Conference Notes Part II

More notes from the writers conference. Hope you find them helpful. Then pics of the crazy women below.

• Make sure every character you have on the page has a personality so they seem real, even if it's a waitress. (Not too much info., or readers will wonder when that person is going to show up in the story again.)
• Seed things in a few times before you reveal the answer or solve the dilemma. This stops things from happening out of the blue for the reader. Especially important if you write mysteries.
• Get into a scene late and exit early. Never blather or drag things out with drinking-coffee-at-breakfast scenes. B-o-r-i-n-g.
• Visualize each chapter as a scene. Make notes at the top of chaps. of what you want characters to do and say, what the scene is accomplishing, then complete and fill out.
• If you don't know what a character arc is, find out!
• Make sure your dialog follows the less is more rule. People talk in shorthand and with abbreviated words. Remember that.
• Subtext adds to plot layering. It is the messages under the message.
• Take advantage of all promotional activities. {My description: You must learn to be a carnival hawker!} Check out book clubs, giveaways of all sorts, handouts, biz cards, tv/radio/print, publicists, postcards, t-shirts, signings, thank you cards.
• This just in: I emailed one of the speakers for this resource I didn't know about. Have you heard of HarperCollins' Authonomy website and blog? Check it out. (I'm planning on visiting regularly.)

Conference pics~~~


Steph and her biscuit at the Hampton. (That's author Alex Sokolov behind her.)

Deborah LeBlanc proudly displays a promo item for her pet project - the Literacy Challenge. "Don't be stupid...READ!!!"

Deb waits her turn to speak. (She showed Kathryn's Tender Graces trailer as an example of good promo work!) I love the library bubble windows.

Cyn & Steph outside our favorite Houma eating joint -- A-bear's (phonetically named so non-Cajuns can pronounce Hebert's).

Cyn at the free hotel breakfast. (Author Heather Graham and someone I don't know at table behind her.)

Local musicians provide entertainment at the library rooftop wine and cheese party.

Author/poet/professor Christopher Tusa.

PS See more pics from Kat's perspective at her blog!

Good friends, good words, good food, good music. Can't wait til next year!

Wednesday Writings - Conference Notes Part I

Good morning, y'all! I caught up on some much needed sleep last night, and hope same for you.

Here is the first installment of notes from the Sixth Annual Jubilee Jambalaya Writers Conference in Houma, Louisiana of which my writing group women are "charter members." Check out the link, and if you've a mind to, mark next April on your calendar for possible attendance. The speakers (authors, agents, best sellers, journalists, poets...a really eclectic and good mix) are great and you even get lunch provided for the unheard of conference fee of $25! You can also get work critiqued. In years past, there were opportunities to pitch your novel.

The "surprise attendee" I mentioned was Louisiana expat, Kathryn Magendie, so you KNOW what a good time I had. Tomorrow...photos...mmmwahaha!

Okay, on with the noteage~~~(courtesy of speakers Chris Tusa, poet/author; Cherry Adair, NYT best seller, and a Deborah Leblanc, friend/author/speaker/Pen-to-Press conference organizer/literacy advocate):

• You do not have to be a "born" writer. You can improve your craft and understanding of writing along the way. No MFA required, contrary to what you've heard. Read always and keep current with what's happening in the industry. Don't discount local publications and seemingly obscure journals.
• Read authors/poets whose voices and styles you admire. Eventually, you will develop your own voice and unique perspective.
• If possible, work on a schedule. (EX. 2 hours of reading, 2 of writing, 2 of emailing/blogging.
• Send your work out via email to a large group of at least 50 readers. Each will find something different to explore or help with. The larger the demographic, the more varied help you'll get. These first readers can become your base support, write Amazon reviews, etc. You can send them copies of your book later as thanks. (Blogs, library sites and Amazon book reviewers are a good place to search.)
• Start a mailing list ASAP. Always ask permission to add them to your list, promising no spam and very few emails.
• You must be good at promoting skills and a great talker/schmoozer, or you won't make it as a career author.
• Don't discount small or independent publishers. If you work hard there and are successful, bigger publishers will be interested.
• It's all about marketing and promotion -- your product and yourself! Ask yourself what makes your story different from all the other stories and people? Think theme and branding, then get busy focusing on ways to spread the word.
• Know who you are marketing to. (Genre, interest, age, gender, online vs. brick and mortar stores.) Is your market local, international, or somewhere in between?
• Paperbacks have a three-month shelf life before they are pulled and shipped back to the publisher. Will you be ready to hit it hard before and during that time?
• You'll need to put most of your advance and some of your own funds into promotions. Accept it.
• Use every available social networking venue and the Internet to your advantage. It's your most powerful tool, and relatively inexpensive compared to print and radio promo.
• Check out mail email tools. Some are as low as $14 a month.
• If you are not already signed up for Google Alerts...why not? (You'll also add your book title to the alert system when available.)
• Add layering and texturing to your characters for realism.
• The 5 levels of creating good characters~~Veracity (research!), Know characters' level of education & knowledge, And their quirks and eccentricities, Motivation and arc, Lightning bolts {my paraphrasing}: Things that go straight to characters' hearts...like what would twist the knife for a character struggling with issues of infidelity? Use those things in the plot to add interest and tension.

Okay...just one picture! Here's three of my eight writing "goils" plus Kathryn's arm/hand. LOL. And, yes, we are pigging out on good Cajun food!

Where in the World is Gumbo Writer?

...she's off at the annual Writers Conference in the big swinging town of Houma, Louisiana with her writing group gang, enjoying the NTYBS authors' talks, the learned professors speaking on poetry, and just in general, soaking up writerly stuffs! She's sending a postcard to you all that says, Wish y'all wuz here!

This is true Cajun Land -- there's even a Boudreaux & Thibodeaux's restaurant here where you eat your seafood right out of a mini-pirough(canoe, for you unordained). Now, speaking of dem two good boys...here's a little sumpin' for ya:

Thibodeaux: "Boo, did you get dat parrot bird I done sent you for your birfday present?"

Boudreaux: "Mais, yeah, mon amie! Sha, dat ting was good!"

Thibodeaux: "What you mean, it was good? You ate dat bird?"

Boudreaux: "Of course I ate dat!"

Thibodeaux: "Paeiya, you couchon! Dat bird, him done spoke five different languages!"

Boudreaux: "Mais, Thib, den he shoulda said someting!"

Flying Low

For you young'uns who aren't familiar with the saying, "flying low," it describes someone who's in a hurry, shuttling back and forth at warp speed. That's been me lately (well, maybe not at warp speed...). My flight plan of the last two weeks has had me flying between kid duties, caregiving at my Mom's, and sitting with a friend in the hospital waiting room. Which all means I've had scant time to deplane and visit your bloggy homes like I love to.

Friend's husband remains on life support with big decisions pending. The family appreciates your prayers, as I've told them how many people all over this spinning blue-green marble have been thinking about them.

And speaking of appreciation, thanks again for your steadfast voting last month. I didn't realize blogs stayed up at the site each following month, so I've put the voting widget back up. But don't worry...I'm not gonna be bugging you to hit the thumbs up again in April. *grin*

There's a debut novel anniversary party and giveaway going on over at author Karen Harrington's blog today, so head over for a chance to win a copy of her novel Janeology!

I'll be out of town tomorrow through Sunday at a writers conference, but will be taking notes for future Writing Wednesday posts. Y'all behave while I'm gone. I'm going to enjoy my little layover between "flights!"

Submission & Retreat

Weird title on today's post, huh? The submission part refers to a great review of the words submission, acceptance and rejection as they apply to writers and poets sending their words around in the hopes of getting published. I won't even try to paraphrase the wise words of an editor/poet on this subject, so go read for yourself Tim Green's post "You Must Submit" at his blog!

Now, the retreat part has to do with author and good friend Deborah LeBlanc's upcoming Pen-to-Press Retreat you MUST check out if you are currently wrangling with a manuscript of your own and want to pitch it to top notch agents on site. As a participant in the first annual retreat, I cannot tout it enough. And who couldn't use a few days away in New Orleans? [Ooo, and maybe we can even meet in 3D, as I'm hoping to go again myself for at least part of the time!]

Here's the latest newsletter update:

About the 2010 Pen to Press Writers' Retreat
Announcing a one of a kind writers' retreat that you simply can't pass up! Come excited and leave inspired, ready to improve your writing and get that manuscript published!

Pen to Press Retreats are five intense, hands-on, inspiring days that teach participants how to shape and present a saleable manuscript. You'll learn in a variety of settings, from workshops to one-on-one mentoring sessions to seminars. To that end, you will write and revise, have your manuscript critiqued, and revise some more. This is a remarkable opportunity to transform your writing!

To top it off, throughout the last two days of each retreat, all of our participants are given exclusive, one-on-one time with agents and editors to whom they can pitch their work.

With this retreat under your belt, who can stop you?

Activities: Participants will be assigned to a class of 20 and a team instructor. (Our instructors are all successfully published authors, many New York Times and U.S.A. Today Best-sellers, award-winners, and all are excellent teachers.) With this group, you will spend five days working on specifics to improve your manuscript. During classes and panel discussions, you'll learn details about characterization, plot, dialogue, pacing, voice, marketing, pitching, contract negotiations, etc., all of it geared around your specific work.

Agents and editors will be on hand the last two days of the retreat, and they'll be there to spend one-on-one time with you, our participants . . . writers who now have a polished pitch for a promising work!

We've even established a payment plan to help participants who are accepted into the 2010 program stretch the cost of the retreat out over time.

Join Us: The dates for the 2010 Pen to Press Writers Retreat are May 25-29, 2010, and the location will be in beautiful downtown New Orleans, Louisiana.

Interested writers must submit a two page synopsis of a completed novel or novel in progress along with the first five pages of that novel. From those submissions, a maximum of 160 participants will be selected.

To find out more about the 2010 Pen to Press Writers' Retreat, visit our website at http://www.pentopressretreat.com/ There you'll find in-action videos and testimonials from past participants. So jump on over to the website and have a look. And we hope to see YOU at the 2010 PPW Retreat!

Taking the Fever Out of the Pitch

I usually make Family Life & Stuff posts on Thursdays, but thought I'd change it up a bit today. For you writers out there in Blog Land, here is an article I posted at The Rose & Thorn Literary e-zine's blog Roses & Thorns not too long ago. We've got all sorts of nifty tips from prose and poetry editors if you're looking for something new and relevant to browse: http://roseandthornreviews.blogspot.com/

Taking the Fever Out of the Pitch

After attending the Pen-to-Press Writer's Retreat in New Orleans recently, a few things came to mind to share with others who’d rather have an unmedicated root canal than pitch their novel to an agent or editor.

Speaking with a literary agent at a conference, party or anywhere can be a nerve-wracking thing. It doesn’t have to be that way if you prepare yourself and believe in your “product.”

• Polish and polish some more: Before you approach someone to take on your "baby," make sure she's in her Sunday best. This includes having your little darling free of typos and errors. It should be edited to within an inch of its word count, and had several non-family/friend readers give it a critique. If you don't have a topnotch writers or critique group, get one. Your manuscript will be better for each set of eyes that look it over.
• KISSS: Keep It Short and Sweet, Stoopid: The last thing you want when describing your work to someone is to see their eyes glaze over before you've even gotten to meat of your presentation. Know and practice your concise description and be able to explain your novel's plot in thirty seconds or less. What popular books, movies or characters help show its flavor? Familiarity breeds relaxation, and as trite as it sounds, practice really does make perfect. Know what you're going to say before you approach an agent/editor so you don't ramble and lose your train of thought and your audience's interest.
• It's okay to "cheat" sometimes: I studied my notes and rehearsed my pitch until I felt comfortable, but for extra insurance against a bad case of nerves or freak bout of laryngitis, I had a few note cards tucked away in a pocket in case I went blank. Unlike political speeches, it's perfectly okay to memorize talking points. However, it's never okay to say you have a 100,000-word polished manuscript when you really only have four sketchy chapters or an outline.
• Look for opportunities, but don't stalk: There are basically three categories of conference attendees you always see -- Chihuahuas (shy and skittish, they miss opportunities to pitch their work and mingle with other writers, wishing they were home instead); Boston Terriers (adventurous writers who zero in on ways to hobnob with others in a friendly way); and Doberman Pinschers (all-out territory encroachers who attach themselves to the legs of speakers/agents/editors at every moment including meals and bathroom breaks. "Down, boy," is not in their vocabulary, so they obnoxiously hound others).
• Relax yourself: Agents and others in the publishing industry are people too. The majority won't bite or come across as ogres, unless maybe you're a "Doberman." When pitching your work or speaking with them, try to remember they are as interested in finding the next great writer as you are in being one. Speak in a relaxed, self-assured manner that shows your confidence as if you are talking to a friend or good old college professor. They know writers/authors who pitch to them are doing so in anxiety-producing circumstances and won't fault them for it.
• Two simple words: Like Mom always said, don't forget to say "thank you." Many agents, publishers and editors spend a great deal of time traveling to conferences and events. It can't be easy (or always profitable) leaving home and family to live out of a suitcase. Let them know you appreciate their time, even if your pitch fell short or they aren't looking for work in your genre. A post-conference thank-you note is a nice idea too. On this point, I'd like to personally thank the literary agents I spoke with at Pen-to-Press: Laura Blake Peterson with Curtis Brown, you made my virgin pitch easy and comfortable; Melissa Flashman (Trident Media Group), thank you for the enjoyable conversation; Paige Wheeler (Folio Literary Management), I appreciate you listening and asking good questions; and Jaimee Garbacik (The Literary Group), thanks for the opportunity and quick reply. Cherry Adair and Natalie Collins, you were great Instructors and will always be my "peeps."

Most of these tips apply to querying an agent or industry professional as well as making a face-to-face pitch. Remember, agents, whether seasoned or new to the game, make their living signing on good authors. Everyone wants to be a winner, but if you strike out with your pitch, don't give up. Research, re-write and edit if suggested, and make a new game plan for the next opportunity.

~~~

Would love to hear your additions to the topic, personal experiences and comments...especially from you lurkers! Yeah...YOU! :) Until tomorrow, write on!

Louisiana Book Festival 08 Notes

Happy Wednesday! If you're a writer, poet or happy dabbler, how's your work coming along? Hope you're not having one of those midweek slumps when nothing seems to go right, but if that's the case, take a break from your writing, change the scenery (or add some music), or bring out a different project and see if your fingers don't start dancing on the keyboard. My new semester with poet/professor Ava Haymon began tonight. Whoopee!

I had the pleasure recently of attending the LA Book Festival once again. The weather was perfect and the speakers were fired up. Below are a few notes I took during various sessions you might find interesting:

• Author of many books including The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Bronte, Laura Joh Rowland's topic was "True Lies: Writing Fiction about Real Characters." She said good fiction is a mixture of fact and pure balderdash, and advised writers to do lots of research on the time period, people, customs, fashions and people their books revolve around, so that they will know their characters inside and out. Everyone gets rejections. Even after having agent Pam Ahern for 7 years and publishing 10 books, Rowland still got 30+ rejections on the Bronte book.
• State Poet Laureate Darrell Bourque advised those who write poetry to "Keep it real, keep it simple, keep it close." {I love that!} The people close to you, neighbors, parents, family and your upbringing make excellent subjects and muses.
• A panel of mystery/suspense authors had a lively discussion about what distinguishes their genre and niches within Mystery. The speakers were C. S. Graham, C. S. Harris, Deborah LeBlanc, Erica Spindler and Barbara Colley:

I don't know about you, but when I get to spend a leisurely day in the company of poets and authors, I feel like this:

Can you remember something you heard at a conference, in a class, etc. that really stuck with you? If so, please share the wealth!

And if you're looking for something really good to read, please check out The Rose & Thorn Literary e-zine's Fall 08 issue, fresh off the press today, as well as the newsletter which you can find linked to the new cover here ---> http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/

Getting the Most from Writers Conferences

It's midweek, so time to talk about writing. First, according to the poll I did on the topic of writing goals, it appears that 50% of voters say they "make more progress when I have specific goals" vs. no goals, or even loose goals. *Eww, that sounds terribly close to a bad physical condition. 'Nuff said.* So, according to polling data, it would behoove us as writers to actually w.r.i.t.e. down our goals, break them into small and large chunks, and go after them systematically.

Second, I'm so so happy to see there have been inspiring good news announcements for blogging friends this week, as I predicted according to my trusty gut, there would be. Cannot wait to see if there'll be even more. Please please share it when you have it. If we can't toot our own horns and bang our own cymbals, how are we going to promote books, poems, short stories and other writing projects...and sell future work?

Here's a shortened form of a blog post I did for our beloved The Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine which I hope you will enjoy --

The success of writer’s conferences depend mainly on the quality of speakers and material presented, but there are several things participants can do to increase returns on the time and money invested to attend.

• BE PREPARED –DO arrive fully prepared to work on your writing project. Have supplies including hard copies and digital copy (on disk/flash drive) of your polished writing project; pens and paper; business cards (even if temporary ones with just your name and email address made at Kinko’s or on home computer); laptop; and appropriately dressy and casual clothing and shoes. Bring your comfort items if not provided by the conference or hotel, such as a travel coffeepot, bottled water, a special pillow, and whatever helps you sleep soundly away from home. Be well-rested beforehand. Chances are, you won’t be getting as much sleep while away, so stock up on it before you arrive at the conference. If possible, plan to arrive early and/or stay late so you can relax and unwind. DON’T pack everything you own. Most hotels now provide blow dryers, irons and toiletries. Conference organizers will probably arrange for simple supplies on-site. Lots and lots of extra luggage and “stuff” to haul around will tire you unnecessarily.
• SCHMOOZING –DO take every opportunity to interact with speakers, classmates, agents, and editors as much as possible, including breaks between sessions, social gatherings, at the coffeepot, and anywhere possible. If your conference is mostly breakout sessions or classroom style, think about bringing a small gift to the teacher and/or organizer. Most work hard to host a good conference and will appreciate the thought. After the conference, thank-you notes are always nice. DON’T stalk or harass conference presenters. They need downtime, too, and efforts to invade their personal space at every moment will not cause you to be remembered kindly. Maybe a speaker, organizer, agent, or publisher would enjoy dining with you if he/she doesn’t have plans, and either way, it never hurts to ask.
• TAKING NOTES –DO bring a fully charged laptop if taking notes is easier on a keyboard vs. longhand if you will be at a table or desk. You may also want to “swap notes” with a fellow attendee afterward to make sure you’ve gotten as much solid information as possible. DON’T think you will remember all the information presented without having to jot down a few reminders. Most conferences are intensive and packed with important tips and how-to data you’ll want later.
• AFTERWARD –DO transcribe notes while they are fresh. Organize handouts and information however it’s most useful and accessible. A three-ring binder might be helpful, or creating a new computer file may be more your style. Whatever method you choose, spend the extra time needed to get your notes in order to save time and effort later. Begin work on your writing, submitting, querying, or whatever your goal was before attending the conference. There’s something to be said for striking while the iron (and information) are hot, especially as it pertains to contacting agents, publishers, or speakers if given the green light. DON’T go home and get back to business as usual. Make the effort to compile and process the information you got at the conference and make a plan of attack concerning writing goals. While enthusiasm is at a peak, you’re more apt to make strides. Many agents, publishers and speakers travel frequently to conferences, so do not assume they will remember who you are and what your writing is about six months from now. Make contact as soon as possible after the event.