Utica Writers Club

Hi all,

Today I have a special guest joining me------Jordan Mierek. YAY!!

Jordan is the vice president of Utica Writers Club--and she won an honorable mention from super awesome Gina Panettieri.

Anyway, she stopped by with some stellar information for my followers and friends about a workshop coming in July.

Soooo, let's meet Jordan:

Tell us who you are and the members of your writing club.

My name is Jordan Mierek, and I am the vice president of the Utica Writers Club. This July, we are hosting a writing workshop with guest speaker, Maria V. Snyder. The Utica Writers Club is a not-for-profit, nationally recognized organization. I first heard about the club when they held a short story contest. I won first place and received free membership for a year. The only writing groups I’d belonged to in the past were online, but I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge from meeting in person. The other members are always supportive.

The club meets every 4^th Wednesday of the month, from 6pm to 8:45 pm, at the Kirkland Town Library in Clinton, New York. Membership fees are $10 a year, but you can come and listen to the group without paying. Each meeting, we discuss club matters and then take turns reading our works.

Tell us how the writing club was formed and the purpose it serves.

The club’s website is found here: http://www.uticawritersclub.org/index.html

Our facebook page is found here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Utica-Writers-Club/219901691370530

The Utica Writers Club is a not-for-profit organization based in the City of Utica in the beautiful hills and valleys of Upstate New York. The Club was established over 60 years ago, when a few elderly women began meeting at each other's homes. Since then, the Club's diversification of peoples, styles, and aspirations have expanded greatly.

Our mission is to foster the art of writing among members and to support and encourage non-member writers in the community. So if your interest is in writing for pleasure or profit, or if you simply enjoy listening to stories, you have a place at the Utica Writers Club. By attending meetings, Club and community members are able to network, revise their literary works, and discuss markets for works in an open and friendly atmosphere. Many members and guest speakers have been published many times, and can often offer insight and advice to aspiring writers.

Tell us about Maria and what type of books she writes.

A few years ago, I read Maria’s novel POISON STUDY, and fell in love with it. The characters are realistic and captivating, and the storyline is unique. The back of the book included Maria’s author biography, as well as her email address. Whenever I read a book I enjoy, I make sure to tell the author. I emailed Maria and she actually wrote back. Her reply was personal, not a form, which I usually received from authors. Since then, we have kept up our correspondence and she has proven very helpful in my own writing endeavors. When the Utica Writers Club was discussing which author they wanted to host a writing workshop, I knew Maria would be a great candidate.

Maria V. Snyder was originally a meteorologist before she became a novelist. She is the author of the New York Times best-selling Study series (POISON STUDY, MAGIC STUDY, and FIRE STUDY), the award winning Glass series (STORM GLASS, SEA GLASS, and SPY GLASS), and the Insider books (INSIDE OUT and OUTSIDE IN). She has also written numerous short stories for anthologies. She is currently working on a new fantasy series and the first book, TOUCH OF POWER, is to be published January 2012.

Tell us about the workshop.

The writing workshop will be held on July 16, 2011 at the Kirkland Town Library in Clinton, New York. It will run from 1 pm to 4 pm. The cost is $25, and the registration form is located here: http://uticawritersclub.org/workshop.html. Maria will also have signed copies of her books available for purchase.

The itinerary for the event is the following:
1 pm-1:45 pm - Writing Fiction, Tips, Techniques, Rules and Breaking the Rules

2:00-2:45 - How to Get Published

3:00-3:30 - Question/Answer Session
3:30 – Door Prizes/Thank You/Autograph

Meet Elana Roth

I am ever so pleased and lucky to have Elana Roth stop by my little blog. Elana is a superagent extraordinaire at the wonderful Johnson Literary Agency. Please follow Elana on twitter. I do.

Now let’s get to know Elana.

I’m going to switch things up a little and we’re going to climb inside Elana’s head first.

First thing that pops into your mind time... No cheating.

ER: Potatoes. For serious. You asked.

Tell us a little bit about yourself…

ER: Well, I grew up in Michigan, moved to New York 12 years ago, and never looked back. Now I’m kind of one of those creative types who does too many jobs, because a million things are interesting. It means I always have neat things going on to keep me occupied, and it also means I don’t sleep. But so it goes.

Favorite dessert?

ER: Bread pudding. With whiskey sauce. I can’t say no.

What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

ER: How tall the guy is. I grew up around a lot of short Jewish men. So I am always looking at height, even if it doesn’t end up mattering much.

Water or wine?

ER: Wine.

Tell us about the most awkward date you ever experienced?

ER: Back in my days of online dating, I had a first date set up with guy I’d spoken to a few times, and things seemed promising. We agreed to meet in front of my building and go get coffee and dessert nearby. He showed up holding a single red rose that he probably bought right at the bodega on the corner. Most people would think this was sweet, but there was no way I was going to carry that thing around with me all night. So I made an excuse that I wanted to put it in water, but...I didn’t feel like going all the way back upstairs. So...I put it in my mailbox. Of course the rose didn’t fit in the mailbox, so I broke it in half. I don’t think the guy saw me, because the mailbox was around the corner from the front hall, but it was definitely a sign. The funniest part was that I forgot to get it when I came home, and the next morning when my roommate asked me about the date, I ran downstairs to retrieve that broken rose before the mailman got confused. There was no second date.

Chocolate or Vanilla?

ER: Chocolate.

If you were alone on a deserted island, what is the one book you would like to be in your limited supplies?

ER: The Phantom Tollbooth. I already re-read it endlessly. I could live with that forever.

Thanks for sharing!!!!

Now to the agenting questions…

I understand you will not be taking any unsolicited manuscripts for awhile, except for referrals. I’m sure many will be disappointed by this, BUT I’m also sure they can understand how busy an agent’s life is, and can appreciate the time and dedication you put forth for your job. An example is by this very interview you have agreed to do. I want to thank you for the time.

Would you care to share a typical day of what you do when you take your agent hat off?

ER: When I take my agent hat off? Well, the truth is, I have a regular job. I might get stoned for that by some writers who think I should be broke and only reading all the time for the good of humanity, but...I live in Brooklyn, and I like to eat. So I’m actually a copywriter at a tech company. I go into an office a few days a week and try to come up with clever marketing copy, edit things other than children’s books, and generally try my best to bring proper punctuation to the world of developers and designers.

What is the most thrilling aspect of your job?

ER: There are the moments of discovery throughout the process that make it all worth it. The moment when you are reading something and want to start telling people about it right away. The moment when you get to call an author and say an editor is going to give them money for their book. The moment when you get a look at the cover and realize it’s going to be a book. And the moment when you hold the book in your hands. It all adds up.

What would you love to see cross your desk right now?

ER: Truthfully? Nothing. I’m not open to submissions right now, unless it’s a referral or I’ve met you and asked for it. I have a full list of clients I love, and I’m really just excited for whatever they give me next. I have my eye on a few projects I’d like to see from each of them especially though :)

What is your ratio of queries to requests?

ER: I blog about this somewhat frequently over at the agency blog, but I probably request 5 manuscripts a month for every 300 queries. So...you can do that math pretty easily. I can’t :)

Without naming names, what is the funniest thing you ever read in a query?

ER: Oh, that’s not fair. There are so many gems! My secret is that I have a file of the all-star queries I’ve received--the ones that really just had something that amused me to no end. I don’t share them--they’re just for my own reading pleasure. Like how I’ve stopped tweeting anything too specific--it just gets people upset.

When you do request a manuscript, do you usually request fulls or partials? And why?

ER: I pretty much only request fulls. Back in the day, I started off thinking I had to request a partial first, and then the full, but then I realized that only dragged out the process. If a manuscript isn’t grabbing me, I can stop reading whenever I want to. But if it is good, why wouldn’t I keep going? Saves everyone the extra steps.

When you are reading a manuscript that you have an interest in, do you make notes of things that you would like to change or editing remarks?

ER: Sure. It’s not the most official of lists, but I keep a running tally of things I’d like to discuss with the author when I’m ready to make that phone call. No manuscript is perfect, so there is always something I will want to chat about.

How soon do you expect to be hooked by requested material?

ER: Pretty quickly. The writing itself is the first thing to grab my attention. I’ve seen some incredible concepts cross my desk, but bad writing kept me from reading more than 30 pages. Likewise, I’ve read entire manuscripts because the prose was just so darn readable but then never fell for the story. Either way, there’s a gut thing that happens within those first few chapters that clues you in. If I get that far.

As an agent, do you mind doing edits?

ER: Definitely not. In fact, I love it.

What do you see in the future of agent/writer's relationships?

ER: I think agents are becoming more needed, especially because of all the digital options, and have filled in certain roles that publishers might not be able to take care of anymore. I think agents have to think outside the box a lot more, and I think authors are going to need to trust us to do that. Let us fight the fights harder and make sure the good content has the best shot of reaching audience. There will always be a need for content curators, and I think those people should be separate from content creators. Someone has to filter.

Can you tell us one thing that is different in the world of agenting that is different than when you first started?

ER: Oh, everything except the “find good books part.” Digital is the obvious answer. Advances are another. Contract language and negotiations are a third. Everyone is trying to adapt to a constantly changing terrain.

What is the best information you could pass on to aspiring writers?

ER: Just keep your butt in the chair and write. And read. You need to be equal parts consumer and creator if you have publication in mind. What exists is in a direct relationship with what might exist. And learn to change your expectations. Not everyone who writes needs to be published. Not everyone who is published needs to be a bestseller. There are levels of success. But if you don’t keep your butt in the chair and write, forget about all of it.

I put the read in bold above. Reading what you are going to write is the best way to learn. It will give you the ability to study different authors style of writing and help for you to find your own voice. Plus, you can study the different sentence structures. Excellent advice!

Thank you so much for visiting Elana. I hope you will stop by again.

Winners Announced--Pitch & 250 Word Contest

It's time!!!

I want to thank you all for participating. It was great fun and wonderful to read all the awesome entries.

I also want to thank Gina again for being an awesome judge and for donating the fabulous prizes. After reading the entries, I know she must have had a hard time choosing. Gina also took the time to write a little paragraph for each winner and for the entries as a whole. Encouraging words. So...a huge round of virtual applause sent her way.

Okay, I know you are all excited. Below are the winners.

Drum roll, please......

The winners in order are:

First Place

L.J. Boldyrev for GREYSKIN. Just an amazing pitch and first page. The voice was really engaging and unique. I really wanted to get to know this main character, and thought that she could be trouble and a good time, my kind of girl! The dead girl in the trunk was such a compelling element. How could you not keep reading. Great entry!

Second Place

Kalen O'Donnell for DUST TO DUST. Holy Toledo, talk about sibling rivalry! Having brothers trying to kill each other on sight and using all sorts of common elements, like shadows, to do it, while having your main character be able to conjure, um, dust storms ?! was funny and yet compelling. The attack in the opening page got us right into the story. Pace like a freight train, and great lively teen voice.

Third Place

Aheila for OIL AND BOILING WATER. Spunky heroine doesn't even begin to describe your main character. Who wouldn't root for her? She's remarkable and brave and determined, and the voice perfectly suits the genre. I had to detract a few points for the pitch which was a little too vague and difficult to follow. You could have done more with the space. Overall, very good job!

Fourth Place

Jackie Felger, BREATHE FOR ME. Terrific, well-explained concept and tough, feisty main character readers will enjoy. Cage fighting with their talents? Great idea! Your MC's fierce nature obviously makes us think she's a survivor. I'm sure you'll find lots of fans!

I was tremendously impressed with the talent and skill all the entries displayed. Choosing winners was more difficult than I had ever imagined. Time and again, I found myself disappointed when the sample ended because I wanted to keep reading! It was hard, too, only have four winning positions, since I also found a lot of entries that deserved special honorary mentions. Among those I wanted to mention are...

Chersti Nieveen for THE LAST ONSET
Robin Weeks for GEAS
AE Martin for RAVENOUS DESK
Elizabeth Mierek for TABITHA'S DEATH

The tremendous number of entries showed such imagination, creativity and love for the craft of writing, that I hate to leave anyone out! All of them were an enjoyable read, and so many of them I read over and over again. I want to encourage everyone who entered, since you are such an incredibly talented group. I hope I'll soon be seeing all of you on the bookshelves!

Further instructions:

I will contact each of the winners with instructions. Oh....and for the honorable mentions, I will contact you too. I've decided to give each of you a $5 B&N card.

Thank you all so much for making this contest a success.

Writing Contest

Hi all,

As you all know, I'm all about learning. One of the most important aspects of writing is to stay on the learning roller coaster.

Part of learning is participating in contests, staying up on blogs, and networking with fellow writers.

So guess what I got for you? Yep, a super cool contest hosted by Rachel McClellan. Please stop by and check it out here. Rachel and some writing friends will be judging.

This is a chance to get some additional feedback for your first three pages to really make your manuscript shine. And not only that, but you might win a book of your choice.

Interview With Nancy Holzner

I’m very lucky to have Nancy Holzner, author of DEADTOWN and HELLFORGED, visit my blog today. You can be all stalker(ish) and follow Nancy on twitter, facebook, and her blog.

The winner from the Pitch and 250 Word Contest will be winning both of these books, signed. An awesome prize to go along with the full manuscript critique.

Nancy is represented by Gina Panettieri-follower her on twitter and facebook, President of Talcott Notch Literary. I interviewed Gina and you can check out that interview here.

Now, let’s get to know Nancy….

Tell us a little about yourself…

First, thanks so much for inviting me to stop by! I appreciate the chance to chat with your readers.

I began my career as an educator, teaching English in college (I was a medievalist) and then in high school. I've also worked as a college admissions counselor, editor, and corporate trainer. Currently, I'm lucky to be able to write full time, although most of my income comes from writing nonfiction. I grew up in Massachusetts and have also lived in London, Alabama, and New York's Finger Lakes region (my current home).

What was the first novel that made you decide reading rocks?

I was hooked on reading picture books long before I knew what a novel was. J But I was a big fan of Nancy Drew mysteries when I was a kid. It was unbelievably cool that we shared a first name.

What is you most all time favorite book?

That question is impossible for me to answer! I'm not trying to avoid it, but I used to be an English professor and there's no way to narrow it down to just one. Even if I stick to the classics, I'd have to include The Canterbury Tales, King Lear, Paradise Lost, Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, Frankenstein, Moby Dick, The House of Mirth . . And that barely gets me to the 20th century.

What inspired you to become a writer?

When I was a kid, writing was a natural outgrowth of my love of reading. I wrote stories, plays, and poems. I kept that up through college, writing more poetry than anything else. Later, when I decided to go to graduate school and earn a PhD, I switched my focus to academic writing. For a long time, as I was earning a degree and raising my daughter, I stopped writing creatively. But the urge to write persisted, and eventually I started taking online courses in fiction writing.

What was the first story/novel you ever wrote?

Something about elves when I was very young, I think. I've always loved fantasy and stories with magic.

First thing that pops into your mind (no cheating)

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate, and the darker the better. I just had a square of Lindt 90%.

Wine or margaritas?

I live in the middle of a wine region in central NY, so I'll have to say wine.

Steak or Eggplant?

I'm a real carnivore, so steak. (There's a restaurant in my town that dry-ages its beef. Yum.)

Favorite Movie?

I'll go with an oldie: The Fisher King, starring Jeff Bridges and Robin Williams and directed by Terry Gilliam. It's a fun and thoughtful updating of the medieval legend of the Holy Grail set in contemporary New York City.

Werewolves or Zombies?

Werewolves. I have fun putting an unusual spin on the zombies in my novels, but werewolves can be very sexy that zombies could never hope to aspire to.

Please give us a teaser for DEADTOWN…

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders — but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

Vicky’s demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf)

Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that’s taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky’s love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown’s citizens.

But now Vicky’s got bigger things to worry about.

The Hellion who murdered her father ten years ago has somehow broken through Boston’s magical protections. The Hellion is a ruthless force of destruction with a personal grudge against Vicky, and she’s the only one who can stop the demon before it destroys the city and everyone in it.

You can read the first chapter here.

HELLFORGED…

After Vicky banished her demon nemesis to the fiery depths of Hell, she thought life would return to normal. But considering she has a werewolf lawyer boyfriend, a zombie apprentice who’s angling to become a pop star, and an eccentric vampire roommate, what is normal, anyway?

Then the supposedly banished Hellion starts to trespass in Vicky’s dreams—just as several of Deadtown’s zombies are viciously attacked and become really dead. When Vicky realizes she’s the only connection between the victims, she suspects that the demon is somehow working through her dreams to become Deadtown’s living nightmare.

What she doesn’t know is that her old enemy brings with it a force more terrifying—and deadly—than anything she’s battled before.

Read Chapter 1 online.

What are you planning next?

BLOODSTONE, the third novel in my Deadtown series, releases on September 27, 2011. I'm currently going through copyedits for that novel and also writing Deadtown #4, which will come out next year. I also recently published an ebook edition of my mystery, PEACE, LOVE, AND MURDER, which was originally published in hardcover by a small press. Readers have asked for a sequel to that book, and I'd love to find time to write it.

Please tell us, as a writer, what is the most important aspect of the process?

When a novel is a long process, and different skills come into play at different times. In the first draft, plotting and characterization are important as you get to know your story and your characters. The second draft is all about shaping what you've roughed out, and it helps to be able to step back and get a good sense of your story's structure: pacing, story arc, which scenes advance the story and which slow it down. For me, the third draft is the polishing draft, so copyediting skills are helpful then. But really, wherever you are in writing your story, the most important thing to do is keep working on it. Write (or edit) every day. Even when it feels like you can't, keep coming back to it.

What should an aspiring writer do before they query their manuscript?

Make sure your manuscript is in the best shape you can get it. Show it to beta readers you trust to give good feedback, and listen to their input. As a writer, you have to develop a sense of which feedback helps your story and which doesn't. Do the same thing with your query letter. Read the back cover copy of similar books to get a sense of how to hook a reader—you want your query to have that kind of hook. Get feedback on your query, just as you did on your manuscript, and polish both until you're blinded by their shine.

Apparently Gina requested your manuscript after your query, and maybe some other agents. Could you share with us what your query had that made agents go, Wow! Let’s see what else she has?

You know, despite what I just wrote, I don't think my query was all that amazing. However, I really liked the opening chapter of my manuscript. So I focused on agents who'd look at the opening ten pages with the initial query. (This was back in 2006; things have changed a lot since then.)

Would you share with us some changes you had to make to get your manuscript ready for publishers?

The manuscript that got me an offer of representation from Talcott Notch was for my murder mystery, PEACE, LOVE, AND MURDER. I'd worked very hard to get that novel as polished as I could before I started looking for an agent. I didn't have to make any significant changes before it went out to editors—it went out on submission almost right away. But I did have to wait a year before it sold to the small press that bought it.

Any other advice you would like to share with us aspiring writers?

Be persistent and keep writing, always striving to make your writing the best you can. When you do that, time is on your side.

Thank you so much Nancy for visiting my blog. It’s been great fun.

It has! Thanks again for inviting me.