MGOC Contributor News: Randall Silvis Selected for Two Best Of Anthologies

Many Genres One Craft contributor Randall Silvis's literary short story "Young Love," originally published in Wake: Great Lakes Thought & Culture, has been selected for this year's Best of the Net online anthology. You can find it here: http://wakegreatlakes.org/content/fiction/randall-silvis-young-love

Also, his novella "The Indian," published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, has been selected for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's The Best American Mystery Stories 2013, to be published this fall.

MGOC Contributor: Lynn Salsi

LYNN SALSI
EXCERPT from "To Be Reviewed or Not to Be Reviewed" by Lynn Salsi in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Once upon a time book reviews gave readers, writers, and publishers an overview of the industry. A positive review in a major magazine or newspaper promised a book a long shelf-life in stores, giving the writer an opportunity to produce a second book before the first title went out-of-print. A review in a major newspaper like the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, or the Miami Herald put books and authors on an elite list.

Professional book reviewers delivered objective comments about content and interpreted the book’s importance as an addition to the canon of its genre. Newspapers—large and small—published weekly book pages which occupied space from a few columns to a complete section.Large dailies employed fulltime book page editors. Since writing defines civilization, print media considered the creation of a best-seller list a contribution to society. And, such lists defined the best writing available on a weekly basis.

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Lynn Salsi has a BA in Journalism and an MA and MFA in creative writing from Seton Hill University. She is the author of 18 books. She has received many awards, including Jacqueline Lougheed World Understanding Lecturer (International Alpha Delta Kappa), an American Library Association Notable Book Award, eight Willie Parker Peace History Book Awards, a Stars and Flags gold medal, and a silver medal from the Military Writers Society of America. In 2008 she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for The Life and Times of Ray Hicks, Keeper of the Jack Tales. She writes popular fiction and
Literary non-fiction.

MGOC Contributor Event: Heidi Ruby Miller and Jason Jack Miller Speak at Citizens Library

EVENTS

Many Genres, One Craft contributors Heidi Ruby Miller and Jason Jack Miller discussed the changing climate in publishing as part of the Evening with Friends series at Citizens Library in Washington, PA.

MGOC Contributor: Rebecca Baker

REBECCA BAKER
EXCERPT from "Getting Your Words Out: The Basics of Promoting Your Fiction" by Rebecca Baker in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

While I have met writers who are perfectly comfortable with the business of promoting their work — and to them I say good luck and Godspeed — the greater majority of us would prefer to believe that someone will show up, someone who knows and loves our work as much as we do, to take care of all the commercial unpleasantness that happens after we get the blasted book finished.

That person does not exist.

Actually, that person does exist. It’s you.

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Rebecca Baker currently serves as the manager of communications and web content for Seton Hill University. Previous positions include associate director of media relations and staff writer, both at Seton Hill, and community affairs coordinator for Mellon Bank (now BNY Mellon). Becca is also a freelance writer. She lives in Greensburg, Pa. with her husband, Bruce Siskawicz, a photographer and graphic designer. They have two cats, Max and Sam.

Arnzen's "Instigation": Creative Prompts on the Dark Side

New ebook for writers: $3.99

Michael Arnzen's latest book for writers, Instigation: Creative Prompts on the Dark Side is a treasury of over 500 twisted tips, strange scenarios and disturbing sparks to help ignite the fuel in your creative furnace. Its aim? To push you into the danger zone of your imagination, by thinking in unconventional ways and trying things you never thought — or dared — to try before in your writing, art, or dreams.

Writers, especially, will benefit from this book of “story starters” that can shatter writer’s block and possess your fingers with an impish creative spirit. Arnzen’s Instigation — filled with unique prompts drawn directly from his fiction workshops at Seton Hill University, his columns from Hellnotes and his Bram Stoker Award-winning newsletter, The Goreletter — has already helped hundreds of horror writers, dark “creatives” and unconventional artists…many of whom have not only crafted original material, but published it as a result of responding to these twisted prompts.

Contents include: Prompts: 365 Sick Scenarios | Spurs: 31 Turns for the Worse | Resurrections: 13 Radical Revisions | Memoir Mayhem: 151 Prompts for Journaling | The Devil Made You Do It Yourself: 6 DIY Exercises | Essays on Writing on the Dark Side: “In the Mood: Getting Ready to Write”; “Binge Writing and NaNoWriMo”; “Discovering Your Hidden Intentions”; “Question-Storming”; “Making Modern Monsters”; “What Corrupted Me”; “The Five Laws of Arnzen” | Tips For Further Instigaton | Apps, Websites, Related Readings, and Writing Communities

See the catalog page for more information on this dangerously helpful ebook. Or visit scribd.com for a meaty 30 page preview, with a heaping supply of prompts and an article on "Binge Writing and NaNoWriMo" excerpted from the book.

Just $3.99! Now available direct from Mastication Publications, or on the Amazon Kindle and B&N Nook.

 Writers inspired by Instigation are inspired to share and promote their work on the Instigation Showcase.

The Fridge of the Damned!

Many Genres co-editor Michael Arnzen reports a successful kickstarter campaign (that doubled its goal) for The Fridge of the Damned: a quirky horror poetry magnet kit that draws words directly from his book The Gorelets Omnibus. Magnets have been distributed to all backers, and you can read the strange-yet-fun results in the active online gallery.

While supplies last, Raw Dog Screaming Press is selling remaining magnetic tins for just $12.

One of the many incentives for the kickstarter is a new ebook from Arnzen, called Instigation: Creative Prompts on the Dark Side, which genre writers might want to look into. It should be released from Mastication Publications, on March 15th.

MGOC Contributor Event: Michael A. Arnzen and Jason Jack Miller to Teach Writing Workshop at Confluence 2013

EVENTS


FREE RDSP WORKSHOP AT CONFLUENCE 2013
As part of Raw Dog Screaming Press's DogCon2 celebration at Confluence 2013, award-winning authors and Many Genres One Craft contributors Michael A. Arnzen and Jason Jack Miller are on the faculty to teach a free 3-hour writing basics workshop on Saturday, July 20. The event is open to all registered convention participants. Pick and choose from 6 different 1/2 hr. sessions or attend them all.

The workshop will run from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM

CRAFT
10:00-10:30 AM - CHARACTER with Matt Betts
10:30-11:00 AM - DIALOG with John Edward Lawson
11:00-11:30 AM - PLOT with Michael A. Arnzen
11:30–NOON - SETTING with D. Harlan Wilson

BUSINESS
NOON–12:30 PM - PUBLICATION OPTIONS with Deanna Lepsch
12:30-1:00 PM - BRANDING AND PROMOTION with Jason Jack Miller

To register for CONFLUENCE 2013, click the link below:

MGOC Contributor: Leslie Davis Guccione

LESLIE DAVIS GUCCIONE

EXCERPT from "Where Do I Go from Here? Being Orphaned" by Leslie Davis Guccione in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Most writers will tell you their top professional priority is developing rapport with that all-important editor. She’s bought your manuscript; his revision suggestions are clear; you’ve signed your first multiple book contract.

Nearly twenty years have sailed by since my agent’s words, “Leslie, I’ve sold your manuscript,” danced through the phone lines. Armed with my IBM Selectric typewriter and a lifetime supply of Wite Out, I set sail. Not to belabor the metaphor, but with calm seas and a steady breeze I left port heading toward long term relationships with supportive, enthusiastic editors, increasingly lucrative multiple book contracts, and sterling reviews. Fan mail! Classroom visits! Book signings! Royalty checks!
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With the simultaneous sales of a YA and adult romantic suspense novel, Leslie Davis Guccione left public relations and fundraising copywriting to concentrate on fiction.  Over 25 years she’s published 28 novels for adult, middle grade and teen readers, garnering awards, starred reviews and genre fiction best seller status.  Her work has been translated into eight languages. As Kate Chester she created and wrote the six book Hear No Evil series, featuring deaf protagonists, for Scholastic, including Tell Me How the Wind Sounds, which was optioned for television. Leslie is adjunct faculty for Seton Hill University’s MFA program. Professional memberships have included The Authors Guild, Romance Writers of America and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

MGOC Contributor News: David Morrell's New Books

Many Genres, One Craft contributor David Morrell has two new books out in his popular culture series.

Frank Sinatra: The Artist And His Music

Did you know that Frank Sinatra was permanently scarred from birth and never went anywhere without using pancake makeup … that in his youth this supposedly self-taught singer took voice lessons from a Metropolitan opera singer … that he learned breath control by swimming underwater and mentally singing lyrics?

These are only some of the little-known revelations in this e-work. Based on more than forty years of listening and reading, it provides an in-depth analysis of Sinatra’s music and shows why this troubled high-school dropout came to be justly called the greatest interpretative singer in the recording era. After you read this, you might never listen to Sinatra or any other singer the same way again.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon
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Nelson Riddle: The Man Behind The Music

Frank Sinatra. Nat “King” Cole. Ella Fitzgerald. Judy Garland. Peggy Lee. Rosemary Cloony. Linda Ronstadt. No matter their various styles, these and other iconic popular singers had one thing in common — much of their best work was arranged by Nelson Riddle, whose fame within the world of arrangers rivaled that of the legends for whom he wrote. Indeed, some critics maintain that, if not for Riddle, Sinatra might not have overcome his mid-career failure and climbed to the superstar status that he eventually attained.

This e-work describes the career of a musical genius, who changed popular music and proved that a great arranger is as important as a great song and a great singer. At its core is the irony that a man whose music is described as “light” and “bright” should have been so bitter and disappointed in his life.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords

Scribd

MGOC Contributor: Diane Turnshek

DIANE TURNSHEK
EXCERPT from "Teaching Young Writers" by Diane Turnshek in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction:

I was never a young writer, but for ten years I have been teaching teens to write what they love. I feel that I am in a unique position to make observations about the differences between young writers and people who are merely new to the craft. Teaching them has taught me a lot. My experience shows me that young writers can turn out genre work equal in quality to that produced by battle-hardened, aged writers. Many of the young writers I have known, through inspiration and force of will, have learned what it takes to produce professional copy and have stuck with the challenging current publishing climate until their work sold.

Advantages to being a young writer abound.

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Diane Turnshek is an astronomer and a science fiction author with short fiction in Analog magazine and elsewhere. She teaches astronomy at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and St. Vincent College, where she’s also taught creative writing. Since 2002, Diane has been mentoring graduate students at Seton Hill University in the MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. She founded Alpha, the SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers in 2002 and the Triangulation anthology series (as editor) in 2003. She served as Eastern Regional Director for SFWA, a professional organization of 1500 genre writers and directed the 2007 SFWA Nebula Awards in NYC. She has four delightful sons and a sweetly supportive dream guy.