Bunko arrives to our town next week folks! This mixer loads fun, social networking and prizes into one fun-filled afternoon of insanity. If you do not care for crowd, high noise levels (people's voices yelling at dice) and tons of food, this event should not make your calender.
If, perchance, you enjoy meeting new people, you love to play games and you don't desire to use your brain too much, Bunko fills the bill for you. We (the hosts) give out prizes for this game of total chance. Originally, we scheduled this Bunko Bash to be a Book Bunko Bash, but delays due to contracts and editing caused us to go with the normal arrangement.
Books dominate the list of prizes for this year's Bunko party. Publication and delivery dates determine which books make up the prizes for the winners in our three prize categories. As is often the case in football, game-day decisions on which books land on the prize list must be determined at the last minute.
Stay tuned, there may be posts that contain this information before next Saturday, December 5, 2009 which so happens to be our Bunko Bash!
Woo hoo!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Thanksgiving
This Thanksgiving is the first for the Rogues Gallery Writers. Even though we've been together for going on three years, we were originally known as the Legare Gang. Everyone has something to be thankful for in this life. Sometimes we are blinded by the challenges we face, but we all have some morsel to truly cherish.
With respect to the Rogues, I am thankful for being associated with talented writers who are dedicated to furthering their knowledge of craft AND furthering their writing careers. This gig (writing) is not for the faint-of-heart. Writing requires, yes I mean requires, dedication, perseverance, discipline and constant maintenance.
This load can be more than heavy. It can crush your spirit. There are times when you feel you will never move forward. Times when you feel you can't write a simple sentence much more a brilliant one. Therefore, reveling in the company of fellow strugglers is something to be more than thankful for, even more than grateful for.
We walk through the writing battlefield together. We have each others backs. We're there when one of us needs an encouraging word. We're there with honest critiques.
Thank you fellow Rogues. I hope I can give back all that I get from you.
With respect to the Rogues, I am thankful for being associated with talented writers who are dedicated to furthering their knowledge of craft AND furthering their writing careers. This gig (writing) is not for the faint-of-heart. Writing requires, yes I mean requires, dedication, perseverance, discipline and constant maintenance.
This load can be more than heavy. It can crush your spirit. There are times when you feel you will never move forward. Times when you feel you can't write a simple sentence much more a brilliant one. Therefore, reveling in the company of fellow strugglers is something to be more than thankful for, even more than grateful for.
We walk through the writing battlefield together. We have each others backs. We're there when one of us needs an encouraging word. We're there with honest critiques.
Thank you fellow Rogues. I hope I can give back all that I get from you.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Blog Days
Fellow writers! Come one! Come all! There is no reason to fear this blog thing!
Blogging is essential to furthering your writing career. Swallow that. Digest it. Do not fear it. Blogging is the simplest of writing. This makes it some of the most fun writing you will do. Grammar is not required, although I'm sure you don't need to be putting out total crap.
Blogging is supposed to be a 'web log' or diary of sorts. A blog should bring people up to date on what is going on in your writing life and where you are going. You could even throw in a current event piece if there is something on your mind out there in the 'real' world.
Blogging must be consistent. This is the one that intimidates would-be bloggers. "I don't have time" is the common cry. Hogwash! You should post a blog at least once a week. I post every Monday on three different blogs and one blog no one knows about I often post to more than three times a week.
For the three I post to every Monday, I set aside one day at the beginning of the month and I write four pieces for each blog. That is a total of 12 blogs containing 200-500 words each. Basically I write around 2500 - 6000 words that day. Not too tough. This takes me about two to five hours. I then "schedule a blog to post on each Monday of that month. My blogging is then complete!
I do have that other blog I post to whenever I get the urge. Also, if something pops up that I wish to add to my Fatherhood blog, I can write it and post it immediately. In this manner, people coming to my blogs have fresh content each and every week. Look at this blog. There are consistent posts from me. There are also posts from my fellow Rogues, but that is a message for another day. They post to this blog as well and the ability for them to do that is set up very easily.
Use blogs to promote your writing. You need to get out there and get exposure. Blogs are free, simple to set up and even easier to manage. Do not cop out with the 'no time' excuse. Set up a blog day and jump to it!
Blogging is essential to furthering your writing career. Swallow that. Digest it. Do not fear it. Blogging is the simplest of writing. This makes it some of the most fun writing you will do. Grammar is not required, although I'm sure you don't need to be putting out total crap.
Blogging is supposed to be a 'web log' or diary of sorts. A blog should bring people up to date on what is going on in your writing life and where you are going. You could even throw in a current event piece if there is something on your mind out there in the 'real' world.
Blogging must be consistent. This is the one that intimidates would-be bloggers. "I don't have time" is the common cry. Hogwash! You should post a blog at least once a week. I post every Monday on three different blogs and one blog no one knows about I often post to more than three times a week.
For the three I post to every Monday, I set aside one day at the beginning of the month and I write four pieces for each blog. That is a total of 12 blogs containing 200-500 words each. Basically I write around 2500 - 6000 words that day. Not too tough. This takes me about two to five hours. I then "schedule a blog to post on each Monday of that month. My blogging is then complete!
I do have that other blog I post to whenever I get the urge. Also, if something pops up that I wish to add to my Fatherhood blog, I can write it and post it immediately. In this manner, people coming to my blogs have fresh content each and every week. Look at this blog. There are consistent posts from me. There are also posts from my fellow Rogues, but that is a message for another day. They post to this blog as well and the ability for them to do that is set up very easily.
Use blogs to promote your writing. You need to get out there and get exposure. Blogs are free, simple to set up and even easier to manage. Do not cop out with the 'no time' excuse. Set up a blog day and jump to it!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Rogue Holidays
Holiday season blisters a path toward us as we write our merry way to insanity. Writers often feel their craft delivers insanity to their mental doorsteps. We work hard to kill the verb "to be", yet it creeps into every mundane sentence we write. Very possibly, the verb "to be" creates these mundane sentences for us.
These verbs - is, was, were, have been, has been, etc. - flock to our brains like birds from a Hitchcock movie. They invade our otherwise pristine plots and dilute our otherwise brilliant characters until one day we wake up, read our manuscript with an objective eye, and cry. Our baby can't be this ugly! We thought we used only the cream of word-genes.
Yet there the manuscript stands, some bride of Frankenstein that owns no happy ending - at least not in our disappointed writer's eyes. Hope only breeds once we walk away, leave the words to simmer and we determine to go back with the delete-key-scalpel and fix that which offends.
Holidays embrace families, traditions and other wonderful aspects of life. Writers write about holidays but if truly dedicated, observe them only when they complete their daily writing goals. Otherwise the holiday becomes an excuse to not write.
The Rogues have numerous writing projects in the works. Rebekah Hunter Scott strives to finish up edits on her magnificent book Motherhood is Easy. Jeff Swesky diligently works on cleaning up his first draft of the autobiography Flight From Fear. Michael Ray King juggles the collaborative effort Writing is Easy written by all the Rogues along with his personal projects The Seven Day Rose and Loves Lost and Found.
The Rogues intend to spend the holidays basking in the knowledge and glow and satisfaction of writing well-done. Do not deny us our desire to reach our goals, and most definitely do not deny us the thrill of holidays fulfilled by achievements in our writing lives. We take no days off unless we decide to slack off - and this we love. Bring on the holidays!
These verbs - is, was, were, have been, has been, etc. - flock to our brains like birds from a Hitchcock movie. They invade our otherwise pristine plots and dilute our otherwise brilliant characters until one day we wake up, read our manuscript with an objective eye, and cry. Our baby can't be this ugly! We thought we used only the cream of word-genes.
Yet there the manuscript stands, some bride of Frankenstein that owns no happy ending - at least not in our disappointed writer's eyes. Hope only breeds once we walk away, leave the words to simmer and we determine to go back with the delete-key-scalpel and fix that which offends.
Holidays embrace families, traditions and other wonderful aspects of life. Writers write about holidays but if truly dedicated, observe them only when they complete their daily writing goals. Otherwise the holiday becomes an excuse to not write.
The Rogues have numerous writing projects in the works. Rebekah Hunter Scott strives to finish up edits on her magnificent book Motherhood is Easy. Jeff Swesky diligently works on cleaning up his first draft of the autobiography Flight From Fear. Michael Ray King juggles the collaborative effort Writing is Easy written by all the Rogues along with his personal projects The Seven Day Rose and Loves Lost and Found.
The Rogues intend to spend the holidays basking in the knowledge and glow and satisfaction of writing well-done. Do not deny us our desire to reach our goals, and most definitely do not deny us the thrill of holidays fulfilled by achievements in our writing lives. We take no days off unless we decide to slack off - and this we love. Bring on the holidays!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
KICKING AND SCREAMING
Yes, I'm still kicking and screaming, Kickem' hard, screamin' loud! pumped up about the new book
," Writing is Easy," Easy my ars!
Open a vein ! let it flow, some days the flow is never ending and I feel I'm gonna bleed to death,
other days, dry, dry as a frickin desert, Easy, Where? when?
The play on words is that, a play on words, our alter egos, a play on our personalities, our imaginations.
Yeap, kicKin and Screamin" all the way.( sounds fun huh , for those of a more aggressive nature!) Wink....
Seems this Ride with the Rogues is a kick, and I silently scream when things are just too good to be true.
Then I find a nice joint to let it looose! To do some more Kickin* and screamin!
Some times I gotta kick some butt, sometimes I gotta kick it up a notch, some times I just gotta kick back.
On those days where I'm around those who ain't listening , I gotta scream! yee Ha!
But mostly the screaming comes when we Rogues out do ourselves.
My fellow Rogues won some way cool Awards, PROUD, proud I am of them and scream that " We are the champions tune!"
Yes, still kickin and screamin, and will continue to do so.
There is no stopping a Rogue, either in our field of words and paints, or back in our world of woe's and can'ts ie..(.Reality.)
So let's kick it up here and there every now and then to keep the blood flowing through our Rogue veins and live for the next moment we get a chance to kick and scream, just cause we can!!!!!
There I go,,, Kickin and Screamin ,,,, Tracy Panthera McDurmon
Monday, November 2, 2009
Nanowrimo
National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) is simply another name for November. As crazed writers, nanowrimo-ers are a masochistic bunch. We live for November and daily count requirements of 1667 words. Often maligned by many writers, this contest delivers an opportunity for newbies and established writers alike to 'win'.
A 'win' in Nanowrimo is to complete a manuscript with at least 50,000 words in the thirty days of November. These words do not have to make a lot of sense, have an outstanding flow nor even have a defined plot. I would submit to any participant that those items should be held as a priority, but even if you do not achieve any of them, the mere fact of proving to yourself you can actually write 50,000 words in thirty days is huge.
Many writers look at a blank screen and get intimidated by word counts. I've heard it in conferences - writers wondering if their 30,000 words qualifies as a non-fiction book-length book. Numbers and writers do not mix well. Numbers often intimidate writers. Nanowrimo affords the writer an opportunity to slay the word count 'monster'.
Successfully running through Nanowrimo will lift your confidence, your key speed and possibly, if you've gone into it somewhat organized (I know, another writer struggle), you may walk away with a first draft manuscript.
Look into Nanowrimo folks. Even for the peripheral writer, this contest could be the spark you for which you are looking. No one can beat you out but yourself. You achieve the word count, you win. This contest is that simple. You even get a certificate when you win.
Sign-up for Nanowrimo is available throughout the month, so even if you start late, you can get in. Late sign-up just increases your minimum daily word count requirements. Personally, I tend to write in bursts of thousands of words and then write hundreds of words on other days.
Challenge yourself. Jump on in! The writing's fine!
A 'win' in Nanowrimo is to complete a manuscript with at least 50,000 words in the thirty days of November. These words do not have to make a lot of sense, have an outstanding flow nor even have a defined plot. I would submit to any participant that those items should be held as a priority, but even if you do not achieve any of them, the mere fact of proving to yourself you can actually write 50,000 words in thirty days is huge.
Many writers look at a blank screen and get intimidated by word counts. I've heard it in conferences - writers wondering if their 30,000 words qualifies as a non-fiction book-length book. Numbers and writers do not mix well. Numbers often intimidate writers. Nanowrimo affords the writer an opportunity to slay the word count 'monster'.
Successfully running through Nanowrimo will lift your confidence, your key speed and possibly, if you've gone into it somewhat organized (I know, another writer struggle), you may walk away with a first draft manuscript.
Look into Nanowrimo folks. Even for the peripheral writer, this contest could be the spark you for which you are looking. No one can beat you out but yourself. You achieve the word count, you win. This contest is that simple. You even get a certificate when you win.
Sign-up for Nanowrimo is available throughout the month, so even if you start late, you can get in. Late sign-up just increases your minimum daily word count requirements. Personally, I tend to write in bursts of thousands of words and then write hundreds of words on other days.
Challenge yourself. Jump on in! The writing's fine!
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