July 26, 1 - 3pm
Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Birdcage Mall on Sunrise
Sacramento, CA

Donna Del Oro spent 34 years as a high school and college English teacher.  Teaching school and raising a husband and two children took all of her energy but in the back of her mind was the wish and dream to write and publish.  Finally, that dream has come true!  

She spends four to six hours every day writing, takes a break to go to the gym or walk three to five miles, then back home to read her latest, favorite book of fiction.  Every Sunday she sings in her church choir and enjoys eating out every chance she gets. Both retired, she and her husband travel, taking one long trip each year whenever possible.

Writing & Publishing Tips

"The Importance of a Good Critique Partner"

Once a fledgling writer passes the 'what am I doing?' stage, you need to find a good critique partner. This person should be an astute writer and sophisticated reader. This is important because your partner needs to be able to read your work with an objective, critical eye. He or she needs to be able to proofread your spelling, grammar and sentence structure but also be able to check the overall story. For instance, scene construction, relevant dialogue, pacing, the balance of showing and telling and other fiction writing elements so vital to a good story. Your critique partner can detect VOICE when, in some cases, the writer cannot. He/she can detect the constancy of POINT OF VIEW and the need for its change in a multiple POV story.

Also, he/she must love the entire process of creative writing and must be willing to sacrifice hours helping you improve your manuscript. All this in return for an occasional Starbucks drink or free lunch. There are professional proofreaders and critiquers who will charge you hundreds, even thousands, of dollars for this service. However, a friend who happens to embody all of the above qualities--which I have been fortunate enough to find--is worth a treasure chest of gold!

Good luck in finding your own critique partner and don't be discouraged if you have to try out a few before you find a partner that fits your own personality well. Alway, always be willing to provide the same service in return. And never, never take his/her criticisms of your work personally. Believe me, you'd rather hear it from your critique partner than get another form rejection letter in the mail from an agent or editor!