Next Meeting: March 3, 2012

A year ago, Ruth Cardello was collecting rejection letters for her category romance and wondering if she should write the second book in that series or put it aside and work on a new project. Inspired by a speaker at RIRW, she self-published her romance and studied various strategies for promotion. The response was strong enough that she completed the second book in the series within a couple of months and self-published that, too. In about six months, she earned more from her book sales than she did from her full-time job.

In March, Ruth will break down how she chose which venues to sell her books through, how she promotes her books, and what new strategies people are experimenting with in the self-publishing world. This is a practical, how-to session. She has invited Annette Blair to join her for this workshop since, at her urging, Annette has recently self-published some of her backlist and also found the experience financially rewarding.

Upcoming Meetings

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

A year ago, Ruth Cardello was collecting rejection letters for her category romance and wondering if she should write the second book in that series or put it aside and work on a new project. Inspired by a speaker at RIRW, she self-published her romance and studied various strategies for promotion. The response was strong enough that she completed the second book in the series within a couple of months and self-published that, too. In about six months, she earned more from her book sales than she did from her full-time job. 

In March, Ruth will breakdown how she chose which venues to sell her books through, how she promotes her books, and what new strategies people are experimenting with in the self-publishing world. This is a practical, how-to session. She has invited Annette Blair to join her for this workshop since, at her urging, Annette has recently self-published some of her backlist and also found the experience financially rewarding.A year ago, Ruth Cardello was collecting rejection letters for her category romance and wondering if she should write the second book in that series or put it aside and work on a new project. Inspired by a speaker at RIRW, she self-published her romance and studied various strategies for promotion. The response was strong enough that she completed the second book in the series within a couple of months and self-published that, too. In about six months, she earned more from her book sales than she did from her full-time job.

 

In March, Ruth will breakdown how she chose which venues to sell her books through, how she promotes her books, and what new strategies people are experimenting with in the self-publishing world. This is a practical, how-to session. She has invited Annette Blair to join her for this workshop since, at her urging, Annette has recently self-published some of her backlist and also found the experience financially rewarding.

 

 

 

Next Meeting: February 4, 2012

Firearms: How a Gun Really Works

Domenic Padula

Domenic Padula is a NRA-certified Basic Pistol Instructor and Massachusetts State Police certified Basic Fireams Safety Course Instructor.  Domenic served in the Rhode Island Air National Guard for six years, where he qualified as an Expert Marksman with the M16 rifle and has over twenty-five yers of experience with a range of firearms, specializing in the Glock firearms.  He also has experience working with data, telecommunication, and satellite/radar equipment.

This workshop will focus on the mechanics of using a variety of firearms, including loading, firing and disarming, and bullet impact.

Upcoming Meetings

March 3, 2012

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

Next Meeting: January 7, 2012

Brainstorming Session and Yankee Swap

Moderated by Stephanie Estes

Now that the holidays are coming to an end, it is time to get back to writing.  Have you used the excuse of too many cookies to bake, so writing will have to wait?  Or perhaps that was just my excuse!  Did you participate in NaNoRiMo and are wondering what to do with those 50,000 words?  Well you are in luck, because January is National Revision Month.  Join us this month for a brainstorming session.  Please bring any pages you are stuck on or questions you might have.  We will put our creative thinking caps on and help each other out.

And just because the holidays are over, does not mean that we still do not deserve presents.  Please bring in a wrapped gift for our Yankee Swap.  But this will be a creative writing Yankee Swap, so no gag gifts please.  Is there a book you love that discusses character development, GMC, or how to write a great sex scene?  Bring in a copy of that favorite book and let’s share our tools of the trade with each other.

Hope to see everyone next month and happy holidays!

Upcoming Meetings

February 4, 2012

March 3, 2012

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

Next Meeting: December 3, 2011

Hips Don’t Lie: Body Language Between the Sexes

From the arch of the brow to the zygoma, every posture, pose, and expression communicates a signal to the opposite sex. This fun workshop will highlight many of these telling gestures, what they mean, and how authors can rejuvenate their scenes with more than just the simple shrugs and widened eyes of lifeless writing. Volunteers will help display ways to attract the opposite sex while we cover the differences between the genders and how to maintain a Happily Ever After long after The End.

Although no one who knows her believes it, Gina Ardito claims to be extremely shy around strangers and hesitant to step into the spotlight. She became a people-watcher (inches from a peeping Tom) while still a geek in junior high school and has managed to parlay that anti-social skill into successful characterizations for her novels. Gina writes lighthearted contemporary romance for Avalon Books. Because people-watching only pays in espionage and private investigation, she also pens historical romances under the pseudonym, Katherine Brandon. And yes, she really is shy, no matter what her friends tell you.

Upcoming Meetings

January 7, 2012

February 4, 2012

March 3, 2012

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

Write-Mind Mini-Conference 2011

Are you talking to me? Getting to know the voices in your head

November 5, 2011 9am to 4pm

Community Room, Cumberland Public Library

Three great workshops:

  • Linda Cardillo Setting Your Voice Free
  • Denise Robbins Bringing Characters to Life
  • Teagan Oliver Creating Believable Villains

Breakfast and lunch included

Cost: RIRW Member (must be currently registered) $35/Non-Members $50

Register Now!

Next Meeting: October 1, 2011

Penelope’s Plethora of Promotional Proverbs: Promoting Your Book

Whether you’re a brand new author with your first publication or a 20-year veteran, promoting your book is a complicated process. Penny has lots of helpful tips to create a promotional strategy for your new release. Topics will include planning blog tours, contacting reviewers, choosing advertising options, and using social media effectively.

Following an assortment of jobs including turfgrass researcher, dolphin trainer, biology teacher, florist and lacrosse coach, Penny Watson decided to try her hand at romance writing.

Her first novel (Sweet Inspiration), a holiday romance about the five sexy sons of Santa Claus, was a Fictionwise Top Ten Bestseller in 2010. Sweet Magik, #2 of the Klaus Brothers Series, will be released in November of 2011.

Also known as “The Promo Queen,” Penny enjoys dispensing free advice to romance writers and working on her two blogs, Penelope’s Romance Reviews and The Quirky Ladies.

Upcoming Meetings

November 5, 2011 – Mini conference

December 3, 2011

January 7, 2012

February 4, 2012

March 3, 2012

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

Room Change

We are back in the Hayden Center for the September meeting! Drive around the library and park in front of the Hayden Center.

Next Meeting: September 10, 2011

Sherri Browning Erwin: Monster Mashups

 

When Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak contacted writer Seth Grahame-Smith with a new idea for a book, adding monsters to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, he could not have known that he was inspiring a whole new genre in fiction: the literary mash-up. New York Times bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is often considered the first of the literary mash-ups, but it is hardly definitive of the genre. Many new authors are approaching classics with new twists and spins, retelling favorite stories in new ways, often with comedic and paranormal elements, but not always with the irreverence and cheek of Seth Grahame-Smith. Sherri Browning Erwin’s take on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, with Jane as a vampyre slayer (Jane Slayre, Gallery Books, 2010), has “raised the bar for monster classics” according to Library Journal. In her workshop, Sherri explains the literary mash-up, her writing process, and how you could end up writing with your favorite long-dead author.

A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Sherri Browning Erwin writes historical and contemporary fiction with a paranormal twist. To date, her only appearance in the New York Times has been a mention in a cartoon lampooning her literary mash-up, JANE SLAYRE. She recently moved with her family from Massachusetts to Connecticut, where she is at work on multiple projects, including the promotion of her newest literary mash-up, GRAVE EXPECTATIONS. Please visit Sherri’s website at www.sherribrowningerwin.com or join her on Facebook or Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/SherriBrowningErwin and @SherriErwin.

Upcoming Meetings

September 10, 2011

October 1, 2011

November 5, 2011 – Mini conference

December 3, 2011

January 7, 2012

February 4, 2012

March 3, 2012

April 14, 2012

May 5, 2012

June 2, 2012

 

Next Meeting: June 4, 2011

Patricia Grasso: Plotting with Panache

Boring beginnings?   Sagging middles?   Flat endings?
Both plotters and pantsers need well-structured stories.  Plotting with panache—a dashing style of confidence, flamboyance, courage—will cure what ails your story.  Learn the plotting secrets that will keep readers turning pages and prevent reviewers from using deadly adjectives—boring, sagging, flat—to describe your masterpiece.

Patricia Grasso is the author of eighteen historical romances that have won various awards:  National Readers’ choice Award, New England Readers’ Choice Award, Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice and KISS Awards as well as B. Dalton and Bookrak Awards for best-selling first time author. A dog person who lives with ten cats, Patricia lives in the Boston area.  She earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at a state college and, for too many years, used her “leisure” time to teach in a public high school.

Next Meeting: May 7, 2011

Jo Ann Ferguson: Revision Ramifications

You’ve woven your story tightly. Now you need to revise it – either for yourself or for an editor/agent. What pitfalls do you need to avoid? How do you stay excited about the manuscript when you have to go through it yet again? How do you keep one small change from rippling out and changing your whole story…or should you go with the flow? Let’s talk about the good, the bad, and the really annoying aspects of revising a completed ms.

Award-winning author Jo Ann Ferguson has a split writing personality. As Jo Ann Ferguson, she launched the Regency line at ImaJinn as well as being the author of best-selling historicals. J.A. Ferguson writes paranormals for ImaJinn. Jocelyn Kelley’s next title is Time Raiders: The Greek Lover from Harlequin Nocturne and will be released in July 2011. Jo Ann Brown writes for Guideposts Books (her second title in the Patchwork Mysteries series, Secret in the Stitches, was be released March 2011). Her 80+ titles are also published by Tudor, Ballantine, Zebra, Harper, Penguin, Warner, and Thorndike. The books have been translated into almost a dozen languages and sold on every continent except Antarctica.

Upcoming Meetings

Please note: From March to June, meetings will be held in the Seminar Room at the Cumberland Library not the Community Room. The Seminar Room is on the first floor.

June 4, 2011: Patricia Grasso “Plotting with Panache”