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41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

The Southeastern Writers Association Workshop--A “Boutique” Conference (REVISITED)

As we countdown the days until the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop begins, we want to tell everyone how good it is and encourage them to join us!  Three years ago, SWA's vice president, Buzz Bernard revealed how the Workshop changed his writing life.  Could it change yours?  Maybe!

From the then Purple Pros Blog, Tuesday, September 3, 2013 

It wasn’t an easy decision for me.

I had to burn a week’s vacation and shell out several hundred bucks just to mingle for five days with 75 people I’d never met before. While I’m not shy, I’m not by nature exceptionally outgoing. Thus, having to hang out with a bunch of folks I didn’t know was well outside my comfort zone.

Not only that. This was to be at a writing conference. The people there would be–GULP–real writers. I knew for certain I’d be exposed as the Great Pretender, a shameless charlatan. My work would be sliced and diced. I’d become the laughing stock of St. Simons Island.

But . . . I wanted to be a novelist. So I schlepped off, with great trepidation, to the 30th annual Southeastern Writers Workshop in 2005, over eight years ago.

Eight years ago. Nine conferences ago. Three published novels ago.

The bottom line: It paid off.

It paid off so well, I felt compelled to give something back. So two years ago I joined the Board of Directors and now serve as vice president.

Some of the people I met at the 2005 gathering became close friends and I’m sure will remain so for many years. Others, whom I met at subsequent workshops, instructors especially, became great encouragers. These were folks who kept me going when I was ready to run up the white flag after 10 years, 4 manuscripts and no takers. When I was ready to surrender and just piss away my money on golf courses and 19th holes instead of writers workshops. When I was ready to simply throw up my hands and say Screw it.

Thank God for the Southeastern Writers Association.

And here’s where I let you in on a little secret. My writing was, in fact, sliced and diced at that first conference. But guess what. So was everybody else’s. It’s called learning. It’s called earning your spurs. It’s called trial by fire.

It’s what virtually every real writer must go through, whether it’s at St. Simons or in a prestigious MFA program.

Here’s another little secret: My slicer and dicer at that first conference was NY Times best-selling author Steve Berry. Steve had been through the mill before he hit it big, so he knew what it took to get there. Ironically, he later became one of my great encouragers.

Steve doesn’t do critiques any longer, but believe me, there will be plenty of exceptionally skilled instructors at the 2014 workshop who will do for you what Steve did for me. Yeah, it might be painful. But these are people who will also help you put things back together. Gently. Skillfully. Professionally. They’ll help take your writing to the next level.

A final note about the SWA Workshop and what make it unique. It’s small, limited to no more than 75 students. There’s a distinct camaraderie that develops among and between students and faculty. You get to know one another. You chat over meals and during coffee breaks. You make new friends. You network. It’s a “clubby,” not a “cliquey,” atmosphere.

By way of contrast, I went to a huge West Coast conference in the summer of 2012. It had great instructors and presenters. Big names. Lots of attendees. Lots and lots of attendees. Somewhere north of 500, maybe 600.

Yeah, I met people. We’d sit at breakfast or lunch and attempt to converse over the din of a dining area that seated several hundred. We’d trade names and business cards. Then never see each other again as we elbowed, literally, our ways to whatever sessions were next on our schedules.

Months later, I got emails from several of the attendees I’d met informing me of this or that accomplishment. I’d send back polite attaboys, but never had a clue who any of the folks were. The encounters were too brief and too many.

Take away this: You’ll remember the people you meet at the Southeastern Writers Workshop.

H.W. “Buzz” Bernard is a best-selling, award-winning novelist. His novels include Blizzard (the most recent), Eyewall, Plague and Supercell.  Buzz is a native Oregonian and attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he earned a bachelor’s degree in atmospheric science; he also studied creative writing.  He’s currently vice president of the Southeastern Writers Association.  He and his wife Christina live in Roswell, Georgia.

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Meet Our Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Charles Harned and Teresa Durham! 

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Many thanks to all our fine applicants!

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Register Today!

Get Up To 3 FREE!

What would you give to have an award-winning author give you pointers on your manuscript?

Join us for the 41st Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 17-21, and you can submit up to 3 manuscripts for evaluation by our faculty ~ for FREE!*

For 2016, we have 4 categories for MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES:

• Novel (Evaluator: David Fulmer)
• The first chapter and a five-page synopsis
• Nonfiction (Evaluator: Jedwin Smith)
• The first chapter and a five-page synopsis –OR– Complete manuscript not over 1500 words 
• YA Fiction (Evaluator: Michele Roper)
• The first chapter and a five-page synopsis 
• Screenplay (Evaluator: Michael Lucker) 
• The first 10 pages and a 3-page synopsis 

The submission DEADLINE IS May 28, 2016.  

Read the full guidelines on our website.

* 2-day minimum registration required.

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop 

June 17-21, 2016 

Epworth by the Sea 

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Lessons Learned from a Private Investigator

from FundsforWriters, Volume 16, Issue 14

I write mystery, so that means I'm reading and researching sites, blogs, and books by cops, agents, and private investigators to make my work more authentic. However, in reading a PI site (Diligentia Group), I found the following post about lessons learned over the years as an investigator. I wasn't three items into it before I saw these lessons could be applicable to writers. 

http://www.diligentiagroup.com/legal-investigation/17-lessons-i-learned-from-15-years-as-a-private-investigator/

1. Always be learning. Learn by doing and observing others.
2. Know thyself. Know your strengths and where you need help, and don't be shy about either.
3. Differentiate yourself. Don't be ordinary. Create a brand.
4. Authenticity. Being genuine and authentic is very attractive these days when the world is wrought with fake and "Buy my book."
5. Stick to your principles. Be honest and straightforward. Protect your reputation.
6. Be helpful. Good things happen when you lend a helping hand.
7. Don't be everything to everyone. Pick your genre, find your readership base, and avoid trying to write for every reader out there.
8. Do work you are proud of. If you write slow, so be it. If you write Christian, erotica, YA; whatever the style, voice and genre, own it.
9. You are never the smartest or dumbest person in the room. Ask questions. Learn more. Help others do the same.
10. Don't stop thinking of new ideas. You're in a creative environment, and change is happening all around you. Be constantly seeking ways to be unique.
11. Adapt. This industry changes fast. Roll with that change.
12. Embrace technology. Yes, that means learning ways to publish, brand, and network, whether you like it or not.
13. Follow the facts. Make decisions or form opinions based upon fact, not rumors, gossip, innuendos, or half-truths.
14. Be inspired. Be aware of the world around you.
15. Do great work. Don't shortchange the quality of your writing.
16. Be skeptical. Operate with a critical eye. Don't fall for the latest class, how-to, software, or book that claims to teach you the perfect way to [fill in the blank].
17. Persistence. Probably the most important of the list, persistence carries you through those times when you think you should not be writing.

Amazing the similarity, huh?

Thanks ~ Hope

C. Hope Clark is a freelance writing expert, author of the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series,  and the Edisto Island Mystery Series, and editor of FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service that reaches 40,000+ writers. Learn more at her website chopeclark.com

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Southeastern Writers Workshop

The staff and faculty of the Southeastern Writers Workshop strive every year to make the Workshop the BEST tour days of your writing life. Here are a few things you can do to make your time even better.

Enter to win a  scholarship!  

TWO are available - Student and Adult! Deadline is April 18.  Read the details.

Enter as many of the contests you can!  

Nine contests offered and each has at least one cash prize!  Deadline is May 15.  Full guidelines are here.

Submit up to three manuscripts for evaluation for FREE! 

Each evaluation comes with a 15-minute one-on-one consultation. Deadline is May 28. Submission guidelines are here.

Go to ALL the classes!

We have gathered some of the best writers and industry professionals in the country.  You can learn something from everyone that may lead you to literary success from all of them. Find faculty bios and the class schedule is here.

Network!  

Over meals, between classes, in the bookstore, at the evening socials. There is plenty of time built in to network with fellow attendees and faculty members. If you don't have a writing family, you can build one at our workshop.

Check out our website - southeasternwriters.org - for all you need to know about the Southeastern Writers Workshop, June 17-21 at Epworth-by-the-Sea, St Simons Island, GA!

Register Today!

Where will you to be in 6 months?

Why not here? 

41st Southeastern Writers Workshop! 

June 17-21 - St. Simons Island, GA

Registration opens 1/31

10 Ways Travel Makes You a Better Writer

Happy New Year!  Time for new beginnings in your writing, right?  Novelist and producer, Stephanie Storey recently wrote for The Huffington Post about a different approach to writing using real-life experiences.  What do you think?

I love to travel. When I was a kid, my parents drove us from coast to coast in a motorhome. When I was eighteen, I went to Europe with a traveling choir. I've studied art in Italy, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, and just this week hiked to a glacier on the south coast of Iceland.

Travel has taught me a lot about life (how to communicate, adapt, and solve problems), but lately I've realized about how much travel has taught me about writing...

1: Planning ahead. 

Before going on a trip, you have to plan: buy plane tickets, book hotel rooms, or at least do enough research to know you want to go where you're going. Same with writing: before you start, plan your main characters and big plot points, research your location or time period; I often make a big outline and lay it out on the floor -- sort of like a map of my story -- to guide my way...

Read the remainder of Stephanie's tips here.

When Family Isn't Supportive

from FundsforWriters Newsletter, Volume 15, Issue 51, December 18, 2015   

I received a heart-breaking Facebook message from a 15-year-old young man who asked me how to get his writing accepted. When I explained about polishing his words, agents, publishers, indie and the like, he replied: "For me, I come from an unsupportive familly that doesn't take writing as a talent or a valuable art. How can I practice in such conditions?"

My husband supports me unconditionally, often following me to my appearances. One son out of town reads my work and gives honest feedback. My sister-in-law in Iowa reads every book within days of release. Other than that, nobody else in my family has read my novels much, and definitely haven't read any articles, blogs or other items I've published. While I thank my lucky stars for the three people I have, I know how that stings when family doesn't care. 

I told the young man this: 

"At your age, it's a matter of being well-read first and foremost, then attempting to write stories from what you've absorbed via those good authors. They are your family right now. You are young. You will be an adult in good time and be able to do what you wish, when you like, but in the meantime, read with a writer's eye, seeing what makes for a grand story, great character, and snappy dialogue. Write as you can. And know that successful authors everywhere are in your corner."

When family doesn't believe in your writing, you do the following:

1. Join a writer's group. Use it like a support group.
2. Read with a writer's eye. Nobody puts down reading.
3. Write when you can: lunches, night, early mornings, outside, riding in the car, or while everyone else is watching TV.
4. Relate your interest in writing to your family member's interest in something else. I once used my teenagers' interest in playing hockey. Ask them how much time and money they "invest" in their sports, hunting, cars, video games, etc.
5. Carve out time and call it yours. It doesn't have to be called writing time, but you use it as such. Just make sure you capitalize on it and write instead of doing other non-productive things.
6. Refuse to feel guilty about a beloved hobby/profession.
7. Display how much writing makes you whole . . . and happier. If you act grumpy, you accentuate their opinion.
8. Ask them when they'll give up reading, watching television, going to movies, listening to music, playing online games, because a writer allowed all of those entertainment opportunities to happen. 
9. When someone asks when you'll do something other than "that writing stuff," tell them you adore what you do. Eighty percent of the world hates their job, and you aren't one of them.

Thanks ~ Hope

C. Hope Clark is a freelance writing expert, author of the award-winning Carolina Slade Mystery Series, the Edisto Island Mystery Series, and editor of FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service that reaches 40,000+ writers. Learn more at her website chopeclark.com

Reblogs: The Two Most Powerful Words That You Can Say To Yourself While Writing

(from io9.com)

“I’m bored.” 

These two words are the hardest thing to admit, when you’re writing your deathless novel, or screenplay, or short story. You’re supposed to be creating a work of timeless brilliance. How can you be bored?

But admitting that you’re bored is the first step to not being bored.

The power of boredom

A lot of writers get really good at pretending that we’re not bored, and it’s possible to get so good at pretending that you even convince yourself that you’re interested in what you’re writing, when you’ve actually checked out a while ago. We put so much energy into motivating ourselves to keep writing, to put words on the page at all costs, that it can be a huge nightmare to admit that what we’re writing is actually not that fun or interesting. It feels like a terrible betrayal.

And a lot of writing advice boils down to “If you get bored, just keep writing until you find your way through it.” Or ways to cover up your boredom, or work around it, or distract yourself from it. Just taking a beat and saying “This is boring” feels as though it goes against the “just write a crappy first draft” ethos.

Read the remainder of this article.

A Former Possum Queen, Miss Cow Patty Cotillion 2005, and a Writer Walk into the SWA Conference...

“But I’m due at the SWA writer’s conference in two days,” I whined in the E.R. as the evil nurse slapped a hospital bracelet on my wrist and kick-started my IV pole. Wouldn’t you know it? Struck down in my prime by a bowl of… coldhearted blackberry cobbler? 

That was last time. This year I’m happy to report I made it to St. Simon’s Island and came away with more than when I left home—gotta love that new Michelin radial. As the bonafide “Mistress of Mayhem” and budding humor writer, I rely heavily on personal experiences for inspiration. Predictably, the SWA Conference provided me with plenty of material—albeit at my own expense. For you newbies I recommend this wonderful workshop and have included some helpful items for your conference checklist. In addition to the usual arsenal of pens, notebooks, and IPad, I suggest the following: 

 A Spare Tire

This will come in handy when you have a blow-out five minutes into your conference adventure leaving you stranded on the highway like metallic road-kill. Don’t forget your phone, AAA card, and some kindling and matches for those smoke signals you’ll be sending while awaiting help. “I’m sitting underneath a big palm tree,” does little to help you out in Florida.

Your Best Karaoke Get-up

Hand gestures are also crucial, (sorry, no sock puppets) as are your talented back-up singers who must be able to read acronyms and groove in sync while belting out, Harper Valley P.T.A. And while the moves from the famed “chicken dance” are entertaining, they can scream, “America’s Got No Talent.” 

Shoes 

Nine pairs of “matching” shoes should do it – matching shoes. While considering swing dancing confident you’ve packed the perfect clodhoppers keep in mind, donning a stiletto with a stylish flip-flop, even if they’re the same color, won’t make you the conference twinkle toes.

Mr. Magoo Cheaters 

If a bout of “temporary vanity” strikes and you decide to insert your contacts before being suddenly called to read your writing masterpiece aloud, pandemonium will surely ensue. This is complicated when one lens goes loosey-goosey and the other gums up, gluing both eyelids together. You’re guaranteed to wander your hotel cockeyed and dependent upon the kindness of the first unfortunate stranger you can grab. Thank-you Linda Joyce for agreeing to channel your inner Annie Sullivan.

An Open Mind

While pitching your book to the literary god of the north, (the prospective agent) and she suggests you’re better suited for You Tube, bear in mind, “There’s no crying in writer’s conferences.”

 “Depends” 

These are essential while laughing yourself silly over lunch with your new BFFs following your fifth glass of sweet tea while pondering your upcoming YouTube debut.

Heading home with my first-place certificates proudly riding shotgun on the adjacent seat I realized I’d gained more than valuable writing skills and my awards, I’d acquired a wonderful support group whose motto truly is, “Writers Helping Writers.” Lord help them. Remember, when all else fails, just add humor. Until next year…

Mellie Justad writes humorous stories about everyday life. her work has appeared in anthologies, NYMB on Being a Mom, NYMB on Sex, The Storyteller, Smile, American Humor, Parenting Plus, New England Writers Journal, and online: Midlife Boulevard, Midlife Collage, Dew on the Kudzu, and Muscadine Lines. Please visit her at justadshumor.com 

5 Undisputable Writing Truths

Build a platform

Everything I was told is true. Do it. It will make your life easier. Don’t know how to begin?  

a) Start with reading Get Known before the Book Deal by Christina Katz 

b) Go to conferences and attend sessions about promoting

c) Seek advice from professional such as My Write Platform  

Don’t whine

This sounds really easy, but I see it often on social media. If you’re a writer, don’t complain about the dark, dirty side of writing, like editing. It doesn’t matter how many times you make a pass through a book, your reader’s don’t need to hear you gripe. 

Network — Online or In-Person

You’re an introvert? Suck it up. Get your adrenaline pumping, then get out there. You never know what opportunity is waiting for you to fall into, which you can’t do if you’re stuck in your writing cave.

Read

This seems like a no-brainer, but after I published my first book, I limited my fiction reading due to time, instead I focused on books/blogs/websites about craft and promoting. And after a while, I was burned out. There’s no better way to gain inspiration than to read a book you love. One of the ways I make sure I keep up with my reading is to judge contests annually—it’s part of my way to give back. One contest is critiquing manuscripts from unpublished writers—I hope to be a cheerleader for all that’s wonderful in their story, and maybe impart some of what I learned—and the other contest is to judge published novels.  

Set Goals

They’re critical for success. Specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, timely, and don’t forget the REWARDS. Find ways to enjoy the little successes along the way. Rewards don’t have to cost anything: an afternoon at a museum or a botanical garden, a long soak in the tub, a nap, an extra glass of wine. 

Remember, no one understands a writer’s journey better than another writer. Get connected. Give back. Now, get going!

Linda Joyce is an award-winning author writing about assertive females and the men who can’t resist them. Her Fleur de Lis series is set in the south, mostly. Her Sunflower Series features Kansas. She penned her first manuscript while living in Japan, the country where her mother was born and raised. Now she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and four-legged boys. www.linda-joyce.com

5 reasons to attend a conference (even if your manuscript isn’t pitch ready)

In the long list of decisions a writer will face, the question of attending a writer’s conference will inevitably surface. And it is an important one to consider. Conferences can be expensive, but they are worth the investment in your career.

When I first started writing, I was told that novice writers should complete their manuscript (to make sure they have the stamina to finish) before investing in conferences. Because of that advice, as well as being reluctant to attend a conference alone, I kept putting it off. But recently I’ve learned that, if you wait, you miss out on so many things that can help you to reach the finish line.

Here’s my list of 5 reasons to attend a conference (even if your manuscript isn’t pitch ready).

The Shop Talk 

You get to talk about writing – and nothing else – all day, with people who get it. All other life obligations are put aside for those few days while you focus on what you love. While our non-writer friends and family members try to understand and encourage us, no one “gets it” like other writers. No one else understands the joy of putting words on the page or the frustration when the right words just won’t come.

Gaining a Community

Hanging out with like-minded people lends itself to building friendships not otherwise possible. You are likely to start new lifetime friendships with people who push you to keep going, commiserate with you at times, and believe in you, especially when you’re having a hard time believing in yourself. These friends are priceless to our writing.

Although few will admit it, the voyeur in all of us wants to get a peek behind the curtain and see how other writers do it. With your writer friends, you don’t even have to ask permission to peek, they will open the door and invite you inside.

You will talk with writers who are one step ahead of where you’re at, five steps ahead, ten steps (how many steps there are) and learn from them. You may even find your writing mentor or critique partner at a conference.

Networking

While similar to gaining a community of writer friends, this is directed more to the other side of the table – the editors, agents, and publishers. You will meet industry professionals who are there to share their experiences and expertise. Even if you don’t have a manuscript ready to pitch, many of these individuals are very willing to talk over ideas with you and give you advice to improve (and finish) your work.

Introduce yourself, shake hands with someone you bump into while waiting for the elevator because you never know how your paths will cross down the line. The agent you sit next to at lunch may end up being the agent who signs you.

Learning

Conferences are full of learning opportunities. Even classes in tracks other than the one you’re following can offer nuggets that will help you improve your craft. And improving craft is one of the biggest reasons to invest in a conference. 

Retreating

Attending a conference can be the perfect opportunity to relax, catch up on some reading, and reflect on why you spend so much of yourself on this thing called writing. Breaks in the conference schedule are the perfect time to go for a walk (or a run, if you’re one of those crazy people,) take time to release some stress and absorb some peace; renew your mind and refresh your spirit or grab some of your new friends and go dancing or sing karaoke. 

I was reluctant to attend my first conference alone. Thankfully, I had a friend assure me that I wouldn’t be alone, but would be sharing the experience with all the new writer friends I would meet. My friend was right.

Heather Eslick, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist, lives in Savannah, Georgia, with her husband, David, and three of their four boys still in the nest, who supply much of the fodder that goes into her writing.  You can find Heather on Facebook at www.facebook.com/heathereslick and follow her blog at www.heathermeslick.wordpress.com. 

Article photos from the Southeastern Writers Workshop 2014 & 2015. By My Write Platform

ABC’s for creating a Story From Scratch

What if there was a simple formula with which to turn that collection of words and sentences churning around just beneath the surface into a compelling story?  Here is my formula that beginners, or perhaps even seasoned writers, might try out to achieve breakthroughs on one of those frustrating writer's-blocked days.

This ABC Story From Scratch recipe might be able to help get energy moving on an existing story that is not quite moving at the right pace.  Perhaps this could also be of use for a story where there may be a better direction or there is a need for more depth.   The aim is to reach that satisfying level of memorable story telling that the writer wishes to create and readers like to read.  

Just for fun, let’s see what might be achieved from using the following ingredients and steps for writing a Story From Scratch:

A = Attitude  

A settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, and in American culture it may represent individuality and confidence or rebelliousness.

B = Behavior  

Behavior is expressed by how attitudes (from author through main character, foe, friend, lover, culture, nations, etc.) are played out in the story.

C = Consequences  

The result of bringing together Attitude and Behavior.

A+B=C combines Attitude with Behavior to reveal Consequences when life intervenes to beat it all into some sort of solution — though often it may be a sticky one that is not quite ready for consumption.  So, for those who recognize that the story needs more to finish it well, let’s take things a bit further.

D = Delight  

The delight of seeing something not seen before is the gift a great story has to share.  Delight enlightens the story through its characters and/or the reader as a result of them having gone through that often agonizing mix up of attitudes and behaviors, then sifting through the consequences to come to a greater level of realization.  Delight could come from a pivotal decision that enlivens the story from the resulting increased awareness.  Or it may be some other surprising event or unexpected action that, in the end, produces the sought-after savory blend. 

E=Excavation 

Perhaps there could be even greater benefit found by the story being experienced and told from a more visceral level?  If so, then further emotional excavation may be in order.  When the author digs deeper, characters are likely to follow with a much more powerfully believable emotional portrayal that also touches and satisfies readers.

Born in Oklahoma, Diane Douglas lives in South Carolina where she enjoys Southern writing and cooking.  She received a BA in Political Science with a minor in English from the University of North Texas.  As an Officer in the Navy Reserves, Diane created an innovative publication and received a Navy Achievement Medal.  While a Training Director for the Child Welfare League of America, she created training materials and conducted strategic planning sessions for US & Canadian agencies.