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Established in 1987, now with over 170 members, DARA - Chapter 56 of Romance Writers of America® - is a non-profit, voluntary association of writers dedicated to raising and maintaining quality in the romance genre and its sub genres. DARA works to accomplish this through advocating high professional standards and through the dissemination of information on writing and the publishing industry.
DARA News
Join us Saturday May 24 at 9:30 A.M. at the Holiday Inn Select US-75 (North Central Expressway) and Campbell Road in Richardson, TX
| LITERARY LIPOSUCTION: TIGHTENING YOUR WRITING |
Presented by Richard Abshire
One of the first bits of advice an editor gave Stephen King was “final draft = first draft – 10%.”
Richard Abshire, journalist and author of eight novels, will discuss how to review a manuscript for “flab” and fix it. With a professional background where every word counts, Richard has honed his skill in precision writing. He will walk us through the editing process to seek out and destroy unnecessary words and phrases, convey meaning through judicious vocabulary, and overall tightening strategies. The final product will be lean, mean fiction sure to hook and hold a reader.
A reporter with the Dallas Morning News and a part-time professor at North Lake College, Richard has had a diverse professional and writing career.
As a Dallas policeman, he commanded their first Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in the late 1970s. His experiences during that period provided material for his first novel, Gants, about a Dallas policeman whose ghostly partner helps him solve a murder.
Retiring from the force, he moved to Southern Methodist University, serving as associate director of campus police in the 1980s. Taking advantage of the free tuition offered to university employees, he earned a master’s degree in liberal arts, all the while continuing to work on his writing career.
After graduating SMU, he joined Westcott Communications, writing and producing training programs for law enforcement agencies until the company closed. Since that time, he has worked as reporter, first for the Garland News and now the Dallas Morning News.
He has published seven novels, including several following Jack Kyle, a Dallas private investigator; and is currently waiting publication of his eighth, April Fools, a tale of Dallas romance, infidelity and jealousy along with someone who wants to blow up the city.
| RITA and Golden Heart News |
Vickie Taylor is a RITA finalist in the Romance Novella Category with her "Angel And The Hellraiser".
Liese Sherwood-Fabre is a Golden Heart finalist in the Novel With Strong Romantic Elements category for her manuscript Heads Up, St. Anthony.
| Recognitions and Achievements |
Nancy Haddock - 2006 RWA National Service Award Recipient
Judy Christenberry - Harlequin 75-Books Award
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