tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post1467574858371267184..comments2024-03-28T18:54:13.800-04:00Comments on alien romances: On the Road with Questions and AnswersRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-59894471935975550932008-04-10T16:31:00.000-04:002008-04-10T16:31:00.000-04:00Margaret wrote: If everyone took the advice never...Margaret wrote: <I> If everyone took the advice never to join a crit group with authors below one's own level of experience, what group could the new aspiring author join? :)<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>Linnea points to RWAOnline again. ;-) ~LinneaLinnea Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03633057411107208569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-88116977910783284612008-04-10T12:33:00.000-04:002008-04-10T12:33:00.000-04:00If everyone took the advice never to join a crit g...If everyone took the advice never to join a crit group with authors below one's own level of experience, what group could the new aspiring author join? :)<BR/><BR/>Seriously, great Q and A! There is so much more information available about the world of publishing now than there was when I started out, in my total ignorance, in the early 1970s. And your examples illustrate just a few of the many misconceptions non-writers have about the business. Several years ago, my husband suggested we pour huge amounts of money into (essentially) bribing an agent into representing me and placing my work in major markets. I tried to explain that this plan would be a sure-fire way to get blacklisted forever. If we ever get to the point where we CAN afford to pour huge amounts of money into my career, it would be best used to hire a publicist, from all I've heard.Margaret Carterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08293021955480708191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-41413285897219560732008-04-08T12:56:00.000-04:002008-04-08T12:56:00.000-04:00Kimber wrote:Up here in our tiny little town near ...Kimber wrote:<BR/><I>Up here in our tiny little town near the Arctic Circle, for example, there is no local RWA chapter.</I><BR/><BR/>The internet has changed all that. RWAOnline--<BR/> <BR/>http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org/index.htm<BR/><BR/>Chapter Features:<BR/>24 hour access <BR/>Bulletin Board Discussion Forums (no email loops!) <BR/>Monthly Discussion Topics <BR/>Workshops - FREE for chapter members! <BR/>Plotting and Critique Groups or Partners <BR/>Private Chat Area and regular chat sessions <BR/>January Jump Start Jam and KIA Marathon <BR/>Love Bytes - Chapter Newsletter <BR/>Published Author Only Forums <BR/>And much, much more!<BR/><BR/><BR/>--doesn't care where you are. Either does RWA/FF&P or RWA KOD. All have active, enthusiastic published and pre-published members. RWAOnline offers monthly writing classes FREE to its members. <BR/><BR/>I have a list of valid online writing class on my site under WRITING TIPS.<BR/><BR/>The classes aren't free but well worth the $20 or so for the month of instruction by a professional. You can also meet new writer friends that way. <BR/><BR/>Holly Lisle's site and Orson Scott Card's site are also chock full of FREE writing advice.<BR/><BR/>FYI. ~LinneaLinnea Sinclairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03633057411107208569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-29987371063967435902008-04-08T09:01:00.000-04:002008-04-08T09:01:00.000-04:00Great stuff, Linnea.One thing to remember is aspir...Great stuff, Linnea.<BR/><BR/>One thing to remember is aspiring authors are extremely limited in our options for critique partners. We're told repeatedly to never, ever ask a published author to critique our work. I've dared to ask a couple whom I consider cyber-friends to just tell me if my query is okay. So, unless we're lucky enough to be in a group with a college English professor or something, we just have to make do with who we can find. That almost always means fellow aspiring authors. <BR/><BR/>Now, we can pay lots of money to have our stories critted by attending conferences or whatever or enter contests which promise a crit, regardless. However, putting money into a career which may never happen is a painful thing to do when there are children to be fed. It's more logical to buy chickens because at least we'll get eggs and a barbecue.<BR/><BR/>I have learned a couple of things about critiquing as an aspiring author which might be helpful to other aspiring authors.<BR/><BR/>1) Choose critque partners who have some common ground. For example, it's useless to have a fifty year old who hates teenagers crit your Young Adult novel.<BR/><BR/>2) Final Polish -type editing can be learned. www.justaboutwrite.com is great for this. I utilize the crits I have coming for things I can't do or learn to do on my own, like descriptions. I'm blind as a bat when it comes to describing things appropriately.<BR/><BR/>As for publishable, we can only take our best guess based on our limited resources. Some of us have more limited resources than others. Up here in our tiny little town near the Arctic Circle, for example, there is no local RWA chapter.<BR/><BR/>Maybe some other readers/aspiring authors/columnists can suggest more and better resources for us. Do remember we're frequently the target of scams. Figuring out what's truly worth our time and money can be a challenge.Kimber Lihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03982239712083114488noreply@blogger.com