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Writing • Teaching • Editing

YOU WANT TO WRITE. Find help as you grapple with the Dragon of Doubt.

What you can do, or dream you can, begin it—Goethe

Private Classes: write and tell me about your project and where you are with it.
 

Knowledgeable, sophisticated instruction; congenial surroundings.

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Everyone Needs an Editor

As you start . . .

• Developmental editing—
Before it's a book, it's an idea, a set of notes, an outline, a bunch of pages.
Developmental editing takes your project from these beginnings to a completed manuscript,
paying special attention to:
-structure
-content
-plot
-beginning and ending


As you draft . . .

• Copyediting—
The editor helps the writer make sure the work is
-correct
-clear
-grammatical
-not wordy
-factually accurate
-readable
-meaningful

After you've written . . .

Manuscript evaluation—
-Is it good?
-Is it ready?
-What now?
General Editing—
-grammar
-spelling
-syntax
-usage
Substantive Editing—
-organization
-coherence
Submission guidance—
-What to send
-Where to send
Consultation—
Proven, experienced guidance finding the right
– MFA program
– fellowship
– residency
– grant
Informed, sophisticated help—
-Crafting better applications
-Improving chances of success

To discuss or arrange evaluation,
editing, or consultation, click e-mail.

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LOCK & LOAD: ARMED FICTION

The National Tour 2017–2019


 

Lock & Load on the Road: February

Book party, supplied by The BookMark, Neptune Beach, Florida

Lock & Load on the Road: JANUARY

The Raleigh Professional Women's Forum Luncheon

Lock & Load on the Road: NOVEMBER

The Gayton Kirk, Henrico, November 18, 12:15 PM 

Reynolds College, Parham Campus—Around the World with Books: 7 PM, November 15

Worthington Woman's Club, Chesterfield, November 8, 7 PM 

LOCK & LOAD on the Road: OCTOBER

Chop Suey Books, Richmond, October 12

LOCK & LOAD on the Road: SEPTEMBER

Lit Youngstown Fall Festival, September 21–22

"Bull's-eye: How Two Women Beat the Odds, Built a Book, and Found a Publisher"—the story of Lock & Load: Armed Fiction

Kentucky Women Writers Conference, September 13–16

"The Whole Shooting Match: Everything You Wanted to Know about Building a Literary Anthology (and Why You Should Do It Anyhow)"

Lock & Load on the Road: JUNE

University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, June 1

 

Alumna BettyJoyce Nash signs Lock & Load at Mary Washington Alumni Weekend

Asheville Pechakucha, June 1:


LOCK & LOAD on the Road: APRIL

Richmond, April 30

The Shepherd's Center, Richmond, April 30

The Shepherd's Center of Richmond, April 30

Lunch, followed by audience's gun histories. Intro was terrific, discussion lively, audience thoughtful.

The Book Cellar, Chicago, April 21

The Book Cellar, Chicago, April 21 at 6 p.m.

Lock & Load contributor Gale Walden joined us in reading to a great crowd, followed by lots of give-and-take, wonderful Q&A—and cake.

Baltimore, April 14

Lock & Load cake was as popular as the book.

Greedy Reads, April 14

Greedy Reads Bookstore, Fells Point

Greedy Reads, Act II: the four banditos discussed and read at Greedy Reads, Fells Point's newest bookstore. In response to a question about the editorial process, an editor ’fessed up about Mavis and Lakshmi.

Baltimore's CityLit Festival, April 14

CityLit Festival, April 14

“Always Loaded, Never Safe: Guns on the Page and in the Streets”
April 14, 1:30-2:30, University of Baltimore
William H.Thumel Business Center, BC 143

Reading and discussion, including contributors Patricia Schultheis and Daniel Cox, before an engaged audience on a pressing subject.

LOCK & LOAD on the Road: MARCH

Maggie L. Walker Governor's School, March 30

Alumni Showcase, March 30

It's not about the title, the salary, the stuff.
It's about knowing what you're hungry for: knowledge, skill, mastery.
It's about feeding and schooling that, and pouring it out in the world.

A reading from Lock & Load to kick off what wasn't the get-a-job-and-conquer-the-world pep talk but the find-your-calling-and-work-to-be-good-at-it discussion.

James River Writers—the Writing Show, March 28

James River Writers, “Breaking into Anthologies”

Editors talk about gathering, editing, and publishing anthologies.
March 28, 6 p.m., Firehouse Theatre, Richmond

Robust audience full of excellent questions.

The Virginia Festival of the Book, March 21

Kicking off the Virginia Festival on DAY ONE!
March 21, 2 p.m., New Dominion Bookshop, Charlottesville:
“The Short Story: Moments of Truth.”

Standing-room-only crowd despite surprise snowfall. Warm reception and wonderful questions

Association of Writing Programs (AWP) Tampa, March 7–10

• AWP Conference, Tampa, March 7-10: Lock & Load shows up, signs, meets, and greets, writers, readers, mentors, publishers, editors. Crowds gather, word spreads.

LOCK & LOAD on the Road: FEBRUARY


The New School, New York, February 22: Publication Party

 

The New School, New York, February 22

The New School, New York, February 22: Publication Party

 

Books in the Bay, Richmond, February 15

Books in the Bay, Richmond, February 11

Politics & Prose at the Wharf, Washington DC, February 6

Lock & Load: Armed Fiction. Visit nineteen new worlds—strange, amazing, troubling, beautiful.

Audiences were engaged, amused, entertained. We heard from them, we read the hair-raising and enchanting bits. And we signed!

 

 

 

ORDER FROM from the University of New Mexico Press: Lock & Load—writing that hits the mark!


Meet the book, hear the stories in Charlottesville, Richmond, Greensboro, and points south and west.

 

Lock & Load, an extraordinary collection of literary fiction, includes work by such American masters as
Annie Proulx, John Edgar Wideman, Rick DeMarinis, Pinckney Benedict, Jim Tomlinson, and Bonnie Jo Campbell, as well as a host of fresh new voices.

 

Beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking all the way through.