SARAH: I found a really cool Plot Structure sheet. It helps you to figure out the stages of the manuscript and the critical turning points. Another find was the WIP Workbook from Jeannie Ruesch. The sections she has on Characters really helped me focus on what my H/H's Internal and External conflicts were and how they tie into GMC (Goal, Motivation, and Conflict.) Using the WIP Workbook and the Plot sheet (as found on Kimberley Killion's website), I have a MUCH better grasp of my plot--and the places where I needed to ramp things up. I realized that I'd been focused on making my plot work and not developing my characters. I felt like I'd been visited by Little Bunny-Foo-Foo! Talk about seeing the light!

JUNE: Thanks for all the great information on plot structure, Sarah. I can’t wait to get started on it. Working on my internal conflict has also taken a back seat to the external conflict.

DORI: Since I write plot-driven, versus character-driven, novels it is easy to skim over the internal conflict issues, but to do so is a mistake, since plot-driven books with strong characters are better stories. The character's internal conflicts are the things that readers understand and empathize with. We can more easily put ourselves, as readers, into the character's shoes if we experience and feel his/her internal conflicts. It is also what helps us accept the things they do as being reasonable (in character) or not (out of character). Without internal conflict our characters are more two-dimensional than three. What many refer to as cardboard characters.

JACKIE: I've already started on the WIP workbook, and I love it. I began listing things about my characters that I never thought of before. Doing so made me realize the "why" behind the decisions I had my characters make, and this was important because for one, it led me to better understand what future actions they would take (this is soul of storytelling) and two, what actions they would not be taking (thus saving missteps and plot drops in my storytelling). All Hail Bunny Foo Foo!

-----------------------
JUNE: There are a lot of writing conferences and workshops available this year. I’m looking at a mystery cruise in November and maybe a small conference later in the year. I would love to go to the RWA National conference in July but it is too far away to fit into my budget. I know some ladies that are going and I am looking forward to hearing all about it when they get back.

DORI: I have only been to one major writing conference back in 2006, which was a conference specifically for lawyers writing fiction. The conference was held in Cape Cod. Definitely worth the money, but expensive none-the-less. This year I am planning on attending three that are affiliated with the mystery genre. March is Left Coast Crime, which will be held in Los Angeles this year. So close to home I couldn't pass up the opportunity. October is Bouchercon, which will be held in San Francisco this year and therefore an event close to home that I will go to if possible. November I'm booked on the mystery cruise being organized by our former critique group member, author Sunny Frazier. I'm working on June to go with me on the Mexican cruise, both for the vacation and for the conference. Budget and time are always an issue, but if possible I'll make it to two if not three of these events. Looking to be quite the year for writing conferences.

SARAH: There are three conferences this year that I'd like to attend. The RWA Nationals in Nashville, the Desert Rose in Scottsdale, and the Emerald City in Seattle. If I had my choice, it would be the Emerald City. My hope would be to pitch my completed MS to an editor and agent. What a prize to keep my eye on! Better make sure I cross the finish line this year, huh?!

JUNE: I like the info for the Emerald City conference. I have lived up by Seattle before. Maybe we can go together. I think I am going to go on the cruse with Dori. Can’t pass up the chance to mix writing with a vacation.

JACKIE: I don't have a conference on my immediate agenda, but I do want to attend any small venues close by. There is one in Palm Springs for all genres that is in early Fall. Every year I have had to pass on it but this year, I am going to try and sneak over there, even if it is just for a day. I will share info on this when I receive it.

---------------

JUNE: I found some good sites for you guys. They are submission trackers. We can use them to keep track of our submissions to contests and publishers.
The first one is http://www.writersdb.com/. You have to sign on first to get into the info.
The second one is http://www.duotrope.com/ and it has a great Deadline Calendar that tells you the publisher and the theme of submission they are looking for.

DORI: I recently discovered duotrope as well. It is a wonderful source for keeping writers informed of contest and publishing opportunities. I will certainly check out the other site that you've listed. Can never have enough resources. Now the issue is producing work for submission. As we all discussed Friday night, this is the year everyone wants to complete their first novel. In the meantime, it would be nice to chalk up some publishing credits and if earn a few dollars in the meantime. However, that means writing short stories, articles, etc. that take time away from writing those novels. Key will be to find balance. I have found a lot of satisfaction in finishing up a short story or article, while I'm working my way to the end of a novel.

SARAH: I hadn't heard of either site. I'm looking forward to scoping them out. Thanks for sharing, June. Another site full of tips and charts for tracking submissions is Jenna Petersen's Passionate Pen. Before I had the good luck to find you ladies, I referred to that site religiously.

JACKIE: Excellent, ladies. I look forward to gathering them all up.

-------------
JUNE: The best thing about our group is that not only do we work together online but we do get together in person every week. And this week Sarah updated our Blog with a new WIP progress bar. Sarah thanks for being our go-to girl for the latest and greatest in the blogosphere.

DORI: Kudos Sarah for making us all look better on-line. As I told all of you Friday night, when you are talking webese it's a foreign language to me. Glad you all can figure it out, since I don't ever plan to. The WIP bar looks great and will certainly up the ante in putting the pressure on getting the words written, especially when my bar is barely out the shoot and way behind the rest of you.

SARAH: Not a problem! Nothing like putting it all out there for the world to see! I love the challenge of figuring out the HTML "stuff". I'd really like to take a class in website design. Additionally, I think a lesson or two in making banners and titles would be a benefit, too. That way when the time came to make my own video trailer, I would know how to contribute to the process.

JACKIE: You did a great job, and made working with the HTML "stuff" not seem so daunting. Thanks a bunch. It is beautiful!

JUNE: Maybe we can get some help from my son. He is teaching himself how to do You Tube videos and I already asked him to teach me.

JUNE: I noticed this week that I need to flesh out my characters a little more. When I work on other aspects of my writing such as the action or the dialogue my characters don’t receive as much attention. I recently bought a book from a workshop at my RWA group. The author was our presenter. I hope to gain new insights to the complicated process of building my characters by reading “Growing Great Characters from the Ground Up” by Martha Engber.

SARAH: I enjoyed listening to Martha's talk as well. She presented tons of insight on "Show vs. Tell", too. I wished she would have spent some time telling us about her views on building characters. I hope you'll share the juicy tidbits with us, June. There is another book I'd liked to get called, THE WIP NOTEBOOK by Jeannie Ruesch. It looks fantastic and I've heard nothing but great reviews from peers. Ms. Ruesch's WIP Notebook provides worksheets and tables for diving into your characters and plotlines. Sounds like a great Wish List item for the ole Hubby Man!

DORI: There are two different types of books, plot driven and character driven. In the suspense/thriller books are more frequently plot driven. Think Da Vinci Code and other similar books. When the book is plot driven you don't have to delve too deep into character, but when you have a character driven book it is imperative that you know your character inside and out, and that your readers learn to know your character from an intimate perspective. I think that most women readers enjoy a character driven book, which can go hand in hand with a plot driven book. They don't have to be mutually exclusive.

JUNE: To become better writers it has been suggested to read, read, read lots of books in the genre you wish to write in. I have also heard that a good way to dissect a story is to watch movies. With the holiday season upon us a lot of us will be watching movies during our free time. This year I will take that advice when I find myself sitting in a movie theater or watching that Christmas gift.

SARAH: I've become addicted to books on CD. I've been borrowing them from the lending library. I don't think I would have picked these books up at a store, simply because they aren't my preferred genre. Yet, I've been enjoying reading the different styles and voices. Most have been mystery novels with heavy crime and suspense. My only complaint is that the authors use the "F" word a lot and they haven't been all male authors either!! Sheesh! Talk about eye-opening.

I've also been doing a lot of reading in the YA and Romantic Suspense genres. It's been fun seeing how the authors create their worlds and characters. Plus, I'm seeing a pattern in how they format their paragraphs. Who knew research could be this fun!

DORI: Wish there were more time in the day to read. I definitely learn a lot by reading as many different types of books in my genre as possible. Interesting how now I can read both for pleasure and learning. I pay attention to how a writer writes, what works, what doesn't work. Invaluable research.

JUNE: Do you read your writing out loud? I don’t do it very often myself but I do like to listen to your writing out loud. I can sometimes hear when there is a problem with flow or word usage that way.

SARAH: I try to read my stuff out loud, but still find I miss things. I think my mind adds the words in. I know we've talked about this before, but it's one the many reasons why critique groups such as ours are essential! Nobody wants to present a less than polished MS to an agent or an editor. Worse yet would be having a reader spot the mistake within your novel. YIKES! Sure that's what an editor and copy-editor are for, but we're all human after all. Any precaution taken toward finding the rough spots, missing words or slip-ups in context is definitely worth the effort.

DORI: I don't read my stuff aloud, but need to try to do that. Know it would help, but my writing space is in the middle of the open space in the house and not conducive to reading aloud. Excuses, excuses, I know.