tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67411983924192480832024-03-12T23:02:42.283-04:00SC Writers ACFWThe South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction WritersEdie Melsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03902312441667526147noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-43083204987369003622021-11-16T16:07:00.000-05:002021-11-16T16:07:57.258-05:00ACFW-SC Chapter Combines with ACFW UpstateSC Chapter<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzrDwZAGLPs/YZQPdPXLKCI/AAAAAAAADQA/4nl6Y7F8Q2Mu2hfknfVVn-cVrzzKLuKsACLcBGAsYHQ/s566/4c46d3b25ce82499d7fff0c7ec8628fa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzrDwZAGLPs/YZQPdPXLKCI/AAAAAAAADQA/4nl6Y7F8Q2Mu2hfknfVVn-cVrzzKLuKsACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/4c46d3b25ce82499d7fff0c7ec8628fa.jpg" width="241" /></a><b>Even a good book has to end, but at least you've lived and enjoyed the story! So ONWARD we go.</b></div><br />November, 2021<p></p><p>To Our Dear Writer Friends,</p><p>From: Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter</p><p>This is to announce the closing of the ACFW-SC Chapter going strong since 2014. But it is also a combining opportunity with the nearby new Greenville/Greer chapter, <b>ACFW UpstateSC Chapter,</b> founded by Tammy Karasek. You can contact the chapter for more info at <a href="http://upstatesc@acfwchapter.com.">upstatesc@acfwchapter.com.</a> <b> </b>Also, please read the below letter from Tammy to all our chapter members and friends:</p><p>I personally want to thank all of you who have supported ACFW-SC Chapter since 2014! It's been a lot of fun, learning, and networking. When I helped found this chapter way back in 2014 I had NO NOVELS published. Today, we have five novels published and are working on the sixth. God has been so good, and I give Him praise, but I also thank all of you who helped with critiques, encouragement, and friendship. I do hope you will support the new chapter still in the upstate area. Some of you have similar testimonies of writing success! </p><p><b><u>Here's Tammy's letter to you:</u></b></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-small;">Greetings ACFW Anderson!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">First, on behalf of our chapter, I'd like to thank you all for your very generous gift to our treasury. As a brand new chapter, it will come in handy for those start up fees that add up! Thank you, thank you. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Second, we know you have chosen to close the chapter. We'd love to extend a heartfelt invitation to come and try out our chapter. We are your next closest ACFW chapter, and while we may not be close to your home, we are still in the upstate area. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Here are our meeting details:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We meet the <b>second Saturday of every month with no breaks</b>. Our doors open at <u>9:30 for registration and fellowship. Our meeting begins at 10:00 am and we are done before 1 pm.</u></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We are close to Woodruff Rd. for those of you who love to eat together after a meeting! We do too! We have gone to Culver's and Your Pie (a great pizza place) and both can hold a group of rowdy writers!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Meeting Location:</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Cross Roads Baptist Church</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">705 Anderson Ridge Road</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Greer, SC 29601</span></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">We do critiques every month and as of November, we are trying a new system! We are having pieces submitted the week before, then divided into groups and sent out so everyone has the opportunity to read through the submission and make their suggestions without hurrying. We giving it a try for a few months to see how it works! Folks can still bring something to the meeting if they didn't submit the week before. Everyone will be critiqued. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Again, thank you for the gift and I hope to see many of you at one of our meetings in the future!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">In fact - I'd love to see you Saturday, December 11, at our next meeting! This will be a special meeting that will include critiques, potluck, and a book exchange game. We ask each attendee to bring a brunch dish.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Blessings to all of you and don't lay down those pens, dear writers!</span></span></p><div id="m_-8408791528143660985signature" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-small;">Tammy Karasek, 2021 President</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: xx-small;">ACFW UpstateSC</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif;"> ***</span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Friends, I hope you'll try the new UpstateSC chapter if you're really interested in growing stronger in your writing! Iron does sharpen iron! BTW, Cross Roads Baptist is where author Lynette Eason's husband pastors!</span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please do stay in touch, friends. You can always share your news or prayer requests with me at elvacmartin@gmail.com. </span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4njJIu0oaek/YZQae8q8POI/AAAAAAAADQI/szR-0yNuBUMpscQ1bTxZHkC6Aa9GC8TSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s587/513f9453993ce44bda7d0024eac3d8c3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4njJIu0oaek/YZQae8q8POI/AAAAAAAADQI/szR-0yNuBUMpscQ1bTxZHkC6Aa9GC8TSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/513f9453993ce44bda7d0024eac3d8c3.jpg" width="307" /></a></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div>Blessings and Onward we sail,</span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Elva Cobb Martin </span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">2021 president of ACFW-SC</span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com" style="font-family: verdana;">http://www.elvamartin.com</a></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">My historical romance novels 😍 <a href="https://amzn.to/3jdvHFu">https://amzn.to/3jdvHFu</a></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman", times, serif;"><br /></span></div></div>Elva Cobb Martin, South Carolinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09278744225513549876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-89132768899109346872020-10-21T12:09:00.008-04:002020-10-21T12:09:53.372-04:00Pirates of the West Indies - Guest blog by Bill Federer --Enjoy this history recap! --Elva Cobb Martin<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="" bgcolor="5E0069" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="background-color: #5e0069; margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170editor-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">American Minute with Bill Federer</span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 24px;">Pirates of the Caribbean, War of Jenkin's Ear, & The Ballad of the French Fleet</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778070000&usg=AFQjCNGPiUX135Sht0Z8JLmI3WSmWb-ypQ" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/KonhyRXuFAP3dVE98oniYvXcW6WnMJ5MtgEbd7gLbbi0Rx0uNNSjIHChfEmZE3ktwKqSYSfr9V5kICmwm5Zyu7Gddt2So45cYc3zdS7hNcCKaccXr-L2d5yvbdy5mEGdR-gjAeDX0kE=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/bdf9ce5c-00ce-461b-a24d-346ab6f1293d.jpg" style="display: block; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div>In 1655, <span style="font-weight: bold;">British Admiral William Penn, </span>the father of Pennsylvania's founder, <span style="font-weight: bold;">captured</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jamaica</span> from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spanish.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86Eqbia-b22O_1nWo3gx0yhRL7U-T-2RZwhTF2JiIrau6ZJgeGCKFQKv8LQNUE0H51wm0Zy4UVlLg8oBYUZqqx5N5gVwCpt8LMSYO6u8w232RFYzu7f_R0TS9bSO9TdYPPE-GYCI6tO9HbEpZnQNrexasrQY2aYi4yHWv4UaoB5y3H5KgkrhlxczlcXgbykefbx0pWjBpLDGh9j6u7c8OlLwmB98sysHdOICixwZmrzX5-eLA9AOtoVsnP6n87oLIhU7EuOYMB-nmGNuQuq3eXB0SVyg%3D%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778070000&usg=AFQjCNGWNWroQ_vJGz85T-KdpB3_mEzcMg" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86Eqbia-b22O_1nWo3gx0yhRL7U-T-2RZwhTF2JiIrau6ZJgeGCKFQKv8LQNUE0H51wm0Zy4UVlLg8oBYUZqqx5N5gVwCpt8LMSYO6u8w232RFYzu7f_R0TS9bSO9TdYPPE-GYCI6tO9HbEpZnQNrexasrQY2aYi4yHWv4UaoB5y3H5KgkrhlxczlcXgbykefbx0pWjBpLDGh9j6u7c8OlLwmB98sysHdOICixwZmrzX5-eLA9AOtoVsnP6n87oLIhU7EuOYMB-nmGNuQuq3eXB0SVyg=&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: red; 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border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778070000&usg=AFQjCNGPiUX135Sht0Z8JLmI3WSmWb-ypQ" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/PACaBq1k473HYkWlIJAwfRvHyCYaMiogT6bzG3k5KpfIrIyVwiYBC68d0NeftBCNtmZ-Kgy06IvG5xwL8fsIQQUoflwT_AE8bzDWFZu4i0Wgq_UkP83sn5gae7EzgkOqu6Tp4l11pZo=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/1ef5989f-4158-4230-8a04-356b918ababd.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>As <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jamaica</span> was too far from England be defended, inhabitants turned to privateers, freebooters, buccaneers and pirates for protection.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778070000&usg=AFQjCNGPiUX135Sht0Z8JLmI3WSmWb-ypQ" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hxHVsj0foK1T38frEvfGJ4Eg01mpqeQpieMBd6jcjm-HZMkMngIljv2lihlyvmozltQTpqPcRRBhziyzhcWsXrBwkOsW8UOIfziUJCuOHPUr029IdMWnn0PLj_dqblPiiEyTDgYOiVg=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/83244ce6-2094-4562-aec3-be07eafa65bb.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Port Royal, Jamaica,</span> became a haven for the likes of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Blackbeard, Calico Jack </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Henry Morgan.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778071000&usg=AFQjCNE7RcvUXV9R-axc2n2fKS_z32-Wwg" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/-fe9ykltschdDKfUALLw7EAnGCk9jUey-GRyL4rqATFz-YA8TNOvAnVDkuK6Lrvl7EKiMXzOoLE2u9UUOkBpDVQ0UAbLlRoYLqS359IkzenpHUJHigYTp9DowmVW0Q_j9SbMDbAMyyE=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/79f3af8b-4b20-43ec-b3a2-145d61be59f2.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>With <span style="font-weight: bold;">English, Portuguese, French </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Dutch</span> establishing bases in the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Caribbean,</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spain's power</span> was being challenged.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778071000&usg=AFQjCNE7RcvUXV9R-axc2n2fKS_z32-Wwg" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Fas2vXhAudJlctTRszFeE2kTPq1jR_uYKGNt6OmzaSsuWkwgQ4rJSTJzQwRNb37t0PD9nV0UiNaAzTbKtkdWRHXVKNJYPMq7RQ-Z3foqR_1NCuCrzH1J1-C3W_yVQhoS9y0KTXTd8u4=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/82c3241a-7f92-4786-ba52-a2242da75e2c.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spain's</span> most prosperous port in the New World was <span style="font-weight: bold;">Porto Bello, Panama.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778071000&usg=AFQjCNE7RcvUXV9R-axc2n2fKS_z32-Wwg" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZySoqYKfkbY0ZH08Rjsomz9_TpJLZPQ2D9pRag5wAhMxWqBC3Bxn38sVGtPV9bqbDk3pszbUE7rVGBh_rCFChrnafzihnuq7mHI0hDF3oNrCF3mPmCvbcWJc_4EPGtcNqJeRado0bWA=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/f20497db-7055-4afa-899e-a00ffa8cd2f8.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spanish ships</span> were loaded at<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Porto Bello</span> with <span style="font-weight: bold;">gold and silver from Peru, </span>and then they set sail for <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spain.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778072000&usg=AFQjCNHS4d4ITee-AlZTqCVE63PFnIqAlA" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ioxL7wxRPQ_CRsINmhkz769IruSvc9yTQ0H6GW9D3qvte7h0NRw27tJ621f-M_7i3dUOGhBpnncmrj-vhpjUiEdxlMENfF9J6alD3UFBecjEf7bQVAIXCjzY9-1j2rUvO64HtLyloYE=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/7157ab2f-6b54-4e54-b492-b7eac085752b.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div>In 1668, English privateer <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Henry Morgan </span>and some<span style="font-weight: bold;"> 500 buccaneers </span>attacked and <span style="font-weight: bold;">captured Porto Bello.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>They cruelly tortured the inhabitants to get them to surrender their treasures.</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778072000&usg=AFQjCNHS4d4ITee-AlZTqCVE63PFnIqAlA" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/s1aSpTBxa5Pbr1JZjL5sFyXV9Cjs3IXWZGc3fbT_eM_HRcezF1t-sGJpIT-CbPiT5hTXJeXadwYe692SLPHb2z3izJleoIdhHJ0fy8uShG7cv4Wf-5arB4fvXCm7b9qr9WxHmp-46cg=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/617c06db-695f-4f4e-9afc-82d8be11d5e7.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Morgan</span> demanded <span style="font-weight: bold;">100,000 pesos</span> of silver and gold from the Spanish to ransom the inhabitants of the fort and its town.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778072000&usg=AFQjCNHS4d4ITee-AlZTqCVE63PFnIqAlA" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/JhrfQ5NZ8yoNS2UiowPfYmmNKSe1cFE-r_iKmUaKIvwKis62AIYDld-6kQQJoDYch4xE9xlOQ4Lm3Akgiutq5LTFMQoCLlTfjWd65_ge41z7-6pxCbcfFsnyYVc1nC05adk6rJY7U48=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/000801d3-1d55-431c-91b1-2c2b60216d3b.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>The repercussions of this attack ended the tenuous cease-fire between <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spain and England, renewing open hostilities.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>In 1669, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Captain Henry Morgan</span> attacked and captured the Spanish port of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Maracaibo (Venezuela).</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div>Sailing into <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lake Maracaibo</span> in search of more treasure, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Morgan </span>was almost trapped.</div><div><br /></div><div>He sent forward a decoy ship filled with gunpowder, which exploded and destroyed a Spanish ship.</div><div><br /></div><div>He then faked a land attack, causing the Spanish fort to reposition its cannons landward, allowing him to quickly sail past to the sea.</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778073000&usg=AFQjCNHFRnh_Mm7Don-G2Wtwn93sue11sg" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Ifn1_A5NgXuP2ho6DxlxDYK4vLNfa9T8eBQF7K_Bs6uwb6XS_cOYe-_dKCRK43kNiKXn_z5rVQZlwBX5DSuTNjDCi_q72s3ZNqW7xBDDP4AJ5AC8eaANXFi__phOGdq0DvCNredWYNs=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/c27aac69-9f42-44ed-9ab8-f9c45c6a5517.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>In 1671, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Morgan</span> again sacked <span style="font-weight: bold;">Panama.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div>In 1731, a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Spanish commander </span>in the Caribbean detained an English ship.</div><div><br /></div><div>He cut off the ear of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">English Captain Robert Jenkins </span>and told him to take it to his King.</div><div><br /></div><div>This began the <span style="font-weight: bold;">War of Jenkins' Ear.</span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">British Admiral Edward Vernon</span> recruited 400 American colonists, including<span style="font-weight: bold;"> Lawrence Washington,</span> George Washington's older half-brother.</div><div><br /></div><div>They sailed to Panama and captured the port city of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Porto Bello.</span></div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">British Admiral Edward Vernon</span> also attacked <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cartagena, Columbia,</span> but was unable to capture it.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778075000&usg=AFQjCNEdSnbijlKsQVoUIRHS0kFz37z60w" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/jQUd7racs41laVMwRpAgKbaDIg3mcItpHSJvzftbI_eq9xJCvffgkvOO-qAtiHqxr1Xu0V6s2Rf_TKvQ7TDGR3x2sPw6VwsG-8pzwx4SeP0zw6tEJdmi7uoh1LTf0bbYwlmgkXu6rQA=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/a41d90e1-913d-455f-907c-ba3b24346d74.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lawrence Washington</span> returned to Virginia as a 25-year-old war hero.</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778075000&usg=AFQjCNEdSnbijlKsQVoUIRHS0kFz37z60w" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/m2vVuxY9oZX7qoPefwnyhTayDP97_4tEucuulWkGBIqvlwDSdcgp8XY86_YwhAplUWskwvV1mRDEDI3dXBQxqfv6c4WBtfLpehL3bhxex3WxTddE4hVDsFy9yvbpzqYQUE71kBEmP0s=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/3ca91d10-702e-4831-8693-dbb41a8e6ca1.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="355" /></a></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lawrence</span> served in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Virginia's assembly and militia,</span> and named his farm <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Mount Vernon"</span> in honor of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Admiral Edward Vernon.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170article m_3793278281902430170editor-col m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="margin: 0px;" valign="top" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; table-layout: fixed; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td align="left" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-text m_3793278281902430170article-text" style="color: #303030; display: block; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 10px 20px;" valign="top"><div><table align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_3793278281902430170editor-image m_3793278281902430170OneColumnMobile" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed;"><tbody><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="1" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="15"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="15" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170image-cell" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f%3D001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt%26c%3DVIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA%3D%3D%26ch%3DZ6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g%3D%3D&source=gmail&ust=1603371778075000&usg=AFQjCNEdSnbijlKsQVoUIRHS0kFz37z60w" href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001df9oKbrASTNW10EfL60IoeJBLTIQu2avMh3kv-zLoOGsdwy86EqbiXuK3UZMLkaY53ga9jcZj1tvA_a5PRY41HqzdTmSGTuVzYMxjmYzr6wyYNxRp785wVC1s9G0sKYPYTCx113DaZzs8SGN9YerANkTL6lyjBiUsvGQsZCOHO4mCyzjXeshQTyFPhSrZnbrb8ACx9cOeREGy3d8rEG4zbdjuWOQUUnt&c=VIvG6j4M95wlPeQxE7lmDl1VwW368mmeYmZjGbCme_zvWkomKVqnAA==&ch=Z6YkrlaDtxfUvUHYSH6gv9wWgy1IL1VERVqe6WajSoMeiadsYMLR7g==" style="color: #0199a0;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" hspace="0" src="https://ci5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/m6Ac5GzJhm7FGJz-pqfWIUWv5g732edCRU6hnRQ32aHBCsI0XXfTRh0fm5BmdKsVRFR9wBLH2rgtik4BFev_wz6AS9ja8sePBinPWY_K6ymaReFw45TKxwl4xcx8G4Tjj-cZ4Wac5W4=s0-d-e1-ft#http://files.constantcontact.com/766c6672201/022f4835-95c1-4553-9892-2d64d59eb4e1.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 1px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top" width="5"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="1" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="5" /></td><td align="center" class="m_3793278281902430170mobile-hidden" height="5" style="font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 5px; line-height: 1px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" class="CToWUd" height="5" hspace="0" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hGrq11JG9KecB2nG0ztsJdIJsShd70PcMwlY7vDILI7Fc7SBVfbbc4wG_OUVaE6DKHnxEZLrHYsrLGiKl23tFIyxiTHqbeDSTQkpSvG9=s0-d-e1-ft#https://imgssl.constantcontact.com/letters/images/sys/S.gif" style="display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" vspace="0" width="1" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>After <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lawrence</span> died, <span style="font-weight: bold;">George,</span> at age 20, inherited <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mount Vernon.</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p>Elva Cobb Martin, South Carolinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09278744225513549876noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-20625192868089630082020-06-30T15:57:00.003-04:002020-06-30T16:02:47.810-04:00ACFW-SC Chapter First Page Contest Winners<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRHBbH21s/XrCJV-zGbSI/AAAAAAAANhg/UTF_mOoca3UBV8ybsxevDTgFJB3ILPGjACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/one-page-contest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1000" height="408" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRHBbH21s/XrCJV-zGbSI/AAAAAAAANhg/UTF_mOoca3UBV8ybsxevDTgFJB3ILPGjACPcBGAYYCw/s640/one-page-contest.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is nothing as exciting as entering a
contest and winning! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Last month we had fourteen inspiring authors from
South Carolina polish the first page of their manuscript and submit it to our
contest. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;">We had the best time reading through each entry, and we have some wonderful rising authors on our heels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Judging each entry was a Managing Editor for Heritage
Beacon Fiction, Smitten Historical Romance, and Lighthouse Publishing of the
Carolinas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Each first page was scored according to
the following criteria. <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">1 to 5 points each for qualities
outlined in submission guidelines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">5 points = excellent (not perfect).</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Hook
(first sentence, first page overall)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Characterization
(believability, empathy)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Setting
(time period, location, description, mood)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Conflict
(gripping, problems introduced)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Voice
(style, including active, deep POV and showing over telling)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Neatness
(typos, grammar, punctuation)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>A comment from the judge.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Because of the
emphasis on the hook, the first page, and creating a powerful beginning in this
contest, there were some examples of super strong writing that may not have won
or placed. Some just need a little tweaking to start in the most compelling
place.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">A drumroll please ...and the winners are: </span></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">1st p</span></b><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">lace</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">: Winner requested we not post her
name and title at this time due to the guidelines for another contest she has
entered. - 30 points</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">2<sup>nd</sup> place:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Joni Vance - <i>Repercussions</i> – 28 points</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">3<sup>rd</sup> place:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"> Candy Arrington -
<i>The Appledore Legacy</i>- 26 points</span></li>
</ul>
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<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Each of our three finalists were
encouraged to submit their completed manuscript to Lighthouse Publishing of the
Carolinas. How exciting is that?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678143033993731986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-90677782430836875992020-05-04T17:39:00.002-04:002020-05-14T10:30:08.601-04:00First Page Novel Contest - ACFW-SC Chapter<br />
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<b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRHBbH21s/XrCJV-zGbSI/AAAAAAAANhc/4CU8i7cFeXsWzVQNYeuWobTcyK2__OBrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/one-page-contest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="First Page Novel Contest ACFW-SC Chapter" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1000" height="408" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-29MRHBbH21s/XrCJV-zGbSI/AAAAAAAANhc/4CU8i7cFeXsWzVQNYeuWobTcyK2__OBrQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/one-page-contest.jpg" title="First Page Novel Contest" width="640" /></a></div>
<h2>
First Page Novel Contest Guidelines and Judging Criteria </h2>
<b>ELIGIBILITY: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Any author (chapter member or non-member) whose work h<b>as not been previously published in fiction</b> (in ANY print or online form) is eligible, with no limit to the number of entries that may be submitted, however, a manuscript may not be entered into multiple categories. The manuscript should not contain profanity, graphic sex, or other objectionable material and must otherwise conform to generally accepted standards of the CBA (Christian Booksellers Assoc.) as determined by ACFW. Judges may request submissions not meeting this requirement be disqualified.<br />
<br />
<b>TIMELINE: </b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The contest will begin on May 8, 2020. </li>
<li>The deadline for entries is June 1, 2020, 8 PM EST </li>
<li>All entries will receive a confirmation e-mail indicating receipt of the entry. If an entrant does not receive an emailed confirmation, please e-mail the contest coordinator, Tracy Fredrychowski, <a href="mailto:author@tracyfredrychowski.com">author@tracyfredrychowski.com</a> </li>
<li>Entry Fee for current ACFW-SC members and Low Country-SC members is $15 per entry. For non-members, it is $20 per entry. Fee must be paid before sending the entry(s). </li>
</ul>
<b>PAYMENT:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>You may pay the fee through PayPal. (See Paypal links below.) This is our chapter preferred way. </li>
<li>You may also mail a check (do not mail cash), made out to ACFW-SC Chapter </li>
<li>Mail to Tracy Fredrychowski, 5323 Ninety Six Highway, Ninety Six, SC 29666</li>
</ul>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>
MEMBER FEE - $15.00</b>
<br />
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="BLPKBXYW3BTY2" />
<input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" />
</form>
<br />
<b>
NON MEMBER FEE $20.00
</b><br />
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post" target="_top">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="8BDH4K29A3LLW" />
<input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" border="0" name="submit" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_buynowCC_LG.gif" type="image" />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" />
</form>
<b><br /></b>
<b>SUBMISSION: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Submit the first page of your novel or novella manuscript. Indicate in your email what genre your novel manuscript targets. (General Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Women’s Fiction, Speculative, New Adult, Young Adult)<br />
<br />
<b>MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Manuscripts may only be submitted by email as an attachment. </li>
<li>We will only accept a .doc or .docx format. No other formats are admissible. </li>
<li>Email submissions with “ACFW-SC First Page Novel Contest” in the subject line to: Tracy Fredrychowski, <a href="mailto:author@tracyfredrychowski.com">author@tracyfredrychowski.com</a> </li>
<li>Do NOT place your name, pseudonym, or any other personal identifiers anywhere on the manuscript. Also, be mindful of not posting to your online profiles the name or other identifiers of your contest-entered manuscript(s) since judging is to be anonymous. </li>
<li>ONLY in your email, include your full name, the title of your entry, target genre, email address, and phone for the contest coordinator (Tracy Fredrychowski) to note.
Required Submission </li>
</ul>
<br />
<b>FORMAT: </b>(not just suggestions)<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Use 12 point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. </li>
<li>The contest requires the use of Times New Roman or Courier New. </li>
<li>Include a header on each manuscript with the title, genre, entire manuscript word count (or estimate if ms not finished) and page numbers. </li>
<li>NO entrant's name or pseudonym should be in the header. </li>
<li>Start your first page one double-space down the page from the header. (Not the usual extra spaces) </li>
<li>Send the first page of your manuscript. Prologue first pages are acceptable. DO NOT send more than one page of your manuscript.
Important Note: Entries not fulfilling the above specifications will be disqualified. Entry fees will not be refunded. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<b>JUDGING/PRIZES: </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
The contest will be judged by an anonymous Acquisitions Editor who has years of experience in writing, editing and judging. See below for the Judging Criteria.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>First Place Prize: $50 </li>
<li>Second Place Prize: $30 </li>
<li>Third Place Prize: $20 </li>
<li>An Honorable Mention Certificate may also be awarded at the judge’s discretion </li>
<li>The judge will also give each entrant a short note about the strength and/or weakness of their first page. </li>
<li>The winners will be announced and prizes awarded at the June 27, 2020, ACFW-SC Meeting.
Absentee winners will have their awards mailed. </li>
</ul>
<b>May the Lord bless you as you hone your craft and prepare for this contest is our prayer.</b><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><em><br /></em></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><em>Tracy Fredrychowski, Contest Chairman</em></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><em>Elva Cobb Martin, President ACFW-SC</em></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><em><br /></em></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><em><br /></em></span>
<br />
<h2>
First Page Novel Contest Judging Criteria </h2>
Entrants in the First Page Contest will be judged on:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>HOOK</b>: Presenting a compelling first sentence, first paragraph and first scene that will make the reader want to keep reading. </li>
<li><b>CHARACTERIZATION:</b> Introducing a believable main character with whom the reader can empathize. Is he/she someone the reader will care enough about to want to follow through to the end of the story? </li>
<li><b>SETTING:</b> Creating a sense of time and place for the story. Does the reader know from the outset where the story is taking place and in what era? </li>
<li><b>CONFLICT: </b>Though it takes some time to fully introduce the plot and its conflicts, does the reader in the first page at least have a sense as to what will be the overarching problems faced by the main character? Does the plot promise to be gripping rather than predictable? </li>
<li><b>VOICE:</b> Has the author begun to develop his/her own voice in the use of diction, sentence structure and word choice?</li>
</ol>
Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678143033993731986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-87216635550025209872020-04-23T14:12:00.000-04:002020-04-24T11:52:36.934-04:00Interview with Glenda Manus, Best Selling Author<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64-wVpWG1go/XqHXq_iWbRI/AAAAAAAANdA/Pb7idQ9LcKgTtxjEQjG5w6CLRs_E737fQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/GlendaManus.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Glenda Manus" border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="230" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64-wVpWG1go/XqHXq_iWbRI/AAAAAAAANdA/Pb7idQ9LcKgTtxjEQjG5w6CLRs_E737fQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/GlendaManus.png" title="Glenda Manus" /></a></div>
<h2 style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 5.0pt; margin-right: 14.1pt; margin-top: 5.0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">Glenda Manus,
author of the bestselling Southern Grace Series of 8 cozy mysteries SET in SC!</span></b></h2>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">How did your writing journey start? How many years have
you been writing <span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt;">since </span>the first
book?</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2128;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-right: 4.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">My writing journey began with a year-long daily diary
given to me by my older sister when I was in fifth grade. I found that it was
too small to put all my thoughts down and I filled it up within a few months.
She was impressed so she gave me a large journal. The newness of it wore off
for a while, but when I was in high school, I took up journaling again and I
have over fifty books of journals that I’ve filled up over the years. I
basically chronicled my life in those journals and it’s both thrilling and
embarrassing when I go back and read them. I wrote poetry and short stories but
it was always in the back of my mind to write a book. About ten years ago, I
decided to make it happen. I subscribed to Writer’s Digest and ordered
self-help books on writing. I studied the craft with a passion; I challenged
myself with <span style="letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">writing </span>prompts and
after about two years, I felt I was ready. And one year later, on December 24,
2013, I self-published my first book, Sweet Tea and Southern Grace.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What made you decide to write Christian cozy mysteries?</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I’m both Southern and Christian and I’ve always loved a
good mystery. I just decided to write what I know. I really didn’t think about
them being “cozy” but somehow that label resonated with my readers and I got
branded as a Christian Cozy Mystery author.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How do/did you plan your series? Does the Rev. Rock Clark
character continue <span style="letter-spacing: -0.45pt;">in </span>every volume?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I’m a member of a small Presbyterian church in a quaint
little town. I don’t think my books would have been quite so successful if I
lived elsewhere because I patterned the town of Park Place after my own town. </span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We had an
endearing pastor at the time who was married. I patterned Rev. Rock after him,
but I made him unmarried, much younger and much more handsome because I wanted
all the unmarried ladies in town to be slightly in love with him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #1c2128;"> Our pastor was much too old for that sort of
thing. It just sort of snowballed from there and Rev. Rock took on a life of
his own. He is featured in all the books, but in four of the eight books, he is
not the main character.</span> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How did you learn to indie publish on Amazon?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">In mid-2013, when I had finished writing the first book,
I began to explore my options on how to get it published. I queried an agent
and she responded. She loved my book but as we talked, she told me the process
of getting a publisher and getting it published could take up to eighteen
months. I was 65-years-old and I </span><span style="color: #1c2128;">didn’t want to wait that long. And what if she couldn’t
find a publisher? I would be back to ground zero! I read in Writer’s Digest
where more and more authors were publishing through CreateSpace, a division of
Amazon. I also read that Kindle books were outselling physical books by leaps
and bounds and when you self-publish through KDP, your royalties are 70%. I
loved 70% compared to what the agent had offered me. A traditional publisher
does a lot of work for you though. Hiring an editor, a cover designer, and
someone to format your books can be expensive, but you can price around and
find some talented people out there who supplement their income doing side jobs
and I’ve been blessed with the people I’ve found. Here again, just as in
learning the writing craft, you have to be willing to work hard to make it
happen. It was a huge learning curve in 2013 to self-publish. Amazon has made
it so much easier now.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What kind of marketing have you found most successful?</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Indie authors have more marketing flexibility than
traditionally published authors. I run a few Facebook ads from time to time on
my author Facebook page, but the one thing that’s worked best for me is to
discount one or more of my kindle books each month and use a marketing site
like Faithful Reads, BookGorilla, or Bookbub. You pay for a one-day promotion.
They send out daily emails to their reader subscribers. With a series, when a
reader likes the book you are promoting, they almost always buy the rest of the
books in the series.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 41.0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 41.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128; letter-spacing: -0.35pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">How important/lucrative has it been to write a continuing
series?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 41.0pt; margin-right: 19.6pt; margin-top: 2.05pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">As I stated in the answer above, once you hook your
readers on one book, they usually buy the whole series. They get to know and
love the characters and think of them as old friends. I never leave a book with
a cliffhanger. Each book is a complete story.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 41.0pt; mso-list: l1 level2 lfo2; tab-stops: 41.0pt; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128; letter-spacing: -0.35pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: #0b5394;">Do you do a lot of social media marketing and/or paid
ads?</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 41.0pt; margin-right: 7.0pt; margin-top: 2.0pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I haven’t done any paid Amazon ads but I’m not adverse to
doing so. <span style="letter-spacing: -0.9pt;">I </span>have a dedicated author
Facebook page and sometimes use a $10 paid ad to reach more people, but mostly
I just use it to inspire my readers. I post something inspirational nearly
every day and I give updates with teasers on my latest writing projects. On the
last page of my books, I do an author letter where I invite my readers to like
my Facebook page and I provide them with my email address.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What was your greatest writing problem/roadblock, and how
did you <span style="letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">overcome </span>it?</span></b></div>
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<b style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I’m an impatient soul and my biggest problem has been
learning patience. I have a tendency to want to be lax on the editing process
but fine-tuning and getting your book print-ready is the most important thing
you can do if you want to be successful as an indie author. A book filled with
mistakes is very grating on the </span><span style="color: #1c2128;">nerves of avid readers. Edit, edit and edit some more!
It’s my least favorite thing to do, but I’m blessed to have a friend who was a
magazine editor before she retired. She beat this advice into my head
constantly and I’m so glad she did!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I’ve also experienced writer’s block. The best way I’ve
learned to deal with that is to just sit down and read. Writers need to read
books in the genre they write in order to study and fine-tune the craft. The
Bible is a great source of inspiration. <span style="letter-spacing: -0.3pt;">“Be </span>still
and know that I am God.” Quiet times of reflection can help get you back on
track.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 20.9pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">How has God guided you through your writing process? </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 20.9pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">God </span><span style="color: #1c2128;">has guided me all the way. I find that when I don’t
seek his guidance or I try to write something that he wouldn’t approve 100%, he
dries up my words. When I’ve decided on a plot and begin outlining my book, I
seek out scripture verses that I think would speak to the plot. I make notes of
them to use as I create my story.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; letter-spacing: -0.2pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: 20.9pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.2pt;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Do your stories or characters ever come to you in your
dreams?</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I dream all the time, but I must say that my dreams are
so crazy, I would be hesitant about writing a story about them! Maybe I should
try. I wake up quite a bit at night and have trouble falling back to sleep. The
quietness is conducive to some heavy thinking during those hours, so I keep a
notebook and pen beside my bed and if a good story idea comes into my thoughts,
I write it down. More often, my story ideas come to me when I’m washing dishes
of all things! So, I wash dishes a lot!</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><b>How did you build an email list (if you have)?</b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I haven’t used email as a marketing tool yet, but I think
it’s a good idea. I have built a list through giveaway contests on Facebook. A
requirement for the contest is for the contestants to give their email
addresses through a private message. On the back page of my books, I encourage
my readers to email me their thoughts or questions about my books and many of
them do. I add those to an email list to possibly use at a later date.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">What are you
working on now?</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">I am working on two books at the present time. One is the
ninth book in the Southern Grace series. It is a spin-off from one the
characters I mentioned in my last book. The character is Anabelle Porter, a
forty-five-year-old spinster. When Anabelle was in her twenties, she put her
life on hold in order to care for her invalid mother. Her mother has passed on
now and Anabelle is ready to get her life back. She is lonely and wants to find
love so desperately that she ends up falling for someone who is just trying to
get into her bank account. Or is he?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128;">The other book is historical fiction, a genre I love to
read but have never written. The story follows a young couple as they migrate
west during the 1850s. I’m a big Louis L’Amour fan. His books always feature a
strong male protagonist, but mine features Dorine McCade, a feisty Irish lass
whose common sense and strength of character rescues her little family on more
than one occasion as they cross the country seeking a new life. I’m almost
finished with this one and it will be in the hands of my editor by the first
week of May. Writing in a new genre has been a fun, but somewhat bumpy ride.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: 0in;">How can your readers get or stay in touch with you or
purchase your books?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1c2128; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"> I have several ways
for people who want to connect with me.</span></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1c2128; text-indent: 0in;">One is an author Facebook page: Glenda
C. MANUS (with last name all in caps), or follow this <span style="letter-spacing: -.2pt;">link: </span></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SweetTeaAndSouthernGrace/" style="text-indent: 0in;"><span style="color: #1154cc; letter-spacing: -7pt; text-indent: 0in;">h</span><span style="color: #1154cc; letter-spacing: 3.05pt; text-indent: 0in;"> </span><span style="color: #1154cc; text-indent: 0in;">ttps://www.facebook.com/SweetTeaAndSouthernGrace/</span></a> Just LIKE and FOLLOW my page and feel free to leave me a
message. I enjoy feedback from my readers and I always respond to their
messages.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I can also be reached by email at<a href="mailto:gecm1948@yahoo.com"><span style="color: #1154cc;">
gecm1948@yahoo.com</span></a><span style="color: #1154cc;"> </span><span style="color: #1c2128;">or by phone @ 704-577- 0135.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My website is <a href="https://www.glendacmanus.com/"><span style="color: #1154cc; letter-spacing: -7.0pt;">h</span><span style="color: #1154cc; letter-spacing: 3.05pt;"> </span><span style="color: #1154cc;">ttps://www.glendacmanus.com/</span></a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My
books can be purchased on Amazon. The kindle link to all 8 books is: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Grace-8-Book-Series/dp/B0839J2CWZ"><span style="color: blue; letter-spacing: -7.0pt;">h</span><span style="color: blue; letter-spacing: 3.05pt;"> </span><span style="color: blue;">ttps://www.amazon.com/Southern-Grace-8-Book-Series/dp/B0839J2CWZ</span></a><span style="color: blue;"> </span>Then just click the “All Formats” box to get to the
paperback and audible <span style="letter-spacing: -0.15pt;">links.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PkUqH7Mdshg/XqHh_gy1SBI/AAAAAAAANdc/0w6r3OHWUK0PHOef3n250E8jvnEPFtibgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/glendabooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="327" data-original-width="388" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PkUqH7Mdshg/XqHh_gy1SBI/AAAAAAAANdc/0w6r3OHWUK0PHOef3n250E8jvnEPFtibgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/glendabooks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Glenda's Bio: </span></span></b><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Glenda Manus is Southern born and Southern bred which means she
says yes ma'am and no ma'am, sends thank you notes, bakes casseroles for sick
friends and funerals, and likes to visit her neighbors over a glass of sweet
iced tea. Her writing is both inspirational and Southern which in her opinion
are one and the same. The characters within the pages of her books are filled
with grace and charm but they're not perfect by any means. The fictitious
town of Park Place, South Carolina is where it all begins. It's an idyllic,
sleepy little town where rocking on front porches, drinking sweet tea out of
heirloom glasses while indulging in a little innocent gossip is a way of life.
It's much like the little town where Glenda, her husband, and their cat Theo call
home.<br />
Glenda's novels are part of The Southern Grace Series, but each novel can be
read as a stand-alone with its own unique blend of characters and plot and they
are sure to satisfy a Christian's thirst for clean family fiction.</span></i><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Tracyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05678143033993731986noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-36782166453381930902018-10-04T10:00:00.000-04:002020-03-27T18:38:26.463-04:00Planning Your Novel -Part 5 Deep Heroine Characterization<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
by Elva Cobb Martin (updated March, 2020)</h3>
<br />
<b><u>Planning an Heroic, Determined, Compassionate Heroine </u>--start with a picture or two.</b><br />
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Here are a couple of the photos I've chosen for my heroine in my historic romance, <i>Marisol,</i> showing her two sides as a lovely Spanish lady and a trained
sword-fighting foe when necessary. (And, yes, that talent is going to be
necessary). I love having an idea of how my heroine might look as I plan
and write the story.<br />
(Do you recognize Catherine Zeta Jones?)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">My heroine: </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Doña</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: black;"> </span>Marisol Valentin </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<b>Physical Description:</b> Medium height, long, curly, dark hair,
hazel eyes with a tinge of gold, dark arched brows and thick lashes,
skin color and texture from her
English mother – creamy ivory; face structure – oval/oblong with high
cheek
bones; straight nose, full lips and gleaming straight white teeth, small
but
strong hands with long, tapered fingers; general body structure – small
bones, lithe, well endowed, much stronger than she looks. Had Spanish
father and English mother.</div>
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<b>Special skills: </b> Trained in sword fighting. Is excellent horsewoman and Flamenco dancer. Raised on an Andalusian Stud Farm in Cadiz, Spain</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Don't forget my premise for this novel:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Love, forgiveness, and
determination can overcome the most horrifying experiences and poor choices
when God is invited into the equation.</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;">Here
are some characterization details I'm working out for Marisol that will
help develop and bring my premise into realization. Of course, some of
this may very well change as I write the story. I keep my plotting
outline fluid!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b>Internal Goal/Motivation – </b>to
overcome her terrible past and find love, security, respect. She falls
in love with widower privateer Captain Ethan Becket, but sees little
hope for that relationship
due to her terrible past with the murder of a Spanish noble who attacked
her. </div>
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<b>Spirit of Rejection - </b>desperately wants to be part of a
loving family circle but doubts she's worthy.</div>
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<b> External Goal/Motivation- </b>Escape from Spain to New World. Later, help Captain Ethan Becket find and rescue his sister from
Spanish captors thought to be living in Cartagena.</div>
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<b>Core need: </b>to find true love, security, respect and a new beginning.</div>
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</div>
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<b>Greatest
fear:</b> That ALL her past will be revealed and she’ll suffer great
consequences, even
to being garroted (in Spain) for murder. And Ethan Becket will never understand if he learns of the murder.</div>
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<b><u>The incident</u></b> that wounded her earlier in life that got her <b><u>to believing a lie.</u></b></div>
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Her stepfather tried to marry her off
to a rich, wicked don she refused to marry. One day the nobleman attacked her but she managed to stab him, accidentally
killing him. She had to flee her home and live by her wits and charms. She escaped
from Spain by becoming an indentured slave on a ship bound for the colonies.</div>
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<b><u>Character Arc: </u></b></div>
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<b>Persona</b> (face she shows to the world): A very capable, sometimes harsh, sometimes
vixen, fearless young woman.</div>
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<b>Essence:</b> An insecure, frightened, low self-esteem, young woman, who
longs to escape her past and find love, family, and security.</div>
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<u>Will become</u>: a strong,
godly young woman willing and able to fight and sacrifice for others.</div>
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<b><u>Spiritual Arc</u></b></div>
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Marisol starts out as a nominal believer, not sure what blessings faith affords. Even though she repented her past
sins, she still feels like soiled goods and knows she’ll go to prison
or to execution if the murdered nobleman's family finds her. She is sure no one will
believe her version of the attack vs. the version of the man’s family, who are wealthy and of the Spanish nobility.</div>
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<u>She Will Become</u>: Marisol will
discover through scripture and experiences that God wants to wipe away
all that
stains her mind, will and emotions and help her become a true woman of
God
worthy of respect and love. The battle she will face when the murder
catches up with her will serve to strengthen her, not to destroy her,
and will build a
strong faith in God’s justice and belief in his love for her.<br />
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<b><u>Romantic Arc</u></b></div>
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Marisol falls in love with widower Captain Ethan Becket, but many hurdles stand between these two ever finding love and a HEA.<br />
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Do you like this heroine so far? Please do leave a comment and share
the blog on your social media by clicking the square links below.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CbJyN79Zs0/XT8KWtdW_nI/AAAAAAAACuo/waGkikI_cLU-kQW8uG8zvE-8LPFyzE0qACLcBGAs/s1600/Marisol%2BFinal%2Bcover%2B6%2B28%2B19%2Bw%2Bblue%2Beyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CbJyN79Zs0/XT8KWtdW_nI/AAAAAAAACuo/waGkikI_cLU-kQW8uG8zvE-8LPFyzE0qACLcBGAs/s400/Marisol%2BFinal%2Bcover%2B6%2B28%2B19%2Bw%2Bblue%2Beyes.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<i>Marisol,</i> Book 1 in my new historical series, was released by Wild Heart Books in November, 2019. It has spent time on Amazon's 100 Bestseller's List for Women's Religious Fiction<br />
<br />
Thanks for stopping by.<br />
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Blessings on your writing,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
Elva Cobb Martin<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0b414H7yfs/Vsc5deIR7sI/AAAAAAAABUk/2b9UdZ_2AXs91mvCSn-x5XynhKWIc2JpgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Elva%2B2%2BIMG_5733%2BMary%2BDenman%2BJune%2B2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q0b414H7yfs/Vsc5deIR7sI/AAAAAAAABUk/2b9UdZ_2AXs91mvCSn-x5XynhKWIc2JpgCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Elva%2B2%2BIMG_5733%2BMary%2BDenman%2BJune%2B2015.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">Elva Cobb Martin is President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Power Over Satan,</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"> on the believer's authority in Christ.</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;"> </i><i style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site </span><u style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="color: #771100; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">www.elvamartin.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">,on Twitter </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="color: #771100; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">; Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;">; and Pinterest </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-indent: 0in;"> Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-indent: 0in;">on </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small; text-indent: 0in;">Amazon: <a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100;">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small; text-indent: 0in;"> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-57591923927127406522018-09-27T10:00:00.000-04:002018-09-27T10:00:00.323-04:00Planning Your Novel Part 4 - Characterization Special: Dancing Horse Heroine<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By Elva Cobb Martin ---Check out the above YouTube Clip!</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">If you're planning a
novel, I assume you've studied a lot about characterization and how best
to plan and detail your characters. But today with the above YouTube
clip I am sharing with you something I've run across with planning my
Spanish heroine in my current wip (work in progress).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In my research I ran
across the Spanish horse or the Andalusian breed which has had a large
influence on the bloodlines of the beautiful Lipizzaner breed of horses
of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. That's why it's called the
Spanish Riding School, but it's in Vienna, Austria. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I've had horses
myself and love them. I am thinking about making my heroine more special
than ever by setting her on a Spanish horse stud farm where she has
learned the beautiful dancing with the horses like you see in the clip.
Don't you think this will make her a much more special character that
readers will love? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Remember, one of my
first points in planning your novel in Part 1 was Research and More
Research! I've spent some time studying out the Spanish or Andalusian
horse and had a great time doing it. My novel will be much richer as a
result. These horses are still being bred in several nations and very
popular all over the world, not just in Spain or Austria.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">In the clip you can see
where the Lipizzaner got it's beautiful dressage genes! And don't you
love the Spanish guitar accompaniment?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Of course, I've got MUCH
research on this subject I may never get to use in my novel, but that's
fine. I'd rather be on the rich end rather than the skimpy one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Here's a few quick notes from my research for you horse lovers like me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Spanish horses,
including the Andalusian, originated from Arabian and Berber horses from
North Africa. They were brought to Spain in the 8th Century. (Think
Muslim invasion and takeover of Spain which continued several centuries
and hence the mosques still standing there).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana";">During the 15th and 16th
Centuries (think of the Catholic deliverance of Spain, Queen Isabella's
Empire, and Columbus) these majestic high-stepping Spanish
horses became the <b>status symbol</b> of the royal courts throughout Europe. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Note: my photo may be of Isabella...and it might not be. But you get the picture. ( :</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">1580: When the
importation of horses from the Spanish Peninsula became more difficult,
the Vienna court under Archduke Karl II decided to develop their own
breeding farm in . . . Lipica. He sent buyers to Spain and they brought
back stallions and mares. They became the foundation of the Lipizzan
breed. And, yes, I have the rest of the exciting story about even these
Lipizzan horses and all they went through during the various European
wars, even their rescue during WWII by our own General Patton. But
that's another story. . . for another day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1qGQWA1Z3kk/WXucFviyeiI/AAAAAAAAB58/OiIJqHIet10krsCBghRoLlrrtIzDA9atgCEwYBhgL/s1600/4c4073f9fa9214652d588b5e59b267b1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1qGQWA1Z3kk/WXucFviyeiI/AAAAAAAAB58/OiIJqHIet10krsCBghRoLlrrtIzDA9atgCEwYBhgL/s400/4c4073f9fa9214652d588b5e59b267b1.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Have you planned a
special talent or work for your main character that people will love
to learn about? This is the kind of thing that makes an historical or a
contemporary novel much richer. In my contemporary <i>Summer of Deception</i> novel, I shared the growing and making of tea by my hero. You can find the novel here: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071L28PHH">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071L28PHH</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">I also have a beautiful Arabian horse in this novel named Haidez.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Do join the fun and tell
us about your character's special talent or work. Please click on the
social buttons below to share if you found this blog helpful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";">Elva Cobb Martin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana";"><br /></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-55183441097907578122018-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:002018-09-20T10:00:10.967-04:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<a href="https://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com/2017/07/planing-novel-part-3-pitches-and-book.html">Planning Your Novel Part 3 "Pitches and Book Tags"</a>
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Elva Cobb Martin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZuUH-F0pMY/VLBgUHPiygI/AAAAAAAAAsg/7hV98NNA6y8YQtf9ZiYhMbXePMazbDNZgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/tearing%25252Bhair%25252Bout.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="725" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qZuUH-F0pMY/VLBgUHPiygI/AAAAAAAAAsg/7hV98NNA6y8YQtf9ZiYhMbXePMazbDNZgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/tearing%25252Bhair%25252Bout.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Part 2 we talked about "Premise" and how it will actually help you write your <b>pitch. </b>Never mind pulling your hair out. You can access Parts 1-2 in my archives.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>So what is a pitch (or log line) and how does it differ from a book tag?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>A pitch is a one or two sentence nutshell that explains what your book is about.</i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Imagine
someone asking you, "What is your book about?" (Some one like an editor
or agent that you may run into at a conference and you only have a few
moments to tell them about your book). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are some examples of <b>pitches:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1) Jacob
Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena Jones'
father, only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2) Rachel
York determines to unearth the truth about her brother's reported death
by taking a position at an historic tea plantation, only to realize the
truth may destroy her new found love and could even cost her life.
(This was my pitch for <i>Summer of Deception </i>which helped snag a contract and can be found at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071L28PHH&source=gmail&ust=1500841501358000&usg=AFQjCNEx1xlL32Tl7OaPYnGslRKSSeG8eA" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071L28PHH" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071<wbr></wbr>L28PHH</a> )<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Want to try your hand at a pitch? </b> Here's a simple template that has helped me:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Your protagonist) _________MUST __________(critical plot goal) BY ______________(action or conflict) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">ONLY TO REALIZE __________________(what the character learns about life that helps him change his goal during journey of book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Tags </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">are a briefer hook, like back cover copy first line or byline in a movie. You'll need this for your book cover and tweets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To boldly go where no man has gone. (Star Wars)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't go in the water (Jaws)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Collide with destiny (Titanic)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Power comes with a price (<i>The List</i> by Robert Whitlow)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Can love survive a summer of deception? (for my novel <i>Summer of Deception)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Falling in love with a pirate was never part of her plan. (for my novel, <i>In a Pirate's Debt).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My Premise for my current wip helped me write my Pitch. Of course, it's an inspirational romance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZYeNhq9lQQ/VvRaedWuKQI/AAAAAAAABYY/3USR8hOhe54AChMwAizR-TC0q1cOhyvVwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jesus%2Bwelcomes%2Bhome%2B%25232.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZYeNhq9lQQ/VvRaedWuKQI/AAAAAAAABYY/3USR8hOhe54AChMwAizR-TC0q1cOhyvVwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Jesus%2Bwelcomes%2Bhome%2B%25232.gif" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To recap, my tweaked <u>premise</u> for my wip is: <b>Love,
forgiveness, and determination can overcome the most horrifying
experiences and poor choices when God is invited into the equation.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's a rough draft of my <b>pitch</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Marisol
Valentine flees after murdering the Spanish nobleman who sexually
assaulted her only to find herself caught in a net of kidnappers for the
King's colonization of the New World which threatens to derail her
forever from love, security and decency until she discovers a God who
can work good even from evil."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How's that for a long sentence? But it gets the job done--for now. ( :</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for
stopping by. Please do leave a comment and a sample pitch, if you have
one. And share this blog if it has been helpful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva Cobb Martin</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-82993426468151588612018-09-13T10:00:00.000-04:002018-09-13T10:00:07.862-04:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<a href="https://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com/2017/07/how-to-plan-novel-part-2-premise.html">Planning Your Novel - Part 2 "Premise"</a>
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Elva Cobb Martin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiKOqReN3sw/VOjlJMDiUMI/AAAAAAAAAwE/Ee5aSswNkvwXnoYM_gxmhIC1wa2qFCF6ACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/woman-in-bubble-150x150.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiKOqReN3sw/VOjlJMDiUMI/AAAAAAAAAwE/Ee5aSswNkvwXnoYM_gxmhIC1wa2qFCF6ACPcBGAYYCw/s320/woman-in-bubble-150x150.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Planning
your novel can get that dream you have (like an illusive bubble in your
head and heart), down on plain white paper or on your computer screen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In Part 1 of planning a novel, we talked about:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>a) Reading/immersing yourself in your genre and time period</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>b) Jotting down your initial storyline</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>c) Researching and more researching</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can find Part 1 in my archives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today, I want to talk about the first of three important "p's" in planning your novel: <b>Premise, Pitch, and Pictures.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stavros Halvatzis has several good blogs about Premise that helped me. Click <a href="http://stavroshalvatzis.com/story-design/how-to-create-a-strong-dramatic-Premise">http://stavroshalvatzis.com/story-design/how-to-create-a-strong-dramatic-Premise</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To recap, he says: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The <b>story or moral premise </b>is
a short description of the entire story in its essential form. It's the
essential core or meaning of the story and the chief theme of your
story.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A unique premise contains a strong <i>set-up and pay-off</i>, it generates dramatic questions, and gives the writer a <i>blueprint</i> for writing a successful story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It can be
thought of as the two-part genetic code of a story: one part identifies
the virtue which leads to victory, while the other identifies the
opposite, which leads to defeat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are some movie examples he sites:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1) </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Ten Commandments, </i><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Braveheart, The Firm, Gladiator</i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i> </i>"The
hero must do the right thing to eventually achieve the goal (carry the
day, save the world), even if it sometimes means he has to sacrifice
himself."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2) In <i>There Will be Blood </i> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> "The pursuit of wealth and power, at the expense of love and family, leads to loneliness and defeat."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After studying premise this is what I came up with for my work-in-progress, an inspirational historical romance.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>"Love, forgiveness and determination can overcome the most horrifying experiences and poor choices."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Can you see
the two main parts of my story? (Terrible experience & Happy
Resolution) Can you see that it will be an encouraging story for those
who have suffered from bad experiences or poor choices? Does it bring to
mind dramatic questions like: What horrible experience did the heroine
endure? How will she find love and forgiveness to overcome the effects?
Does she have enough determination to move forward to a HEA? My heroine,
Marisol Valentin, will find what she needs to overcome! She will
illustrate my idea of a strong, determined woman who will not let
circumstances destroy her or keep her down. And, of course, she will
have to discover the great power of Christian faith to do this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Do you see that from my premise, I actually have my beginning, middle and end of my story? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The Horrifying Experience (and all it entailed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Working to Overcome (risk, hindrances, conflict, people)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Accessing love, forgiveness and determination to a HEA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sound like the 3 acts? Maybe so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Can you come up with a premise for your novel? It will help you write your story, and keep you on track to your planned ending.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Please share it in the comments. I'd love to read it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Premise</b> is different from the <b>Pitch</b> which I will discuss in my next blog. Premise will help you write your pitch!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by. Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media if it was helpful.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva Cobb Martin</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-57369170461432438852018-09-06T10:00:00.000-04:002018-09-06T10:00:01.238-04:00Planning Your Novel - Part 1<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Elva Cobb Martin</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Are you
planning your first novel or trying to get started with your next one? I
give God the glory for two novels recently released by Lighthouse
Publishers of the Carolinas, <i>Summer of Deception </i>and <i>In a Pirate's Debt. </i>You can check them out on Amazon at this <a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI">link: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This summer
I am researching and planning my next novel which will become a series,
I hope. Here are the steps that have helped me in the past and, I
believe, will assist me again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzqHmMjdJuM/WWppL9N6ptI/AAAAAAAAB5A/ca8zdwX6BkwGDmFItkxOuzbQD_E9khhggCLcBGAs/s1600/1aacool.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="906" data-original-width="736" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fzqHmMjdJuM/WWppL9N6ptI/AAAAAAAAB5A/ca8zdwX6BkwGDmFItkxOuzbQD_E9khhggCLcBGAs/s320/1aacool.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>1) Read, Read in Your Genre --and Time Period if Historical.</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I find it
very important to immerse myself in the genre I'm hoping to write. In
your genre, find the best, most successful authors you can and read and
study what makes their novel interesting to read. I often take notes and
write in the margins!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If writing an historical, find books in your time period. Since I'm</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> planning
an historical series set in the 1700's like my pirate novel above, I am
reading novels of established authors set in this century. It's amazing
how many great ideas come to me as I soak up stories set in my chosen
time period and place. Reading a contemporary novel,or one set in the
Regency Period, or during World War II won't help keep me on target, so I
save those novels for another time. I also look for movies set in my
time period and save them in my TV groups. I take notes on setting,
dialog, dress, conflict, historical tidbits, etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>4) Jot Down Your Initial Storyline</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My basic
story idea is of a heroine, an indentured servant, who has a bad past
she's carrying like baggage, even after she becomes a Christian. (See
the "lie" she believes and the spiritual plot possibility of her
overcoming?) After a terrible incident in Spain she fled for her life </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to
the New World as an indentured servant. She falls in love with her
master after he becomes widowed, but she feels like soiled goods he will
never be interested in. She desires to find respect, security and love
and will go to some lengths to find them. (See the motivation and goals
unfolding?) And, of course, I will give the widowed hero problems,
conflicts, and goals to complicate the romance possibility we will
pursue from Charles Town to the Spanish Main. Of course, some of these
details will likely change as I write the story! (More on
characterization, lies, motivation, and goals in Part 2.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><u>3) Research and Research Some More</u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having the
Internet has made research so much easier. Seldom do I have to make a
trip to the library for research. This novel will have a heroine who is
an indentured servant. Yesterday I googled "Indentured Servants in
America" and came up with great information. I printed some articles and
saved some to my computer. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I already know this story will be set mainly on the Spanish Main in <b>Cartagena </b>so I googled that and came up with some great articles and maps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J5dWY3ijEE4/WWpowU3JBoI/AAAAAAAAB48/k-dkC3F3ObMfr9W1qT9dXKxr4eiJLX1DwCLcBGAs/s1600/nueva%2Bgranada%2B2.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="555" height="335" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-J5dWY3ijEE4/WWpowU3JBoI/AAAAAAAAB48/k-dkC3F3ObMfr9W1qT9dXKxr4eiJLX1DwCLcBGAs/s400/nueva%2Bgranada%2B2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">How do you plan a new novel? I would love to hear your comments. Next time I will share Part 2 that works for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva Martin</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-8131523876774346512018-08-30T10:00:00.001-04:002022-04-02T08:15:39.474-04:00 Creating a Hero Part 4 - Man of Steel and Velvet <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">Creating a Hero Part 4- Man of Steel and Velvet</h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
by Elva Cobb Martin</h3>
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If you missed Part 1-3, click here:<br />
<a href="http://bit.ly/2IDQ5hY">http://bit.ly/2IDQ5hY</a><br />
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My definition of a man of steel and velvet is one who may have great
physical and mental attributes, but who also has received Jesus Christ
as his Lord and Savior. And everything in his life is influenced by this
relationship and his love for God's Word.<br />
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William Wilberforce (played by Ioan Gruffudd in the movie, <i>Amazing Grace</i>) was a definitive man "of steel and velvet."<br />
This one man's passion and perseverance changed the world. His
courageous quest ended the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade in the British
Empire in May, 1807, in England, and in the U.S. in January, 1808. (Then
our Civil War followed in 1861 to bring freedom to the slaves already
here.)<br />
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Our Bible has several heroes who might fit this bill. Some of my
favorites are Joseph, Gideon, and a lesser known one, warrior Jephthal,
who was born of a prostitute and turned out of the family by his half
siblings. But in war they ended up begging him to return to lead them in
battle. His prayers for God's guidance are recorded in Judges 11-12.<br />
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<span id="goog_469571862"></span>Aubrey Andelin authored the book, <i>Man of Steel and Velvet</i>. He lists six qualities of steel and six velvet qualities of men. Find it on Amazon here<a href="https://amzn.to/2jObsyV"> https://amzn.to/2jObsyV</a><br />
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These 12 characteristics are great to consider when building our memorable heroes.<br />
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<b><u>Steel Qualities</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Guide, protector, provider</li>
<li>Builder of society</li>
<li>Masculinity</li>
<li>Character</li>
<li>Confidence</li>
<li>Health</li>
</ul>
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Andelin says the <b>steel side</b> of a man makes women and children feel secure.</div>
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Arouses admiration of all. Makes a woman feel womanly.</div>
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<b><u>Velvet Qualities</u></b></div>
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<li>Understands women</li>
<li>Gentleness</li>
<li>Attentiveness</li>
<li>Youthfulness</li>
<li>Humility</li>
<li>Refinement</li>
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The author says the <b>velvet side </b>of a man promotes good human relations among people and awakens love in women and children.<br />
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I believe only a man who has chosen to be led by God's Holy Spirit can hope to excel in these characteristics.</div>
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Our culture vitally needs to be reminded of these qualities as some
increasingly work to erase man's masculinity, blur the roles of men and
women, and redefine the family.</div>
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Who is your definitive "man of steel and velvet?" History, movies, and
novels evidence quite a few. Some of us even have the great pleasure of
being married to one. ( :</div>
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Thanks for stopping by. Have a blessed Mothers' Day, all you dear mothers and grandmothers.</div>
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Here's a pic of one man of steel and velvet--and a little "steel and
velvet" growing up. (Our Christian law officer son and grandson we'll
be seeing this weekend.)</div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elva Cobb Martin </b><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">is
vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian
Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">Anderson
University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels
published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">have
carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her.
She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and
grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web
site </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.elvamartin.com</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">,on Twitter </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; and Pinterest </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amazon:http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-39197578708865990302018-08-23T10:00:00.000-04:002018-08-23T10:00:08.856-04:00 Creating a Great Hero - Part 3 Horatio Hornblower <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Elva Martin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What makes a great hero? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Click here if you missed</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Part 1 - <b>Atticus Finch</b> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/2HFDkD3">http://bit.ly/2HFDkD3</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Part 2: <b>Captain Blood</b> <a href="http://bit.ly/2KfpHc9">http://bit.ly/2KfpHc9</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We've covered several characteristics of great fictional heroes and today we'll look at <b>Horatio Hornblower,</b>
the wonderful British Royal Naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars
era created by C.S. Forester. The eleven-volume Hornblower Saga follows
an English seaman, Hornblower, as he rises from Midshipman to Admiral in
England's Royal Navy. This historical series and hero has thrilled
generations and become the subject of films,radio and television
programs. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm told even Winston Churchill read these novels on his way to Royal Navy meetings during WWII.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two fave actors of mine who have played Hornblower are </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Ioan Gruffudd and Gregory Peck.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So what has made Horatio Hornblower a great hero to so many?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having read
the books, listened to audio, and seen movies of several in this
series, my first thought is that here is a man who possesses all the
other qualities of heroes we've talked about but adds certain other
interesting qualities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">1)</u> <b><u>He is man of the strongest principles, especially those relating to British Royal Navy Protocol</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the West Indies Admiral Hornblower is suspicious that the American ship <i>Daring</i> has been hired by Napoleonic former soldiers and supporters to rescue Bony from his St. Helena island prison. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sharpe, consul-general at New Orleans warns Hornblower,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"Daring's</i> an American ship, my lord."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">That was an important point, a very important point. <i>Daring</i> had
an ostensibly legal errand, and she flew the Stars and Stripes. He
(Hornblower) could think of no excuse for taking her into port for
examination. His instructions had been very strict regarding the
treatment of the American flag.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So the during the rest of the book Hornblower chases the <i>Daring </i>to
stop her rescue of Napoleon, but he does not cross British protocol in
doing so. This brings up the next unusual quality possessed by this
hero.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>2) He is possessed with amazing ingenuity and finesse to carry out his job as British Admiral of the West Indies</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hornblower has confirmed the French captain of the </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Daring </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is on a secret mission to rescue Napoleon from St. Helena Island but </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">how
can he stop him without firing on the American flag and causing an
international incident? He comes up with the Big Lie (at least he thinks
it is a lie). He apprehends the much larger ship, the </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">Daring,</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> and goes aboard.</span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
French Captain, who is also a Count, has to allow him aboard and show
him proper honor as he is the English Admiral of the West Indies. Here's
the amazing dialog.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Ah
Count Cambronne," said Hornblower, (to the French captain) and then
made himself speak French. "It is a pleasure to meet you again."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"And
to what do I owe this pleasure, milord?" asked Cambronne. He was
standing very stiff and straight, his cat's-whisker mustache bristling
out on either side.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I
have come to bring you the very worst of news, I regret to say," said
Hornblower. Through many sleepless nights he had rehearsed these
speeches to himself. Now he was forcing himself to make them naturally.
"And I have come also to do you a service, Count."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"What do you wish to say?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Bad news."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Well?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"It is with the deepest regret, Count that I have to inform you of the death of your Emperor."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"No!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"The Emperor Napoleon died at St. Helena last month. I offer you my sympathy, Count."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hornblower told the lie with every effort to appear like a man speaking truth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"I
received the news two days back in Port of Spain," said Hornblower. "In
consequence, I cancelled the arrangements I had made for the arrest of
this ship."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hornblower
suffered mentally by telling this lie because the Count would not
believe him until he gave his word of honor as a gentleman. But he did
give it, believing it was for the peace of the world in peril from a
renewal of the deadly war with France they had just won. And the Count
believed him and called off his mission. In the next port, Hornblower
learns the shocking news that Napoleon had, indeed, died on St. Helena
three weeks earlier. He recouped the honor of his word.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u>3) Though a mighty
warrior who will give the enemies of England no quarter, he is still a
compassionate forever true lover of Lady Barbara and needs healing of
jealousy of her first husband.</u></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the last volume of the Hornblower series, <i>Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies,</i> he
has finally married Barbara when she became a widow after her arranged
first marriage. Something she says to him, when death seems imminent for
their whole ship during a hurricane, heals his old jealousy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">She not merely said that she loved him; she had said she had <i>never loved anyone else.</i>
Hornblower, huddled on the deck of a waterlogged ship with a hurricane
shrieking round him, was suddenly aware that an old hurt was healed,
that he would never again feel that dull ache of jealousy of Barbara's
first husband, never, as long as he lived.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u>4) He is a great leader of men who will follow him to prison and even to death. . .</u></b></div>
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<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In most of the Hornblower books the reader sees this heroic characteristic carried out in many situations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't miss
the next part in this series as we hone in on "The Man of Steel and
Velvet." --Heroes, who not only display most of the characteristics we
covered so far, but who also have a life-changing, empowering,
relationship with Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by. Would love to read your comments, and please do share this blog by clicking on the small icons below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings and Happy Mother's Day coming,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elva Cobb Martin </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">is
vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian
Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Anderson
University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels
published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">have
carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her.
She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and
grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web
site </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.elvamartin.com</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">,on Twitter </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">; Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">; and Pinterest </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amazon:http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-84494302665818911582018-08-16T10:00:00.001-04:002022-04-02T08:18:52.214-04:00 Crafting a Great Hero - Part 2 Captain Blood <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Creating A Great Hero - Part 2 Captain Blood</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Elva Cobb Martin</span></h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDMNBiz9IoU/Wsvn-rIme2I/AAAAAAAACUA/yYoOmeU71QMoiGdXHBVEMRCk6_F_e5dCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Errol%2BFlynn%2Bas%2BCaptain%2BBlood%2B1935%2Bfilm.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="737" data-original-width="1199" height="245" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDMNBiz9IoU/Wsvn-rIme2I/AAAAAAAACUA/yYoOmeU71QMoiGdXHBVEMRCk6_F_e5dCQCLcBGAs/s400/Errol%2BFlynn%2Bas%2BCaptain%2BBlood%2B1935%2Bfilm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face="verdana, sans-serif">Click here if you missed Part 1 - Atticus Finch</span><br />
<span face="verdana, sans-serif"> <a href="http://bit.ly/2HFDkD3">http://bit.ly/2HFDkD3</a></span><br />
<span face="verdana, sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In the 1935
movie, actor Errol Flynn played Captain Blood and it launched Flynn's
career. The book was written by Rafael Sabatini.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here's the brief story line if you've never read the book or seen the Turner Classic Movie: </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">A</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">rrested
during the Monmouth Rebellion and falsely convicted of treason when he
treated a wounded follower of Monmouth, Irishman Dr. Peter Blood is
banished to the West Indies and sold into slavery. In Port Royal,
Jamaica the Governor's daughter Arabella Bishop (Olivia de Havilland)</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"> buys
him for £10 to spite her uncle, Col. Bishop who owns a major
plantation. Life is hard for the men and for Blood as well. By chance he
treats the Governor's gout and is soon part of the medical service. He
dreams of freedom and when the opportunity strikes, he and his friends
rebel taking over a Spanish ship that has attacked the city. Soon, they
are the most feared pirates on the seas, men without a country,
attacking all ships. When Arabella is prisoner, Blood decides to return
her to Port Royal only to find that it is under the control of England's
new enemy, France. All of them must decide if they are to fight for
their new King. The surprise ending is great.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">The story and this character continue to inspire and entertain new generations over the world.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">What makes the character Peter Blood so unforgettable?</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">1) He is courageous</span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who, but
one with great courage, can escape slavery in the late 1600's in the
Caribbean and lead a crew of slaves with him, then capture a Spanish
ship and become its new captain and a feared pirate?</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">2) He is compassionate</span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Peter Blood
first got arrested in England for treating an injured follower of
Monmouth who was rebelling against the king. Many other times his
compassion is shown toward his fellow man, including the Governor of
Jamaica, whom he treats for painful gout.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">3) He is a composite --the very essence of the swashbuckling trickster hero every generation loves.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">This type hero reaches back to Samson and other Bible heroes.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Fictional prototypes are Ivanhoe, Zorro, The Scarlet Pimpernel and the contemporary Superman, Bat Man and others.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The swashbuckling trickster hero is able to defy social expectations and rise above social class. He has a <u>keen wit</u>
that stands him in good stead in crises. He is a master of disguise and
deception when necessary. He is able to baffle his enemies and defeat
his opponents. By his wits and fortitude he's able to overcome terrible
adversity and establish himself as a noble leader of men. He
demonstrates that nobility is innate. It is achieved by chivalrous
behavior, not by aristocratic birth.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Peter
Blood's personal journey from slave to governor of Jamaica inspires the
dreams of men and women on every continent to aspire beyond their
present circumstances.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IrMws9In8g8/WQO5N40l7qI/AAAAAAAABz8/JzNCWUBzTD0bwF8AiwnJpz6hGE80-5zDQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Pirate%2527s%2BDebt.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IrMws9In8g8/WQO5N40l7qI/AAAAAAAABz8/JzNCWUBzTD0bwF8AiwnJpz6hGE80-5zDQCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Pirate%2527s%2BDebt.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I crafted my <i>In a Pirate's Debt </i>hero
after the swashbuckling prototype. Captain Lucas "Bloodstone" Barrett
faces many forces of evil with courage before he finds a happy life
within the law and with the plucky heroine. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Here's the link to this novel </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2i61Z5P" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2i61Z5P</a></div>
<div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks for
stopping by. Who is your fave fictional hero and why? Would love to
read your comments. And please do share this blog by clicking on the
small icons below.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Blessings,</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Elva</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whIljRC3eAo/WMbCHJSAz9I/AAAAAAAABvw/lAudpXDCAGonGOM2XVL6YmZ5R5kqSn6HwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Elva%2B1%2BheadshotIMG_5694.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whIljRC3eAo/WMbCHJSAz9I/AAAAAAAABvw/lAudpXDCAGonGOM2XVL6YmZ5R5kqSn6HwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Elva%2B1%2BheadshotIMG_5694.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elva Cobb Martin </b><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">is
vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian
Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">Anderson
University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels
published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">have
carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her.
She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and
grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web
site </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.elvamartin.com</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">,on Twitter </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; and Pinterest </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amazon:http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></div>
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-63796455139356033252018-08-10T10:00:00.001-04:002022-04-02T08:22:27.207-04:00 Crafting a Great Hero - Part 1 Atticus Finch <h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Crafting a Great Hero - Part 1 Atticus Finch</span></h3><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">by Elva Cobb Martin</span></h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgc5H8h-QMY/WsfeaHjlyfI/AAAAAAAACTY/-aTPD-xbmvMkrUtpWOD3J7f2r0JF9gDEACLcBGAs/s1600/ap_611963382119-838b0e5666d3f3e655ed085e624d190304bbab33-s1300-c85.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="975" data-original-width="1300" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hgc5H8h-QMY/WsfeaHjlyfI/AAAAAAAACTY/-aTPD-xbmvMkrUtpWOD3J7f2r0JF9gDEACLcBGAs/s400/ap_611963382119-838b0e5666d3f3e655ed085e624d190304bbab33-s1300-c85.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who doesn't like a great hero?</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>Atticus Finch </b>of <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>fame
is one hero I love. I don't know whether my fascination is more with
the character Harper Lee created or for the actor who played his part
in the movie, <b>Gregory Peck.</b> Who doesn't know and love Gregory Peck? Okay, spoken like a grandmother.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">For those,
hopefully few, of you who are unfamiliar with this great novel, it is
the story of a small town lawyer (Atticus) who defends a black man
accused of rape of a white woman back in Depression days long before the
civil rights movement. The setting is a 1930's southern town but the
book was published in 1960 and won the Pulitzer Prize. It has become a
classic of American literature.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">One
reviewer says "To Kill a Mockingbird is probably the most widely-read
book dealing with racism in America and its protagonist, Atticus Finch,
the most enduring fictional image of racial heroism. Atticus serves as
moral hero and a model of integrity for lawyers everywhere."</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="color: #222222; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 22.28px; margin-bottom: 6.96px; margin-top: 6.96px;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Let's take a look at <b>hero Atticus</b>,
and I give credit to a blog by Brett and Kate McKay who also see great
manly lessons in this character. What can we learn from this character
to help us construct an unforgettable hero for our novels?</span></div>
<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">1) A real hero lives with integrity every day.</span></h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">In Maycomb
County, Atticus was known as a man who was "the same in his house as he
is on the public streets." He did not have one set of morals for
business and one for family or one for different days of the week. He
tells his young daughter, Scout, "The one thing that doesn't abide by
majority rule is a person's conscience."</span><br />
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<br />
<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">2) The most important form of courage is moral courage.</span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Atticus
certainly possessed physical courage. When Tom was in jail, he sat
outside all night reading and faced down an angry mob intent on lynching
the prisoner. And he also faced down and shot a rabid dog threatening
the town.</span></div>
<div>
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<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">But his
moral courage was amazing. When Scout asked him why he continued to
press on with a case he most likely would lose, he answered,"Simply
because we were licked a hundred years before we started is not a reason
for us not to try to win."</span></div>
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<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">3) A real hero does the job no one else wants to do.</span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Atticus is assigned to be Tom Robinson's public defender by a judge. He earns the townspeople's anger in his determination to <i>really </i>defend
the accused, honorably and fairly, to the best of his abilities. He
does the job that other people are unwilling or afraid to do. After
facing the town's taunts and threats for his defense of Tom Robinson,
Atticus is once more elected to the state legislature--unanimously.</span></div>
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<h3>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">4) A real hero lives with cool dignity. . .</span></h3>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">After the
trial the real villain, who was father of the girl, threatened Atticus's
life, grossly insulted him, and spat in his face. Atticus simply took
out a handkerchief and wiped his face prompting the attacker to ask:
"Too proud to fight, you nigger-loving bastard?"</span></div>
<div>
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<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">"No, too old," Atticus replied before putting his hands in his pocket and walking away.</span></div>
<div>
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<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">At one
point in the story, Jem and Scout feel disappointed in their father who
at 50 doesn't seem to know how to do anything "cool." But they change
their minds when Atticus takes down a rabid dog with a single bullet and
they learn their father is known as the "deadest shot in Maycomb
County."</span><br />
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<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xL4kn4MLswU/WThWfcEAoHI/AAAAAAAAB2k/sa7V9iaHneIJDEiEjKFvPQNHxaXe9SLBACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xL4kn4MLswU/WThWfcEAoHI/AAAAAAAAB2k/sa7V9iaHneIJDEiEjKFvPQNHxaXe9SLBACPcBGAYYCw/s400/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">I crafted my romantic suspense hero in <i>Summer of Deception,</i> Luke
Barrett, after this type of hero. Luke fought in the Middle East and
lost an eye. He is a widower, his wife was killed in an auto accident
and he battles bitterness. He has a young daughter he is trying to rear
while managing his Charleston Tea Plantation. In the course of the story
he demonstrates his integrity and his physical, moral, and intellectual
courage in various cool ways before he finds a happy ending with the
summer nanny heroine, Rachel.</span></div>
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<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Thanks for
stopping by. Do you have a characteristic of your fave hero to add to
our list? I would love to hear it and may include it in Part 2 of this
series on Constructing a Hero. I'll be taking a look at another favorite
fictional hero. Please share this blog by clicking on the icons below.</span></div>
<div>
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<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Blessings,</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Elva </span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whIljRC3eAo/WMbCHJSAz9I/AAAAAAAABvw/lAudpXDCAGonGOM2XVL6YmZ5R5kqSn6HwCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Elva%2B1%2BheadshotIMG_5694.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whIljRC3eAo/WMbCHJSAz9I/AAAAAAAABvw/lAudpXDCAGonGOM2XVL6YmZ5R5kqSn6HwCPcBGAYYCw/s320/Elva%2B1%2BheadshotIMG_5694.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elva Cobb Martin </b><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">is
vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian
Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of</span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">Anderson
University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels
published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">have
carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her.
She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and
grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web
site </span><u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.elvamartin.com</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">,on Twitter </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; Facebook </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;">; and Pinterest </span><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="background-color: white; color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: xx-small;"> Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Amazon:http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #303030; font-size: 14.85px; text-align: center;"></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-80806910232636505472018-05-31T10:00:00.000-04:002018-05-31T10:00:16.966-04:00 Time to Write - the Gift You Give Yourself <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Y21rdjNrA/Wh9PgC721WI/AAAAAAAAdhc/1RRrGRAG-uctTtH2NLmuLLaNOCGrdCuZgCLcBGAs/s1600/Time%2Bto%2BWrite%2B-%2Bthe%2BGift%2BYou%2BGive%2BYourself.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="550" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d-Y21rdjNrA/Wh9PgC721WI/AAAAAAAAdhc/1RRrGRAG-uctTtH2NLmuLLaNOCGrdCuZgCLcBGAs/s1600/Time%2Bto%2BWrite%2B-%2Bthe%2BGift%2BYou%2BGive%2BYourself.jpg" /></a>
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Edie Melson <a href="http://www.twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most writers I know are part of a conflicted group.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We’re driven to write—spending
time composing poetry, writing books, researching articles. We doodle titles, character
names, and plot ideas on scraps of paper. All the while feeling guilty about the
time we spend pursuing our dream. I call it writer's guilt.</span><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Everyone of us has felt the tug of war deep inside. it’s all part and parcel
when you work at home.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I’ve fought
the battle for years—sometimes more successfully
than others. And the craziest thing is the guilt is pretty much self
imposed.
My family is frequently more supportive of my writing time than I am. So
this Christmas I'm gifting myself with freedom from guilt and time to
write.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Time to Write</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Years ago I made a conscious decision to give myself
permission to make writing a priority. I gave myself the gift of time to write. Sometimes it would have been easier to
avoid the blank page and not risk the failure. But I refused to cave into the
fear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Has it been worth it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You bet it has! Not only have I gotten farther along with my
goals and dreams, but it’s given me a self-confidence I didn’t expect. The more
I make writing a priority, the better I get at it. Then the more success I
have, which leads to the courage to push myself and reach for the stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Here are the steps I took to set aside time for writing:</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Come up with a schedule and keep regular, consistent
hours. </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Notice I said regular
hours—not normal ones. For years I wrote with young children. That meant
writing in the afternoons and after they were in bed. Just because you’re
working odd hours doesn’t mean you can’t have a schedule.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Respect your dream.</span></b> If your best friend, or child had a
dream you’d encourage them to pursue it. Give yourself the same support that
you’d give someone else. Trust me, you’re worth it!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>3. </b><b>Be consistent.</b></span>
If you’re not accepting calls from your mother-in-law because you’re working,
don’t spend the afternoon on the phone with your best friend. Stay focused on
your writing. This is even more critical if your time is at a premium.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">4. Recruit a
support team. </span></b>Instead of adversaries, enlist your friends and family to help
you reach your writing goals. Communicate those goals, clearly and frequently.
Ask for their help to reach them. After all, what mother doesn’t want to help
her baby succeed!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">5. Share your
victories. </span></b>Let those that help you share in the joy of goals accomplished and
milestones reached.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What do you do to
make your writing time a priority? What interruptions do you struggle with the
most? Share your thoughts and we’ll all support each other.</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don’t forget to
join the conversation!</span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-79853735493588245382018-05-24T10:00:00.000-04:002018-05-24T10:00:05.702-04:00 13 Truths About Being a Writer <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Edie Melson <a href="http://www.twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">@EdieMelson</a></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcHL67mGFnw/VqrVHQ-YCpI/AAAAAAAAYUw/vKyt2H-CBD8/s1600/13Truths%2Babout%2BBeing%2Ba%2BWRiter.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mcHL67mGFnw/VqrVHQ-YCpI/AAAAAAAAYUw/vKyt2H-CBD8/s400/13Truths%2Babout%2BBeing%2Ba%2BWRiter.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">13 Truths about being a writer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Choosing to stand up and be identified as a writer can be a
scary thing. The road is rarely a straight path to publication. These are some
things that I hope will help you stay the course as you continue on your own
writing journey</span></div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">13 Truths About Being
a Writer</span></span></b></div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. It’s an eternal
struggle between you and the blank page. </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, it doesn’t get a
whole lot easier. The doubts still crowd your mind, and fear still whispers in
your ear no matter how long you’re in this business.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">2. Talent without persistence is
worthless. </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So much of what we need to know to
be successful, no matter what our goals, can be learned.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">3. You’re stronger than you think. </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">If I had known when I started, the hard work
and emotional toll getting to this point would take. I would have quite because
I would never have dreamed I could do it.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MPOSz-pBkk/VqrVqWGY0tI/AAAAAAAAYU4/vX6pPXyngGo/s1600/compass-940370_1280.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1MPOSz-pBkk/VqrVqWGY0tI/AAAAAAAAYU4/vX6pPXyngGo/s320/compass-940370_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't plot a course always expecting to be <br />
the exception to the rule.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">4. You can’t plot a course always
expecting to be the exception to the rule.</span></b> Things generally happen
in a certain way, over a certain time-frame. As believers we know that God can
step in at any time and turn things upside down. But expecting that to always
happen just isn’t reasonable. We need to do the work and celebrate when the
exceptions do occur.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">5. Quitting is the only path to failure. </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">I’ve found writing success, but a lot of it has
come simply because I refused to give up. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">6. God is the One who directs my path—and
yours.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I can (and will continue) to make
plans—but I stay flexible. I would never have even dreamed of the opportunities
God has given me.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">7. There’s a big difference between
goals and dreams.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> They both
have their place in the writer’s life, but a goal is something who’s outcome I
can influence. A dream is something I wish would happen. It’s the difference
between having the goal of getting a book published or having a best seller. I
can achieve the first by hard work, but the second is ultimately up to God.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">8. </span></b></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Detours aren’t the same thing as
roadblocks.</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> My path to publication has
zigged and zagged so many times it looks like the path Mother Goose’s Crooked
Old Man left behind. But more frequently than not, those detours ended up
getting me further ahead, faster.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">9. Change is the industry standard in
publishing.</span></b> It’s not possible to base your path on what has gone
before. Technology is moving too fast. We either embrace the challenge or we
fall by the wayside.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">10. Generosity will always get you
farther than selfishness.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> I have
never once regretted putting someone else before me. I’d even go so far as to
say that I’ve build my career (or at least my platform) by promoting others.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzISD5AE5hg/VqrWEq_NJLI/AAAAAAAAYVA/eLDBpWEX8aw/s1600/gold-163519_1280.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NzISD5AE5hg/VqrWEq_NJLI/AAAAAAAAYVA/eLDBpWEX8aw/s320/gold-163519_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your reputation is worth solid gold.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">11. Your reputation is worth solid gold</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, but it’s not something I can buy. I can only
achieve it and keep it by guarding it. I always try to communicate honestly and
above all, keep my word.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">12. The joy is in the journey.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The people I’ve met, the things I’ve gotten to
experience have been the high points, not the achievements.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">13. Publication isn’t the sole definition
of writing success.</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Touching
someone’s life through the words I pen, whether it’s on a blog or a book or an
article, is way more important than a book contract.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">These are just a few
of the things I wish I’d known when I started. I think my expectations would
have been more realistic and the heartbreak a little less frequent. Although it
could be that someone did, and I just wasn’t paying attention. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">What about you? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Has writing taught you anything important about yourself and/or about life?
Share your thoughts below.</span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't forget to join the conversation!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Blessings,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-6118440901414668042018-05-17T10:00:00.000-04:002018-05-17T10:00:02.393-04:00 What to Wear at a Writers Conference <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iI1CIMPa54/TZDAyv4KGyI/AAAAAAAAAXw/XGn3d2dmVK8/s1600/MP900315598%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iI1CIMPa54/TZDAyv4KGyI/AAAAAAAAAXw/XGn3d2dmVK8/s320/MP900315598%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today
I’m going to continue my series on getting ready for a writers
conference. One of the most asked questions I get is about appropriate
attire. Below is my opinion—you’ll find others who disagree—but it’s
always worked well for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First
let me say this, you’ll see a little bit of everything when comes to
what people wear at writing conferences. But, and this is important,
just because you see someone wearing it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I
always treat a writing conference like a job interview—and really
that’s what it is. You are meeting people who are deciding on whether or
not to invest in you and your work. It may be a small investment—like
an article; or a large investment—like a book contract. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Here are the guidelines I use when I plan my conference wardrobe.</span></b></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Business casual always works</b>.
For women, slacks, casual skirts, nicer jeans or capris. For men,
slacks, nice jeans, polo’s, even some t-shirts if not sloppy. Suits are
definitely NOT required. I like my style to look effortless and
timeless.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Keep it comfortable, for shoes at leas</b>t.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t concentrate when my feet hurt. I
try to avoid athletic shoes because of their ultra casual nature, but I
would choose them if they were the only ones I could be comfortable in.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Dress in layers</b>.
No matter what the temperature outside—inside is always a roll of the
dice. Some rooms will be hot, some cold. So I always try to top an
outfit with a light sweater or jacket, and usually a scarf.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Leave the perfume (men, this means cologne) at home</b>.
I know lots of folks who get headaches from or are allergic to
different strong scents—and their definition of strong isn't always the
same as mine. Some conferences, like ACFW, bill themselves as perfume
free. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>And although this isn’t actually a piece of clothing,</i></b>
you’ll need to choose something to carry. Men and women need something
to tote their laptops, notebooks, handouts, business cards, etc. Pick
something with a wide strap, because it can get heavy by the end of the
day and don’t forget to pack extra pens, tissues and breath mints!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yTm_997X7c/TXUwLJebXgI/AAAAAAAAAVk/vEmhLyoxnBw/s1600/MP910220948%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6yTm_997X7c/TXUwLJebXgI/AAAAAAAAAVk/vEmhLyoxnBw/s200/MP910220948%255B1%255D.jpg" width="152" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now
it’s your turn—how do you plan your wardrobe for a conference? Also, my
next post will be about how to organize all your paper paraphernalia in
one conference notebook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Don't forget to join the conversation!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Blessings,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Edie</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-40364323815274857782018-05-10T10:00:00.000-04:002018-05-10T10:00:03.934-04:00 Get Organized for a Writers Conference <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For those
who’ve known me for any length of time are aware that organization isn’t
my strong suit—at least not in the conventional meaning. My desk is
covered in stacks of paper and the walls of my office are papered with
rainbow hued sticky notes. It’s a system that works for me—but I quickly
discovered it didn’t translate when I went on the road.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFqcW4EzFYA/TbbX2cahh7I/AAAAAAAAAaQ/-DY6R_4Buuk/s1600/conference+notebook+cover.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yFqcW4EzFYA/TbbX2cahh7I/AAAAAAAAAaQ/-DY6R_4Buuk/s200/conference+notebook+cover.jpg" width="178" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So I found another way to keep myself on track when I’m away from the office and my conference notebook was born.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s really
pretty funny. The moment people see my notebook they immediately assume
I’m this ultra-organized whiz. Actually, the opposite is true and my
notebook is just a last ditch effort at self-preservation. Another thing
I’ve noticed is that this notebook works well no matter what your
natural bent toward organization.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The primary
idea for this notebook is that it contains everything I need at a
writers conference so I don’t have to dig through bags or be constantly
returning to my room for something I’ve forgotten.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">So let’s get to it!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">First,</span></b>
I choose a one and a half inch three ring binder. Mine is green because
green is my favorite color. I make sure there’s a sleeve on the front
cover to slide a cover into because it hold my contact information if I
should lay it down and leave it somewhere.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgNtW_FAbMU/TbbYC6UCDDI/AAAAAAAAAaU/rMWHBSAxflg/s1600/conference+notebook+open.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wgNtW_FAbMU/TbbYC6UCDDI/AAAAAAAAAaU/rMWHBSAxflg/s200/conference+notebook+open.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Next,</span></b>
in the front I have a small zippered pouch with a couple of pens and
some paper clips. I can also slide in a small lipstick, some band-aids
and tissues. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After that,</span></b> I have a neat insert that holds several different size and colors of sticky notes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fH6PjjRa4I4/TbbYPcPtedI/AAAAAAAAAaY/LGZlVEOolPE/s1600/conference+notebook%252C+business+card+pages.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fH6PjjRa4I4/TbbYPcPtedI/AAAAAAAAAaY/LGZlVEOolPE/s200/conference+notebook%252C+business+card+pages.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Then,</span></b>
I add 4 pages of clear business card holders. I use the kind that are
the size of a full page, so I have plenty of room to add business cards.
I keep the first three empty and use them to store business cards I get
from others. The last page is full of my personal business cards, so I
always have plenty to hand out. (Don’t know what to include on a
business card? I posted a blog on that <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/prepare-for-writers-conference.html">here</a>.)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9EVUA408hDY/TbbYdgwtXiI/AAAAAAAAAac/OYTjcKLYDbg/s1600/conference+notebook%252C+project+section.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The next part</span></b> is divided into sections with tabs. Each project I’m pitching has a section. Here’s what would go into a section.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9EVUA408hDY/TbbYdgwtXiI/AAAAAAAAAac/OYTjcKLYDbg/s1600/conference+notebook%252C+project+section.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9EVUA408hDY/TbbYdgwtXiI/AAAAAAAAAac/OYTjcKLYDbg/s200/conference+notebook%252C+project+section.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A clear plastic sleeve containing my one sheet for that project. (Don’t know what a one sheet is? Click <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-is-one-sheet-anyway.html">here</a> for a post on one sheets).</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">An outline for the project—if it’s non-fiction.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A synopsis for the project—if it’s fiction.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A
sample of my writing for the project. This can either be a couple of
sample devotions (for a devotional book) or the first couple of chapters
in a book (fiction or non-fiction).</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have
several copies of my one sheet, outline, synopsis and sample—just in
case the person I’m showing it to wants to keep it or mark it up with
suggestions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Finally,</span></b> after the section for projects I stock the back of the notebook with notebook paper and extra clear plastic sleeves and tabs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Extras,</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"> </b>you can include in your notebook might be a <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/04/you-as-main-characterevery-writer-needs.html">bio</a>
sheet, a list of topics if you're a speaker or even a list of articles
you might want to pitch. The nice thing about this kind of notebook is
you can personalize it to fit your needs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">With this
notebook, no matter where I run into an editor or agent, I’m always
prepared. I literally have everything at my fingertips. During a
conference I <b>NEVER</b> go anywhere without my notebook.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So what have you found to help keep you on track while at a conference? We’d love to learn from your experiences too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Just don’t forget to join the conversation!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Blessings,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Edie</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-79719548124808202952018-05-03T10:00:00.000-04:002018-05-03T10:00:01.241-04:00The Scoop on the Dreaded Fifteen Minute Appointment <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0TpF0r7S-U/TbtdBP8dppI/AAAAAAAAAbI/J4H6F80o3oY/s1600/MP900399352%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G0TpF0r7S-U/TbtdBP8dppI/AAAAAAAAAbI/J4H6F80o3oY/s320/MP900399352%255B1%255D.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I've had several people ask me what to expect when they have a fifteen
minute appointment with an industry professional. Many even wonder if
they should take advantage of an appointment. My answer?<br />
<b>ABSOLUTELY</b>.
Even if you don’t have something to pitch, an editor, agent or even
well known author can give you valuable insights to help you focus your
career goals.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Let me give you some idea of why professionals agree to be part of the faculty.</b><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They want to help you.</span></b>
By and large, those on the faculty at writers conferences are there
because they have a heart for helping new writers. They know what it’s
like to sit on your side of the table. Others have helped them achieve
their goals and now they want to give back by helping someone else.<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">They’re looking for new writers.</span></b>
The market is constantly changing and there is always room for new
writers. Recently I had someone ask me why a publisher is looking for
new writers if the book market is shrinking. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><b>First,</b> it’s not shrinking—it’s changing.</li>
<li><b>Second</b>, writers come and go.</li>
<li><b>Third</b>, every choir needs more than one voice for each section. It’s the blend that makes the music beautiful.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Now, onto who you should speak with at a conference.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Editor </span></b>(for books or magazines)—these professionals are a good choice for two reasons.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>One—you have a project that fits their line and want to pitch it.</li>
<li>Two—they know the market and can give you an idea of their opinion about where it’s headed.</li>
<li>Three—they can give you input on an idea you have.</li>
<li>Four—they can give you career advice.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Agent</span></b>—these are good for the same reasons above.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>One—you have a project that fits who they rep.</li>
<li>Two—they know the market and can give you an idea of their opinion about where it’s headed.</li>
<li>Three—they can also give you input on an idea you have.</li>
<li>Four—they can give you career advice.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Published Writer</span></b>—these professionals can do a lot of the same things. They can also:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Commiserate about challenges you’re facing as a writer.</li>
<li>Give you advice on where a particular project might fit or who in the industry might be looking for something similar.</li>
<li>Give you encouragement.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
You’ll sometimes find other industry folks at a conference, such as marketing professionals, speakers, publicists, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zZE8spHhoTg/TbtdIXlK0oI/AAAAAAAAAbM/Yjp2NcV0wRw/s1600/MP900448494%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zZE8spHhoTg/TbtdIXlK0oI/AAAAAAAAAbM/Yjp2NcV0wRw/s320/MP900448494%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I encourage you to make your appointments and try not to be nervous.
They are there to help, not tear you down. And a lot of good things can
come from those appointments—way beyond career stuff. I’ve made friends,
gotten validation that I’m not really crazy and had the opportunity to
be prayed for and to pray for others.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now it’s your turn. Do you have any questions or, if you’ve been to a writers conference, any advice?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And . . . don’t forget to join the conversation!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-27086827165444618762018-04-26T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-26T10:00:12.343-04:00 You as the Main Character—Every Writer Needs a Bio <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g2V9kT4PyAg/TaSXDzmWODI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/VF-s6hsKLN8/s1600/MP900414068%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g2V9kT4PyAg/TaSXDzmWODI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/VF-s6hsKLN8/s320/MP900414068%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We've been discussing how to get prepared for a writers conference</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/prepare-for-writers-conference.html">here</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/honing-your-conference-pitch.html">here</a> and</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-is-one-sheet-anyway.html">here</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">and today I want to talk about your personal bio. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Every writer and speaker needs a bio, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">whether or not </span>you're attending a conference.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Actually, you need three.</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A small one, 25-50 words </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A medium length one, approximately two paragraphs</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A full page one, in depth</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Many
times this written bio is the first introduction someone in this
business (think editor or event coordinator) or a consumer (reader or
attendee) will have of you. This, with your message, can mean the
difference between making the sale or not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Your
bio should reflect, through words, exactly who you are. It should boil
down the essence of your personality. It should always be written in
third person, as if you were talking about someone else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A bio must be</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Relevant</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It must give you</span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Personality</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Credibility</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Below are some (not all) of the instances where a bio will be necessary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Cover letter (to an editor, agent or event coordinator)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Book Proposal</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Query Letter</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Your website</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span> Inside your book or on the jacket </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>Publicity for a personal appearance </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 42.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span>In a publication (web or print) after an article</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s important that you have control over your bio. Which means planning now. It will, in effect, be a part of your personal <i>brand</i>.
It gives you credibility, whether you are speaking or writing. As such
it should contain only things pertaining to your credibility and
identity. For example, if you’re not speaking on sales, it isn’t
important to mention your job 15 years ago as an outside sales person.
Think <b>relevant </b>when you’re composing your bio.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So now it's your turn - do you have a bio? What are some tips and questions you have to writing one?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Don't forget to join the conversation!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Blessings,</span></div>
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Edie<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-59841457835478613242018-04-19T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-19T10:00:10.335-04:00 What is a ONE SHEET Anyway? <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iI1CIMPa54/TZDAyv4KGyI/AAAAAAAAAXw/XGn3d2dmVK8/s1600/MP900315598%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0iI1CIMPa54/TZDAyv4KGyI/AAAAAAAAAXw/XGn3d2dmVK8/s320/MP900315598%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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For those of you getting ready for a big writers conference you may have heard about the need for a <b>One Sheet.</b> This tool is also known as a <b>Pitch Sheet</b>.
It’s a one page presentation of the project you’re pitching to an
editor or agent. Today I’ll be explaining how to put one together.</div>
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Click here to see an <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7-CQ8IT0aiob09CRERWRWJhVVE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">example of a fiction one sheet</a>. Click here to see an <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7-CQ8IT0aioVVVIRUt4N3p1cUk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">example of a nonfiction one sheet.</a>
Both of these led to multiple requests for proposal and full
manuscripts. To answer your question, no, it’s not been published. I
sent it out too soon and killed my chances—but that’s fodder for a
future post!</div>
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There are three basic components of a one sheet—the project blurb,
specifics about the project and the author’s bio—including a picture and
contact info. We’ll take each component individually and explain what’s
included.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Project Blurb</span></b></div>
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For this section think back cover copy. This is NOT the place for a
synopsis. You want this section to read like the blurb on the back cover
of a book.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Project Specifics</span></b></div>
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This is where you give some of the details and they’re slightly different for fiction and non-fiction.</div>
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<b>Fiction</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Genre – like Romance or Suspense.</li>
<li>Manuscript Length – this doesn't have to be an exact word count, just an approximation.</li>
<li>Target Audience – every book should be written with an audience in
mind. I know, we all think our book will appeal to a wide range of
readers—and that may be true. But this tells the potential editor or
agent how to market the book. It will help sell a publishing house on
your manuscript by defining the reader you’re writing for.</li>
</ul>
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*there isn’t a section here for completion date because it’s understood
that a manuscript must be complete before it’s submitted. It’s okay to
pitch an uncompleted manuscript with a one sheet, but it’s rare for
anyone to look at it as a submission until it’s complete.</div>
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<b>Non-Fiction</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Projected Completion Date – the reason you don’t have a non-fiction
manuscript completed is because publishers like to have a say in the
overall concept.</li>
<li>Manuscript Length – since it’s not completed, this is just an estimate.</li>
<li>Target Audience – just like in fiction, you need to focus in on who specifically you’re targeting with this manuscript.</li>
</ul>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Author Info</span></b></div>
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This is where you need to include a personal bio, recent picture and
contact information. A lot of writers hate composing a bio so later this
week I’ll be posting a short How-to on writing bios. But the basics to
consider are these:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LgLdF-Az5Xk/TZDBUd3LNCI/AAAAAAAAAX4/BpE9qkrcJK4/s1600/MP910221013%255B1%255D.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LgLdF-Az5Xk/TZDBUd3LNCI/AAAAAAAAAX4/BpE9qkrcJK4/s320/MP910221013%255B1%255D.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>A bio must be</b></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Relevant</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b>It must give you</b></span></div>
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<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Personality</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Credibility</span></li>
</ul>
All of these individual components will give you an effective one sheet. Be sure to post any questions or comments you have.<br />
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Don't forget to join the conversation!</div>
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Blessings,</div>
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Edie<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-66753762479389561792018-04-12T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-12T10:00:18.219-04:00<h3 class="post-title entry-title">
Honing Your Conference Pitch
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Attending a writers conference can be a stressful undertaking—even for a
seasoned writer. A lot of writers have gravitated toward our profession
because we’re not comfortable with crowds, especially crowds of
strangers. </div>
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That’s why I’m posting this series on writing conferences. It’s not to
add to your stress—but to alleviate it. For me, when I know what to
expect and am prepared, I’m less anxious. No one likes to feel like
they're under the gun. I assume I’m not alone in this feeling.</div>
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So the first subject we’re going to tackle is the one that makes most writer’s stress levels spike off scale—pitching. </div>
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Over the years I’ve had people tell me they’re not worried about
pitching—they’re just going to learn. Nice thought, but not based in
reality. I hate to break it to you, but if you’re standing in line or
sitting beside someone and they ask you what you’re writing, if you
answer them, you’ve just delivered a pitch. I could post pages of
stories from writers who wished they’d been prepared for this unassuming
little scenario.</div>
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<b>The idea behind a pitch is to get the person you’re talking with to ask for more. </b></div>
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Simple concept, harder to execute. So here are some of the do’s and don’ts of pitching.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Do</span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Set up an intriguing scenario.</li>
<li>Introduce your main character.</li>
<li>Give a hint about their situation and goal.</li>
<li>Tie in the disaster or obstacle to that goal.</li>
</ul>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Don’t</span></b></div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Go over 2 sentences—try to keep it to one sentence.</li>
<li>Answer all the questions the listener might have.</li>
<li>Substitute cleverness for specifics.</li>
<li>Give away the ending.</li>
</ul>
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Now, here are some real life hooks or tag lines from popular movies. I’d love to read some of your favorites as well. </div>
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<ul>
<li><i>"She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees." —Erin Brokovich</i></li>
<li><i>"To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman." —Silence of the Lambs</i></li>
<li><i>"What if someone you never met, someone you never saw,
someone you never knew was the only someone for you?" —Sleepless in
Seattle 1993</i></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i>“A businessman falls in love with a hooker he hires to be his date for the weekend” —Pretty <b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Woman</span></b></i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i><b><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></b></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><i> “When you can live forever, what do you live for?” —Twilight</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><i> “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.” —Jaws 2</i></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><i> “In space, no one can hear you scream.” —Alien </i></span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Now it's your turn to chime in. Do you have any questions or is anyone brave enough to try their pitch out here?</span><br />
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</div>
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</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">And . . . Don't forget to join the conversation!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Blessings,</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;">Edie</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-35852864770857823252018-04-05T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-05T10:00:27.653-04:00 Prepare for a Writers Conference <h3 class="post-title entry-title">
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Last Monday I posted a tongue in cheek <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/top-ten-reasons-to-attend-writers.html">Top Ten List of Reason's to Attend a Writers Conference</a>. Then Thursday I gave you a rundown of how to <a href="http://thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/2011/03/thursday-reviewchoose-writers.html">Choose a Writers Conference</a>.
Today I'm going to get a little bit serious and share some of the
things you may want to prepare before you go. I've written about reasons
to attend a conference on this blog previously and I'll address what
you'll need for two of those.
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Networking</span></b></div>
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Networking is the easiest to prepare for. If you're just going to meet
other writers and professionals the main thing you need is a good
business card. Please take note, I said, good, <b><i>NOT</i></b> expensive.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">These are the things a good<i> writers</i> business card includes:</span></b></div>
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<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Your picture</span></b> -
I know, I hate to have my picture taken and I always hate how it looks.
But, in this business you need to be remembered and recognized and your
picture is the best and easiest way to do that. If someone has a card
with your picture on it, they'll remember who you are months longer than
if it's just got your name. Also, it's harder to throw away a card with
a picture on it than a card with just text on it.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The name you use when you write</span></b> -
if you use a psuedonym, be sure it's on the card. Here's an example (I
just made up the names - they're not representative of a real person):
Susie Stone, writing as Catherine Milo.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Your email address</span></b> - this is going to be the main way others will contact you.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Your website or blog address</span></b> -
never pass up the opportunity to encourage new visitors to your sites.
Also, many people will follow up on what you've told them and this will
be a way for them to get to know you better.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Cell phone number</span></b> - this isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps if your email goes down and someone has a hot lead for you.</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Please take note of what is <b><i>NOT</i></b> included on a
business card now. You do not need your physical address on the card.
Actually, it's a liability. It can be dangerous to give out your home
address, so if you feel you must include an address, invest in a PO Box.</div>
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It is possible to make your own business cards, using Avery brand sheets
that go through your ink jet printer. The trick to successfully
printing your own cards is to keep them simple! Another inexpensive way
to go is by using <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a>. This online company is very reputable and I personally know a lot of writers who get their cards through them.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bring some writing samples:</span></b></div>
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These are good to have simply because you'll probably find yourself in a
group, or at a table, where everyone is sharing something they've
written. It might not happen, but chances are, if you don't have
anything to show, you'll be disappointed.</div>
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</div>
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</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pitching</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
This is when you attend a conference because you have something you want
to sell to a publisher or if you want to get an agent. The things below
that you'll need are specifically for those wishing to sell a fiction
or non-fiction book.</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b>It's important to keep in mind that everything you prepare for the conference to pitch a project is incremental in nature.</b></div>
<ul>
<li>Your <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>tag line </b>or<b> hook</b></span> should make the editor or agent ask to hear more about your project (this is the time for the elevator pitch).</li>
<li>The <b><span style="font-size: medium;">elevator pitch</span></b> should lead them to ask for your one sheet.</li>
<li>Your <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>one sheet</b> or </span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">pitch sheet</span> </b>should lead them to ask you to send them a proposal when you get home.</li>
<li>Your <b><span style="font-size: medium;">proposal</span></b> should lead them to ask you to send them your entire manuscript.</li>
<li>Your entire<span style="font-size: medium;"> <b>manuscript</b></span> should lead them to offer you a contract.</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
These are the generic steps in publishing. God can step in at any time
in the process and something completely different can, and often does,
happen. But, until that happens, I try to take it one step at a time.</div>
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</div>
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Now Let's look at what's involved in each one of these components.</div>
<ul>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">tag line or hook</span></b> -
this is one sentence, preferably 15 words or less. It should NOT be a
synopsis of your book, but rather it's to intrigue the editor/agent and
make them want to know more.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">elevator pitch</span></b> -
this should be short, around 45 seconds. It will sound a lot like back
cover copy or what is on your one sheet. Again, it's to make the
editor/agent ask to see more.</li>
<li><b><span style="font-size: medium;">one sheet or pitch sheet</span></b> -
this gives the blurb about your book, information about yourself (bio)
and general info, like genre and audience for your project. If it's
fiction, it states that the project is finished. If it's non-fiction it
gives a completion date if the project is unfinished</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
You won't need a full proposal or manuscript for the conference. If an
editor or agent is interested they'll ask you to email or snail mail
them one when you get home.</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Again, as with networking, you'll need to bring some samples of your writing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
This is just a general overview of what is needed. If you have specific
questions, feel free to use the contact form at the bottom of the blog
and send me your question. You can also post your question in the
comments section. In the next few weeks I'll address each of these
components individually or in groups and give you some examples to see
exactly what others have used successfully.<br />
<br />
Don't forget to join the conversation!<br />
Blessings,<br />
Edie<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1485" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GjHkFQ08m5c/Vs4Xn2yH0LI/AAAAAAAAAB0/jAth7AZ5ad0PKmIyEjawl0jsDKlJxXoGACPcBGAYYCw/s320/Edie%2BMelson%252C%2Bcrop%252C%2Bhigh%2Bres.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, <a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Write Conversation</a>, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the <a href="http://www.brmcwc.com/" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference</a> and the Social Media Mentor at <a href="http://www.mybooktherapy.com/" target="_blank">My Book Therapy</a>. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at <a href="http://www.guideposts.org/blogs/while-they-serve" target="_blank">Guideposts. Com</a>, Social Media Director for <a href="http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/" target="_blank">SouthernWriters Magazine</a> and the Senior Editor for <a href="http://www.novelrocket.com/">NovelRocket.com</a>. Connect with her on <a href="https://twitter.com/EdieMelson" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/edie.melson" target="_blank">Facebook</a>. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, <a href="http://www.whilemysoldierserves.com/" target="_blank"><b>WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES</b>.</a></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-81877043704962712492018-03-29T09:00:00.000-04:002018-03-29T09:00:22.428-04:00My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 9 Preparing for Editors and Agents<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
by Elva Cobb Martin @ElvaCobbMartin</h3>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnU2yOJ2O3M/WAAFpqF1QzI/AAAAAAAABlY/2BUlcW6kR308Z6DabC5toNh72XqyyRZqgCEw/s1600/0267951581ce3381f3d14f40e67ecf89%2Bmoving%2Bwater%2Bvideo.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nnU2yOJ2O3M/WAAFpqF1QzI/AAAAAAAABlY/2BUlcW6kR308Z6DabC5toNh72XqyyRZqgCEw/s400/0267951581ce3381f3d14f40e67ecf89%2Bmoving%2Bwater%2Bvideo.gif" width="225" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You can
master all kinds of writing craft but if you don't learn how to submit
to editors and agents, you might never get that dreamed of open door to a
book contract and great adventure.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recently I
learned about an excellent editing program that can help you polish a
manuscript before submitting to an editor or agent. Check out <a href="http://prowritingaid.com/"><b>ProWritingAid.com</b> </a> I bought it for $40/year and its been a great help.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once you have your ms in what you think is your best form, you should read publishers or agents <u>submission guidelines</u>
carefully and do exactly what they say to submit. It's amazing how many
don't think they need to follow submission guidelines. You can google
any publisher, editor or agent's name and go to the link for Submission
Guidelines. All this study is vital <u>before </u>submitting.</span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qaE9T0UGrDg/WAAGC8qbDRI/AAAAAAAABls/cgecsQ5cVSMlfwTsKYJgcop5vJL7-aHpwCEw/s1600/dscf1014.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qaE9T0UGrDg/WAAGC8qbDRI/AAAAAAAABls/cgecsQ5cVSMlfwTsKYJgcop5vJL7-aHpwCEw/s320/dscf1014.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Attend
writers' conferences! At writers' conferences, the editors and agents
will write in their class sections in the syllabus what type manuscripts
they are currently interested in. See where yours would fit and make an
appointment with that editor or agent, and sit at their table. In this
picture I am at a dinner seating with MacGregor Literary Agent Erin
Buterbaugh at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference at
Ridgecrest, NC.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For editors and agents you need to learn what <i>One Sheets </i>are, <i>query letters, book proposals, pitches/loglines, tags. </i>You can google these terms and find a lot of information. And you need to have a great business card. For cards and many other writer helps check out <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/">http:///www.vistaprint.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Appointments at conferences are only 15 minutes long so you have to have <u>your pitch</u>
ready to go and hopefully, a One Sheet. Don't know what a One Sheet is
or like to see a sample? Leave a comment and ask for a sample to be sent
to your email address as an attachment, and I'll send you one you can just delete my info and add yours. Don't forget your email
address! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An appointment with an editor at the 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference I attended and my carefully crafted pitch and
One Sheet, led to my first book contract which was for my inspirational romantic suspense, <i>Summer of Deception. Amazon link<b>: </b></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI"><b>http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</b></a></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Pitch or Logline</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This a one or two sentence nutshell that explains what your story is about and HOOKS the reader or editor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><u>Sample 1</u>:
Jacob Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena
Jones' Father only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's a simple work template to write your pitch:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Your
protagonist) ______________MUST________________ (critical plot goal
BY_______________ (action or conflict with the Antagonist) ONLY TO
REALIZE ________________ (what the character learns about life that
helps him change his goal during the journey of book or come to a
satisfactory ending.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's my pitch I wrote for <i>Summer of Deception</i> using this template, and I pitched it and gave a One Sheet to editors during our appointment, along with my business card.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BMFG8SNFTkQ/Wn9SjvsbyMI/AAAAAAAACPI/0V-WccWBQQsXp8D0N7RpwyqKTUiw38OCQCEwYBhgL/s1600/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BMFG8SNFTkQ/Wn9SjvsbyMI/AAAAAAAACPI/0V-WccWBQQsXp8D0N7RpwyqKTUiw38OCQCEwYBhgL/s320/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Rachel
York tries to unearth the truth about her brother's reported death by
taking a position at a Carolina tea plantation, only to realize the
truth may destroy her new found love and could even cost her life.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Tags</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A tag is a much briefer hook, like back cover copy's first line or two in large print, or movie bylines.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To boldly go where no man has gone. (Star Wars)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Don't go in the water. (Jaws)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Seth Kincaid remembers almost everything . . . except getting married. (novel tag)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Power comes with a price (<i>The List</i> by Robert Whitlow)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My tags for <i>Summer of Deception:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>A wounded warrior . . . a woman searching for truth.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><b>Can love survive a summer of deception?</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rejections happen to all! Never forget this. <i>Summer of Deception</i>
was rejected 26 times over several years, but I kept honing my craft,
rewriting and submitting. Here are some comments I received with
rejections:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Too much telling. (White Rose Publishing)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Too wordy - too much description (Agent sue Seymour)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Too long for publisher's guidelines (Editor Yvonne Lehman)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Not a fit for us. (Harlequin Love Inspired)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pH66oiC_Fjc/WAAGdjW5v4I/AAAAAAAABls/jpOy5KIX7UQkHaELu1J6bxxwz9p_LEm7wCEw/s1600/Keep%2BWriting.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pH66oiC_Fjc/WAAGdjW5v4I/AAAAAAAABls/jpOy5KIX7UQkHaELu1J6bxxwz9p_LEm7wCEw/s320/Keep%2BWriting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Make up
your mind. YOU will not give up! Track your submissions by date, person
submitted to and their response. Keep a Writing Log Notebook as you
progress with your writing daily or weekly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So glad you stopped by today! Did any of this help you? Do leave a comment and share on your social media if helpful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here's my scripture prayer for you and all Christian writers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Make our words "like a gushing stream, (sparkling, fresh, pure and life-giving.)" Prov. 18:4b Amplified Bible</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Thanks for stopping by. This is the last part of the series on my "Journey to a Book Contract." Now, as Randy Ingermanson would say: <b>"Go write a heartbreaking work of staggering genius."</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Onward in His Steps,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<b>Elva Cobb Martin </b>is vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of<i> </i>Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels contracted with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. <i><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i>a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, <i><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. <i>Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i>have carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site <u>http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="color: #771100;">www.elvamartin.com</a>,on her blog<br />
<a href="http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com/"><b>http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com</b></a><br />
Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="color: #771100;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a>; Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a>; and Pinterest <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6741198392419248083.post-79946753686719783852018-03-22T09:00:00.000-04:002018-03-22T09:00:06.445-04:00My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 8 Importance of Conferences, Writing Groups and Writers' Blogs<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by Elva Cobb Martin @ElvaCobbMartin</span><br />
</h3>
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</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today I want to share the next step to my first book contract. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
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</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Writing
conferences, writing groups, critique partners and following good
writing blogs have all been part of helping me finally gain a book
contract.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As a writer
you may feel like or wish to be a loner, but this is not going to fly
well today. Networking is important. Many people helped me along the way
to a contract. I appreciate them all and hope I have helped
others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Writing Conferences</u></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Some great coming conferences I can recommend along with their links are: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">February each year. Asheville Christian Writers; Conference.
(formerly Boot Camp) <a href="http://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/">http://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">February also, Florida Christian Writers’ Conference, Lake Yale Conference Center, <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Leesburg, Florida </span> <a href="http://www.floridacwc.net/">http://www.floridacwc.net</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mid-March, Carolina Christian Writers Conference,
Spartanburg First Baptist <a href="http://www.fbs.org/writers">www.fbs.org/writers</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">May 20-24, Blue Ridge Mtns. Christian Writers Conference,
Ridgecrest <a href="http://www.blueridgeconference.com/2017-info">http://www.blueridgeconference.com/2017-info</a></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">September usually, ACFW Premier Christian Fiction Conference,
Texas <a href="http://www.acfw.com/conference">www.acfw.com/conference</a></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I consider
money spent for conferences, which I have to carefully plan and budget
for, is an investment in my writing success. And I keep detailed records
for tax deductions for all my writing expenses, including conferences.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMFG8SNFTkQ/Wn9SjvsbyMI/AAAAAAAACPE/ChdxrgYX5GEgPdPtfX98HJ28JJBfugw6wCLcBGAs/s1600/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BMFG8SNFTkQ/Wn9SjvsbyMI/AAAAAAAACPE/ChdxrgYX5GEgPdPtfX98HJ28JJBfugw6wCLcBGAs/s400/41gfnplFk3L.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>My first book contract offer for my inspirational romantic </b>suspense novel, <i>Summer of Deception,</i> actually
came after I attended and pitched it to an editor at
the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had 26
rejections of query letters and partial submissions by email before
that. Of course, I kept improving my craft after each rejection...and kept writing my second novel. I
think the face-to-face contact with an editor at a conference helped slide me over into a book contract
offer. Summer of Deception was released May, 2017. Amazon link <a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></span><br />
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u><br /></u></b>
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u>Writing Groups</u></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Along with
conferences, I have been blessed by my participation in several writing
groups: our ACFW-SC chapter of which I am vice president; Cross N Pens, which
meets in Simpsonville, SC, and Yvonne Lehman's writing group which I
attend when I can in Black Mountain, NC. The critique times in these
groups helped me plow through quite a few craft items I needed to
improve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>Great Writers' Blogs to Follow:</u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thewriteconversation.com/">http://www.thewriteconversation.com</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/">http:/www.seekerville.blogspot.com</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.blog@janicehardy.com/">http://www.blog@janicehardy.com</a> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.writerswrite.co.za/">http://www.writerswrite.co.za </a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I skim these blogs and print out the ones I need to study further. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Which conferences, writing groups, or blogs have helped you along the way?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">All the
above things have helped me gain a book contract. But I will never
discount the fact that finding time to daily study the Bible and pray
over my writing have been the key to any success I've enjoyed and much
smoother sailing.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XaMRLwVzgU/Wn9US-g-CoI/AAAAAAAACPQ/CfC_UJFwvE8XptmG4SwBATLUOVq6cZMJQCEwYBhgL/s1600/51QE%252BVWl9rL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="325" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_XaMRLwVzgU/Wn9US-g-CoI/AAAAAAAACPQ/CfC_UJFwvE8XptmG4SwBATLUOVq6cZMJQCEwYBhgL/s400/51QE%252BVWl9rL.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My second novel is from the pirate era! <i>In a Pirate's Debt </i>has been released by Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Amazon link </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So glad you stopped by. Do leave a comment and share this on your social media if you think it helpful to others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Be blessed today,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Elva </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0b414H7yfs/Vsc5deIR7sI/AAAAAAAABUk/2b9UdZ_2AXs91mvCSn-x5XynhKWIc2JpgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/Elva%2B2%2BIMG_5733%2BMary%2BDenman%2BJune%2B2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1208" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q0b414H7yfs/Vsc5deIR7sI/AAAAAAAABUk/2b9UdZ_2AXs91mvCSn-x5XynhKWIc2JpgCPcBGAYYCw/s200/Elva%2B2%2BIMG_5733%2BMary%2BDenman%2BJune%2B2015.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<b>Elva Cobb Martin </b>is vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of<i> </i>Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels contracted with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. <i><b>Summer of Deception,</b> </i>a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, <i><b>In a Pirate’s Debt.</b></i> Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. <i>Decision, Charisma, and Home Life </i>have carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site <u>http://</u><a href="http://www.elvamartin.com/" style="color: #771100;">www.elvamartin.com</a>,on her blog</div>
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<a href="http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com/"><b>http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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Twitter <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin" style="color: #771100;">www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin</a>; Facebook <a href="http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100;">http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin</a>; and Pinterest <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin" style="color: #771100;">https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin</a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI" style="color: #771100; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI</a></div>
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