Why We Need Creative Challenges

Connie Mann with her son Ben Klopfenstein,
showing off their Audience Choice for Best Feature
award for CATCH OF A LIFETIME.

by Connie Mann

Note: Connie Mann is a much-loved friend of the Ancient City Romance Authors. and we look forward to seeing her beautiful smile at our conference each year. When we heard the news of her novel-turned-screenplay-turned-film, we were so excited for her that we had to share with all our friends.

One of the great struggles for writers, especially those who write commercial fiction, is to write, “the same, but different.” We scratch our heads, trying to make sense of it. How do we keep fitting our writing into accepted norms, while still making it new and fresh?

I learned, quite by accident, how writing something in an entirely new genre ignited my creativity and passion for writing all over again.

Several years ago, my son Ben Klopfenstein, who works in the movie industry, asked me if I had any stories that might work as a screenplay. He had several requirements: it had to be set locally, couldn’t have too many characters and couldn’t have oodles of locations. (All things that keep a movie budget tight.)

After he read what I gave him, he said, “Could you turn it into a screenplay?”

Could I? I thought about it, gulped, a lot, and said, “Sure.”

Then I went scrambling for information, because screenplays and novels are two completely different animals. In a novel, you can have a character think for pages on end. How do you show that on screen?

It took six intense weeks to take Catch of a Lifetime from novel to screenplay, followed by months of tweaking and pre-production work. I was privileged to be one of the producers and our house become movie central for several weeks, with props stored in every available location, the cast and crew being fed out of our kitchen, make-up applied in the hall bath. It was crazy and intense, but the most amazing part was seeing my words brought to life on screen. There is no thrill quite like it.

My son spent another year and a half (yes, you read that right) editing, tweaking, adding music and doing all the other magic that makes a movie wonderful! Ben submitted Catch of a Lifetime to the Silver Springs International Film Festival and we were thrilled when it was accepted. It was shown at a local theater a few weeks ago, so we all got to see it on the big screen for the first time.

We were even more thrilled when, at the awards ceremony, Catch of a Lifetime was named Audience Choice for Best Feature! This mama couldn’t have been more proud of her very talented son!

I was also incredibly glad I’d accepted that creative challenge and tried something new.

Connie Mann loves stories of suspense, adventure and second chances. She encourages busy women through her blog:  www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com and is the author of Trapped!, Angel Falls, and Catch of a Lifetime.  She’s also a USCG-licensed boat captain, so when she’s not writing, she’s usually on Central Florida’s waterways with local schoolchildren or her fabulous family. Please visit her online at: www.conniemann.com.

Catch of a Lifetime: http://www.imdb.com/titl

Silver Springs International Film Festival: http://www.springsfilmfest.com/

Write The Perfect Query

"Some people spend more time on their synopsis than they do the query letter they send to an agent or publisher. Yet if your query doesn't get their attention, the synopsis won't be requested. I'll be presenting a workshop on "Getting the Most from Your Query." My query letter has been complimented by an agent at The Knight Agency for being very professional and told by another agent that it was exactly what they were looking for in a query letter." Kathyn J. Bain.

Yes, we know you'd rather suffer a migraine while dropping an anvil on your foot instead of writing a query, but you know it has to be done. Join us on May 25 as Kathy Bain guides us through painlessly writing the perfect query. You'll enjoy a great workshop, plus you'll have a lot of fun!

Kathryn J. Bain began writing more than twelve years ago. Her fifth book, Beautiful Imperfection, will be available September 29, 2012.

She is the former President of Florida Sisters in Crime and is currently the Public Relations Director for Ancient City Romance Authors.

To survive and pay bills, she has been a paralegal for over twenty years and works for an attorney who specializes in elder law.

She has two daughters and a dog named Gretchen. Her first grandchild, Hope, arrived on May 10, 2013. Kathryn grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In 1981, she moved to Boise, but it apparently wasn't far enough south, because two years later she headed to Jacksonville, Florida and has lived in the sunshine ever since.

ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a workshop.

An Actor Prepares – Become Your Characters

Join ACRA on July 28 for a very special workshop on creating unforgettable characters by becoming your characters, offered by member Sharon Drane.

An award winning actor and director, Sharon Drane has appeared onstage for over fifty years.  Her credits as an actor include everything from Shakespeare to contemporary comedy, intricate drama, melodrama, mysteries, and musical theater.

As an actor her favorite roles are Marilla Cuthbert in “Anne of Green Gables,” Bloody Mary in “South Pacific,” and Juliet’s nurse in “Romeo and Juliet.”  As a director, her favorite productions are “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Bus Stop,” and “Inherit the Wind.”

Trained in the Stanislavski Method of character preparation, Sharon will present a workshop at the monthly meeting of Ancient City Romance Authors on Saturday, July 28^th.  The workshop is entitled “An Actor Prepares – Become Your Characters.”  Use of the Method will help an actor or an author create emotionally realistic characters that catch and hold the interest of the audience.

As an author, Sharon’s Regency novel, Touch the Sky, was named a finalist in two recent Romance Writers of America sponsored contests, the Linda Howard Award for Excellence held by Southern Magic Romance Writers and the GOTCHA contest sponsored by Silicon Valley Romance Writers.  As a result of being named a finalist in the GOTCHA contest, Sharon’s manuscript was requested by a publisher.

ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30-1pm, followed by a writer's workshop and then by the regular monthly ACRA chapter business meeting.

Writing Inspirationals ~ June Q & A Panel

Join us on June 23, 2012 for an informative workshop on writing inspirationals. Four inspirational authors will be on hand to answer questions, provide insights, and discuss the genre. Our speakers will be:

Linda Rondeau

A native of Central New York, Linda Wood Rondeau graduated from North Syracuse High School and later Houghton College. She moved to Northern New York where she met and married Steve Rondeau, her best friend in life, and managed a career in human services before tackling professional writing. She has recently relocated to Jacksonville, Florida to start a new adventure…leaving rural America to live in a city of one million.

While writing occupies a great deal of her time, the author takes greater pride in being a wife of one patient man, the mother of three, and the grandmother of nine…not to mention the owner of a very adorable cat.

An award winning author, The Other Side of Darkness is Linda Wood Rondeau’s first published novel.  She is the winner Selah award for best first novel 2012.  She also has a new release July 1st…America II:  The Reformation.  Linda is the founder of an on-line support group for writers called Pentalk.  When not writing, Mrs. Rondeau enjoys golfing, hiking, and Community Theater. 

The author enjoys receiving notes and questions from readers.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Me_jOBFVM

Website: http://www.lindarondeau.com

Blogs: This Daily Grind, Back in the Daze

 The Other Side of Darkness is available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Books-a-Million.com, Christianbook.com, Pelican Books, and wherever books are sold. It is available in both ebook and softcover format.

Kathryn J Bain

Kathryn J. Bain has been writing for over ten years now. Her first release Breathless came out January 13, 2012. Her novella Game of Hearts was released on March 1, 2012. Her third book Catch Your Breath will be released later this year. She has two daughters, and is the former President of Florida Sisters in Crime. Currently, she is the Public Relations Director and Membership Director for Ancient City Romance Authors. To survive and pay bills, she has been a paralegal for over twenty years and works for an attorney who specializes in elder law. She moved from Idaho to Jacksonville, Florida in 1983 and has lived in the sunshine since.

Visit her at her website at KathrynJBain.com  or on her author facebook page.

Selena Fulton

Selena started writing poetry at the age of nine and never stopped writing. She loves anything to do with the ocean. She enjoys camping and making jewelry. A multi-published, award-winning author, belongs to First Coast Romance Writers, Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Ancient City Romance Authors. She won the Golden Acorn Excellence in Writing contest, and has finalled in the Unpublished Beacon and Finally a Bride contests. She also has a couple short stories published. She believes in “paying it forward” by working with fellow authors in her critique groups.

Her first novella, a sensual time travel romance called Never Let Go, came out on June 20 with The Wild Rose Press and is also available on Amazon.com.

Come check her out on Facebook or go to her blog at Selenafulton.wordpress.com, because it’s all about the journey

Diane Burke

Diane Burke, award winning author, writes inspirational romantic suspense for Love Inspired Books by Harlequin. She lives in Florida and loves everything from the hustle and bustle of theme parks to walking on the beautiful beaches and swimming in the surf. She loves to hear from her readers at: diane@dianeburkeauthor.com

If you'd like to join us...
Where:  Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Time:  12:30 to 4:00

(Bring your lunch and eat or socialize from 12:30 to 1:00, Workshop begins at 1:00, Break, then General meeting to follow.)

Getting The Most From Your Query

by Kathryn J Bain

Membership Coordinator, Ancient City Romance Authors

The query letter. The first way most writers have to make an impression on an agent or publisher. And first impressions do count. It doesn’t matter how wonderful your manuscript is if the publisher never gets to read it.

The main way to get your query noticed is to be professional. You are writing to a business, so act as if you are a business owner when you write your letter.

The following are several steps that make a query noticeable. Since most queries are now sent by e-mail, I have written this based on that fact. A letter sent by postal service would be done similarly, but the contact information at the top, like a business’ letterhead.

1. One is keep your query short. No more than a page. A long letter will only make the agent or publisher roll their eyes.

2.  Does your query look like a third grader wrote it? Proofread it until you are absolutely sure there are no errors in it. Your query is one page long. One error might make an agent assume you didn’t proof your manuscript any better.

3.  Do not call the editor/agent by their first name, even if you’ve met them. If her name is Sean Jones, the salutation should read Dear Ms. Jones, for a man, Dear Mr. Jones. Make sure you know which also. Addressing a letter to a man as Mrs. will not win you any points. I always do a search on the Internet when I’m not sure. I have yet to know find out.

4.  Use the first paragraph or two to give a brief synopsis of the book. Make sure it’s a good hook. If you bore your reader here, they’ll assume you’ll bore them with your book.

5.  In the next paragraph, tell them why you’re writing. “I’m writing in the hopes you would be interested in reading my manuscript ….” Tell them the genre and how many words it is. If you do not know the genre, you’re not ready to submit.

6.  Next, include a small writing resume. Don’t tell me you don’t have one. They’re easy to get. Just volunteer in your local writers’ group. The first job I ever did was to get guests for our local Florida Sisters in Crime meetings. I called myself the Public Relations Director. There was no such position. I made it up. You want a title, tell the head of your group you’d like to bring snacks to all the meetings. Now you’re the Hospitality Director. Put that in the resume section of your letter. This lets an agent or editor know that you are willing to step out and be noticed.

7.  The final paragraph of your letter should thank them for taking their time. These are busy people. Thanking them leaves warm fuzzies in their hearts. 

8. The last step is to sign your letter and include all your contact information, including address, phone and your website, if you have one.

I have gotten several compliments on my query letters for being good and professional. Attached to this blog is a sample of the query for my latest manuscript. Regarding this query, one publisher wrote: “I liked your query [a lot!] It was professional and told me what I needed to know, and I look forward to reading your complete manuscript.” A possible sale because of a simple, yet professional query.

A publisher asking for a complete manuscript puts you closer to a contract than one that never responds. Please feel free to use the following query as a guideline, and let me know how it works. And if you get published, all I ask for is a candy bar (no nuts please) if we ever meet.

SAMPLE QUERY

Dear ___________:

A name can mean a lot. You expect a Jasper to be the CEO of a company. Name your son Phineas, well, he might get beat up a lot. However if you chose to call your daughter Trúble, you get what you ask for.

Trúble Lawrence makes a habit out of discovering dead bodies. When the police look to her as a suspect, she has no choice but to search for the killer. If that’s not bad enough she has to deal with a grandmother who has visions, a co-worker who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like Shirley Temple, and a guy who constantly reminds her that celibacy is hard when a hot male's around.

I am writing in the hope you will be interested in reading my completed manuscript, Trúble in Knight and Day. It is a humorous mystery and approximately 65,250 words in length.

My published works include:

- Breathless, an inspirational romantic suspense released January 13, 2012 from White Rose Publishing;
- Game of Hearts, a humorous novella released on e-book March 1, 2012 through Astraea Press; and
- Catch Your Breath, the sequel to Breathless which is due to come out from White Rose Publishing in 2012.

Also, my first release, Breathless, was the winner of the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award for Inspirational Fiction.

I was the President of Florida Sisters in Crime from January 2010 – December 2011, and am currently the Public Relations Director and Membership Director for Ancient City Romance Authors. I am also a member of National Sisters in Crime, American Christian Fiction Writers, National Romance Writers of America, First Coast Romance Writers, and Florida Writers Association. During my spare time, I work as a paralegal for an elder law attorney.

Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

Kathryn J. Bain
Writing Clean Fiction with an Edge
www.kathrynjbain.com

May 26 Workshop ~ Finding Your Author Sweet Spot

Join us on May 26 as Author Maria Geraci presents a workshop on How To Write A Better Book: Finding Your Author Sweet Spot. It's about craft, specifically, honing down what you write best and how to strengthen your writing skills and voice.

Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on Florida’s Space Coast. Her love of books started with the classic, Little Women (a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote). She writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. The Portland Book Review called her novel, The Boyfriend of the Month Club, “immensely sexy, immensely satisfying and humorous.” Her fourth novel, A Girl Like You, will be released August, 2012 by Berkley, Penguin USA. For more information, please visit her website at MariaGeraci.com

ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30-1pm, followed by a workshop.

Click here for a Google Map.

March 24th Workshop Speaker ~ Barbara Cameron

March 24th workshop speaker and topic: Barbara Cameron, author of the Quilts of Lancaster County series, who will speak to us on "How Not to Shoot Yourself in the Foot on the Way to Publication."

Barbara is the author of more than 30 books – fiction and non-fiction. Her Restless Heart, book 1 of the new Amish series Stitches in Time, will be released in March, 2012 by Abingdon Press. It’s the second series by Abingdon – the third book of her popular Quilts of Lancaster County series (A Time for Peace) was published this past summer).

A third series, Amish Roads, follows the Stitches series, in 2013. An Amish Christmas, Expanded Edition (Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller, Barbara Cameron, and Kelly Long) and An Amish Gathering (Wiseman, Fuller, Cameron) were published by Thomas Nelson and landed on the Christian bestseller lists. 

She is the winner of various romance inspirational awards and is the first winner of the Golden Heart Award of the Romance Writers of America. She’s a member of the local Volusia County RWA chapter that meets at the Lake Helen Library. Some of her titles include the Everything Weddings on a Budget Book and the Everything Roberts Rules of Order. She’s a former newspaper reporter. 

Check out her website at BarbaraCameron.com and her blog on AmishHearts.

ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30-1pm, followed by a workshop.

February Workshop ~ Empowering Your Muse

We had such a great workshop with author Kelly L.Stone! On Saturday, February 25, Kelly, author of the Time To Write series, showed us ways to "empower our muse," and get the most from the creativity in all of us. Her presentation was clear and energizing, and filled with tips on engaging our "positive" thoughts as opposed to negative ones.

Kelly finished up her workshop with an exercise in relaxation and allowing our muse to come through. The lights in the room were lowered, and Kelly coached us through relaxing from the ground up. When everyone was very relaxed and tuned in to her voice, she led us to focus on our creative side and see if any breakthroughs or brilliant ideas showed up.

We knew the exercise was successful when member Tracy Stephens exclaimed, "I just solved a plot point!" and grabbed her pen and notebook! Powerful stuff, this.

Please visit Kelly L Stone's website for more information on her, her books, and her workshops. And join us for our March meeting in Jacksonville, Florida!

March 24th workshop speaker and topic: Barbara Cameron, author of the Quilts of Lancaster County series, who will speak to us on "How Not to Shoot Yourself in the Foot on the Way to Publication."

ACRA Meeting: February 25, 2012

Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256 (Rm A)

12:30 pm to 4:00 pm - Bring your lunch

Empower Your Muse by Kelly L. Stone

Empower Your Muse is about building a writer's mind set, using visualization techniques to meet writing goals both short and long term, creating a Vision of Writing Success, and other ways to use the power of the subconscious mind to achieve writing success.

Kelly L. Stone (www.AuthorKellyLStone.com) is a licensed mental health counselor and writer. Her women's fiction novel, GRAVE SECRET (Mundania Press, September 2007) was called “powerful” and "well written" by RT Book Reviews. She is also the author of the TIME TO WRITE series of craft books for writers, including TIME WRITE: No Excuses, No Distractions, No More Blank Pages; THINKING WRITE: The Secret to Freeing Your Creative Mind; and the latest in the series is LIVING WRITE: The Secret to Bringing Your Craft Into Your Daily Life (Adams Media, September 2010).