Wrap-Up of the MuseOnline Conference

I had a terrific time at the MuseOnline Writers Conference, which ran on forums and chats Oct 3-9.  This year, I taught six workshops, plus one impromptu on housekeeping tips:

Developing a Unique Character Voice

Editing: Not For Wimps

Help! My Writer’s Block is Buried in Clutter (impromptu chat on housekeeping for busy writers)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Making the Most of Your Research and Articles

Torture Your Characters for Fun and Plot-Fit

Worldbuilding 201

Zombies and Monsters and Pixies, All Mine

(I’ll be teaching these classes next year in other venues or at online conferences, so stay tuned or sign up for my newsletter, http://eepurl.com/dc-8M to get notices.)

The classes were a lot of fun, and I was thrilled at the stuff folks came up with for the homework.  A few said they had great ideas for stories or National Novel Writing Month (in November).  I love that I helped fire imaginations!

My imagination was fired up, too.  In Rosalie Skinner’s class, Focused on Fantasy, I played with my Gapman novel that is waiting its turn to be written, and her questions and assignments helped me figure out the evil overlord scheme a bit and gave me a wonderful crisis for the story.  P. June Deihl had a great worksheet of exercises that that I used to build some fun scenes for Gapman.  In Lynn Rush’s Mind Mapping seminar, I had a wonderful insight into my ship, the Santiago, in its AI.

I also got some wonderful critiques from Jane Lebak and Jim Harrington and learned a lot just listening in on agent Beth Fleisher’s pitch session.  (I was moderator.)  I got a few more marketing ideas, as well as a lot of food for thought.  There were some workshops I just didn’t have time for, but I plan to go back and read them.

Finally, for you DragonEye, PI fans, I discussed the possibility of publishing a few of my novellas with MuseItUp.  They have Live and Let Fly, and we’re both interested in making MuseItUp the home for DragonEye, PI from now on.  Lea Schizas, publisher, liked the idea and she’s a big Vern fan, too, so I’ll be following up with her on those.  Again, register for the newsletter at http://eepurl.com/dc-8M if you want to be kept up-to-date on this and other publishing developments.

MuseCon is over, but the next one is Oct 8-14.  This conference is FREE but worth hundreds of dollars in information, networking and opportunities.  Don’t miss out!  Go register NOW at http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com.  (If you attended this year, you MUST register again for next year.  (if you took the registration poll, then you are good; otherwise, go back to the forums to http://themuseonlinewritersconference.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=175&t=2621 and take the poll!)