Welcome to the first FtQ Bookshelf for 2012, a place where authors can promote their books. I’ll post a cover graphic, link, and 100-word summary for new authors. Caveat: I have not read the books and advocate none. Here are two new ones. Those who want to submit materials should email attachments.
Dragorian, by Daniel Hill
Tormented in his transformation, the escaped half man half white dragon, Dragorian, seeks to help the helpless, and right what he sees as a great injustice. Through the peril of never ending threat by his nemesis, and with the unknown help of a vampire he befriended, he seeks to solve a great mystery, as he quests to protect humanity.
The Between, by LJ Cohen
High school senior, Lydia Hawthorne, is less than grateful when Oberon has her snatched from the mortal world and she finds out she's actually Fae. And not just any Fae, but a trueborn with enough inherent magic to tip the balance between Oberon and Titania's warring Bright and Shadow courts.
But that's their game and she doesn't want to play by their rules. Together with Clive Barrow, a Bright Court Fae with embarrassing family ties to the mortal world, Lydia fights to regain her old life, fueling her magic with the very human power of love and loss, challenging the essential nature of Faerie itself.
Workshop Marathon at South Coast Writers Conference in February
I’m doing 3 workshops on February 17th and 18th at the South Coast Writers Conference. Quick summaries:
Friday from 9 to 4 Sharpen Your Storytelling Skills
The focus is fiction craft issues with 5 writing exercises (2 exercises also in Ray’s 2nd Saturday workshop). Free e-copy of my book, Flogging the Quill, Crafting a Novel that Sells, is provided before the conference. Topics covered:
- Writing for effect
- Story as a river
- Start with kitty-cats in action
- Six vital story ingredients
- It takes story questions to turn pages
- Making it experiential to characterize
- Describing a point-of-view character
- How to deliver the sound of dialogue
- When to tell, how to show
- Adverbs: Good? Bad? Yes.
Storytelling: after lecture and exercises, members write the opening page of a story (scenario provided) to read aloud for class critique.
Saturday from 10:45 to 12:15 Crafting a Killer First Page
In the workshop, I first give a brief presentation of six vital story elements for fiction. Then, one at a time, a writing sample (first page from a novel submitted by an attendee) is passed out to attendees. Attendees read the sample, decide if they’d turn the page on this novel, make notes, and then I lead the group in a critique of the page as to its effectiveness, shortcomings, and strengths. I also give my evaluation. My critique may also suggest a better starting narrative from later in the submitted chapter. Attendees who submit samples that are critiqued can take the group’s notes with them, including mine.
Saturday from 3:15 to 4:45 Crafting Killer Description and Dialogue Scenes
The fiction writer’s task is to create the experience of the story in the reader's mind, not to just write a report of what happens. By combining a technique called experiential description with action beats in dialogue, a narrative can deliver that experience. This workshop leads writers to think about how to write for effect—the use of writing techniques to affect the experience the reader imagines.
I hope to see you there.
Ray
© 2012 Ray Rhamey
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