Mariposa's Musings

How did you become involved in researching and writing about Nevada’s haunted past?  I’ve been interested in the paranormal since I was a child. My grandmother shared many stories of ghosts and ghostly experiences of hers with me. Alas, none were about Nevada. As a Nevadan, I love our state’s rich history, lore and ghosts. In early 2001 I started looking around for books on Nevada’s ghosts and hauntings and discovered there were none. This was not acceptable to me. I wanted our state’s ghosts and rich ghostly history to be shared. And so I wrote my first book, Haunted Nevada . My next was the Ghosthunters’ Guide to Virginia City . From there I continued to write, to travel, and meet people throughout the state. What were some of the challenges you encountered while researching these stories?  When I started writing about Nevada’s ghosts I was the only one doing so. There weren’t but a handful of ghost investigators in the entire state. Consequently there wasn’t ...

Writers' conferences can be an excellent opportunity to network and learn about the business of writing. But in order to get the most out of any conference, you must define your primary goal. Yes it has to be more specific than "be a successful writer". Think about what you are trying to accomplish and who can help you toward that goal. Study the panel biographies and develop a short list of relevant questions. Keep your questions brief. While a panel member may have a wealth of industry knowledge, she does not have the time to tell you everything she knows about the business. On the other hand don't be so focused on your mission that you lose sight of potential opportunities. Even if you are intent on the traditional publishing route, it might not hurt to strike up a conversation with an indie romance author who happens to be on the USA Today 's best seller list. On Saturday, April 18, 2015 the  Truckee Meadows Community College Writers' Conference  p...

This is my 4 th year attending the TMCC Writer’s Conference and I’m always amazed at what the conference delivers for the price ($99) and this year was no exception. Like many community colleges, TMCC has been hit hard by the economy, the fact that the college ran the conference with its highest attendance ever is a miracle. Writer and KUNR Broadcaster, David Stipech, opened with a discussion on the writer’s journey. He noted a couple of key points to a writer’s reality check. · Do you know what you want out of writing? · Are your setbacks motivating you or stopping you? “No” should be a street sign not a stop sign. I especially liked his comment that it is okay to feel frustration-people without ambition seldom feel frustrated. Editor for Writer’s Digest books, Chuck Sambuchino advised writers to approach markets and agents that are small, new or local. He urged writers write to articles for magazines and local papers to establish cre...

TMCC Writers’ Conference Highlights This is third year I’ve attended the Truckee Meadows Community College Writers’ Conference( http://wdce.tmcc.edu . In its 20th year, the TMCC Writers’ Conference once again delivered the right blend of market perspective, writing tools and inspiration. The 1-day conference featured 8 speakers including 3 literary agents and 1 E-publisher and had a turnout of about 150 participants. Smashwords founder, Mark Coker noted 3.6 million people have downloaded Stanza, a free e-book app for the iTouch. He declared “Mobile phones are the unsung heroes of the e-book revolution. http://www.smashwords.com . I was fortunate to chat with TWRP author, Leigh Bale, www.LeighBale.com during one of the breaks. A gracious lady in person and on stage, Leigh delivered an intriguing presentation on the use of an intangible villain such as a character’s inner conflict or external forces such as natural disasters, war or time. Mystery novelist and POD specialist,...