A Win!!! 7 yr old Destini will dance with her classmates on Dec 12th!

Destini Berry, 7, can appear in her ballet recital, locks and all.

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Thomas: Destini will dance; not against rules, for respect
By Wendi C. Thomas
Contact
November 29, 2005

The show goes on, and Destini Berry will be a part.

The 7-year-old girl was banned from her first ballet recital because Dance Works' director, Karen Zissoff, declared her shoulder-length, straw-thin dreadlocks unsuitable for the Dec. 12 performance.

If Destini kept her locks, the only Dance Works recital Zissoff would agree to would be one Dec. 11, in which Destini would dance alone in front of her parents.

But Zissoff has apparently had a change of heart. In a letter given to Destini's mother Monday, Zissoff said the girl will be allowed to perform with her classmates Dec. 12.

This is a win for Destini and despite what some may think, a win for all who are paying attention. Destini's determination to dance led us into frank conversations about race that otherwise we would have avoided.

This was never about Destini's willingness to follow the rules, because she has observed all of Zissoff's written rules.

Zissoff, who receives government money for her non-profit program, has no written policies against locks. Had Takeisha Berry known when Destini began lessons two months ago that Zissoff didn't allow locks, she would have taken her daughter elsewhere.

Zissoff's rules require girls to wear their hair in a bun for recitals. Berry did pull Destini's hair into a bun, but it wasn't good enough for Zissoff.

And that's what has stuck in my craw, this persistent, insidious notion that natural black hair isn't good enough.

Look no further than the proliferation of beauty supply stores hawking long, straight, fake hair for black women to sew onto their scalps, and the boxes of chemical relaxers lining store shelves to see that many black women and men buy into that lie.

We're barely out of the womb before adults start evaluating and grading our hair based on its natural texture. Straight, long hair is "good" hair. Nappy, kinky, coarse, ultra-curly or short hair is "bad" hair.

By styling Destini's hair into locks, Berry was consciously resisting the pressure to make her daughter's hair mimic the European standard of beauty. She was telling her daughter that her hair is fine just as it is.

Complaining that ballet traditions are being destroyed, or insisting this is just another example of nonconforming black people who won't follow the rules is to miss the lesson.

Black and white people are alike, and we are different. Acknowledge the similarities and celebrate the differences. Don't crush them.

Help me to help yourself!!!

Hi ,

Check this link out first for credible references...
click here:http://info.freepay.com/pressroom.html

Help me and you can help yourself also! A friend of mine just sent me this and I just registered to help her and her daughter win a free iPod and $250 in iTunes!

Now I'm trying to win them for my nephew! You can for yourself as well! It's real easy to do too!!!

Just click on my referral link : http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=25457994

And pick just ONE offer and participate, you will be 1 out of 5 people I need to do this...smile

I picked the FREE $25 walmart card. All I had to do was give my Credit card # for an entertainment offer and they charge me $1. I will cancel this within 7 days (I'll call and cancel on Friday). So I wont have the membership anymore, I'll still get the $25 walmart card!! And my nephew gets an iPod just because I said ok to one offer.

It's all easy and legite...check out the video being featured on CNN at the start of this message...

Would you do this for me? There are a lot of offers you dont have to choose the walmart card.. but that one was easiest and my sister loves shopping at walmart

Here is my referral link. Just click on it, then put in your information, and pick one offer. If you dont want the service they are offering, but still want to help me.. just pick one and cancel it before the deadline. :)

http://ipods.freepay.com/?r=25457994



Again, thanks...help be 1 or my 5 first to get started, then go for it for yourself,like I just did my friend...a pretty cool way to get some extra gifts for Christmas...smile


Thanks Tempie

Appalled, Outraged, Saddened and Stunned!!!

Thomas: Let director know what you think of natural hair
By Wendi C. Thomas
Contact
November 27, 2005

Appalled, outraged, saddened and stunned.

That's what readers have to say about the incident created by Karen Zissoff, director of Dance Works.

What readers want to know is what they can do about Zissoff's disdain for natural black hair, as detailed in this space last Sunday.

Background: Zissoff, who runs a classical ballet program for mostly black girls, has banned Destini Berry from her first recital because the 7-year-old black girl has thin shoulder-length dreadlocks.

Zissoff, who is white, insists ballet dancers don't have locks, but she's never bothered to add that rule to her registration materials or newsletters.

For performances, Zissoff's dancers must wear their hair in buns. Takeisha Berry can pull her daughter's hair into a bun, which you can see online with my column last Sunday.

Virtually all of the 200-plus readers who have flooded my e-mail and voice mail say Destini's bun looks fine. But Zissoff, who leases space for Dance Works from Southwest Community College, says if Destini wants to perform Dec. 12 with the other students, she'll have to cut off her hair.

Or, Zissoff offered, in what she clearly thinks is a generous gesture, Destini can leave her locks alone and perform alone Dec. 11.

In the last week, the news has spread across the country, thanks to lively debate on local radio shows, coverage on WMC-TV and at least two blogs.

Zissoff has alerted the Tennessee Arts Commission, which gives grant money to Dance Works and has rules against discrimination by any group that receives government funds.

Southwest Tennessee Community College says its only tie to Zissoff is the lease agreement, but Zissoff has a Southwest e-mail address and on her brochures, implies she's affiliated with the college's fine arts department. Southwest also hosts Dance Works' Web pages, a link college president Dr. Nathan Essex says he's investigating.

Destini's mother still takes Destini to dance lessons, in the hopes her child will be allowed to join the Dec. 12 recital.

If you, like I, can't believe that Zissoff won't allow a child to perform because she wears locks, here's what you can do.

Suggest Zissoff (901-333-5174) or (kjzissoff@southwest.tn.edu) try a career that doesn't involve black girls and their natural hair. Ask Essex (901-333-4426) if the school's ties to Zissoff are consistent with their commitment to diversity.

Ask the Greater Memphis Arts Council (executive director Susan Schadt, 901-578-2787, ext. 219 or sschadt@memphisartscouncil.org) how its fund-raising efforts might be affected by giving a $3,000 grant to a woman who stubbornly stands by her discriminatory policies.

And most importantly, show Destini that she should be proud of her natural hair.

If Zissoff decides to put children before her ridiculous rules, Destini will dance Dec. 12, surrounded by her classmates.

If not, Destini will perform Dec. 11, alone but surrounded by a supportive community.

Contact Wendi C. Thomas at (901) 529-5896 or send an e-mail

Thought For The Day! The Bible and The Old Wicker Coal Basket

The Bible and the Old Wicker Coal Basket


The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?" The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, "Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, "You will have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was "impossible to carry water in a basket," and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Papa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out."

That is the work of God in our lives - to change us from the inside out and to slowly transform us into the image of His son.

Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God's word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.




Thought for Today:

God's love is like the ocean, you can see its beginnings but not its end.

Dr. A. Rodgers-Bellevue Baptist-We Will Miss You!!!

I thank God that at this time I can be thankful of having heard so many of Dr. Rodgers sermons. No matter where I have gone he has always seemed to be a part of my life! I never got a chance to tell him that face to face but in spirit I know he knew! I was born and raised in Memphis, Tn. I grew up with Dr. Rodgers in so many ways!

I know I could blog about so many things but for me at this point of healing I never realized how powerful writing what I feel has been for me! Lord please forgive me for being selfish but there is so much I have to be thankful for. As I write this post I am listening to the memorial services on the radio. I couldn't get to his service the other night since I live in Memphis.

I remember passing Bellevue Baptist Church back while I drove to college back in 1972. I remember hearing him and seeing him on TV way before then. If we couldn't make it to church , Dr. Rodgers helped bring church to us. We thank You! He was one of the few pastors my family admired. I say that because we attended other churches and of a different race and probably had different political issues...I'm not sure??? nevertheless , that is one of the things that made Dr. Rodgers so special was it didn't matter...he had a special annointing of God on him so strong that you just jnew it. While traveling and living elsewhere it seemed that Dr. Rodgers was always around, while I lived in Chicago and attended Moody Church,I was so delighted that he was friends to the pastor and visited several times. Also, whereever I was and turned my favorite radio station on AM 640 I could hear him. I was honored to have been able to attend his new and moved beautiful large Bellevue Baptist Church last year to the live performance of the Passion Play.

Another special bond, I knew that came from his annointing and blessing was an older man I will not mention his name but he helped write sermons for Dr. Rodgers. This man I met in my neigborhood library. We bonded so and we have encouraged each other to continue our writing. You would never know by looking at him but he goes to the library almost every other day and he always has a large black bible on his table spread out with all his writing papers. This man encouraged me from the start when I was struggling with the loss of both my parents. This man I saw in the grocery store about two weeks ago and was so proud when I told him my book dedicated to my parents and brother is in the process of being published. I know now I need to contact him. I need to allow my love and respect for Dr. Rodgers which I have always felt through this lonely old man to live on.... Dr. Rodgers, I love you and I thank God for you and your teachings and preachings...may you continue to be in peace with the lord and may your family have the strength to endure...

Love Tempie

The Holidays Are Approaching! What Are You Thankful For?

Hi Everybody!!!
I know everybody is different and all have different views of the
holidays. I can only speak for myself and personally I am so
thankful for so much!
I will be approaching the holidays with so many mixed emotions
with the loss of parents and brother on one hand but on the other
hand the gain of a new nephew-N-law and the announcement of a
possible new niece of nephew by my baby sister and her husband!
I am just so thankful that through it all God has still allowed me
and my family to be together and to be there for each other as much
as possible? I say God because there is no other explanation to
explain how he can make you see how important family is!
So this Thanksgiving for me I will be with my family and loving
them while being thankful for those that for what ever reason won't
be able to be with theirs! I will be very prayful and mindful of
that at all times!

* Take a minute and share some of your personal thoughts of being
thankful...

Still digging Isaac Hayes (A Memphis Legend)

Still digging Isaac Hayes By Gary Jackson
Thu Nov 10, 6:55 AM ET



LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Sartorially resplendent in a silken gold and magenta kaftan, Isaac Hayes took the stage at the Vault 350 in Long Beach knowing full well that his status as a cultural icon bordered on royalty.

ADVERTISEMENT

He certainly stood out in a club awash in black-dominated attire, both onstage and in the audience, as he strode to his keyboard to the strains of his remake of Roy Hamilton's 1958 hit "Don't Let Go."

Hayes has nurtured his 40-plus-year career by blending a mix of original songs ("Theme from 'Shaft,"' "Joy" and the tongue-twister "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymystic") with lush, Vegas-y remakes ("The Look of Love," "Walk On By"). But most recently, Hayes has reached pop culture status via his gig as the voice of "Chef" on the riotously irreverent animated show "South Park," to which he paid just respect with the silly and suggestive "Chocolate Salty Balls."

Hayes' robust baritone was a direct influence on the late Barry White, who later retooled Hayes' trademark soap operatic approach and brought it to even greater heights. Yet, as the originator of the style, Hayes, with his Southern soul origins, brings an earthiness that is both endearing and wholly original -- despite midcareer forays into the aforementioned bloated Las Vegas excess.

Several slow patches occurred as Hayes -- obviously stretching for time -- related his trip to the club by taxi rather than limousine, saying it afforded him the opportunity to "get out amongst the people." OK. ... But the problem with time-filling is that attention wanders, as on "The Look of Love." On the flip side, Hayes offered a brilliantly charged version of "Walk On By" that was every bit the equal of the studio version from his classic 1969 album, "Hot Buttered Soul."

After the molasses of "Look of Love," Hayes jump-started the set with "Do Your Thing," from his 1972 movie soundtrack to "Shaft." Backed by a muscular and ultra-tight band that included four banks of keyboards, precise and creative percussion and adventurous guitar, Hayes gave the members free rein to explore. Kudos to keyboardist Jarrett Jackson, whose nimble playing provided solid underpinning.

Hayes ended the set with a perfunctory version of his Oscar-winning "Theme from 'Shaft,"' and exhorted the audience to chant its now-familiar refrain. Left out was such fare as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (which literally put him on the radar) and "Never Can Say Goodbye." However, "I Stand Accused" fulfilled the audience's need for stories of bruised relationships from a man's standpoint, an art that Isaac Hayes perfected.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter

Advantages of Copyright Registration

Advantages of Copyright Registration
© Copyright 1999 Lloyd L. Rich
Introduction

Federal copyright protection in the United States was established by the Constitution and empowered Congress to legislate copyright laws that granted protection to "writings". Since the passage of the first Copyright Act in 1790 that permitted only "maps, charts and books" to be eligible for copyright protection, successive copyright acts, copyright office interpretations and judicial decisions have significantly increased the categories of creative works that are protected by federal copyright law. Today federal copyright law will protect almost all types of creative works as long as the particular work meets the standards promulgated by the Copyright Act. Furthermore, the Copyright Act of 1976 abolished the dual system of copyright protection that had previously consisted of federal and common law protection and replaced it with one system - federal protection.

Copyright protection, with some exceptions , is available for "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or other wise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device." The "originality" requirement is generally a relatively easy hurdle to achieve because a work will be deemed original if it was independently created and not copied from another work. The "fixation" requirement will be satisfied once the work has been set in a stable and permanent form such as being in written or audio form.

Copyright protection automatically exists from the moment of creation for any work that satisfies the originality and fixation requirements. However, even though copyright protection automatically exists, and copyright registration is no longer required to protect a published work, there are significant benefits for the copyright owner to copyright register their creative work.

Copyright Registration of the Creative Work

Copyright registration is voluntary and may be effected at any time the work is still protected by copyright. The registration process permits the owner of any of the exclusive rights in the copyrighted work to register their work once it has been created. Registration is available for both published and unpublished works. Although registration is not required to establish copyright protection for a creative work, this legal formality when complied with provides the copyright owner with protection that far exceeds the time and cost of obtaining such registration. Registering the copyrighted work is not a very timely, costly or complex process and it can be accomplished by the copyright owner or the owner's agent such as a copyright attorney or copyright registration service.

Regretfully, many copyright owners neglect to obtain copyright registration for their creative works. The reasons for not obtaining copyright registration run the spectrum from "It's not required.", "I don't have or want to spend the $30 registration fee.", "I don't have the time to complete the registration application." to "I forgot.". Although the copyright owner may have spent significant time and expense in creating and/or publishing their creative work their failure to register the copyrighted work, or to register it in a timely manner, may preclude the copyright owner from pursuing specific remedies in the event their work has been copyright infringed.

The copyright owner should register a work in a timely manner for the following reasons. First, in the United States copyright registration is a prerequisite for bringing a copyright infringement lawsuit. A copyright owner cannot proceed with a copyright infringement lawsuit unless the work has been registered. Although a copyright owner might wonder why they should spend the time and money in registering the work before an infringement occurs when they can register the work after it has been infringed such reasoning could prove to be very costly and damaging to the copyright owner. The copyright owner might also be thinking that they would never file a lawsuit for infringement so why should they take the time and spend $30 to register the work. But if a lawsuit ever becomes an eventuality, at a minimum it could cost the copyright owner a significantly higher registration fee to expedite the registration of the work so that the lawsuit could be filed.

The second reason a copyright owner should register a copyrighted work in a timely manner is that the copyright owner will be eligible to receive "statutory damages" and "legal costs and attorneys' fees" from a copyright infringer. A timely manner means that the copyright registration was filed prior to an infringement taking place or within three months from the publication date of the work. If the infringement occurs prior to the effective date of copyright registration or after the three-month grace period then the copyright owner will not be entitled to receive statutory damages and legal costs and attorneys' fees. The effective date of copyright registration is the date when the Copyright Office receives the complete registration application that consists of the application, fee and deposit copies.

The significance of statutory damages is that it permits an award of special damages in a successful infringement lawsuit and negates the duty of the copyright owner to prove actual damages. The reasons why a copyright owner may elect to receive statutory damages rather than actual damages is that in many instances proving actual damages is very difficult or the profits of the infringer are very small. The statutory damages that will be awarded is discretionary and will depend upon how willful and harmful the infringement was ­ usually the more deliberate and more damaging the infringement the greater the award. Furthermore, the legal costs in any copyright infringement lawsuit, particularly attorneys' fees, are extremely expensive. By registering the work in a timely manner the court also has the discretion to award attorneys' fees and legal costs to the copyright owner.

The third reason why the copyright owner should register a copyrighted work is that the Certificate of Registration serves as prima facie evidence that the work is original and is owned by the registrant of the copyrighted work. This becomes especially important if it becomes necessary for the copyright owner to obtain a preliminary injunction against a copyright infringer, such as the immediate cessation of the distribution of the infringer's work. The presumption of validity will only apply if the work has been registered within five years from the publication date.

In actuality the benefits received from registering a copyrighted work may be even more important than those resulting from a copyright infringement lawsuit. This is because the great majority of copyright infringement matters are settled by the parties and not resolved by a lawsuit. The primary reason why copyright infringement actions are settled is the significant cost in time and money that is involved in such lawsuits. By registering a copyrighted work in a timely manner the copyright owner has the ability to bring the lawsuit at the specific moment it is required. It also permits the copyright owner to send a "cease and desist letter" to the infringer that incorporates demands that are backed-up by the knowledge that a lawsuit could be immediately filed and that the (i) validity of originality and ownership will be presumed, (ii) statutory damages may be awarded, and (iii) legal costs and attorneys' fees may be recovered. When a copyright infringer receives such a cease and desist letter they will frequently accede to the copyright owner's demands without the copyright owner filing a lawsuit.

Recommendation: Register the copyrighted work immediately upon its creation or publication.

COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

The registration procedure is not very time consuming, complex or costly but it does require that the applicant take the time to correctly complete the appropriate copyright registration form, pay a non-refundable fee that is presently $30 for each copyright application, and send a deposit copy or copies of the work to the Copyright Office. Once the Copyright Office has approved the copyright registration application the copyright owner will receive a Certificate of Registration. The copyright registration process usually takes from six months to one year, but in an emergency, such as pending litigation, an expedited registration process that requires special fees can be utilized.

Published and unpublished works can be registered. As a general rule all published works that have value should be immediately registered upon their publication. Registration of unpublished works is a more subjective decision because it will depend upon how widely the copyright owner will distribute the unpublished work, the value of the work, and the likelihood that someone will copy it. However, if the copyright owner has any doubts about registering an unpublished work, then to allay any fears and because the registration process is relatively simple and inexpensive the copyright owner should register the unpublished work.

Copyright registration forms may be obtained from the Copyright Office. The type of work being registered will determine which copyright registration form is required. For example, the TX form is used for published and unpublished non-dramatic literary works such as books and computer programs, the PA form is used for published and unpublished works that will be performed before an audience such as plays and screenplays, the SE form is used to register serial publications such as magazines, newspapers, journals and newsletters, the VA form is used for registering pictorial, graphic and sculptural works such as artwork and photographs, and the SR form is used for sound recordings such as tapes and CDs.

The copyright owner may register the copyrighted work on their own or they can employ the services of a copyright attorney or service organization that handles copyright registration matters. The guiding principle on how a particular copyright owner handles the copyright registration procedure should be based on the cost of registering the work but most importantly on insuring that the registration is handled in a timely matter so that the work is protected from its date of publication.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is not legal advice. You should consult an attorney if you have legal questions that relate to your specific publishing issues and projects.
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Sign up for our FREE PubLaw Update Newsletter and receive new articles sent to your email address as they are published.

Lloyd L. Rich is an attorney practicing publishing and intellectual property law. He can be reached at 1163 Vine Street, Denver, CO 80206. Phone: (303) 388-0291; FAX: (303) 388-0477; E-Mail: rich@publishingattorney.com; Web Site: http://www.publishingattorney.com

My Publish America Author Friends

I am very excited and proud that Publish America has offered me a contract and is going to make my ten year dream come true!!! I am working with my editor as I write this to finalize all for my proofs and cover design! Hopefully all should be ready to be in print very soon and they will present my press release!!! I am dedicating this first of many novels to the memory of both my parents!!!

Here are some other Publish America works I am Proud of!!!



Memphis-RAWSistaz BookCub - Book of The Month for November - Emanuel Carpenter

www.memphisrawsistaz.com





Online-Writers Conference Panelist & Speaker - Gena L. Garrison



Teresa Patterson - Featured Author



David A.Lewis - notes from Maya Angelou



My LeMoyne-Owen College Friend - Cathy A. Stewart

www.cathyastewart.com

Proper Formatting

(This document is best viewed in text size medium or smaller. In the tool bar at the top of the page, click on View, then Text Size, then on Medium or Smaller.)


PROPER FORMATTING/MacDonald 1




CHAPTER ONE
One of the things a new writer should know is how to do is to properly format a manuscript before sending it

out to an editor or agent. There are no hard and fast rules, but here are some suggestions to help you. Okay, there is

one hard and fast rule. Never use colored paper. Use white, twenty weight or better paper. The current trend is to use

Courier New 12 font. Double space your work like this. Use one inch margins all around. This leaves room for comments

or proofreading marks to be added.

Why not use Times New Roman font? In Courier, each letter takes up the exact same space. In Roman, each

letter takes up a slightly different amount of space. Thus, with Courier, it is easier to estimate the word count of a page.

With one inch margins and twenty five lines per page you will have a word count of 250 words per page. But what if you

can’t get 25 lines per page? What if sometimes you get 24 and sometimes you get 26? Some contest will disqualify you

but an editor may not care. Your story won’t be rejected because of it. Editors are looking for a strong, sellable

romance, not perfect formatting. However, if you’re like me and want things to match up, here's a way to do it.

If you use Microsoft Word, go to the tool bar at the top of you Word screen and click on Format. Then click

on Paragraph. Under Indents and Spacing, find Line spacing: Hit the down arrow and chose Exactly. It will then give

you a numeric choice under At: Choose 25pt and each page will have exactly twenty five line. Now click OK.

Another tip. Under Format, then Paragraph, then Line and Page Breaks, uncheck all the boxes to disable

widow and orphan control and then click OK.



PROPER FORMATTING/MacDonald 2



Now you are ready for a header. Again, no hard and fast rules except that you need your title and name on

every page of your manuscript. In offices that receive thousands of loose pages bound only with rubber bands, the odds

are good that some of them are going to get dropped. You don’t want pages of Annie Crane’s historical mixed in with

your breezy contemporary. Here are two headers. Either is okay, so chose the one you like.

In the tool bar click on Insert, the Page Numbers. Under Position: chose Top of Page. Under Alignment: chose

Right, then click OK. When that is done, click on View in you tool bar and choose Header and Footer. In the box that

appears type your title followed by a - / or space, then type your name. If you have a common name like Smith or Jones, add

a first initial or use your full name. Which side you chose to place your title and name is personal preference unless the

publisher's guidelines state it specifically.

PROPER FORMATTING/MacDonald/1


or
PROPER FORMATTING/MacDonald 1

As you start your story, begin each chapter approximately one third of the way down the page. Don’t use numbers

in your manuscript, spell them out. CHAPTER 13 should be CHAPTER THIRTEEN. The same with time, dates, heights

or any numbers you may use in your story. Spell them out. He is six foot two, not 6’2”. Should you use one space or two

spaces after the end of each sentence? I use two because I learned that way. In some places it is becoming

acceptable to use a single space. Which ever way you chose, stick to it. Don’t drift back and forth.

A scene break can be marked by an * or series of them centered on the page like this.


***
You may also use the # key if you like the look of it better, but I prefer to use this in place of "The End".


###
Do not hole punch or bind your manuscript. Send the loose pages held together with two large rubber bands.

Should you send it in a box or in an envelope? Many publishing houses prefer envelopes, but which ever way you

send it, always include a self addressed, stamped, return envelope (SASE) with enough postage for them to mail your

manuscript back to you. It’s okay to include a stamped, self addressed postcard that they can return as

confirmation they received your work. Most publishing houses will have guidelines for the way they like

to receive submissions. When in doubt, call and ask.

Formatting won’t win you a publishing contract, but by following these simple rules, your submission will

look professional and that’s a start.

Pat MacDonald


BACK to Main Page

Career Plan For Fiction Writers

Career Plan for Fiction Writers
by Victory Crayne

Table of Contents
Introduction
Learn how to write better.
Learn how to critique.
Seek clips of your writing being published by others.
Submit manuscripts.
If you are writing novels, seek an agent.
Submit new material via your agent.
Pay attention to the 'business of writing'.
Treat editors as human beings too.
Keep in mind these helpful hints.
Other internet sites for writers
Acknowledgements


1. Introduction
This is a posting of ideas for a career general plan to succeed as a fiction writer. Non-fiction writers may pursue a different path.
It is meant as a GUIDELINE ONLY and was compiled from the ideas of many postings to the Usenet newsgroup misc.writing as well as other sources. This is not intended as a strict edict but rather as a list of possible steps a beginner may follow to a career in fiction writing, benefiting from some of the collective wisdom of many who have gone before them.

The author Victory Crayne is solely responsible for typos and misquotations.


2. Learn how to write better.
READ! READ! READ! in the area of your interest in writing.

WRITE! WRITE! WRITE! every day. The best way to achieve this is to set a goal of how much you will write EVERY DAY.

"By making writing a part of your daily routine -- just like brushing your teeth -- you'll discipline yourself to work as a writer instead of a hobbyist who only writes when there's some fun to be had." - Theresa Grant

Lurk on the net and read paper copies of other people's writing and critiques of same. You may pick up some useful ideas on how to improve your own writing.

Attend a class on creative writing. Then take a class in writing in the field you want to pursue, e.g. science fiction, horror, fantasy, mystery, romance, historic novels, etc.

If your grammar has been criticized on a number of occasions, attend a class on grammar. Poor grammar will turn off any editor and will reduce your chance of having your piece accepted.

Try to complete something to submit as often as you can. The guideline here is: 'learn to fail fast'. That is, test the waters with your best efforts, submit them for review, and study carefully the feedback you receive with an open mind to self improvement. Realize that you will not learn as fast if you wait till your material is 'perfect' before sending it out.

However, never submit something that is not your best effort to date. One good way is to critique your own piece. Can you find the weaknesses BEFORE you send it to anyone?

Remember that the secret to success is revising.

"I have never thought of myself as a good writer. Anyone who wants reassurance of that should read one of my first drafts. But I'm one of the world's great rewriters." - James A. Michener.

Ask some friends who are also writers to review you piece before you send it to the 'outside world'. Be willing to return the favor by critiquing their works promptly when asked.

"Never ask a friend, family member or coworker to review your ms. Get a writer who is on the same level or higher than your own experience; you'll then be assured that you're getting feedback you need from someone experienced, instead of someone who will pull punches or tell you what they think you want to hear." - Theresa Grant.

One way to get reviews by others is to post your pieces to the Usenet newsgroups alt.prose or rec.arts.prose. In all fairness, you should also read and post your critiques of other writers' contributions to such a group.

There is some debate on whether posting your writing to public outlets like the newsgroups alt.prose and rec.arts.prose could be interpreted by some editors as 'publishing' and would decrease the attractiveness of your submissions to them. This subject is being hotly debated on the Internet and this opinion is of the author only. Here are some other opinions:
"Copyright, publication and the net are hotly debated. Putting something in rec.arts.prose is no more 'publishing' than making a printout of your ms. and letting someone else read it for fun and/or feedback." -Theresa Grant.
"I think it makes no difference any particular way, except perhaps to some on-line, non-pay 'zines' that are in competition with the newsgroups, in a sense. Real publishers wouldn't know or care." - Jack Mingo.
Another way to get reviews by others is to join a writers workshop, either in your local area or on the Internet. To get information on online workshops, see the World Wide Web at:
http://www.crayne.com/

where some workshops are directly. In addition, you will find other web sites for writers where even more writers workshops are listed.


Some people use the 'buddy system' to help their productivity, asking another writer to communicate with them FREQUENTLY, to help each other develop a better habit of writing DAILY.


3. Learn how to critique.
Learn to critique others' writing. The better at critiquing you become, the better writer you will become. In your critiques, try to list positive steps for improvement in the story from the other person.

Read my article "How to Critique Fiction", which goes into detail on points to look for and questions to ask yourself as you prepare a critique. This can be found on the Internet in "Victory Crayne Home Page" at:
http://www.crayne.com/

Or download the full (28K) text version at:

www.crayne.com/download/howcrit.txt

Or download a (10K) version in ZIP format at:

www.crayne.com/download/howcrit.zip

4. Seek clips of your writing being published by others.
Seek information on publications that might be interested in what you have written.

Try to get samples of the publications to which you are interested in submitting. Ask yourself: will my piece fit in here? If not, the editor is not likely to buy your story. Editors get a lot of material every week. Don't waste their time and your postage submitting to the wrong publication.

If you are sending a short story, send your entire manuscript.

If you are sending a long piece, first send a query letter. Write a brief one paragraph description of your story to send with your query letter. Send multiple query letters for the same piece to different publications, to save time. This is different from 'multiple submissions', a hotly debated topic in misc.writing covered separately below.

Do not use a vanity publisher, which is like paying someone to say they liked your writing. Not credible if you wish to get paid by an editor for another piece. The key here is: which other editor has thought enough of your work to publish it?

Send your work to the appropriate market.
"Don't sell yourself short; dare to dream. You might sell to a top market before you ever sell to a non-paying market - you won't know unless you try. In the same way, it's good to be cooperative, but don't be too humble either." - Rheal Nadeau.
"Start your marketing at the top; that is, with the best magazine that you think has a chance at wanting your story. Work down the list from the top. The "best" means different things to different writers. If you're writing for money, it means the magazine that pays best. If you're looking to be widely read, it may mean the one with the highest circulation. To some people, "best" is an intangible; the magazine that you think has the best reputation, the best production values, one that puts you alongside other writers you respect. If you're an academic looking for tenure, it may mean the one that's most respected in the academic world." - Geoffrey A. Landis

If you have some non-fiction writing to your credit, mentioning it might help. For example, writing articles for non-fiction magazines, press releases, pamphlets, etc.

Keep a goal of getting published for money - which earns more respect. Therefore, after a limited number of these easier targets, start sending your work to paying editors only.

Be willing to closely follow the guidelines for submission of each editor you use.

Format your work professionally for the editor's reading and run it through a spelling checker before mailing. If grammar is still a weak spot, run it through a grammar checker too. Proper formatting is better covered in books, other magazines, etc. and will not be covered in detail here.

5. Submit manuscripts.
The concept of submitting manuscripts 'simultaneously' to different editors is a very controversial subject in misc.writing.

If the editor's guidelines say 'simsubs' are okay, then by all means do it. That increases your chances of finding acceptance for publication. Tell the editor you are submitting simultaneously to other publications, for example "This piece is being submitted simultaneously." They know what that means; you don't have to apologize.

If the editor say 'NO simsubs', then by all means send out ONLY ONE copy to ONE editor and wait for their response before sending out to another editor.

Keep the number of simsubs at a level you can keep track of. The more you send, the better your chances. But -- when one editor accepts a piece, you MUST inform those other editors PROMPTLY!

Discipline yourself in handling submissions.
"Earmark a day of the week as 'submissions day.' On that day you WILL get out at least one submission. Do it on a regular day of the week. If you pick one solid day to ALWAYS generate a submission or query, you'll start snowballing the effect of acceptance and rejections. As responses pick up you'll get into the 'business' of being a writer, all because you earmarked one day where submissions and queries WILL be done." - Theresa Grant.

In your cover letter, you may wish to offer a floppy disk containing your complete work. When the time comes to send a floppy, send it in text or ASCII format only, not formatted with fonts, italics, etc. It is not likely the editor on the other end uses exactly the same word processor you do.
"In general, editors don't want to see a floppy with submissions; it clutters up their desk, and, worse, it won't stay paperclipped to the manuscript. It will probably be discarded before the manuscript is read. If editors want an electronic copy, they will ask for one *on acceptance*. (If you want, you can put in your cover letter that you will send a floppy on request.)" - Geoffrey A. Landis

Of course, some publications will accept email submission. CAUTION: Do not send your manuscript via email unless that is stated as acceptable in the editors' guidelines! Editors do NOT appreciate having their email inbox full of unsolicited manuscripts. Don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Don't stop writing while waiting for replies. Realize that you may have to submit 5 or more different stories before you gain recognition.

"Keep good records of which story has been to which market and where it is now. You may think, on starting, that you couldn't possibly forget where you sent something. Wrong; you can and you *will*, if you don't keep good records. Start out right with your first story. Records don't have to be *elaborate* --the name of the story, the market submitted to, and the dates of submission and response, written on a piece of paper, is fine." - Geoffrey A. Landis

6. If you are writing novels, seek an agent.
"Having a few stories published will help you to get an agent to read your material seriously. However, this is not absolutely necessary to getting an agent. Many of my friends have gotten agents simply on the basis of submitting a good manuscript. [On the other hand, other people I know have had their agent contact *them* after seeing several stories in reputable magazines.] An agent is important for novels but not for short stories or articles." - Geoffrey A. Landis

"You can also submit novels directly to a publisher without an agent. Selling a novel will *definitely* increase your chances of getting an agent." - Geoffrey A. Landis

"Most agents do not bother with short story and article writers. The money isn't there, and the representation hinders timely publications. Story and article writers crank ms. out like candy..." - Theresa Grant

"...why an agent? Only if you're planning to do books and already have some dynamite proposals ready. Agents don't handle articles or short stories, and won't take on a new client until they're ready to submit something really good. Better advice: publish a few freebies if absolutely necessary, but simultaneously work on getting published by 'real' (paying) magazines and newspapers. Use this to make some money and eventually step into higher paying jobs." - Jack Mingo

Get advice on good agents for your area of writing interest.

"If writing books, get copies of the books by authors you most admire in the field and find out who the agent was for that book. Target that agent FIRST before farming/trolling for unknowns. You'll often see the same agent's name popping up over and over within the same genre. It's not coincidence." - Theresa Grant
You may find the names of agents in the many books in the library or bookstores, in the back of writer trade magazines, or by asking other writers.

Remember that agents are people too and they wish to make a living from professional writers who write good stuff. Do not expect them to cater to your emotional whims. You are NOT YET a well known writer! You can bargain for more after you establish your reputation in print. The best reputation will come from getting published by editors who PAY for your work. Agents are your best way to get the attention of these valuable and very busy editors.

A good agent is worth their commission.

7. Submit (book-length) new material via your agent, if you use one.
Deal with an agent who will work 'on commission only' and not require an upfront fee.

Monitor your agent's efforts and results to verify that you have chosen the proper agent for you.

Treat your agent professionally.

Question: should you be willing to pay a 'reader fee' for independent professional readers when asked?
"YES. Sometimes it can really pay off. For example, I read and critique novels on the side. I charge a fee to read, to edit, to critique, etc. Paying a professional to read your work pre-submission is like paying someone to detail your car before you take it in to use as a trade-in for something better. It's a little bit of money, but a shiny car (or manuscript) really does get the better price." - Theresa Grant

"NO. Or, at least, if you do, be very wary. Any agent who charges a reading fee are not making money from selling your stuff, they are making money from accepting manuscript fees. Be especially wary if an 'agent' tells you that you need your manuscript worked on (at a hefty fee) and then gives you the name of a person to do it." - Geoffrey A. Landis

8. Pay attention to the 'business of writing'.
Remember at all times that to make money as a writer you must pay attention to the 'business of writing', a rational activity. This is not the same as the process and emotions of writing, a creative activity.

9. Treat editors as human beings too.
Some editors are also writers and appreciate what you are going through. However, they have their own demands, perhaps even an autocratic, unreasonable publisher who expects them to come up with winners in every issue, and 'do it now!'

Be patient when expecting a response from an editor. Pay attention to their posted response times and remember they have many other manuscripts to look at also.
"It's one thing to be meticulous about response times, and even better to realize that the editors are also human, have lousy days, kids with chickenpox and days where we just don't want to deal with a manuscript. - Theresa Grant

If you have not received a response after TWICE the quoted response time, then is the proper time to send a letter asking something like "How goes the war? Have you read my manuscript yet? I realize you may be swamped, but when can I expect a response?"

If you still don't get an answer in a couple weeks, withdraw your manuscript and send it elsewhere.

Your best bet? Keep writing and submitting new stuff all the time. Don't place all your bets in one basket.

10. Keep in mind these helpful hints.
Keep your day job until your writing income is STEADY enough and HIGH enough to pay all your bills and then some.

Accept total responsibility for producing something that someone else WANTS strongly enough to pay money for it. Do not expect anyone else to pay for your way as you learn. Expect them to only pay for what you provide that is of value to THEM.

Learn to live with the rules of the trade and 'pay your dues' before you can expect success. Strive to learn what works and what does not work for your market niche.

Strive at all times to act as an adult. Be polite at all times. Remember that editors belong to their own networks of editors. You want to create a reputation as someone who is nice to do business with. You can practice being an eccentric AFTER you are a great success.

Remember that a lot of success in writing comes from learning the craft. And a lot of that can be learned by almost anyone who commits themself to learning.

Keep up the firm conviction that you have or will get the talent to be a good writer.
"Believe in yourself, even at 2:00 a.m. and surrounded by rejection slips." -Theresa Grant

For your mental health, remember to have a life outside of writing. Be kind to yourself.

Try to write with enthusiasm.
"If you don't feel enthusiastic about what you are writing, readers (and editors) won't feel that way about it either. I say this to people who talk of having "writers' block" because they think of writing as drudgery. If they're going to have to slog through it, so will the reader, so the writer may as well just go become an accountant!" - Kim Costello

11. Other internet sites for writers
Here are some internet sites which devote articles, Web links, references, etc. that are helpful for writers. The Web sites offer a HUGE supply of useful materials for writers.

InkspotHas Resource For Children's Writers and a whole lot more for writers in general. By Debbie Ridpath Ohi.

Circuit Traces -- The Writer's Home Page by Christopher Hunt

bricolage by Trevor Lawrence

Victory Crayne Home Page
The section titled "Writing" has many articles and resources for writers.

Internet Writer Resource Guide
In case you don't have World Wide Web access, you might look at the document Internet Writer Resource Guide, compiled by Trevor Lawrence and available via ANONYMOUS ftp from ftp:/bel.avonibp.co.uk/~ftp/pub/bricolage/IWRG


12. Acknowledgements
The author wishes to express sincere gratitude to the following people who have contributed valuable ideas to this document: Kim Costello, Theresa Grant, Geoffrey A. Landis, Rheal Nadeau, and Jack Mingo.

*** END ***


Copyright © 1995-1998 Victory Crayne, California. All rights reserved. Please send suggestions and comments to: victory@crayne.com
Please visit this page again at: http://www.crayne.com/carrplan.html

You will find interesting articles on writing from the Victory Page at: www.crayne.com

Separating AA books. What do you think?

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

This post was taken from another blog...
Book Survey
The talk of current AA blogs is about separating AA books. SORMAG would like to know what’s your opinion on this issue?

Should the AA books have their own section in the bookstores? why

Should they have their own section in the review magazines? why

Should they have their own awards? why

Tell us what you think.


# posted by SORMAG @ Tuesday, November 01, 2005 6 comments
6 Comments Close this window Collapse comments
makemoney said...
Hi LaShaunda,
I realize the conference is over and I really enjoyed it!!!
I just happened to see this post and you know me...wanted to comment...

In as much as I'm a proud individual and unapologetically black, I feel very strongly on this issue and especially now. Especially after the death of my father a couple of years ago who was very strong in democratic politics and also because of the recent death of Rosa Parks.

Maybe because of my just turning 51 years old and raised at a time when blacks had to fight to be known. Maybe because I grew up when blacks had to go to a predominately black school to read about the accomplishments of our black leaders and heritage; and because we had to be in separate sections to be represented (if any?)

Maybe because I remember when there were separate sections for coloreds and whites in everything including water fountains, buses, and libraries,etc.

Maybe it is because of all of the above that as much as I believe we must have and support our own in our accomplishments. I feel given every opportunity we have we need to be represented in and amongst any and every thing.

For example I feel as in bookstores such as Barnes & Noble,etc - I feel all AA books should be spread and mixed in with mainstream America to avoid having any kind of stigmatism. Why should it matter whether you are AA or Polish or Asian any culture if you have the skills of what ever it is you have done.

I personally don't feel we as AA should be limited to be put in one section. I feel very strong about this in regard to any and everything we do including magazines, awards, etc.

*I feel only when we are able to diffuse and be amongst all of Americans will be really be able to make a strong difference and representation.

* Instead of having our own AA section, I feel we as AA should be allowed and are represented in each and every section of everything.
Thanks Tempie

5:43 PM


Pat Byrdsong said...
Some bookstores put AA books in both the AA section and in the subject/genre specific section. I think the books should be in both. As Nora Roberts books can be found in both fiction and romance sections, so should AA boks.

Frankly, that's why books are placed in certain section. Mystery readers want to find a mystery, so they create a section where those readers can find those books.

Unfortunately, AA boks rarely get good promotion. And it's easier for me to find a book that I may want to read in an AA section.

The industry didn't really look at AA novels until Terry McMillian's Waiting to Exhale. And after the success of that book, AA books are still not often marketed to audiences that are not AA.

And, it's easy to miss an AA novel in a romance section where you often only see the spine of the book. Unless I know the author or the imprint of the publisher, I can't tell.

We wouldn't have been privilege to have Essence, Ebony and Black Enterprise as part of our world if there weren't AA sections and audiences. I realize that those magazines were published because AA needs were not being met in other publications, but the same is true for AA rromance and other genre novels. And then we wouldn't have great books by Donna Hill or Brenda Jackson or Angela Benson, and so many other great novelists. The untold hours of pleasure by those and so many other AA novelists would probably not have occured if there weren't books targeted to AA audiences.

Just like Black Music Awards are still necessary and important, so should awards that embrace the diversity of specialness of AA novels.

So, I await the day when a nonAA writer is referred to as the White Brenda Jackson.

And even then, we'll still need AA section and awards for AA books and AA bookstores.

11:39 AM


Robin Bayne said...
I agree with Tempie-- put them all together. Romance is romance.

11:50 AM


Cindy Appel said...
I go along with Robin and Tempie--romance is romance. Why continue to promote these "artificial divisions" in our culture? Human beings love human beings... We shouldn't allow ourselves or our books to be reduced to being labeled like crayons.

After all, the rainbow displays more than one color in it. Let the bookshelves reflect a rainbow and not some outdated segregationalist idea.

Cindy (who is of Scotch-Irish, German, Blackfoot and Cree ancestries)

1:38 PM


Bonnie Calhoun said...
I agree with Tempie, robin and cindy! Put them all together!

7:14 PM


Shelia said...
I think there's no problem with them being listed in both sections. The key is to make it easy for the buyer to find and also to hopefully attract new fans of the author's works.

12:40 PM


The talk of current AA blogs is about separating AA books. SORMAG would like to know what’s your opinion on this issue?

Should the AA books have their own section in the bookstores? why

Should they have their own section in the review magazines? why

Should they have their own awards? why

Tell us what you think.
posted by SORMAG at 1:06 PM on Nov 01 2005


Leave your comment

My Prize As A Writer Conference Winner!!!

Subject : Shades of Romance Prize

Good day Tempie,
You have won a 1 month state promotion package from Book Entree, www.bookentree.com. To get started, please visit www.bookentree.com and click on the author's page. Please return the information requested on your book as soon as possible. If you do not have a book published, you may pass transfer this prize or use at a later date if publication is near.

Congratulations and hope to hear from you soon!

ReCap-How To Do A Website On A Budget?

Friday, October 28, 2005

WORKSHOP: How to do a website on a budget?
How to do a website on a budget?
Shelia M. Goss ©2005 All Rights Reserved.


If you're a published author, soon to be published or even thinking about being published , then you should have a website. No one thought the World Wide Web would be used in the capacity it's being used now. Well, correction, some folks did (smile).

There's no excuse for NOT having a website. If you're unsure of how you want your website to look, I suggest surfing the net. Go to www.google.com and enter in a few authors names to get an idea.

If you're unable to hire a web designer to create your home on the web, then do it yourself.

If creating a website scares you, then halt. Take a few deep breaths. Breathe. If you have yahoo, AOL or any one of the many other internet providers, then you have access to creating a website. Bravenet (http://www.bravehost.com/), Angelfire(http://www.angelfire.lycos.com), GeoCities (http://geocities.yahoo.com/), or Homestead (http://www.homestead.com/) offer free or low costing web space with handy tutorials.

As an author, you need to choose a domain name. What is a domain name? It's an identifier or the information you type in your web browser to pull up a website. For example, if you want to pull up the Shades of Romance website, you will enter the domain www.sormag.com. The most important thing to remember when deciding on a domain name (your new website address) is to choose something that is easy for your current and future readers to remember.

For example, if your name is Jane Doe, then use the domain www.janedoe.com. There will be instances where your name is already taken and you might have to add an initial or some other identifier. Some authors use there book title as their website address. This is fine if you plan on that being the only book you'll publish or if you can have it forward to your main website (i.e., www.janedoe.com).

Once you purchase your domain name, it's yours for the allotted time. You can buy it yearly or whatever terms you and the provider set up. In the past, I've seen it for as low as $2.95. The price will depend on the web host site you choose.

There are so many sites that offer web services and it's easy to get lost and frustrated while trying to find the one for you. Here's a website that I hope will make it easier for you. The page identifies the web space and price: http://www.mysitespace.com/compare.asp.

Thank goodness there is software out there that doesn't require you to know HTML. Frontpage is one of them. I use it constantly and it's simple. You can create your page in Microsoft Word and paste it directly into Frontpage. If you have Microsoft Office, Frontpage may already be on your computer.

What should you include on your web site once you've decided on your domain name and web server? At the minimum, make sure the following are included:
Book Information (Title, price, where to purchase your book, sample chapter, etc)
Bio
How to Contact You (Email or contact sheet)
Mailing List
Guest Book
I've been doing my own website for quite some time now. If I can do it, you can too. My website is www.sheliagoss.com. Take a look around and check out the headings.

One day I'll turn over the reign to someone else, but in the meantime, I'm always trying to come up with different looks. What you see today will probably be different six months from now.

Remember, having your own website doesn't have to cost much, you just have to shop around.

1st Assignment: If you have a website, post it here. If you don't have a website, and at the minimum, sign up for one of the free websites.

2nd Assignment: Visit workshop participant websites and take a look around. Be sure to drop them a note in their guestbook, so the'll know you were there.

Shelia M Goss is the ESSENCE MAGAZINE Bestselling Author of My Invisible Husband. With unique storylines, her goal is to create "stories with a twist." Shelia was the recipient of three 2003 Shades of Romance Magazine Reader's Choice Multi-Cultural Awards for her debut novel, ROSES are Thorns, VIOLETS are True. Be on the look out for her next novel--My Three Beaus. Her articles, poetry, and short stories, have appeared in National Magazines such as Black Romance Magazine, Bronze Thrills, InnerCosmetics, and Tribes Magazine. Visit her website at www.sheliagoss.com or check out one of her blogs: http://myinvisiblehusband.blogspot.com.


# posted by SORMAG @ Friday, October 28, 2005
Comments:
Shelia...Once again you are right on time with great info...

I too love working through the internet...in fact my tag is...

Workin From Home and Lovin IT!!!
Check out some of my websites I designed just for fun:

www.memphisrawsistaz.com
www.tempie4yourfreedom.biz
www.tempieking.biz

Questions: To any member of the panel or all?

In your opinion what is the ratio and/or percentage of your business have your acquired through the internet using your websites, blogging, etc verses face to face or one on one encounters in reference to promoting your work?

Thanks Tempie
Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 1:11 AM
Temie, I have yet to do the 10 city tour that I hope to do one day. Being on the internet allows me the luxory to reach the masses without travelling.

To answer your question, I would say at least 90 percent of my business is because of the internet.
# posted by Shelia : 3:51 AM
Sheila,
That was really good advice. I had difficulty with frontpage, but once I figured it out, I was aok :)

Thanks,
Eleanor (#17)
www.clik.to/blackbutterflyrevew
# posted by BlackButterflyReview : 9:31 AM
I've had a web presence I've done myself since 1997, up continuously without interruption.

I obtain my domain names at http://domainrooms.com. They are $8.95 a year, have been in business for years with 24 hour support. There is a feature called Website tonight, where for a few dollars a month (which includes hosting) you can easily put up a professional looking site, choosing out of hundred-plus looks.

There's a special ending in October that if you buy any other product you can get a domain name for $1.99.

http://websiterooms.com has tons of great options for websites, including some really great looking Flash ones, you'd pay thousands for.
# posted by Monica : 10:37 AM
Thanks again Ladies...you have each added more wood to my fire...I am about to embark in becoming an avid blogger too...smile

Does anyone know who was the first person to invent the BLOG? Who get's the credit for such a simple yet profound piece of internet savvy?
Thanks Tempie
Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 12:05 PM
Tempie, I didn't want you to think I was ignoring the question, but I don't know who the inventor of the blog is, but if I find out, I'll let you know.

Shelia (#16)
# posted by Shelia : 5:48 PM
I don't have front page, but am interested in publishing a website. I'm an aspiring writer, but I believe my book will be published. I want to set up a web presence before to let readers know what I'm doing. How would you suggest setting up a site? And how do I let others know to come to my site?
# posted by Saundra 180 : 6:44 PM
Shelia..Thanks...I was just curious...smile

* A very creative idea!!!

Tempie
Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 10:26 PM
Saundra 180,

If you want to do your own website, go to the websites listed in the article(bravehost/angelfire/geocities/homesteads) and see which ones offer the most reasonable price for setting up a webpage, which would include getting your own "domain" name. Those sites have tutorials tht help you set up your page. If you are unfamiliar with html, one of the sites above is more beneficial, because they usually have tutorials or easy ways to upload your information.

Put your website on business cards that you hand out to people. Don't forget to include your new website in your email signature. When you visit message boards or guestbooks, there's usually a place to include websites, so enter it there.

Shelia #16
# posted by Shelia : 3:50 AM
Basic HTML isn't too hard to learn... I do my own web site (too poor to hire anyone else) and it's not too, too difficult. Plus, I can always update my site whenever I like and I don't have to pay another person (and wait for them) to do it. :)

Cindy
http://cynthianna.bravehost.com
http://celinechatillon.bravehost.com
# posted by Cynthianna Appel : 12:20 PM
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PANEL: Internet Marketing For Writers
Promotion - Meet The Author
OCTOBER 28 - THE BUSINESS OF WRITING
PANEL: Working With an Agent
WORKSHOP: Ten Steps to a Great Pitch - 1
PANEL: Tips to stay disciplined
WORKSHOP - The A, B, Cs of Plotting
PANEL: I got the call now what?
PANEL: PR Pizzaz
WORKSHOP: How to Make The Perfect Pitch - 2
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ReCap- Editing

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

PANEL: Editing
WELCOME TO THE EDITING ROOM

TODAY'S PANEL IS:

Deatri King Bey, Dyanne Davis, Dr. Bob Rich, Lindsay Murdock

Get some tips on editing your manuscripts.

Articles will be posted in the comments.

Post your questions in the comments section.

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

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


# posted by SORMAG @ Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Comments:
Hello! My question relates to editing. I am a new writer in need of a structure to my editing process. As it is now it seems to go on forever, with me editing for sentence structure, characterization and plot, all a page at a time. I really need to polish up a few plot issues but each time I begin I am bogged down to a slow crawl with everything else. Any suggestions to speed up the process?
# posted by Tray : 11:29 PM
When editing, is it better to finish the whole product and leave it for a while or to edit as you go.

billie - 116
# posted by Billie : 12:09 AM
Billie and Tray,

When I am coaching my clients through the initial revision process, I always recommend the red pen method. Print out a full copy of the manuscript, sit down in a quiet room with a mug of your warm, comforting, and preferably caffeinated beverage of choice and start marking. Keep a notebook next to you to jot down notes, concerns, and problem areas along with page references. Do not stop to revise now – just plow through, reading the full manuscript carefully and with a critical eye and liberal pen. This process can be very similar to the initial outlining phase – write down anything that comes to you as you read through the book.

Next, take a look at your notes. Were there things that jumped out consistently throughout the reading? Make an outline of your notes, organized under headings such as Plot, Characters, Grammar, Tone, Voice, and Dialogue.

Once you’ve finished the critical reading, you can start revising. The important thing about this method is that it makes it much easier to prevent getting bogged down if you have written guide and game plan. If you get stuck on something, move on to the next note; you can always go back. Don’t try to revise plot, character development, and mechanical errors all at once, page by page. Work on one issue at a time – you’ll find that your revisions are much more productive and more likely to flow smoothly.

Billie, as far a putting it away for a while, I always ask that my clients put the finished manuscript away for at least two weeks after they finish writing and to promise not to look at it even once. A month is better, but two weeks is the bare minimum needed to gain enough perspective to effectively begin revising the manuscript. You’ve just finished writing an entire book – take a much needed vacation to reward yourself and rest your brain.
# posted by L. Murdock : 8:20 AM
Good Morning from # 66--Dyanne

I'm sure the editors will step in answers this question, I just want to add soemthing. As a writer we're all different and what works for one may not work for all. But the advice given so far I would try it if you can.

I find that I need to get the story out first, no spell check, nothing, just raw. Well that was until about a month ago when my program refused to highlight another misspelled word. LOL. now every couple of pages I will make correction for spelling errors but not editing.

And this I beleive is a very important step int he writing and editing process. You have to havae some time pass before you're able to see what must be cut. That's hard because you believe every word on the paper is important, neccesary, and you can't get rid of it.

Trust me. After you've had some time to let it sit you will be able to read through your work and get rid of some of the bridges. All writers have bridges even if we don't want ot believe it. A couple of paragraph to a couple of pages bridge is much different than have an enire chapter that could have been cut.

My last words read your work after at least the two week cool down period as though it were the work of a stranger. If you find yourself cutting everything give it more time. Every writer hits that, this is all crap phase. We have to learn to spot the difference. Also there are self editing books out there that are helpful. Good Luck and keep writing.
# posted by Dyanne : 8:42 AM
I would also like to interject--having a couple of good friends who don't mind reading your manuscript for flow, content and development helps, too. But I don't give it to them until I have had a chance to go back over it a couple of times after the initial down and dirty get it on the paper write.
# posted by Leann : 8:58 AM
oops--sorry, badge number disfunction I am:
Leann--134
# posted by Leann : 9:03 AM
Good Morning..
Thanks for all of your comments so far. *L.Murdock & Dyanne, I appreciate all of your input on the editing process.

My questions are directed to any member of the panel...smile.

1). Are there any quick reference on-line editing resources available that would assist in the editing process with reference tips? For an example: a). In a dialogue, a title can be capitalized without a name if it is being used as a direct address. or b). Do not have a dialog tag, such as said, at the beginning and the end of the sentence. If so,can you suggest any?

2). A minimum time frame of two weeks was mentioned to be able to objectively go back through your work and start checking.

Is there a suggested timeframe that can be used as a target baseline to set to have for an example a 200 page manuscript that has been written and walked away from for over three months completely edited?

I welcome your input.
Thanks

Tempie Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 12:05 PM
Hello Everyone,

The comments so far have been great and I couldn't agree more.

For my writing, I'm like Dyanne and just like to get it out. Then I put the manuscript away for at least two months. You may be saying, there's no way I can waste two months, but I found I'm wasting more time by rushing into my first set of edits. I need to go in with fresh eyes and, as the others, I recommend going in with fresh eyes.

After the waiting period, I read the manuscript and take notes on problem areas I see. Then I go in and fix them. My last step is worrying about grammar and punctuation.

Find a formula that works for you.

Peace
Deatri
Much Joy, Peace, and Love
Deatri
# posted by Deatri King-Bey : 12:06 PM
Hello MakeMoney

1). Are there any quick reference on-line editing resources available that would assist in the editing process with reference tips? For an example: a). In a dialogue, a title can be capitalized without a name if it is being used as a direct address. or b). Do not have a dialog tag, such as said, at the beginning and the end of the sentence. If so,can you suggest any?

So far, I have only found sites that help in a few areas. I know there must be a single site out there somewhere that does it all


-----I'm sorry, but, like you, I don't know of one site that contains all of the rules and syntax type stuff. I'm sure one is out there somewhere. I love my Elements of Style book by Strunk and White. It is a real short read, but packed with valuable information. It may be quicker to find what you need in it than roaming the internet.
Here is a link to it.
http://www.bartleby.com/141/


2). A minimum time frame of two weeks was mentioned to be able to objectively go back through your work and start checking.

-------I don't know if it will be very objective SMILE. But it will help you have a fresher set of eyes.


Is there a suggested timeframe that can be used as a target baseline to set to have for an example a 200 page manuscript that has been written and walked away from for over three months completely edited?

-----------Were you asking how long it should take to do the editing yourself? That depends on the individual. I can read through my manuscript and write the first set of notes in a day. It usually takes me around 20 hours to complete my second draft. Then I give it to my critique group, critique partner, and a few readers. After that set of rewrites, it's time to send it to the editor.

Now when you are working with a publisher, and your book has gone through editing, you are given a time frame. Now by the time your book gets to the publisher, your manuscript should be in pretty good shape. At the publishing house I work for now, we usually give two weeks for the first set of rewrites.

Okay, I'm done rambling. I hope this was of a little use anyway.

Much Joy Peace and Love
Deatri
# posted by Deatri King-Bey : 12:35 PM
Deatri...Thanks!!!!!!!!!!

You and the other panelist have answered all of my questions and given me so much valuable input!!!

You have confirmed all of what I was thinking...thanks

You are not rambling at all...thanks for taking the time to give me your input. I so appreciate LaShaundra for having this conference!

Tempie Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 1:02 PM
Deatri,

I was hoping you didn't scream, what are these writers doing? I'm piping in again to just agree with you on the time limit for letting work simmer without you looking at it. I have no problem with two months or even six months. Since I'm always working on something new that makes it easier for me.

One last piece of advice when your work is as you want it alwyas but always have another project. Generally this is a very slow business and you'll go crazy waiting for the mailman.
# posted by Dyanne : 1:54 PM
Sorry, I forgot badge # 66-Dyanne for the last comment.
# posted by Dyanne : 1:55 PM
Yeah, I agree wholeheartedly on the "hurry up and wait" aspects of the writing biz! ;)

And it is amazing what you read after you've let your work grow "cold" by sitting for a few weeks or a month or more. Sometimes you'll even surprise yourself by how wonderful your writing really is! ("I wrote THAT? That's not half bad...")

But you'll also find all those lovely typos, homophones, misspellings and clunky grammar places, too. My advice to double check your grammar is to read your manuscript out loud. If you experience trouble reading your prose aloud, then you know your reader will have some difficulties reading it silently. :)

Cindy #19
http://cynthianna.bravehost.com
# posted by Cindy Appel : 4:01 PM
Hi, all,
Lyn Cote here. All the advice I've heard above made good sense. I always TRY to finish a ms. a month before deadline because I send it to a friend who's a DETAIL person which I am not! After she goes over it and sends it back to me, I've had time away from it--usually the 2 weeks some other bright person suggested.
Anyway, right now I'm taking the EDITS course by Margie Lawson, PhD. EXCELLENT.
Also I always suggest Dwight Swain's scene and sequel method for analyzind structure.
I was going to post here a copyrighted article which I had published in 1998, Dramatic Sentences in Seven Steps. It's on the article page on my website www.BooksbyLynCote.com. If I coudl figure out how to paste it here, I would have.

Dyanne, did we meet in Schaumberg this summer?

If so, hi! Hand waving!
BTW, if you are a BIG PICTURE person like I am, finding a DETAIL person for a critique partner is wonderful!
Lyn
# posted by LynCote : 4:30 PM
Ladies...thanks for taking the time and providing so much great information.

* Lyn...thanks I'll go to your website and look at those seven steps...

Again Thanks
Tempie Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 6:31 PM
How you do your line editing depends on personal taste, and also on experience. I do it very differently now compared to 10 years ago.
As a relative beginner, I had to use tricks such as the following:
* Read the text while ignoring content. One way of doing this is to start at the last paragraph and work forward.
* Put it aside for a day or two if deadlines permit and read it 'cold'.
* Change appearance. For example, if it's a Word document, convert it to html and read it as a web page. Someone mentioned printing out. That qualifies, but I don't do this because I am a conservationist. :) If I must print something out for my own use, it will be on the back of something with printing on one side only.
* We all have habitual finger stumbles. I learned mine, and kept an eye open for them.
* Crit swaps are great. Everyone is much better at picking up someone else's typos. So, I nitpick yours, you nitpick mine.

Nowadays, I am able to speed read someone else's text, and pick up every comma out of place, apostrophe missing or unnecessary, malapropisms (e.g., their - there), and so on. And so can you -- with enough practice.
Of course, I am still likely to miss things in my own writing that I'll pick up in someone else's. So, I am obsessive. Before sending out anything from a query letter to a novel, I might go over it 20 times.
:)
Bob Rich # 24
# posted by Dr Bob Rich : 6:50 PM
Did you really mean that?
When subject and object refer to different things

© 2005 Dr Bob Rich

'Working together in this fashion, the pile quickly disappeared.' Um... I've never seen a pile work, in this fashion or any other.

'Walking down the street, my eyes were dazzled by the bright lights.' Right. And what were you doing in the meantime, while your eyes were walking down the street?

Is this just a quibble? 'Surely you know what I mean? We were working together to make the pile quickly disappear, and I went walking down the street, to have my eyes dazzled by the bright lights.'

Say what you mean. 'As we worked together in this fashion...' and 'I walked down the street, to have my eyes...'

This kind of error occurs very often. It is one that raises my ire in many books I edit. Even quite a few people with an otherwise good command of grammar tend to slip into this error. Without naming names, here are a few examples I found amusing:

'Skidding to a stop in front of us, we piled into the car's back seat.' I find it difficult to visualize how people can come to a stop in front of themselves.

'Hitting the sealed road again, the busful of kids cheered.' How could they hit the road, sealed or otherwise, if they were inside the bus? I think it's the vehicle that did the hitting.

And while we're on vehicles, 'Sitting in the open bed of a pickup truck, the temperature dropped with every rising mile.'

I could fill a couple of pages with more and more examples -- but now that I've alerted you to the problem, I am sure so can you. From now on, whether you are listening to people speak or reading, you will be struck by many instances.

How does the mistake arise?
Every sentence has a subject, verb and object, possibly with extra bits and things inserted. 'I do this' is a basic sentence. 'Whenever I arrive home, I like to relax with a nice cup of tea' is a slight expansion. 'Arriving home, the best thing is a nice cup of tea' does NOT say the same thing. I am the subject of the sentence (that which does the arriving). The object of the sentence (what is being done) is relaxing with a nice cup of tea. In grammatical jargon, the subject and object 'must agree', that is, refer to the same entity -- in this case me. The mistake arises when the choice of words make it seem as if the action was being done by the object, here the cup of tea.

By the way, I only drink tea if nothing else is available.

Bob Rich # 24
# posted by SORMAG : 7:30 PM
Invite the reader in:
a few tricks of making fiction gripping

© 2005, Dr Bob Rich

All fiction is fantasy. As a writer, you create a reality, and invite me to move into it while reading your story. That reality may be very close to what I find in my everyday life, but even then, you are introducing me to people I've never met, take me to places I've never seen, describe events that never happened.

Your aim is to make this created reality so strong that it becomes more real to me than my own life -- at least for the moment. Every device that helps you to achieve this is good, everything that has a chance of weakening or destroying the illusion is bad.

Now we come to a central concept: 'point of view' (POV). Everything anyone writes is always from a POV. 'The boy crossed the road.' Someone perceived him doing so, and the writing reports this perception. Although the wording is in the third person, the POV could well be the boy's, as in the following:

The boy crossed the road. Ow! Ow! he thought at each step as the hot dark surface burned the soles of his bare feet, but he refused to make any sound. After all, Rachel was watching.

Or, the witness of the scene could be some other person:

The road must feel red hot, Rachel thought with an inner smile as she watched Roddie pick his way across, almost dancing from foot to foot.

If the witness is not any person in the story, then it is the writer:

The boy crossed the road. His name was Roddie, a five-year-old very impressed by her big cousin Rachel, all of twelve. So, he wasn't going to let on that anything could upset him. Therefore, when he crossed the hot road barefoot to her, he did his best to hide his discomfort. However, he didn't really fool her. She could see it from the way he picked up each foot fast, almost like dancing.

This little paragraph has several things wrong with it.

* It's an author lecture: an outside view that distances us from the characters rather than taking us into their world.

* It gives too much information. As a reader, I am not there to be informed, unless I'm reading a text book or other nonfiction work. By telling me all these facts, you put me into an analytical frame of mind. Then I'll be critical while assessing the information I receive. Instead, you want to get me to LIVE the current witness's experience. And there is no hurry about informing me. Their ages, the relationship between them can be revealed later, through dialogue, action, and (as a third preference), thoughts.

* The paragraph reveals both their thoughts. This is tempting, but instead of making the story real, it gets in the way of allowing the reader to identify with the current witness. I cannot BE Roddie if I also know what Rachel is thinking, or vice versa. The most powerful way to capture me is to pick one person who presents the scene. Any other people are best presented from the outside, the way the current witness perceives them.

* The first two samples of writing were vivid, full of sensory data: how that person sees, feels, hears the world at that moment. The third one lacks such elements.

Let me illustrate the relatively subtle point of how an 'omniscient view' can be counterproductive. I am reading a story about two sisters, and have been immersed in the world of Joan, the elder girl. Then the author writes, 'Miriam eventually drifted off to sleep, remembering the wonderful meal they had enjoyed that afternoon, but Joan lay awake.' This is a perfect example of how head hopping distances the reader. Because I am shown the thoughts of both girls, I cannot identify with either, and therefore I FEEL that I am being told a story, not that I am in it.

So, in summary, to bring your writing to life, present it from within, through the perceptions of ONE character per scene, using vivid sense impressions.

Bob Rich # 24
# posted by SORMAG : 7:31 PM
Through the wrong end of the telescope

© 2005 Dr Bob Rich

Here are two versions of the opening of a story. Choose the one that grabs your interest the better.

"Leave me alone," she said, and the soft demand was a scream.

Tony moved away to his side of the bed. Hurt, he muttered, "I just wanted to make up. What's the point of hanging on to resentments?"

"Oh yeah?" First you spoil my day, and then you want all the marital services as well?"

"No, it's not like that... It's just..." Defeated, he turned onto his side and did his best to settle for sleep.

OK, now compare this to:

Maryanne and Tony had been married for seven years, and had two children. Five year old Susie looked like her father, and Tony often thought this was unfortunate. He never understood why blonde, lovely Maryanne should ever have married him. Jimmy was two, and in the terrible stage of throwing tantrums, but the parents knew that patience and time should get through the problem.

No, the trouble between them was not Jimmy's behavior, but that they had different styles of dealing with the difficulties that arise between any two people. Tony would blow up, get it out of his system, then be ready to get on with life. Maryanne needed to have an issue resolved, or as Tony often thought, dissected to death, and she could go at it for three days at a time.

Are you yawning yet?

The second version may be excellent psychological analysis. It contains a lot more information than the first. But does it get you INTO THE SKIN of the characters in the story?

The fiction author's job is not to inform or lecture, but to allow the reader to construct a reality, and then, ideally, to move into it. People are very good at doing this imaginative exercise. What the author needs to supply is not a photograph, but a charcoal sketch. A skilled artist can draw a few firm lines, and what appears is a recognisable face with character, _expression, movement. A skilled writer does the same with words.

Vision can take in details simultaneously, so that a photograph is no worse than a cartoon. In writing, we have a sequential medium. The trouble with the verbal photograph is that the reader needs to wade through all that detail before appreciating the real message, which is, inevitably, emotion. So, it's essential to focus in on the few features that will induce emotion.

This is done not by saying how a person feels, but by presenting words and actions that indicate it. The trick is to pick a witness, Tony in the example above, show his perceptions (hearing the scream in his wife's soft statement), and other people's observable behavior. The background, the information that beginner writers are so anxious to present, is not only irrelevant but counterproductive. Everything essential is there, in the live story. What we need to know can be presented later, through action and dialogue.

Tony's feelings of inferiority about his appearance may be essential to the story. In that case, there in the opening scene, you might have him say, "I know I'm ugly." Maryanne can respond, "You idiot, your face has nothing to do with it. I married you, didn't I? I just can't cuddle and be lovey-dovey when you come home two hours after you said, and my dinner is burned, and Jimmy spent the evening screaming the house down because he wants Daddy before going to bed, and..."

But it's not necessary in the opening scene.

The lesson is, don't present your characters from the outside, through the wrong end of a telescope. Show them from within, the way they think, feel and act. Focus on tricking me, the reader, into BEING the person in the story, not some godly outside viewer.

Bob Rich # 24
# posted by SORMAG : 7:32 PM
Dr. Rich...Thanks...I really appreciate all of your input as well as the ladies prior.

*You mentioned...

I do it very differently now compared to 10 years ago.

*Well, you can see I'm full of excitement and nervous at the same time because I am currently going back through my manuscript I wrote 10 years ago. It's a dream come true for me because I'm dedicating it to the memory of my parents who I lost several years ago a month apart.

I'm excited to finally have an editor and publisher working with me now in it's final draft. I chose to go back through all myself before I return all back to them for proofs and cover design.

Things are so different now than they were 10 yrs ago. I can honestly say that most of what has been said at some point I've done and this first Novel will surely be a learning experience for me as well.

I must admit, ten years later my mental approach of going back in rereading all has been to become this new and different person re-reading. I'm a little scared to admit but I am still pleased with the story in spite of the errors...smile

*I do welcome and appreciate everything that has been said.

Tempie Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 7:50 PM
Hello everyone! Thanks for the helpful and comforting comments. I am attempting to copy it all but alas I have run out of paper! (second time this week!) Being an aspiring writer is filled with elation and depression, quite a bit of the latter, and it helps to know that at least I am on the right track. I think I will try printing out my manuscript, which as it stands is 480 pages! (I know, a lot of cutting needed, right?)Anyway, thanks so much. all have been very helpful!
# posted by Tray : 8:36 PM
oops, sorry. thats tray #155
# posted by Tray : 8:37 PM
Tempie, you can now do MUCH better for having put it aside, for all the reasons you stated. I have the first novel I had published sitting around. I decided to rewrite it from my current experience and understanding. Got the first chapter done, but there is so little time...
Nowadays, more of my writing has been non-fiction, the current work a self-help book on depression. But fiction is so much more fun!
:)
Bob #24
# posted by Dr Bob Rich : 8:39 PM
re: length
>Hello everyone! Thanks for the helpful and comforting comments. I am attempting to copy it all but alas I have run out of paper! (second time this week!) Being an aspiring writer is filled with elation and depression, quite a bit of the latter, and it helps to know that at least I am on the right track. I think I will try printing out my manuscript, which as it stands is 480 pages! (I know, a lot of cutting needed, right?)Anyway, thanks so much. all have been very helpful!

Tray, cutting is a good idea. One of my routine revisions is to cut 10%, even though even my first draft is pretty tight. I advise some of my clients to cut 25%! This invariably improves the book.
Every word, every sentence, paragraph, section, subplot, character... is there to do a job. Some of these jobs may be to introduce color, reveal some aspect of a person, whatever, but when you are cutting, ask the question of every element: "If I removed this, would it leave a hole?"
:)
Bob #24
# posted by Dr Bob Rich : 9:13 PM
LYN,

Good memory. I'm waving back. LOL. Since you're in the area we'll probably run into each other again. I'm in Chicago this weekend and Lisle conference next week. Hope to see you there.

Dyanne #66
# posted by Dyanne : 5:12 AM
Hi Bob,
The information you provided was very informative. It will surely help me to improve on my writing.

Love & Peace,
VeeJay, Badge #121
# posted by Vanessa A. Johnson : 11:52 AM
Dr. Rich...I will forever cherish all of the great advice you and others have given!!!

You mentioned in your above comment...
Nowadays, more of my writing has been non-fiction, the current work a self-help book on depression. But fiction is so much more fun!

Do you have a website sharing your various works? I'm both impressed and plan on doing some works including non-fiction as well.
I would like to read some of your work.

Thanks Again
Tempie Badge#151
# posted by makemoney : 12:46 PM
Dr.Rich,
Oops...I just went and saw everything I needed to know under Meet The Author...smile

Tempie Badge #151
# posted by makemoney : 12:54 PM
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