CONNIE'S CORNER . . .

Our 2012 Bootcamp Schedule

2012-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

Bootcamp courses are now in progress. To enroll in upcoming courses go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com

Connie Flynn
Basic Track

    February 10 to March 9
    4B Sizzling Conflict
    March 23 to April 20
    5B Sparkling Dialogue
    May 4 to June 1
    7B Punch Up Your Prose

June 1 to June 29
Spotlight Author
        To Be Announced

June 30 to August 1
SUMMER BREAK

    August 3 to August 31
    1B Creating Characters
    September 7 to October 5
    2B Dynamic Plotting
    October 12 to November 9
    3B Scene Sculpting
    November 16 to December 14
    4B Sizzling Conflict

Linda Style
Polish Track

    February 10 to March 9
    3P Escalate Consequences
    March 23 to April 20
    4P Writing Strong Emotion
    May 4 to June 1
    6P Scene/Sequel Dynamics
    June 1 to June 29
    8P The Black Moment

June 30 to August 1
SUMMER BREAK

    August 3 to August 31
    1P First Three Chapters
    September 7 to October 5
    2P Deep Characterization
    October 12 to November 9
    3P Escalate Consequences
    November 16 to December 14
    4P Infusing Emotions

All courses are $28 unless otherwise specified. Go to
http://bootcampfornovelists.com for more information.
Enroll in multiples courses to receive a package discount.

Visit us:
website: http://bootcampfornovelists.com
blog: http://bootcamp4novelists.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bootcampfor.novelists
Twitter: @bootcamp4novel

Resolution Themes for Year 2012

2012-01-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

I seldom go out on New Year’s Eve. I stay home, watch the celebrations on television, stand outside to watch the fireworks at midnight, and usually don’t even have a glass of wine. And I begin building my New Year’s resolution.

Tonight was no different. I watched the annual Dick Clark New York Times Square event. Of course, by now Dick has been replaced by none other than Ryan Secrest (who, oddly, somewhat resembles the young Dick Clark; may he also inherit Clark’s seemingly eternal youth) which let me celebrate the changing year at 10pm.

That gives me nearly two hours for resolutions before the Arizona clock kicked in. I started by tackling that same ten-fifteen extra pounds. Actually, I always do take it off at the beginning of the year, but then I put it on again by the end. That’s been happening since . . . well, since I got old enough to lie about my age.

Next, I’ll vow to exercise no less than an hour each day, Sundays off. And, of course, I’ll put in six hours a day writing my books, while deftly dealing with my college and Bootcamp for Novelists classes while converting my backlist to Kindle and print versions.

Then there are smaller (bigger) goals, like getting more organized, returning emails and phone calls promptly, keeping up with my Twitter and Facebook communities and, of course, staying on top of those Google analytics. [If you’re a fiction writer, you’re either laughing or cringing, and if you’’re not doing that and hope someday to be a writer, you have this to look forward to.]

I’m rambling now and losing my resolve to resolve. What I’ve written so far makes me agree with people who say the never do New Year’s resolutions because they’re a waste of time because they never happen because you forget them by January 2 because they weren’t that important anyway.

But . . . I’m thinking maybe our approach is the problem. Sage advisors tell us to make specific goals with specific target dates and a few charts to keep you on course. Have you tried that? How well is it working for you?

If you’re still following me you’re probably saying not so well. I feel your pain. Really, seriously. Last year my list took up over two pages of a yellow ruled tablet. This, I realized, would never work. I didn't even care about most of those goals, they were just things I thought I should be doing. Then I took a second look and that look must have come from a different direction because I saw that the things on the list were all pathetic attempts to fix the chaotic, unpredictable condition of my life at the end of 2011.

What I really wanted in my life was to get rid of my uncertainty and lack of focus. What I needed to make that happen was a resolution theme. And it came to me -- stability. Suddenly I knew which items on the list should remain there. My goals became about increasing income and finding ways to simplify my routines. And I added a new goal that had to do with defining my boundaries.

So one year later, and not surprisingly, my life has become much more stable and I’m getting clearer about what actually contributes to my income and stability and what doesn’t. I think the theme had everything to do with that.

There’s more predictability to my life now but as 2011 ends I realize I still work too many hours. I probably need to work on boundaries — pay more attention what activities and people contribute, what and who don’t. More than that I’ll focus on spending more time with people who resonate with me, engage in more recreation, return to my painting, maybe joining a group exercise class outside the home. I’ll aim for balance between my work time and my play time, my social/family time and my ’me’ time. My theme for 2012 will be balance. Cool, right? At least for me.

It’s nearly midnight now and Times Square is back. Dick Clark has joined Ryan Secrest to watch Lady Gaga perform. I’m a fan and I love her outrageous costumes, although tonight’s was a little puzzling at first. I think there was a minor wardrobe malfunction, (not of the Janet Jackson kind) but she recovered and went on to perform as brilliantly as usual.

So . . . I’ll leave you to your New Year’s day rituals, but I do wonder how you handle the rite of passage of the new year. Are you a resolute resolution maker, a wannabe, a disdainer? If you don’t do resolutions are you already a goal setter but do it a different way, at a different time? If you do resolutions, what works for you and what hasn’t so much? I’d be interested in knowing because I simply stumbled into the resolution theme method, and I’m betting there are other magic New Year‘s bullets out there. If you can find a moment, please share.

In the meantime, Happy New Year.
Connie Flynn

Happy Holidays and a Merry New Year

2011-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

    I love Christmas. It’s such of a time of completion and renewal, a time for being close with those you love and for giving and receiving. I love the lights and the music, putting up the tree and enjoying its festive presence. I enjoy shopping and even the jostling crowds. There’s much to love about Christmas.
   Many (or maybe most) years, however, I spend too much, eat too much, drink too much, and often resent, worry or regret too much. After giving this situation way too much thought, it occurred to me how easily this attitude can become a habit year by year.
   And yet I love Christmas, so how could I let that happen? That isn’t what this year-end celebration is about.
   Nor is this time reserved just for Christmas and honoring the birth of a child who heralded new hope for mankind. For others it’s about igniting a candle each day to commemorate the light of freedom. Or giving thanks for the fruits of the year’s labor. Or welcoming the Winter Solstice. There are different ways of honoring this high season that marks the end of the Western calendar, but one single thing unites us. This is a time of appreciation, of reflecting on the old and welcoming the new. It’s a time of tying up loose threads, of healing old resentments and of renewing our love for those close to us and to mankind in general.
   At least that’s what it is to me. So this year I made up my mind to give up fretting about whether I found just the right gift (or got one), or about how I’ll pay everything, or if everyone who was supposed to show up, did show up where they were supposed to be. . . or even if Christmas dinner is served on time and at the proper temperature. Instead I’ll put my attention on being present with everyone I’m stuck with (oops, a little snark snuck in) and appreciating everything that’s done for me and enjoying those I love and even those I only like a little bit. Yeah, that’s what I’ll do this year.
   In the meantime, I’ll wish all of you the best holidays possible, however you celebrate it. May your holiday be stupendous and may you kick off the best of all possible new years.

With abounding love,
–Connie

Blogging Today at Much Cheaper Than Therapy

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Following My Heart -- Part II: The Branding Process

I'm posting today on my blog with other writers -- Much Cheaper Than Therapy -- where I'm continuing with the subject of following my heart. It's my goal for 2012 to enjoy myself whatever I do and that means branding myself. So determined to avoid hot irons that leave indelible marks, I've looked at what's near and dear to my heart about stories and my career. And that's what I'm talking about. Please click on the title and come visit. Leave comments if you're so moved.

Mercury’s Done Gone Retrograde Again

2011-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

Yep, and on Thanksgiving day, too. Quite rude, if you ask me. But instead of deriding the planet of communication, being that it’s Thanksgiving and all, I decided to give thanks for this episode of going AWOL.

Which is quite a switch for me, since last time Mercury went retrograde I wrote a long post on how to survive the trials and tribulations. That, I must confess, was one sided of me. Mercury retrograde does bestow some benefits.

For instance, it forces you to slow down and give thought to what you’re doing or to the decisions that you face. This is a good time to clean up unfinished business, include messy relationships. There’s plenty of room for forgiveness during this period.

Thinking about buying a new house or car? This is a great time to comparison shop. Your kid having trouble with her teacher? You might just find that the overbearing ninny the school forced upon your sweet darling becomes much easier to deal with during this time. Are your closets full of old projects and unused files? Retrograde Mercury begs to help you clean up these loose ends.

Finally, this is a perfect time to plan future projects. Just don’t buy that house or car, don’t sign contracts of any kind, don’t travel long distances. Instead use Mercury’s gifts to tie up the loose ends in your life and to plan for your future.

I leave you with one more good thing about retrograde Mercury. This time it’s only three weeks long. It will go back to normal (also called direct) on December 14. So for now, just kick back, put your ducks in neat little rows and act on your plans after mid-month.

Connie Flynn
at Amazon Kindle

A Day to Give Thanks

2011-11-24T11:20:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Today, I'm grateful to this wonderful rich universe; my family who are the mortar of my life; my friends who are the salt and sugar; and my work, which keep me young.

I must also admit that this year what nears the top of my gratitude list is knowing Target will stop the Black Friday TV spots with the deranged woman shopper. So ugg and soon it will be gone.

Have a great day and celebrate life. It always works out.

Sisters in Crime 25th Anniversary Celebration

2011-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

. . . At the Poisoned Pen Bookstore.

When: Saturday, December 3, 2011 – 4:00-6:30 PM
Where: 4014 N Goldwater Blvd # 101 Scottsdale (480) 947-2974

The Poisoned Pen Bookstore and Desert Sleuths welcome mystery fans to their joint celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Sisters in Crime (SinC).

We'll begin with a stellar panel of SinC authors, followed by food, drink and merrymaking. Panel will include award-winning authors Kris Neri, Deborah J Ledford, and Clark Lohr from 4-5:00. Please join us at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore as we raise a glass in honor of SinC's 25 years of achievement in championing the efforts of women crime writers.

RSVP: DesertSleuths@gmail.com

Saturday: Free Fiction Writers Conference

2011-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

FREE . . . FREE . . . FREE . . . FREE . . . FREE

SIXTH ANNUAL FALL WRITERS WORKSHOPS
Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 10 am to 4:30 pm

Scottsdale Civic Center Library - Downstairs
3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd - Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Free Admission - No registration necessary - First come First Serve seating - Lunch on your own - Complimentary morning coffee and rolls

Keynote speaker: 1:30 to 2:20 pm

THE AMAZING CARIS ROANE - RT Career Achievement Award recipient and Best selling author of the GUARDIANS OF ASCENSION series speaking on: PARANORMAL: THE POWER OF EXAGGERATION

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:
10 am:

The ABCs of PBs, MGs, & YAs - Writing for kids and Young Adults - by Shelley Coriell
I'VE WRITTEN THE BOOK, NOW WHAT DO I DO? - by Pamela Tracy
WRITING AS A TEAM - Tia Eaton and Dani Petrone

11 am:

PLOTTING SECRETS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE STORY - by Vijaya Schartz
GHOSTS - BRINGING THE DEAD TO LIFE ON THE PAGE - by Linda Andrews
SOCIAL MEDIA 101 - Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Goodreads, Blog Talk Radio, and more - by Amber Scott

12:30 pm

LUNCH AND KEYNOTE

2:30 pm

TEN GRABBERS THAT GUARANTEE A PAGE TURNER - by Connie Flynn
THE INS AND OUTS OF SELF-PUBLISHING - by Kris Tualla
THE PROPER HUNTING, CAPTURING, CARE & FEEDING OF A LITERARY AGENT - by Gini Koch

3:30 pm

ASK AN AUTHOR ANYTHING - Open panel with today's featured presenters.

Spread the word. Great workshops! Did we mention it's free? Hope to see you there.

FREAKY SCIENCE: Is Hell Getting Hotter or Colder?

2011-11-14T03:00:00.000-08:00

A friend emailed this to me recently and I think it so beautifully fits into my Freaky Science category that I decided to run with it. Alas, the author is unknown, or I would give full credit.

The following is an actual question given on a University of Arizona chemistry mid term, and an actual answer turned in by a student. The answer was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well :

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving, which is unlikely. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today.

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.
2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct . . . leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting 'Oh my God.'

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

So what do you think, hotter or colder?

Until next time,

Connie Flynn

http://connieflynn.com

http://bootcampfornovelists.com

Andy Rooney Died On Friday

2011-11-07T03:00:00.000-08:00

"As I grow in age, I value women over 50 most of all."

Andy Rooney died Friday night at the age of 92, just a few weeks after he retired from his lifelong television career with the long-running Sunday evening news show, 60 Minutes. His was a good life, quite a long one too, and I think part of that was because he loved his work.

Each weekly news show ended with Andy giving a sixty second rant on subjects as diverse as the misery of modern air travel, the usefulness of paperweights, and a burst of undisguised rage at the perpetrators of 9-11. These sixty seconds, I think, were often the only reason viewers stayed tuned to the very end of each show.

Oddly, he didn’t love the limelight. The quickest way to earn an insult from him was to stop him and ask for his autograph. He’s say he only wrote what he was paid for. Close behind, you could write him a letter, but he wouldn’t answer and would sometimes publicly state that he saw no reason to reply to someone idiotic enough to write to someone like him.

In an interview he gave to his friend and colleague Morrie Safer shortly before he died he said these words that I loosely quote: “If I had it to do all over again I would be on television, I’d be on 60 Minutes and do a piece on it. I’d write it and then I’d say it. That’s what I’d do.”

Andy Rooney is lauded as an icon. To me, he’s more than that. He’s the embodiment of an honest, straight-shooting man. On every show, no matter how trivial the subject, he spoke his mind, political correctness sometimes getting trampled under his not all that heavy boots. A few times it got him in trouble, but that didn’t stop him. How he saw it was how he said it. But he didn’t say it harshly, and he wasn’t afraid to admit uncertainly. He was just always the man that he was.

His death has left a hole in our society because no one out there speaks so directly anymore. Could be he’s the last of the breed. The twenty-first century has brought a wave of conformity and political correctness that hasn’t been seen since the fifties and Andy Rooney sliced right through it as if it didn’t exist. The world will be a little emptier without his example of honesty and integrity. Oh, there are comics who do the same but they hide behind humor rather than using it to make a point.

I hope someone does step up to fill the void Andy Rooney left. Maybe more than a single someone will. Maybe more of us will begin to say what we think instead of what others think we should think. Not in an angry in-your-face way, but by simply say how it really is for you in any give moment or in any given situation. Maybe we could reinvent civil discourse. It’s become a quaint expression because the reasonable discussion of tense topics is so seldom seen these days.

If that should happen, then Andy’s passing might have even a higher meaning than it already has. I leaked a tear when I read he was gone, then smiled when I remembered the many Sunday nights when I listened to him complain about things that had bugged me for I didn’t know how long but often couldn’t define until he did it for me.

I hope you’ll join me in wishing Andy an incredible afterlife. Although the one he lived here on Earth was pretty incredible itself, it’s now over. Goodbye Andy, the world is a better place because you were part of it, so thanks for staying so long.

See you next time,
Connie Flynn
SHADOW ON THE MOON
SHADOW OF THE WOLF

Free Fiction Writers Conference

2011-10-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Be sure to tell your friends about this wonderful free workshop that the generous members of the Desert Rose chapter present each year. Better than tell them, bring them with you. Free coffee and breakfast eats also await you. So come early and make sure you get a seat.

SIXTH ANNUAL FALL WRITERS WORKSHOPS

Saturday, November 19, 2011 - 10 am to 4:30 pm

Scottsdale Civic Center Library - Downstairs

3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd - Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Free Admission - No registration necessary - First come First Serve seating -
Lunch on your own - Complimentary morning coffee & rolls

Keynote speaker: 1:30 to 2:20 pm

CARIS ROANE
RT Career Achievement Award recipient and Best selling author of the
GUARDIANS OF ASCENSION series.

Topic: PARANORMAL: THE POWER OF EXAGGERATION

Caris Roane has published over fifty Regency romance novels and novellas under the pen name, Valerie King. In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement Award in Regency Romance. Having had a long time love affair with vampires, Caris tackled the paranormal genre, building a unique vampire world based on ascending dimensional earths. The three novels, ASCENSION, BURNING SKIES, WINGS OF FIRE, and the novella BRINK OF ETERNITY, were all released this year. Visit Caris at: www.carisroane.com.

10 am:
The ABCs of PBs, MGs, & YAs - Writing for kids and Young Adults
Shelley Coriell

I'VE WRITTEN THE BOOK, NOW WHAT DO I DO?
Pamela Tracy

WRITING AS A TEAM
Tia Eaton and Dani Petrone

11 am:
THE INS AND OUTS OF SELF-PUBLISHING
Kris Tualla

PLOTTING SECRETS FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE STORY
Vijaya Schartz

GHOSTS - BRINGING THE DEAD TO LIFE ON THE PAGE
Linda Andrews

2:30 pm
TEN GRABBERS THAT GUARANTEE A PAGE TURNER
Connie Flynn

SOCIAL MEDIA 101 - Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Goodreads, Blog Talk Radio, and more
Amber Scott

THE PROPER HUNTING, CAPTURING, CARE & FEEDING OF A LITERARY AGENT
Gini Koch

3:30 pm
ASK AN AUTHOR ANYTHING
Open panel with the day's featured presenters. A chance to ask the questions that popped into your head after attending these workshops or talk to the authors whose workshops you missed.

Some Weird Science Humor

2011-10-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

A bartender looked up at the sound of the opening door and said, “Sorry, buddy, neutrinos aren’t allowed here.” A neutrino walked into a bar.

If this quantum physicist’s joke doesn’t make sense to you, you’ll be surprised to learn that you can find pages of neutrino jokes posted on the web. The discovery of the neutrino, a particle smaller than an atom that has no mass or wavelength or electro/magnetic energy and can move among and through everything, has sent the quantum physics community into a tailspin.

If this doesn’t interest you, let me give you the creeps by telling you that these little guys are speeding in and out of your body with reckless abandon even as you sit here reading.

Why are they suddenly big news? Well, the huge new supercollider (a particle accelerator) in Switzerland has been sending this little gem of nature on the ride of its life. It seems Einstein’s theory says that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light and up until now science has validated his theory.

Well, no more. This little neutrino fellow – and we are talking little, smaller than we can imagine and I can’t begin to figure out how they even discovered it – adds yet another paradox to the shocking dilemma it had already presented.

The accelerated neutrino reached a dizzying pace faster than the speed of light. What’s more, when it hit the collider wall, it made a sound that was heard by the scientists on that end BEFORE the scientists on the other end hit the button sending it on its way.

Years back, I had a conversation with my friend Denise Domning’s husband, Ed, about my time travel novel, THE DRAGON HOUR. We concluded that time travel really was possible. Recently we had another conversation on that subject and concluded that given what science now knew, yes, time travel, was impossible, but there was probably undiscovered information that would change things.

That day has come. Maybe.

I find this possibility so fascinating that I hesitate to mention that while some reports I’ve read say the collision was actually heard, others say it simply opened the possibility of that coming about. Either way, this event launches whole new areas for fantasy, paranormal and science fiction writers.

Because the whole point of the obscure joke at the beginning of this blog is that the bartender saw the neutrino before he actually entered the room. In other words, time was bent.

Wow.

This just stretches the mind to entirely new levels of imagination. What good could mankind and/or our characters do if they could harness this power? What evil? What other truths will be discovered once the impact of this one is better understood?

As a fiction teacher I’m sometimes dismayed by how closely many fiction writers stay to the way things REALLY are, rather than reaching for the way things could be. The true beauty of fiction is the ability to explore potential in individuals and society and the ways they interact with each other and the physical world. This could be because we’re educated to believe that we already know how things are. That the world is static and doesn’t change much, and if it does, it’s only with great effort.

Well this little invisible, weightless, limitless sprite of a neutron is showing us that maybe not, maybe there are worlds out there we haven’t yet explored, not only in our writing but in our lives. A freedom that hasn’t yet been realized.

What do you think? Is all this physics stuff a big yawn? Or do you also find it as exciting as I do? If so, here's a link to the full Washington Post story. If you’re a fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal author, how could your use this knowledge and its many nuances in your books? Can you think of fiction writers in the past who explored the impossible? Submarines, space travel, even cell phones were considered science fiction as late as the mid-twentieth century, so where are we headed from here?

Post a comment about what you think along with a way to notify you you and I’ll send a coupon for a free download of the reissued, SHADOW ON THE MOON, my debut paranormal romance. You can find a sample of the book by clicking on the Bookbuzzr icon on the top right.

And that's it for now,
--Connie

For Novelists Who Want a Laugh

2011-10-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

While reading the funnies on Sunday morning I came across a cartoon that I'm sure is generally funny, but to fiction writers it's most likely hilarious.

Check out Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis

This inspired my blog tomorrow on Much Cheaper Than Therapy. The subject is names and I invite you to stop by for a discussion.

Connie

Check out my updated website

Bootcamp Update

2011-09-26T15:36:00.000-07:00

a characterization tip

To bring characters to life give them a powerful desire and match them with an opponent who opposes that desire just as powerfully. This push/pull between the characters make them vital and interesting and readers will keep flipping the pages to see how it all turns out.

This is just one of the tips in the Creating Characters Bootcamp that kicks off the next FOUR PILLARS OF STRUCTURE series at the end of the week..

This package -- along with Linda Style's TECHNIQUES OF THE PROS -- is fundamental to what the Bootcamp stands for - a step-by-step process where writers can learn, improve and perfect their craft. The packages are offered about once a year but in keeping with some revamps of the Bootcamp that will soon be announced, we are offering them a little bit earlier in 2011.

The first Bootcamp of the Four Pillar series begins this Friday, September 30 with Creating Characters. The combined package fee is $92 and also includes Dynamic Plotting, Scene Sculpting, and Sizzling Conflicts.

Yes, you can take them separately at the regular fee, but you'll learn faster if you take them in order. Now is the time. If you've taken some of these courses but not all, you have an opportunity to take the missing courses since you can always enroll in individual courses for the regular rate of $28/course.

If you do want to enroll or just want to find out what the Bootcamp is all about, go to Bootcamp for Novelists.com.

If you have questions, feel free to email me. As mentioned above, Linda and I are looking for ways to adjust the Bootcamp process -- eliminated certain courses, add others, perhaps change the order in which they're presented. Our goal is to present the step-by-step method of mastering writing skills and if you have any suggestions that will help me improve my courses, I would love to hear them.

For instance, assuming you've taken a Bootcamp, do you think:

Courses are too long or too short?
Too hard or too easy?
Offer what you're looking for?

I'm considering offering a more boutique type of package that I'd call Finish Your Book. Is this something that might interest you? Feel free to drop off an anonymous comment. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. These are rapidly changing times in publishing and what worked yesterday might not work today and what works today may be useless tomorrow. All feedback is welcome.

Haiku Magic

2011-08-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

It really is summertime in Arizona and the dog days are upon us. These are days to be lazy, in my most humble opinion. To give up the myth of being productive and indulge in something we know is purposeless. Oh, say, like going to Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream or dashing through the fountains at the mall or spending a whole afternoon in a dollar theater (oh, right, how long has it been since the price was really a dollar?) watching movies you missed when they were first released. Or -- beginning September 2, which is the middle of summer here -- you could spend a couple weeks writing haiku.

What, you might ask, is haiku? Here's a sample:

            Our children grow so
            fast, they make us wonder who
            really learned the most.

            Did wisdom pass over and
            back, like alternating current?
            Who was truly wise?

From Haiku to My Two Plus Five,
appearing in the A Mother's Wisdom anthology
published by Catherine J. Lombardo, 2011.

This Japanese poetry structure is measured in syllables. Traditionally only three lines long, each line is a specific length – line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables and line three is again five. The example is actually part of a tanka, which adds two seven syllable lines that one might call a refrain.

Why haiku? Bootcamp students know I’m constantly after them to write concisely and make precise word choices. What better way to learn that skill than playing around with a form of simple poetry that limits you to seventeen syllables. Plus, it asks you to form a mental image with those few sounds. Talk about showing, not telling.

Haiku is fun to write. If it’s so much fun, you may ask, why aren’t more people doing it? Other than the acknowledged fact that poets make even less money than novelists, it could be because we think it’s a waste of time. Well, in my not always so humble opinion, writers should waste more time. I call it sanity time. When we get so focused on our next plot point, our next chapter, even our next sentence, we can easily lose perspective. Have you ever had that happen? I have. The cure is purposeless activity. And what can be more purposeless than writing whimsical little poems of seventeen syllables that nobody will ever buy?

I don’t actually think poetry is purposeless, I think it frees the creative mind, kind of like mental doodling. In this course we will write haiku on various topics, starting with the classic season/nature themes, then moving on to satirical haiku, and then free for all haiku on topics far and wide and see where it takes us.

It’s a two-week course. You can come in just once a week for the lessons or pop in an out every day. There is no constructive (or non-constructive) feedback. You just take your bow each time you post. At $15, just pennies over a dollar a day, this course is a steal, and just what many of you need to relax those overworked mental muscles of yours.

If you think Haiku may be a fun way to unwind after the arduous winter, I invite you to check out my two-week Sidebar course at Bootcamp for Novelists Online that will provide opportunity to let down your hair and still improve your writing.

In the meantime, if you know haiku, post a verse and maybe we can get a renga. That's an ongoing series of haiku verses posted by different people who try to elaborate on the theme set by the first verse. We'll do those on the course. Fun, fun, fun. Just click on the tiny "comments" invite and show us what you've got.

If this appeals, stop by the Bootcamp and sign up. You might also want to take a tour of our other upcoming courses.

Why is Everything Going Wrong?

2011-08-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

You might be asking yourself, “how does she know that?”

The answer -- it’s the planets. If you're not into astrology, you might want to skip this blog.

On the other hand, if over the past few days (since August 2, precisely) you’ve had deals fall through, finished work mysteriously disappear so you have to do it over, car breakdowns, computer malfunctions, missed appointments (in that you went to one place, your friend went to another or had the wrong date/time) and crappy cell phone service, you might want to read this.

The source of your troubles is a retrograde Mercury. Aha, some of you say, “I should have known.” But others will ask, “What is a retrograde Mercury?”

I am not a professional astrologer or even a very good amateur, but I am arrogant enough to attempt an answer. Mercury, we all know, is the planet nearest the sun and is also the name of the Roman god of travel and communication. Astrology attributes the traits of the god to the planets.

Retrograde means the planet is moving backwards. Well, not really backwards. That’s just an illusion having to do with declinations and other technical terms I don’t really understand and expect are of no interest to you. What I bet you do want to know is why Mercury is screwing around with your life.

It’s nothing personal, it’s just the nature of the behavior. Things go backwards when Mercury is backwards. You want A and instead get B. You’re headed east but somehow end up going west. Your best laid plans crumble. Your equipment breaks down, especially things having to do with travel and communication (it’s seldom that your washer breaks down, although it has happened).

Anyway, my guess is you want to know what to do about it. Well, my best advice is that this is the time to get organized. The unwanted delays provide windows of time. Waiting for roadside assistance? Clean out your purse or the glove compartment. Review your to do list. Make some past due phone calls. You’ll find great success and, after all that frustration, some satisfaction in completing these small tasks.

Here are some don’ts and do’s:

•   Don’t start new projects. You’ll set yourself up for frustration. It’ll be rethink, retry, redo all the way.
•   Don’t make travel plans or commit to major projects.
•   Don’t start a new job or enter a new investment.
•   Don’t make hiring decisions.
•   Don’t buy equipment, especially electronic devices or cars (communication and travel, remember?)
•   Don’t accept a marriage proposal or initiate a divorce.
•   Don’t sign any contracts.
•   Don’t go on a first date.

•   Do research new purchases or investments.
•   Do cut your friends and family some slack when things get tense.
•   Do look up former loves. This is a favorable time.
•   Do go back to places you’ve enjoyed before. Retrograde Mercury is a great time to revisit the past.
•   Do review your current circumstances. You may see solutions to long-standing problems.
•   Do research potential career changes or business opportunities.
•   Do put together book proposals. Just don’t send them out yet.
•   Last and most important. Do be obsessively vigilant about what you do. If a mistake will ever get by you, this is the time. Check, recheck, double-check, so you can avoid rethinking, retrying, redoing.

Writers are guided by the planet Mercury and are often affected more than other people when the planet goes retrograde. But look at this as a period of rest, a time to tie up loose ends and plan for the future. Avoid any impulse to charge full speed ahead. Easier said than done, I know, but you’ll only do it a couple of times before you see the wisdom of this advice.

Oh, and one last thing, something you probably really want to know. Mercury retrograde ends on August 26, when goes to what is called direct. So it won’t last forever and that’s a very good thing.

Ciao,
Connie
Bootcamp for Novelists

http://bootcampfornovelists.com

Where Does Creativity Come From?

2011-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing I thought that my writing came from some secret creative source inside me and my job was to sit down and let it start dictating. But it's a common belief, so common, in fact, that the academic community refers to the onset of creative writing projects as pre-writing and discovery. If, by discovery, they mean research, well, I'm all for that, but that's not usually what they mean. They're referring to the secret (mystical, magical, illusive) creative source I'm talking about -- the inner dictator.

Reconsidering now, I have to say that perhaps I didn't believe in this secret source with full conviction, especially on those days when it didn't dictate. Plus, dictate has many definitions. How easily that inner dictator became a DICTATOR, as in that never satisfied critic who tells you you're doing it wrong, you'll never do it right.

Unfortunately, that critic is close to being correct, especially when writers wait for it to tell them what to do.

So how DO we write? What is the source? You are, and your job is to CREATE NOT WAIT. You do that by actively THINKING about your writing. Asking questions. How do things -- books, buildings, inventions, decorations, landscaping, etc. -- come into being? By encountering a void and asking what could fill it. Questions are the key . I want to write a story. Who will be in it? What will they need? How will they go about getting it? Who will stand in the way? When writers sit down with a tablet or in front of a blank computer screen and begin asking and answering the questions the story starts to take form. CREATING begins.

The Hero's Journey is a great tool for this because it gives you an outer form into which to create. Which is what all structure does. Putting up a frame creates a void and questions immediately come up. How do I . . . ? What goes there . . . ? Who will be to blame . . . ? Who will save the day . . . ?

So make a list of questions about your story that need answers. Because here's the truth about that secret creative source --- it does exist, but it never shows up until the question is asked. Why? Because like they told you in basic physics, a void must always be filled and a void is what questions create.

A useless question never existed. So generate some conversations about your story. If you can put together a brainstorming group, jump at the chance. Conversation around your story helps generate questions. And always, always, pay attention to the way you view your own life and asks questions about your own reactions. Fiction is always about human nature and human nature always begins at home.

Ciao, and don't forget to write today,
Connie Flynn
http://bootcampfornovelists.com

Are You Smarter Than a Med Student?

2011-07-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

I’m a fan of popular culture and, plus, I like to watch television during dinner. While the choices at that hour are often limited, I would watch Smarter Than a Fifth Grader anytime — as long as it isn’t up against one of my favorites. It always amazes me when grown people can’t get the answers straight . . . well, actually it doesn’t. One question that always stuck out to me was the one about how many horns a rhinoceros has. I mean really, how often do you see a rhinoceros? Besides, does anybody know that stuff?

A few days later, I mentioned the question at my monthly poker game. Seems a rhino has two horns. Everybody knew that. But me.

Still, I remain fond of Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? even though it exposes my abject ignorance on so many subject. But the other night, I was redeemed. By a medical student who was very up on her science. Math and history were apparently not her forte and things weren’t looking good for her. The crowning blow came in the form of a trick word question: Jack has 15 marbles. Susie has 20 more marbles than Jack. How many marbles do they have together?

The answer seemed obvious. Then Jeff Foxworthy (the host) repeated the question with a different emphasis, and suddenly a new answer popped to my mind. You’ve probably already guessed. The answer that immediately comes to mind is 35. But let’s look again. Susie has 20 more marbles than Jack, meaning she has 35. When you then figure in Jack’s measly 15, you get 50.

Guess how the med student answered? With great confidence, I might add. That’s right — 35. Yes! I cheered. I might not be smarter than a fifth grader but I’m smarter than a med student. On second thought, how scary is that?

To be fair, I need to repeat that it was a trick question, but I don’t think that’s why this obviously intelligent and well educated woman didn’t get it right. I think it was her mind-set at the time. A couple weeks back I blogged at Much Cheaper Than Therapy about character concerns and how they bring a character to life. Concerns come from a complex combination of the person’s perspectives, opinions and attitudes and my guess is that a med student would not be looking for trick questions. A student in another discipline or in a lower grade level might watch out for trick questions because some teachers love them and they are educational. But a student of medicine? No, more likely their concerns revolve around getting it right, memorizing correctly, and certainly not about an easily overlooked factoid that was put there to see if you were on the ball.

And to remain fair, I have only the shallowest idea of what might concern medical students, but as fiction writers that’s part of the research, not of story conception. And I just couldn’t resist sharing this one small television event that proves everything about life, whether real or fictionalized, is in the details.

I’ll be offering my basic four-course package again this fall. The first course, Creating Characters, starts on September 30. You can enroll separately if the discount package deal doesn’t work for you. This Bootcamp covers character concerns and all the different elements that go into developing the short list of them that make characters live and breath. If this catches your interest, click over to the right sidebar for more details . . . and for the remaining courses open in 2011.

I have a question now. Have you ever seen people act in a way that didn’t fit who you thought they were? What did they do? What did you expect? What concern do you think was in play during that behavior? How about for the medical student. I’m very interested in your opinion, so please chime in.

In the meantime, ciao,

–Connie

Co-Founder/Teacher

Bootcamp for Novelists Online

Who Doesn't Love a Mystery?

2011-06-28T15:31:00.001-07:00

DESERT SLEUTHS CHAPTER
SISTERS IN CRIME

2011 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Write STRONG: A Writer's Workout

Desert Sleuths WriteNow! 2011 Conference, “WriteSTRONG: A Writer’s Workout” will be held August 20, 2011, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. in the Webster Auditorium at Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, AZ 85008.

Registration $75, $80 at the door. Professional editing sessions with Carol Test, $15 per submission.

Featuring multi award-winning, bestselling authors Sophie Littlefield, Kelli Stanley and Juliet Blackwell. This will be a high
-energy event designed to whip you and your writing into shape. Visit
www.DesertSleuths.com for more details and to register.

This is one of my favorite conferences and I never miss it. Always
conveniently located, as of late it's also had some classy venues. Last
years it was at the Wrigley mansion and this year's will be, as mentioned
above, at the gorgeous Botanical Gardens.

The speakers cover truly diverse topics from supernatural mystery to using
grammar correctly, and . . . a great editor to run your work by. Carol Test
is my colleague in the Creative Writing program at Phoenix College. If
you're ready to have a sample of your work evaluated, I highly recommend
that you take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.

Plus, did I mention that the conference price will be easy on your wallet -
-$75 in advance and $80 at the door. That includes lunch.

I hope to see you there. All good books contain suspense and learning how to
build a strong mystery can only improve your stories no matter what genre
you write in.

For more detail, check out the Desert Sleuth website
http://www.desertsleuths.com/WriteNow_2011.html

And you might want to stop by a monthly meeting -- Grimaldi's, Old Town
Scottsdale. 4000 N Scottsdale Road, 6pm, third Wednesday of the month.

Connie Flynn
http://BootcampforNovelists.com
http://ConnieFlynn.com

Bootcamp for Novelists Summer Courses

2011-06-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

HAIKU MADNESS HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO SEPTEMBER 2. SCROLL DOWN FOR DETAILS

JULY 15 TO AUGUST 12
A NEW AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
The Return of Ever Popular Historical Author
DENISE DOMNING!

BRING YOUR HISTORICAL TO LIFE

Learn to weave historical facts into your novel so deftly that readers
feel they've entered a time machine while reading your book.

In this course you'll learn how to create your characters' world view and create conflict by letting some of them rise above the "truth" of their time period. You'll also learn how to balance historical fact and events with your fictional story to make them seem true to their time. Finally, you'll learn what in their environment they need to see and interact with so you can create a bridge between our time and theirs, the bridge that will take your readers on their journey into the past.

But don't think that these research tools are for historical authors only. Any author who writes about an unknown setting or occupation will find this course invauable for creating a believeable world.
FEE: $28
ENROLL NOW

JULY 22 TO AUGUST 5
7P THE ART OF PACING
A 2 week mini-course taught by Linda Style

Pacing isn't all about speed. It's also about moving readers along. And even more. Pacing has many facets and involves everything from the tone of your book to the language you use. In this class you'll learn the ins and outs of pacing from story to scene to paragraph to sentence and how to use pacing to benefit your story.
FEE: $15
ENROLL NOW

JULY 22 to SEPTEMBER 2
SUMMER SPECIAL BOOTCAMP CLINIC taught by Connie Flynn
C1 APPLYING THE HERO'S JOURNEY
Mythology was made famous by Joseph Campbell and later applied to screenwriting and storytelling by Hollywood, yet the principles of this powerful tool to a reader's subconscious common links are only vaguely understood. Learn that archetypes are actually placeholders and how the journey itself takes many forms. This course is six weeks long and features considerable discussion as well as exercises for employing the "Journey" method.
FEE: $48
SAVE $5 ENROLL BY 6/24 Fee: $43
ENROLL NOW

AUGUST 5 to SEPTEMBER 16
SUMMER SPECIAL BOOTCAMP CLINIC with Linda Style
LS1 SECRETS TO A KILLER SYNOPSIS
Includes: query letter, voice & style
A unique voice and style can make your synopsis stand out among the hundreds of submissions editors and agents receive. In this class you'll learn all the elements necessary for a successful synopsis and receive direct feedback on your work. In order to get the most from the class, it is recommended that you have completed at least half of your manuscript.
FEE: $48
SAVE $5 ENROLL BY JULY 15 Fee: $43
ENROLL NOW

SEPTEMBER 2 TO SEPTEMBER 16
HAIKU MADNESS with Connie Flynn
Connie Flynn is offering the Bootcamp's first off-topic course, called a Sidebar, which is a quick two-week course that will cover creative writing areas that are outside the area of novel writing. She's starting with Haiku poetry, where students will learn the basics of this often misunderstood poetry form.

What is haiku? It's a Japanese poem structure that is measured by syllables. Traditionally only three lines long, each line is a specific length — line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables and line three is again five. Click this link to see a sample haiku: http://www.bootcampfornovelists.com/cf-courses/c-course-csb1-haiku-sample.html

So why haiku? I think it also frees the creative mind, kind of like mental doodling. In this course we will write haiku on various topics, starting with the classic season/nature themes, then moving on to satirical haiku, and then free for all haiku on topics far and wide.

It's a two-week course. You can come in once a week for the lessons or pop in an out every day. There is no constructive (or non-constructive) feedback. You just take your bow each time you post. At $15, this course is a steal, and just what many of you need to relax those overworked mental muscles of yours.
FEE: $15
ENROLL NOW

Bootcamp for Novelists is has been online for over two years. Instructors Connie Flynn and Linda Style teach step-by-step novel writing that starts at the beginning and takes you through the polish. Check out our curriculum at http://bootcampfornovelists.com/camo-open-courses.html

Today's Blog is at Much Cheaper Than Therapy

2011-06-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

The lovely ladies at Much Cheaper Than Therapy invited me to become a guest blogger. I was honored to accept and today is my very first blog with them on the subject of pen names. Check us out, leave a comment. We'd love to hear from you.

Also, this New York Times Article could be announcing a game changer. It came to me through the Sisters in Crime monthly recap. If we worry that traditional publishers are giving up on print, we may be very wrong. It looks like they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

I'll be back later this week with the top tool for making fictional characters seem like real peeps. Also if you're thinking to enroll in the haiku course, enrollment is now open

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Denise Domning

2011-05-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am so delighted to once again present my good friend, Denise Domning, as this summer's Spotlight author. Last year, Bootcampers gave Denise rave reviews for Spotlight on Theme and Premise. This year she will talk about how to Bring Your Historical to Life. Renowned for her historical accuracy, Denise has tried and true techniques for bringing cultures and settings to life. But this bootcamp is not just for historical writers. Any writer who is building a story world around an unfamiliar setting will get enormous benefit from Denise's course. To find out more, scroll down and to enroll go to the Bootcamp website.

_________________________________________________________

Author Spotlight
July 15 to August 12
DENISE DOMNING!

Bring Your Historical to Life

Learn to weave historical facts into your novel so deftly that readers feel they've entered a time machine while reading your book.

In this course you'll learn how to create your characters' world view and create conflict by letting some of them rise above the "truth" of their time period. You'll also learn how to balance historical fact and events with your fictional story to make them seem true to their time. Finally, you'll learn what in their environment they need to see and interact with so you can create a bridge between our time and theirs, the bridge that will take your readers on their journey into the past.

But don't think that these research tools are for historical authors only. Any author who writes about an unknown setting or occupation will find this course invaluable for creating a believable world.

Here's a link to to Denise's Amazon.com book page.

2011-05-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

MAY COURSES NOW STARTING
May 27 to June 24
Infusing Stories With Emotion
Sparkling Dialogue

Late Registration Closes on June 3

SUMMER QUICKIES COMING UP

These are fast, fun two-week courses to loosen up your writing muscles
and get you off the serious track for the very funny fee of $15 each.

June 17 to July 1
CONNIE'S SUMMER SIDEBAR
Haiku Madness — a gentle journey into poetry

Only $15

July 22 to August 2
LINDA'S FIRST MINI-COURSE
Art of Pacing — a fast track course on keeping your story moving.

Only $15

Writing Great Dialogue in the 21st Century

2011-05-11T21:58:00.000-07:00

How He Thinks is How He Speaks
(and vice versa)

At the turn of the twenty-first century, the few books that dealt with fiction writing advised writers to use, oh, thirty percent dialogue and seventy percent narrative. By mid twentieth century it was a forty/sixty split and by the end it was at least fifty/fifty.

So what about our new shiny century? What is the currently advised ratio of dialogue and narrative? I’m not certain, actually, but my best guess is that the attitude surrounding dialogue these days is Excess is not nearly enough.

I’m kidding, honest, but the ratio of dialogue to narrative has increased. Has at a minimum flipped to the other side. The average book now is at least fifty/fifty, with some moving to forty/sixty. Part of the reason for this increase is the popularity of deep third person point of view, which often makes it difficult to write compelling narrative without making your character look obsessive.

What I find most interesting about any aspect of writing is the varied strength each writer brings to the computer. How many of you, for instance, just love to whip out pages of dialogue? How many of you get your biggest creative jolt from writing beautiful descriptions and tender introspection? Ultimately each writer is drawn to write what comes easiest to them, and it’s my belief that what comes easy reveals their natural talent, and that’s what I teach in my classes. But I want to hear your opinions. The differences among us are what make each writers book unique, one of a kind. So tell me what you love about writing and what you hate and I’ll tell you what your good at. Just click on the tiny "comments" tag at the bottom of the blog and when the window comes up write to me about what you like writing the most: dialogue or narrative.

Connie’s May Bootcamp will focus on Sparkling Dialogue and in September she’ll work with you to Punch Up Your Prose. Plus, she’s conducting a special summer workshop of Applying the Hero’s Journey to Your Story. To learn more about the courses, go to Bootcamp for Novelists.com and if you want the lowdown on Connie’s qualifications, check out her personal website at ConnieFlynn.com

Check out Connie's re-release of her werewolf classics: Shadow on the Moon and Shadow of the Wolf

Latecomers Welcome to Bootcamp Face-to-Face

2011-04-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

THE DANCE OF PLOT AND CHARACTER

We just learned that we'll be able to add people to the meal list even if they want to register at the door on the morning of April 30. The cut-off time is 8:45 because the program starts promptly at 9am. We'll even feed you juice, various breakfast breads, fruit and get you jump started with hot coffee or tea. Coffee, tea, and water will be available all day . . . and we hand out cookies at the afternoon break. Doors open at 8am, the seminar starts promptly at 9am, so get here early to check in, eat and chat.

LUNCH MENU:
Your choice of:
    * 6 oz. NY steak
    * Chicken breast w/pesto sauce
    * Pork chop with carmalized apples
    * Vegetarian: Ravioli w/marina sauce

Meal choice will be made during registration check-in.

Walk-in Registration fee is $150. Register online by the 29th to get the $125 fee.

LOCATION:
The Historical Monti's La Casa Vieja Steakhouse
100 S. Mill Avenue
Tempe, Arizona 85281
Phone: (480) 967-7594

You find Monti's on the corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado. The entrance is on Rio Salado but park in the back. There's a special entrance for us because the restaurant isn't regularly open that early. If you are totally unfamiliar with Monti's and unsure about finding it, email me at bootcamp4novelists@cox.net for more detailed instructions.

SCHEDULE:
8:00     Doors open/check in/continental breakfast
9:00     Seminar begins - Characters Discovered
10:30    Break
10:45    Seminar resumes - Boxes to Put Them In
12:00    Lunch
1:30      Seminar resumes - The 8 Major Story Events
3:00      Break
3:15      Seminar resumes - The Glorious Dance
5:00      Seminar complete

We must exit the dining room promptly at five. Another event is schedule right after us.

Bring a jacket or sweater and something to write with. Laptops are okay. You can travel light because most everything you need for a successful seminar will be provided.

bootcampfornovelists.com

Free Saturday Workshop, Good Guys and Vile Villains

2011-04-02T17:06:00.000-07:00

Villains are so often overlooked in the process of learning to write. We develop characters -- protagonists, secondary characters, love interests, antagonists, buddies and parents and children and whatever other people might populate our story.

Yet many of us think the villain will take care of himself -- he's bad, right, people hate him, right? what does it take to write a bad person?

Well, probably the same amount of effort it takes to write an antagonist. Romance writers are good at antagonists because the hero and heroine are always each others antagonists. But they aren't bad people, simply misguided, at least from the others perspective.

While villians are antagonists, there's something special about them, at least there needs to be if the villain is more than a Snidely Whiplash. Okay some of you might not remember the Perils of Pauline. Actually neither do I, but I do know that combined with Dudley Do-Right, the three stars personified stereotypical characterization.

We do much better jobs with building believable heroes and heroines these days, but not always as well in building villains. We need to look back at some memorable villains to see how often this role is neglected. How many of you write villains who match the pure intellect of Sherlock Holmes' nemesis, Moriarty? How about the wit of Hannible Lector from Silence of the Lambs? Captain Hook's doomed obsession with getting his hand back from the crocodile? The cold and ruthless focus of The White Witch in The Narnia series? The mad genuis of the Joker in the Batman series?

There is a common element that makes these villains unforgettable.and the major one is that they're all unique personalities. Their planning is diabolical; they are ruthless and will stop at nothing; and they have some deep sorrow or personal code of conduct that maintains their humanity.

Do you have a favorite Villain? If so, maybe you could take a moment to tell us what about that vile creature makes them unforgettable in your mind. Or, If you attend the Desert Sleuths Sisters in Crime free Saturday workshop at the Scottsdale Civic Center Library I'll be in one of the workshop rooms at 2pm, delivering a presentation on Constructing Killer Characters. I'll be dealing with developing a memorable villain so stop on by, stay if the workshop is of interest, and let me know who you thinks is/are the vilest of the vile.

If you can't make that workshop, consider my all-day workshop on April 30th called the Dance of Plot and Character. We will cover villians then, too. And much, much more because the day's devoted to making your characters come alive. In the meantime, I invite you again to post your idea of a memorable villain and why.

GOOD NEWS ABOUT BOOTCAMP FACE-TO-FACE

2011-03-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

EARLY REGISTRATION FEE EXTENDED UNTIL APRIL 20

We also now offer a 3-part installment plan

SO MARK APRIL 30 ON YOUR CALENDAR

THE DANCE OF CHARACTER AND PLOT

Date: Saturday, April 30
Time: 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location: Monti's La Casa Vieja
100 S. Mill Avenue
Tempe, AZ

A hands-on workshop
THE DANCE OF PLOT & CHARACTER
led by Bootcamp for Novelists Online co-founder and instructor, Connie Flynn

YOU WILL LEARN:
When we study novel writing we are forced to break its many elements into smaller chunks in order to master each of them well enough to write the powerful stories that are in us. Never is that truer than in the study of plot and character. You hear writers say things like "I'm a plot driven writer," or "My stories are driven b...y character." In the long run this is impossible. Plots are boring unless we care about the characters who live them. Characters never show their whole selves unless pressured by strong plot events. It's a delicate dance that takes place between plot and character and there are techniques that make the dance easier to choreograph. This course deals with some of the techniques.

This is a hands-on workshop, not an all-day lecture series, so come prepared to work. During the day, you will learn how and why plot and characters move through a story and how to intertwine them so that the people and events appear real and natural. At the end of the seminar you will be able to block out a novel in which characters create plot and plot pressures the characters to bring about a story resolution that is almost inevitable, but not necessarily predictable.

We'll end the day by aligning eight major scenes to the focal character's arc (defined as the change in their perspective caused by the story events). We'll see how events that seem to change the character are actually a result of the character's decision and how plot/character integration is a delicate dance between these two. The day includes a continental breakfast and a seated lunch

YOU WILL EAT:
On entering: bagels, muffins, fruit, plenty of coffee or tea. Your choice for lunch (your choice): New York steak, chicken breast, pork chop plus all the goodies. Coffee, ice tea and water available all day.

FEES:
Early registration (until March 31, 2011) $125
Late registration (after March 31, 2011) $150
A 3-Pay Installment Plan Available Online

Includes continental breakfast and sit-down lunch

Register at the Bootcamp website:
http://bootcampfornovelists.com/bootcamp-ftf.html

Mail Payment Options Available
Contact Connie (bootcamp4novelists@cox.net) for more details


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And I hope to see you in the Bootcamp Face-to-Face

--Connie

whose first two paranormal novels are back in print.

You can check them out at

http://www.amazon.com/Connie-Flynn/e/B000APBBD0/ref=sr_tc_2_rm?qid=1301419634&sr=1-2-ent

I'll be filling out the Amazon author page soon and also updating my pathetic personal website.

What's hotter than a sexy poet?

2011-03-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

Phoenix College is presenting the poet Tim Gieger at the next Microburst Conference, which will take place Saturday, April 2, at the Phoenix College Osborn Campus, which is between 11th and 12th Avenue on Osborn in Phoenix. The time is 9am to 1pm. Aside from the fact that this guy is a hottie of romance novel quality, he'll also discuss hand bookmaking. So, if you have an interest in poetry and/or the art of handmade paper, I highly recommend this conference. The price is right: it's free. Just call and make reservations. 602.285.7347.

A couple of Bootcamp reminders. Late registration for Scene Sculpting and Escalating Consequences closest this Friday at midnight. If you've been meaning to sign up but it slipped your mind, it's not yet too late.

You can now enroll with a 3-part payment plan for The Face to Face Bootcamp, The Dance of Plot and Character.

I'll be attending the Microbrust and hope to see you there.

Announcing a Bootcamp for Novelists FaceTo-Face All-Day Seminar

2011-02-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

THE DANCE OF PLOT
AND CHARACTER

. . . taught by Bootcamp co-founder and instructor Connie Flynn

WHEN:	Saturday, April 30, 2011
WHERE:	The Historical Monti's La Casa Vieja Steakhouse 100 S. Mill Avenue Tempe, Arizona 85281 www.montis.com

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

When we study novel writing we are forced to break its many elements into smaller chunks in order to master each of them well enough to write the powerful stories that are in us. Never is that truer than in the study of plot and character. You hear writers say things like "I'm a plot driven writer," or "My stories are driven by character." In the long run this is impossible. Plots are boring unless we care about the characters who live them. Characters never show their whole selves unless pressured by strong plot events. It's a delicate dance that takes place between plot and character and there are techniques that make the dance easier to choreograph. This course deals with some of the techniques.

During the day, you will learn how and why plot and characters move through a story and how to intertwine them so that the people and events appear real and natural. At the end of the seminar you will be able to block out a novel in which characters create plot and plot pressures the characters to bring about a story resolution that is almost inevitable, but not necessarily predictable. The day includes a continental breakfast and a seated lunch

The morning session will cover the basics of building the focal character and discovering how they will drive your story. Next, we'll learn a four-act structure of loose boxes that define the story and build its plot arc (the change occurring within a story due to the characters' decisions). And finally you'll be introduced to the eight major scenes that will guide your story.

The afternoon session is about techniques to add credibility to your focal character. You'll study what makes people tick and assign your character attitudes, perspectives, opinions, and concerns that will help you know them so well you'll know exactly how they'd react in any situation.

We'll end the day by aligning the eight major scenes to the focal character's arc (defined as the change in their perspective caused by the story events). We'll see how events that seem to change the character are actually a result of the character's decision and how plot/character integration is a delicate dance between these two.

Course Date: April 30, 2011

Early registration (until March 31, 2011) $125

Late registration (after March 31, 2011) $150
Installment Plan and Mail Payment Options Available
Contact Connie for more details
bootcamp4novelists@cox.net

I Love, Love, Love the San Diego State University Writers Conference

2011-02-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

On January 28th, I drove over the mountains to San Diego with my friends Lynne and Stacy to attend the San Diego State University Writers Conference. We stayed for the weekend, braving heavy fog, but making it safely thanks to Lynne’s and Stacy’s spot-on advice about how to navigate fog. We had a great time.

Although there are many more, these are my top ten reasons for love, love, loving this conference.

10. The distance. It’s only a five hour drive from Phoenix (when there’s no fog in the mountain that is).

9. High tech welcome. From twitter to digital publishing. If you wanted to know about it you could find it at SDSU. In today’s changing market this topic is becoming a must-have at valuable conferences.

8. The accommodations. San Diego never fails to be beautiful and the weather during our visit was perfect. The bad news during conferences is that you generally spend most of your time indoors and don’t get to enjoy the weather. We, however, had a room with a view – honestly. When we looked out the window, we didn’t see the backside of an office building or another hotel. We saw miles and miles of beautiful green San Diego, with waving palm trees and lush semi-tropical plants. What a great way to start each morning.

7. The workshops. SDSU is a multi-discipline and multi-genre conference. Fiction, from sweet romance and cozy mysteries to thrillers, horror, fantasy, sci-fi and literary works. Film and television. Nonfiction from self-help to how-to, memoirs and biographies, politics and business. At half a dozen or more per hour, workshop were presented on almost every topic of interest across the board. I attended specifically to find an agent and spent most of my time in the agents’ panels, but the writing specific workshops I was able to attend were terrific and I left them learning something new. At this conference there is something for everybody, no matter what level they’re at.

6. The attitude. These days cynicism runs wild in the publishing industry, bordering on despair. Sales are down. Bookstores are closing, publishers aren’t buying, only brand name author sell, and agents aren’t signing on new authors. This may all be true, but that pessimistic outlook sure wasn’t evident in San Diego. While not ignoring the real challenges in our profession, a hopeful attitude prevailed. The editors I talked to all loved their work, were excited about their upcoming releases. Agents were open to new writers, offering advice as well as requests. I felt noticed and valuable rather than one among many.

THE APPOINTMENT ROOM

5. The appointments. I’ve attended a lot of writer’s conference and at most of them you’re lucky to get one appointment. In fact, unless you’re one of the very early birds it’s likely you’ll get none. At this conference, you get what you pay for. Yes, they charge for appointments and after giving it careful thought, I think that’s a good thing. If you think about it from the editor’s or agent’s perspective, this eliminates frivolous meetings. They know the writer is serious and probably has a solid manuscript to pitch. And at this conference if you’re looking for information and don’t yet have a solid manuscript, look at reasons three for the many other opportunities to talk with these professionals.

4. The appointment structures. There were two: an advanced reading, where the editor or agent looks at ten of your pages in advance and gives feedback at the meeting; consultations, where you discuss the progress of your work as well as doing just the classic pitch. Very refreshing.

3. Agents and editors are everywhere. At the tables in the banquet hall, in the lobby, hanging around the registration desks. Highly accessible at meals and holding court at evening mixers. Unless they were rushing to an appointment or a workshop, they were all open to impromptu conversations. What a friendly and hardworking crew.

2. The price. Every year Erin Quinn Grady sponsors an essay conference about why you want to attend the San Diego State University Conference. I had plenty of good reasons and they must have been good enough because I won. Thank you, thank you, Erin, for awarding me this incredible experience.

And my number one reason for love, love, loving the San Diego State University’s Writers Conference?

1. The requests! I received five requests to see my fantasy manuscript, and am currently putting the finishing touch on it so I can send it off. Which is also my number one excuse for being so tardy getting up this review.

If you want to see a little bit of what you might find if you attend next year, a post-conference page is now on Facebook. Here's the link SDSU

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Click here to visit the Bootcamp website,
To post a comment, click on the tiny pencil below.

COME ON DOWN, JOHANNE LEACH

2011-02-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Yay! We have a winner of the reissued copies of my first paranormal novels! Johanne Leach, who is also a Bootcamp student. I hope you enjoy the books, Johanne.

Our February celebration is still going on and the $25 course fee can be applied to future courses, not just the ones running now. And, those who thought they missed the Dynamic Plotting and Deepening Characterization courses, the good news is that late registration doesn't end until tomorrow (the 18th).

Don't forget to check out Linda's Corner as she continues with the giveaways. She's feeling generous this February.

Also, as announced a few days ago, I'll be presenting a full day Bootcamp Face-to-Face seminar called
Marrying Plot and Character on April 30. Watch the Bootcamp website for details.

In the meantime, one more reminder that our fee discount will apply until February 28, then I'm out of here to post my tardy review on the wonderful San Diego State University Writers Conference.

And again, Johanne, congratulations on winning the books.

Help Us Celebrate

2011-02-01T22:32:00.000-08:00

Bootcamp for Novelists Online is celebrating the second anniversary of teaching people how to become novelists. When I think of it, I get kind of blown away. Where did the time go? A little less than three years ago, Linda Style and I chatted about starting this school over our cups of coffee and decided to take my face-to-face Bootcamps online. Our concept was slightly different. Instead of teaching random topics, we designed our courses to be step by step, so that one skill builds upon the next.

We had hopes we’d thrive, but we had no idea what might really happen.

Our first course was met with enthusiasm that exceeded our highest expectations. Since then our newsletter subscriber list has steadily grown, our students stay through many of the advanced courses before moving on and recommending us to their friends.

Beyond our wonderful students, we owe our success to many others, The newsletter editors and webmasters from the Desert Rose and Valley of the Sun RWA chapters, and from Sisters in Crime, who all generously announce our course listings every month and even remind me if I forget to send copy. Julie Rowe and her wonderful semi-weekly mailing announcing current classes. Our writing friends who spread the word on their blogs and on various email lists.

So we want to celebrate and give back by cutting our fees to $25 on regular Bootcamp and discounting our six-week Clinic courses. Taking it a bit farther, Linda and I want to give something extra. Linda is awarding a beautiful turquoise bracelet. I, in a spirit of dual celebration, will award copies of my just reissued Shadow on the Moon and Shadow of the Wolf, the werewolf duo that remained on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel paranormal bestseller lists for nearly two years.

Just stop by and leave a comment and your name will be entered in a drawing which will take place on February 15, the anniversary date that we launched our first Bootcamp. Get your comment in by February 14 and the winner will receive both books.

Also, visit our new Facebook Community Page. You’ll find a link at the top of the right-hand sidebar. But most of all, please help us celebrate surviving our first two years of business, always the difficult ones. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Connie
http://BootcampforNovelists.com
http://ConnieFlynn.com

Bootcamp Course Coming Up

2011-01-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

CONNIE'S FEB/MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES

Continuing the Four Pillars of Structure

2-B DYNAMIC PLOTTING
Some people believe that stories come from a magical realm and simply float down to some lucky writers. But could it be possible that given a character with a goal who faces conflict that you can give them situations that make your story sing? This course shows you how.

The Story Question
Four Act Structure
Eight Major Plot Points
Making It a Page Turner

3-B SCENE SCULPTING
Structuring scenes for maximum impact is the third pillar of story structure. You'll leave this course knowing where and when to place a scene and how to connect each scene for ease of flow and maximum impact.

The Principles of Cause and Effect
Control Actions Scenes, Control the Reader
Reaction Must Be Given Its Due
Transitioning from Action to Reaction . . . and Back Again

4-B CONFLICT THAT SIZZLES
Without conflict there is no story. But what is conflict and how does it affect character and plot? It stems from the obstacles to the character's goal and from the consequences of character action. This course will focus on escalating obstacles and consequences until conflict sizzles on every page.

External Conflict
Extreme Differences
How Plot Pressures Characters
The Action Arc

All courses are 4 weeks in length. Go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ for more information.

LINDA'S FEB/ MARCH/APRIL BOOTCAMP START DATES

Continuing the Techniques of the Pros

2-P DEEPENING CHARACTERIZATION - begins Feb 11
How your character acts in any given situation is based on multiple variables. Here you'll learn what they are and how to use them to make your characters leap off the page.

Character Arcs
Values and beliefs
Deep Point of View

3-P ESCALATING CONSEQUENCES - begins March 18
Have you ever been so excited about a story that it almost seems to write itself...and then somewhere after the third chapter it stops dead? If so it's probably because your conflict is static. This workshop examines what makes your conflict dynamic...and what to do to make your story move along naturally...with high drama.

External situations and internal conflict
Static conflicts vs dynamic conflicts
High Drama

4-P BUILDING STRONG PLOTS AND SUBPLOTS - begins April 22
Do you ever wonder what makes a good story great? Why we remember some stories and not others? In this workshop we examine layering and subplot development and their use in taking a story from okay to outstanding.

High concept plots vs character driven plots
Subplots
Weaving in subplots

All courses are 4-weeks in length. Go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ for more details.

Today is 1/11/11. Is This a Cosmic Date?

2011-01-11T11:54:00.000-08:00

BLOG ON 1/1/11

Today is January 11, 2011 or numerically 1-11-11. Numerologist consider this a significant date because this sequence of numbers is considered a wake-up call. A signal to look around you and reassess your path.

In numerology, eleven is considered a sacred number because unless broken into fractions it is divisible only by the numeral one or by itself. It’s called a master (or prime) number and why that makes it important outside the field of mathematics, I have no idea, although if I poked around the internet for a while I might actually find one.

The main reason I’m moved by this date is that somewhere back in the nineties I attended an 11/11 (November 11) event that was meant to open the gate to the cosmic wheel to allow earth to move to its next level of cosmic consciousness. (See Linda Lubin’s blog.) Some numerologist and metaphysicians believe that this date, today, 1/1/11, will activate that cosmic wheel and that 11/11/11 (November 11, 2011) will complete the cycle. Of the cycle started this year or the one started back in the nineties, I’m not sure.

What I do know is this. That first 11/11 was flooded with people from all over Arizona and others were held in various places all over the country. These weren’t mostly far out New Age people, although there were a fair share of them, but mothers and housewives, and plumbers and doctors and librarians. Many had never attended anything remotely like this, but said they’d felt called to be there.

I’ve always been a student of metaphysics, but I steer away from the edges because I’m too fond of reality. Did I believe I was letting in the Cosmic Wheel? No, I don’t think so — I had more of a show me attitude which I still hold today — but I was there anyway. I was supposed to go with a friend, who backed out at the last minute, so I went alone. I felt called too. I knew no one. I didn’t hook up with anyone specific. I simply participated. We held hands, we listened to music, we chanted. We connected.

And at 11 o’clock on 11/11, we directed our energy to opening the gate that would allow in the wheel.

It was one of the most transcendent evenings of my life. The energy, the connection was overwhelmingly powerful. Tears of happiness streaked down my cheeks and I felt my heart open. Then it was over and I went home.

Where a choir of angels sang to me before I went to bed.

I seldom talk about that night because it seems so, I don’t know, it seems like a fairy tale. Not many in my circle would take the story seriously. Was it serious? Another I don’t know. But a part of me believes it was and also believes that the little speck of the cosmos that is me was vital to it ever happening.

Today, 1/1/11, reminds me of it and makes me realize that if I’m invited to an 11/11/11 event. I’ll be there. Maybe I’ll be needed.

VAN DIEMEN AT 17 by Jeania Kimbrough -- A Review

2011-01-08T16:01:00.000-08:00

Great characters, a foreign setting, lots of bratty mean girls, a prissy schoolmarm, and a hot guy to die for. The premise of Jeania Kimbrough's VAN DIEMEN AT 17 is the prescription for a page turner, but never slips into genre cliches.

When an over-achieving American high school student decides to complete her senior year as a foreign exchange student in Tasmania, she encounters unanticipated expectations that bring her face to face with her biggest fear: failure. Throw in a sophisticated medical student from a prominent Tasmanian family and you have the recipe for a disastrous romance and unpredictable consequences that reverberate through the exchange program community.

The story is told simply, with deep attention to the emotional complexity of even the secondary characters, but especially the star-crossed protagonists, who are lovingly crafted. As the story pulled me in I also gained insight into a culture that, like most Americans, completely intrigues me. How similar the English speaking residents are to Americans, and yet how vastly different.

Jeania studied Creative Writing with me at Phoenix College and wrote this book (or most of it) during that time she crafted a coming of age story that goes beyond its roots to explore the impact change has on human beings and their relationships. What a lovely read. I recommend Van Diemen at 17 to anyone interested in reading about triumphs of the human spirit.

Overhauling Holiday Traditions , PART II -- Review, Release & Renew

2011-01-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

So my New Year's Eves were always, well, dull. Dull, dull, dull. I stayed home, alone, read and watched TV, then at midnight I went to the sidewalk and watched the fireworks at Tempe Town Lake. Several neighbors usually joined me -- the ones who stayed up that late -- and we'd chat while the Tempe celebration blazed.

Quite honestly I haven't been a big fan of New Year celebrations. The gaiety so often seemed forced, and after all those Christmas parties and family dinners, the year;s end feels like a time to unwind, not to party until dawn.

This year I decided if I could change up a major Christmas tradition, I could change up New Year's Eve, too. I invited a few close friends to share a 'closure ritual' to leave 2010 with a clean slate on which we could write 'who we wanted to be' in 2011.

We started by listing our 2010 accomplishments. The lists weren't very long, which makes me think we might have been just a tad too modest. Then we had dinner and followed that by our lists of failures, regrets, and sorrows. Surprisingly, these weren't too long either -- maybe the time spent reflecting on successes made us realize things weren't really that bad. We took that list to a giant ashtray and burned the lists, one by one, then spilled the ashes over a pond (we actually were going to go to a nearby lake, but it got too dang cold, so we had to use a bucket filled with water; hey, we're nothing if not resourceful). This symbolically released the negative energies from our new life,

Next we made a wish list for 2011 and reviewed it carefully to construct who we would have to be in order to accomplish those things. As the first firecracker popped, and after owning our successes and releasing our failures, we designed who we would become in 2011 and declared it to the world.

This change made my New Year quite different than the ones before and I think we'll be making it a tradition. The process doesn't require a new year, simply the desire to review, release, and renew. .

Some of you might want to try it yourself,
.

Overhauling Holiday Traditions & Routines

2011-01-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

Part 1 - Redoing Christmas.
What? But you can’t redo Christmas. Whatever any family does, it’s always been done that way. And nothing is harder to change than a tradition that’s always been done. Until this year, when my family was looking for ways to reduce holiday spending. I mean, maybe there was some talk about getting back to the real meaning of Christmas and that kind of thing, but truth was that the lagging economy has taken its toll on us all and giving gifts for everyone in our large family was getting expensive.

We decided on a Secret Santa gift exchange -- not to be confused with the forever rowdy Dirty Santa exchange, we do that too because some things just are too good to let go --- but we altered the way we exchanged Christmas gifts. In lieu of buying gifts for each and everyone, we drew names for the person who we’d give a well-considered and substantial gift.

I was moderately enthusiastic — after all, I enjoy getting gifts for all the kids, and I enjoy receiving gifts, but I went along. The results were spectacular. As anticipated, it cut Christmas spending down by two thirds and didn’t create January credit card bills. What was unanticipated was the amount of stress it eliminated. No rushing around to dozens for stores seeking just the right thing, trying to keep everything even, while not busting the budget (and I usually failed), and the Christmas Day exchange itself was lovely. Instead of piles of small, soon forgotten, gifts, we each gave and received something of greater personal value than we would normally have bought for ourselves. The day was so successful we’re doing it next year. Plus, it made me decide that change is good, so I radically altered the way I habitually spend New Years Eve.

But more on that tomorrow . . .

Meanwhile, I hope everyone has had a marvelous holiday season. I also hope I see some of you in the Bootcamp . . . the upcoming courses are listed in last week's post and on our website: bootcampfornovelists.com .

Bootcamp for Novelists is starting again on January 7. Check out our listings

2010-12-29T10:31:00.000-08:00

BOOTCAMP COURSES BEGIN JANUARY 7, REGISTRATION CLOSES ON THE 14th.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and just wanted to remind you that New Year's is right around the corner. Time to think about our book . . . or our next book. If you're interested in learning to write a novel or in improving skills you already have, the Bootcamp has a great lineup of courses for 2011. Check us out!

FOUR PILLARS OF STRUCTURE
1B - Creating Characters
2B - Dynamic Plotting
3B - Sculpting Scenes
4B - Conflict That Sizzles

These four courses develop your basic writing skills and give you the foundation for writing your book. You'll go through step-by-step exercises that can sometimes be frustrating but are designed to help you identify how to create the memorable characters, can't-put-it-down plotting, and tense, crackling scenes that are found in all the best books. Plus, knowledge at a bargain. FEE: $92 Individual courses are $28 each. You save $20 by enrolling in the four-class package.

TECHNIQUES OF THE PROS
1P - The First Three Chapters
2P - Deepening Character
3P - Escalating Consequences
4P - Creating Strong Subplots

The advanced techniques in these four classes are designed to expand and build on your basic foundation skills to take your writing to another level. The lessons and exercises, using your own work, will give you hands on experience as you learn the concepts and practice the techniques that create the kind of stories that make a bestseller . . . complex stories with memorable characters that readers will remember long after they've turned the last page. FEE: $92. Individual courses are $28 each. You save $20 by enrolling in the four-class package.

For more information and to enroll go to: http://bootcampfornovelists.com/camo-open-courses.html

INDIVIDUAL COURSES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE.

CONNIE'S BOOTCAMPS
January 7 to February 4
1-B CREATING CHARACTER
Beginners often want to push their characters around, which can result in inconsistent character behavior. This course provides the fundamentals necessary for replacing stick figures with living, breathing people. A "basic" Bootcamp taught by Connie Flynn.

   1. Goal/Motivation/Conflict
   2. Character Integration
   3. Point of View
   4. Making Characters Unique

February 11 to March 11
2-B DYNAMIC PLOTTING
Some people believe that stories come from a magical realm and simply float down to some lucky writers. But could it be possible that given a character with a goal who faces conflict that you can give them situations that make your story sing? This course shows you how. A "basic" Bootcamp taught by Connie Flynn.

   1. The Story Question
   2. Four Act Structure
   3. Eight Major Plot Points
   4. Making It a Page Turner

For more information and to enroll go to: http://bootcampfornovelists.com/camo-open-courses.html
All current Bootcamps are accepting enrollment. For listings of future "basic" courses go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com/courses-connieflynn.html
Individual course fees are $28/each. Enroll in the package and save $5 a course.

LINDA'S BOOTCAMPS
January 7 to February 4
1-P THE FIRST THREE CHAPTERS
The course consists of weekly lessons and writing exercises, where students will learn the intricacies of hooking the reader, building reader empathy, and how to use emotion to your story's best advantage. You will use the beginning of your novel in the exercises. A "polish" course taught by Linda Style.

    * Understanding emotion and bonding
    * Purpose
    * Beginnings, Middles and Endings

February 11 to March 11
2-P DEEPENING CHARACTERIZATION
How your character acts in any given situation is based on multiple variables. Here you'll learn what they are and how to use them to make your characters leap off the page. A "polish" course taught by Linda Style.

    * Character Arcs
    * Values and beliefs
    * Deep Point of View

For more information and to enroll go to: http://bootcampfornovelists.com/camo-open-courses.html
All current Bootcamps are accepting enrollment. For listings of future "polish" courses go to: http://bootcampfornovelists.com/courses-lindastyle.html

Go to http://bootcampfornovelists.com for more course details or for instructor bios.

You Can't Win If You Don't Play

2010-12-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

A substitute teacher from Fort Mohave walked into the Arizona Lottery's headquarters Monday and put two weeks of rumors, speculation and excitement to rest, claiming a $95.3 million Powerball prize.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/community/pinal/articles/2010/12/13/20101213fort-mohave-powerball-winner1213abrk.html#ixzz18DS1FotX

I couldn't be more excited for her if she were my neighbor. My philosophy is that when someone else wins it's just proof that I can too. However, I'm not a regular lottery player, not because I have any compunctions about gambling or spending my money unwisely (I don't think the $1 ticket price will break my budget even if I did it twice a week) but because I just forget to buy the ticket. I'm not sure this woman's success will change my habits very much, at least not regarding lottery tickets.

But it has made me take a second look at my habits regarding submitting my work. I tend to submit in spurts and when rejections come back I stop submitting for a while. Intellectually I know that I should send out a new query for every rejection or painfully slow response (which usually equals no response), but I don't. I won't embarrass myself by admitting the pathetic, self-pitying reasons I don't because they don't matter anyway. What matters is that I start sending out again.

Well, if this woman can buy the same lottery numbers for six years in a row, I can certainly keep submitting my books for at least half that length of time. After all, the responses take longer than the two to three days it takes to know if you have a winning ticket. So from that logic I should be sending the books out for at least twelve years.

Sounds good and it brought to mind the advice I got second hand from bestselling paranormal author Kresley Cole, which is:

* If you're set on publishing, then don't dabble. Decide if you're in or you're out. Then do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. I had a "25" plan. At any given time, I would have my writing out in 25 myriad forms-either contests, critiques, agent queries, publisher queries, etc. I believe you have to jump in with both feet.

That's my goal for 2011, even though at this point it seems it will take more time and money than I might have available. If I can't do "25" then maybe I'll start with "12." I think the main point is to always have something out there,

If you're career isn't moving as quickly as you'd like, you might want to think about doing the same, no matter where you are in. If you're a beginner, get your work out to reading group and find critique partners. More advanced? Put contests, agents, and editors on your lists. Published but want to go to the next level -- start putting your work out there again..

This Fort Mohave woman's win reminded me that it's true -- you can't win if you don't play. And playing sure paid off for Kresley Cole. Maybe it will for us.

BootcampforNovelists.com

Check out our 2011 course listings and our package deals!!!

Julian Assange, Diplomatic Secrets & Hacker Wars . . . what does this have to do with writing?

2010-12-09T17:10:00.000-08:00

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Hackers-Give-Web-Companies-a-nytimes-1566295641.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=main&asset=&ccode=

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/12/05/wikileaks-ready-release-massive-insurance-file-shut/

When fiction writers need new story ideas, they often look for them in the depths of their brain, and the best writers are often successful. What’s easy to forget is that the real everyday world is often a treasure trove of intrigue, conflict, betrayal after trust, wildly opposing opinions, and big egos wanting things to go their way. Just the stuff that good fiction is made of.

Take Julian Assange. He managed to access documents, essentially eavesdropped, on sensitive diplomatic conversations. Some call what he did, stealing. Others say the governments failed to maintain proper security. Some call it terrorism. Others call it freedom of speech. Some say he’s just a shock-jock, publicity hound. Others say he’s a crusader.

Truth is, he hasn’t essentially hurt anyone. Ruffled a few feathers, yes, and possibly set back some diplomatic progress. Yet somehow he’s become the most hunted man on the planet, putting Osama Bin Laden in second place. But his home country (Australia) states he’s committed no crime, and private crusaders are waging hacker wars on the web companies that turned him away.

I’m not sure where I stand on the debate except to say this hot stuff, raw material for an exceptionally intriguing novel. If I were writing it someone surely would die, although I won’t say how or who, mainly because I don’t know. On the other hand, another author has already touched on the cyber-war subject. Steig Larsson’s, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, dealt extensively with cyber-war, although the purpose was less lofty than the one claimed by Assange, but it certainly had high stakes and secrets no one wanted out. I won’t be surprised to see a flood of cyber-war books on the market in the next year. So is this an example of life imitating art? Or art imitating life? All I know is that tempers are rising, threats have been made, and emotions are in control.

It’s the author’s job to assume a balanced position and put all that emotion to good work, in a damn good novel. Maybe change the venue, say to arguments over biologically modified crops or whether we really need a movie rating system. All you need is a subject that is vehemently supported or opposed, a larger than life character taking an outrageous stand, and opposing opinions flying all over the place, frequently delivering the hero a wounding blow.

Who will win? How will it all work out? What do you think? Post your opinion. I want to hear.

Connie Flynn
Co-Founder/Owner
BootcampforNovelists.com

Look for the re-release of my bestselling paranormal romance, SHADOW ON THE MOON

Coming this February

Thanksgiving and giving thanks

2010-11-27T17:28:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Thanksgiving, in my admittedly untested opinion, is that it's nondenominational. It's about giving thanks to the creator as you know him/her/it and most of all it's about the secret of a happy life, appreciation.

And I don't mean appreciating the jellied cranberry sauce you hate or the flute you got for Christmas when you were a kid, instead of that cool mountain bike you really wanted. What I mean is noticing the things you truly do love. In Arizona, our Thanksgiving was crisp and cool and beautifully clear. When I walked out of the house into the day, I took a deep breath and breathed it in.

Appreciation.

Later that day we had a wonderful traditional turkey dinner. The turkey was moist with plenty of white meat (prepared by my daughter in law), the stuffing was exotic, made by my oldest granddaughter, and quite delicious. The potatoes and green beans (made by me) got lots of praise.

Appreciation.

Dessert came and my daughter made a homemade pecan pie that used only sugar because I'm allergic to corn syrup. It was so good, so crunchy, so sweet, that even in mixed company I called it orgasmic (hey, the little ones don't know what that means). Even more, I appreciated my daughter for going to so much trouble for me, since we aren't really homemade pie kind of people. Except for the eating part.

Appreciation.

By the end of the day I was caught up in family conversation and nibbling at leftovers and very much aware of how much I had to be thankful for -- alas, some years I'm not quite so aware -- which is one more thing to appreciate.

How about you? How was your Thanksgiving weekend? What did you give thanks for? What did you appreciate?

We are so lucky to have this day to remind us to count our blessings. Do you agree?

Christina Skye and a Free Fiction Writer’s All Day Workshop

2010-10-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

CHRISTINE SKYE

Plus a contest and free writing courses.
Today’s blog is full of exciting news

.
The biggest – big enough that it earned the blog title – news is that New York Times bestselling author Christina Skye, (keynote speaker at the Desert Rose Chapter’s Fall Scottsdale Library Conference) is sponsoring an essay contest to aspiring or published authors who want to grow their careers, .

The lucky winner will be awarded a four-course writing package of choice from Bootcamp for Novelists Online (http://bootcampfornovelists.com). To enter, To enter, participants must submit a 100 word essay on this question:

What will it take to Boot my writing career to the next level?

Entries go to ckflynn@cox.net and must arrive no later than November 17th. The winner will be announced during Christina Skye's keynote conference

address and you must be present to win.

Conference details:
    DESERT ROSE’S FIFTH ANNUAL FREE FALL WORKSHOPS
   SCOTTSDALE CIVIC CENTER LIBRARY NOVEMBER 20, 2010
   9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.
   Cost: FREE     Includes a continental breakfast.

Twelve more published authors will generously join Christina Skye in sharing their time and knowledge.

Laurie Schnebly Campbell
Denise Domning
Donna Hatch
Gini Koch
Annette Mahon
Cathy McDavid

Erin Quinn
Vijaya Schartz
Amber Scott
Pamela Tracy
Kris Tualla
Carrie Weaver

For even more, go to: http://www.desertroserwa.org/news/Phoenix-Romance-Writers-Announcements.php and take a peek at the programs being presented.
And don’t forget to write your essay. Again, send to ckflynn@cox.net no later than 11/17.

___________________________________________________________

Winners and Hail Storms and $2 Discounts

2010-10-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

The students who joined Cathy McDavid for her Author Spotlight came away with a new view of writing the synopsis. One of them won a full synopsis critique from Cathy.

Our winner, ta da! is Catie Rhodes, student extradonaire. Isn't she cute? Of course, this isn't really Catie, but she does have a Pomeranian, who undoubtedly will keep her company as she rewrites her critiqued synopsis.

My guess is that after this critique Catie will be getting lots of requests for her full manuscript.

Now onto the hail storm. It rained heavily on Monday and Tuesday this week, a huge downpours that broke a late year Arizona heat wave. Some people think Arizona is a continuous heat wave, but fact is 105 degree days in October are not all that common. So we were ready for the rain. An editor once commented that Arizonans don’t know when to come out of the rain, and she meant that literally.

Actually, we do know when. . . but most of us love rain, especially natives like me and we just don’t want to miss any of it. Still, everybody ducked inside when baseball-size chunks of hail came pouring down at 90 miles per hour or so. Honest, I’m not making this up and here's a video clip to prove it .It Really Hails In Arizona.

You may be wondering why I’m telling you all this, and I’ve got to admit I don’t know. Oh, yes I do. What brought the unusual storms to my mind is that sometimes things need a little shaking up, so that’s what Bootcamp for Novelists Online will be doing in 2011, shaking things up. We’ll be entering the third year for our school and it’s occurred to us that our offerings might be a bit limited even, dare I say it, stale. So look for more Clinics and Spotlights next year. And perhaps some shorter two-week programs or even subjects outside writing the novel. A short story Bootcamp, for instance, or even poetry.

Right now, we’re winding down year 2010. My last course this year is the Surviving Rewrites and Revisions Clinic, which starts this Sunday (10/10/10 – how about that?), which is an author’s guide through the maze of rewrites, revision and plain old copy editing that often makes the process, well, some say “daunting,” others say “pure hell.”

Personally, I like to revise . . . or at least I used to before I also had a day job, so to speak. Actually, teaching is really more rewarding than the typical day job, much it can also be more demanding. And in dim memory, I store the recollection that full time writers have the luxury of enough time to stroll through their book several times and polish it like sterling silver.

Of course that recollection may be a daydream and today’s author often writes a half dozen or more books a year, plus drive their publicity campaign and make appearances. That makes the ability to do effective editing quickly a real plus for an author’s career, so if you have a finished novel that’s just been sitting around, this might just be the time to whip it into shape.

Rounding out the year on the polish track, Linda Style will offer Infusing Stories with Emotion and Advances Scene and Sequel, beginning October 31. You can check out all three courses at the Bootcamp website.

And come back to browse because we're shaking things up. The 2011 curriculum will be on the website (bootcampfornovelists.com) this weekend. Click to see it. . . . If you sign up for the Bootcamp monthly newsletter, I’ll give you a $2 credit on my next course, And if there's a topic or author you'd like to see on the Bootcamp, leave a commenht and tell me what it is. All feedback is welcome.

How Socrates Can Help You Write Your Novel

2010-09-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

Have you ever read a book that started with a huge bang, full of great conflict and action? And then, bang-boom, it looses its charge just a few chapters later? Chances are the book lacked a compelling premise of theme that kept you hooked.

Exactly what is a premise, you might ask? Or maybe you won’t. Regardless, the question is worth exploring. The basic dictionary definition is: a basis, stated or assumed, on which reasoning proceeds. Which pretty well sums it up. In storytelling, however, the definition is somewhat more nuanced. Quite simply, premise is what is at stake in your story. It is the foundation of your story, upon which your theme, characters, and plot are built. Your premise determines the primary goals of your characters and lays out the path they will take in achieving those goals.

A theme, on the other hand is a unifying subject or idea of a story. So, a story could have a premise that a young, impoverished girl is noticed by a rich, powerful man, who improbably sweeps her away to a life of luxury and grace. We all know that story: Cinderella, Pretty Woman and half the romance novels of the 1980's. Its theme could be narrowed to love conquers social disapproval, or love overlooks differences, or even love and money do mix, but the true unifying theme is love conquers all, isn’t it? And that theme could encompass almost any story of mismatched love, which is what themes do best — pull it all together.

The principles of premise and theme are not quite that easy to master, however, which is why Bootcamp for Novelists invited bestselling historical author Denise Domning to present an Author Spotlight Bootcamp on Premise and Theme: Or How Socrates Can Help You Write Your Novel.

Denise is my longtime friend (we won’t say how long, will we, Denise?) and is an incredible writer, not only because of her deep and accurate research, but because of her innate insight into human behavior. This is where theme comes into play because themes deal with universal human needs like survival, love, self-sacrifice, ambition, greed, and the rest of the seven sins. But there’s much more to know than that, which is where Denise’s course comes into play. She’ll show you how premise has to be strong to guide your story and theme has to be opposed to highlight its purpose. Anyone who has heard Denise ask what a handful of pearls is (hint: it’s not a necklace), will know what’s in store for you in this class. And if you’ve haven’t heard her, you’re in for a big treat because her course begins this coming October 3.

For details, visit http://bootcampfornovelists.com which provides a course description and outline and a link to enroll. You can also find links to Linda’s October course, Infusing Stories With Emotion, and my word polishing Bootcamp, Punch Up Your Prose on this same page.

By the way, as promised, check out Linda’s Corner and her interesting post on When Bad Guys Become Good Guys. http://bootcampfornovelistslindastyle.blogspot.com/

And learn about Denise's "green" house.

Bootcamp for Novelists Online
Connie Flynn's site

October and November Bootcamp Course Schedule

2010-09-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Bootcamp has had a little update. A different look for the site itself and a different way to access the various courses. Hopefully it will be easier to navigate and use. We've also added outlines for our open courses, so you can get a better feel for what you'll actually be doing after you enroll.

The Bootcamp October course listing is very exciting I think. First off, I want to introduce Denise Doming, a bestselling historical author, who is going to cover a subject that isn't addressed often enough in the online writing community: Premise and Theme . . . or how Socrates can help you write your romance. http://bootcampfornovelists.com/camo-open-courses.html#domning

At the same time, I'll be teaching Punch Up Your Prose, a course designed to help you get the clunkiness out of your writing. Do your sentences get confusing? Do critique partners often say your sentences are awkward? Are your paragraphs two pages long (just kidding)? Unless you're certain that your writing is both easy to read and evocative you'll find value in this material so take a look at the outline and see if it's for you. http://bootcampfornovelists.com/cf-courses/c-course-7b-prose.html

In mid-October, I'm offering an always popular course, Surviving Rewrites and Revisions, only this time I've converted it to a six week clinic where you will spend the first week assessing your manuscript (before you start tinkering with the pages) and the last week preparing a revision plan that will be your guide to completing all the revisions. http://bootcampfornovelists.com/cf-courses/c-course-c2-rewrite-revise.html

Linda Style will soon have her own Linda's Corner to tell you about her courses, but for now let me share what's up with her. She has two courses remaining for the rest of this year. Starting October 3 is Infusing Stories with Emotion, something every successful writer must be able to do.
http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ls-courses/l-course-5p-emotion.html

In November she'll teach Variations in Scene and Sequel which will explain what to do with all those parts of your story that don't seem to quite fit into the basic scene/sequel structure,
http://bootcampfornovelists.com/ls-courses/l-course-6p-vari-scene-seq.html

Below is the full course schedule, along with fees and a little bit about each one. You can access the outlines to these courses through the links above.

Hope to see some on you on line. In the meantime . . . roll up those sleeves and write.
--Connie

October 3 to October 30
7B PUNCH UP YOUR PROSE taught by Connie Flynn
You can have great characters, excellent plots, and zingy dialogue but if you don't write the story with brevity and clarity and evocative words you'll lose readers by page three. You'll learn how to stay in active voice, what excitement killers must be avoided and how to exploit sentence structure and punctuation to get the most out of your writing. engaging.
FEE: $28

October 3 - October 30
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT:
With Acclaimed Historical Author Denise Domning
PREMISE AND THEME: OR HOW SOCRATES CAN HELP YOU WRITE A ROMANCE
How may times have you picked up a book, become engrossed with well-drawn characters only to be disappointed by a plot that takes a ridiculous turn or even disappears altogether? What was needed was premise. With the help of Socrates, premise and theme can banish the "sagging middles" in your own plot. Through an objective and structured analysis you will learn how creating a simple three or four word premise will help you identify both plot events and the characters needed to create lightning-fast pacing. Mastery of this skill will forever prevent your plots from veering off in some unexpected direction and leaving you in a muddled middle.
FEE: $30

October 10 to November 20
A BOOTCAMP 6-WEEK CLINIC
CL-02 SURVIVING REWRITES & REVISIONS taught by Connie Flynn
Many writers dread self-editing. Some find it too confusing. Some find their creative energy squashed by all that internal criticism. And some just find it mind-numbing boring. This workshop doesn't pretend to solve all those problems, but it will help with the confusion - which results from doing the same editing processes over and over without any apparent results. And by solving the problem of confusion, you might also solve the rest. The reason to become a master self-editor is so you'll become a faster writer and you'll do that because your subconscious will trust you to correct any mistakes you make without years or rewriting and revising. To get the most from this course, you'll need a manuscript that is at least half finished because these tools don't work on something that's still in thin air and the outcome of this course will be a solid story opening and a revision plan for your book, plus the tools to develop plans when revising future books.
FEE: $48

October 31 to November 24
5P INFUSING STORIES WITH EMOTION taught by Linda Style
Learning how to infuse your story with emotion is one of the most important techniques, yet most writers don't even think about it until they realize something is missing in their stories. As writers we must not only know how to build emotion in our stories and characters, but how to engage the reader emotionally. In this class you'll learn techniques to do both.
FEE: $28

6P VARIATIONS IN SCENE & SEQUEL taught by Linda Style
Classic novel structure is just the tip of the iceberg: there are numerous possible variations from the structural norm and experienced writers use them all the time. But it's critical to know how, why and when to use them. In this class you'll learn all that and more. You'll learn the five major ways to vary your scene structure and you'll get hands-on experience in how to use them.
FEE: $28

Hate Writing the Synopsis?

2010-09-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Most writers say they hate writing the synopsis, and I’m one of them. But every now and then I talk to someone who actually says they love writing synopses. One of these rare writers is Cathy McDavid, who will present the Bootcamp’s first Author Spotlight that begins this Sunday. Her topic is, ta dah . . .

THE KILLER SYNOPSES — HOW TO TAKE THE BITE OUT OF WRITING THEM . . . using the classic movie, Jaws, as an example

Cathy is offering a free critique of one lucky Bootcamper's full synopsis. Enroll and get put in the drawing AND every student will receive a free copy of one of Cathy's recent books..

AND, this is what she’ll talk about:

Lesson One — GETTING STARTED

What exactly is a synopsis?
Why writers need to write them.
Debunking some common myths/misconceptions about synopses.
Prep work - mixing geometry and writing (character diamonds and GMC/external conflict triangles).
Homework assignment: GMC/external conflict triangle - clearly and concisely define your external conflict in one sentence.

Lesson Two — SYNOPSIS OVERVIEW

Three parts to a synopsis: character, action, emotion.
Exact chronological order doesn't matter, quit worrying.
First line — to high concept or not to high concept?
Get to the action fast.
The accordion effect — shortening and lengthening your synopsis
Homework assignment: Killer first line.

Lesson Three - WRITING THE SYNOPSIS

Synopsis worksheet.
Free-write the first rough draft.
Build your "selling synopsis" from the rough draft.
Decide on the right length.
Modify the synopsis to your specific genre.
Nailing the last line.
Homework assignment: Last line.

Lesson Four - THE FINAL TOUCHES

Economy of words.
Power words.
Infuse your same writing voice into the synopsis.
Avoid cliches or make them fresh.
Include appropriate level of "tension element", sensuality, graphic violence, edge of seat suspense, etc.
Homework assignment: One example (paragraph) that shows how you've infused your writing voice into the synopsis.

Lucky me, I get to sit in. I'm looking forward to it because this information will help anyone write a better synopsis. To learn more about Cathy, me, or the Bootcamp — or to enroll — go to BootcampforNovelists.com

There is a $10 discount for September only, so the normal $30 fee is drops to $20. The course starts on September 5, and late registration ends September 10.

Hope to see you there.
–Connie

Help Meeeee! I’m In the Success Trap . . . A Plea From Gini Koch

2010-08-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

A Rare Glance into the Wacky World of an Up and Coming Novelist

Gini Koch is a highly esteemed member of my local Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America, and she is a dynamic and focused woman who also writes a damn fine book.

Among her many, many accolades (check out Gini’s website to read others) is this one from Pearls Cast Before a McPig, who says:

“This is a great book! It has witty humor, gorgeous aliens, a heroine I could really relate to and a fast paced story packed with lots of action.”

What more could a reader want? Well, maybe more books?. Exactly what fans are calling form and Gini is scrambling as fast as she can, And she desperately needs help. Read more to find out why.

Gini's Offer, Which Someone Won't Be Able to Refuse , , ,

I’m a published author. By April 5, 2011 I’ll have five books in print, with at least a sixth on the way. Awesome, right? Yeah, it truly is.

But here’s the thing -- I need an assistant, in the worst way…and I can’t pay for one.

Why not? Because I literally don’t have the money. These books are just releasing. I’ve gotten advances for the four that are in my novel series, and I’ve gotten paid for the two that are short stories in anthologies. But royalties? Um, well…maybe I’ll see a little money in October -- but my agent says it’s rare when a debut author sees royalties in the first statement.

So what, right? I mean, why should I need an assistant if the books are sold, written, etc.? Because promotion is a killer -- if you don’t do it, your book dies. If your book dies, you don’t get new contracts for more books. And promotion is a full time job, and then some.

I’m not complaining about being in this position. I’m thrilled to be in this position. But each book has to be promoted -- on Twitter, on Facebook, via blog tours, promotional items, speaking engagements, guest blogs, supporting those blogs that support you, and so on. And each book has to be promoted differently, too, dependent upon a variety of factors.

I have fans. (I have fans!) This still thrills me, every single day. But I need to stay in contact with them via my subscribers newsletter, send others requested free promo items, fulfill orders for merchandise, keep an inventory listing, keep my regular subscribers list updated, check my P.O. box, check my email and all the social media outlets regularly, run and fulfill contests, and more.

All of these activities take time and they take it away from what actually pays me -- writing and editing. But if I don’t do them, all of them, then the books will not sell well enough to ensure I continue to earn money from writing and editing.

So, what’s a girl to do? Beg for help. I’ve been told that unpaid interns are all the rage in this business. That half of the agents out there, as well as many of the publishers, are using unpaid interns. That tons of authors have at least one, maybe more, unpaid interns on staff. That people will kill for the chance to get to work with me, in my home, with my pets and husband underfoot, all for the chance to learn how a real author does it, make contacts, learn the business, and have access to my “Crack” Cokes up from Mexico.

But, I hear you ask, what will you get out of this generous use of your free time? A lot, actually.

If you’re interested in any aspect of the publishing business -- being an author, editor, agent, PR/promo/advertising person, or salesperson -- then you’ll learn about what happens and what it takes, pretty much firsthand, or as firsthand as you can get without being the novelist yourself. You’ll learn how to research markets, deal with fans, handle promotional opportunities, request and garner speaking opportunities, edit, make marketing decisions, utilize social media, and then some. You’ll see what it’s like to be on the frontlines of this business, as well as learning the realities of how authors get paid, when, and how much (by selling things, slowly, and not nearly enough, but that’s only the high-level view). And you’ll make industry contacts it could take you years to garner on your own.

Per the experts, after this sales pitch, the offers to be my unpaid intern should be pouring in, requiring another unpaid intern just to go through them all and find the right person or persons who match my particular idiom and idiosyncrasies.

Is this true? Let’s find out…if you’re in the Greater Phoenix Metro Area, and want to prove that the Myth of the Unpaid Intern is indeed a reality, send an email to gini@ginikoch.com. I promise to only cry a little if I actually find someone to help me.

Gini Koch lives in the American Southwest, works her butt off (sadly, not literally) by day, and writes by night with the rest of the beautiful people. The first book in her Alien series, Touched by an Alien, released April 6, 2010 from DAW Books, receiving a starred review from Booklist as well as other excellent reviews. Touched by an Alien has also been named by Booklist as one of the Top 10 adult SF/F novels of 2010. Alien Tango releases December 7, 2010, and Alien in the Family releases April 5, 2011, with Alien Proliferation following later in 2011.

Gini speaks frequently on what it takes to become a successful author and other aspects of writing and the publishing business. You can reach her via her website, www.ginikoch.com or via email, gini@ginikoch

I expect someone out there will be putting together a win/win deal with Gini and meanwhile, back at the ranch, check in at the Bootcamp. Coming Up is Sparkling Dialogue and Cathi McDavid's Killer Synopsis Spotlight.

Until then,
Connie Flynn
Co-Founder, Bootcamp for Novelists Online
How do we teach writing? Step by step!

So You Want to be a Pro . . . ?

2010-08-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

Not in the world’s oldest profession way, of course, but as in professional writer . . . one who produces books regularly and - gasp - even gets paid for them. The question always is, how do you get from rank beginner to a place where others will pay you for your work?

It’s a simple path, although seldom easy or a one step follows the other process, but those who succeed almost always have these qualities.

Ten Steps for Getting Published.

1.    Read, read, read. Everything. Novels you love, novels you hate. Nonfiction in subject you love and those that bore you to death. Newspapers, magazines, blogs. Learn to recognize good writing and bad writing.

2.    By the time you get serious, choose a genre. There are dozens. Way too many to cover here, but you need to know about them and if this is a foggy topic to you, start here. The topic is actually more complex than this article suggests, but it’s a good beginning. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genre_fiction.

3.    Make sure the genre you choose to write is something you love reading or you’ll eventually hate your books. But if publication is your ultimate goal – and since you’re reading this blog, I suspect it is – it’s a good practice to write what is currently selling.

4.    When you’re educated about the marketplace, start getting familiar with the internal structure of a novel. Just because you read them and have neat descriptions about theme and character building doesn’t mean you yet have the tools to do this yourself.

5.    Learn how to write a synopsis. Boy of boy, do writers hate those, but unless you self- publish – where, let’s face it, the publisher can read your mind – you’ll need to tell influential people about your book, clearly and with an entertaining voice.

6.    Write your book. Set a disciplined schedule. If possible, do something on your book every day.

7    Finish your book. Unless you have unusually good connections, your chances of selling an unfinished novel are nil. So finish the baby.

8.    Revise your book, proofread it, then proofread it again. The competition is so stiff these days you can’t afford to send out a sloppy manuscript.

9.    Bounce back from rejections. You will get them. You will want to roll into a fetal position. Don’t indulge this urge more than a few days. Submit again and keep submitting.

10.    There are six secret rules published authors never violate: Write, write, write. Submit, submit, submit. Do this and you will get published. You haven’t failed until you quit.

Hope this helps, Connie
Co-Founder, Bootcamp for Novelists Online

How to Write Dialogue in Fiction

2010-08-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

Writing dialogue that actually sounds like two people really talking is very difficult for many writers. Yet nothing endears readers to your story more than dialogue that sounds natural while at the same time relating what the story is about.

DIALOGUE, THE PARADOX

What makes good dialogue hard to produce is that it must read like real people talk and also not read like real people talk. Good dialogue simply creates the illusion of being natural while performing the function of telling your story. It often takes years to develop an ear that translates to good dialogue. Here are a few tips on how to get a head start and what to avoid and on writing like real people talk.

AVOID BAD DIALOGUE

Don’t use formal language or strictly adhere to the rules of grammar. Nobody talks that way. Think about it.
Don’t forget contractions. Exceptions might be made if English is the speaker’s second language, but mostly in normal conversation people run their words together as in “we’re agonna go to the concert tonit’” Okay, so you’d never say that, but I wanted to get your attention.
Don’t have characters address each other by name all the time. In reality, people don’t use each other’s names very often – usually only to get the person’s attention or when they’re angry. Remember your mother when you’d done something wrong, well there you go. Most of the she called you by a sibling’s name, right?

TO WRITE GOOD DIALOGUE

Keep it short. Most of the time we speak in incomplete sentences to get our ideas across and there’s a back and forth thing going on. However, we do know people who open their mouth and go on and on and on . . . and (yawn) on. You might even have one of them in your book. This where you present an illusion rather than the real thing. Give that gabby character a few run-on sentences, have the other character try to get a word in edgewise then have a thought about how this character hogs the conversation. That’s pretty much all it takes. When the first character shows up again, provide the reader with a light reminder, maybe give that character an extra line or two more than the others in the scene. Next thing you know when that character comes on scene, readers will already know they’re tiresome gabbers. They all know people like that and it will make them sympathize with your focal character.
Have characters give indirect answers. Dialogue that is too direct is called on-the-nose and tends to be predictable and therefore boring. Character one asks character two if they are attending a meeting that night. The obvious answer is yes or no, with perhaps an excuse. To make the dialogue indirect, have character two say something that leaves the question partly unanswered. For instance, “What time is it?” or “Where’s it at?” Or even, farther afield, “Is Becky going?” Which actually isn’t so far afield because we’ve all done something like that, and that’s why this techniques makes dialogue real.
Try to provide two to three clever lines per scene –- cliches turned on their heels are good, Or an unexpected insight. Or a reply that’s so far from what’s expected that the reader is jarred or amused. It doesn’t have to be funny, although it can be, but it does have to be unexpected and off-the nose. The reason I suggest only two or three lines is that if all the dialogue is clever, none of it is. So save these lines for important moments in your scene, which the lines will make memorable.

SPARKLING DIALOGUE AND THE KILLER SYNOPSIS

I’ll be covering dialogue in a lot more depth in the Sparkling Dialogue course that begins on September 5. September is a hot month at the Bootcamp. Besides me, my good friend Cathy McDavid will offer a Bootcamp Clinic on Writing the Killer Synopsis. To top off the month, my partner Linda Style will be teaching an advanced plotting course called Subplots and Layers. Visit our website for more information: Bootcamp for Novelists

Connie Flynn

Co-founder

Bootcamp for Novelists.com

How to Launch a Blog . . . I think

2010-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

Have you always dreamed of writing a novel, but didn't quite know where to start? Have you started a novel and found you couldn't get beyond the first three chapters...or finished one but it keeps getting rejected? Are you an experienced writer and want to take your writing to the next level?

If so, we at BOOTCAMP for Novelists are here to help you. Between us, we have over twenty years experience teaching novel writing and have written over twenty-five novels. How did we do it?

Step by step.

That's how a book is written — step by step, that's how your skills are built. Step by step, that's how we'll teach you those skills. BOOTCAMP for Novelists Online's step-by-step program takes you from the beginning of your novel to the end.

If you're a beginner, you'll start with the BASIC TRACK (Level I) taught by Connie Flynn. If you've been writing a while, start with the POLISH TRACK (Level II) taught by Linda Style.

But you aren't limited to one track. Beginners might want to polish a basic skill before mastering a new one. Experienced writers may want to jump into a basic program to beef up a weak skill. Either way, if you follow our step by step program and do the work, you'll have the tools to write your novel and get it published.

Check out our curriculum and see what it's about. And if you think the program is a little too
nose-to-the-grindstone, no worries. Lurkers are welcome and participation is voluntary.

These words greet the eager and the curious as they venture into the Bootcamp world and, despite the fact that I've written hundreds of thousands (perhaps millions) or words, I couldn't think of a single word to begin my (and the Bootcamp's) first-ever blog.

I've talked to dozens of authors, aspiring authors, and non-authors about this and have discovered it's a very familiar problem. I am not alone. The trouble is that few among us have an answer and those that do blog (and very well, I might add) look at me with a sad little smile as if to say, "It's not a big deal."

And there, I (hope) discover is the solution to the problem -- remembering that it's not a big deal. If this blog is stupid or boring or absolutely makes no sense at all, you might vow never to visit my Bootcamp site unless I pay you. You might even tell a few friends. But I won't die and tomorrow's blog might even be better and, down the road, someone might suggest you give us another try. And there you go.

At least it's up and I've started. Today is Thursday and I think this will be my blog day. So each Thursday sometime before midnight (hey, I don't like to be pinned down) I'll post an update. Some days I'll have tips. Some days I might talk about a book I read. Some days I might invite a friend to blog. Some days I'll discuss writing problems. I'll do my best to mix it us, so that when you pop in you'll find something that suits you, at least now and then.

In the meantime, I'm now out of the Bloggers closet. Amazing adventures await me . . . I'm sure.

http://bootcampfornovelists.com/

posted by Connie Flynn, novelists, teacher, intrepid adventurer