EGADS! This has been sitting in my file – cleverly titled ‘Blog Posts,’ or if I’m really ambitious, it’s in the ‘Previous Blog Posts’ file. Yeah, I’m so original. Not to mention not as ambitious as I have been since it’s been there awhile I guess. But I’m going to post it anyway since this workshop was really good and I don’t want anyone that has a chance to go to one in the future to miss it!!! So this is your heads up, or warning!
I am always amazed at the generosity and sharing of published authors. How willing they are to Make time to help beginning writers. Even while doing writing and researching of their own, and all they have to do nowadays to sell their books. They are still incredibly generous and helpful. Amazing.
One such writer is Steve Berry. New York Times bestselling author…etc…etc… Check out his website for all the accolades.
But Definitely go there and check out his site for his Writers Workshops – and he even donates all the money from them!!!
http://www.steveberry.org/berry-events.htm
The Library of Virginia in Richmond recently had one of Steve’s Writers Workshops and I am really sorry if you missed it. Since it was a good one no matter where you are in the stages of your writing, from beginning, to middle, to more established. I was surrounded by all stages, and they were all asking questions and writing notes. Okay so I was really busy writing notes, a Lot of them, since I am, as of yet, unpublished. But others were too. Published and soon to be published they were also writing down notes.
Steve takes on the basics of writing with his part of the workshop. Yes, as he sees it. But he still has some great ideas and thoughts. He’s a very clever man, Steve is.
Especially since he’s hooked a very clever woman with his wife Elizabeth. A very cute package with the added addition of a very sharp and savvy brain. Quite a package. [including shoes and purses. ;) But it cleaned Steve’s books up. ;) She found mistakes she got shoes and purses. See I told you, clever woman. ;) ] The woman is a whiz with the numbers game of selling books. She leads the second part of the workshop. And does it very well.
See I told you, he’s a very clever guy.
She’s great. I wish All writers had at least one of her!! I don’t think much phases her – oh except the Eiffel Tower, but that’s a story best left for their telling ;) – but I think we all disconcerted Steve a little at times with our deer-in-the-headlights-not-sure-what-question-to-even-ask looks. But it was a lot of good information. No matter where you are in the pecking order of writer-to-published writer chain of things.
And there were plenty of moans [quietly though so Steve wasn’t disconcerted again] from us all, from the ‘egads I need to look at that in my story’ [ok, yeah that was me] to ‘oh my, I need to do another look for that as I edit.’
This was a comment from soon-to-be published Ellen Brown over some of the great advice Steve had on edits and editing.
So while you’re there on Berry’s site check out the article on Berry by Richmond’s and JRW’s own, and new JRW Board member, Ellen Firsching Brown, who has a book of her own coming out. [which she is in deep edits with, and looking at again with renewed vigor thanks to Steve’s tips.]
Ellen Firsching Brown is a freelance writer specializing in stories about antiquarian books. She is co-writing a book about the publishing history of Gone With the Wind, to be published by Taylor Trade in January 2011.
Or just check out this link - http://www.finebooksmagazine.com/issue/201002/steve_barry-1.phtml
And Don’t forget to check out and buy Steve’s books, they are worth a read. Both my husband and I enjoy Steve’s books and almost have a complete collection of them. - correction – we cleaned up our book stacks weekend or so ago and discovered we Did have complete collection, in different stacks. Had three of one book. Ah, well. Steve’s books are always interesting. No matter how many we have of them. And we already spread the contag…er, we cordially gave one of the copies to a friend that is a rabid collector of Another author [that will remain nameless].
Hey, You know I wouldn’t steer you wrong about books.
Or writerly stuff. And Steve and Elizabeth said they would Love to come back to Richmond next year and do another workshop. So hopefully if we clamor enough they’ll be back to do another one. I’d go again. Hopefully my eyes won’t look so deer-like next time.
So keep your eyes open.
And spread the word.
You don’t even have to mention you heard it here – but that’d be okay. ;-D
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