27 February 2006 Help4Writers - At this writing, I have instituted a service for writers that will include critiquing of short manuscripts: short stories, essays, articles and novel first chapters. This is not an editing service, but I will serve as mentor, guide, critic, offering advice on how to make your writing better, more saleable. The Help4Writers website will be up soon on my son Forrest’s server. He and I will host the site. He is the designer, but works two jobs, so the going is slow right now. However, I am already working on manuscripts since this seems to be a much-needed service. Until the site is up, here is a rough breakdown of my low fees: Story, Essay, Article or Novel Chapter: $15.00 critique fee for up to 1500 words. 1500 to 3500 words: $25.00. Anything longer than that will have to be negotiated. Some of this is in response to the short story workshop I recently conducted at the North East Community College for NETWO, the North East Texas Writers Organizations. We had 24 attendees. NETWO and I were pleasantly surprised at how my teaching technique worked. Many of the students had never written a short story before. The workshop was conducted over four 2-hour sessions on Saturday mornings. The youngest writer was 15, the oldest, 86. All wrote very well, and many wanted to follow up with me to critique their stories in more depth than I was able to achieve in the workshop. There are plans for other workshops and the next one will probably be conducted over a single weekend. My methods work and what I outlined in the workshop will provide a writer with life-long tools to begin and end a story, essay, article, or novel without fear and with confidence. I may post some of this on my Help4Writers website if we decide to offer memberships. AMAZON SHORTS—Amazon has started a new service, offering short stories, essays, articles, short pieces for download at 49 cents each. I will have a new short story posted there in a few weeks, with others forthcoming. My first story is called UTE MOUNTAIN and is a western. But, I’m hoping that my modern stories will wind up there soon. That’s the promise from the editor. And, I may submit a novel for serialization. These would be posted in 10 installments at 49 cents each, which would keep the price of a full-sized novel well below normal retail, which has been running $6.99 per book. THE SADNESS OF AUTUMN—My new book of Ozarks short stories is now on sale. I did a live TV interview in Springfield recently with my friend, Steve Grant, on his noon newscast. Many of those who attended my workshop bought copies. If you want to study the art of the short story, this book will provide both entertainment and knowledge. Published, by AWOC, it is available on this website, as well as on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, powells.com, booksamillion.com and elsewhere. It retails for $12.95, and of course, we must charge for shipping and handling. TOMMY OVERSTREET—Has a new 3-CD set of Country Gospel Favorites. These are handsomely packaged in a single-fold out plastic box. Tommy’s singing is superb, the productions lush and inspiring. I believe they will be offered at Wal-Mart. T.O. sent me an advance copy. He has other CDs in the offing, as well, plus a TV special coming in the fall. He’s a great singer and a great human being. I love these new CDs. A DEATH IN THE FAMILY--My friend Helen R. Myers, a wonderful romantic suspense writer, is in mourning for her husband Robert, who recently died of a heart attack. I was in Springfield, MO. When the funeral was held and could not attend. I heard, though, that it was very moving. My heart broke at the news of Robert’s death and I extend my deepest sympathies to Helen and her family and to Robert’s family. And, I just got word this week that Mark Roberts, a fellow western writer, died. LATEST WORK—I’m writing the third novel in THE VIGILANTE series for Berkley. The book is due at the publisher’s on March 15th. At present, Berkley has the first book in THE SAVAGE GUN series in production, but the title of the series may be changed due to a conflict with another series they have. I delivered, last month, the first novel in THE SHADOW RIDER series to Harper Torch. Mike Shohl, the editor, is no longer there. My new editor is Will Hutton. And, he is just now getting his bearings, so I don’t know when the book will be out. E.L. DOCTOROW—I’m currently reading this fine author’s THE MARCH, about General W.T. Sherman. CURRENT PROJECTS--I’m writing more short stories now, and still working on the play, THE LAST GUNFIGHT with Skip Hughes. This is a two-act play based on my short story, TANNER’S DIAMOND, which appeared in the anthology, THE FUNERAL OF TANNER MOODY. Until next time, write well. Jory Sherman