[12:04] Cybergrrl Oh: I'm aka Aliza Sherman. I hold about 4 events per week for various clubs.
[12:04] Cybergrrl Oh: This is the Second Life Writers Club meeting, same time, same place every week!
[12:04] Liadona Rau: I'm Liadona Rau, aka Lisa. I am a writer and photographer IRL and here in SL.
[12:05] Alesus Afarensis: im a dancer and part time model in sl
[12:05] Aldon Huffhines: Digital Social Media consultant... Old guard hardcore geek... Business editor for SLNN.COM... Blogger at Orient-Lodge.com ... Wrote my first novel last november as part of NaNoWriMo
[12:06] Aldon Huffhines: (and political and non-profit activist)
[12:06] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Aldon, congrats on the NaNoWriMo work. Some of our members
[12:06] Alas Zerbino: I'm Alas Zerbino, aka Joan Kremer. I'm a corporate writer (for money) and novelist/literary journal editor (for sanity) in RL.
[12:06] Cas Davies: I'm a college adminstrator for 3 community college libraries.
[12:07] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: have participated and find it's a great way to kick-start a manuscript.
[12:07] Cybergrrl Oh: /so now that we have settled that - let's get going. Beth, please introduce yourself
[12:07] Cybergrrl Oh: /and introduce your topic!
[12:08] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Alas, what genre do you write in and what publisher(s) have you published your work with?
[12:08] Cybergrrl Oh: /good question!
[12:08] Cybergrrl Oh writes nonfiction mostly - published 7 books and working on 8th.
[12:08] Cybergrrl Oh: jump in everyone
[12:08] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Cas, I LOVE librarians! My publisher, Five Star (with Gale Group) is a library publisher.
[12:09] Alas Zerbino: My novel is mainstream fiction. It hasn't been published yet. My publishing credits are all nonfiction.
[12:09] Liadona Rau: I write fiction mostly - stories, books and scripts. Fantasy, mystery and mainstream
[12:09] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I am a mystery writer and Vice President of Pikes Peak Writers and secretary of our local Sisters in Crime chapter.
[12:09] Cas Davies: Oh yes, Gale is very familiar to me. And I'm so glad you love librarians too!
[12:09] Aldon Huffhines: Mostly political, technology, psychology blogging... My novel is a SL based mystery... wrote a lot of poetry when I was younger.
[12:09] Cybergrrl Oh: /I found Beth through Sisters in Crime, by the way
[12:09] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: My debu mystery, A REAL BASKET CASE, was just nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel.
[12:10] Alas Zerbino: I'm going to pitch my recently completed novel at a conference end of month.
[12:10] Cybergrrl Oh: Congratulations!
[12:10] Alas Zerbino: Congratulations!!!!
[12:10] Liadona Rau: congrats!!
[12:10] Aldon Huffhines: Wow! Congrats!
[12:10] Alesus Afarensis: congrats
[12:10] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION FOR LATER: What should we know about in terms of pitching our novels at writing conferences? Tuck that away to when we get there.
[12:10] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: Tell us about the conferences for Pikes Peak and Sisters in Crime - when are the next ones?
[12:11] Cas Davies: That really merits congratulations!
[12:11] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: And what are the best resources for finding out about writers conferences?
[12:12] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The next Pikes Peak Writers conference is the last weekend of April. This will be the first year I miss one in ages, because the Malice Domestic conference, which is very popular with SinC members, is the same weekend. It's also where the Agatha winners are announced, so I HAVE to go!
[12:12] Cybergrrl Oh: http://www.ppwc.net/
[12:12] Alesus Afarensis: i have to go sorry i have to fix my son some lunch,it dont look like i'm going to get to attend any meetings sorry again
[12:13] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: PPWC was once rated as one of the ten best writing conferences in the US. I recommend both it and the fall Colorado Gold conference put on by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers in Denver to folks looking for Colorado writing conferences.
[12:13] Cybergrrl Oh: Sisters in Crime - http://www.sistersincrime.org
[12:14] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The best resource for finding writers conferences is http://writing.shawguides.com - search by focus or type of writing, month/season, state/us region/country.
[12:14] Cybergrrl Oh: Shaw Guides, yes, great database
[12:14] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I think the best conferences are those put on by nonprofit writing organizations versus by folks trying to make money off of attendees.
[12:15] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What are your favorite writers conferences?
[12:15] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: And what are your least favorite and why?
[12:15] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION TO ALL: What has been the best writers conference you've attended to date?
[12:16] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I stick to those I can drive to, so PPWC and Colorado Gold are the ones I attend. The best way to find out which are the best conferences in your local area is to join a local writing organization and ask local writers which ones they've attended and would recommend.
[12:16] Cybergrrl Oh: I've asked everyone to recommend their favorites!
[12:16] Liadona Rau: I haven't attened one that was stricktly for writers, but the Baltimore SciFi conference has some good writing tracks.
[12:16] Alas Zerbino: I've only been to ones in my area, but I'm really happy with the one at UW-Madison.
[12:17] Alas Zerbino: One at a local writing center wasn't as professional -- it was a one-day event with just local speakers.
[12:17] Aldon Huffhines: QUESTION: Are there any writers conferences online/in SL? Should there be? Pros and Cons?
[12:17] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: In Colorado, there are some writers conferences that are held in Aspen and Vail and that have VERY expensive fees. I've never attended and am leery of going, because I don't know ANY of the speakers. I think they may be rip-offs.
[12:17] Cybergrrl Oh: My least favorite was the Jackson Hole Writers Conference - gorgeous place but all the speakers just wanted a free trip to Jackson and pretty much admitted they hadn't prepared anything to say. Very lame.
[12:17] Liadona Rau: QUESTION: I live in a completely over populated, over ambitious area (Northern VA right outside of DC) how do I find a good writers group in the soup of EVERYTHING?
[12:18] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: So what are some tips you have for getting the most out of a writers conference?
[12:18] Alas Zerbino: Good feedback, Cybergrrl -- always wondered about the Jackson Hole conference.
[12:18] Cybergrrl Oh: I'm having the opposite problem - I'm in Anchorage with few choices - the writers group that is most known isn't my cup of tea.
[12:18] Liadona Rau: yeah - it is completely insane here
[12:19] Alas Zerbino: My problem too is no good local writing group...
[12:19] Cybergrrl Oh: Start your own group! I did that for a while in Cheyenne, Wyoming when I lived there. It at least kept me thinking about and talking about writing.
[12:20] Alas Zerbino: Tried that once -- I live in a rural area and couldn't seem to drum up participants.
[12:20] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I recommend that all writers join both a local writing group that has monthly educational meetings about the craft and business of writing near you. AND join the national organization for your genre, like Sisters in Crime or Mystery Writers of America for mystery. Then, look for a local chapter of that organization near you. That may be the best strategy for the NO. VA area.
[12:20] Cybergrrl Oh: Interesting - I've never looked into a nonfiction national writers group...?
[12:20] Liadona Rau: thanks! I will give it a try. :-)
[12:21] Cybergrrl Oh: People come and go at these things Beth - don't want you to think you are scaring them off!
[12:21] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Some national genre writing organizations have online chapters for their rremote members. I know Sisters does, for example.
[12:21] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: Do publishers, agents and editors REALLY look to writers conferences to find the next big thing?
[12:22] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Tips for getting the most out of a writers conference;
[12:22] Liadona Rau: QUESTION - What do you get out of the online memership for a group like SinC?
[12:22] Alas Zerbino: I've also found some value in online writing groups like Zoetrope.
[12:22] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: First, Set goal(s) before you go, like 1) learn about characterization, 2) find a critique group, 3) pitch my finished manuscript to the most appropriate attending agent, 4) learn how to promote. Pick workshops and activities that help you meet your goal. Network with other attendees to get information that you need to meet your goal.
[12:22] Cybergrrl Oh: I used to belong to a national writers guild to get health insurance but let the membership lapse when I no longer needed it.
[12:22] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What are your best promotion tips? Is it business cards? Postcards? Tshirts? Wearing a billboard? lol
[12:23] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: Can you talk more about networking at the conference?
[12:23] Cybergrrl Oh: I always forget my business cards when I go!
[12:23] Cybergrrl Oh: Probably a good idea to get some Moo Cards or Vista Print cards made up in advance.
[12:23] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Agents and editors who attend conferences USUALLY are looking to fill their lists of authors and will ask those writers whose pitches they like to send partial or full manuscript submittals.
[12:24] Aldon Huffhines: I need to create some real business cards... Mostly I use old cards with information crossed out and new information scribbled on
[12:24] Hawke Byrne giggles at Aldon
[12:24] Liadona Rau: Cool looking business cards that are not expensive - www.moo.com
[12:24] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Rarely, the attending agents and editors are there just for a free ride vacation to an area they want to visit. We frown VERY heavily on this at PPWC, and if we find out that was someone's intent, they don't get invited back.
[12:25] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The benefit of online chapters is mutual critique of manuscript sections, query letters, etc., sharing information about the market, etc.
[12:26] Cybergrrl Oh: Oh, that sounds useful
[12:26] Cybergrrl Oh: If Beth misses your question after a bit, feel free to repost.
[12:26] Cybergrrl Oh: Always hard to keep up with these things - even I get lost!
[12:26] Alas Zerbino: Glad I'm not the only one! lol
[12:26] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I'm still a member of the GUPPIES (great unpublished) online chapter of SIsters in Crime because I made so many great friendships with fellow mystery writers there. They have an AgentQuest subgroup from sharing information about agents and their responses to members' queries.
[12:27] Liadona Rau: oh cool!
[12:27] Aldon Huffhines: (if anyone wants to read/critque my first attempt at a novel, IM me)
[12:27] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What should we know about in terms of pitching our novels at writing conferences? And is there a risk of someone stealing our idea?
[12:27] Cybergrrl Oh: We should do some sessions on writing critque!
[12:28] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Networking at conferences: a mistake I see some attendees make is Not networking enough with other writers, both published and unpublished, and focusing solely on trying to talk to attending agents and editors when your work is not ready (polished enough to submit). Other writers can give you contacts, such as possible critique partners or someone who can help you with your research, and advice. Once they’re published and think your writing is ready, they may refer you to their agent or editor or offer to read your contracted-for manuscript and give you a blurb for the back cover of the book. But you need to establish that relationship first and have helped them, too, by buying and reading their books, bringing friends to their signings, posting good reviews of their books on email lists and websites, etc.
[12:28] Cybergrrl Oh: I agree - don't be a writers conference snob
[12:29] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: How do you protect your writing? Copyright?
[12:29] Alas Zerbino: My problem is shyness -- even with other conference attendees.
[12:29] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Before attending a writers conference, you should have a well-tuned "elevator pitch" that you've memorized and practiced and can cleanly recite when someone asks "What do you write?"
[12:29] Alas Zerbino: Good idea! Thanks!
[12:29] Hawke Byrne agrees with Aldon on shyness
[12:29] Cybergrrl Oh: Alas - I'll tell you about SHY. I once broke down crying at the Jackson Hole Writers Conference because I was terrified to read my own writing in public. I ran sobbing to the bathroom and all these writers (including men) chased me into the women's room to give me moral support.
[12:30] Hawke Byrne: /oops Alas I meant
[12:30] Cybergrrl Oh: I ended up reading it and got a standing ovation.
[12:30] Liadona Rau: QUESITON - should the elevator pitch be specifically about your current project? I know that is the case with scripts.
[12:30] Aldon Huffhines: Actually, it was Alas who spoke about shyness... I was too shy to admit my own shyness.
[12:30] Cybergrrl Oh: Elevator pitch! Great idea.
[12:30] Alas Zerbino: Cybergrrl, I know what that's like -- been there, too -- it's an awful feeling.
[12:30] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: BUT don't corner agents and editors and force them to listen to your pitch in hallways and the rest room. Instead, wait for them to ask you in the course of a conversation. WHen they ask, they've made themselves ready to hear your pitch.
[12:30] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION TO ALL: Give us your elevator pitch right now - 1 sentence describing your current book, book in progress, etc.
[12:31] Cybergrrl Oh: Good point Beth
[12:31] Cybergrrl Oh: My Elevator Pitch: I'm working on a book about marketing in virtual worlds for the publisher of my last 2 books.
[12:31] Hawke Byrne runs to the restroom with no pitch
[12:31] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: At a writers conference, you can usually sign up for a 10 minute pitch slot with one of the attending agents or editors, but you can also find others by sitting at their tables at meals or other times.
[12:31] Alas Zerbino: lol Hawke!
[12:31] runs after Cybergrrl with some pitches to lend her!
[12:31] Hawke Byrne: /haha!
[12:31] Aldon Huffhines: My novel is about some intrique around some dodgy business in Second Life.
[12:32] Almo Schumann can't imagine Cybergrrl as the shy one.
[12:32] Cybergrrl Oh: oooh, Aldon, sounds intriguing
[12:32] is perfectly fine behind a keyboard.
[12:32] Almo Schumann: / Take the keyboard to the conference.
[12:32] Liadona Rau: I'm working on a book about a girl who learns about herself through the letters of her ancestors - all Southern Jews.
[12:32] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What is the best thing that has ever happened to you at a writers conference?
[12:32] Alas Zerbino: My novel is about a woman self-estranged from her family who's forced to face them in order to save her daughter.
[12:32] Hawke Byrne: /cute Liadona
[12:32] Cybergrrl Oh: Liadona - how interesting!
[12:32] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: You should only be pitching one project at a writer's conference, the one that you think is the most polished and publishable--and obviously, FINISHED!
[12:32] Aldon Huffhines: Liadona, that sounes very interesting as well
[12:33] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What is your new novel about? The Elevator Pitch?
[12:33] Liadona Rau: I started during NaNoWriMo, Aldon...not done yet.
[12:33] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: One thing to remember about writers conferences is that they're full of writers who are ALL mostly shy.
[12:33] Alas Zerbino: Best thing -- I did an agent pitch last year and got a request for a partial.
[12:33] Liadona Rau: congratulations, Alas!
[12:33] Alas Zerbino: Unfortunately, my style wasn't a good match for the agent. But she did like my story.
[12:34] Cybergrrl Oh: http://www.nanowrimo.org/ - happens in November
[12:34] Liadona Rau: and is painful if you have a small child - warning!
[12:34] Aldon Huffhines: My daughter wrote a great first novel for NaNoWriMo 2006 and self published.
[12:34] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Even the agents and editors are just people who are often shy themselves. If you just make it a goal to say hi to one person at the current time and focus on that person, you'll probably make a friend, because that person will be grateful you notice them and said hi.
[12:34] Hawke Byrne: /Liadona, at least you started...lol...i just joined the nanowrimo site..that was it..hehe
[12:34] Liadona Rau: that's a first step, Hawke!
[12:34] Alas Zerbino: Thanks, Liadona -- it was a powerful feeling, and it was a way to connect with other participants (by way of sitting in fear together outside the agent's room!!)
[12:35] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What was the worst experience you had a a writers conference?
[12:35] Alas Zerbino: Beth, great points. I think I need to set those goals and be ready to meet them.
[12:35] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What are the Top 3 or Top 5 things a person should bring to a writers conference - a checklist so we don't forget them!
[12:36] makes a note to get business cards made...
[12:36] meezmo BeBe 1.2: Automatic refresh
[12:36] Cybergrrl Oh: http://www.moo.com/
[12:36] meezmo BeBe 1.2: Retrieving images...
[12:36] meezmo BeBe 1.2: There are 10 images in your BeBe. Loading images 1 through 4...
[12:36] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The best thing that happened to me at a writer's conference was getting the chance to talk to an agent in person who became my first agent (I'm now on my second) AND at the same conference, meeting my editor at Five Star and talking to her about the company. Both contacts were made through other writer friends--thus the importance of making friends with other writers.
[12:36] Hawke Byrne: /QUESTION: is it inappropriate to ask for an autograph from your fav author at a conference?
[12:36] Cybergrrl Oh: http://www.vistaprint.com/
[12:37] Aldon Huffhines: QUESTION: What should go on a business card of a writer?
[12:37] Cybergrrl Oh: Wow - productive conference!
[12:37] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: Are bigger conferences better for meeting more people in the industry?
[12:38] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Case in point: at a PPWC many years ago, I met Kathy Brandt, who at the time was unpublished. She later went on to publish 4 mystery novels. We hae shared rooms at conferences, critiqued each other's work, and she gave me a blurb for the cover of my book. I've also shown up at her signings, recommended her books to friends and published reviews of her books on DororthyL and other email lists.
[12:39] Cybergrrl Oh: Very nice networking!!
[12:39] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: This is the benefit of networking--doing favors for each other. The main goal for you when you're networking at conferences should be to try to figure out what favor you can do for the other person.
[12:39] Alas Zerbino: Never thought of that -- great advice, Beth!
[12:39] Cybergrrl Oh: Hi Sloan - this is a text chat, just so you know
[12:39] Cybergrrl Oh: Sloan is text adverse
[12:39] Cybergrrl Oh: She much prefers voice
[12:39] Sloan Skjellerup: lol, I'm ok with that
[12:40] Almo Schumann: / If I had sloan's voice I'd prefer it too.
[12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: Past questions...
[12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:37] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: Are bigger conferences better for meeting more people in the industry?
[12:40] Sloan Skjellerup: awww.... I'm blushing now
[12:40] Sloan Skjellerup: Hello, avatar!
[12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:37] Aldon Huffhines: QUESTION: What should go on a business card of a writer?
[12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:36] Hawke Byrne: /QUESTION: is it inappropriate to ask for an autograph from your fav author at a conference?
[12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:33] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: What is your new novel about? The Elevator Pitch?
[12:41] Cybergrrl Oh: Phew!
[12:41] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The worst thing that happene to me at a writer's conference was when an agent rejected me, snarkily BTW, right at the pitch session. Most will ask for a partial unless they know right off the bat that your material is not their "thing."
[12:41] Cybergrrl Oh: Hawke - I not only asked for Pam Houston's autograph at the Taos Writers Conference, I told her I'd put up a web site for her for free! She took me up on it a year later.
[12:41] Hawke Byrne: lol Cybergrrl
[12:42] Cybergrrl Oh: http://www.pamhouston.net - it is very simple but works for her
[12:42] Alas Zerbino: / web skills come in handy!
[12:42] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I was rejected by 89 agents before I found my first one, then when I was looking for #2, I was rejected by 8 agents before finding my current one--even though I was already published! Rejection is something you've GOT to get used to in this business. That's another reason to hang out with other writers--they can commiserate.
[12:42] Sloan Skjellerup: /nice
[12:43] Cybergrrl Oh: /so true
[12:43] Alas Zerbino: Always makes me feel better to hear other writers' rejection stories ...
[12:43] Hawke Byrne wishes she'd stop rejecting herself before she even starts
[12:44] Cybergrrl Oh: Remember everyone - click on a poster to get to Beth's web site.
[12:44] Alas Zerbino: Don't do that, Hawke -- I've done it enough for everyone on the planet!
[12:44] Hawke Byrne: LOL
[12:44] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I have 2 business cards. One has ALL my contact information for people who I want to contact me (phone, address, email, website) The other is a card for my book, basically, that has the name of the book, a short blurb, my name as author, and my website address. I hand this out to fans or folks I meet who show interest in the book.
[12:45] Hawke Byrne: nice Beth
[12:45] Cybergrrl Oh: Good tactic - I think I've done that in the past myself but I'm so mommy brained these days that can't really remember
[12:45] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: Your book business card -- is that for published book or ms?
[12:45] Cybergrrl Oh: good question Alas
[12:45] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: A friend has said my current book is about massage, murder, and marital discord.
[12:46] Alas Zerbino: 3M -- there's a company by that name! lol
[12:46] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: It's about a gift basket designer living in Colorado Springs. When a friend arranges for a handsome massage therapist to give her a massage, he is shot and falls in her lap, and her husband is found holding the murder weapon.
[12:46] Almo Schumann: / Hmmm. At least I can learn about two things from that book.
[12:46] Alas Zerbino: Wow -- I'm hooked!
[12:47] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: The sequel, TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET, takes place in Breckenridge, where Claire and her family go on a ski vacation. THe action starts when her daughter's boyfriend's sister is shot on the slope.
[12:47] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: The elevator pitch sounds kind of like the blurb on the book jacket, then?
[12:47] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Okay, what questions have I missed?
[12:48] Cybergrrl Oh: did you answer this one?
[12:48] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:40] Cybergrrl Oh: [12:37] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: Are bigger conferences better for meeting more people in the industry?
[12:48] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Alas, yes the pitch is LIKE the blurb on the book jacket, but shorter than most--only one or two sentences.
[12:48] Alas Zerbino: Book business card: published or ms?
[12:49] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I like the smaller conferences of a few hundred attendees, because I find the big ones to be too overwhelming.
[12:49] Alas Zerbino: QUESTION: But the pitch is more of a hook than an overview?
[12:49] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I would only recommend a book business card for a published book.
[12:50] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Yes, the pitch is a hook. BUT, be prepared for the other person to say, tell me more, then go into the description of the main characters and the plot some more.
[12:50] Alas Zerbino: Thanks!
[12:50] Cybergrrl Oh: In business, a pitch is the most concise statement or couple of sentences you can say aloud to not only explain the main gist of your business but to getting people to want to know more. Similar to the book pitch then.
[12:51] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: You've got the idea, Cybergrrl!
[12:51] Cybergrrl Oh: If your book idea is hard to explain, you have to work harder to figure out how to explain it concisely
[12:52] Cybergrrl Oh: Did you answer this one: QUESTION: What is a checklist of 3-5 things we should bring to the next writers conference we attend - so we don't forget!
[12:52] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Correct. A pitch can take a LONG time to hone, and it's best to practice it on a few other writer friends first and get their feedback. Is everyone here in a critique group? If not, I HIGHLY recommend them!
[12:53] Hawke Byrne: /QUESTION: How do you find a crittique group?
[12:53] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I've been in a five member critique group for almost 10 years. When we started we were all unpublished. Now, 3 are pubbed in book-length, 3 in short stories and all 5 have won/placed in writing contests.
[12:54] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: You find a critique group by joining local writing organizations, networking with the writers there, and finding other writers with similar genres, personalities, and goals to work with.
[12:54] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: You want people whose goal is to help each other get published, NOT just to trade pats on the back, but to actually point out problems in each other's work so you can all improve.
[12:55] Cybergrrl Oh: I belonged to a critique group here in Anchorage but found the woman who led it was very know-it-all. She didn't like others giving advice.
[12:56] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: A checklist should include your goals for the conference, a reminder to yourself to network, your pitch, and a reminder to have fun! :)
[12:56] Cybergrrl Oh: And Moo Cards!
[12:56] Cybergrrl Oh: Well, we are getting to the end of our hour...
[12:56] Cybergrrl Oh: If you have an outstanding question, please repost now
[12:56] Alas Zerbino: Finding the right critique group can be a problem, especially in low population areas. I've found some online (email) crit groups have helped a lot for that.
[12:56] Aldon Huffhines: This has been great
[12:57] Cybergrrl Oh: QUESTION: Can you recommend some good Writers web sites in addition to Shaw Guides?
[12:58] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: That woman in Anchorage is what we call a poison personality and is definitely NOT helpful. Before forming a new group, you should set rules for how to evaluate new members, and if all the other members vote someone "off the island" then so be it. For effective work to get done, the rest of you have to get away from that poison personality.
[12:58] Cybergrrl Oh: Good points, Beth!
[12:59] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: I recommend the Pikes Peak Writers website. We have a FORUM where nonmembers can participate in many of the topics. www.pikespeakwriters.com
[12:59] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Also, pleae stop by my own website at bethgroundwater.com and email me if you have more questions.
[13:00] Cybergrrl Oh: Sounds like a plan.
[13:00] Cybergrrl Oh: Thank you for being here, Beth - we really appreciate you taking the time.
[13:00] Cybergrrl Oh: And we hope you'll come back again - especially when your next book is out!
[13:00] Liadona Rau: Thank you, Beth! This has been helpful.
[13:00] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: My blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com talks about my process on the way to publication in my early entries.
[13:00] Almo Schumann: / excellent.
[13:00] Cybergrrl Oh: Will check out your blog!
[13:00] Hawke Byrne: tyvm Beth and Cybergrrl!
[13:00] Alas Zerbino: I really appreciate you doing this, Beth, this has been a tremendous help for me -- especially so soon before a conference.
[13:01] Cybergrrl Oh: Thank you all for being here as well.
[13:01] Cybergrrl Oh: Transcript will be up here soon:
[13:01] Alas Zerbino: Thank you, Cybergrrl, for organizing this.
[13:01] Cybergrrl Oh: http://slwritersclub.blogspot.com/
[13:01] Cybergrrl Oh: yw!
[13:01] Liadona Rau: Thanks, CG!
[13:01] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: And thanks to you all. This has been my first Second LIfe experience, and it's been fun--though my fingers are tired!
[13:01] Hawke Byrne: lol
[13:01] Aldon Huffhines: Heh
[13:02] Cybergrrl Oh: Definitely a good finger workout
[13:02] BethGroundwater Trenchcoat: Good luck to all of you in your writing projects. Persistence is key.
[13:02] Alas Zerbino: You were great! Hope you hang out some more in SL.
[13:02] Hawke Byrne: /OOOH persistence...I kept thinking procrastination!
