PANEL: Reader Sites

WELCOME TO THE READER SITES ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS:

Wayne Jordan - Color of Romance, Cydney Rax - Book Remarks, LaShaunda C. Hoffman -Shades Of Romance, Tee Royal - RAW Sistaz

Learn about a few sites for readers.

Post your questions in the comments section.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.

PANEL: Online Book Clubs

WELCOME TO THE ONLINE BOOKCLUB ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS:

LaShaunda C. Hoffman - SORMAG Book Club, Marina Woods-Good Girls Book Club, Tee C. Royal-RAW Sistaz Book Club, Tara Green-The Romance BookClub

Come learn about the hottest online book clubs.

Post your questions in the comments section.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.

PANEL: Hair and Beauty Tips for Today's Woman

WELCOME TO HAIR AND BEAUTY TIPS ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS: Cheryl Talley Moss, Tia Williams

These ladies know what's hot and what's not in hair and beauty. Come visit and see what they have to say.

Post your questions in the comments section.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.

PANEL: Men In Fiction

WELCOME TO THE MEN IN FICTION ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS: Wayne Jordan, J.J. Murray, Varian Johnson, R. Barri Flowers, Vincent Alexander, Edwardo Jackson

Come talk with some of the hottest men in fiction.

Post your questions in the comments section.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.

PANEL: "Christian Dating: talk about it, read about it, write about it?"

WELCOME TO THE CHRISTIAN DATING ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS: Janice Robinson, Tia Mccollors

Learn about Christian Dating

Post your questions in the comments section.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your questions to a panel member or all panel members.

Reader’s Day - Meet The Authors

Did you enjoy today's panel? Do you have more questions for the guests on the panels. This is the place to do it.Don't forget your registration number when you post a comment or question.

Wayne Jordan - romance author and publisher of Color Of Romance Online Magazine

J.J. Murray - Fiction Writer

Varian Johnson - Fiction Writer

R. Barri Flowers - is the author of several suspense thriller novels, with more than a splash of romance, including JUSTICE SERVED (Dorchester, 2005) and PERSUASIVE EVIDENCE (Dorchester, 2004. His fiction has received rave reviews.
Barri has now ventured into contemporary romance fiction. Writing as Devon Vaughn Archer, his new novel, DARK AND DASHING, is part of a two book, all male written anthology, SLOW MOTION (BET, November 2005). The anthology has just been given a 4.5 Stars TOP PICK by Romantic Times!

SLOW MOTION and Barri's mysteries can be found at most bookstores across the country or online booksellers such as Amazon.com and CushCity.com.
Visit the author's website at: http://rbarriflowers.homestead.com

Vincent Alexander - Fiction Writer

Edwardo Jackson is a graduate of Morehouse College and has an MBA from the University of Phoenix. The winner of the 1993 NAACP ACTSO Silver Medal in Playwriting, he is an author, screenwriter, and actor, as well as a President of the entertainment promotional company JCM Entertainment, LLC. His other works include Ever After (2001), Neva Hafta (2002) both published by Random House/Villard Books the forthcoming sequel I Do? (November 2005) as well as the story And Then She Cried, featured in the anthology Proverbs for the People (Kensington, 2003) and Broken Rules in the anthology Intimacy (Penguin Plume, 2004). Originally from Seattle, WA, Mr. Jackson resides in Los Angeles, CA.

Cheryl Talley Moss, a native of Gary, Indiana, has wanted to be an entrepreneur and a novelist for as long as she can remember. In fact, she was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America in high school. She has been writing and expressing herself all of her life, but made it a career choice after surviving cancer. During her twenty-five years experience as an award-winning cosmetology educator/stylist, Cheryl honed her skills as an ethnic hair & skin care specialist.

Over 20 years ago, Ms. Moss was employed as the assistant to the chemist of the Research and Development Department at E. F. Young Jr. Manufacturing Company, the oldest African-American owned manufacturer of cosmetics and hair care products made especially for African-Americans. Cheryl's background also includes a broad range of management and consulting experience.

In 1992, Cheryl Talley Moss became the first African-American woman to own a full-service hair salon in a shopping mall in Mesquite, TX. It was also the same year Ms. Moss became a cancer survivor. She believes her life was spared for a reason, and is determined to use all the gifts and talents God has blessed her with.

In 1998, Cheryl was elected to serve as president of the Big Town Mall Board of Trade Mesquite, Texas. She was the first African-American to hold the position.

In 1999 Ms. Moss wrote & self-published and sold over 6 thousand copies of her self-help book, Healthy Hair Care Tips for Today's Black Woman, The Black Woman's Guide to Healthy Hair. The same year, Cheryl made Cush.city.com's Best-Seller's List.

In 2000, Cheryl was featured in several national magazines including Eclipse and Blactress to discuss her best selling hair guide. This work continues to be a “must-read” for urban contemporary stylists and clients alike.

In 2001, The Total Woman Tour (Sponsored by Pantene and Tampax) honored Ms. Moss by selecting her as The Black Hair Care Expert of Mesquite, Texas.

In 2004, Cheryl released her debut novel, Sooner or Later. The critically acclaimed romance suspense deals with very real issues such as sexual assault, obesity, discrimination in the workplace, infidelity, and baby momma drama.

Cheryl is a member of Black Writers United & Writers RX. She is also a beauty consultant as well as a confident & frequent lecturer. She resides in the Dallas area where she is promoting her books and healthy hair and skin care line.

Ms. Moss is currently writing: Healthy Skin Care Tips for Today's Black Woman (to be released November, 2005)

Cheryl is happily single. She was married for 29 years. She has three adult children. In her spare time, Cheryl enjoys gardening, traveling, listening to music, designing jewelry & hair ornaments, and taking life one day at a time.

Cheryl released her Healthy Hair and Skin Care Line in September, 2005. She named the company: Cheryl Talley Moss/Georgia's Girl (in honor of her late mother). Her products are available for purchase on her web site: www.CherylTMoss.com.

Tia Williams - Fiction author and skin and hair consultant

Cydney Rax - Fiction author and owner of Book Remarks online site

LaShaunda C. Hoffman - Shades Of Romance editor and publisher.

Janice Robinson - Christian fiction author

Tia Mccollors - Christian fiction author

Marina Woods- Owner of Good Girls Book Club

Tee C. Royal- A former Captain in the Air Force, Tee C. Royal is the founder of the Reading and Writing SISTAZ aka RAWSISTAZ, one of the largest African-American online book clubs and their team of reviewers, TRR aka The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers http://www.therawreviewers.com and President of Atlanta-RAWSISTAZ. Since inception, the RAWSISTAZ website has become a major resource for readers, writers, and literary enthusiasts and TRR are highly respected in literary circles and sought out for book reviews and promotion of African-American titles.

Very active in the literary community, Tee is the Vice-President for Authors Supporting Authors Positively and a webmistress for several literary websites and authors. She is also a freelance reader, reviewer & proofreader residing in the suburbs of Atlanta. In addition to leading her own team of 15 reviewers, she reviews professionally for several online and print magazines and is a member of a host of literary organizations. She is knowledgeable about the AA literary industry and prides herself on their group motto..."Keeping you In the Know regarding the African-American Literary community."

To contact Tee, you can reach her at tee@rawsistaz.com or via the website at http://www.rawsistaz.com.

Tara Green- Owner of The Romance Book Club

SUNDAY WINNERS

Congrats to the winners!

Cick on the attendance prize link and pick a prize.

Send an email to – sormag@yahoo.com With the prize you want and your mailing address.


Mix and Mingle Winners

First Guest: Robin Bayne

Last Guest: Pat Byrdsong

First Conference:

Dominiqua

Yolonda Greggs

Vanessa A. Johnson

Elaine Heys

Mary Eason

Lyn Cote

Gwynth Bolton

COMMENT WINNERS

LaTara #27

Ann Clay #41

Cheri Paris Edwards

Shelia

Jeanette Hill

How can you be a winner? Participate. I will pick lucky winners from the comments you post.

PANEL: Magazine Writing

WELCOME TO THE MAGAZINE WRITING ROOM

TODAY'S PANEL IS : Barbara A Custer, Kathryn Lay, LaShaunda C. Hoffman

Are you interested in learning about writing for magazines, this is the room for you.

Post your question in the comments section.

WRITING CLINIC – Critique of writing – Query Letter

WRITING CLINIC – Critique of writing – Query Letter


Would you like your query letter critiqued? This is the place to post it.

Place your query letter in a comment and our guest panel will critique it.

DISCUSSION: Writing Your Memoirs

DISCUSSION: Writing Your Memoirs

Have you ever thought about writing your life story. This is the place to discuss how to start your memoirs or offer advice to those interested in starting theirs.

WORKSHOP: Scene & Structure

TODAY'S WORKSHOP IS ON SCENE & STUCTURE

Yolonda J. Greggs is the presenter.

She will post the workshop in the comments section.

PANEL: Are You Ready For Submitting

WELCOME TO THE ARE YOU READY FOR SUBMITTING ROOM

THE PANEL TODAY IS:

Cindy Appel, Lindsay Murdock, Deatra King Bey, Lyn Cote

WORKSHOP -Query Letter - The Wrong Way

The Wrong Way
By Deatri King-Bey

I debated for days whether to write this article or not. As you see, the write it side won. I recently started working at a traditional publishing house. I’m amazed at what people do to sabotage their chances of being selected by editors. Half of the proposals that cross my desk literally have some sort of vital error in them. And I’m not talking about the sample chapters. I’m talking about easy to fix formatting errors that an aspiring author should have addressed BEFORE the submission leaves their desk. This article walks you through what not to do in a submission. You worked too hard writing your novel to submit it to editors the wrong way.

I apologize if anyone thinks I am speaking down to them. That is not my intention. As I mentioned, half of the manuscripts that reach my desk have one or more of the ten logistic issues I’ll cover.

For simplicity, the procedures discussed in this article are based on the publishing house I work for. I’m sure other publishing houses have similar procedures.

Arrival Mistakes
Mistake One - Addressing the proposal to the physical location of the publishing company without any additional information.

For example:
Publishing Company
123 N. Fake St.
Anytown, USA 12345

This is a major mistake that I see way too often. What area of the company will the correspondence be sent to? This error could cause your manuscript to bounce around for months, be tossed, or lost. If for some reason you can’t find the name of the editor, at least put Attn: Editors, or in the lower left hand corner of the envelope write “Manuscript Submission” or “Manuscript Proposal.” Do something to let people know where this piece of mail belongs.

Your best bet is to address the envelope properly with the Attn: Editor’s Name

Mistake Two - No name on the return address portion of the submission envelope.

This is a minor error and fixed at the publishing company (at least at our company it is). The manuscripts are filed alphabetically by the author’s last name then first name. It is easier if the name is already on the outside of the envelope.

Mistake Three - Overstuffing or over-taping the submission envelope (This includes boxes).

This is a minor mistake but annoying.

We like to keep the submission in the original packaging. The packaging works as a protective cover. Some folks jimmy-rig the envelopes so that they can only be opened once. It’s the darndest thing. And don’t get me started on the pounds and pounds of tape. I bet their shipping costs are doubled from the weight of the tape alone (just kidding).


Submission Mistakes
Okay, now it’s time to open the submission. The first person to see your submission will be an office manager, secretary, clerk or someone on those lines. Why are these people allowed to see your submission before the editor you addressed it to? They catalogue your submission.

Cataloging – To keep track of submissions that come into and out of the company, information about each submission is kept in a database. These are some of the categories in our database: Author Name, Manuscript Title, Type (Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry), Genre (Mainstream, Self-help…), Agented, Date Received, and SASE.

SASE=Self Addressed Stamped Envelope

After your submission is catalogued, it is filed alphabetically (by Author).

Mistake Four - Query letter without clearly stated information.

This is a major mistake.

The person who catalogs should be able to browse through your one page query letter and easily find the information for the database. I have seen query letters and proposals that go on for pages and pages without stating the title of the work, if it is fiction or non-fiction, or the authors name (sometimes the envelope is ruined, and we have no name on the submission at all).

It is extremely important that your submission be catalogued correctly. For that to happen, you must clearly state what you are submitting. Otherwise, the cataloger is left to guess. Your autobiography may end up in the hands of a fiction editor. I know next to nothing about poetry. Your poetry manuscript may end up in my hands. At a minimum, your query should have the author’s name, title of the manuscript, and type (fiction, non-fiction, poetry).

Side note: I absolutely love the database. It allows me to quickly sort out the manuscripts addressed to me. If they are of a genre or type that I do not handle, I can easily reassign them to the appropriate editor.

Mistake Five - No Query Letter

This is a major mistake.

Oftentimes people send their previously published book (traditional or self) without any type of query letter. It’s just the book. Our company participates in several writing organizations. What is it you want us to do with your book? Consider it for reprint? Forward it to another organization? What?

Mistake Six – Hand Written Query Letter

Besides being unprofessional, good penmanship is not stressed in most school systems. This often shows in hand written query letters. Go to the library if you have to and type that query letter so your submission can be cataloged properly. You also want to make a good impression on the editor.


Mistake Seven - No SASE

This is a major mistake

The other day someone called wanting to know if we’d reviewed his manuscript. I looked in the database and quickly noticed he did not send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE). This person’s manuscript had not been reviewed yet. I told him to send a SASE so we could send our reply. I know this sounds mean, but companies receive thousands of submissions. It is not economically wise for companies to pick up the mailing expenses.

Side note: This is my opinion, but I believe it is a waste of money to have your manuscript returned. At the small publishing house I work for, the manuscript will pass through three readers, then an editor, then the acquisitions editor. Suffice it to say that the manuscript will not suitable for submission at another publishing house. This is standard practice at the majority of publishing houses. I know some writers believe they are somehow keeping the publishing company from stealing their manuscript by having it returned. Sorry, but this does not protect your manuscript. Technology is so advanced that it is easy to scan an entire manuscript.

Mistake Eight – Hand Written, Audio Taped, and strange font Submissions

This is a major mistake

There are very few cases where we will accept hand written or audio-taped submissions, and I’m not telling what they are.

Some people also like to use fonts other than Times New Roman or Courier New. I’ve seen entire submissions written in italics. Artists being artists I guess. But these fonts are hard on the eyes. Do you really want to be hard on the editor’s eyes?

Mistake Nine – Hiding the SASE or query letter

This is an annoying and possibly major mistake.

Sometimes I receive a manuscript that the cataloger thought didn’t have a SASE or query letter. Occasionally I find the query letter and/or SASE stuffed within the manuscript pages.

Mistake Ten – No page numbering

I’ve never done this (smile), but every so often a manuscript is dropped. Page numbering is a good thing. The header of your manuscript could look something like

Last name / TITLE OF BOOK Page#

That’s the end of the logistical mistakes for now. Make sure you follow the submission guidelines for the publishing house, and do not send more than they ask for.

Happy Writing

If you have any questions, email me at deatri@deewrites.com

Copyright 2005 Deatri King- Bey
Distributing and copying are prohibited without the express permission of the author.

WORKSHOP - Character Development Part One

Character Cake
By Deatri King-Bey

Creating in depth three-dimensional characters draws readers into your novel. This article sifts through the main ingredients in character development. To help us out, I searched through my trusty dusty cookbook and pulled out my favorite cake recipe. Break out your aprons, and let’s make a main character.

Character Cake
2 cups all purpose Identification flour
1½ cups Sociology sugar
½ cup Physiology shortening
1 cup Psychology milk
3½ teaspoons Motivation baking powder
1 teaspoon Stubbornness salt
1 teaspoon Contradiction vanilla
3 Change eggs

Pre-heat oven to 350° Conflict. Slowly beat all ingredients until well blended. Pour batter into greased and floured Manuscript. Bake until desired Character Growth is reached.

2 cups all purpose Identification flour
Make your character someone the reader can relate with. The easiest way to establish this identification is through emotions. For example, we’ve all been scared at one point in time. Fear is an emotion we can all relate with.

Use emotion to draw your readers in. You want your reader to feel what they are reading is actually happening to them or someone they know. Or many readers long to escape reality and live life through the characters, and our fictional characters are allowed to take chances readers would like to take in real life. With all of that said, stay within reason when your characters take risks.

Determine what the emotional needs of your target audience are, then strive to create three-dimensional characters that fulfill those needs. The remainder of this article steps through the dimensions and gives insight on adding depth.

1½ cups Sociology sugar (First Dimension)
Our environment factors heavily into the attitudes we’ve developed. The same goes for your fictional characters. What type of home did your character grow up in: financially stable, poor, a two parent home, a single parent home, a foster home, no home, a loving environment, an abusive environment, a drug infested environment, a racist environment, a big city, a small town, an only child, no siblings, many siblings… Did he/she go to college? What happened to him/her after they left their childhood home? Is he/she presently married, divorced, widowed, working, homeless, wealthy, in debt…You get the picture. What is your character’s background, and how does it affect them today? How does your character act and react to other characters in the novel and why?

½ cup Physiology shortening (Second Dimension)
Physiology is more than the character’s physical appearance. It also deals with the character’s general health. For example, is your main character a diabetic who has a special diet? Is your main character blind, hard of hearing, infertile, lame, malformed, healthy, or just plain short?

Mannerisms also fall into the physiology category. Does your character have a habit of biting on her lip when nervous? Does he smooth down his mustache? Does your character speak a mile a minute when anxious? Is your character clumsy?

Let’s try accents. Does your character have a southern drawl, a Texas twang, an Irish lilt? Is his/her voice nasal, raspy, husky, clear, soft, loud, obnoxious…

1 cup Psychology milk (Third Dimension)
Sociology and physiology play a large role in developing your character’s psychology. What is your character’s self-image? Someone who is confident acts differently than someone who is insecure. Someone who believes they are beautiful acts differently than someone who believes they are ugly. Someone ostracized by society acts differently than someone coddled by society. What are your character’s attitudes, ambitions, and frustrations? How does he/she react to others? How does your character perceive his/her treatment by others? Internal thoughts are an excellent way to reveal your character’s psychology. What is the main internal struggle this character must overcome or be overcome by?

3½ teaspoons Motivation baking powder
This is the big W-H-Y. Know what motivates your characters to take one action as opposed to another action: is it self-preservation, fulfilling a desire… This knowledge should be carried into your writing for your main character. Your reader needs to know why your honest cop decided to take that bribe, why someone who is scared of relationships is pursuing a relationship, why loving parents have cut their children out of their lives…

1 teaspoon Stubbornness salt
The protagonist, main character, may compromise here and there, but who they are does not change. This concept will become clearer after you’ve read the next two sections.

1 teaspoon Contradiction vanilla
Let’s say you’ve created a heroine who is extremely shy. Some categorize her as being afraid of her own shadow. When she’s at home alone, she imagines herself singing concerts and performing in front of large groups of people. One day she musters up her courage and joins the church choir. Joining this choir is contradictory to her personality, but her desire to sing and be heard outweighs her fear.

Visions of grandeur over, she stands in the back corner of the choir and barely opens her mouth. Our heroine, Darla, is still the shy woman she was before she joined the choir.

During the choir’s anniversary concert, the soloist, Darla’s best friend, starts choking up during her song. Her father had just passed away, and this was his favorite song. She turns to the heroine with pleading in her eyes. She knows Darla has an angelic singing voice because as children they’d sing together.

Seeing her friend in trouble, Darla steps forward. Instead of focusing on the nausea her fear is causing, she focuses on the beauty of every note. She closes her eyes and sings. The choir joins in, and soon the heroine is taken over by the music and is singing from her heart.

In your novel, make sure you show the motivations behind your character’s contradictory actions. We all do things that seem contradictory to our nature and the outside world. The reader needs to understand the why or in this case how an extremely shy individual could stand in front of a large crowd and sing a solo.

3 Change eggs
Just as humans change, so must your main character. Okay, I haven’t lost my mind. I know two sections ago I said your main character shouldn’t change. Let’s look at our shy heroine again. She changed from someone who would only sing in the privacy of her own home, to a participant in the choir, to a soloist. Over time our heroine loses her fear of singing in front of an audience—thus changes. But her shyness keeps her from introducing herself to the new tenor in the choir. She’s caught him watching her a few times when she was sneaking glances at him. After rehearsals she rushes off, afraid he will approach.

Pre-heat oven to 350° Conflict
Conflict springs from internal sources, such as our heroine longing to perform but being too shy to sing for others; and external sources, such as the heroine’s best friend pleading for help and the new tenor the heroine is interested in. Conflict does more than spice up your story. Through your characters’ reactions to conflict, they reveal themselves and move the story forward. Insure you give your main characters internal and external conflict (issues) to work through during the course of the novel.

Pour batter into greased and floured Manuscript
Your protagonist needs someone to be in conflict with. Often time the best candidate is someone with the opposite makeup. These two characters must somehow be tied together so the protagonist can’t just walk away.

Let’s pick on our shy heroine again. Darla knows the new tenor is interested in her. She’s interested in him but afraid to pursue because of her shyness and her heart was broken in a past relationship.

She would quit the choir and move to a different church, but she grew up in her present church and is as comfortable as someone with her shyness can be. Singing in this particular choir is her one freedom from the shyness, and she can’t give it up. She’ll just have to figure out a way to avoid the new tenor. Let’s call him Anthony. He is what some would call a people person.

One day Anthony leaves choir rehearsal five minutes early. Darla is delighted she won’t have to rush out. After rehearsal, she gathers her items and walks out. Standing just outside of the door is Anthony. Needless to say, she is shocked to see him. He introduces himself and walks her to her car.

Now you can see where this story will lead. She is shy, and he is outgoing. She avoids, and he goes head on. The unbreakable bond is her fear of losing her newfound freedom.

Bake until desired Character Growth is reached
Throwing our characters into conflict offers opportunities to show character growth. This is the last time I’ll pick on Darla, I promise. Through internal and external conflict, we saw her grow from someone basically afraid of her own shadow into a soloist for a choir. What if she hadn’t stepped forward for her friend, could we still have shown growth? Yes. We could have shown her at home battling feelings of guilt. She could have decided her shyness had become too crippling and to seek help. Must your characters have positive growth? No. What if eventually Darla became an agoraphobic? What if Anthony was a psychiatrist?

I’ll allow you to finish the story about our shy heroine. What conflicts do you see Darla and Anthony getting into? How will she reveal herself and grow from these experiences? How will the story end?

Wrap up

Excellent books that cover Character Development
The Art of Creative Writing by Lajos Egri
The Writer’s Journey 2nd Edition Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler

Here is a list of a few emotions you can use for identification:
Abandonment, Anger, Anxiety, Apathy, Betrayal, Concern, Confusion, Contentment, Curiosity, Defeat, Desire, Despair, Excitement, Fear, Fondness, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Grief, Guilt, Happiness, Hate, Hope, Hostility, Irritation, Jealousy, Loneliness, Longing, Love, Passion, Panic, Rejection, Resignation, Restlessness, Revenge, Sadness, Shame, Surprise, Suspicion, Sympathy, Tenderness, Tormented, Worry

If you have any questions, you can always reach me at deatri@deewrites.com
It’s been fun. Now go bake some Character Cake.

Copyright ©2005 Deatri King-Bey All Rights Reserved
Distributing and copying are prohibited without the express permission of the author.

WORKSHOP: Character Development Part Two

Creating 4-D Characters
by
Barbara Scott

Writing a character who leaps off the page depends on the author’s ability to create that character in more than one dimension. In fact, even 3-D may not be enough to make a character as close to human as possible. Human beings actually exist in four dimensions: physical, intellectual. emotional and social. Completing these 4-D exercises and charts can help you give depth and substance to the characters you create.

The Four Dimensions:
1. The Physical Dimension includes height, weight, hair color and style, eye color, racial or ethnic background, other facial and body characteristics, clothing, and possessions i.e. car, furniture/decor, jewelry, mementos.
2. The Intellectual Dimension includes knowledge and logic including thoughts, wishes, dreams, problem-solving abilities and style. Can be shown in the character’s choice of occupation, style of speech, internal dialogue, how he/she approaches a task, handles an event, or argues a point.
3. The Emotional Dimension includes all the characters feelings and attitudes, the way the character identifies and copes with emotions, responds to conflict, hardships, or triumphs.
4. The Social Dimension consists of how the character interacts with others, not just words but gestures, facial expressions, body language, where the character stands and how he/she moves through the social milieu.

Establishing a Character’s Dimensions:
Exercise 1: Think about the character your wish to create. Put yourself in his or her brain. Then complete each introductory statement with a series of single descriptive words or very short phrases. Jot down your first thoughts on the first chart.
Exercise 2: Review the statements you completed. Fill out the second chart by placing a check in one of the 2 left columns next to the number of the statement. Then decide which of the four dimensions you think describes the statement. A statement may belong with more than one dimension.
Using the Exercises: The first 2 columns can help you determine character attitude toward the self and how the word might perceive him/her. (Even a villain should have some positive points.) The Four Dimensions columns can help you create a balanced 4-D character. If you discover at the end of the exercise that one or more dimensions are underrepresented, you can work on changes to add emphasis to that dimension.


Creating 4-D Characters
Chart 1
Complete the “I” statements with a word or short phrase that your character would use to decribe him/herself. Example: I am loyal.




I am

1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________
4. _____________________
5. _____________________
6. _____________________

I have

7. _____________________
8. _____________________
9. _____________________
10. _____________________
11. _____________________
12. _____________________

I can

13. _____________________
14. _____________________
15. _____________________
16. _____________________
17. _____________________
18. _____________________

I want

19. _____________________
20. _____________________
21. _____________________
22. _____________________
23. _____________________
24. _____________________

I should

25. _____________________
26. _____________________
27. _____________________
28. _____________________
29. _____________________
30. _____________________

I will

31. _____________________
32. _____________________
33. _____________________
34. _____________________
35. _____________________
36. _____________________


Creating 4-D Characters
Chart 2

For each statement on chart 1, place a check in one of the 2 left columns. Then check the dimension or dimensions the statement reveals about your character.

EMOTIONAL

SOCIAL

I AM

I CAN

EMOTIONAL

SOCIAL

SOCIAL

SOCIAL

EMOTIONAL

EMOTIONAL

I HAVE

I WANT

EMOTIONAL

SOCIAL

EMOTIONAL

I WILL

SOCIAL

I SHOULD

New Writers - Meet The Authors

Did you enjoy today's panel? Do you have more questions for the guests on the panels. This is the place to do it.

Don't forget your registration number when you post a comment or question.

Cindi Appel – Romance Author

A.C. Artist – Romance Author

Ann Clay lives in Southern Illinois with her family. She enjoys reading, writing, crafts, and family time. She began writing in 1999. MORE THAN A BARGAIN is her debut novel, released in October 2004. Ann has published several short stories with various on-line magazines, and is a member of Romance Writers of America and Missouri Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Her new title DESTINED is schedule for release in 2007. Thanks to the support of family and friends, Ann shares her heart-warming stories with readers of the heart.

Lyn Cote – Inspirational Romance Author

Barbara Custer – Romance Author

Yolonda J. Greggs – Romance Author

LaShaunda C. Hoffman – Editor/Publisher Shades Of Romance Magazine

Wayne Jordan – Romance Author

Deatra King Bey – Editor and Writer

Kathryn Lay has had over 1000 articles, stories and essays published for children and adults in magazines and anthologies. Her first children's novel, CROWN ME! was published in 2004. She teaches online writing classes at www.coffeehouseforwriters.com. Check out her website at www.kathrynlay.com to learn about her writing book, THE ORGANIZED WRITER IS A SELLING WRITER.

Michelle Monkou – Romance Author

Leah Mullen has a BA in Print Journalism from The Pennsylvania State University (1992). She´s also a graduate of Queen Afua´s Sacred Woman Rites of Passage Program (1999). Since 1995, Leah has written well over a hundred articles, profiles, essays, short stories and reviews for more than twenty publications. Her first book, Again and Again, was released in January 2005. Currently, Leah is working on several contemporary African American romance novels. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and their two children.

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Sabra Robinson is an aspiring writer of children's literature and non fiction and presently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina with her family. She received her bachelor's degree in Sociology from Morgan State University in 1993 and currently works in corporate America. She enjoys working for the Junior Achievement Organization for the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and working with children at her church. She anticipates writing for all age groups.

Lindsay Murdock – The editor of Murdock Editing (www.murdockediting.com), a
personal editing and consulting company, Lindsay Murdock assists and guides
new authors through the process of publication. She creates a supportive but
honest environment, allowing authors to improve their understanding of their
readers, the publishing industry, and their own writing strengths.

Born in PA, Lindsay has a BA in English Literature, a BS in Journalism,
and extensive professional experience in journalism, publishing, and
freelance editing. She currently lives and works from her home in NJ. She is also
the editor of Writers Advance, a monthly newsletter for authors working
toward publication (www.writersadvance.com).

Barbara Scott – Young Adult Author

Eleanor S. Shields - Founder of Black Butterfly Review Group. Ms. Shields is a writer who loves the written word. As a young child, she would sit for hours writing poetry. As a college student, she was encouraged by her English professor to have her works published. Ms. Shields has been writing ever since and is a literary reviewer for Shades of Romance Magazine (SORMAG) and Literary Essence. Currently Ms. Shields is working on several writing projects in addition to being the mother of two wonderful children and wife to the love of her life.

Dr. Maxine Thompson is a novelist, short story writer, poet, and columnist.
She is the owner of Black Butterfly Press, Thompson Literary Agency and Thompson Literary Services.

Her websites are www.maxinethompson.com and http://www.maxineshow.com

NOT REGISTERED

For those who haven’t registered, you’re welcome to stay and view the blog; however I ask that you not post any questions. Comments are fine however questions are for registered guests.

The reason I ask this is because if you went to a live conference you couldn’t attend without registering. Please offer us the same courtesy. We have almost two hundred people registered. If they all ask questions that will keep our panel members busy. Having questions from those who aren’t registered, isn’t fair to them.

We want to respect their time so please do not post questions if you’re not registered.

WELCOME - ONLINE CONFERENCE

Welcome to SORMAG’s Online Conference.

If this is your first time attending, you’re in for a treat. I try to make the conferences fun. My name is LaShaunda and I’ll be your host for this week.

I’ve set the conference up like a live conference. Think of each topic as a room. The comments are the audience. Each day there will be different topics. The topics from the previous day will be removed. At the end of the conference all the topics will be up, if you missed a day.

#1 Question: What time is the conference? The conference is 24/7 which means you can stop by anytime and participate.

#2 Question: Where is the conference? The conference is below this post. I also put links to each topic on the left hand side of the blog. Its under the Online Conference Header. You can click on the links and go right to the room.

#3 Question: What's my registration number? Look under the registration number links to find your number

Remember your registration # when you post your questions or they won’t be answered.

To participate, click on the comments link at the end of the posts and leave your comments.

I’m hoping to be a participant like yourself, however if you do find yourself having a problem or a question please contact me at sormag@yahoo.com

PANEL: Christian Anthologies

WELCOME TO THE CHRISTIAN ANTHOLOGY ROOM

OUR PANEL TODAY IS:

Dena Dyer, Mary Griffith, Sabra Robinson, Jacquelin Thomas, Robin Bayne

What makes a good anthology?

How does one become part of anthology?

How to start anthologies?

Do you want to know the answer to these questions and others. This is the place to find out.

Please read the previous comments before you post, so we don’t have duplicate questions.

Please address your question to a panel member or all panel members.

Click on the comments link to post a question. Don’t forget your registration #

DISCUSSION ROOM ONE

WELCOME TO DISCUSSION ROOM ONE

TODAY’S DISCUSSION IS:

How do we get our faith-based books to the big screen?

Let's talk about turning our books into screen plays and how to turn them into movies.

Click on the comments link to post a comment. Don’t forget your registration #