THIS IS WHAT I DO

After years of following and becoming online friends (way before Facebook) with Austin Camacho, I finally met him and his lovely wife Denise. The C3 conference was their idea and it was designed for readers and writers to meet and exchange ideas, and to enjoy each other’s company in an informal atmosphere. Austin was a member of our blog group for a while, but he didn't have the time to keep up with it. He has remained a friend of mine and of Writing Wranglers and Warriors and often shares the blog. Maybe he will join us again some day.

I met Jeffery Deaver (another writer who greatly influenced me) and he was interested in my stories about life on the truck (Life in the Fast Lane). He is an international best seller. He wrote “The Bone Collector” among many others. He’s been writing for 30 years.

He gave five points for new writers to follow:

1.  Know your audience and give them what they want.
2.  Write in the genre that you read because you've already learned a lot about it.
3.   Take the authors you admire and who have written successful books in your opinion and you tear those books apart. Outline them. Learn what they did and when they did it.
4.  You need to outline your books. You need to structure you books. It doesn't have to be as extensive as I do, but you need to structure the books so you know where it’s going to go.
5. Finally, remember that a rejection is a speed bump. It’s not a brick wall. And just keep at it.

I've already shared ideas from the two panels I was on.

“Writing Sex in Novels” and “Where Do Ideas Come From?”

John Gilstrap was also there and he is also a best seller. I was surrounded by famous people who acted just like the rest of us. We had a good time and really got to know each of them, as well as many fans and other authors. There were people there from the very first stages of writing to the very prolific and profitable stages. The one thing you heard in each class was laughter and you know what my favorite thing to do is. LOL.

An Interview with John Gilstrap, Author of Scott Free Ever since I was a little kid, I've been fascinated by survival stories. There’s something very compelling about the notion of one person stranded in the wilderness, pitted against impossible odds, somehow triumphing over it all.

John was fascinating and I'll be reading his books soon, after I finish the more famous, in my eyes, books by our own Writing Wranglers and Warriors.

At one of the conference sessions, I was in the same group with Brian Keene, sitting by John Gilstrap, listening to Jeffery Deaver, who was on a panel being monitored by Austin Camacho.

It was almost as much fun as sitting (Quietly-Grinning here), listening to Del telling secrets about me.

So if you get a chance to go to a conference-GO! I have been to several and I've never been disappointed.

 If you get a chance to go to C3-definately go.

***How about you, what is your conference experience?***

Cher'ley's Books are listed below and on sale at Amazon and local bookstores. 

Stamp Out Murder”.

"

The Secret in Grandma's Trunk" This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren.

The Journey Back