tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80359766950221268422011-08-27T19:53:04.992-06:00The clearinghouse for information on all things Professional Writing.PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.comBlogger161100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-3858499273384701632007-03-01T14:18:00.000-06:002007-03-01T14:26:22.974-06:00

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” – Linus Pauling, chemistThis quote reminds me of Bickham's advice in Writing and Selling Your Novel to list at least ten ideas as fast as you can when stuck. He says that this forces the brain to work past the obvious possibilities and move on to more interesting ones. So much for waiting for the muse...

Elizabeth Childersnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-64000719659348944982007-02-28T10:49:00.000-06:002007-02-28T10:52:09.270-06:00

The Professional Writing lounge (Copeland 209) is open weekdays noon-1 pm. Come by to study, read, or check out books from the lending library.We're also accepting donations for the library--books, screenplays, DVDs, magazines, etc.

Elizabeth Childersnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-13476924175738036752007-02-20T16:37:00.000-06:002007-02-22T18:53:36.309-06:00

Read Any Good Ads Lately? in the Washington Post explores a new trend to pay authors to write books that sell. Sell cars, luxury products, and Twinkies that is.Apparently, Lexus hired Los Angeles writer Mark Haskell Smith to write a serial potboiler novel featuring its newest car for the company's quarterly magazine.An excerpt from Smith's "Black Sapphire Pearl" reads:"The Lexus loaner turned out

Elizabeth Childersnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-34039920236079809392007-02-15T09:50:00.000-06:002007-02-20T16:28:41.863-06:00

Need help writing romance?At the library book sale last week, I picked up an older edition of Writing Romance by Vanessa Grant. Overall, I found Writing Romance to be a great resource for learning how to apply many of the techniques we learn in class to the romance genre.Grant has some great ideas about developing the hero and heroine to create conflict, researching the setting, and using a

Elizabeth Childersnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-84851937415228040782007-02-14T11:46:00.000-06:002007-02-14T12:08:52.555-06:00

Looking for more help on writing? Don't forget to look outside of OU.Gotham Writers Workshop just posted their new schedule of online classes. Here's a sample:How to Freelance With a professional freelancer as your guide, learn strategies for selling magazine and newspaper articles on a regular basis. Now available as a four-week online seminar.Start Writing Nonfiction Explore six popular forms

runbdpnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-19983934167829863672007-02-12T11:38:00.000-06:002007-02-12T11:47:52.644-06:00

Last Saturday, Jocelyn and I attended Mel Odom's writing workshop at the Norman Public Library.Both of us were blown away with his knowledge and his ability to teach. As you know, he is currently teaching a section of Short Story at OU this semester.However, you can also take classes from him at the Moore-Norman Technology Center for a fraction of OU's rates.Or, if you prefer, you can take free

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-82221258471565811142007-02-11T20:39:00.000-06:002007-02-11T20:44:07.893-06:00

Under this heading, let's list quotes and things that make you go "Hmm..." Here's one:"Great writers love to read." --Ron Stahl, 2007Let's see what other quotes and ponderables you've run across!--Jocelyn Pedersen

Jocelyn Pedersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01817310597170617114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-16096903247156687792007-02-11T20:26:00.000-06:002007-02-19T15:18:48.178-06:00

At the Romance Writing Workshop held at the Norman Public Library on 2-10-07, one of the questions posed to the Panel of Romance writers was "What is the hardest part of writing?"Here are the responses from some well-known Oklahoma authors:Mel Odom: o The big words. o At first, you fall in love with the book—like bringing the baby home—at first it is cute and wonderful, then you get sick of

Jocelyn Pedersenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01817310597170617114noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-14579530976104842062007-02-09T11:46:00.000-06:002007-02-09T12:09:25.965-06:00

The Professonal Writing program at OU started in 1938. Here's how our founders envisioned our program. Let's work together with our faculty to continue PW's tradition of excellence!The Founders' Principlesby Walter S. Campbell and Kenneth Kaufman The University of Oklahoma considers Professional Writing to be a highly skilled art, comparable with law, medicine, or education. It is suggested

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-81891298358502255432007-02-09T11:29:00.000-06:002007-02-09T11:29:31.375-06:00

The Norman Public Library is holding a romance book sale this Saturday and Sunday, February 10 & 11. --Elizabeth Childers

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-64812191134674028302007-02-09T11:11:00.000-06:002007-02-09T12:11:27.570-06:00

Wondering what the Short Course is? The Short Course was the first conference on professional writing in the nation. Started in 1938, the course began as a one day public event and over time expanded to five days.Students could attend the course at a discount and get academic credit for doing so. Many PW students signed their first contracts at the short course. The course was held annually for

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-64664148886791750312007-02-09T11:01:00.000-06:002007-02-09T11:34:10.915-06:00

The next PWSA meeting will be Saturday, February 24 at 2:00 pm in the PW lounge in Copeland Hall. If you don't know where the lounge is, wait by the SE doors and Will or I will meet you there. We will plan bringing back the PW Short Course and starting the first book club. Questions? Our phone numbers are:Elizabeth 405-650-7390Will 405-343-4096See you there!--Elizabeth Childers

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-1466879286957762092007-02-08T16:53:00.000-06:002007-02-09T12:42:09.240-06:00

One of us is making it big...Last month, the Sci-Fi channel premiered a new series The Dresden Files. The show is based on the successful fantasy series of the same name by former PW student, Jim Butcher. It's in a prime timeslot too: Sundays at 8pm, right before the network's most successful show Battlestar Galactica.I read a book in Butcher's series for Chester's Category Fiction class two year

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-58688654087321639212007-02-08T16:12:00.000-06:002007-02-09T12:37:04.933-06:00

Darcy Pattison, a children's writer (and not a OU alum), has a good resource here on outlining.She calls the various outlining strategies propagated in craft books as a "continuum that goes from a minimalist approach to a very structured approach."Among the approaches that she details is Dwight V. Swain's, who served as PW professor from 1952 to 1974. Current PW students should recognize the

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-47795993101427580732007-02-08T13:34:00.000-06:002007-02-09T12:41:45.143-06:00

Our first profile is about...David McGee, a famous rock critic and music writer, whose work has appeared in Rollling Stone, Spin and countless other music magazines. He has also written acclaimed biographies on B.B. King, Cat Stephens, and Steve Earle.McGee went to OU and cites the late William Foster-Harris, a PW professor from 1939 to 1974, as his writing mentor:He was a crusty old fellow at

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8035976695022126842.post-75957946929336437362007-02-01T13:16:00.000-06:002007-02-01T13:17:02.804-06:00

This is the humble beginnings of the almighty PWSA.

PWSAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15811054184281955267noreply@blogger.com0