A writer must grab the reader’s attention and keep it from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph, page to page and chapter to chapter. And if that reader is an editor, hooking them from beginning to end is critical. Terri reviews the elements and importance of the first page and the first chapter and how effective hooks can be used in strengthening the pacing and structure throughout your book to the last word.

.

We are looking forward to getting together for our next meeting on Saturday, February 3, 2012. At that time, we will be having a group critique. If you are a member of VFRW and you’d like to participate, upload the first 5 pages of your work to our chat loop by January 21st. Submissions will be critiqued ahead of time by fellow VFRW members and reviewed at the meeting. This is a perfect opportunity to get your first pages in top shape and ready for contest and query submissions!

Remember that February is the month to renew our VFRW memberships. Bring cash or check to the meeting. $45 for new members, $40 to renew for existing members. Print out a membership application via our website (find it in the Membership section within About VFRW).

In December, we got together for a Holiday Party. It was so nice to celebrate this festive time of year with our VFRW sisters.

Cheers for a terrific 2011, and we look forward to the opportunities that the new year brings!

.

In November, we discussed attracting readers through social media with our very own Lynn Kellan. Blogging, Twitter, and Facebook can build your audience long before your first novel hits the shelves. Social media gives published authors a way to stay engaged with their readers and attract new fans between book releases. Lynn gave  us a brief overview of each platform and demonstrated how social media can showcase someone really special: YOU!

.

If you’ve been writing for more than ten minutes, you’ve probably thought about quitting. But for every reason to quit, there are more reasons to keep going. Learn to turn your inner critic into your inner cheerleader. Lisa Stone Hardt will lead us in a upbeat, interactive exchange of ideas about how to stay positive in an industry that’s famous for pessimism and bad news. We’ll look at some of the most common reasons writers quit: intimidation and self-doubt, boredom, and financial burden. Why do these issues affect us the way they do, and how can we fight back?

Lisa Stone Hardt began her career at Dell Publishing, where she learned the editorial craft from several of the best mass-market editors in the business. With the founding of LSH Editorial Services in September, 2010, Lisa has followed her heart back to the editorial desk, where she once again helps established and aspiring authors find the sparkle in their work. Lisa specializes in romance, fantasy, women’s fiction and YA, and will consider non-fiction projects on a case-by-case basis. Learn more about Lisa at LSHEditorialServices.com.

.

Join us for our next meeting on September 10, 2011. We will be having our Annual Book Chat.  This year, we are discussing Butterfly Swords by debut author Jeannie Lin. Also, Cara Marsi (our PAN Liaison) has a special announcement that will be of interest to our members.

.

On August 6, 2011, our very own Cara Marsi answered the question, “Should You Self Publish?” Cari has published books in print via a traditional publisher and she also has self-published in ebook format, so she has the unique experience of selling books in both worlds. Self publishing is definitely a hot topic, and we loved hearing Cari’s perspective. Not only is Cara an active member of VFRW, she is also our chapter’s Pan Liaison.

If you missed the August meeting and you’d like to take a peek at Cara’s presentation, download the file that she uploaded on our chat loop.

.

.

Would you like to see the results of the 2011 Sheila Contest?  Click HERE.

.

During our meeting on  June 4, 2011, Grace Burrowes and Robin Kaye talked to us about The Conflict Sanity Check.  Even though a manuscript might have fascinating characters and good conflict, it can still fall flat if the conflict isn’t believably resolved by the main characters. Grace and Robin helped us navigate the land mines that can botch the conflict in your story, and we discussed good ways to ramp up the conflict in the beginning, middle, and end of our manuscripts.

.

Kim McDougall talked to us about Book Video Previews Do’s and Don’ts. A book video preview is a short movie that promotes a book, and it is one of the cutting edge tools that authors can use to reach out to their audience. A book video preview can be posted on websites, blogs and sites like YouTube. Kim walked us through what it takes to create great trailers and evaluate existing trailers with a critical eye.

.

Historical: Final Round Judge – Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s Press

1st Place: Secrets of a Wedding Night – Valerie Bowman
2nd Place: Saving Callie – Cindy Nord
3rd Place: A Whisper to the Wild – Eileen Emerson *
4th Place: Rebel’s Invasion – Lisa Chaplin
5th Place: Starling – Virginia Taylor

Women’s Fiction: Final Round Judge – Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing

1st Place: The Sweet Spot – Laura Drake
2nd Place: Chasing Rainbows – Kathleen Long ++
3rd Place: How to Say No and Mean It -Abby Gaines
4th Place: Reconstructing Eve – Lisa Helleren
5th Place: The Sweet Road Home – Jacqueline Harris *

Paranormal: Final Round Judge – Leah Hultenschmidt, Sourcebooks

1st Place: The Devil of Whitechapel – Rebecca Skrabl++
2nd Place: In the Service of Shadows – Lisa Ruff *
3rd Place: Graveyard of the Immortals – Janet Gover
4th Place: Kindred of the Fallen – Isis Rushdan
5the Place: Demon’s Advocate – Jill McCullough

Romantic Suspense: Final Round Judge – Leis Pederson, The Berkley Publishing Group

1st Place: Locked, Loaded and Lying – Sarah Andre
2nd Place: The Lies that Bind – Susanna Rogers
3rd Place: Bride by Chocolate – Alexis Montgomery
4th Place: Twisted Justice – Jerrie Alexander
5th Place: Hook Line and Sink Her – Leslie Anne Lighton *

Single Title/Contemporary: Final Round Judge – Emilia Pisani, Gallery Books, Simon and Schuster

1st Place: Harmony Island – Dawn Temple
2nd Place: In Deep – Meredith Clark
3rd Place: Windburn – Sarah Andre
4th Place: Second Chances – Dana Beth Weinberg
5th Place: Blackjack and Moonlight – Magdalen Braden
6th Place: Nine Dates – Shanyn G. Hosier

++ Indicates request for full manuscript
* Indicates VFRW member

While we looked back in history, we couldn’t resist undressing the men of medieval and victorian eras. It was a lot of fun to talk about the undergarments men used to “enhance” their appearance. Did you know that some men used to wear padding along their calf muscles in order to make their legs look more manly?

Want to know what we’ll be chatting about next?  Check out our upcoming meetings.

We will be conducting a critique session, so polish up those submissions and upload them to the chat loop ASAP!

FBI Agent Mike Banter will be speaking to us about All you ever wanted to know about the FBI (but were afraid to learn first hand).

Enter online today!

Join us for our next meeting on  January 8, 2011.

Adele Dubois, VFRW’s new president, will answer the question:  What can VFRW do for you?