Bring your manuscript

Friday, February 18th, the Kelly Greens Writers will meet at Dee Ahfeld's house. Bring a couple of pages of your current work. When you read your story aloud, we can make suggestions and ask questions about your work. We find this to be a very positive experience because we can emphasize the strong points of your story and at the same time this process helps an author realize what can be done to improve the manuscript and get it ready to send to a publisher. We will begin at 9:30 and work for about an hour or so. Call Dee at 239-480-0332 if you plan to attend.

Second session of writers

The second session of the Kelly Greens Golf and Country Club writers will be Friday, February 11th. At the first session we discussed what to look for when sending a manuscript to a potential publishing house. We found out it is important to read carefully what services are being offered. Fast and cheap are not necessarily the two things a writer should be looking for. Quality of product and marketing strategies are paramount to find success as an author. Dee Ahfeld is hosting the second session at her home. Give her a call if you plan to attend. 239-482-0332. We will start at 9:30 and will be working on ideas for improving your manuscripts.

Four Fridays in February

The first of four sessions to be held at the Kelly Greens Golf and Country Club will be on February 4th. This presentation will be in the private dining room at the club house beginning at 9:30. If you are in the area stop by and share your experiences. I am excited to talk to folks who are interested in the writing process and learning more about the reality of getting published. I will also be signing copies of Don't Call Me Michael and my newest book, Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. Check out my web page for more information.

How to start a story

I have been asked many times how I begin a story. Every author has a way that works best so what one author does might not work for another author. I start by developing a problem I can create for my characters. I want the problem to be believable so children will be able to think of themselves in a similar situation. I start by getting the characters into some sort of trouble, and then I try to sketch out what might happen throughout the story. Often I don't have the ending decided until I get to that point in my writing. Usually my basic sketch is what I use, but sometimes that changes as different characters "show up" as the writing process progresses. So for me, step one is to create a problem and sketch out where that problem might lead my characters.

Once Upon a Time in War

If you are looking for a great book about WW2, check out the book by Robert Humphrey called Once Upon a Time in War. It is written from the soldiers point of view and is specifically about the 99th division. Anyone who has servecd in combat would especially find this book interesting. Amazing how Dr. Humphrey has captured the feelings of the soldiers. Truly a great read.

Don't Call Me Michael

Christopher's life was great--until the day Mike Carter moved to Harmony and began attending James Elementary. Mike quickly becomes the meanest kid in school, and his favorite target is Christopher. Mike calls Christopher mean names, plays embarrassing pranks on him, punches him, and even gets him in trouble at school and at home. On the worst day of bullying Christopher has experienced, Mike orders Christopher to meet him at the cemetery well for a big project he needs help with. But when the project doesn't go as planned, Christopher is forced to find the boy behind the bully who yells, "Don't Call Me Michael."

This story is about bullying, friendship, and forgiveness. You can purchase this book from Tate Publishing or Amazon.com.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! My goal this year is to be able to talk to students about the writing process and help them realize that the word "edit" is not a bad word. Writing can be fun and relaxing.