Yosemite Writers Conference: Mystery talk after David Morrell's big speech - By N.L. Belardes

David Morrell just gave an inspiring hour-long speech about what it is to be a writer.

He talked about having worked in factories, driven across the country in poverty, and how daydreams transfer to great storytelling.

I felt like saying, "Thanks. I'm finally understood."

Such qualities are a part of me, my writing, and shape my own storytelling. Ask me in person if you ever see me. I'll tell you all about my novel about cross-country travel and poverty, my days in factories working 12-hour shifts, and how I believe tapping into and being aware of the subconscious can lead to great writing...

Now I'm sitting in a mystery-thriller panel that has Morrell, Bonnie Hearn Hill and Hallie Ephron. They just debated the difference between a thriller and a mystery. One lady spoke up and said that a mystery is like a puzzle, whereas a thriller is more white-knuckled.

Moderator Sheree Petree just asked about book series. Hearn Hill said that her agent said series are easier to market and promote. Writers do have to be careful and write strong characters and stories for series. "Don't create a mediocre character solving a mediocre crime," she said.

In avoiding common mistakes in mysteries and thrillers, Morrell said to know all the works in specific genres in which writers want to tackle. "Bring something new to the game so you're involved in the history," he said.

Hearn included that common mistakes are writers settling on weak characters which aren't fully developed.

Ephron mentioned the "backstory dump". She said such techniques are "pure dead weight" when writers put too much character info at the beginning of a story.

If you're interested in this panel, as the others that I participated on, Yosemite Writers will have the audio available for purchase. If you're a serious writer, the purchase is worth it as the YWC is regarded as one of the top writers conferences in America.

More on the 2007 Yosemite Writers Conference:

Is Book Publishing Dead? Yosemite Writers Conference Provides Food For Hungry Writers
Yosemite Writers Conference: A Conversation about Blogging
Rambo Creator Reinvents Captain America
Yosemite Writers Conference: Demystifying Chick lit and Women’s fiction
Yosemite Writers Conference: Poetry talk
Mystery talk after David Morrell's big speech
2007 Yosemite Writers Conference: Brenda Knight Sidesteps the TVA man
Yosemite Writers and the Chukchansi bathroom break
Headed to Yosemite Writers Conference to talk writing for social change

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Read Noveltown’s experiences at last year’s Yosemite Writer’s Conference:

By N.L. Belardes
A Writer in Yosemite: Part One
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Two
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Three
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Four
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Five
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Six
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Seven
A Writer in Yosemite: Part Eight

By Matildakay
A great literary weekend
What's your type?
How to Approach a Literary Agent...
The Mary Wong Lee Memorial Scholarship
Malcolm Margolin is Posh
Hanging out with the Pirates of Yosemite and setting the record straight
Kill Your Darlings

Schedule for the Yosemite Writers Conference – By Melinda Carroll

In a recent interview with Bonnie Hearn Hill about the Yosemite Writers Conference, she stated:

“We have four workshops an hour geared for everyone at every stage of her/his career; however, we encourage writers to follow their passion. If a beginning writer wants to attend a workshop on how to sell books to film, that’s fine. I should add that we have a talented sound professional from Hawaii recording all of the workshops, so if you miss one you think you might like, you can purchase a CD.”

Wow! That’s a lot of workshops! And there are a lot of great topics being covered! There are a couple of timeslots where I wish I could clone myself and sit in two workshops at the same time. I just might have to purchase a CD of the workshops so I don’t miss anything.

Take a look at the schedule of workshops for next week’s Yosemite Writers Conference:

Friday August 24:

9:15 – 10:15 AM –
Sharpen Your Hooks – Fiction
Writing For Social Change
Writing and Publishing Your Memoir
Writing Anthologies For the Soul

10:45 – 11:45 AM –
Ghosting Where the Money is: A Guide to Co-authoring
How to Stand Out in the Nonfiction Market
Selling to Chronicle Books
Editing Poetry: Entering the process whole and coming out humming

1:45 – 2:45 PM –
All About Platform: If You Build It, They Will Come
Spiritual Writing in the Age of The Secret
Selling to Tor Books
Chick Lit is Dead, and Other Myths About Women's Fiction

3:00 – 4:00 PM –
How to Pitch an Editor
Rates, rights and rules of engagement: What you need to know about magazine freelancing
Selling to Weiser Books
Take Your Book to the Movies

Saturday August 25:

9:15 – 10:15 AM –
He, She and the Dreaded Omniscient: Point of View at Close Range
Confessions of a Contest Judge
Picture Book Manuscript Critique
Beyond the Basics - What Every Author Needs to Know Before, During and After Publication

10:45 – 11: 45 AM –
Sharpen your Hooks – Nonfiction
Blogging Your Way to Fame

1:45 – 2:45 PM –
How to Pitch an Agent
Murder, They Wrote: A Guide to Mystery, Suspense & Thrillers
Writing for Guideposts

3:00 – 4:00 PM –
Tapping the Hot YA Market
Invisible Genius: Ghostwriting for The Penn Group
Twisting the Mystery Plot

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www.noveltown.net
www.yosemitewriters.com

Are you doing your Summer Reading? – By Melinda Carroll

Remember when you were a kid and your teachers would send a recommended summer reading list home with you at the end of the school year hoping you would do more than just play video games, like improve your mind. How many of you were good boys and girls and actually read a few books on the recommended summer reading list? How much did your summer reading influence your life as a child? As an adult? Is reading a passion in your life?

I don’t know about you, but I’m always reading. I have a stack of books at home that are in my “to be read” pile, but I continue to buy more books. I can’t help myself. My logic is I’ll eventually read them all.

Noveltown is not only passionate about writers, we’re passionate about readers too! Without readers the Indie literary presses and the publishing world would come to a screeching halt and eventually cease to exist. Books would become coasters, or those things you press flowers in, or worse! I don’t even want to imagine a world without books, its too horrible a thought. For in books our imaginations run free within world’s writers create for us. J. K. Rowling is the most successful author ever because of readers!

It’s mid summer and Noveltown just wanted to check in on you to make sure you’re doing your summer reading…

For all of you Paperback Writer readers who are book sluts, word whores, always carry a book with you in your purse or backpack, read while laying out by the pool, on the beach or by a lake, and plan what books you’re taking with you on vacation we’ve got some fabulous recommended summer reading for you.

Salon.com put together a great four part recommended summer reading list:

Mysteries and Science Fiction: “Thrills and chills: These mysteries and science fiction novels will transport you to a higher plane.”

Three Bags Full - By Leonie Swann, Anthea Bell, trans.
Mr. Dixon Disappears - By Ian Sansom
Up in Honey's Room - By Elmore Leonard
Body of Lies - By David Ignatius
Brasyl - By Ian McDonald
The Margarets - By Sheri S. Tepper

(Read the full mystery and science fiction article for synopsis’ of these books and links to buy)

Memoirs: “Great escapes: From a journey down the Nile to the chronicle of a professional basketball player, these memoir recommendations will whisk you away.”

Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World - By Anthony Doerr
Down the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff - By Rosemary Mahoney
Can I Keep My Jersey? 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond - By Paul Shirley
Dog Days: Dispatches From Bedlam Farm - By Jon Katz
The Cure for Anything Is Salt Water: How I Threw My Life Overboard and Found Happiness at Sea - By Mary South

(Read the full memoir article for synopsis’ of these books and links to buy)

Chic lit: “Chic lit: From a saga of 17th century maidens to a 21st century mom flirting with disaster, our novel recommendations will make you feel cheap and sexy in the best possible way.”

Little Stalker - By Jennifer Belle
Peony in Love - By Lisa See
Slummy Mummy - By Fiona Neill
The New Yorkers: A Novel - By Cathleen Schine
Sheer Abandon - By Penny Vincenzi

(Read the full chic lit article for synopsis’ of these books and links to buy)

Thrillers: “Killer thrillers: From the pursuit of a lost Shakespeare manuscript to a chilling tale of missing sisters, these recommendations will add sizzle to your beach book list.”

The Book of Air and Shadows - By Michael Gruber
What the Dead Know - By Laura Lippman
Nerve Damage - By Peter Abrahams
The Broken Shore - By Peter Temple
The Grave Tattoo - By Val McDermid

(Read the full thrillers article for synopsis’ of these books and links to buy)

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Noveltown put together our own recommended summer reading list by some of our favorite authors:

Contemporary Fiction: From a road trip to the war in Iraq these novels will take you on adventures to new places.

Moonpies & Moviestars – By Amy Wallen - A wild road trip adventure.
Attention. Deficit. Disorder. – By Brad Listi - For those who don’t pay attention to how life affects them.
Last One In – By Nicholas Kulish - A satire about the war in Iraq.
Mulligan’s Pennies – By Robbie Byrne - A story about Irish tragedy and triumph.

Memoirs: Drugs, culture and dysfunctionality, these memoirs explore the deeper side of human nature.

Drugs are Nice – By Lisa Crystal Carver - A modern post-punk tale.
The Oracles – By Pati Poblete - A story about appreciating culture.
Dark at the Roots – By Sarah Thyre - A story about a dysfunctional family.

Mystery & Suspense: Murder, suspense, this mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If it Bleeds – By Bonnie Hearn Hill - A California Central Valley Newspaper mystery.

Women’s Fiction & Erotica: From globe-trotting adventurers to a victorian wife these women's fiction and erotica novels will bring out all your inhibitions.

Bicoastal Babe – By Cynthia Langston - A double life? Love and adventure on two coasts.
A Thousand and One Nights – By Lara Tupper - A lounge singing duo's adventures and misadventures in love.
Vertigo – By Lauren Baratz-Logsted - Spellbinding historical fiction with erotic suspense.
Three Days in New York City and Another Bite of the Apple – By Robin Slick - Humorously satirical and wickedly delicious erotic fiction.

Just for fun: Astrology, decorating and farming for when you want to discover something new.

Born on a Rotten Day and Love on a Rotten Day – Hazel Dixon-Cooper - Learn how you ruin your life and the lives of others.
Punk Shui: Home Designs for Anarchists – By Josh Amatore Hughes - Home decorating punker style.
Blithe Tomato – By Mike Madison - A journey through California’s small farms and farmers’ markets.

(Read Noveltown's reviews of these books)

And don’t forget to include Noveltown in your summer reading:

Lords: Part One – by N.L. Belardes - A Central California urban myth? Or the true tales of the Lords of Bakersfield. (Buy your copy of Lords: Part One)

The Noveltown Review - A Literary magazine. (Read the review by Greg Goodsell) (Get your copy online)

Now get to reading… book reports are optional.