- Joined
- Feb 12, 2005
- Messages
- 3,110
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- Location
- Pennsylvania
- Website
- www.susangable.com
I thought I might have some fun offering some suggestions for holiday wish lists to my fellow romance writers. 
I've found that sending my husband a list with urls to where he can buy my gifts on-line without having to go to the mall has been a big success. <G>
To get CDs (MP3 Disks for playing on your computer or your MP3 Player/MP3-enabled CD player) that contain the entire workshop collection of the 2005 RWA National Conference (cost $129 plus shipping & handling) go here
https://www.billspro.com/rwa/rw05.html
This enables you to gather information from all sorts of industry professionals. And you can actually attend more than one workshop in a timeslot. <G> Actually, if you want to, you can attend ALL the workshops. <G> There are spotlights on numerous publishers, including Kensington, Avon, NAL, Tor, Pocket, Bantam-Dell, H/S, Warner, MIRA, St. Martin's Press... There are inspirational speechs given by Debbie Macomber and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Workshops on craft, how to get an agent (some given BY agents), publicity, etc.
To get the Handouts from Conference: ($10 on CD, $15 in Booklet Form)
http://www.rwanational.org/member/PDFs/orderform.pdf
Two books I always recommend:
GMC: Goal, Motivation, & Conflict by Debra Dixon, available from www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com (There seems to be a problem with their website this morning, so I can't get on there to get the exact price of the book, but it's hardcover and around $20.00)
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060545690/104-2068665-3036717?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance
A flash drive is an essential thing for backing up your work. And the prices have come way down. Flash drives are also called jump drives, keychaing drives - they're little bitty stick-like devices that also let you carry your work around with you and easily move it from computer to computer. Every writer should definitely have one of these. (Just do a google search on jump drive, and you'll have boatloads of choices.)
An Alphasmart - a portable, rugged keyboard that runs for hours and hours and hours on 3 litle batteries. It has a small display to help thwart the internal editor. A terrific drafting device, and something you can take with you anywhere. Much lighter than a laptop, and designed for use by kids so it's simple to use and TOUGH. (Mine's been dropped a number of times, but nothing happens.) You easily download the data into your current document by way of a USB cable. Very simple. No internet capabilities to distract you. <G> (Though there are other, upscale models that do allow you more distractions. <G> ) The Alphasmart 3000 is running $139.00 these days. To learn about various Alphasmart products, go to www.alphasmart.com - they have an online store attached to the website.
For jotting down ideas in the middle of the night, I've found a light-up pen to be very handy. I gave these as gifts to some writers friends last year, and they loved them! (The company I bought them from last year no longer has them, but again, a Google search for light-up pen will bring you many choices. You want a pen barrel that actually lights up.)
Okay, I think I'm going to call it quits there for now. Anybody else want to add anything to the list? Something you found that writers shouldn't be without?
Susan G. - who's sad that we lost some stuff here in the transition. But that's how it goes. Roll with the punches.
I've found that sending my husband a list with urls to where he can buy my gifts on-line without having to go to the mall has been a big success. <G>To get CDs (MP3 Disks for playing on your computer or your MP3 Player/MP3-enabled CD player) that contain the entire workshop collection of the 2005 RWA National Conference (cost $129 plus shipping & handling) go here
https://www.billspro.com/rwa/rw05.html
This enables you to gather information from all sorts of industry professionals. And you can actually attend more than one workshop in a timeslot. <G> Actually, if you want to, you can attend ALL the workshops. <G> There are spotlights on numerous publishers, including Kensington, Avon, NAL, Tor, Pocket, Bantam-Dell, H/S, Warner, MIRA, St. Martin's Press... There are inspirational speechs given by Debbie Macomber and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Workshops on craft, how to get an agent (some given BY agents), publicity, etc.
To get the Handouts from Conference: ($10 on CD, $15 in Booklet Form)
http://www.rwanational.org/member/PDFs/orderform.pdf
Two books I always recommend:
GMC: Goal, Motivation, & Conflict by Debra Dixon, available from www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com (There seems to be a problem with their website this morning, so I can't get on there to get the exact price of the book, but it's hardcover and around $20.00)
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060545690/104-2068665-3036717?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance
A flash drive is an essential thing for backing up your work. And the prices have come way down. Flash drives are also called jump drives, keychaing drives - they're little bitty stick-like devices that also let you carry your work around with you and easily move it from computer to computer. Every writer should definitely have one of these.
(Just do a google search on jump drive, and you'll have boatloads of choices.)An Alphasmart - a portable, rugged keyboard that runs for hours and hours and hours on 3 litle batteries. It has a small display to help thwart the internal editor. A terrific drafting device, and something you can take with you anywhere. Much lighter than a laptop, and designed for use by kids so it's simple to use and TOUGH. (Mine's been dropped a number of times, but nothing happens.) You easily download the data into your current document by way of a USB cable. Very simple. No internet capabilities to distract you. <G> (Though there are other, upscale models that do allow you more distractions. <G> ) The Alphasmart 3000 is running $139.00 these days. To learn about various Alphasmart products, go to www.alphasmart.com - they have an online store attached to the website.
For jotting down ideas in the middle of the night, I've found a light-up pen to be very handy. I gave these as gifts to some writers friends last year, and they loved them! (The company I bought them from last year no longer has them, but again, a Google search for light-up pen will bring you many choices. You want a pen barrel that actually lights up.)
Okay, I think I'm going to call it quits there for now. Anybody else want to add anything to the list? Something you found that writers shouldn't be without?
Susan G. - who's sad that we lost some stuff here in the transition. But that's how it goes. Roll with the punches.
