Beta Testing

Wow, what a response! I'm touched and delighted (and quite excited) by the amount of positive feedback I've had on my brainstorming ideas.

Now, however, it's time to take this thing into real time. I got socked with a huge bill today that I was totally not expecting, and let us just say that publishers take their sweet time paying and at this time of year in particular, We Are Not Having Fun.

Those writing mentorships would make great gifts. Really. I take PayPal. Email to set it up; my email is in my User Info. Put "Mentoring" in the subject line and I'll check the spam file regularly justincase.

Also I have another idea for raising the money, for which see below.

But first, I would like to beta-test both Option A (Horse Camp for Writers) and Option B (Lipizzan Weekend) within the next two months. Email to sign up. Details behind the cut.

( Read more... )

The weather in Tucson in February and March is about as good as it gets. We could have winter rains, but in general it's clear and sunny with temps ranging from 60 to 80F in the day and in the 40s and 50s at night, with an occasional tip into the 30s. This year we're in drought so the wildflowers may not be much, but you never know--and there's beautiful desert scenery no matter what. By late March we should be getting into cactus-flower season, which is lovely in its own right. There's no better time to escape winter, and with this you get hot and cold running Lipizzans. :)

(Should add that if you are allergic to cats or dogs, you'll want to take the day-camper version of Option A.)

And finally, I'm offering a great set of holiday gifts: copies of various Judith Tarr titles that have either gone out of print or are no longer easily available. Email with requests. All copies will be signed. If you want me to inscribe them to anyone in particular, specify in your email. Details, again, behind the cut. ( Read more... )

Happy Holiday Hysteria!

Clarifications

Moving these bits out of the Comments so everyone gets a chance to see them. Thanks to those who asked the questions! I'm happy to resolve any confusion.

1. Option A is Horse Camp for Dummies. No experience or expertise required. Three days of learning about horses from the ground up so you can write about them knowledgeably and sensibly. As time goes on, we can have Intermediate and Advanced versions, but for now, let's assume it's basic. There will be a lot of general knowledge involved, not just Lipizzans and classical riding. Field trips and class sessions will be tailored to the needs of the group. Riding is limited and optional. If we have a group that wants to go for a trail ride, we'll set up a ride out of one of the ranches nearby (cost would be extra, but it's a definite option).

2. At this point, if you're a horse person, Option B is for you. Smaller, focused, all about the Lipizzan, and riding is included if you so desire. No need to be a writer for this one, though if you are a writer and want to have an advanced version of Option A, find a friend or two of the same mind and book the weekend. We'll tailor to fit.

3. Mentoring is a totally different thing. It's email mentoring. You send me your ms. (in a Word file for choice) and I read it and reply and we go back and forth. What exactly you want done is up to you--options range from overall structural stuff to unsticking stuck plots to polishing up book proposals, all the way to line-for-line editing. Work is by the hour, billed two hours a time with two hours paid up front. Right now I'm having a holiday sale: four hours for $100 paid up front. Yes, you can give it as a gift certificate! And yes, you can extend the time at the usual rate of $35 an hour.

4. The weekend seminars will not include ms. critiques. I'll be delighted to review your horse bits through email at the mentoring rate. If there is enough demand for a weekend writers' workshop in a traditional format including writing and critique, we'll set one up, but the options I'm beta-testing are [A] a seminar on horses for people who want to write about them and [B] a short vacation with Lipizzans. :)

There. Any more questions? Feel free to ask and I'll pull them out into further entries.