Check out these author and book events in Seattle in the upcoming months. Questions should be directed to the host organization, as I am only passing on the information.

SEPTEMBER: Southcenter Barnes & Noble celebrates its 15th anniversary!
Please join us for author panels and signings:

Sun. 09/06 J.A. Jance 1pm (thriller)
Sat. 09/12 Jayne Ann Krentz 3pm (romance)
Sun. 09/13 Robert Dugoni 1pm (thriller)
Sun. 09/20 Team Seattle 2pm: Mark Henry, Cherie Priest, Lauren Dane, Kat Richardson (speculative fiction/urban fantasy)
Sat. 09/26 Yasmine Galenorn 2pm (paranormal romance)
Sun 09/27 Margaret Mallory & Gerri Russell 2pm (historical romance)

Southcenter Barnes & Noble
300 Andover Park W. #200
Tukwila, WA 98188

SEPTEMBER 19-20: Half Price Books Washington Warehouse Sale
Everything $1 or less! 9 am to 6 pm
9241 Greenwood Ave. N. in Seattle

SEPTEMBER 25-27: Seattle Public Library Book Sale
The Friends of the Library hold two major book sales every year, in Spring and Fall. At each sale, over 200,000 books and other items are offered to the general public. Proceeds go to benefit The Seattle Public Library. Location: Magnuson Park, Hangar in Building #30, 7400 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, 98115

• Friday, September 25: 6:30- 9:30 p.m. Member preview sale. Members may purchase up to 25 items. Memberships $10 in advance; $30 at the door.
• Saturday, September 26: 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
• Sunday, September 27: 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

OCTOBER 7: 826 Seattle fundraiser: Where the Wild Things Are movie preview
826 Seattle is a nonprofit writing center that helps students, ages 6-18 develop their creative and expository writing skills. Be the first on EVERY BLOCK of Seattle to see what is the most anticipated movie of the year by attending this preview showing of the movie, sponsored by 826 Seattle and our pals at the Northwest Film Forum. How come Warner Brothers is letting us do this? Because Dave Eggers, co-founder of 826 National, also co-wrote the screenplay with director Spike Jonze.

Check out the trailer: http://wherethewildthingsare.warnerbros.com/

Quick! Buy tickets here right now: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79215

OCTOBER 8, 7pm: R.A. Salvatore
The Ghost King: Transitions, Book III (WOTC)
University Bookstore store Seattle
Don’t miss the gripping conclusion to Salvatore’s New York Times best-selling Transitions trilogy! When the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly–the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet–Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.

OCTOBER 10, 4 pm to 6 pm: Emerald City Book Fair
The public is invited to the book fair of the Emerald City Writers Conference, where tons of local romance authors will be autographing books. The event is held at the Bellevue Hilton. The official author list is not yet public, but I’ll post it when it is. We are pleased to donate a portion of the Book Fair proceeds to DAWN, Domestic Abuse Womens Network of South King County.

OCTOBER 23-25: Seattle Steamcon
Dust off your brass goggles for the first ever Seattle Steampunk Conference. There will be costumes, tea parties, Steampunk author speeches, music (Abney Park), games and more. Check out http://www.steam-con.com for more information.

OCTOBER 24-25, 10am-6pm: Seattle Book Festival
Columbia City Event Center. Remember the old Northwest Book Festival on the waterfront? Seattle’s Columbia City community is bringing it back. It’s going to be very cool event with at least 50 authors in attendance and over 80 exhibitors. This is a grass roots effort with all the funding coming from participants. Rumor has it there will be a panel on the “Changing Face of Romance.”

Deb Schneider, Library Goddess, author and Seattle RWA member, has planned some fabulous writing workshops through the King County Library system. The deadline for the 2009 Clarion West speculative fiction workshop is March 1. Urban Fantasy authors Kim Harrison, Mark Henry and Caitlin Kittredge and romance/erotica author Lauren Dane are reading and signing in Seattle in March. Portland is holding a celebrate romance conference for romance readers to meet local authors. Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend, but if any of you are planning on going please tell me all about it!

• What’s Your Story??? A Writing Workshop
  Newport Way Library, Sundays March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and April 5, 1-3pm
  We all have stories to share. This six-week workshop provides an opportunity to try creative writing – fiction, nonfiction, memoir – in a nurturing atmosphere. Marketing your material will also be discussed. All writing levels welcome. Please register online or call 425.747.2390.
  Sponsored by the Newport Way Library Association.
• Writing Novels for Kids and Young Adults
  Sunday, March 15, 3:30pm
  Ages 13 and older welcome
  North Bend Library
  Join local children’s author Kevin Emerson for a workshop and discussion about writing and publishing for young readers. Author of a hardcover novel, Carlos is Gonna Get It, and a paperback series, Oliver Nocturne, Kevin draws from his own experiences to cover topics such as generating ideas, developing a ‘voice’ for young readers, writing a manuscript, and getting published. Be prepared to write!
• Power Editing
  presented by thriller author Bob Dugoni
  Sunday, March 22, 2pm
  Mercer Island Library
  Now that you have typed, “The End” – you’re finished. Or are you? Review the common mistakes novelists make and how to fix them before submitting to an agent or editor. Learn five steps to editing your manuscript including: making judgments about your protagonist and antagonist, evaluating secondary characters, tightening the manuscript, reviewing word and sentence choice and polishing your work to eliminate typos and spelling errors.
• Monday • March 30 • 7pm
  Fantastic Fiction Salon with Nancy Kress: Planning Your Novel
  Richard Hugo House, 1634 11th Avenue, Seattle
  What do you need to know before you begin writing your novel? The full cast and everything that will happen? Only the first scene? The ending? This workshop will explore decisions to help you plan that book you always wanted to write, or perhaps are writing now: plotting, choosing characters and point of view, starting strong, structuring and pacing for the long haul, research, and “the promise of the ending.” The day will include lecture, discussion, samples of professional work, and writing exercises. You’ll come away with a draft for what you want your novel to be.Sponsored by NW MediaArts, Richard Hugo House, and University Book Store. $5 donation at the door.
• Getting Started and Moving in the Right Direction
  presented by thriller author Bob Dugoni
  Tuesday, March 31, 7pm
  Bellevue Regional Library
  From the initial query letter to your published novel, the writer must convey they understand classic story structure. This NY Times best-selling author will provide in-class exercises and assignments to help students better understand story structure so they can evaluate their novel’s plot. Learn the four stages to writing and determine if you should or shouldn’t, outline.

The Deadline for Clarion West applications is March 1:

Clarion West is an intensive six-week workshop for writers preparing for ­pr­ofession­al careers in science fiction and fantasy, held annually in Seattle, Washington, USA. The 2009 workshop will run from June 21 through July 31. For more information on the workshop and how to apply, visit our Workshop page.

Author Signings:

• February 27th – March 1st
  Celebrate Romance 2009
  Portland, OR
  Conference where romance readers and authors come together as equals to celebrate their love for the romance genre. Unlike many other conferences, this gathering has no other agenda but to support readers and their passion for romance novels.
• Monday • March 2 • 7pm
  Kim Harrison
  White Witch Black Curse (The Hallows, Book 7) (WILLIAM MORROW)
  Reading & Book Signing
  University Book Store in Seattle
• Saturday • March 7 • 5 PM
  Mark Henry, Lauren Dane and Caitlin Kittredge
  Signing books, giving stuff away, harassing customers
  Barnes and Noble: 300 Andover Park W. #200, Seattle
• Tuesday • March 17 • 7pm
  The Paranormal Bender Tour: Four Authors, Seven Days, One Hell of a Road Trip
  Mario Acevedo (Jailbait Zombie), Mark Henry (Road Trip of the Living Dead), Caitlin Kittredge (Second Skin), and Cherie Priest (Fathom) are cruising the west coast for five evenings of witches, vamps, shapeshifters, zombies and all things weird. Just look for the classic Impala and listen for the questionable content, as the authors read choice selections from their latest works, bandy about prizes and sign their new releases. The Paranormal Bender Tour is for mature audiences only—though an immature sense of humor is welcome and even encouraged. So bring your fangs, your cauldrons, and your appetite for brains. This is a night for kindred spirits and killer stories, from the demented minds of four of the most twisted purveyors of paranormal fiction (and a few special guests).

I just wrote my very first synopsis, and good lord it was tough, despite the advice in a recent PNWA lecture. I’d rather pull out my toe nails!

Presentation: Writing the Synopsis
Presenter: Robert Dugoni
Date: January 24, 2008, 7 pm
Organization: Pacific Northwest Writers Association

Thriller author Robert Dugoni presented to a full room of PNWA members on how to approach agents and editors to get your book published. Basing his talk on Elizabeth Lyon’s Sell Your Novel Toolkit: Everything You Need to Know about Queries, Synopses, Marketing and Breaking-In, Dugoni focused on the holy trinity of publishing applications: the Query Letter (the Business Card), the Synopsis (the Resume), and Sample Chapters (the Interview).

I. The Query Letter

The first paragraph should be about your novel and should wet the reader’s appetite to find out more…in the form of the synopsis. The second paragraph should tell about the author and include professional organizations (related to writing) and publishing history. It should demonstrate the author’s dedication to the craft.

II. The Synopsis

Dugoni recommended following Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey story structure as outlined in Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey. These are: Ordinary World, Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting with the Mentor, Crossing the First Threshold, Road of Trials, Approach to the Inner most Cave, The Inner most Cave, Seizing the Reward, Return with the Reward, The Resurrection, The Reward. I suggest following Blake Snyder’s 15 plot points instead, unless you don’t mind identifying the gate guardians and goddesses in your story.

For each beat of story structure write one to two sentences about your story, you’ll end up with a synopsis. Yay! Most contests I have looked at ask for a synopsis that is no more than 5 pages. Dugoni said 2 is fine

III. The Sample Chapters

The sample chapters are almost always your first three chapters. You should have strong opening and closing sentences to hook your reader.

Anyways, I got the first and third parts down, but the synopsis is killing me. How can I condense my story into a few pretty sentences. That’s the problem – making it pretty. And exciting. And attractive. Oy vey.

I also found this helpful website with sample synopses and tips on writing a good one.