From the President:

Last month we polled the members at the meeting, asking what type of programming they wanted to see. Overwhelmingly, the response was to have more time devoted to craft.

So, our September meeting will focus on two topics: 1. Telling vs. showing and how to do it; and 2. How to construct interesting characters.

Bring samples of your writing to work on or to get feedback on.

We’ll also have First Pages. Bring in a first page you’d like feedback on (anonymously).

Either in the latter part of the meeting if we run short, or directly after the meeting we’ll have our Free Form Critique Group. If you’re working on a piece of dialogue or an action sequence or anything else where you’d like some idea of how well it works for a reader, bring in some pages. Unlike First Pages, you’ll have an opportunity to get feedback on a longer segment, up to 5 or 6 pages.

See you next week,

Matt

Randy Peyser and Nicolas Potter’s Screenwriting Class

Randy spoke about this class happening in August, but they rescheduled it to September 9-13. This is a masterclass taught by Nickolas Potter who is an award-winning screenwriter and worked for Disney and 1492 studios as an acquisitions editor.

If you want to learn how to turn your book into screenplay or to tighten up your screenplay to find a producer, then this workshop is for you. For more information, go to Randy’s website – Author One Stop:
https://www.authoronestop.com/nickolas-potter-award-winning-screenwriter-screenplay-expert/

Randy Peyser Video

We had a great, although not completely video successful, presentation by Randy Peyser at the September 2022 meeting. Due to a glitch with her computer, it only showed her business name on the screen while Randy called in via phone with video of herself. Those on the Google Meet online were able to view her while those of us in the room only saw the logo. Mid-way through, I realized if I put everyone on screen, we could see Randi, but the video only picked up her computer screen.

Still, we do have the audio to listen to with her tips and other information about getting a Book Deal with a Publisher. This is on the HSW YouTube channel, which is unlisted. Only users with the video link may see it. To go to it, use this link:

Video Issues with Scheels

After doing these online meetings for over a year, we may have finally found the key to getting the audio and visual to both work. We had a connection that worked a few months ago, but Scheels techs couldn’t seem to duplicate the connection.  Until the August meeting. We finally got the right tech who knew how to connect the computer to the projector properly. Of course, once we got this working, Randy’s computer turned out to be a problem.  Nonetheless, I am feeling pretty confident we can recreate it, so we expect the next online meeting part to work well in September.

Need Critique Partners?

Critique groups are a big bonus in being a High Sierra Writers member. A compatible group can give you priceless feedback on your work in progress or completed manuscript. Our critique wrangler, Linda Enos (Bailey) is working to match writers with existing or new groups. 

Generally, the groups have five or six members and meet once a month or more frequently to give each other feedback on their chapters. So, if you’re looking for feedback on your manuscript or short story, you might be in need of a critique group. Linda will help you get started, give you critiquing guidelines, and tips.

Got a finished manuscript? Email Linda about forming a Finished Manuscript Group with other HSW members. This is similar to Matt’s JumpStart group. Usually about 4 to 5 people will read and critique one book a month. 

Are you a memoirist who wants feedback on your work? The Memoir Group is looking for new members. 

Are you interested in flash fiction? We have a member who wants to start a flash fiction critique group and is looking for like-minded people. If you’re interested in it or would like to learn to write super-short fiction, contact Linda. Her email address is lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com 

Local HSW Writers News:

In the Reno Gazette Best of Lists for this year, as voted on by residents, Marie Navarro won the Best Local Author with Jacci Turner coming in 4th. Congratulations to both of these HSW members. Good job!

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday July 9th at 10 am in person
at Scheels and via Google Meet. 

We are delighted to welcome Kitty Turner, who will be speaking about How to Successfully Launch Your Book. Getting your book off to a visible start is an important aspect of marketing, and it’s one that many writers know little about. You can’t just hit the publish button and expect readers to find it. Kitty has helped to successfully launch over twenty books for her clients, so she’d going to share some knowledge with us.

Kitty Turner is an author and six-time entrepreneur who has been instrumental in publishing over twenty books, including Motherwhelmed by Beth Berry, It’s Not That Simple by Pam Ostrowski, and The Trauma Map by Dr. Karol Darsa. She is an expert content creator specializing in feature articles, blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and books. As a pro-blogger and travel writer, her contributions have appeared in many publications online and off, including Scribophile, The Tradewinds, Condé Nast, Onboard Magazine, and the Caribbean Compass. Books she authored include The Bestseller List, Financial Freedom Through Writing, and her upcoming novel, Zone Trip. As a marketing professional with 30 years of background in data science and application development, she has mastered organizing complex systems into easy-to-follow steps. Her marketing methods have been tested dozens of times in the live market with consistent, measurable, and profitable results. Visit Kitty’s website at: https://dailyhouse.media/

Mark your calendar now to attend this meeting. 

FIRST PAGES
Matt will be doing First Pages at the meeting if we have submissions.  To submit the first page of your book, please send it to Matt by Friday, July 8th. Follow these guidelines: Do not put your name on the page, do include the title and genre, use 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font and double space. Send to MattBayan@aol.com

AFTER THE MEETING CRITIQUE GROUP
Lynda Bailey (Enos) will be conducting the critique group discussion after the regular meeting is concluded. 

If you have not been to a meeting at Scheels, here’s how to find us. Enter from the parking lot and go to the escalators/stairs past the aquarium. Go upstairs and turn left past the Abraham Lincoln statue. Beyond the arcade are the restrooms so turn toward them, then go left to the door alongside that has a badge control on it. The door is unlocked and you can go into the hallway where the meeting rooms are the three doors on the left. We usually have two of these rooms, so look for us.

From the President:

BOOKS TO SCREEN

Last year, Netflix spent over $200 million to acquire book content. That’s not counting screenplays. They bought books. Why? They can’t get screenplays fast enough. They have staff who can take a print project and convert it to a screenplay. Others such as Amazon, Disney, HBO, etc. are doing the same. Total content expenditures easily exceed a billion dollars per year.

Can we tap into this?

The answer is yes. Both directly and indirectly.

However, expect gatekeepers. These behemoth production companies consider materials submitted by either literary agents or movie agents. The key word here is “agents.” That’s the direct approach. 

So, we might think, “Well, I self-publish. How is this going to be available to me?”

Good question.

So, let’s consider the indirect benefit of thinking about movies. I bring up the existence of this goldmine because it raises an important perspective for writers of every background. If we think “movie” we naturally make the distinction between movies and books. Everything about a movie is about showing. Too often, books are about telling.

If we think of how a movie unfolds, how characters are developed by what we see them do, we can better avoid telling. 

If we look at the way a movie jumps from location to location, or from one POV to another, we can see the tricks that make a story more intriguing for the audience. Movies take liberties with linear storytelling. They focus in and out on what characters are doing.

Can’t we use the same techniques in writing for the page? Even if we never intend to write a screenplay or to sell a book for movie production, the elements of movie-making can provide a toolbox that enhances what we put on the page.

Formatting Change in Books for Amazon

Just this morning, I got an email from Dave Chesson at Kindlepreneur advising authors that Amazon is changing their format from Mobi (their proprietary format) to ePub, which is the common format that almost every other digital publisher uses. This change has already begun with Amazon not accepting any mobi files in their uploads. If you submit your book via Word or a PDF file, this won’t affect you. But if you format the book from other sources to mobi, you can no longer submit them.
 

However, if you have a book currently published in the mobi format and your copy is a mobi, then it will cause problems if you want to make changes or update data in that book. You will need to convert the mobi file to ePub and upload it again. Dave made a five-minute video explaining this change and what you will need to do. You can view it on YouTube by clicking:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQEzMnYG8Hk

July Author Signing

On Sunday, July 17th, please show your support for fellow HSW members, Jacci Turner, April Wildman and Lynda Bailey for an author’s signing at Great Full Gardens restaurant at Legends in Sparks. Time is from 10-2.

Have You Renewed Your Membership?

It’s July – six months into the year, and our membership is down by about 40%. Have you forgotten to renew? If you’re finding value in your HSW membership, then please renew it. Your dues help to pay for our meeting space, guest speakers, and other benefits. If you’re in a critique group, this is also a benefit to paid members, so renew now while you’re thinking about it. Last call, if you don’t re-up, you will be dropped from the mailing list.

Camp NaNoWriMo Starts July 1st!

That’s right. NaNoWriMo runs three events a year; the main one in November where you attempt to write a 50,000 words book in 30 days, plus the Spring Camp in April and the one in July. For the April and July events, you set your goal, whether you want to write or edit and how many words you want to do. The idea is to encourage the habit of working on your project every day. 

To sign up, go https://nanowrimo.org/ and declare your project for the month. Need encouragement and support? Join the Facebook NaNo-Reno group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/228421943949873

Darcie Chan Video Now Available

The video from the May HSW meeting with Darcie Chan is now available on YouTube. This is an unlisted video so you need to use the link below to access it. We had technical problems during the meeting. We could hear and see Ms. Chan, but she couldn’t hear us. So, Rene typed in most of the questions and Darcie answered them as they came up in chat. Rene tried to edit this the best she could, but might have missed a pause or link or two.

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday June 11 at 10 am
Live at Scheels & Online via Google Meet 

Our guest for this meeting will be David Michael Slater. His new book, The Vanishing, will be published in September, but it’s already stirring up some unusual interest. The blurb for the presale on Amazon reads: To save her best friend from the horrors of Nazi Germany, an invisible girl must embark on an utterly unforgettable journey of redemption and revenge. The Vanishing is fierce and loving, devastating and compelling, a breathtaking blend of history, fiction, and magical realism.

That’s enough to grab attention but the numerous pre-reviews are compelling as well. I am ready to read this book! David will be talking about the story, what inspired it, and how it grew beyond what he expected. He’ll answer questions and maybe read a little bit of it. 

David Michael Slater is an acclaimed author of books for children, teens, and adults. David was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He teaches middle school in Reno, Nevada, where he lives with his wife and son. 

We thought we had the problems with the online connection resolved but last month threw a new one our way. We hope to have a smoother set up for June. 

FIRST PAGES: Matt will be doing First Pages at the meeting if we have submissions.  If you’d like to submit the first page of your book, please send it to Matt by Friday, June 10th. Follow these guidelines. Do not put your name on the page, do include the title and genre. Use 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font and double space.

From the President:

MARKETING 101

In Marketing 101 the first thing they teach is that marketing involves two forces: push and pull. Most of us understand the push part. It involves advertising, social media, and other channels to get your name and your book in front of eyeballs. Push marketing gets confused with sales, since the two are integrally linked.

 But the “pull” part? This is the part that often gets overlooked. It’s not about selling. It’s about pulling information from a variety of sources. It’s an activity that should precede writing a manuscript.

Think of it as a survey. You want to know about your prospective readers. If you could send them a survey, you might ask what genres they like to read, who are their favorite authors, how much time do they spend reading per week, etc. Out of a thousand surveys, you might find that ten percent rate your genre as the one they like most. Let’s say it’s mysteries. You also find that half of the ten percent like police procedurals.

You’ve segmented the market. You can dig deeper, but just these two data points give you some idea of your potential readership. If you were planning a novel about a goat-herder in the Carpathian Mountains who doesn’t like people and wants to find out who’s been cutting his trees, you now know your audience is going to be pretty meager. You might still write the book, but market research is foreshadowing low revenue.

Segmenting the market also means looking at other factors. Where do people buy books? Today most books are sold online. But millions of books are published every year. Even if a small niche market exists, it can still sell a lot of books. An example would be the PX stores on military bases. If you have a book with a military twist, a paperback version could sell better to a military audience than the average novel. Why a paperback? Because troops go on maneuvers or deployments where they may not have internet access. They can buy a paperback, throw it into a duffel bag, and read it no matter where they are sent.

Just this small example of employing pull marketing shows the path that can then inform your book’s topic matter as well as how and where to later focus your push marketing.

By brainstorming about marketing early in your writing project, you can focus on a mix of factors that could lead to better success than writing something and then wondering what to do with it.

Matt

Learn to Write a Novel

Jacci Turner is presenting another class on how to write a novel Full details are in the graphic below. If you have friends who want to learn how to do it or if you need a refresher, here’s a great opportunity to learn for free.

Need a Critique Group?

Interested in joining a critique group? If so, contact Linda Enos. Right now, she’s got folks looking for other non-fiction writers as well as those of us who’ve finished their manuscripts.

Are you interested in flash fiction? We have a member who wants to start a flash fiction critique group and is looking for like-minded people. If you’re interested in it or learning to write super-short fiction, please contact Linda. 
 

For queries about anything critique group related, contact Linda at Lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com.

Results of Our Poll

Sadly, we didn’t have many responses, but of the ones who did, here’s what we learned.

The top six program interest subjects are Marketing, Character Development, Writing Craft, Social Media Platform, Blurb Writing, and Plotting.

Writing Contest categories are First Chapter, Short Story, and Flash Fiction.

We had a few suggestions that we’d like to explore at a future meeting to see how everyone feels about them.

Darcie Chan’s Query Letter

Bestselling Novelist Darcie Chan was our guest at May’s meeting via Google Meet. Unfortunately, we encountered a technical problem we couldn’t resolve and she couldn’t hear us. So we resorted to typing all our questions in the chat and she graciously answered them. Rene recorded the chat and she is working on editing it. When it is completed, she’ll make sure Darcie is okay with posting it, then put it on the High Sierra Writers You Tube Channel. One of the questions asked was about her successful query letter to gain an agent. She offered to share her letter with us, so here it is:

[This is the letter that ultimately worked for me, after countless revisions, helpful suggestions from many people…near the end, after all the revisions, this was generating about a 30-40-percent rate of requests for fulls/partials:]

Dear _____:

I am seeking literary representation for my novel, THE MILL RIVER RECLUSE, a story of uncommon generosity set in a small New England town.

Disfigured by the blow of an abusive husband, and suffering her entire life with severe social anxiety disorder, the widow Mary McAllister spends almost sixty years secluded in a white marble mansion overlooking the town of Mill River, Vermont. Her links to the outside world are few: the mail, the media, an elderly priest with a guilty habit of pilfering spoons, and a bedroom window with a view of the town below.

Most longtime residents of Mill River consider the house and its occupant peculiar, though insignificant, fixtures. An arsonist, a covetous nurse, and a village idiot are among the few who have ever seen Mary. Newcomers to Mill River–a police officer and his daughter and a new fourth grade teacher–are also curious about the reclusive old woman. Although most of the townspeople have never met Mary and never will, she knows them very well. In trying to provide her a sense of community, Father O’Brien tells Mary about the other people in Mill River–the people she cannot bear to meet. Over the years, Mary comes to care deeply for her neighbors and takes it upon herself to help them in times of need. With Father O’Brien’s assistance, she becomes a secret benefactor. Only after Mary’s death does the priest reveal her generosity.

THE MILL RIVER RECLUSE is my first novel. I am an attorney with the Office of the Legislative Counsel, United States Senate, where I have primary responsibility for drafting environmental and natural resource legislation. I have an undergraduate degree in English from Indiana University.

I believe that my novel would appeal to women of all ages who enjoy the emotional pull typical of women’s fiction but prefer a suspenseful, less formulaic plot. I would be delighted if you would consider THE MILL RIVER RECLUSE for representation. A synopsis and sample chapters, as well as the completed manuscript (approximately 98,000 words), are available at your request.

Thank you for your attention to my letter. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

We’re excited to have NY Times Bestselling Author, Darcie Chan as an online guest at this meeting. Her story is not totally unique, but it is one of the lightening strike ones. Ms. Chan published her first novel as an independent writer and it took off like a rocket! It did so well that she was approached by one of the Big Four publishers and signed a contract for her next two books. But let’s hear her tell her own story — how it happened and what she did to get to best seller status.  Come be inspired. We have plenty of seating in the two rooms we’ve reserved for our organization, so there is space to safely distance from each other. While we have had some technical issues over the past few meetings due to either Scheels’ lovely video system that we don’t really know how to work or due to missing cables to connect Rene’s lowly laptop to the auxiliary input. To remedy this, we’ve now purchased our own set of HDMI cables that should resolve the issue. We will also have FIRST PAGES at this meeting. If you’d like to submit the first page of your book, please send it to Matt by Friday, May 13th. Follow these guidelines. Do not put your name on the page, do include the title and genre. Use 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font and double space. From the President:  About Darci Chan Don’t miss our May guest, Darcie Chan. While working as a lawyer and raising children, she marshaled enough spare time to write The Mill River Recluse. She posted it on Amazon and three months later had a NY Times bestseller on her hands. Random House came a-callin’ and offered her a book deal. She now has three bestsellers under her belt and is working on her fourth.   Would you like to hear from someone who has straddled both self-publishing and traditional publishing and made a success of both in just a few years?   In preparation for her visit via Google Meet, High Sierra Writers will buy MEMBERS ONLY a Kindle copy of The Mill River Recluse. The window for us to take advantage of a special low price may close quickly, so order soon. Like right now. Email Rene and MAKE SURE YOU PUT IN THE SUBJECT LINE THE NAME: DARCIE CHAN. If you don’t, your request might not be seen.Note: The price has returned to its normal Kindle price. However, Rene has nine copies purchased at the lower rate she can send to the first nine people to contact her, compliments of HSW.   Rene’s email is ruamor@sbcglobal.net    Here’s an Amazon link to The Mill River Recluse which you can use to get into Darcie’s other books and see her bio.

Google Meet JOIN Information:
Join Link for Google Meet
Saturday, May 14· 10:00am – 12:30 pm
meet.google.com/bmx-txbf-nnu
Join by phone
‪(US) +1 949-424-7153‬ PIN: ‪995 846 279‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/rdp-eaqc-bqp?pin=9051709270750

ATTENTION PLEASE!

Do you have a finished manuscript which needs just one more round of critiques before being sent off to the agent? Then contact Linda Enos, at lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com! 

 As a reminder, in a FM group, you take a month to read/critique a story, sharing your comments and suggestions at the end. Each story gets one month.

On the Calendar for May

May 7th – Divas Day Out at the Grand Sierra. This is a fun ladies’ day event from 10 am to 3 pm. Several HSW authors will be sharing a big booth with their Biggest Little Bookshop. Come check it out. Tickets may be purchased at the door. 

May 14th – High Sierra Writers meeting with guest Darcie Chan. Starts at 10 am.

May 21st – Grassroots Reading and Book Signing with several HSW members

Rene would like to thank everyone who completed the poll regarding future meetings and activities. She will compile the results, suggestions, and other details and provide a recap at the May meeting.

HSW Writers’ Success Stories

High Sierra Writers has quite a few published writers in the group. We have a page featuring the various books grouped by author under genre. These are under HSW Writers link. As our authors release new books, we’ll feature them here. This month we have a new release from Rene Averett and one from A.J. Wildman.

Cat Whisper is Rene’s latest release under her Riona Kelly pen name. He’s got a whopper of a secret that he’s kept from the whole town, but a newcomer threatens to expose it. 
     She’s studying to be a veterinarian and is working with the local pet doc over the summer break. Falling for a guy is the last thing on her mind.
     Of course, they’re drawn to each other with a mutual interest in animals. Can he trust her with his secret?
     This romantic suspense novel is available in Kindle, KU, and paperback at Amazon.

The Zauberin and the Dragon by A.J. Wildman was released April 26  to Amazon Kindle. In this  dark, paranormal romance, he’s the

 Protector of his kind, heir to a cursed throne. She’s the one regret that’s stung his heart for nearly two decades.
     Divorced. Career in the tank. Forced to return to her hometown of Roanoke, Virginia to start over. To say Livi’s life could be better would be an understatement. Then he pays a her late night visit, and her life is turned upside down.
     If they can navigate Riley’s overbearing family, and he can help stop a serial killer before his family secrets are exposed, they might stand a chance.

Please support your fellow HSW members by reading and reviewing their work. They will reciprocate when possible. 

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday April 16th at 10 am

Live at Scheels at Sparks Legends
& online via Google Meet 

Meeting is upstairs in the meeting rooms to the left of the restrooms. The employee door is unlocked during the day and the meeting rooms are on the left as you walk in.

April’s Meeting Agenda
Announcements
Shameless Self-Promotion
Critique Groups Information and Match Ups with Linda Enos
First Pages

Need a Critique Group? 

One of the benefits of being a High Sierra Writers member is using the critique group options and the finish groups. If you’re working on a book, it’s a great way to get feedback from your peers, chapter by chapter. Or maybe you only want feedback on one chapter or a short story. We have options for that also. No matter what you write, Linda will try to find a few partners for you.

Linda Enos is our critique group wrangler and her job is to match writers with a compatible group. At the meeting, Linda is going to talk about the groups, what to expect, and how to work with a critique team.

If you’re working on a book, now is a good time to find or form a group, so come to the meeting, either live or on Google Meet. 

Join Information:
Saturday, April 16 · 9:30am – 1:30pm
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rdp-eaqc-bqp
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 314-833-7213‬ PIN: ‪674 727 735‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/rdp-eaqc-bqp?pin=9051709270750

From the President:

KILLING YOUR BABIES

My Jump Start Group is in full swing knocking off a finished manuscript each month. An interesting issue came up at our last meeting.

In one of our member’s stories, a very sympathetic, essential character in the plot is badly injured. In the last chapter we find that he will fully recover.

I suggested that the ending would be more powerful if that character died. It wouldn’t change the rest of the book, but it would raise the stakes at the very end and provide a plot twist that readers would not expect. I came to this idea because several other main characters had lost something somewhere along the way, but the main character had come through virtually unscathed. He needed to experience a loss, pay a price, for the things he had gained.

It’s up to the writer to now decide that choice. I haven’t heard the outcome yet.

A problem we all face is we slowly fall in love with our characters over the course of months – sometimes years – as we write a book. Without realizing it, we start insulating them from the really horrible. Yes, a bruised ego or a broken bone may be something they pay, but we avoid the earth-shattering price of a loss that may be impossible to recover from.

Such losses test a character. They provide drama and internal conflict. They change a character, either positively or negatively. They make a character more resilient, or hopeless, or vengeful. They provide the opportunity for a character to consider giving up a quest, or running away. Or digging deep and fighting like the hounds of hell.

Kind of like you feel in the middle of writing a novel. “I think I’ll delete the whole damn file.” Or, “Maybe my critique group has an idea around the corner I’ve painted myself into.”

Happy Spring,
Matt

Events coming up in April & May

April 5 to May 10 – How to Write a Novel from Start to Finish with Jacci Turner – Jacci will be working through the whole process from plot to finish in this free six week course for 55+ people. (Younger might sneak in.) It will be at the Northwest Library in Reno. To sign up, email Jacciturnerauthor@gmail.com

April  7, 14, & 21 – Self-Publishing Class at TMCC with Rene Averett teaching. Sign up at TMCC to attend these three Thursdays at 7 pm.  

May 7th – Divas Day Out – May 7th at Grand Sierra Hotel in the Ballroom. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster and at the hotel. Advance tickets are $15 each until May 6th and $25 at the door. For more information, go to DDO’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/277234614597115/

May 21st – Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading and Book Signing at Grassroots Book Store. Six authors will be participating with short readings from their books and all books will be on sale at Grassroots. Stop by and support your fellow writers. More Information at: https://www.facebook.com/events/724488875597183

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday March 12 at 10 am at Scheels & Google Meet

Program is to be announced. Check the HSW website in a few days to see what or who we come up with.

Join Link for Google Meet
To  join the Google Meet from your computer, use this link:
https://meet.google.com/bmx-txbf-nnu?hs=122&authuser=0
To join audio only from your phone call (‪US‬)‪ 949-424-7153‬ and enter this 
PIN: ‪995 846 279#‬

FIRST PAGES

We will be doing FIRST PAGES so if you’d like to submit the first page of your book, please send it to Matt by Friday, February 11th. Follow these guidelines. Do not put your name on the page, do include the title and genre. Use 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font and double space.

If you have not been to a meeting at Scheels, here’s how to find us. Enter from the parking lot and go to the escalators/stairs past the aquarium. Go upstairs and turn left past the Abraham Lincoln statue. Beyond the arcade are the restrooms so turn toward them, then go left to the door alongside that has a badge control on it. The door is unlocked and you can go into the hallway where the meeting rooms are the three doors on the left. We usually have two of these rooms, so look for us.

From the President:

Page One – Setting or Immediate Scene? 

I think it would be helpful to contrast two key elements of a story: setting and immediate scene. I’ve talked about immediate scene before; it’s writing that occurs in the moment. It’s a close POV where the reader is experiencing what is happening as it happens.

Dialogue is usually immediate scene, unless the dialogue is recounting something that occurred off-stage, out of the sight of the reader. Usually something in the past.

Setting is that element that tells the reader when and where the story is taking place. It creates an atmosphere or context for the story.

Here’s the conflict. Traditionally, stories started out with a description of setting. In both movies and books this was called “exposition.” However, in recent years, exposition has shrunk more and more. We have shorter attention spans. We want things to get moving. We don’t want a long explanation of background.

That’s why “immediate scene” has become more important to readers and moviegoers. Audiences want to get right into the story, be immersed in it. The challenge for writers is to plunge in, yet introduce the details of setting without bogging down the scene.

Think of TV shows such as, Law and Order, CSI, Gray’s Anatomy. The show usually starts with some kind of emergency or a murder or some other crime. The audience doesn’t know the context at the start. The pieces start to get revealed as the show progresses.

How do James Bond movies start? With an action scene. In Casino Royal, the first ten minutes – the teaser – involves Bond chasing some operative in the most spectacular footrace I have ever seen. It looks like they’re in the tropics, but we don’t know where. We don’t know who the guy is who’s running from Bond. We don’t know why Bond is chasing him. This is a far cry from Dickens who would have given the dates of birth of pursued and pursuer, walked us through their grammar school days, and given the shoe size of everyone in the scene.

I’m NOT saying to start a novel with an action scene. I’m saying to get the reader into what’s happening right away. Forget prologues, world-building, data dumps, and a lot of description right up front. Work the setting and world-building into the story in pieces as you stay in immediate scene as much as possible.

The teaser that launches immediate scene is now expected by audiences. When we send queries to agents, they expect immediate scene too. The slow burn is something bestselling authors can afford because they’ve already captured an audience who is more willing to give them some leeway. But if you’re starting out, stay in immediate scene as much as possible.

Book Signing Update

The Grassroots book signing event is now scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 3:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. High Sierra Writers members who are participating are Gavin Black, Marie Navarro, Susan Cornfield Duggan, and Rene Averett (as Lillian I. Wolfe).  Also April Wildman and Jade Griffin will be reading also. They would appreciate it if you came out to support them.

Divas Day Out Rescheduled

Due to a double-booking at the Grand Sierra, Divas Day Out has been rescheduled to May 7, 2022. The event runs from 10 am to 3 pm and features all kinds of booths and activities to tickle the fancy of even the most discriminating diva. While this has created a scheduling conflict for Lynda Bailey, she won’t be there in person, but her books will be attending. Also hawking books will be Linda Kay Hardie, Marie  Navarro, Leanna Falconer, Jacci Turner, Susan Cornfield Duggan, April Wildman, and Rene Averett (under 3 pen names.). 

Ladies, come on out and have a wonderful time!

Thinking about self-publishing your book and don’t know where to start?

TMCC is offering a three-day course on self-publishing taught by Rene Averett, who has published 15 books from cookbooks to children’s books to novels on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. This class teaches you how to prepare your manuscript, upload it to Amazon, set the pricing, and submit it for sale. You will also learn where to look to find your book sales and other information and hoe to use Amazon’s tools. 

If you’re interested, sign up at TMCC EPIC.
3 sessions, Thursday 04/07/2022,  04/14/2022, and 04/21/2022
To sign up, go to TMCC Epic’s class link: truckee.augusoft.net/index.cfm

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday February 12 10 am 
at Scheels and via Google Meet.

Program for this meeting is Write Fiction to Tell the Truth, a talk about the differences between nonfiction and fiction, and one way to write them. Linda Kay Hardie will be out guest speaker.

Meeting Agenda

• Shameless Self-Promotion
• Announcements
• Write Fiction to Tell the Truth
• First Pages

Join Link for Google Meet
To  join the Google Meet from your computer, use this link:
https://meet.google.com/bmx-txbf-nnu?hs=122&authuser=0
To join audio only from your phone call (‪US‬)‪ 949-424-7153‬ and enter this 
PIN: ‪995 846 279#‬

About Our Speaker
Linda Kay Hardie is the author of the children’s picture book Louie Larkey and the Bad Dream Patrol. Her writing projects have included an essay in the book Cat Women: Female Writers on Their Feline Friends and pieces in such national magazines as Cat Fancy and Chile Pepper. She was the editor of Not Fit for a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food by Michael W. Fox, B. Vet. Med, Ph.D., D.Sc., M.R.C.V.S., et. al.

Linda has been senior editor and publicist for a book publisher, as well as managing editor for several newspapers. She’s a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and Cat Writers Association, and has won numerous writing awards dating back to 1968. A lifelong book lover, Linda recently earned a Master of Arts degree in writing and teaches college composition in Reno, Nevada.

FIRST PAGES
We will be doing FIRST PAGES so if you’d like to submit the first page of your book, please send it to Matt by Friday, February 11th. Follow these guidelines. Do not put your name on the page, do include the title and genre. Use 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font and double space.

After Meeting Critique Session

Matt is leading a No-Homework critique session after the regular meeting. For this one, you can bring in a page or two of something you’re working on which you’d like to submit for the group’s comments. You’ll read the page aloud or someone else will read it, then anyone attending can give their input on it. This is similar to what Matt’s group at Barnes and Noble did.

Critique Groups Update

A reminder from Linda Enos. 

Looking for feedback on your manuscript? Contact Linda at lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com about joining one of HSW’s critique groups.
     Got a finished manuscript? Email Linda about forming a Finished Manuscript Group with other HSW members. This is similar to Matt’s JumpStart group. Usually about 4 to 5 people who will read and critique one book a month.
     Are you a memoirist who wants feedback on their work? The Memoir Group is looking for new members. Contact Linda for the details.

Time to Renew Your Dues
It’s a new year and your annual dues, if you haven’t already paid, are now due for 2022. You can pay them online at http://highsierrawriters.org/dues_payments/ or by check to:
High Sierra Writers
PO Box 12241
Reno, NV 89510
     (Please let us know by email to board@highsierrawriters.org if you mail it in, so we can check the mailbox.)
     If you have already paid, thank you and ignore this message.

Self-Publishing Classes at TMCC Meadowood Campus

Rene Averett will be teaching a three class series at TMCC’s Meadowood Campus in April. Anyone interested can sign up now. These classes will go into the publishing features in more depth than we have in the meeting presentations. TMCC charges a $49 fee for the classes.

From the catalog: Skip waiting on publishers and agents and publish your polished manuscript on your terms. Discuss how to prepare your work for upload using Amazon’s e-book and paperback system as well as Draft2Digital. Learn about the many features Kindle Unlimited has to offer for managing your information and sales. Explore the formats accepted for each platform, how to set your prices and plan for distribution. Gain design advice for your cover and practice using Kindle Publishing to bring your idea to life.

3 sessions, Thursday 04/07/2022,  04/14/2022, and 04/21/2022
To sign up, go to TMCC Epic’s class link: truckee.augusoft.net/index.cfm

HSW Writers’ Success Stories

High Sierra Writers has quite a few published writers in the group. We have a page featuring the various books grouped by author under genre. These are under HSW Writers link. As our authors release new books, we’ll feature them here. 

This month, we have two books that are not new, but one has gotten a makeover and the other is releasing an audio version. Also, we have a short story that was published. 

Cover Swap
Swapping out a book cover can improve your sales. Sometimes the original cover just isn’t getting the attention you need to find your reader. Brian Cave’s Old School Evil had a good cover, but he decided to step it up with a newly designed one.

New Cover on the left, old on the right. Click on the new cover to go to Brian’s Amazon page.

Audio Edition Coming

Jacci Turner’s recently-released Tree Singer is looking for more sales with the audio release of the book. She says it will be out this month. Check for it on Amazon.

Published Short Story

Kathy Burks had her first short story, “The Sixth Cut,” published by an online magazine, The Chamber Magazine. You can find it at:
https://thechambermagazine.com/2022/01/21/the-sixth-cut-dark-surreal-fiction-by-k-a-burks/
     It’s a dark fiction story with a surprising twist. I expect Kathy will be writing more of these.

Congratulations to all our HSW writers. 

Announcements

Book Signing
Gavin Black and several other authors had arranged a book signing at Grassroots Book Store on February 12. That has been postponed as Grassroots finally realized an outdoor book signing in winter isn’t the best idea. This will be rescheduled to either April or May. Gavin is waiting for the date.

Divas Day Out
Lynda Bailey and 5 other authors will be sharing a big booth at the annual Diva event at the Grand Sierra Casino on April 30th.  Ladies, mark the day on your calendar. It’s a fun event and you can check out all the nifty booths. 

Next HSW Meeting 

December 11th at 10 am at Scheels in Sparks. 
We will also use Google Meet.

Join Code for Google Meet: meet.google.com/rkb-kohd-kvu
Phone In #: 650-670-8388‬

Have you used Book Funnel? Do you know what it is?

If you don’t know about it and want to know, then this next meeting might interest you. Rene Averett, who is still fairly new to using it as a writers’ tool versus a reader’s tool, will attempt to give you an overview and show you how the program works.

For the uncertain, Book Funnel is a subscription service that connects writers with potential readers in many ways. Some of the services include:

• Landing Pages
• Book Pages
• Distribution to ARC Readers
• Promos
• Author Swaps
• Print Codes
• Bundles

So, if you want to know more about this service, join us in December, either in person or on Google.

FIRST PAGES

Matt will be doing First Pages at this meeting.  If you have a first page you would like feedback on, please send it by Friday December 10th to MattBayan@aol.com  For easy reading, please use 12 point Times New Roman and double space.  Do not include your name on the page, but indicate the genre. 

Critique Groups

Looking for a group of writers to read and critique your work? Willing to reciprocate? Then we might have a group for you.

Linda Bailey is our Critique Group Wrangler. Let her know what genre(s) you write and if you prefer an in-person or online group. She will try to match you with a group or help you start a new one. This is a member benefit, so you must be a paid member to join a group.

Contact Linda to join a Reno-based group this year! lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com. 

Have a Finished draft? You might be Ready…

Do you have a finished manuscript which needs just one more round of critiques before being sent off to the agent? Then contact me, Linda Enos, at lynda.r.bailey@gmail.com! 

 As a reminder, in a FM group, you take a month to read/critique a story, sharing your comments and suggestions at the end. Each story gets one month. 

If you have any questions, let me know!

Linda

Last month, Kathleen Sweeney from Book Brush presented a great overview of this program. If you missed it, you can view the recording at our new HSW YouTube Channel. This is a private channel, but anyone with the URL can access the video. As a reminder, Kathleen offered a non-expiring 15% discount code to HSW members. The code is in the video. 

HSW Writing Contest Winners!

We have the results of the competition and the winners will be announced at the next meeting. We didn’t have any entries for children’s category so it was eliminated. The Short Story 1st place winner will receive $100 and the 2nd place will receive $50. In the Flash Fiction, 1st place will get $50 and the 2nd place $25. Both 3rd place winners will receive a one year membership in High Sierra Writers. 

Many thanks to our judges, Mark Bacon, Dakota Orlando, and Jean Booth. They did an awesome job!

New Book Release!

High Sierra Writers has quite a few published writers in the group. We have a page featuring the various books grouped by author under genre. These are under HSW Writers link. As our authors release new books, we’ll feature them here . 

This month, we feature a new release by Rene Averett. Splintered Time, was released in November under her Lillian I. Wolfe pen name.

Splintered Time is the second book of the Time Threads trilogy. In this book, Mali Harper, a time adjuster, is left behind after a failed mission to the 18th century. Now she must decide if she needs to stop the changes to the timeline or let them go to create a better future. Ultimately, will she be able to return to her own time or will she be erased?
    The book is available on Amazon Kindle and Kindle Unlimited. 

Next HSW Meeting 

Saturday November 13 at 10 am at Scheels and via Google Meet

From the President

The 2021 Writing Contest is now closed and all entries postmarked or emailed by midnight on Halloween are  entered. We did not have any entries in the children’s story category, so it has been dropped. The judges will be evaluating the entries in Short Story and Flash Fiction in November. The winners will be announced at the December 11th meeting.  Good luck to all who entered this year.

Judges
We have three judges selected from our writing community in Northern Nevada. Jean Booth is an award-winning horror and paranormal author with several books under her belt.  She’s also written short stories and published in anthologies. You can check out her Amazon Author page to learn more.

Eugene Orlando is a writer/editor who has been writing since 1998. His work includes four published anthologies and  a poetry chapbook Yosemite Valley Suite. He’s a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association, regional director for Washington and Nevada, and a board member for the FWA. He’s attended dozens of writing conferences and has presented at four. He’s also judged writing competitions for the FWA.

Mark S. Bacon started his writing career as a newspaper police reporter in Southern California before moving into marketing. He’s published stories in the Boston Literary Magazine, Flashshot, 100 Word Story, MicroHorror, 101 Words and Stymie Magazine.  He published a book of flash fiction, Mysteries and Murder, with Ether Books of the UK.  Later, he self-published another book of flash fiction, Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words.  He’s written 10 books including four mystery novels. He has a BA in journalism from Fresno State and an MA in journalism/mass media from UNLV. Check out Mark’s full bio at his Amazon author page.

Jean and Eugene will be judging the Short Story entries while Mark will tackle the flash fiction. 

Book Exchange Project

Membership Special

NOVEMBER IS NANOWRIMO

From the President: Matt Bayan

IMMEDIATE SCENE

• All books on this drive should be published. They are copyrighted books. 
• Submit only 1 book only per person. If you have a series, make it your first book. 
• State genre, keywords, and a short book blurb when submitting to make it easier for readers to choose your book to read.
• Submit the book cover image and the book via PDF. If you can’t convert it, contact Rene.
• If you take a book drive, review any of the books you read from it. The author is giving you a free book, please be kind enough to write at least a short review on Amazon. 
• Do not copy or share the book drive with others. This is for High Sierra Writers only. You may copy the books to your own computer, flash drive, or tablet.
• Return the flash drive at the next meeting after you receive it. That way, we can give it to more members who wish to read.
• To participate as an author, please submit your published book as stated above by November 1, 2021. Send them to RPAverett@gmail.com or mattbayan@aol.com.  

Hey, everyone, we are beginning the last month to enter the 2021 High Sierra Writers Writing Competition. I know we’ve had a couple of stressful years, but our entries are not coming in for the contest yet. 

Are you planning to enter for a chance to win $100, $50, or $25? The three categories for this year’s contest are:

1) Flash Fiction – 500 words max. $50 first prize, $25 second
2) Short Story – themed to the West (Any west) = 1500 to 3000 words. $100 first prize, $50 second – This can be about any west setting you want, even in space on another planet. 
3) Children’s Story – suitable for something like Children’s Highlights Magazine. 1000 to 2000 words. $100 first place, $50 second. 

All third place finishes will get a free one-year membership in HSW. 

If you have something that will fit one of those, why not submit it? Our judges, to be selected depending on number of entries, will read and give you feedback on your story. And, you might just walk away with some money or a free HSW membership.

The entry deadline is October 31st. Full details, entry forms, and payment buttons are on the website here. If you have your story ready to go, bring the entry form, printed or digital copy on a flash drive, and your entry fee to the next meeting on October 9th at Scheels. 

If you have questions, please send them to Board@highsierrawriters.org

An Update on Kindle Vella