Monday, January 31, 2011
SCBWI-National Conference
If you didn't make it to the SCBWI Conference, check out their blog where you'll find excerpts of the event.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
More Notes from the Conference
Here are links to notes from some of the WD/NYC sessions I was unable to attend:
Ask the Agent - Panel: Janet Reid, Donald Maass, Jud Laghi, Mary Kole.
10 Essential Things You Must Know to Craft an Effective Query - Janet Reid
Putting Fire in Your Fiction - Donald Maass
Building the Perfect Plot - James Scott Bell
Your Publishing Options - Jane Friedman
Successfully Promoting Your Book -
Ask the Agent - Panel: Janet Reid, Donald Maass, Jud Laghi, Mary Kole.
10 Essential Things You Must Know to Craft an Effective Query - Janet Reid
Putting Fire in Your Fiction - Donald Maass
Building the Perfect Plot - James Scott Bell
Your Publishing Options - Jane Friedman
Successfully Promoting Your Book -
Friday, January 28, 2011
After the Conference
That brings this blog up to date on the Conference. Overall, I found it informative and worthwhile. I wish they would have offered tapes of the sessions so that I could hear the ones I missed. It was hard to pick from the variety they had available.
Would I do it again? Not in the winter! The rest of my week has been really wild. On Monday, I rested up. On Tuesday, I did a research trip to Philadelphis and visited Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's original home, Betsy Ross House (it was closed), the Mint, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Independence Hall was fabulous!
I got to eat a genuine Philly Cheesesteak at the Philadelphia Bourse and even got a peanut butter Tasty Cake - all my favorite East Coast foods!
Wednesday, I was supposed to fly home, but my flight got cancelled because of snow - 16" in Philly! I tried to get out on Thursday, but only got to St. Louis. Had to spend the night at a hotel. Today, Friday, I'm trying to make my way back to Tulsa. Right now, I'm waiting for breakfast; then it's back to the airport. Got my fingers crossed!
Would I do it again? Not in the winter! The rest of my week has been really wild. On Monday, I rested up. On Tuesday, I did a research trip to Philadelphis and visited Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Ben Franklin's original home, Betsy Ross House (it was closed), the Mint, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. Independence Hall was fabulous!
I got to eat a genuine Philly Cheesesteak at the Philadelphia Bourse and even got a peanut butter Tasty Cake - all my favorite East Coast foods!
Wednesday, I was supposed to fly home, but my flight got cancelled because of snow - 16" in Philly! I tried to get out on Thursday, but only got to St. Louis. Had to spend the night at a hotel. Today, Friday, I'm trying to make my way back to Tulsa. Right now, I'm waiting for breakfast; then it's back to the airport. Got my fingers crossed!
Day 5: Session 3
The last session I attended was Success Strategies and Sytems for Writing & Selling More by Sage Cohen. This session came directly from her book, The Productive Writer.
If you're looking for some time management tips directed at writers, check it out.
If you're looking for some time management tips directed at writers, check it out.
Day 5: Sunday Session 2
This was one of my favorite sessions: Revision: Learn How to Love it by James Scott Bell. In this session, Bell explained his step-by-step method for editing a manuscript.
First: Write hot and revise cool. The only revision Bell does on his first draft is to edit his previous day's work for stylistic changes, fix things that don't make sense, and do a spell check. Then Bell goes right into today's work. As Bell said, "Don't get into big issues."
Bell likes to make a Rolling outline. He writes a scene, then outlines the next 2-3 chapters. He says it's "like driving ahead with headlights on!" You only look at what's right in front of you.
After your first draft is written, Bell recommends that you put it away for at least two weeks, a month is even better. He wants you to "come back as a reader picking it up for the first time." He even suggested making it into a book written by someone else. Print out a hard copy; create a cover with someone else's name on it and a blurb about the book. Then sit down and read it as a reader brand new to the book.
Read through with minimal notes the first time. Bell recommended four markings for this first read through:
1. Check mark for where story is dragging. So I can a come back and ask why this is dragging.
2. Parenthesis around sentences that don't work - clunky metaphors (He was as tall as a tree)
3. Circle in margin for material that needs to be added. An emotion that's not there or other putter inner
4. Question Mark - when I'm totally confused. Why did I write that?
Bell then shared a variety of exercises (too many to list) on how to look for problems in character, plot, scenes, etc.
After you finish the first read through, Bell advised that you write a new summary (2,000 words) of your novel. But not exactly as you wrote the first draft. "The summary should be tight and compelling, like a back cover on steroids." Write this summary 3 - 6 times. When you are finished, this will be the basis of your second draft without having to write a whole 2nd draft!
Another technique Bell suggested was: After the first draft, try throwing out the 1st chapter and then start with Chapter 2.
He spent some time on dialogue and how to improve it, but it's too much to go into here.
After the second draft and edits, repeat the process until it's ready for submission.
Look at:
1. Scene Openings - do it in different ways - immediately in the midst of action or start with the dialogue and set the scene
2. Look at Chapter endings - end with forward momentum
3. Look through dialogue and compress as much as possible (If you can, put a dialogue at beginning (editors want this).
If you want to know more, I highly recommend getting Bell's book! This was a 5+ star workshop!
First: Write hot and revise cool. The only revision Bell does on his first draft is to edit his previous day's work for stylistic changes, fix things that don't make sense, and do a spell check. Then Bell goes right into today's work. As Bell said, "Don't get into big issues."
Bell likes to make a Rolling outline. He writes a scene, then outlines the next 2-3 chapters. He says it's "like driving ahead with headlights on!" You only look at what's right in front of you.
After your first draft is written, Bell recommends that you put it away for at least two weeks, a month is even better. He wants you to "come back as a reader picking it up for the first time." He even suggested making it into a book written by someone else. Print out a hard copy; create a cover with someone else's name on it and a blurb about the book. Then sit down and read it as a reader brand new to the book.
Read through with minimal notes the first time. Bell recommended four markings for this first read through:
1. Check mark for where story is dragging. So I can a come back and ask why this is dragging.
2. Parenthesis around sentences that don't work - clunky metaphors (He was as tall as a tree)
3. Circle in margin for material that needs to be added. An emotion that's not there or other putter inner
4. Question Mark - when I'm totally confused. Why did I write that?
Bell then shared a variety of exercises (too many to list) on how to look for problems in character, plot, scenes, etc.
After you finish the first read through, Bell advised that you write a new summary (2,000 words) of your novel. But not exactly as you wrote the first draft. "The summary should be tight and compelling, like a back cover on steroids." Write this summary 3 - 6 times. When you are finished, this will be the basis of your second draft without having to write a whole 2nd draft!
Another technique Bell suggested was: After the first draft, try throwing out the 1st chapter and then start with Chapter 2.
He spent some time on dialogue and how to improve it, but it's too much to go into here.
After the second draft and edits, repeat the process until it's ready for submission.
Look at:
1. Scene Openings - do it in different ways - immediately in the midst of action or start with the dialogue and set the scene
2. Look at Chapter endings - end with forward momentum
3. Look through dialogue and compress as much as possible (If you can, put a dialogue at beginning (editors want this).
If you want to know more, I highly recommend getting Bell's book! This was a 5+ star workshop!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Day 5: Sunday, Session 1
On Sunday, my brother, Keith, and his wife, June, met us in the hotel for breakfast. They were leaving from New York on a cruise later in the day. Breakfast was fabulous! If you ever go to New York, I highly recommend the Sheraton New York on 7th street.
Breakfast!
That morning I went to three more sessions. The first was Writers and Mobile Apps: The Big Opportunity by Al Katkowsky.
As an iPhone/iPad app reviewer and an author, I was extremely interested in this topic. Katowsky talked about why we should consider building a book app: money and exposure; what books are best for an app (any that lend itself to multimedia or tech books - example is iPhone Missing Manual); and what he used to build his app.
Most of his session was way too complicated for me to write here. Basically, he suggested finding a good app developer unless you feel competent to do it yourself and be prepared for your launch by have preselected downloaders (people who will download your app the first day). This is to ensure that your app will get noticed.
As an app reviewer, I would like to add that getting your app reviewed by a major magazine (such as iPhone Life) is a good way to get publicity. Also, create a press release. Reviewers get these to find apps they want to review. (Keep your PR simple! Personally, I hate long PRs. Keep it short and to the point; give me links to photos and videos.)
I'd also like to add that picture books and YA novels can be successfully done on an app. But don't merely put text, static images, and some music in your app and think it will sell. Personally, I'd rather read the actual picture book, itself, than read that. But if you can create one like these: Jack in the Beanstalk by Ayars Animation, Icarus Swinebucket by Michael Garland (created by Giant Atom), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (the Vook version), you'll have a winner!
Breakfast!
That morning I went to three more sessions. The first was Writers and Mobile Apps: The Big Opportunity by Al Katkowsky.
As an iPhone/iPad app reviewer and an author, I was extremely interested in this topic. Katowsky talked about why we should consider building a book app: money and exposure; what books are best for an app (any that lend itself to multimedia or tech books - example is iPhone Missing Manual); and what he used to build his app.
Most of his session was way too complicated for me to write here. Basically, he suggested finding a good app developer unless you feel competent to do it yourself and be prepared for your launch by have preselected downloaders (people who will download your app the first day). This is to ensure that your app will get noticed.
As an app reviewer, I would like to add that getting your app reviewed by a major magazine (such as iPhone Life) is a good way to get publicity. Also, create a press release. Reviewers get these to find apps they want to review. (Keep your PR simple! Personally, I hate long PRs. Keep it short and to the point; give me links to photos and videos.)
I'd also like to add that picture books and YA novels can be successfully done on an app. But don't merely put text, static images, and some music in your app and think it will sell. Personally, I'd rather read the actual picture book, itself, than read that. But if you can create one like these: Jack in the Beanstalk by Ayars Animation, Icarus Swinebucket by Michael Garland (created by Giant Atom), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (the Vook version), you'll have a winner!
Day 4: Sat. Night in NYC
After my sessions, Debbie and I took off for dinner and more sight-seeing around NYC. (Debbie had already been walking all day, for which I was glad. She was in better shape than I, and I could barely keep up with her as it was!)
Me freezing in Times Square
We visited the ToysRUs store next to times square and had fun riding the gigantic 4-story ferris wheel inside!
Toys R Us: Wheel
There was also an enormous Barbie Doll House and this Dino that I just loved! He roared, moved and everything!
Toys R Us: Dino
Next, we visited St.Patrick's Cathedral. What a beautiful church!
We ended the night at a great seafood restaurant nearby (can't remember the name), but I had lobster!
Next
It was so cold, that was about all we could take for the night.
Me freezing in Times Square
We visited the ToysRUs store next to times square and had fun riding the gigantic 4-story ferris wheel inside!
Toys R Us: Wheel
There was also an enormous Barbie Doll House and this Dino that I just loved! He roared, moved and everything!
Toys R Us: Dino
Next, we visited St.Patrick's Cathedral. What a beautiful church!
We ended the night at a great seafood restaurant nearby (can't remember the name), but I had lobster!
Next
It was so cold, that was about all we could take for the night.
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