Steampunk Granny's Bohemian Author Bonanza

By Glenn Walker

On August 14th, author Marie Gilbert will be bringing several other writers together at The Treehouse in Audubon NJ for her Steampunk Granny's Bohemian Author Bonanza.

The event will take place on the afternoon of August 14th, from noon to 3:00 PM at The Treehouse, home of many South Jersey Writers' Group events like our Open Mics and Blogfests.

Among the authors featured will be South Jersey Writers Gail Priest, Laura J. Kaighn, Ewart Rouse, John L. Leone, Krista Magrowski, Cassandra Ulrich, Gregg Feistman, as well as L.C. Bennett Stern, Tracy Farquhar, and Adolphina Shephard, and of course the Steampunk Granny herself, Marie Gilbert. Marie will be selling copies of her Roof Oasis series, including the latest entry, Beware the Harvesters.

More details can be found here. Hope to see you all there!

South Jersey Writers on The GAR! Podcast

By Glenn Walker

Recently here on the blog we talked about The GAR! Podcast recording live at the 2016 Camden Comic Con, and interviewing several members of the South Jersey Writers' Group. You can read about that here (or here), and hear the episode here.

My podcast partner Ray Cornwall and I have recorded live at the Camden Comic Con all three years it has existed, and South Jersey Writers' Group members Amy Hollinger and Robert Repici have each been on the show before, but never at the same time. This year's convention gave them both a chance to join us together for an hour of fun, which we have called The GAR! Podcast speed round, as we hit as many topics as we possibly coul as we chatted and watched the convention around us.

Among the subjects discussed were Amy's wrestling questions, the Undertaker, Mario Bros. on TV, Aaron Paul, Ray's Hulu obsession, Philip K. Dick, the Ultimate Warrior, cosplayers, so many Spider-Men, "Mister Rogers" and "Sesame Street," the world of L. Frank Baum's Oz, the dark side of "Hoarders," name ownership, famous last words, the racism and sexism of "Night Court," and the deconstruction of Captain Cold. Yeah, it's that kind of show.

Amy has been enjoying her retirement as President of the SJWG, and Robert actually ran a creative workshop at the convention, which they also discuss. For our coverage of the last two years at the Camden Comic Con, click here.

The Writers Coffeehouse for April 2016

By Dawn Byrne

Janice Gable-Bashman and Jon McGoran teamed up to lead the Philly Liars Club Writers Coffeehouse in Willow Grove PA. Topics? Character Voice and Outlining. They answered questions, and Jon threw in information on marketing.

Examples of distinct voice done well can be found in J.K. Rowling’s books. The very different voices of the alternating main characters in All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, ring distinct in the book’s characters with their similar backgrounds, living in the same place. “Be true to your character,” said Janice. Make sure the similar persons you design are individuals so the reader can easily tell them apart.

Jon spoke of economy in writing. The voice of a character should show the story, so exposition isn’t needed. You don’t want to undermine your character by violating their POV. If you need something explained in your story, let the character bring up the information needed and address it through his/her dialogue or internal thoughts in a way that’s natural and fluid.

Be conscious of how often you switch POV. Color-coding your manuscript is a technique that can identify where each POV character is in the story and how often you’re in that view. The different POV will pop off the page so you can see if there’s a balance. Scrivener and other software work well for this, but so do Post-it notes and 3x5 cards. Outlining helps in establishing your characters. You should understand your characters a bit before writing the outline, but you can find out more about them as you build the outline. Janice, while outlining, sometimes comes up with dialogue for her characters. She stops outlining and writes the dialogue down as it comes to her. A gift! For her last book, it took three months to create her outline, but she did less editing after the story was written.

Having an outline saves time when an editor or agent asks for changes. It also prevents bad surprises for the author by keeping information consistent and easy to check. Make sure when you do those changes that you also reflect them in the outline for later reference. If you’re creating a series, having a record of the completed books in an outline or other form, makes it easier to keep information throughout the series uniform.

But Janice and Jon agreed: “Do whatever works for you.” Steven James swears in Story Trumps Structure that one shouldn’t outline. Biographical character sketches should contain deep stuff about characters beyond their physical form and what they like to eat. Interviewing them can enable you to find their voice. For each character, you should know their unique POV, even if you’re not writing in their POV. Whatever happened in the character’s life before the story will show in their dialogue and actions. Even birth order is important with family characters.

A question about dialect came up. Suggestions: Find a few words to repeat to relay a character’s dialect, but go light with it. Alternate spelling doesn’t look good on the page, it bogs down the writing and tires the reader. The cadence of words spoken in English by a non-fluent character displays their background to readers. But don’t stereotype your people. There’s a fine line with this, so be sparing with colloquialisms and dialects. When sprinkling in non-English words, they shouldn’t need translation because of context.

Keith Strunk joined the meeting as Jon shared information about BookBub. “It’s huge. Seems to be a powerful tool,” said Jon. An email marketing tool for ebooks, BookBub works on price reduction to stimulate sales. Its thriller list alone has 2.5 million addresses. Similar services, like The Fussy Librarian, are smaller than BookBub, which averages 26,000 downloads. So for the prorated cost of their book, some authors have had success. But for ebooks priced at 99 cents, Jon suggested we consider what percentage of their buyers will purchase another book by that author priced above 99 cents. Harlan Ellison believes you should never give your stuff away. That may be what authors who go the 99 cents route with BookBub are doing in hopes of other sales.

MSWL Manuscript Wish List is a 12-hour pitch on Twitter to literary agents. Authors put up a tweet to see who likes their pitch. Agents who are looking to represent an author may request pages of a manuscript. How important, really, are business cards? “Networking is about touch. Lots and lots of touch. And that’s what business cards are,” Keith answered. A card is a memory, so you are “marketing memory” with your picture on the card. It’s about interaction with people, and a card can create a connection. But, “Networking is always a long term thing.”

Jon had a signing for his new book, Dust Up, after the meeting at the front of the store. Janice will be signing at the Barnes & Noble Teen Book Festival in Neshaminy PA on June 11th. Look for the many local conferences coming up. A few are ThrillerFest XI in New York July 6-9, the Philadelphia Writers Conference in Philadelphia June 10-12, the Annual Pennwriters Conference in Lancaster, PA May 20-22, and Noircon 2016 in Philadelphia June 15-16.

There will be no Coffeehouse in May, although it resumes June 26th, noon to 2 PM with an additional hour for networking. Thanks for setting up this SJWG road trip, Sir Glenn Walker. Thank you Gail Priest for driving. The Liars are great, and so are you.

Community

By Glenn Walker

This is both a personal message, and a revelation about the South Jersey Writers' Group as a whole, so I couldn't think of a better place to post these thoughts.

For those of you who don't know, I had been having some health issues, and a serious bout of illness landed me in the hospital for several weeks. No exaggeration here, folks, I nearly bought the farm, and I'm not talking about real estate. I don't think I would have made it if not for family and friends, and the South Jersey Writers' Group.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone - thank you for all the cards, the gifts, the gift basket, the gift card, books, phone calls, and visits.

Thank you to everyone who reached out basically, sent thoughts and prayers, either in person or digitally - especially Marie, Dawn, Robin, Jim, Amy, Loretta, Michael, Jennifer, Doot, Gail, Patti, Kahlil, Mark, Jord, Krista, Rich, Victoria, and Jessica, among others - everyone, in other words.

Apologies if I haven't gotten back to you. My vision was very bad for quite some time, making use of the laptop and phone very difficult. It took a while but my vision adjusted somewhat finally. I also suffered some memory loss during my time in the hospital. I am still discovering texts and Facebook messages I don't remember.

I got home the day before Christmas Eve, and the recovery was, and remains, slow and difficult, but I'll make it, I'm still pretty much invincible, but nowhere near as cocky as I once was.

When I returned to the group and its functions slowly, everyone greeted me with smiles, hugs, and kisses. I had no idea so many folks cared, but you did. I don't know how I survived so many hugs. Seriously, and this is the part where I tear up, this group is so important to me, and I was struck by how everyone pulled together as a community to help me, care for me, and just wish me well.

The South Jersey Writers' Group is not just writers trying to help each other with writing goals, and learning from each other, it's a support group, a circle of friends, friends who may very well have saved my life. Sure, maybe it started as people putting words to paper, but now it is a strong loyal community… my friends. I love you folks.

Thank you so much again. I am so blessed with wonderful friends, especially in the South Jersey Writers' Group.

The South Jersey Writers' Group at the 2016 Camden Comic Con

By Glenn Walker

April 9th was the third annual Camden Comic Con, and for the third year in a row, my podcast partner Ray Cornwall and I have recorded The GAR! Podcast live during the convention held at Rutgers University in Camden. As in the years before, we conducted many interviews with creators in the comics industry, and even some members of the South Jersey Writers' Group. This year, we interviewed so many members, that we dedicated an entire episode to the group.

Episode 134 of The GAR! Podcast features discussion with Marie Gilbert about "The Walking Dead," female protagonists, her upcoming novel Beware the Harvesters, and ghosts; fiction and non-fiction with Dawn Byrne; addiction with Kahlil Weston; Randy Ribay tells us about his novel An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes; and then Steampunk Granny Marie returns with filmmaker Chris Eilenstine to round out the show - she may have even scored a movie deal on air! Listen and learn.

Marie also reported on the 2016 Camden Comic Con here on her blog Gilbert Curiosities. The first installment of GAR's coverage of the 2016 Camden Comic Con can be found here, with more to come, including an episode featuring SJWG members Amy Holiday and Robert Repici, keep your eyes on our website. For our coverage of the last two years at the Camden Comic Con, click here.

Announcing the Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Toronto, Ontario/Marlton, New Jersey - Pop culture website Biff Bam Pop! today announces the launch of the Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network, an umbrella to house and promote a host of podcasts featuring various members of the BBP staff. Please meet us after the jump for the details.

“For the past two years here at Biff Bam Pop!, we've featured The GAR! Podcast, the work of myself, and my partner Ray Cornwall,” says Biff Bam Pop! Senior Editor and Writer Glenn Walker. “Recently it occurred to us here onsite that I was not the only one who had a hand in the world of podcasting. We should organize the podcasts of our writers under one umbrella, adding to each show's promotional power for the betterment of everyone. Each time a new episode goes live, it would be featured here onsite. Thus was born the Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network.”

The currently running podcasts that will now fall under the Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network umbrella include:

The Audacious Eleven Podcast featuring Wendy Sheridan, Mary McGinley, Donna Juzva, and Biff Bam Pop's own, SJWG member Robin Renee. The show is described as a reality podcast that ventures from Pagan spirituality and life empowerment to technology, entrepreneurship, love, sex, and fandom.

The Biff Bam Popcast is our own video roundtable recorded from Google Hangouts that features BBP staffers and occasional guests talking about the pop culture topics of the day in film, television, comics, gaming, books, and music.

The GAR! Podcast is the Glenn Walker and Ray Cornwall weekly podcast where they talk unrehearsed about whatever happens to come to mind. It’s an audio-zine for your mind, a nerd exploration of a nerd world, coming to you from across the vastness of suburban New Jersey via Skype.

Gobbledygeek features hosts Paul Smith and AJ Wiley and focuses on a variety of entertainment subjects, with our hosts and special guests frequently discussing films, comics, and television. BBP staffers K. Dale Koontz and Ensley F. Guffey are frequent guests.

The Make Mine Magic Podcast features Jenn Walker and her husband SJWG member Glenn Walker talking about Disney, parks, movies, travel advice, characters, Marvel, Star Wars, Studio Ghibli, etc., if it’s Disney, it’s fair game.

The Official Popshifter Podcast, features Popshifter managing editor Less Lee Moore and featured contributor Jeffery X Martin shifting the tone of pop culture criticism and tackling the fields of film, music, and rest of the genre world.

Along with these shows, beginning on October 15th, we will launch the monthly Biff Bam Podcast. The inaugural edition will feature interviews with Kane Hodder and Brandi Cyrus, the stars of the new horror film Old 37, along with a roundtable discussion on the best movies to watch for Halloween, and contributions from various BBP staff writers.

“We’re very excited to be bringing Biff Bam Pop! to the podcasting world,” says Editor-In-Chief Andy Burns. “After seven years of writing on the web, we’re now going to entice your ears with our brand of pop culture talk.”

For more details on the Biff Bam Pop! Podcast Network, and the Biff Bam Podcast, contact Andy Burns or Glenn Walker.

Established in 2008 in Toronto, Canada, Biff Bam Pop is a pop culture website that features writers from across North America. Find us online at www.biffbampop.com, facebook.com/bbpcanada and via Twitter @biffbampop.

The Biff Bam Pop! website features the work of SJWG members Marie Gilbert, James Knipp, Loretta Sisco, Robin Renee, Sarah Hawkins-Miduski, Glenn Walker, and soon, Mieke Zamora-Mackay.

My First Time as a Professional Liar

By Jessica Hunter

People ask me what my story is about and all of a sudden I'm at a complete loss of words. It's like when someone asks: What's your favorite song? And all of a sudden your brain goes dead, and you can't even think of the last song you heard let alone which one is your favorite. Song? What's a song? This is exactly what happened to me when I attended the Liars Club this past Sunday, and it taught me a valuable lesson. But first let me go back to the beginning. To the moment I entered the den.

"We're going to sit in the front," SJWG Membership Director Glenn Walker said as we walked into the room. Little did I know, he meant the front front. As in the bright blue table that faces everyone else. The place where the professionals sit. (i.e the people who actually know what they're talking about.)

"You are a professional. If you act like a professional, then you are a professional," he told me when I expressed my concern. As I contemplated my choice, I asked myself, what is it that makes an author a professional? Is it the fact that you’ve published your stories, or is it your passion, your drive, the hours you spend doing the one thing that eventually gets you published - writing. If it’s the latter then yes, I am a professional.

Feeling slightly more confident, yet anxious, I took a seat at the table. Fellow SJWG member Bruce Capoferri offered me some reassurance. "I look in the mirror every morning and say Bruce, you are a professional salesman. Act like it." It reminded me of something Glenn mentioned earlier. "If it's not there, build it."

I needed to build the confidence that I belonged here, or at least fake it ‘til I make it, right? Honestly, I don't know why I was so afraid. It's not like everyone was going to chuck their books and pens at me. However, the room was filing with faces that I would probably see again. And I really wanted to make a good impression— in other words, not say anything stupid.

"What could you possibly say that would be stupid?" Glenn said. He was like the life coach I’ve always wanted.

The meeting started and with it my nerves hit overdrive. Sweaty palms, pounding chest, my thoughts tumbling over one another - we're introducing ourselves if you couldn't tell. But then something wonderful happened. I realized that everyone was just as nervous as I was.

"I panicked," said Dawn Byrne, fellow SJWG member.

"I feel like I'm having a heart attack," said one woman.

“Fake it 'til you make it!” someone shouted.

And then Keith Strunk put the icing on it all. "I’m not afraid to look dumb. Obviously."

I couldn't believe it. All of these established writers were feeling exactly what I was feeling. We were all in the same boat.

Now that the ice was broken, the group started talking about networking— get to know people not their pages, don’t pimp your writing, establish a network before you have something to sell. I was getting so many great notes. Just as I’m jotting down something Keith is saying, I realize that he’s speaking to me. Like he literally just asked me a question. It was then that I realized I wasn’t just a silent observer taking notes. These people had accepted me into their group. I was one of them, I was feeling on top of the world, and then the networking happened.

The first part was great. I spoke to Jon McGoran about our shared habit of writing ideas while driving. I spoke to someone else about yoga and language. I was on such a high. And then I was asked the one thing I didn't want to be asked. "So what's your story about?"

My entire brain shut down. I began babbling and hacking at my story. What is this nonsense you're saying? I thought. The guy was being so nice and patient as he listened to my rambling, but I could tell he was thoroughly confused. He had no idea what my book was about, and it sounded like I didn't know either. In fact I had somehow given him the wrong idea entirely. Just explain the themes, I thought, but even that came out a mess. He was asking all of the right questions geared to help me, all of the questions an agent would ask, and I had the answers, but none of them came out of my mouth. For some reason, my mouth had an agenda of its own, which was: gargle, gargle, gargle, Reapers, gargle, gargle, I'm not going to say anything you're telling me to say brain.

Just stop talking! I was screaming in my head. At this point he had started taking notes, "I'm just trying to get a picture," he said, but that added to the anxiety because now I was like, Why is he taking notes? He’s probably going to give them to me and say, "Get it together Jess!" Nope, he took them with him. When the conversation was finished, I rose from the table feeling paranoid, lost, and dazed beyond control.

How did this happen? How is it possible that I can fully understand my idea, yet butcher it when I try to explain it out loud? I don't know if you've ever felt this way, but it's like, you know the story - you know the plot, the themes, the characters, the twists, the symbolism you've placed throughout, yet still you don’t know how to summarize all of this in a concise way that will do the story justice. Ironically this is exactly how I feel about myself as a human being.

With that said, I left the meeting feeling completely and entirely discouraged. Maybe my story isn't as good as I think it is. But how could that be? I was just drooling over it before I left my house this morning. I'm an avid reader. I know a good story when I read one, but perhaps I am under a delusion spell. I must be blind to what I've actually written. I was now questioning everything, even my skills as a writer. My breaths were constricting, my thoughts were tumbling, it was hitting me like an avalanche. I'm having a panic attack, I thought as I sat in the backseat of Glenn's car.

When we returned to Jersey, I thanked Glenn, climbed into my car, and just sat there for who knows how long. My story totally sucks. And I've forgotten how to breathe. Maybe I should just start over? I thought, but that quickly crashed and burned. I had already fallen in love with my characters and promised them I would tell their story. I can't give up just because a seed of doubt was planted. Right?

So what did I do? I did what I always do when I'm stressed out - I went shopping.

As I'm strolling through the mall with a shirt that I don't need and feeling nonetheless better, a super model, of all people, helped me climb out of this mess. Well, it was actually just a poster in a jewelry story but same thing. Under the woman’s face was a hashtag that read: Don't crack under the pressure. The words reached out and grabbed me. They shook me by the shoulders and said "Stop freaking out! Stop doubting yourself!” It may have just been an ad for diamonds, but it reminded me that despite the anxiety I was feeling, I still believed in my story. And then I realized, I wasn’t freaking out about the opinions and advice I received. I was freaking out because I was afraid of failing. But when it comes to writing, what is failing really? You can’t fail if you’ve learned something. Sure, your book may not be picked up by a publisher, but then you'll self publish, and people will still be able to read your story. I was once told, “If you write a good story, people will freaking read it!” And in the end that's all that matters.

So don't lose hope when you start second-guessing yourself like I did, and definitely don't stop writing. Whatever you do, do not stop writing! (Seriously I'm going to want to read it once you're published) You simply take what caused the doubt in the first place, and learn from it because it is what makes us better writers. And perhaps the lesson you learn won't be about your story, but about you, yourself as a person. That’s what this ride has been for me. I walked into the Liars Club thinking I was going to learn about writing, and I left learning more about myself.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience. Sure it scared the crap out of me, and made me question everything - but that's a good thing! If everyone tells you you're wonderful all the time, then it's probably time to get some new friends. Because real friends tell you when you're doing something wrong and headed in a bad direction. They tell you the things you don't want, but need, to hear. And this is exactly how I feel about everyone I spoke to at the club. To them, I may have just been the babbling girl in the green skirt, but to me they are all my new friends.

There were two things said at the Liars Club that I will forever carry in my pocket (said by Keith and Jon respectively):

"Don't apologize for who you are" and "I'm a f*cking writer!"

About today's guest-blogger:

Jessica Hunter is a book junkie, an aspiring author, a Whovian and a Gryffindor. She dabbles in web development and yoga, but writing has always been her passion. On most days she can be found 30,000 feet in the air, but you’ll also catch her with the South Jersey Writers' Group, at her blog or on her Instagram.

"The Malocchio" by Bruce Capoferri

Interview conducted by Marie Gilbert

The Steampunk Granny, Marie Gilbert, is back and she’ll be interviewing the authors featured in Hypothetical Press' first anthology called Reading Glasses.

Bruce Capoferri sells automobiles, but enjoys writing stories and songs in his spare time, and is currently working on a novel. He has had four autobiographical stories published in Primo magazine and one in Buona Salute. He lives with his wife Barbara, and cat Krikat.

Thank you, Bruce, for taking the time to do this interview. I’m happy to meet you and we have a few questions for the people out there.

Marie Gilbert: What got you started in writing? What was your inspiration to take pen to paper? What authors inspire you?

Bruce Capoferri: I have always been a storyteller. But I have to thank Miss Shepherd, my eighth grade English teacher, for recognizing it and encouraging me. I wrote a short story entitled "The Paradise Lost Affair" that she edited and submitted to a teacher’s magazine and got published. I wish I had gotten a copy of it, because it was the first time I was recognized for having some talent. I must also blame - I mean, thank - my fantastic coach and brother-in-law, Glenn Walker, for coaxing me into putting my stories down on paper and submitting them to magazines. I have to thank my wonderful wife, Barbara, for introducing me to H.P. Lovecraft, Phillip K. Dick, and a host of other fantasy and science fiction writers. Barbara is a children’s librarian and constantly supplies me with a wide variety of fodder for my imagination.


Marie: What type of stories do you enjoy writing about?

Bruce Capoferri: The first few stories I got published were autobiographical. I truly enjoy documenting my slightly askew memories of growing up next to my Italian grandparents in Elm NJ. But fantasy and science fiction is right up there as well. I guess it’s because I can make my characters say and do whatever my devious mind dreams up. I am in the process of finishing the last few chapters of my first novel and I’m enjoying wreaking mayhem and chaos so much I’m having difficulty reaching the conclusion.


Marie: Where did you get the inspiration for the story in Reading Glasses?

Bruce Capoferri: The inspiration for "The Malocchio" sprang from the Italian belief that someone can impart bad luck upon a rival or enemy with a malevolent glance. Over the years I have also heard this curse referred to as the Maloiks or the Maloikies. But, no matter how you may pronounce it, my story takes this old world superstition to a deadlier level.


Marie: One of our anthology editors, Amy Holiday, mentioned that you are working on a novel. Could you tell us a little about that?

Bruce Capoferri: "The Children of God and Men" sprang from a conversation I had with my cousin, Sandy Core, at a family reunion. She mentioned that a short story I had written, and shared with her, titled "Hitching a Ride on Borrowed Time" reminded her of an excerpt from the book of Genesis in The Bible. It portends that Angels (known as The Watchers) were sent to Earth by God to supervise the development of mankind. But finding the women of men attractive, the Angels took as many of the women as they wanted for wives resulting in the births of giants and men of renown (also known as Nephilim). In my research I discovered the banned Book of Enoch and then really became intrigued. The book allows me the opportunity to explore comparative religions and how worldwide myths and legends have shaped multi-cultural beliefs. If you enjoy reading stories about conspiracy theories, ancient alien influences and Native American prophecy mixed with apocalyptic action, you will love my book. By the way, did I mention it is also a dark comedy?


Marie: Do you belong to a writers’ group? If so, why and if not, why?

Bruce Capoferri: I'd like to consider myself a member of the South Jersey Writers' Group because it is the only one who has recognized me. It will also be the first entity to publish one of my stories in a hardback book. The difficulty I have is time to attend meetings. This is because I am a full-time automobile salesman and work most evenings. I do my best to keep in touch with what is going on, however, and read Writer’s Digest and similar publications. 


Marie: Was this the first Kickstarter that you ever participated in? What was it about our Kickstarter that made you want to help out?

Bruce Capoferri: Although I have submitted my manuscripts to various contests, this was the first one of this type.


Marie: Thank you, Bruce, for doing this interview.

Bruce Capoferri: I want to thank everyone at South Jersey Writers' Group and Hypothetical Press for making my dream a reality.

You can purchase Reading Glasses, featuring "The Malocchio" by Bruce Capoferri, in paperback here.

This interview previously appeared in a slightly different form on Marie Gilbert's blog, Gilbert Curiosities, right here.  

Walk the Walk

By Glenn Walker

Everybody always says (whether they are a writer or not), "You know, I could write a book, if only I had the time." Those of us who are writers know these people, have heard them say this, and we hate them. Admit it, we do.

Writing is not just something one does, it is something one is. A writer cannot not write. Simple as that. But in every field, there are folks who walk the walk, and those who only talk the talk. We see them every day in our writing groups, meetings, and the like. There are the writers who are writing, and the writers who only talk about writing. There's a point where you have to stop talking, put your butt in the seat, fingers on the keyboard, and actually do the deed. Start walking the walk.

There are numerous ways to get that magical motivation needed to move from talker to walker, I'm just going to visit a few here, but however you do it - you gotta start walking.

1. Make time. For a week, keep a journal of your every move, everything you do. Note where the idling spots are, the wasted minutes, the waiting for buses, the time in front of reality TV shows you really don't like any more, maybe even meeting with writer friends for time that's more social than productive. These minutes add up.

Box up all that time and carve yourself an hour, maybe two in your daily schedule. This is now your writing time. You do nothing else during this time. You write, or you edit, or you rewrite (which is what most of this gig is anyway), you research, or you just stare at that blank screen or page until something comes to you. No matter how you go about it, that allotted time is for nothing more than writing.

2. Treat it like a job. Be serious. If you're serious about this writing thing, treat it like your job. Would you slack off or talk with your friends or watch TV or surf the net while you were on the clock at your job? Then don't do it here. Here you are the boss and you must be merciless. Fire yourself if need be! No slackers allowed.

Let everyone in your household know that this is your work time. Spouses, partners, children, and pets should all get the word that when you're at your desk (or wherever your workspace is) at a certain time, that this is your job. Do not disturb under any circumstances (except maybe fire or injury). Bothering the writer is forbidden. After all you're on the clock, and you are. Being self-employed is no different than any other job - time is money, money is time, and your time is worth money.

3. Discipline. You've blocked off time. And you are serious. Now is the hard part - stick to it. That time is only for writing. No rationalization, no bargaining, no flex hours. Write when you said you would, every day that you agreed that you would. If you're wishy-washy and don't think you can do this, find another writer in the same situation and keep tabs on each other, keep each other in line. Without discipline the whole system falls apart.

If you say you're a writer, then write. Don't just talk about it. Walk the walk!

SJWG at the Philadelphia Writers' Conference

Mark Doenges, Gail Priest, Amy Holiday, Mark A. Smith, Betsy Heinz, Dean Dobkin

Several members of the South Jersey Writers' Group attended the writing event of this area - the Philadelphia Writers' Conference. In attendance from our group were president Amy Holiday, Gail Priest, Patti O'Brien, Betsy Heinz, Vincent Sparks, Mark Doenges, Mark A. Smith, new members Frederick Doot from the Garden State Speculative Fiction Writers and Dean Dobkin, PWC registrar Jim Knipp, and membership director Glenn Walker. Here's what some of them had to say about the PWC experience:

"The most valuable part of the conference for me was hearing about the successes and struggles other writers and realizing I was not alone. I enjoyed talking with people and hearing about their works and getting to know the folks from SJWG who attended. Thanks to all who made this conference such a success!" ~ Betsy Heinz

"This was my first experience attending the Philadelphia Writers' Conference. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to better know the other members of the South Jersey Writers' Group better. They made me feel welcome, and we shared a lot of laughs. I met many new people, too. The schedule offered enough free time to chat, network, and support. The energy from everyone was very positive.

"Don Lafferty's Social Media/ Marketing three day workshop was a highlight for anyone fortunate enough to have signed up for it. The wealth of knowledge he shared was inspiring and a bit overwhelming, but his personality made it fun, too.

"Another highlight was the Open Mic during lunch on Saturday. Autumn Stephens Konopka facilitated, and she also set an encouraging and upbeat atmosphere which put people at ease. I enjoyed hearing writers share their work. I felt supported by the audience when I read. There were several authors on the wait list, and by some miracle everyone had a chance to share. I hope they offer two days for the Open Mic next year. I think more people will want to take advantage of the opportunity to read and listen to others.

"Both the Self-Publishing workshop taught by Merry Farmer and the Research workshop taught by Janice Gable Bashman were extremely enjoyable and informative. Both these instructors knew their stuff and how to communicate well. Their students were appreciative.

"Those are just a few of the many highlights. PWC2015 was a great experience for me." ~ Gail Priest

Mark A. Smith and Frederick Doot

"One of my favorite experiences of this past weekend was the opportunity to network and get to know not only others within the Greater Philadelphia Writers Community but the folks that are members of the SJWG. I knew most of the folks from the meetings but it was just recognizing who they are and a brief hello and goodbye. Having our 'own' table or meeting spot was great because I really had some good conversations and got to know the members of our group a little bit better.

"I thought the seminars, the speakers and the whole 'vibe' of the conference was a positive experience that has definitely given me an incentive to keep writing and working harder to improve my writing. The speakers were extremely helpful and informative. Since this was my first writing conference I have ever attended, the bar has been set and it is high. After all, what better place to start than Philadelphia and the longest running writers conference in the country?

"As we say in Boston, 'that is my story and I am sticking to it!'" ~ Mark A. Smith

" When I woke up Monday morning my brain hurt from knowledge absorption, but I was exhilarated. It felt appropriate, because I attended the 67th Annual Philadelphia Writers’ Conference this past weekend. There was much to learn, and I soaked it up.

"As a scholarship winner and first time attendee, I knew it would be a good place to network and meet other writers. What I discovered was so much more than I anticipated. From Friday through Sunday, there were opportunities to learn, share, discuss and explore a ton of information about the art of writing.

"Sitting in a conference room of peers at all different stages in their careers, with the common goal to learn, was inspiring. At last, I felt established and validated as a professional. Although writing is a very solitary process, it is great to know that from published author to novice, we all struggle with similar issues.  
"The conference schedule allowed me to choose what workshops best served my particular interests. I attended outstanding sessions on developing social media skills, plotting and outlining your novel and self-publishing essentials. 

•  I’ve learned that I don’t know enough about metadata and marketing myself, but now I have resources.  
• Book Architecture is an excellent way to plot my work and that I’m a “Pantser” – I write by the seat of my pants without a written outline. 

• Self-publishing is on the rise, and Smashwords is my friend. 

Mark Doenges, John Fahl, Amy Holiday, Vince Sparks, Gregg Feistman, Patti O'Brien

"I emerged from the conference with valuable information and solid resources. Also, having a chance to connect with fellow members of South Jersey Writers’ Group was a bonus. Being together gave everyone a chance to get to know each other better. We discussed our work, shared stories, had lunch and chilled with a few drinks.

"I certainly look forward to attending the conference again, and would urge everyone looking to perfect their craft to add it to their calendars. There’s nothing like the support of other writers to remind you to just keep writing. 'Get out of your head and put it on the page - WRITE.'" ~ Vince Sparks

The Philadelphia Writers' Conference was a whirlwind of excitement, information, and networking. If you're a writer in this area and haven't attended, you have no idea how much you're missing. This is the best writing opportunity around. Make your plans for next year as soon as possible!

Biff Bam Pop! at the SJWG

By Glenn Walker

The internet is a funny thing. The internet is bringing our world closer together, making communication easier. You can get to know people, build friendships and relationships, having never met the people involved. I have known Andy Burns for six years, talk to him nearly every day, consider him one of my best friends - all thanks to the internet - but never met him face to face until just this past week.

Even though Andy lives and works in Toronto, he's well known to the members of the South Jersey Writers Group, not just through me, but seeing as a half-dozen of our members write for his pop culture website Biff Bam Pop!, Andy has achieved something of rock star status among our little group.

As I said, we had never met until last week. When I picked him up at the airport, he got in the car and we shook hands, then kinda laughed and rolled our eyes. This was not a first meeting or an introduction. It wasn't even a blind date. Andy and I have known each other for years. We were soon talking as if we had last talked hours before, which though electronically, we had. He settled into our home for a week as if he was family, more than a friend or colleague.

When he attended the May general meeting of the SJWG as my guest, he felt like family with our little group as well, and what was even cooler, the friendships were bound even closer when we went out to a bar later that night. As the days went by, Marie Gilbert took Andy on a ghost hunt, as well as a tour of historic Philadelphia. With Loretta Sisco and her husband we attended a viewing of the new Poltergeist remake. French fry fanatic me took him to all the cool places to eat like the British Chip Shop for the best fries, got him a real cheesesteak, and all of us got together for a breakfast at Collingswood's Pop Shop.

By the time we parted after that last breakfast, we were all family, despite having never met before last week. So the internet is not such a bad thing, it builds friendships and connections not just here in South Jersey, but also as far away as the mean streets of Toronto.

Andy Burns is a verified expert of the television series "Twin Peaks" as evidenced in his book Wrapped in Plastic. Twin Peaks. His pop culture website Biff Bam Pop! can be found here, you can Follow him on Twitter here, and Like the site on Facebook here.

Among the South Jersey Writers who are also members of Biff Bam Pop! East are senior writer Marie Gilbert, whose work includes reviews of "The Walking Dead," "Penny Dreadful," "American Horror Story," and "Orphan Black" among others; Loretta Sisco, who dazzles us with tales of horrors and serial killers; Robin Renee, our mistress of music; Jim Knipp, our official "Game of Thrones" reviewer; and Sarah Hawkins Miduski, who will be taking on the upcoming "Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell" TV series. And then there's that Glenn Walker guy, associate editor and contributing writer at Biff Bam Pop!. He reviews "The Flash," "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and "Avengers Assemble."

We loved hosting Andy, and we're hoping to get together again in person real soon, perhaps a trip to Canada next. Until then, thank you, internet, and thank you, Andy!

SJWG April Blogfest

Every third Sunday of the month the South Jersey Writers' Group gets together for a work session dedicated to the art of blogging. If you noticed in the SJWG Social Media Database (seen here and here) many of its members are also bloggers. This month, once again, we have decided to put our money where our mouths are, so to speak, and promote here, on the SJWG Blog, what we accomplished at this monthly work session.

Loretta Sisco spotlighted her cat Ozzy on her blog/website The Mirth and Madness of My Mind (and Other Musings). You can read this terrific love letter here.

Writer/editor Patti O'Brien returned to her blog A Broad Abroad with a post about her recent car accident. You can read it here.

Marie Gilbert worked on an upcoming piece for Intertainment Hub.

Marie, Loretta, Jenny, Joanne, and Kahlil hard at work.

New member Howard Kleinman used the friendly peer pressure of the write-in style work session to get him working on rewrites for his novel.

Kahlil Weston of Mad Writer Publishing continued editing on a book set for release later this year.

Joanne Costantino crafted a new post for her blog The Life we Claim we Didn't Sign Up For.  

Jenny Barnes revised chapters of a novella she has been working on.

Glenn Walker helped out a couple new members, and also wrote and posted an entry for two of his blogs. He reviewed the Logan's Roadhouse franchise in Florida for French Fry Diary, and a recent episode of "Arrow" for Welcome to Hell. Please click on the links to check them out.

And that's just some of the creative magic that happened at this month's Blogfest work session…

SJWG March Blogfest

Every third Sunday of the month the South Jersey Writers' Group gets together for a work session dedicated to the art of blogging. If you noticed in the SJWG Social Media Database (seen here and here) many of its members are also bloggers. This month we decided to put our money where our mouths are, so to speak, and promote here, on the SJWG Blog, what we accomplished at this monthly work session.

Loretta Sisco posted this entry about her 'pocket pets' to her blog, while working hard on her next article at Biff Bam Pop! about this past weekend's Monster Mania convention in Cherry Hill NJ. You can check that out later this week here and here.

Kahlil working hard at this week's Blogfest

Robin Renee wrote this terrific post for her blog about working and living in mixed media. You can read it here.

Rich Voza, besides leading an energetic discussion about teaching and movies with Glenn Walker, produced a blog post consisting of more of his famous one-minute book reviews. You can see it here.

Kahlil Weston of Mad Writer Publishing worked on his upcoming book on bullying, as well as edits for a forthcoming book by another of his authors.

Glenn Walker wrote and posted an entry for each of his three blogs. He reviewed Crunchy Cookie Chips for French Fry Diary, the new phase of the Simpsons Tapped Out game for the Non-Gamer's Gamer's Blog, and the Danish giant monster movie classic Reptilicus for Welcome to Hell. Click the links to check them out.

And that's just some of the creative magic that happened at this month's Blogfest work session…

SJWG and The Storyteller Cards

Ever since our SJWG President Amy Holiday discovered the Storyteller Cards, she has been telling us all in the group how cool these writing prompt tools are. Last week at our February meeting, we all got to find out firsthand and meet the man behind these awesome cards, Jason Tagmire.

From the Storyteller Cards website: "Each card features an illustration with 4 unique elements. There is a character, holding an item, completing an action, in a location. Each of these elements can be used to create something new, get you out of a mid-project slump, or just to have some creative fun with family and friends."

The game we all played at last week's meeting was the task of taking one card, and writing a 25-word story about what was happening in the card. Below are some of our stories.

The two above were by writer Loretta Sisco.

 

The one above was writer by Christine Nelson.

The two above were by writer Mark A. Smith.  

These two above come from writer and blogger Barb Godshalk.  

And the final two above are by me. 

Perhaps we'll have more, but until then, please check out Storyteller Cards, great games, great fun, and great for breaking writers block.

Roof Oasis by Marie Gilbert

Marie Gilbert is one of the most beloved members of the South Jersey Writers' Group. She has been instrumental in the birth and maintenance of this blog, as well as being one of our biggest boosters and sellers of the SJWG anthology Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, in which her craft is also featured.

You've also seen her work at Biff Bam Pop! every week. There the Steampunk Granny regularly reviews cool stuff like episode by episode recaps of "The Walking Dead," "Bates Motel," "True Blood," and "Orphan Black" among others.

Marie also writes for Go Jane News, her interviews and ghost investigations are top notch, and has aided me in several blog tours. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she is an inspiration to us all. Marie rocks, and we love her, but now we have an extra special reason to be proud of our Steampunk Granny - she's now a published novelist.

Let me tell you all about Roof Oasis. Marie Gilbert's first novel is the tale of twins Michael and Lucy caught in a world devastated by bio-warfare that has inadvertently created zombies. As the hordes of the seemingly undead close in, the twins find that their only salvation may lie within a Victorian mirror hidden in the attic of their family home. You can read more about the novel here.

Roof Oasis: An Apocalyptic Tale (Volume 1), by Marie Gilbert, is available as a paperback from Amazon here and soon on Kindle. The cover design and illustration is by fellow SJWG member Shelley Szajner. Details about the upcoming book release party in June can be found here. Check out this great new novel by this terrific author.

Editing Tips for Writers Who Don’t Know How or Hate Editing

By Marie Gilbert

Our monthly meeting of the South Jersey Writers' Groupbegan with a cheery hello to new members and latest news from members on submission rejections and acceptance. Yes indeed, our group celebrates the good, the bad and the ugly because with each rejection, we are marching closer to being published. We began the meeting with our Vice-President Krista Magrowski announcing her plans on future monthly meetings and her plans to teach us how to brand ourselves as writers. No, not that kind of branding… but how to get the right kind of exposure as a writer.

Krista also told us about upcoming guest speakers for the months of May and June. In May, Jennifer R. Hubbard, a local Philadelphia writer will talk about the ups and downs of writing and publishing and at the June meeting, Robert Repici, a screenwriter and member of the group will talk about dialogue with screenwriter. July’s meeting will be set aside to work on query letters and synopsis.

Krista brought up the topic of round tables and asked the members who had participated in a round table discussion if the round tables were helpful to the group. The final verdict will decide on if we keep the round tables as part of the monthly meeting. March’s round table subjects were on Twitter offered by Glenn Walker, dialogue offered by Laura J. Kaighn, and use of headers, footers and formatting in Word basics by Amy Hollinger.

March’s Topic

I was trying to think of a great title for the wonderfully informative workshop that Krista gave to the group this past Thursday. Editing your work can be a real pain in the… buttress of your writing process, but in the end; might save you lots of unnecessary revisions. The problem is lots of writers aren’t sure just how to edit, and in fact, would rather have their teeth pulled sans anesthesia, but this is where Krista’s presentation really helped everyone at the meeting.

Krista concentrated on the four types of editing: developmental, substantive, copyediting and proofreading. Developmental editing focuses on thorough analysis of characterization, setting, plot, conflict, dialogue, style which includes structure of plot, motives, subplots and pace.

Substantive editing focuses on order of events, chapters, plotlines and climax and if the story flows smoothly from one chapter to the next.

Copyediting focuses on the mechanics of writing where you’re checking every sentence and phrase and fixing misspellings, grammatical errors and punctuations.

Proofreading focuses on factual and arithmetical errors, inconsistencies in style and language, and just about everything else you missed the first few times reading through.

This brings us to Editors and the magic they use to make our stories better? Editors, like surgeons, look at our work and skillfully remove the tumors that keep our stories from working properly, but remember that different editors handle different types of editing.

An editor’s primary goal is to sharpen the story, eliminate uneven scenes, dialogue, faulty logic and imprecise writing. What does this mean for the writer? In the end, an editor’s work saves you time and money and helps get your story ready for the world of publishing. Sure, hiring an editor can be costly, but your editor can provide valuable insight and on the way help you learn the editing process, which you can incorporate into all your stories.

Krista also shared some helpful self-editing tips for writers to use during each phase of their budding novel, poem, shopping list, etc., but the gist of this presentation was to remind us that although we feel our book is the next best seller with a movie deal down the road, it won’t make it past the starting gate if it’s full of errors.

Below are some links that Krista shared to help us with editing:

The Editing Checklist at Fiction Writers' Mentor

Darcy Pattison's 12 Writing Fiction Checklists at Fiction Notes

An Editor's Checklist at The Editor's Blog

Krista has also suggested some useful readings:

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Renni Browne and Dave King

Revision and Self-Editing for Publication: Techniques for Transforming your First Draft into a Novel that Sells – James Scott Bell

The Elements of Style – Strunk and White

The Artful Edit – Susan Bell

What I wanted to add to this post is the importance of writers belonging to a group like the South Jersey Writers' Group. If you’re a writer, the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself from other writers. Luckily, with our group, our members are offered a wealth of information through Workshops, Write-Ins, Blogfests or with the source links posted on the SJWG Meetup page. And our monthly meetings are your chance to hobnob with other writers of all stages of writing and… we serve great coffee.