I write barefoot or in socks all the time. I know, its no great feat. *snort and giggle at the word play* But that isn’t exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve recently taken up running and after reading BORN TO RUN by Christopher McDougall I started minimalist running. First, I was hard core and went completely barefoot…
I immediately LOVED it! The only problem was that I was getting lots of blisters, I didn’t like running only at the track and it was getting cold. So, I decided that I would use my limited barefoot experience and try the not so attractive, wow I look like a platypus, Vibram Five Fingers. See…total platypus!
But heck, I don’t run expecting to look attractive. I’m hoping that’s a side effect, but I have no illusions about the whole smelly, drippy sweaty process. Keep your distance. Instead, I run to be free. I run to discover who I am and what makes me tick. I run to tap into my own head, heart and soul….WAIT! Wasn’t that the reason I started writing??? Yes it was! And now that I’m thinking about it, there are a lot more similarities between barefoot running and writing….First of all, there’s a learning curve.
I would be an idiot to believe that I could run right out and do a marathon without training or write a bestseller without practice and knowledge about the craft of writing. Its a process and the journey is one to be enjoyed if your smart. The last run I took was at sunset as the sky moved to twilight over the Hudson River. Getting to the end of the run was not my only reward. Likewise, almost four years spent writing, revising and learning has given me a manuscript that has potential. Getting there was not the only reward…discovering what I have inside, who I am and what I’m made of has given me my own kind of inner light. Sometimes when you’re bare you can see past the usual things that clutter up your life.
Balance is also an important component of both activities and I don’t mean trying not to fall off the curb while leaping over a drainage grate or rushing to a critique group. After I run, I need to sit…to recover. Between the writing and the sitting…I need to move. Balance is good. I enjoy my running when I’m planning and plotting story lines and characters in my head. Equally, I love sitting down to write when the stress has been blown off me and my body feels deserving of the break. When I can feel the ground beneath my feet, I avoid heel strikes and hard pounding. I can feel when I need to self-correct. When I write with my heart exposed, I lead with voice instead of structure. I know when it doesn’t ring true and I can fix it. Sometimes being bare means leaving enough of the crap behind to be able to feel your way.
When running barefoot, you need to have a little bit of a thick skin…on your feet and emotionally. People think you’re just strange for doing something so darn peculiar. Why must you always buck the current norm? Nikes not good enough for ya? They ask about the funny shoes. They inquire about the technique. They question whether you’re damaging your knees in a flight of stupidity. What do I tell them? Yes, it might seem strange to you, but it just feels right to me. And no, my knees feel better now…running barefoot. When you’re an aspiring author you need a little bit of a thick skin too. People think you’re just strange for doing something where you work so hard, get rejected constantly and end up spending more money than you actually make…which is zero. Damn those really fun conferences. They remind you that what you’re writing just doesn’t seem to be a "fit." So, what do I tell them? Yes, it might seem strange to you, but it just feels right to me. And I know its tough, and I may not fit everywhere…but I fit somewhere and at the end of the day, I feel really good when I’m writing barefoot.
I’m back to blog some more about Fall Philly…it was a long lunch *grin* but the tomato soup was really spectacular. Time for announcements from Marilyn Hershey, Regional Advisor for the SCBWI Eastern PA.
Marilyn made my day by giving me a shout-out for my conference blogging (no pressure LOL!). I, of course sat there with a big dopey grin on my face, feeling all warm and fuzzy. I know, I’m a dork, but its just how I roll.
Next up was Harold Underdown: Editor, the founder of "The Purple Crayon" and author of THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLISHING. His session was on THE NEW CROP: CHILDREN’S BOOKS IN DIGITAL TIMES. I must confess that Harold has been very helpful in guiding this particular idiot over the years, so I was very excited to meet him in person. Little did I know that he was going to attack the digital age from multiple personalities…ehem…I mean perspectives.
Mr. P (aka Mr. Pessimist) and Mr. O (aka Mr. Optimist) Hashed out the benefits and risks of the digital book age, but in the end, the REAL Harold Underdown said, what I think we all know deep inside…
"They are both right and change is the only constant."
Erica Rand Silverman (from my morning critique session-thanks Erica!) talked about GERMINATING AN AGENT DEAL. Erica is with Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. and is a former NYC school teacher. She gets a fist pump for that one WOOT! Erica was informative and very fun to listen to. Here are some of her highlights…
*Why you need an agent.
-Contracts
-Relationships
-Mediation (So you can focus on creativity)
*Short Synopsis = "This" meets "This"
*Looking for authors willing to do marketing legwork.
*Publishing houses are short staffed so your MS needs to be cleaner than ever to garner attention.
-Erica will personally help shape a MS but does not do line edits.
*After offer: You need to talk and know if you’re compatible with each other.
Time for the Editor Panel.
BB-Beth Barton; Assistant Editor at Simon Spotlight.
JR-Jennifer Rees; Senior Editor at Scholastic Press.
MM-Martha Mihalick; Associate Editor at Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishing.
Questions from the audience…
Is there a market for poetry?
MM-Poetry is traditionally harder than fiction. Helps to be based on some kind of theme. Smaller market for novels told in verse.
JR-Poetry is traditionally shelved together and doesn’t get a lot of traffic. Need an obvious hook. General poetry collections are not likely but a novel in verse is OK.
BB-Ditto
Do you ever meet a writer at a conference that you want to sign?
JR-Work with your agent if you have one.
MM- Let an agent know if you’ve made a connection with an Editor at a conference.
What are you looking for in work-for-hire?
BB-Published authors are better but not an absolute must. Send sample chapter. (This was for conference attendees)
What piles are on your desk between author and slush?
MM-Author, Agented Submission, Conference Attendee, Unsolicited. PS-Martha reads all the submissions herself.
JR-My own authors are my priority and she does have readers. :o)
Do you pass manuscripts in-house?
JR-It would have to be tremendous.
MM-Ditto…it’s pretty rare.
What do you do when an editor is holding an exclusive for a long time?
MM-A request for an exclusive is a firm indication of interest but a gentle nudge is likely OK.
Of course every good conference should end with a little extra hero worship. :o)
Lindsay Barrett George signing a book for the Fishkill Frogs at Fishkill Elementary.
Old and new friends!!!!! Jodi, Meghan, Paula, Kim and Michaele.
And last but not least, one of my fabulous writing partners and best friends, Jodi Moore. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the arrival of her awesome picture book WHEN A DRAGON MOVES IN (Flashlight Press) out in the Spring of 2011. Also coming is GOOD NEWS NELSON with Story Pie Press, pub TBD
I’ve got some new and different blog post swirling around in my think tank…more to come soon. Next scheduled conference SCBWI NY! In the mean time, I may self combust waiting to breath the same air as Lois Lowry! The GIVER is my favorite book EVER!!!!!
I’m going to start this blog by "sort of" apologizing for its tardiness. In between now and the Eastern PA Fall Philly Conference I’ve finished the revisions on my YA novel TOUCHING THE SURFACE and have sent the full manuscripts out to two AMAZING agents. I’m hoping that you’ll see me as a good role model who didn’t let her blogging time interfere with her writing time. *grin*
OK, back to my originally planned opening comments…
NOW, I’m going to start this blog post with a thumbs down and a thumbs up mini critique…What? You want the bad news first? OK-here we go…
A big BOO to UPS. While you got my manuscript to Fall Philly in time…I didn’t expect you to use it for traction under the truck tires. Luckily Francesca (queen of awesomeness!) took pity on me and printed off a fresh new copy because this would have been the wrong kind of attention to get in a critique session!
My thumbs up goes to….*drum roll please*
The Hampton Inn in Exton rocks!! I’ve got solid proof to back this up…I was greeted with warm gooey cookies upon arrival. I know-I can stop there, but there really is more. They gave
Jodi,
Megan and I joining rooms so we could stay up really late and talk. They provided all kinds of well thought out little things in the room-like an empty fridge that you could actually put stuff in. I could have used that on vacation this summer. Then don’t get me started on the kicking breakfast buffet-cheese omelets and make your own waffles. Yummy. Last but not least the staff was diligent, thoughtful and just plain nice. I lied…one more…the beds were comfy too. I’m a fan Hampton Inn.
Friday evening was all about the Red-eye Critique sessions. Thanks to a lot of hard work by
Ellen, a mixed group of picture book, middle grade and young adult writers were able to exchange manuscripts ahead of time so we could come together with critiques ready for an evening of sharing and brain storming. But first, like all good children’s writers…we EAT!
The bonus thumbs up goes out to our waitresses who were great and did separate checks. Woot!
After filling up and getting to know one another, we broke off into groups. I was in the YA Critters and we worked on our manuscript critiques until nearly 11pm. It was awesome and productive…my only regret is sitting near those very tasty sweet potato chips…damn their slaty sweetness.
After finally getting to sleep (you remember that connecting door)…
It was off to the Whitford Country Club and registration.
Of course we ran right to the book store to grab some books before they were sold out. :o) Then there was cheese danish-good times already!
Conference Director Tara Cahill gives us a warm welcome. And then it was straight into the fun stuff like PUPPIES, PUMPKINS AND PUBLISHING with Lindsay Barrett George. Lindsay is an author/illustrator picture book writer. Her thoughts on herself…"For a little girl whose passion was drawing birds and fish and flowers and trees, to end up as a artist whose passion is drawing birds and fish and flowers and trees…it doesn’t get any better."
Lindsay started with a hands on skit about how to write a children’s picture book using using Kevin as the "writer", Karen as the "illustrator" and Lindsay as the "Editor". Needless to say, we are waiting to hear that Kevin has acquired his own television sitcom. LOL! Everyone was very funny.
She then went on to stress the importance of a dummy when creating a picture book and to remember that the book is about MOVEMENT! First you open the cover and then you turn the page.
Here are two small samples of her artistry and they barely do her work justice. I highly encourage you to find her books and share them with your children.
Lindsay left the discussion with three things to keep in mind when you’re creating your own picture books.
1. Magic-must give your readers a little bit of magic.
2. Care-your reader must connect on an emotional level.
3. Ask yourself…does this book make a difference?
I’m pretty sure that her books have successfully kept those three things in mind. *heart squish*
Next up on the agenda was a trio of amazing ladies…
*Nan Marino, author of NEIL ARMSTRONG IS MY UNCLE AND OTHER LIES MUSCLE MAN McGUITY TOLD ME.
*Jennifer R Hubbard, author of THE SECRET YEAR.
*Jeannine Norris, author of TONIGHT YOU ARE MY BABY: MARY’S CHRISTMAS GIFT.
These ladies are all part of the Kidlit Author’s Club which is a group of children’s book author’s from NJ, PA and MD. Their topic for the day was FIRST CROP: PLANTING AN IDEA AND HARVESTING A BOOK.
First up was Jeannine Norris and she…********We interrupt this broadcast for a 10:00am critique session with Erica Rand Silverman*********
Opps, by the time I returned, Jeannine’s portion of the talk was over so I have my fingers crossed that I’ll be able to catch up with her some other time.
Next up was Nan Marino, we are Facebook Friends and I’d just finished heading her novel to my two oldest boys so I was very excited to meet her in person.
Here are some of Nan’s best seeds of inspiration…
*Read like a writer-learn from the people who do it well.
*Facing rejection is like being in the middle of your own novel/story.
*Her favorite writing prompt-Pick an adult and figure out what he or she was like as a child.
*Her favorite advice-find the truth, just tell the story and have faith in your words.
Last in line was Jennifer R. Hubbard a friend of mine on LiveJournal and the founder of the Library-Loving Challenge. If you get the opportunity to be involved with this event it is wonderful and there are multiple ways for you to support libraries. This year was the second year of the challenge and the results were spectacular… she raised $5148, plus 80 pounds (UK), plus at least $300 worth of new books, plus donations of used books and audiotapes. Woo hoo!!!!!!
Jennifer talked about bringing the teen novel to market. Here were her best pieces of advice…
*Build your story around a conflict, challenge, mystery or unanswered question.
*Stay with the teen POV.
*Kill your "darlings"-don’t get too attached to what you’ve written.
*When self-marketing-do what fits into YOUR wheelhouse.
*Group events are more fun than solo events so BAN TOGETHER!!!!!
*When writing MG/YA write to the reader vs. the gatekeeper.
I know you think it can’t get better than this but *squee* IT’S WENDY MASS!!!!!!
Wendy also talked about PLANTING SEEDS. She started off by giving us a wonderful mental picture of how to write a story. Take a character, put them in a tree, throw rocks at them and then help them get down.
She also had lots of other helpful advice…
*Learn to read books like a writer, looking closely at chapter beginnings and endings.
*Be inspired by things that help you feel like a writer.
*Ideas come from experience, observation and imagination.
*Strongly believes in creating 20 minute character bios and flushing out an outline by hand. Wendy’s Pre-writing workout.
I must also SHOUT the exciting news…JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE (I LOVE this book!) Will be coming out as a movie in 2011!!!!!! Wendy had some pictures of the actors on set and has even filmed a cameo scene in the movie!
Lunch time!!!! The food was yummy and thinking about it is making my tummy growl. I may have to take a break here and go find a snack. Promise to be back soon with Part II of the Eastern PA SCBWI Fall Philly Conference.
Last Saturday, I finally had a chance to visit Strand Books in NYC. Yippee!
The Strand is a sort of legend among Indie Bookstores and I’ve been hearing about it forever. I was in NYC with NO KIDS…leaving me a wide open opportunity to literally get lost in 18 miles of books.
The outside was under construction, but that didn’t stop the flood of people coming through the door.
(approximately 1/4 of the main floor.)
We walked inside and my husband John took a quick look around said drily, "I’m not going to see you for awhile-am I?"
My response was to throw him a quick "Duh" over my shoulder as I headed out on my book safari.
I’m dashing upstairs to the YA section, but had to stop and admire the view on my way up.
The above picture captured the vastness of the shelving, but I also needed you to see the depth of what was going on here in this amazing store. Each shelf was probably 10 feet tall.
I wanted you to get a real feel for this LOL!
Navigating my way to the YA section, I was pumped to find that my "Writer Mama’s" books were in the house. Kelly has been a role model and an inspiration for me as a local author. I love her motto…"Be yourself, Have and opinion. Tell the world." www.klgoing.com.
Shhhh I couldn’t help but take a sneak peak at where my book might be some day. Its good to have big dreams. I think of pictures like this as mental maps to my future.
Start at the T on the bottom and go up seven shelves. I’ll get there eventually. *grin*
This was the children’s section. And I could try to tell you how inviting it was, or I could just show you…
Now that’s what I’m talking about!
There was a lot more to the Strand than I managed to capture-way more. They had a rare books room on the 4th floor and an additional 3rd floor and basement full of books. After a couple hours of being lost in the stacks, I managed to pull myself away…but I’ll be back.
I promise.
I know it’s taken me over a month to get this up, but I’ve been working hard on my revisions and the cat’s been sitting on my notebook.
We started the conference off right with Nancy Castaldo (Our Fearless Leader of the Eastern NY SCBWI) giving Sue Anderson a National SCBWI Award and Jessica Loy winning our new logo contest. A big WOOT! to both of you.
The first speaker of the day was
Emily Arnold McCully. Her talk was titled THE SKY IS FALLING…ISN’T IT?
If you haven’t guessed, Emily’s lecture was all about the ever changing publishing industry. Have we missed the Golden Age of Children’s books? The last REALLY BIG CHANGE to hit publishing was the development of the printing press. Back then the big question was–should books change from handwritten skins, created by monks to books that were mass printed on paper? The monks were so sure that the authenticity of books needed to be kept by using handwriting on skins, that they wrote a treatise and had it printed up on the printing press so everyone could read it. *grin* Yeah, we’ll figure out the whole electronic book thing eventually too.
This was a young Emily…already bitten by the writing bug.
And here is an illustration from her Caldecott Award Winner MIRETTE ON THE HIGH WIRE. Emily’s talk was a reminder that each writer will have their own “Golden Age” if they stick with it. The ups and downs are just part of the ride.
Our next amazing speaker was
Ellen Wittlinger talking about HOW DOES A 60-YEAR-OLD WRITE NOVELS FOR TEENAGERS? She laughed when telling us about how shocked and appalled teens can be during school visits when they realize she looks like a grandmother. She usually responds by telling them that an older person is just a teenager with no fashion sense or technological skill!
Her advice–when you writer for teenagers, you must be in touch with your inner adolescent.
Here was her list of tried and true research methods:
*Drive a car full of teenagers around and then just shut up and listen.
*Hang out at the local food court in the mall.
*Visit comic book stores, book and music stores, sporting events etc…where teens hang out.
*Go to the DMV and watch the interaction between teens and parents waiting on line to get their license.
*Listen to their radio stations.
*Rent High School Musical and become a GLEEK!!!!
*Watch Buffy, Freaks & Geeks, and My So Called Life.
*Read YA.
Then…
*Go back in time to your own adolescents because while the details change, the emotions don’t.
Some other pearls of wisdom that Ellen passed along…
“Teenagers begin to know that there are depths to their being, but they don’t know what’s down there. YA writers can help to guide them, but only if they know what is in their own ‘basements’.”
“Words carry connotations…understand the full weight of words.”
“Good dialogue will allow you to show what is going on behind the words, even if the character isn’t aware of it.”
“When you’re an adult, its a lot harder to read something and have it change your life. Teens are looking for direction.”
“Once you know someone, your prejudices fall away–you can introduce kids to ‘characters’ they would never have the opportunity to meet in real life.”
“When you write for teens–you can be certain that you are touching their lives.”
I know…*big heart squish*
Next up was Eve Adler, an Associate Editor for
Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, talking about the ROAD TO PUBLICATION.
Eve gave us a slide tour of the Henry Holt offices in New York’s famed Flat Iron building and then gave us a little info on How Editors Make Decisions About What to Acquire…
1. Voice-Editors can’t fix voice so its very important to work on yours.
2. Quality of Writing
3. Plot, Structure and Characterization
4. Personal Taste-With a reminder not to write to trends.
After giving us some inside information on the Henry Holt Acquisitions Process she also gave us a list of ways to Become Your Editor’s Favorite Author…
*Be patient and don’t harass.
*Be eager to revise.
*Obey deadlines.
*Show appreciation-especially to your publicist.
*Do as much self-marketing as you can-authors are an extension of the publicity department LOL!
*Continue to come up with more great ideas.
Time for lunch…but my priority is always to visit Scott in the Merritt Bookstore first.
Due to a scheduling conflict I didn’t get to hear Peter McCarty (But I heard he was AMAZING) so instead I opted to be at the very end of the lunch line and spend some time with him in the lobby chatting and getting my books signed.
Plenty of yummy food left and great friends to share it with.
After lunch Dianne Hess, Executive Editor at Scholastic Books treated us to CONNECTIONS FROM THE EDITOR’S CHAIR. Dianne gave us a wonderfully intimate tour of the Scholastic offices in Soho. It was extremely interesting to hear and see all the things that motivate her and the rest of the Scholastic team.
Loved the rug in the hallways–it has the Scholastic credo printed on it.
Wrapping up the day was the Panel Discussion. From left to right…
(PW) Pete Watson-Editor-in-chief of Shenanigan Books
(KS) Kelly Smith-Senior editor with Sterling Publishing
(MW) Mary Watson-Creative Director of Shenanigan Books
(MM) Martha Mihalick-Associate Editor of Greenwillow Books and my AWESOME critique mentor.
(EA) Eve Adler-Associate Editor with Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
(EAM) Emily Arnold McCully-Award winning author/illustrator
(CH) Connie Hsu-Assistant Editor with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
(DH) Dianne Hess-Executive editor of Scholastic Books
(EW) Ellen Wittinger-Former children’s librarian and author of 15 novels for MG and YA readers
And (KKO) Karen Kaufman Orloff was our moderator, asking questions from the audience. Here are a few of the topics…
KKO-Web sites for unpublished authors?
DH-Great for seeing illustrator’s art.
CH-Always good.
EA-More important if you are published-we are primarily looking at your MS.
MM-Beware, we are going to google you.
KS-Work on your MS if you’re torn for time. (Now I don’t feel so bad about my late blog post *grin*)
KKO-Can you be successful today if you lack an aptitude for marketing and self-promotion?
EW-It’s not an option anymore.
DH-People have their limitations, but there is an advantage to doing both well.
CH-Why wouldn’t you want to do something? You can’t complain if you refuse to do anything for yourself.
EA-Don’t sell yourself short.
MM-Write your book first-in the end a really great book will stand out.
Of course we had to end with the love-celebrating Barbara (Bobbie) Wells, our former Reginal Advisor. ((((((hugs)))))))
And a little author love from Ellen Wittlnger makes my day. Thanks for stopping by and checking out the conference. If you’re in the area-mark it on your calendar for next year. I’d love to see you there.
