Author Interviews

To provide insight into the writer's life, DiAnn regularly interviews other Christian authors. Recently she caught up with writer bud Vickie McDonough. Click the link to read his interview and use the menu below to read what other authors are thinking.

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Fiction Mentoring Clinics

The Fiction Mentoring Clinics are typically held on a Thursday, Friday & Saturday beginning at 8:00 a.m. and concluding at 5:00 p.m. each day. There will be no more than 8 people in attendance, so that a close knit group can be formed with one-on-one attention. The clinics take place at my home in Houston, TX. I furnish breakfast, lunch, and morning/afternoon snacks. Participants are free to choose their own dinner and lodging.
 
The purpose of each clinic is to focus on individual writer’s strengths and areas of improvement in a small group environment. The goal for each writer is to refine the first three to five pages of the first chapter of his/her novel.
 
The clinic currently costs $325.00 and consists of three full-day sessions. Each participant will need a laptop or a means of taking notes and completing exercises. The clinic features:

1. A combination of discussion, individual work, and group sharing.
2. A binder for each participant with handouts, including room for notes
3. Numerous hands-on exercises. 
4. Emphasis on characterization, plot, and setting.
5. The dissecting of one movie for a visual of novel construction.
6. Critique of each participant’s work.
7. Homework each day.
8. Encouragement!

 
For more information about upcoming clinics, please contact me directly.

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DiAnn's Desk

"The writer is an explorer. Every step is an advance into new land." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you have taken the journey to write a novel, then you have quickly learned that getting inside a character's head is not an easy task. For example, how long have you known your spouse or your best friend? Do you know what motivates them? Do you know their strengths and desires? Do you know your own goals, strengths, and desires? Do you have that many years to build your characters?

With those few questions, you see the formidable job of writing strong, interesting characters. The secret is forming specific questions that are designed to help the writer explore the lengths and depths of the character and build on that information to form a powerful story. This also means the writer has to step outside his/her own comfort zone to explore personalities that can be annoying, funny, exciting, intriguing, and even frightening.

Dive into Emerson's quote again. "The writer is an explorer. Every step is an advance into new land." Now may be the time to lace up your hiking boots and start the exploration.

Use the menu below to access previous writing articles by DiAnn:

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A Tip From The Image Coach Here's some sage advice from Pat Durham, a friend of mine who does professional image consulting - DiAnn
"As I was preparing for a sales seminar, I became aware of the communication issues between people of different age groups. If we are dealing with people who are older or younger than we are, we must be cognizance of perhaps a different style of speech. How would that relate to an author and his or her audience? Hmm....Could be interesting!"
Pat Durham, Image coach www.diversity-unlimited.com   Click Here for more image tips from Pat.
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A Tip From The Life Coach And here's some great advice from Nancy Williams, a friend of mine who does professional Life Coaching- DiAnn
“I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not on our circumstances.” Martha Washington penned these words as she stood with her husband to face the challenges of our country’s beginnings. We can’t always control what happens with our written offerings or in our personal lives; however, we do have a choice in the attitude we will embrace as we face the challenges that come along. Today, as I draw close to the Lord and trust Him to guide my life, I choose joy.  How ‘bout you?"
Nancy Williams, licensed counselor, life coach, and writer. www.nancywilliams.net  Click Here for more image tips from  Nancy.
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