My Last Spark

 Kim Watters here. My daughter wrote this poem the other day on the way to the grocery store. I think she's very talented. Of course she is related. Pretty profound, don't you think?

My Last Spark

By Emily Watters

My light is dimming,

As I lay in the hospital bed,

Alone. With no one to come.

When I was born, a candle was lit

And when that candle goes out,

I know that I have lived a long and healthy life.

My time is near,

The candle has shrunk,

And I have done my best to treasure it.

But now the light has gone out.

With one last spark,

I say goodbye.

And on that note, my newest release And Father  Makes Three is still available in the stores and on-line. 

And Father Makes Three
July 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0373877560
“Your Daughter Needs You.”

She’s saved countless lives, yet there’s one person emergency room doctor Elizabeth Randall can’t rescue—her adopted daughter, Jordan. Perhaps meeting her biological father, Blake Crawford, will be the lifeline Jordan needs. The handsome, guarded firefighter takes risks every day. But facing the daughter he never knew—along with lovely Elizabeth—has him thinking about family. With fatherhood thrust suddenly upon him, there’s no way he can turn his back on his sick child. Will working together to give Jordan a second chance at life also lead them to a second chance at love?

Bootcamp for Novelists Fall Courses

To Enroll or Get More Information Go to the Bootcamp website

July 22 to September 2
Late registration accepted until July 29
CONNIE'S 6-WEEK BOOTCAMP CLINIC . . .
C1 Applying the Hero's Journey

Mythology was made famous by Joseph Campbell and later applied to screenwriting and storytelling by Hollywood, yet the principles of this powerful tool to readers' subconscious common links are still only vaguely understood. Learn how the archetypes are actually placeholders and that the journey itself takes many forms. This course is six weeks long and features considerable discussion as well as exercises for employing the "Journey" method.
FEE: $48

August 5 to September 16
LINDA'S 6-WEEK BOOTCAMP CLINIC . . .
LS1 Secrets To a Killer Synopsis
Plus Query Letter and First Three Chapters

The best story in the world won't sell if the editor can't get past the query letter and the synopsis. Most publishers give very specific guidelines on what they want in a submission, but they don't tell you how to make your submission stand out among those hundreds of submissions they receive daily. In this class, you'll learn how to do just that, and you'll get direct feedback on your query letter and your synopsis. It is recommended that you have completed at least half of your manuscript in order to get the most from the class.
FEE: $48

September 2 to September 16
CONNIE'S FALL 2-WEEK SIDEBAR
SB1 Haiku Magic — a gentle journey into poetry

Haiku is a Japanese poem structure that is traditionally three lines long, each line is a specific length - line one is five syllables, line two is seven syllables and line three is again five.

Why haiku? Bootcamp students know I'm constantly after them to write concisely and make precise word choices. What better way to learn that skill than playing around with a form of simple poetry that limits you to seventeen syllables. Plus, it asks you to form a mental image with those few sounds. Talk about showing, not telling.

It also frees the creative mind, kind of like mental doodling. At $15, this course is a steal, and just what many of you need to relax those overworked mental muscles of yours.
FEE: $15

September 9 to October 7
7B Punch Up Your Prose w/Connie Flynn

You can have great characters, excellent plots,and zingy dialogue but if you don't write the story with brevity and clarity and evocative words you'll lose readers by page three. You'll learn how to stay in active voice, what excitement killers must be avoided and how to exploit sentence structure and punctuation to get the most out of your writing. engaging.
FEE: $28

October 28 to November 18
8P The Big Black Moment

Dramatic, powerful storytelling doesn't just happen. There's a plan. A story plan. The Big Black Moment is only one piece of the plan, but it's one of the most important and many writers fail to get it right. Most writers understand that this is the moment when all seems lost, but they don't understand why or what goes into making it that way. In order for TBB to be emotional, certain components must be there. In this class you'll learn what TBB really is and how you can make it the most powerful, emotional point in your story.
FEE: $28

BOOTCAMP PACKAGES ARE BACK!

Like regular Bootcamps, each of these package courses is a full four weeks and covers the same material as a regular Bootcamp. There will be a one-week break between each course and you still have the option of registering for each Bootcamp individually, just without the package discount.

PILLARS OF STRUCTURE PACKAGE
Begins September 30
1B - Creating Characters
2B -Dynamic Plotting
3B - Sculpting Scenes
4B - Conflict That Sizzles

These four courses develop your basic writing skills and give you the foundation for writing your book. You'll go through step-by-step exercises that can sometimes be frustrating but are designed to help you identify how to create the memorable characters, can't-put-it-down plotting, and tense, crackling scenes that are found in all the best books. Plus, knowledge at a bargain. Individual courses are $28 each. You''ll save $20 by enrolling in the combined package.
PACKAGE FEE: $92

TECHNIQUES OF THE PROS PACKAGE
Begins November 11
1P - The First Three Chapters
2P - Deepening Character
3P - Escalating Consequences
4P - Creating Strong Subplots

The advanced techniques in these four classes are designed to expand and build on your basic foundation skills to take your writing to another level. The lessons and exercises, using your own work, will give you hands on experience as you learn the concepts and practice the techniques that create the kind of stories that make a bestseller...complex stories with memorable characters that readers will remember long after they've turned the last page. Individual courses are $28. You'll save $20 by enrolling in the four-class package.
PACKAGE FEE: $92