Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Cec Murphey Clinic

August 6th seven writers from around the country will gather in Tulsa to attend a Mentoring Clinic with Cec Murphey. I’ve agreed to host the clinic at my house. We have ample room. Cec devotes 100% of his attention on aspiring writers at these clinics, and I grew as an author from the one I attended with him last January.

For two full days, the eight of us will work while Cec critics. It’s up close and personal. You send five page to him a month before the clinic. He critics and sends them back. You may do this up to three times. Then at the clinic, you work with a computer and a flash drive, writing, being critiqued, revising, and so on. On Friday night, we’ll do and overview and end. The time will go by in a flash.

See his official web site at www.themanbehindthewords.com

Monday, February 4, 2008

Be Open To Critique!

Well, I've finished a romantic suspense. They say men have a difficult time writing romantic suspenses, but it was fun for me. Now I have two completed novels to enter in the Genesis Contest. I pondered whether to go to the ACFW this year. It's in Minneapolis, and that's a long way to drive. But Pam and I have decided to go.

I was asked at the WIN meeting how I found the time to write. I force myself to make the time. The more I write the more I learn, so it's critical to keep working the craft. Every agent and editor I talked to at last year's conference wanted to know if I had finished the novel. So I'm going to be sure I have both these novels ready to deliver within two weeks if requested. Time does not make an agent's heart grow fonder. That mean substantive edit and line-by-line done.

Since my former critique group has disbanded, I'm looking for another. Every writer needs to expose their work to critique. Cec Murphey will be doing a mentoring clinic in my home August 7th and 8th. This is my second clinic with Cec. He's tough, but I learn.