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- T
A K E C R E A T I V E W R I T I N G C
L A S S E S ~
My first class was at UCLA. I loved hearing the instructor talk about
the elements of a good novel using the vernacular of a writer. She
talked about the creative people she’d worked with and the wonderful
stories that were ready to be told. I was hooked. Besides colleges
and universities, there are classes on-line. The Hearts Through History
chapter of RWA (HHRW.com) offers classes with published authors for
as little as ten dollars.
- J
O I N W R I T I N G O R G A N I Z A T I O
N S ~
Two great ones are Romance Writers of America and
Sisters in Crime. There are many others for every genre in publishing.
The organizations help a writer network, they offer workshops, and
they hold conferences where attendees can meet authors, editors and
agents.
- F
I N D A C R I T I Q U E G R O
U P ~
If you can’t find one, start one. Set rules from the start about
how many pages will be critiques each week and what you all need from
the group. The feedback will help for this important reason: Critique
group partners will find inconsistencies that a writer may overlook.
- E
N T E R C O N T E S T S ~
Many organizations have them. My favorites are Romance Through the
Ages sponsored by Heart Through History (HHRW.com) and Spring into
Romance sponsored by the San Diego chapter of RWA (RWASD.com). The
entries are judged and returned with comments, and the finalists are
judged by editors and agents.
- R
E A D A N D R E A D S O M E M
O R E ~
Read your genre. If you like a book, figure out why.
If you don’t like a book, find the flaws.
- There are probably other things to add to the list. These are good
for a start.
G
O O D L U C K!
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