bay Area and NW Houston Chapters of RWA. Jo Anne has contest experience from both ends of the spectrum. She has finaled in over one-third of the 19 contests she has entered with 3 manuscripts and one short story. She also was the Contest Coordinator for the NW Houston RWA Lone Star contest for four years and has judged in many other contests.
Vicky Dreiling is aiming for a dual career. Her “day job” in marketing came in handy at the recent national RWA conference. Her two-line elevator pitch at a workshop earned her a request for the full manuscript from an agent. In between business trips to New York, Paris, and London, she’s busily putting the finishing touches on her Regency-set historical. A former Emily contest coordinator and Golden Heart finalist, Vicky has judged the Emily for several years.
