Write Now

Join us for Write Now: First Draft, an online program coming Wednesday, July 22nd!

One part conference test, one part peek behind the curtain, we welcome you to join us Wednesday, July 22nd at 7 p.m. for Write Now: First Draft. Featuring writers working on the Broadleaf Board of Directors and the Broadleaf Writers Conference Committee, we’ll tackle taking on a first draft, offer thoughts on how to push through, and discuss the importance of finding a writing community!

As well, we’ll use this opportunity to test our online approach to the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference! So, join us to see what we have planned, help us with the Q&A process, test out the chat features, and be a part of a conversation on writing a first draft!

To join us, just click this link. No registration is required. The webinar room will open a few minutes after 7 on July 22nd, and then we’ll get started!

Benjamin Carr is a writer and storyteller and serves as the President of the Board of Directors for Broadleaf Writers. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Loose Change Magazine, The Five Hundred and Pembroke Magazine. He has performed regularly onstage at Atlanta-area literary events, including Write Club Atlanta, Carapace, Naked City, Stories on the Square, Stories on the Edge of Night and Listen to Your Mother. His work has also appeared at the Center for Puppetry Arts. He is a member of WonderRoot, the Southern Order of Storytellers and Working Title Playwrights. He is the co-founder of Gutwrench, available at http://gutwrenchjournal.com.

Even though she majored in English at Florida State University, Maryann Lozano didn’t start writing until later in life. After spending many years noodling around with NaNoWriMo, books about writing, and writing prompts, she decided to get serious and enrolled in the Masters of Professional Writing program at Kennesaw State University. She graduated with honors in December 2019.

Maryann is an executive assistant at 22squared, a mid-sized advertising agency in Atlanta, and is also the director of the Handbell Choir at St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church. When she’s not assisting her bosses or waving her hands at her ringers, she is simultaneously revising her WIP for the 1,000th time and trying to keep her cat off the computer keyboard. Maryann serves as Vice-Chair for the Broadleaf Writers Conference Committee.

Jessica Nettles is a writer of short fiction, plays, and, most recently, novels. Her short fiction has appeared in Oh, Georgia!, Thirteen Stories til’ Halloween, and The Five Hundred. She has performed her works at venues such as Naked City, A Novel Idea, and the Write Room. Her play, Around the Bend, was one of three plays featured in a staged reading show sponsored by Process Theater. When she’s not writing, she teaches English at Chattahoochee Technical College. In her spare time, she knits, crochets, reads, bakes, enjoys long walks, and has a fascination with B horror movies. Jessica serves as Secretary on the Broadleaf Writers Board of Directors.

5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference

The Schedule for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is Now Available!

The time is here and open registration for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is upon us. Though the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed our event online, we still plan to offer the same great lineup, complete with plenty of informative and inspirational panels and workshops, one-on-one pitch sessions with agents, as well as our brand new one-on-one mentoring sessions with authors and agents, and a one-on-one first page critique with New York Times bestselling author David L. Robbins! All for a lower price! We’re confident you will get all you expect from us, and as much more as we can possibly offer!

The 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference Schedule is now available for you to review! From open Q&A sessions, to storytelling, to getting your outline and story structure in place, we’ve put together a schedule of sessions we know will give you the tools and inspiration you need to grow as an artist, and to pursue your dreams of publication.

On Saturday, October 17th, we’ll kick things off with an open Q&A session with a legend of the comic book and gaming industries (You can’t say Wolverine without mentioning him!), Paul Jenkins! We can think of no greater source of encouragement and information to get your weekend started than Paul, and this is your opportunity to hear his story, pick his brain, and learn from one of the best around.

Consisting of 7 more panels and 1 workshop, our Saturday schedule digs its heels into the hard work of creating a dynamic story, memorable characters, and, of course, nailing that first page. An annual favorite, the First Page Critique returns to close out the day, giving you the opportunity to have the first page of your manuscript critiqued by our panel of literary agents. The submissions are anonymous and highly recommended. Not ready to submit? No problem! You can still attend and gain invaluable tips from agents to assist you in perfecting your first page!

We return on Sunday with a brand-new session! Our literary agents will sit once more, this time to listen to your query letters! A daunting undertaking for any writer, this will be your chance to hear what agents have to say about the query letters our attendees have submitted! Much like First Pages, if you are not up for submitting, no worries! You can still gain from their insights and use all you learn to get yours right! But we do recommend you submit! After all, your submissions remain anonymous!

With 6 additional panels and 2 more workshops, Sunday is another busy day full of opportunities to learn! And it includes another new session we’re beyond excited to present. Hosted by the dynamic duo of YATL, Kimberly Jones and Vania Stoyanova, the YATL Pitch Match is your chance to present your story to an agent in a whole new way! Covering four categories—Young Adult, Fiction, Romance, and Nonfiction—we will select four attendees for each (you will submit your name on Saturday) and Kimberly and Vania will lead our contestants through a series of fun and entertaining questions and scenarios for a literary agent that represents that category. At the end, our agent will select a winner and meet with them in a private breakout room for 15 minutes to discuss the story further! Not only will it be fun, but you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about pitching your work and give an agent even more reason to consider reading your manuscript!

We’re working hard to add more elements to this quite different way of presenting a conference. From social rooms to chat with other attendees and our speakers, to a storytelling reception to celebrate our fifth year of existence, we plan on giving you all the elements of our conference from the cozy confines of your home. Additionally, you no longer have to decide between which session to attend. Every attendee of the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference will receive access to the recordings of every session! Watch it all again or catch the ones you missed!

Register early to ensure your place in our one-on-one sessions! With your registration you receive one pitch and one mentoring session, but for an extra $25 for each you can add more if you wish! With a lower cost, yet as much or more of what we normally offer, this is an incredible opportunity to attend a conference and grow as a writer! We hope to see you there!

Guest Post, Programming

Guest Post: Katharine Sands, Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

On the heels of our Write Now program with literary agent Katharine Sands, we’re pleased to present her post on getting your pitch right! Take some tips from an industry professional and polish that pitch!


A PITCH IS STILL A PITCH

Casablanca kiss
WHEN YOU HONE YOUR SUBJECT INTO A GREAT PITCH, YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT—AND YOU CAN COMMUNICATE THAT IN A QUERY LETTER OR ALOUD. PITCHCRAFT™  IS AN INVALUABLE TOOL—NOT JUST FOR LANDING AN AGENT BUT FOR SELLING BOOKS. IN THIS GUEST POST, AGENT KATHARINE SANDS, WHO COINED THE TERM, ANSWERS AN IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR ASPIRING AND PUBLISHED AUTHORS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WRITTEN AND VERBAL PITCH? NA

To e-query, or not to e-query, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The zings and arrows of agent feedback
Or to take pains and angst a sea of e-mails
And by proposing, send them?

This question, pondered by William Shakespeare—unless, you’ve seen the movie, Anonymous, and now wonder about that fact, may be paraphrased (with apologies to the Bard, and his fan base), but surely writers have always had plenty to muse about when it comes to creativity versus commerce. And today, writers have similar concerns, with both age-old and brand-new questions about how to best tilt at these windmills (as Cervantes might have put it). Writers ask how to catch literary agents’ eyes—but also their ears. If your own wish is to sign with a literary agent, this raises binders full of query questions. (No apology to president-reject Romney).

At the San Francisco Writer’s Conference, a glorious weekend of workshops that takes place in February and takes over the Mark Hopkins Hotel, literary agents and industry professionals summit to give talks on a variety of publishing topics, I first met Nina Amir.  During a pitch contest headed by Mike Larsen questions came up about pitching for the conference’s popular speed dating day and for the page. Are on-page elements and in-person aspects of the pitch different, or not? A kiss is still a kiss (in the Casablanca theme song, As Time Goes By); but, is a pitch still a pitch?

So what is the difference between the in-person or elevator pitch and the query letter for the nonfiction writer? The pitch, now synonymous with query, was once the province of Hollywood, often comic when depicted by huckster-y ad guys (think Mad Men). It has morphed into the umbrella term meaning proposing and introducing your concept for a book; now it is used universally for the most lofty and serious projects along with the most commercial. Why? Because your pitch must succeed to get you read, and represented, long before you can get a deal, movie, a product line, and a corner table at Spago.

In person or on paper your pitch has the same job to do: to get you to the next rung. On paper, you have your words, the ones you hone and choose and select. The reader sees how you write. In person there is more of YOU to consider, as poster-girl or go-to guy for this kind of book. On paper You convey; in person You display. Sometimes the most effective in-person pitch could be you walking your talk, just being yourself, as your mama used to say. A great example of this can be found in the client I discovered on the ladies’ room line. The writer did not corner me with her pitch, or pass an opus under the door. We were just chatting. As the line snaked, I found myself taken with her articulate and humorous approach to her life, work and topical acumen and activism, all of which intersected….so much so that by the time we were lathering up at the sinks, I was lathering to read her writing, with more than a sneaking suspicion I would undertake—and sell—this book. And so I did. Please note: I am not encouraging this as the better option than the elevator for pitching to an agent.

Whether meeting with you or reading your pitch letter agents are always on a treasure hunt. No matter if they meet you in-person or on the printed page, something must pop. Agent Regina Brooks, author of You Should Really Write a Book, calls this jolt of recognition a “kinetic crackle.” My dowser rod starts to hum when I come across an author-to-be. For me to undertake a new client I have to know that I want to have 110 conversations about their project. What we hope is for a moment of discovery, a Eureka feeling…electricity…sparks. We want to know more, much more.

Or, we do not. Internet-dates speak woefully of being captivated in the cyber world only to deflate once they meet in the real one. Same holds true for agent speed-dates in search of Mr./Ms. Write. Chemistry counts.

What do we talk about when we talk about the on-page and the in-person pitch? And what should you talk about? Remember, as an author you are always going to be asked to introduce your work, to share your enthusiasm for your writing, and to get others excited about what is exciting to you. “What is your book about” or “Tell me about your work” means: The 15 minutes of fame is yours to shine in. Use the time before the agent in any way you feel gives them the best insight into what you would like to accomplish by sharing your writing with readers.

DO’S AND DON’TS

I surveyed a group of agents and asked: When a writer pitches on paper or in person, do you look at the project differently, would you say there are things not to do in person? Here are their answers:

Says Paul Lucas of Janklow & Nesbit Associates, “My main advice to writers is that they think of any pitch, on page or in person, as performative: It needs to fly off the page, regardless of whether you’re there to deliver it personally. So read those queries out loud to friends before sending them. And when that opportunity to trap an agent in an elevator materializes, be prepared to entice him quickly! You may not have more than 2-3 sentences; don’t waste them describing the opening or summarizing the plot. Make that in-person pitch a simulacra of your amazing book.”

Janet Reid of FinePrint Literary Management replied, “The clearest difference is that authors are often so nervous meeting an agent in person that it gets in the way of everything. The main thing an author shoulddo is realize an in-person pitch is not an audience with Her Majesty. It’s talking to a potential fan of your work. Be as natural as possible. Don’t memorize a “pitch” even as you would not memorize “hello, nice to meet you” at a party. Simply tell me what your book is about and then stop talking. Let me ask some questions. But mostly, try to relax. No writer was ever eaten by an agent. Not even agents who are sharks.”

Agent Sheree Bykofsky of Sheree Bykofsky Associates, Inc., author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting Published, shares, “I would say, don’t read or recite your memorized written words. Speak naturally and slowly and from your heart. Answer the following questions before they are asked: Why is this a good and viable project? Who is the audience? And why are you the best author to write this?”

Brooks Sherman of FinePrint Literary Management says: “I think the in-person pitch and the on-paper pitch are two different animals. If you recite your written pitch aloud, it sounds dead; and if you write your pitch the way you’d tell it, it might come off too informal. When pitching in person, I’d recommend looking at your written pitch, finding the two or three buzz words or terms you want to hit on, and find a way to incorporate those into your speech. Also, don’t make it a monologue—if I like your pitch, I’m going to interrupt to ask questions, so be prepared for a conversation.

“I like to hear a writer talk about their work with excitement—which can be hard to do if you’re reciting your pitch verbatim from how you wrote it,” adds Sherman.  “Just tell me the coolest thing about your project, and when I see your eyes light up, I’ll get excited too.”

“Always look the agent in the eye as you pitch—if you must read your pitch, fine, but say so up front, and then plan on a sincere and impromptu interchange at the end. Eye contact goes a long way to establishing a personal connection,” says April Eberhardt of April Eberhardt Literary.

Marisa A. Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency offers this advice: “Good querying is about thorough research, attention to detail and a good story. Of course the writing speaks for itself, but the query format is different, and it’s important to provide the information that agents need to consider the author’s work. It is almost as if queries require an additional skill altogether. It’s the skill to sell…to make things sound good in addition to the normal etiquette that the query requires.”

BE PREPARED FOR QUESTIONS

The in-person pitch meeting also gives you the chance to ask questions.

3 KEY QUESTIONS TO ASK AN AGENT:
  1. Does my book idea feel fresh enough? If yes, what in particular do you like? If no, what seems too generic?
  2. What is my most interesting point? Which area needs the most work? What would make this stand out?
  3. What was the first red flag, or reason that would prevent you from wanting to read—and represent—me?
YOUR PITCH WILL SUCCEED IF YOU:
  • Use the pitch to deliver enough of the flavor of the book to whet the reader’s appetite for more.
  • Show what we can learn from you about how to handle this life problem or challenge. Tell us: What do I do differently after I read your book, what could I not figure out without you? Show how much texture, how much scope there is to the subject. What are three quick tips or hints of the “practical and prescriptive” advice to come?
  • Speak about a topic or nonfiction subject or memoir showcasing the groundbreaking, or new, focus you can encapsulate and state clearly.
  • Keep calm and carry on even—if it appears the agent is getting glassy eyed, eyeing the bar, or squirming as if her buttock or her foot has fallen asleep.
YOUR PITCH WILL FAIL IF YOU:
  • Don’t leave home with a “money shot,” a clear, core point about why this book will find readers.
  • Ramble, or use many prefaces or qualifiers.
  • Rely on reviews or references from gurus, editor feedback, or spousal support.

The practice of Pitchcraft™, writing about your writing and speaking about your writing, is every bit as important as the writing itself. You want to put as much passion, attention, savvy, and as much crafting into your pitch—as you do your project.

If the pitch had been the thing, Shakespeare might have summed up thus:

…To write, to weep
No more; for by a successful pitch, to say we end
The heart-ache, and the thousand natural knocks
That pitch is heir to. ‘Tis representation devoutly to be wished.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A literary agent with the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency, Katharine Sands has worked with a varied list of authors who publish a diverse array of books. Highlights include Spiritual Pregnancy: Nine Months that Change Your Life Before You Give Birth by Dr. Shawn Tassone and Dr. Kathryn Landherr; Talk to Strangers: How Everyday Random Encounters Can Expand Your Business, Career, Income and Life by David Topus; The New Rules of Attraction: How to Get Him, Keep Him and Make Him Beg for More by Arden Leigh; Stand Up for Yourself: Resolve Workplace Crises Before You Quit, Get Axed or Sue the Bastards by Donna Ballman; Making Healthy EZ with Dr. Oz guest, Dr. Julie Chen; Dating the Devil (producer: Vast Entertainment) by Lia Romeo; XTC: SongStories; Chasing Zebras: THE Unofficial Guide to House, MD by Barbara Barnett of Let’s Talk TV; CityTripping: a Guide for Foodies, Fashionistas and the Generally Style-Obsessed; Writers on Directors; Ford model Helen Lee’s The Tao of Beauty; Elvis and You: Your Guide to the Pleasures of Being an Elvis Fan; New York: Songs of the City; Taxpertise: Dirty Little Secrets the  IRS Doesn’t Want You to Know; The SAT Word Slam, Divorce After 50; Trust Your Gut; Make Up, Don’t Break Up with Oprah guest Dr. Bonnie Eaker Weil to name a few.

She is the agent provocateur of Making the Perfect Pitch: How to Catch a Literary Agent’s Eye, a collection of pitching wisdom from leading literary agents. Recently contributed “Grey is the New Black” to Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey, a nonfiction look at the cultural phenom of the bestselling novel.

Actively building her client list, she likes books that have a clear benefit for readers’ lives in categories of food, travel, lifestyle, home arts, beauty, wisdom, relationships, parenting, and fresh looks, which might be at issues, life challenges or popular culture. When reading fiction she wants to be compelled and propelled by urgent storytelling, and hooked by characters. For memoir and femoir, she likes to be transported to a world rarely or newly observed

Zach's Corner

A Time Like No Other

After the attacks on September 11th, 2001, our country fell silent. The skies were empty, roads spotty with cars, work ground to a stop as schools and stores closed. We waited. For what, we weren’t entirely sure, but we knew a moment was required to pause, reflect, regroup, and plan for the future.

Today is different. Today, while stores may open and work will continue–whether from home or a place of business–the waiting comes with an unknown endpoint. We aren’t recovering from a singular moment. We’re watching it unfold in slow motion across the globe. We’re not facing off against a radical segment of humanity, we’re settling in for a war with a pandemic.

Like any war, it requires a great deal of sacrifice, a willingness to do what must be done in order to save as many lives as we can. It requires solidarity, a desire to lift one another up as we fall, to stand together, as one nation, as one species. It requires faith and hope and an unwavering focus on the day when victory is acheived and life begins anew. Reformed, driven by an experience that reshapes our perspective.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. But there’s darkness to walk before we get there.

But we will get there.

As a writing organization, Broadleaf Writers is designed to influence and inspire writers, to educate and offer instruction in a skill that assists in taking that which is brain-bound and giving it a voice on the page. We are meant to function as a community, to help one another learn, grow, and realize our dreams. I will always believe that we–as humans, as a community, as a collective of like-minded individuals, etc–are only as strong as those we stand beside. So, I encourage you to buckle up, do what you must do to benefit us as a whole, and be prepared to jump in feet-first when it’s time to reset our world (no matter global or the world of your home). Be mindful of others, be mindful of those you love, be mindful of yourself.

And if you find yourself with an abundance of time–as it seems we all may–write. Dig in. Pour your soul onto the page. Take all the fear and worry and concern and hope you’re experience right now and write it out.

As to our slate of 2020 programming, we’re monitoring the virus and recommendations for public gatherings. At the moment, we’re holding a place for our April 11th Write Now program, while moving forward with the open of registration on April 1st for the 5th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference in October. By then, I’m sure we’ll all need a breakout weekend of fun and community.

For now, stay safe. Follow the recommendations of the medical field and stay home unless you absolutely need to get out. You may be able to withstand the nastiness of an exceptionally powerful flu, but you can’t be certain others you will encounter can. Write. Read. Be with your family. Find reason to laugh as much as possible.

The darkness is temporary. There will be light. Walk the tunnel together and we’ll see what the world looks like when we get there. Then we’ll adjust accordingly.

If you want to share any thoughts–on writing or otherwise–or have some material you’d like feedback on, feel free to reach out. You can email me at zach@broadleafwriters.com, or find me on Facebook or Twitter.

Be well. My thoughts are with you all.

BWA Conference

Announcing the 2019 Broadleaf Writers Sweepstakes!

We’re nearing one month until the 4th Annual Broadleaf Writers Conference is here, and we’re adding a new wrinkle! In addition to New York Times bestselling and award-winning authors, representatives from literary agencies and publishing houses, sessions and workshops packed with information to help improve your writing, and a growing community of writers like you, there’s one more reason to register!

We’re pleased to announce that every attendee for our 4th Annual conference will be entered into a drawing to win a free (FREE IS GOOD!) copy of either Scrivener or Final Draft 11! SIX lucky winners will be chosen during this year’s conference and will receive one of three copies of Scrivener or one of three copies of Final Draft 11! Both are excellent programs designed to simplify and assist in the writing process, whether you’re writing a manuscript or a screenplay! And with your registration, you could have one for free!

That’s right! Not only can you chat with our speakers, hobnob with agents, learn from professional writers, and make new friends who absolutely understand your struggle, but you could leave with a free writing program!

So, register today for your chance to win!

To read through our rules and regulations, Click here.

Programming, Self-Publishing Seminar, Zach's Corner

Ramblings From Zach’s Corner: Who Knew?

This is new. I have a corner.

I just thought you should know.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Recently, I encountered a writer who informed me that, before finally coming to one our programs, they thought we were a scam. Not a malicious, out-to-ruin-all-things, kind of scam, but rather one of those nonprofits that seek to prey on people in need. It stumped me, to be honest. I’d never even considered that perception a possibility, as my brain doesn’t work that way. I’m more “free the spider to the outside world” than the “crush it into a thousand pieces and embrace the darkness of pain” type.

Yet, in review, I get it. The world can be a nasty, spiteful, self-absorbed place and one must be vigilant. There are nonprofits taking advantage of people trying to find their way. Offer a hand for help and people might pull you up so they can better pick your pocket. But that’s not who I am. That’s not what Broadleaf is.

Broadleaf is, and ever will be, a dream. An opportunity. An idea of community, education, inspiration, and connection. I’m a writer myself, after all. I have needs. I long to talk writing, to share work, to be J.K. Rowling or Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett (wait, why do I not live in the U.K. again?). I want to spin a web of writers and proclaim them Terrific and Radiant. And it would be absolutely good and well if I found others who could do the same for me.

Being a writer is a lonely, solitary, profession. We need to remember there’s a world outside our head, even if we don’t like it nearly as much.

Hence, Broadleaf.

Hence, programs like Write Now or the annual conference.

Or, coming very soon to a Ballroom (B) near you (specifically at the Cobb Galleria, whether near or far from you I’d rather not guess), our Self-Publishing Seminar. I don’t personally want to self-publish, nor is it “learning the craft of writing” per se, but it’s important to a large segment of writers and I want to make sure they have the tools to do it right. After all, we can all do this no problem. What we can’t all do, is do it right. So, if you’re in the camp of “should I self-publish”, keeping warm by the fire of indecision and doubt (with every single one of us crowded around), then invest in yourself and your work, register today, and come learn with us. Our speakers have done it, had success, made mistakes they can’t wait to share, and want—as I do as well—to ensure you do this right.

Like every program we put together, this one is for you. For the community of writers we seek to build. And if you want to find me and let me know what you need as a writer, what you’d like to see us as an organization do to better serve your needs, I promise we will take your hand, lift you up, and do our best to pad your pockets rather than pick them.

Programming

Join us for a Poetry Workshop at The Arts Exchange!

In celebration of National Poetry Month, The Arts Exchange and Broadleaf Writers Association are pleased to present a one-day Poetry Workshop, to be held Saturday, April 6th from 10-4 at the Arts Exchange! With three workshops and a Q&A panel to address your questions, poets Theresa Davis, Andrea Jurjević and Collin Kelley will guide you through various styles and techniques! Be ready to write, ready to take notes, and ready to review poems you’ve brought with you! This program is free and open to the public, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn the art of poetry from three talented and prolific poets.

Workshops will include:
Giving Voice, led by Collin Kelley: This generative workshop will explore persona and ekphrastic poems. You’ll be giving voice to a narrator other than yourself, or perhaps a different version of yourself, and providing context or backstory to a work of art. Bring your pen and notebook and write poems to be shared with the group.

Andrea Jurjević will lead a workshop that explores passion and authenticity in poetry. Bring two of your strongest poems of 40 lines or less, paper, pen, and a sense of humor.

Random Facts and Musing, led by Theresa Davis, will incorporate random facts about the writer, random facts about a favorite subject or topic, and a the answers to a few questions. Mix it all together and a poem will be born. This is experimental poetry. Be brave.

We’ll conclude the day with a panel discussion, answering questions you may have about the craft, or the process of putting your work into a collection for publication!

Find the poems you’d like to share, bring a pen and paper or a latop to write, and join us for day devoted to poetry!

Programming, Write Now

Join us for our first Write Now program of 2019!

 

In the beginning, you stared at a blank screen. This may have lasted a while. You may or may not have deleted your first line a few times. You made some coffee. You came back. The dog stared at you. You typed away, determined to keep the cat off the keyboard this time. Eventually you found a groove. You wrote some lines, which became paragraphs, which became a page.

Then a story happened. The pages flew by. You really like it (except when you hate it). You’ve developed feelings about it.

But the first page continues to call to you. After all, it’s what will get you in the door with an agent or editor. It’s what a potential reader may use to decide whether to buy your book. You think it needs something. But what? What if it’s okay to adequate already? What if you change something you shouldn’t change? How do you even know when it’s right?

First, take a breath. It’ll be all right.

We have a program just for you.

For our first Write Now program of 2019, we’re going to talk you through your first page. With the help of authors Emily Carpenter and Roger Johns, we’ll gather and chat, hold an informal discussion on the craft of writing a first page, then chat some more. Bring your page with you if you’d like. Time permitting, you may be able to read it aloud and we’ll offer our thoughts. We want you to leave feeling confident about writing the first page. Not only for your work-in-progress, but for all the first pages in your future.

Join us at Fox Tale Book Shoppe on Saturday, February 16th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m.!

Emily Carpenter is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of suspense novels, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies, and Every Single Secret. After graduating from Auburn with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, she moved to New York City. She’s worked as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows, As the World Turns and Guiding Light. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, she now lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her family. You can visit Emily at emilycarpenterauthor.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

ROGER JOHNS is a former corporate lawyer and retired college professor, and the author of the Wallace Hartman Mysteries from St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books: Dark River Rising (2017) and River of Secrets (2018). He is the 2018 Georgia Author of the Year (Detective ▪ Mystery Category), a 2018 Killer Nashville Readers’ Choice Award nominee, and a finalist for the 2018 Silver Falchion Award for best police procedural. His articles and interviews on writing and the writing life have appeared in Career Author, Criminal Element, Killer Nashville Articles, and the Southern Literary Review. Roger belongs to the Atlanta Writers Club, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers, where he is one of The Fearless Bloggers, and a mentor in the Big Writer program. Along with four other crime fiction writers, he co-authors the MurderBooks blog at www.murder-books.com. Visit him at www.rogerjohnsbooks.com and you can find him on Twitter at @rogerjohns10.

 

Programming, Writer's Night

Writer’s Night: Act Two coming March 31st!


Writer’s Night is coming to Eagle Eye Book Shop for Act Two!

Join featured authors and 2018 Townsend Prize for Fiction Finalists, Stacia Pelletier and Daren Wang for an informal discussion on the craft of writing Act Two of your manuscript!

Spend some real-world time with writers like you, browse Eagle Eye’s great selection of books (Stacia and Daren’s books will be available for purchase!) have some food and drink, and chat with our featured authors! Find your inspiration! Join us!

This program is free and open to the public!

Stacia Pelletier is the author of Accidents of Providence and The Half-Wives, both short-listed for the Townsend Prize in Fiction. She earned graduate degrees in religion and historical theology from Emory University in Atlanta. A two-time fellow of the Hambidge Center, located in the mountains of North Georgia, she currently lives in Decatur, Georgia, and works at Emory University’s School of Medicine.

 

Daren Wang is the Founding Executive Director of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival, the largest independent book festival in the country. Before launching the festival, he had a twenty-year career in public radio, both national and local, with a particular focus on books and authors. Wang has written for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Paste magazine, and Five Points magazine, among others. The Hidden Light of Northern Fires is his first novel.

2018 Writer's High Retreat, Partners, Uncategorized

The 2018 Writer’s High Retreat is March 9-11!

Family. That’s what you will find, first and foremost, at the The Writer’s High Retreat 2018. As a writer, you’re looking for your tribe, for a community that will not only accept you, but embrace your dreams, encourage you forward. You want to learn, to grow as a writer, to achieve on the page that which fills the scope of your imagination.

At the Writer’s High, it all begins with the Mari Ann Stefanelli Perusek, the creative mind behind this retreat. You will not meet a more genuine, enthusiastic, and supportive person, and her energy and drive to offer writers the best haven for creativity is truly unparalleled. The connections you make over a weekend of writing, learning, and fun, will carry on beyond the retreat. You will leave a better writer than you arrived.

We are thrilled to be a sponsor of this amazing retreat. Be there. You won’t regret it.

Patti Callahan Henry, the New York Times best-selling author of 12 novels, is the keynote speaker for the fourth annual Writer’s High Retreat® March 9–11 at Amicalola Falls Lodge in Dawsonville, Georgia. Ms. Henry’s latest book is The Bookshop at Water’s End, which was released in July. Her work has received numerous awards, including a Townsend Prize for Fiction finalist, an Indie Next Pick, an OKRA pick, and a multiple nominee for the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) Novel of the Year.

Joining Ms. Henry is Nick Chiles, a New York Times bestselling author, Pulitzer Prize-winning former journalist, and literary agent. Mr. Chiles’ extensive body of work includes the New York Times bestselling memoir Every Little Step: My Story, which he co-authored with Bobby Brown in 2016, and Justice While Black: Helping African-American Families Navigate and Survive the Criminal Justice System, which he co-authored with attorney Robbin Shipp in 2014. The book was an NAACP Image Awards finalist in 2015. Mr. Chiles is also a literary agent with Aevitas Creative Management.

The featured speakers are accomplished authors, well versed in fiction, narrative nonfiction, and memoir––and recognized for their warm, engaging personalities and willingness to share their wisdom with others.

The Writer’s High Retreat® at Amicalola Falls Lodge package includes two nights’ accommodations, all retreat presentations, workshops, and events; meals included are Friday and Saturday dinner buffet, lunch buffet Saturday, and breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday (cost includes coffee, tea, and iced tea). Rates are $733/single and $579/double (per person). Prices include all tips, taxes, and gratuities. This is a small, intimate retreat, and space is very limited. To register or for more information, visit the retreat website at www.thewritershighretreat.com.