The Latest Happenings

▣ Moon Landing

posted by Saundra Akers on February 5th, 2010 at 4:23 PM

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unable to post with last posting but now I can.

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▣ Assignment: A dome has been built on moon; I'll live there.

posted by Saundra Akers on February 5th, 2010 at 3:37 PM

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I was given the above assignment two weeks ago and today I read it in the group. Others who read had great new takes on this assignement> This is one I had to do research for actually.

 

Memoirs writers: What have you been told about the moon? Made of green cheese, man in the moon, that it makes people crazy during a rull moon, or any other story. Write about it.

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▣ What's Up

posted by Saundra Akers on February 1st, 2010 at 11:18 AM

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I'm trying to remember if I mentioned the reading at Thompson library at OSU. It will be from 3:00 to 4:00 on February 18th. I hope some of you can make it.

I'm in the planning stages of what to read but I'm thinking of doing some of my short stories, maybe a poem or two and reading from my book in progress which is called Shattered Hart...appropriate at Valentines Day...maybe not. Whatever I need to do to fill up an hour is what I'll do. Sometime before then I need to get some new cards made.

For Memoirs writers: In your business did you have business cards to hand out? What type of business or job did you do? What did your spouse do. Did you like it? What was the best and worst thing about it and how long did you stay with it?

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▣ February is coming

posted by Saundra Akers on January 30th, 2010 at 7:49 AM

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Events in February include a reading at the Thompson library at OSU  on the 18th from 3:00 to 4:00. This will be the first time I've done this.

I'm also planning a trip to Morgantown, West Va to do research for Shattered Hart my latest book and a marketing tour in southern Ohio.

I'll be looking to buy a laptop this coming  month as well. I've never used one and that will involve a new learning cycle.

 

Memoirs writers: What event have you given or participated in that proved memorable? 

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▣ Do you dream what you write?

posted by Saundra Akers on January 30th, 2010 at 7:14 AM

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The leader of one of the writing groups I go to says that he dreams allmost all of the things that he writes. I've been thinking about that and about the dreams that I have. I could use the dreams as a writing prompt, I think and go on from there but in practice I never do. I'm wondering how many other writers dream the content of their short stories or novels.

 

Memoirs writers: Think about a memorable dream that you have had and write something using that dream.

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▣ Writing is my passion

posted by Saundra Akers on January 25th, 2010 at 9:17 PM

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Today, David Bell and I gave a workshop at Franklinton library. He talked about building blocks of a story and I talked about characters and backstory, as well as voice. We discussed the writer's voice vs the characters voice and how those were the same and how they were different.

 

For memoirs writers: Write about a character you've known. It could be a family member or it could be a friend or the man down the street. What was different about this person? How did he look, act, and speak?

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▣ Old Writings

posted by Saundra Akers on January 21st, 2010 at 9:00 AM

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I found something written a long time ago and thought I'd post it. Here goes.

With all the wonders of the electronic age

It's solid state, it's micro this and micro that

some precious elements are lost in you and time.

The you and me

the intimacy of time standing still,

the delicious luxury of sharing the who and what

and where and why of you,

before the tick of time begins again

and speed you off into the whriling world.

 

For memoirs writers: Look for old writings that you may have done sometime in the past and update them.

 

 

 

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▣ Future legalization of theft

posted by Saundra Akers on January 16th, 2010 at 12:05 PM

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Asignment: It's a time in the future and theft is now legal. Write about this time.

 

Memoirs writers: Did you ever do anything illegal? Did a friend or family member?

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▣ Changes to my website

posted by Saundra Akers on January 7th, 2010 at 11:08 AM

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I finally figured out how to make changes to my website which was badly in need of updating this morning. It now reflects where I am on my writing journey, at least as regards my novels. It doesn't mention other things I'm doing in the writing field however. One of those things is a workshop I'm giving with David Bell on the 25th of January at Franklinton library. It will be from 3:00 to 6:00 and I'll be talking about characters and how they affect voice and how their backstory affects them.

 

For my memoirs writers: It's snowing outside and although it's not a blizzard, it could become one, I guess. Where were you during the blizzard of...what was it? 1976... What happened? Were you able to get to work, school. How did it affect your family?

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▣ Marketing, the bane of my existance

posted by Saundra Akers on January 5th, 2010 at 9:22 AM

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I am not a salesman in any way. Therefore I don't like the marketing part of being an author. I wish it were enough to just create the book and the marketing would take care of itself, but unfortunately that doesn't happen. Today I'm addressing myself to some marketing issues. I just sent a press release out as part of that. The weather is not so good, snowy and cold and I am not anxious to go out to market so I'm using my computer as a marketing tool today.

 

For Memoirs writers: Has there been a time in your life when you've needed to sell something? Were you good at it? Was it a lemonade stand when you were a kid or was it selling magazines to help with college? Perhaps you ended up making a living by selling something. Tell us about it.

 

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▣ Re- Write is a fright...

posted by Saundra Akers on January 4th, 2010 at 6:47 AM

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I hate re-writing but with practice over ten novels it has gotten easier, thank goodness. Now doing re-writes to Dream Buster.

Since I'm now in between books, I should be able to take a vacation but instead I'm researching the next book and re-writing the old one. Below I've told you how to take a weeks vacation while working a full time job however, just in case someone wants a vacation but doesn't have the time to do it.

 

 

 

For memoirs writers:  What is your most hated tasks in life and how do you motivate yourself to do them?

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▣ First draft o Dream Buster is finished !

posted by Saundra Akers on December 29th, 2009 at 11:26 AM

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With much sweat and hard work, I finished the first draf to Dream Buster yesterday. Today I don't seem to know what to do with myself, but trying to catch up on other things like housework.

 

for Memoirs Writers: Are you familiar with old traditions that say what you do on New Years you'll do all year? Did that ever come true for you? How about New Years resolutions? Have any of them worked out in a way to totally change your direction or have they all been short lived?

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▣ Obsessed with writing?

posted by Saundra Akers on December 28th, 2009 at 6:29 AM

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Someone said :

"If  the doctor said I only had six minutes to live, I'd write a little faster."

 

Some of us seem obsessed with self expression. As for me, I've always wanted to write since I was seven years old and had learned about the magic of books. Books take you to another place and time and it's a fabulous journey most of the time. When I told my mother that I intended to be a writer when I grew up she said,

" Then you'd better do short stories because you don't have the patience to do long ones!"

I've proven her wrong since I'm now almost finished with my tenth novel.

 

For my memoirs writers: Write about the books you enjoyed as a child or throughout your life and how those affected you.

 

 

 

 

 

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▣ Workshop

posted by Saundra Akers on December 23rd, 2009 at 7:05 PM

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                  Free

                                  Writing Workshop

 

                              January 25, 2010, 3:00PM to 6:00PM

 

                   Franklinton Library, 1061 West Town Street

 

          This Free workshop will be of interest to fledgling writers or to literature students who may wish to become writers in the future. It should also be beneficial to those who are currently writing memoirs, or if writing creative fiction or short stories, as well at all those who love to read.

 

         Saundra Crum Akers, Columbus author of nine mystery suspense novels, all but one of which are set in small towns in Southern Ohio, will discuss character creation and how back story influences the actions the character will take. She will also discuss character motivation in her presentation. To learn more about her work, check out http://saundracrumakers.com.

 

       David Bell, Columbus author of two novels, will speak on How to connect with your reader as you build your story. Winner of numerous contests for his poetry and short stories, Mr. Bell is the leader of the Franklinton Writers Group that meets at Franklinton library every other Friday at 10:00AM. To learn more about this writers group see franklintonwriters.blogspot.com or e-mail beauvallet@aol.com.

 

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▣ What's up with your characters

posted by Saundra Akers on December 19th, 2009 at 12:27 PM

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Upcoming events: not too many of these right now; I'm taking a Christmas break but do have a free writing workshop set up for January 25,2010 at the Franklinton library on Town street from 3:00 to 6:00. I'm also planning to attend a workshop on January 23rd. For now, I'm trying to concentrate on finishing Dream Buster and getting on Facebook...things like that.

 

For Memoirs writers: What training, workshop, or other eductional event have you attended and how did it work out? Was there anything fun or funny, sad or difficult about it. Looking back, was it a good or a bad expirence. What did you learn?

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▣ Workshop on character development and building blocks of a story

posted by Saundra Akers on December 5th, 2009 at 7:27 AM

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I gave a workshop last night with David Bell . This was at the Hilltop library.

 

For Memoirs group: Did you ever tell a story...a fib, as a child? Write about that and what happened as a result.

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▣ Coming in the Future

posted by Saundra Akers on December 4th, 2009 at 12:20 PM

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Assignment: Write about a future time when stealing, robbing, and burglarly are legal.

 

 

Memoirs group:

Write about an illegal thing that happened to you or a loved one, like burglary, rape, murder or something.

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▣ Holiday Melancholia

posted by Saundra Akers on November 30th, 2009 at 7:54 AM

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Everyone seems to become more sensitive during the holidays and if something is wrong, it feels much more wrong at that time than at any other time. Depression looms large when you've no one to share your life with and if you don't have much money it's easy to think there is nothing you can do to brighten your holidays.

That isn't True!

 

I like the idea of lonely people banding together to share the season like a family would. It may not be ideal but it can be special. Some recreation centers and senior centers have parties ect and are cheap to join but for those who this won't work for, there are still options. A friend of mine recently lamented that he had no car, no money, and his family wasn't even getting together this year for a celebration because they couldn't afford it. I made some of the following suggestions to him as well as some other ideas more personal to his situation.

 

Christmas is magic...don't forget it but let the magic reach out to and envelope you. Santa Clause is a spirit if not a man.

 

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▣ New Book Coming Soon

posted by Saundra Akers on November 24th, 2009 at 2:09 PM

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My book Bite of the Serpent should be out soon and will be added to my website. I am in the last stages of writing Dream Buster set in Chillicothe.

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