Workshop Sneak Peek: Bob Mayer, NYT Best-selling Author

Bob Mayer, the NY Times Bestselling author of factual thrillers, will anchor the Fiction mini-workshop (June 16-17) of the SWA Writers Workshop, June 13-17, at Epworth-by-the-Sea on St. Simon’s Island, GA. He steeps his stories in military, historical and scientific facts, then weaves those facts through fiction creating an exciting ride for the reader. He’s a West Point graduate, former Green Beret, and author of 60 books (the 60th released late last month) that have sold over 4 million copies. He’s been on bestseller lists in thriller, science fiction, suspense, action, war, historical fiction and is the only male author on the Romance Writers of America Honor Roll.

Bob will offer six 1-hour classes, covering the foundations of novel writing: from idea and character to point of view and plotting, as well as some more advanced topics.  Here's sneak peek into two of Bob's classes:

Introduction to Write It Forward: From Writer To Successful Author 

Write It Forward is a holistic approach encompassing goals, intent, environment, personality, change, courage, communication and leadership that gives the writer a road map to become a successful author. Many writers become focused on either the writing or the business end; Write It Forward integrates the two, especially in the rapidly changing world of digital publishing.

Platform, Product & Promotion: Understand Your Unique Position as an Author 

A writer can easily be overwhelmed by all the well-meaning advice given by experts, industry professionals and even other authors.  The reason for this is that every single writer is in a different place and has to figure out their own position and point of view with which to boil down all the information into intelligence (useable information).  If you consider these three variables, with a sliding scale from ‘none’ to ‘the best’, you end up with an infinite variety of authors. This will help you make decisions such as should you traditional publish or self-publish, what areas you should focus your creative and marketing efforts on and much more. 

Is your curiosity piqued? 

Have we grabbed your novel-writing attention? 

Register for the SWA Writers Workshop here.

A Round of Applause: Member News

Debra Ayers Brown announces that her story "A Change of Tune" will be in Not Your Mother's Book ... On Being a Mom with a release date of April 8.

June Hall McCash will be speaking to a library group in Lagrange, GA, Tuesday, March 18 at 7 p.m.

Erika Hoffman’s story about how she met her husband, called "Before March Madness", has been accepted by Screamin’ Mamas. This is Erika’s fifth story to be published by this print magazine.

Edward Nagel signed with YesPlays, a play licensing company in Indiana, for the selling and licensing of his play scripts. The first three that will be on line with YesPlays are the full length plays, HOAX, WARD SIX (an adaptation of Anton Chekhov's novel of the same name) and a play adaptation of Albert Camus' existential novel THE STRANGER.   

Patrick Hempfing had moMENts columns published in March issues of About Families, Western New York Family, Fredericksburg Parent and Family, Palmetto Parent, Metroparent, Suburban Parent, Rio Grande Family, and Idaho Family magazines.  His moMENts columns have now been published in 15 states and two Canadian provinces.  

We invite members to share news about their successes and activities so we can all join the celebration!

Bright Idea #64: Learning to Dance

Early this year I found an interesting call out in Total Funds for Writers, a valuable resource for writers made possible by C. Hope Clark.  In early January, she mentioned that Dancing with Bear Publishers (DWB) were looking for submissions that would fulfill the following description:

"Have you been married to your childhood, high school, or college sweetheart and are still in love like the day you married?  . . . Then send us those true stories of everlasting love."

Immediately I got in touch with Debbie Ropollo, the submissions editor, and explained that Tim and I had been married 45 years and still loved each other. Heck, most days we even LIKE each other.  She encouraged me to submit my family memoir/essay "My Forever Valentines" in answer to DWB’s special call out for a Valentines’ publication.  I hadn’t heard of DWB publishers but Debbie was so personable and their mission statement was impressive.

A few days after I submitted my article, I received an email from Debbie with an attached contract.  A contract seemed a little unusual for an anthology, but not one to look a gift publishing op in the mouth. I read it, electronically signed it, and returned it.  

Imagine my surprise when Maria McGaha, the owner of DWB, welcomed me into their publishing family.  At the end of her note, she enclosed the link to my Kindle book.  

BOOK! What book?  

Dancing With Bear had turned My Forever Valentines into a Kindle book.  I was surprised, delighted, delirious, thrilled, and absolutely amazed.

When I recovered from shock, I spread the news.  My writing partner Amy could probably hear me shouting from five miles away.  I emailed my family, close friends, acquaintances, and probably strangers.  I posted the link and picture on Twitter along with a blurb about the book’s contents.  I bought Google’s promotion plan for a month.  This holiday piece was time sensitive and I wanted to give it a little push.

I posted an initial announcement on my Facebook page.  My greatest encourager, Tim, reminded me that I needed to do this on several occasions since FB pages fill up quickly and items get missed.  Several friends bought the book and responded with kind comments.  Thanks to Hope Clark’s Shy Writer Reborn, I discovered Amazon Author Central where an author can post pictures, comments, or get a scoop on how things are going with your book. The whole e-book publishing experience was a rush and I learned a lot of valuable information that I plan to use.  Just for people like me, Hope wrote a whole chapter on Amazon Author Central with hints on media marketing, building a writer’s platform.  Excellent advice for budding authors and even late bloomers like me.

The little book on Kindle couldn’t have come at a better time for me.  This season of the year brings rain, dark skies, and thoughts of kicking the habit – the writing habit, that is.  I need a little encouraging kick in the pants however I can get it.   provided the nudge to get on with bigger things.

And as an added plus, I get to build relationships with the staff at Dancing with Bear Publishers, which is never a bad thing.  Their interesting name, by the way, comes from a romantic story written by the owner.  Pull up the web page, www.dancingwithbearpublishing.com  and read it.  I guarantee it will warm your heart’s cockles, whatever they are.  Who knows?  Maybe you too will learn to dance.

~~ Sheila Hudson

Sheila's work appears in Chocolate for a Woman's Soul series, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Patchwork Path, From the Heart, Vols. 1 & 2, plus numerous periodicals including Costumer Magazine. She established Bright Ideas to bring hope and inspiration through the written word.  Sheila has also served as president of Southeastern Writers Association.  Read more about Sheila on her website.

ReBlogs: Literary Terms Defined: The Uncommon and Common

In honor of "Throwback Thursday," we're featuring a timeless article by Chuck Sambuchino, who is a member of the 2014 SWA Writers Workshop faculty,  June 13-17, at Epworth-by-the-Sea on St. Simon’s Island, GA.

(from Writers In the Storm, Sept 11, 2013)

Working for Writer’s Digest Books, I come across a lot of literary terms — both the common and uncommon.

Because it’s healthy for writers of all levels to be familiar with terms they may come across in articles, conversations and contracts, here are some literary terms defined for your enjoyment.

Boiler plate contract (also known as a “standard contract”) – (n.) This term usually refers to an agreed starting contract between a literary agent and publisher. If Agent X sells a book to Putnam, for example, their next deal with Putnam will likely have the same royalty rates and subright splits as the first deal.

You can read the full article here and meet Chuck at the SWA Writers Workshop (details here)!

Writers In the Storm "are a group of  pro and published genre writers who critique and polish our work for submission. In the process, we’ve discovered the benefits of the unique perspectives and strengths we bring to the table."

EditorialLee Speaking

One of the greatest things about being a part of the annual Southeastern Writers Association workshop is networking and making friends. I've made a lot of friends through SWA, even a few good friends. The distinction between friends and good friends, I'm told, is this: A friend will help you move. A good friend will help you move . . . a body.

I am privileged to call Darrell Huckaby one of those body-moving friends I've met along this road. I first met Darrell my first year on the SWA Board of Directors, eight years ago, when I was recruiting a humor instructor. Huck, I'm sure many of you know, is quite the humorist. He's written some really funny books, all of which I've read, plus shown his more serious side in a humorous-nonetheless tale entitled Yea Though I Walk about his battle with prostate cancer. He originally planned to title that book, You Took Out My What? He also does a weekly funny bit on the radio called "What the Huck?"

We've had Darrell back to teach a second time during my time on the board. On a personal level, though, I've become far more entangled with Huck as a friend. Last February, he generously donated his time to entertain at a talent show put on by our United Methodist Men, which raised the most money of any fund-raiser in the history of Collins Memorial United Methodist Church. On May 17, he will return to our church for this year's UMM presentation, which will be our own version of the game show "The American Bible Challenge." Darrell will bring a team competing for a $250 donation to a charity of the winning team's choice. He chose to bring a team rather than emcee (yes, I would have handed over the mic) because he has a charity near and dear to his heart. He will also do a short entertainment/devotional moment during study time in a match in which his team won't be involved.

Darrell and I message back and forth frequently, mostly via Facebook. I helped him get his books e-book-ready for the Amazon Kindle site, and in July, I'm going on one of his tours. Since diagnosed with prostate cancer (which he is fighting very successfully so far), he's been arranging bucket-list tours and inviting those of us he knows to join the tours (on our own nickels, of course, but the prices are very reasonable). This summer I'll mark a few things off my own bucket list when we take his "Honor the Braves" Hall of Fame Tour in July. The trip starts with a Friday flight to New York followed by an afternoon tour of Yankee Stadium and tickets to a game there that night. Saturday we go by bus to Cooperstown, where we'll be free for the day to tour the baseball Hall of Fame as well as watch the parade for the new inductees. On Sunday we have tickets to the induction ceremony, which will include Bobby Cox, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine -- all mainstays during my two decades as a Braves' season-ticket holder. We cap the trip by going by bus to Boston for a game at Fenway Park on Monday night before flying back to Atlanta on Tuesday.

Yankee Stadium, Cooperstown's Hall of Fame, and Fenway Park are all on my bucket list as a big-time baseball fan. Getting to watch the HOF inductions of Cox, Maddux and Glavine is just a little icing on the cake.

Now I'm not telling you all this just to let you know I've come into a good, body-moving friendship with one fine Southern gentleman. Because if you come to St. Simons Island this summer for our workshop and stay for our Awards Ceremony, you'll get to meet Darrell and hear him entertain. He'll also be signing books, which will be for sale in the conference bookstore throughout (I'm bringing them), although I'm sure Huck will have a few left to sign if you didn't get your copies before the bookstore closed at mid-day on the final day of the workshop.

He and I are doing this as mutual favors for each other. Even though he volunteered to come -- he always looks for an excuse to visit St. Simons Island -- I will be the one to get the greater reward. This will be my last year as SWA President, and I am leaving the board after this workshop. So this will literally be going out with the biggest of bangs.

I've made a lot of great friends through SWA, too many to name here lest I forget someone, but I guarantee you I will have no problems finding folks to move bodies if I need them. I surely hope if you are reading this and I have yet to meet you that I will have that pleasure in June.

~~ Lee Clevenger

Lee is the current President of SWA, an author and co-founder of ThomasMax Publishing in Atlanta, GA.