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Arts & Entertainment

Long Island Authors Share Tools of the Trade

Long Island Authors Group holds workshop at the East Meadow Public Library.

The Long Island Authors Group (LIAG) is on a mission to encourage and support writers within the Long Island area. On Nov. 13, authors of LIAG came to the to conduct workshops, passing on their knowledge of writing onto others.

The workshops included "How to Write a Thrilling Mystery." Authors Phil Keith, Charlene Knadle and Boris Riskin are all renowned mystery writers from Long Island.

"There are different types of mystery novels that authors can commit to writing," Knadle said. "The mystery novels that I write are known as 'cozies', which means that the mystery novel takes place in a small town, with a private citizen being the one to solve the crime. The private citizen is not necessarily the one that sets out to solve the crime, but they are the one notices things the solve the mystery."

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Keith, meanwhile, said that he does not author cozies, but authors mysteries that come with "more violence and gore."

All the authors added that the key element of writing any mystery is to create a likable character, such as classic mystery heroine Miss Marple, who will keep the reader interested in continuing on with solving the mystery. The authors also stressed the importance of painting a visual for the reader. For any mystery novel, it is also important to leave the reader with a feel of excitement.

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"Write and write each day," Keith said. "Set your goals for writing accordingly, be consistent with your work and don't give up."

For those authors who are seeking to write a work with more of a spiritual side, renowned psychic and author Cindi Sansone-Braff was on hand to discuss "Exploring Life after Death." Sansone-Braff discussed her experience with helping people cross over into the next life.

"The dead really do not want to leave us," Sansone-Braff explained to the captivated group. "They want to help us to live better." Sansone-Braff 's workshop also made it clear to the audience that love is truly the most powerful resource, and continues on even after death.

When it comes to parenting, there is no handbook, so everyone can use a little extra advice. In the workshop "How to Advocate for Children with Auditory Learning Disabilities," Dr. Loraine Alderman stressed that it is important for parents of learning disabled children to be involved with their child's education to ensure that they get the help in school that they truly need. Alderman, whose son was diagnosed with auditory learning disability when he was in kindergarten, has written a book entitled "Don't You Get It?" on the subject.

"It is so important for the student to know about their learning disability, since we as parents cannot always monitor them as they go onto college," Alderman added.

Learning to be independent in school is a key goal for any learning-disabled child.

Any aspiring writer interested in learning more about the LIAG can visit http://www.longislandauthorsgroup.org.

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