Open Mic (Poetry)

December 9, 2008 by admin · 19 Comments 

For those who enjoyed the Meet & Greet, Midnight Mingle, and the Pajama Jam, we have another treat for you in the Cafe’ & Lounge, OPEN MIC, just for the poets.  We’re opening the stage for anyone who wants to join in Open Mic today (Wednesday). 

All we ask is that you only post one poem and don’t make it extremely long.

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), General Forum, The Cafe' & Lounge
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Panel – Books, Book Clubs & Book Reviews

December 9, 2008 by admin · 51 Comments 

Welcome to the panel on Books, Book Clubs & Book Reviews, with panelists: aNN Brown/RAWSISTAZ, Renee Williams/All the Buzz, Dee Dee Dalton/Sexy Ebony BBWS, J’me Adams/Passion for Reading, Eraina Tinnin/Piedmont Triad RAWSISTAZ & Monique Bruner/Real Page Turners.

Ladies, please take a moment to introduce yourselves and tell us why you read.  Then we’ll follow-up with book reviews, book clubs, and how both can be major assets to getting the word out about books.

If you have questions, post them to the comments section.

Filed under: Book Clubs, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Workshop – Blogging for Fun

December 9, 2008 by admin · 46 Comments 

Blogging – For Fun and For Your Readers
by Shelia M. Goss

RAWSISTAZ congratulations on another great year. 

Today I’ll be talking about the wonderful world of BLOGGING.

What is a blog? A blog is the equivalent to an online diary. You can use it to post personal information or useful information (such as this workshop). It can also be used to interact with other bloggers and if you’re an author, your readers.

Why would I want to blog? Blogging is what you make of it. It’s a way to introduce your readers to a side of you that they can not see from reading a bio on your website or on the back of your book cover. It also gives your reading audience a chance to leave you real-time comments and interact with not only you but also other readers of your books.

How often should I blog? Don’t look at blogging as a dreaded task placed on your “to do” list. Blogging should be fun and if you become an active blogger, you’ll look forward to posting as well as interacting with others.  How often you post is up to you. You can post daily, every other day, weekly or whenever the whim hits. You’ll find the more responses you get on your blog posts, the more you’ll be inclined to post on somewhat of a schedule.

After awhile your blog will run itself. If you use WordPress, you can post date your blog entries so it’s not time consuming as some might think.

Is there Blog etiquette?  If you’ll be away for an extended period of time, just write a quick post alerting readers you will be away, so your regular visitors won’t think you forgot about them.

There are times that you may get some unwanted posts (yes, spammers have infiltrated the blog world), so don’t hesitate to either delete those posts or set up your blog where it catches spammers. Wordpress is good about catching spammers now. Blogger and others have it where posters have to enter the CAPTCA code in order to post.

 Should my blog have a theme?  Not necessary, but it makes it fun. I have two blogs. Each blog has a central theme. For example:

·         http://www.sheliagoss.com/blog is a place to discuss relationships, books, or whatever else is going on in the world. 

·         http://www.espot.wordpress.com showcases my entertainment interviews with various music artists as well as other authors. I also post reviews and/or information about books, music, TV and film.

How do I come up with topics? Keep your eyes and ears open. Life is filled with ideas. Some of my topics stem from what’s going on in the news or from conversations I’ve had or observed.  Since the central theme on my Shelia Goss Blog is about relationships, it’s hard to run out of things to discuss.  Take a chance and see what works for you. Blogging shouldn’t be difficult. It should be fun. If it’s draining, maybe you need to step away from it for a while or come up with another topic.  There may be some days you only feel like rambling and that’s okay too.

Examples of other blogs:
·         http://www.readersrooms.com
·         http://firstborngirl.blogspot.com 
·         http://gwynethbolton.com/blog
·         http://www.tiawilliams.net/blog 
·         http://vanthonyrivers.blogspot.com

Now that I’ve decided to blog, how do I get started? There are many blog services available to you. Below is a short list of blog websites:
·         http://www.wordpress.com (My blogs are hosted here.)
·         http://www.bloggers.com (I used this for my old blogs.)
·         http://www.typepad.com
·         http://www.bloglines.com
·         http://www.myblogsky.com
·         http://www.blogstream.com

Remember keep blogging fun and your readers will enjoy visiting and if you’re an author, who knows, you might just get a book sale or two from it too. In the end, the best part about blogging is you meet new people and some may even become your friends.

Stop by my blog:  www.sheliagoss.com/blog and leave a comment with your blog link.

Also stop by www.espot.wordpress.com and click on the Holiday Gift Guide and find out how to enter the December contest (adding contests to your blog is another way to build your audience…smile).

Shelia M. Goss’ journey into the literary world began several years ago. She’s received recognition in Writer’s Digest and The New York Times. Her books have been on bestsellers lists such as the Dallas Morning News, Essence Magazine, and Black Expressions Book Club.   My Invisible Husband, Roses are thorns (Violets are true), Paige’s Web, and Double Platinum are published under Kensington Books Urban Soul imprint. Be on the lookout for two new books in 2009 from Shelia – His Invisible Wife (July 2009) and her first teen book, The Ultimate Test (June 2009). For additional information, visit her website: www.sheliagoss.com.

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Workshop – Focus on the Story

December 9, 2008 by admin · 28 Comments 

The Focus on the Story Workshop is being presented by Dwight Fryer, author of The Knees of Gullah Islanda!  Be sure to VIEW THE HAND-OUTS and then pose your questions via the comments section. 

Dwight Fryer

Dwight Fryer

Focus On The Story

All of us have a story and our tales often call us to share in written form. Some literary professionals say a good book begins with the creative force that conceives the story, continues with the planning of how the tale unfolds, and is formed with its actual telling, Our greatest challenge is just how and where to begin. In Focus On The Story, speaker, business person and author Dwight Fryer shares how he was blessed to Conceive, Develop, Write and Sell his novel, The Legend of Quito Road, to a mainstream publisher without an agent.

In ten easy-to-follow lessons depicted in the accompanying slides, Fryer examines story / character development, synopsis and outline preparation, how to approach publishing industry professionals, and provides a suggested reading bibliography and writing conference listings for aspiring writers.

Ten Lessons
1. Add Structure
2. Write A Synopsis
3. Hire Some Assassins
4. Complete An Outline
5. Plot The Tale
6. Visualize The Book
7. Add Flesh To The Bones
8. Commit To The Task
9. Writers Write
10. What’s Next

Focus On The Story is part writing, storytelling and the business of publishing, but all motivation. Dwight Fryer shares his methods for overcoming adversity—he survived cancer, persevered through a corporate downsizing when the price of oil dropped to $10 per barrel, suffered through chemotherapy and the death of his youngest child during the telling, writing and marketing of The Legend of Quito Road. He also shares what it means to be tri-vocational along with anecdotes from his life and the development of his first two novels, including the March 2008 release, The Knees of Gullah Island.

The information shared will help persons at all levels view writing as an art form, a discipline and a business while examining its therapeutic values. The session helps prepare all age levels for creative writing in multiple genres. Is this going to be the year you commit to the literary project you have spoken about for years? Writers write and you, with development and hard work, can become a writer. Experience the lessons and rich stories Dwight Fryer shares in “It Can Happen” and tell your story today! Fryer has taught this workshop at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Southwest Tennessee Community College, the University of Memphis and the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library in Memphis, Tennessee.

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Workshop – Fast Books

December 9, 2008 by admin · 30 Comments 

Victor McGlothin

Victor McGlothin

Victor McGlothin will be stopping through to present a workshop on Fast Books.

He will explain how he writes 95,000 word manuscripts in 3 months by manipulating a simple outline. It is easier than most aspiring writers realize.

CLICK HERE for the worksheet to accompany the workshop.

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Panel – Depicting the Black Family in Literature

December 9, 2008 by admin · 31 Comments 

Welcome to the panel on Depicting the Black Family in Literature.  Our panelists are Angela Winters, Swaggie Coleman, Evelyn Palfrey, Carleen Brice, & Toschia.  We’d like to first ask them to stop through and introduce themselves and then tell us which element of family and/or relationships their books display.  For example, we have mother-daughter books, stories revolving around marriage, etc.

Feel free to post your questions in the comments section!

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Event Info & News, Panels & Workshops
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Panel – Guiding Young Readers Through The Literary Jungle

December 9, 2008 by admin · 20 Comments 

Thanks for joining our panel on Guiding Young Readers Through The Literary Jungle

Paula Chase, Varian Johnson, Kelly Starling-Lyons, Carla Sarratt and Don Tate, are founders of The Brown Bookshelf and represent YA (both commercial and literary), middle grade and picture books.  They are a group dedicated to increasing awareness to African American authors writing for children, discuss the best ways to get young readers excited about books and nurture them into adult readers.

Hot spots for the panel:
- Teaching that it’s never too early for library field trips (will include discussion of current PBs out there, old favorites and authors/illustrators dedicated to the field)
- Guiding the elementary school reader; chapter books and MG (discussion of MGs out there, old favorites, introducing series to readers to instill continuity and familiarity to regular characters)
- Overcoming the required reading slump (middle school through high school period, how to support reading as enjoyment and not school work, discussion of the growing field of YA and the choices out there)
- Using books as discussion ice breakers (middle school – high school, parents knowing what they’re kids are reading, asking about the themes, using it to take the temperature of their kids and their views of the world)
- Supporting literary balance (from PBs that are silly to those that educate importance of presenting a variety of books to readers from PBs to YA; discussion of pros and cons of influx of YA street lit)

Filed under: Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), Panels & Workshops
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Spotlight – Poetry & Non-Fiction

December 9, 2008 by admin · 15 Comments 

Today’s spotlight is on Poetry & Non-Fiction and our spotlight authors are: RJ Poet, a. Kai, Ms. T, & Vanessa Johnson.  Please share a bit about yourself and why you’ve chosen to write in your chosen genre.  We’d also like to request each of you share a sampling of your work.

Filed under: Author Spotlights, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY)
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Discussion – A Different Kind of Blues

December 9, 2008 by admin · 4 Comments 

RAWSISTAZ read A Different Kind of Blues by Gwynne Forster for our November Book of the Month.  Join us as we discuss it during the conference.  If you haven’t had the opportunity to read it, feel free to ask the author questions about her writing process for the book.

Book Synopsis

At thirty-six, Petra Fields gets a shock that causes her to take a look at her life, and she’s not proud of what she sees. Her past is a catalog of secrets and lies that she’s never had the courage to own up to, and Petra knows she won’t find peace of mind until she’s made amends. But the task is far more difficult than she expected.

The first and hardest step is admitting to Krista, her teenage daughter, that the father Krista believed was dead is very much alive—a revelation that will change their relationship forever. Then there’s the neighbor whose husband Petra had an affair with, the former coworker that she got fired, and a list of other acquaintances who are understandably angry at her sudden desire for forgiveness. Far from setting her free, the truth seems to bring more complications and heartache, but also opens up her life in surprising ways. And when Petra is granted a new chance at love, she’ll face the biggest challenge of all—finding the courage to seize her own happiness and start over for real…

Filed under: Book Clubs, Book Discussions, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY)
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DISC: If You like (White Author), You Might like (Black Author)

December 9, 2008 by admin · 13 Comments 

For all those looking to enhance your reading, we’re discussing crossing over and reading books that transcend race.  So, this topic came about during the Tuesday night Pajama Jam.  Let’s give some examples of black books white readers can read in their preferred genres.

Filed under: Book Discussions, Day 3 (WEDNESDAY), General Forum
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