Look around you. Writers organizations of all kinds have either presented or are preparing to present a writers conference. Some of them specialize in certain genres, such as children and juvenile writing (SCBWI), mystery (MWA), thrillers (ITW) or romance (RWA). You might say conferences are as common as fairy rings after a summer rain. Confused by the many offerings, and wondering which one to attend? The trick is to look for the uncommon conference, like our Florida Writers Conference, for … Read More »

I’ve participated as a vendor in three book fairs; two of them were large multi-day fairs–the Miami Book Fair International and MegaCon (Orlando). The Florida Writers Association is getting into the game with a multi-genre book signing in May 2016. If you’re one of the authors, or if you’ve ever wondered whether to take part in a book signing or a book fair, here’s a handy list of what you might need. What the organizers usually provide: Table (be sure … Read More »

After umpteen seasons of watching CSI on TV, I’ve often fantasized that I’m just one more bloody crime scene away from being fitted for my own, CSI windbreaker. I know all about arterial spray…blood spatter…the purple-blue glow of Luminol and lifting fingerprints from anything that has a surface. I like to think I could add a little something to the team. Maybe jump inside the TV and lend the CSI pros a hand. Join in a little brainstorming session with … Read More »

There’s something magic in cracking the cover on a brand new book—for you Kindle folks make that tapping a finger. Books become our best friends, trusted advisors, time machines and tickets to better places and times. Some of us are so in love with the whole book thing that we actually want to write one. Or, a few. Or, a few hundred. Enter the Florida Writers Conference. For a few days in October, we book lovers and would-be writers get to “crack the … Read More »

Backstory is such a juicy element of story, it’s too bad it’s got such a bad rap. Sure, it can fill a plot hole, juice up a reveal, give us an “aha!” moment. Think of Faye Dunaway in Chinatown, “She’s my daughter, she’s my sister, she’s my daughter and my sister.” A single line of dialogue that changes everything. A great backstory, including that one, presents us with the heart of the matter. We know that having a big opening can grab our … Read More »