Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

High Country Writers Host Chris Roerden April 12

Chris Roerden's mission is to help hopeful authors become publishable—at least to avoid the obvious barriers in their way. She brings her mission to this month's meeting of the High Country Writers at the Watauga County Public Library, Thursday, April 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. At 2:00 p.m., Roerden will meet the public and sign books at The Wilcox Emporium. The public is invited to attend both events.

Roerden is a veteran editor with experience at various levels of the publishing industry. Beginning with a job in an advertising agency, she discovered that her talent for what she called "tinkering"—fixing errors, clarifying, tightening—was a valuable skill. She progressed to managing editor at a busy Wisconsin publisher that she said, "involved so little actual editing that in 1981 I struck out on my own." For the past 26 years, she has worked as an independent editor, helping writers prepare their work for publication.

Don't Murder Your Mystery, Roerden's book of self-editing tips and trade secrets, tells writers how to get past that deadly first read. "Rejection occurs long before anyone reads far enough to appreciate the two elements that novel writers spend the most time developing: plot and character," Roerden said. She analyzes more than two dozen of those clues to rejection and shows writers how to find and fix these dead giveaways so their writing at least gets read.

Don't Murder Your Mystery is a finalist for the coveted Agatha Award for Best Nonfiction Book. Mystery Scene Magazine calls selection of examples in DMYM "Excellent."

Her advice to hopeful writers: "Read widely, study the craft of writing, and practice, practice, practice by writing, writing, writing, and by asking for feedback from people who don't know you and won't tell you what you hope to hear. Take the art of writing seriously if you expect the publishing world to take you seriously."

Roerden's next book is an expanded edition for a more general audience of writers, with more than 150 new examples of good writing to illustrate her pointers. She invites submission of examples and of a title for the new book. For details, click to www.marketsavvybookediting.com.

High Country Writers, the regional writers organization, meets twice monthly at the Watauga County Public Library—the second and forth Thursdays—10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. HCW sponsors speakers monthly and occasional special programs. For more information about programs, including the May We Write conference in May, click to highcountrywriters.tripod.com or contact President Wendy Dingwall 828-297-7127.