WIFYR Day 4. Filter Words and Little Wins

Day 4 of the conference was jam-packed with information, more revisions, and more critiques. And I haven't even come close to putting a dent in watching the webinars. To top it off, I capped off another day by participating in the WIFYR writing sprints at 9pm with other writers from the conference. I'm so surprised at how quickly I've grown to love these virtual group meetings! Go me, in trying all the new things.

Filter words. These words weaken your manuscript. They put distance between your character and your reader. Seek them out and delete them.  Words like:

I'm able to

I know

I decide

I wonder

I can/could/couldn't

I hear

I think

I try

I see

etc.

If you delete the filters words that permeate first drafts, then you'll be left with the action of the story, rooting your character and your reader exactly where they should be.

(This advice was shared in a short teaching segment given by Kathy Lipscomb, an editor and author, who participated in our morning writing workshop with one of her own projects. And I'll just say it: I LOVE Kathy's writing. Her words, her stories, all of them, need to be in print. As in, hardcover, paperback. ebook. All the formats. I can't wait until they are published.)

Little Wins and Pacing.  Sometimes your character needs a little bit of a win. Little victories to keep her and your reader going, especially when the going gets tough. So while we're told as writers to be merciless to our characters, at times, we also need to be kind. Like maybe give them a cookie and a glass of milk to go with it. (That last part was a joke, but think about your character and her arc and how she's feeling. Make sure it's not too overwhelming.)

Keep writing everyone!

WIFYR Day 1. Swapping notes with my character

Today marked the first day of a weeklong conference: Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers.

I'm blessed to be participating in the Novel Bootcamp Workshop with Kathryn Purdie, author of YA books such as Burning Glass and Bone Crier's Moon.

Our first assignment this morning was to allow our main character to write us a note about how they felt.  Here's what my main character, Meg, had to say:

Look, it's about time you get this done. We've been sharing headspace for a while. You rehash words. You rehash me. Edit every last sentence, and I think it's time you trust in the story that needs to be told. No edits. No tweaks. Just trust that I'm ready to carry myself on the page. A bunch of pages, actually. One after the other so that I can get myself to where I need to go.


Here's my reply:

Dear Meg,

Whoa! You're far too young to be forging ahead like that on your own. We came here to gain perspective on how we can both grow. You, as a girl trying to figure out her place. Me, as a writer trying to become a better wordsmith. Yet, here we are on day 1, and already you're acting like you have a mind of your own. Sheesh!

Obviously, we have a lot of work to do. Please, sit down. Stay a while. Let's plan this story out and not get too crazy.... Although I admit, maybe I should loosen the reins a little bit, put my editor hat away, and see exactly what it is that you want to say.... 

I mean it. I'm ready to listen. You go first.

Ha!

What an interesting way to get geared up for tackling the journey ahead. 

Happy writing, everyone!

Conference Notes and Nudges. 10 Tips for Children's Authors

I'm horrible at keeping my social media updated with where I'm going and what I'm doing in regards to my writing pursuits, particularly in regards to conferences. Over the past year and a half or so, I've enjoyed quite a few, from the big SCBWI conference in LA to smaller ones, like the writing retreat with author Carol Lynch Williams, to online gatherings like Picture Book Summit in 2019 and 2018.  For me, attending these conferences provides fuel for kindling new ideas and sprucing up old ones.  They keep me moving forward on this writing journey, connect me with friends, and build bridges for making new opportunities.  For any writer, conferences can be invaluable.

Today I'm sharing some of the things I've learned.

1. Make connections and build relationships, particularly on social media. For a while, it seemed that "social media" was a four-letter word. It was deemed to be a drain for creatives, whose time would be better spent writing or illustrating. And for a while, I bought into this mindset, and stayed away from it for a handful of years. But while writing is one of those endeavors that requires separation from the rest of the world if any meaningful storytelling is going to be put on paper, I've learned that social media helps keep me connected to a wider world and allows me to share in the ups and downs of this publishing business that so many of us are trying to break into.

Some of my favorite social media gathering spots are on Twitter and Facebook.  Twitter has a whole network of picture book writers and editors that connect through hashtag conversations, such as #PBChat which was started by @JustinRColon earlier this year, as well as #PBCritiqueFest as started by @BrianGehrlein and #kidlit. On Facebook I'm a member of a handful of groups such as Julie Hedlund's 12x12 PB challenge and NF for Children's Writers. 

2. Write what you know.  This bit of advice has changed over the years.  Lately, I've heard: write what you interests you--even if you don't know it! Go out and learn about it. Personally, I follow the idea of: write what you love. Fall in love with your characters, your idea, your piece of nonfiction, and bring it to the best life it can live through the words that you feed it.

3. Ask questions. What does your character want? What is your emotional connection to this book? What are things you've fought for? What are things your character is fighting for? Do you have a sense of place on every page?

4. Keep writing through the submission process. Don't get hung up on one idea.

5. Comparative titles and Mentor titles are not the same thing. Comp titles are a sales tool to use in a pitch. They are a previous published book that you refer to that helps explain the nature of your manuscript to an agent or editor. Examples of how comp titles can be used are: I) My ms could be described as X meets Y; II) X but with the addition of Y; III) Readers of X will like Y.

6. Surprise them. Editors and agents like to be surprised in what they are reading. Share something with them that they didn't know about. Write something that only you know how to write. If you are moved by your own writing, it's likely that other readers will be moved as well. Write in a compelling, entertaining way about something that matters.... These sentiments were common themes that I heard from agents and editors at SCBWI-LA in August.

7. Advice from MT Anderson that I loved: Take the familiar and make it unfamiliar.  Take something unfamiliar and make something surprisingly familiar about it. Show us the invisible that lies all around us, but only you can see.

8. Advice from Tiffany Liao: If I can change the age of your MC and it doesn't affect what's presented, then the story is too watered down. Character drives everything.

9. Advice from Mem Fox: When writing, think about the child you're writing for, and nothing else.  And:  "I don't want children to understand everything I write. I teach them how to love reading with the right number of syllables and beats in the right place."

10. Advice from Brandy Colbert and Elana Arnold: Add a ticking clock. Give your MC a limited amount of time to achieve their goal or else face consequences.

Life, The Universe, and Everything (LTUE) Conference

My co-author and I for The Book Lover's Cookbook are speaking at the Life, The Universe, And Everything conference in Provo tomorrow. Here is the intro video for our panel, A Feast of Fiction. Can't go wrong with Food and Books! Cheers to inspiration!

If nothing else, it features one of my favorite songs, True Green, sung by Annie Rapid.

Clicking on this link to get to the video site might be the best way to view. For quicker download, I gave the smaller version. (smaller screen). if that makes any sense or holds any validity, I have no idea at all.

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=10627b6148503387c6f94c4&skin_id=1702&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

The Proposal, a great movie

My new favorite movie is The Proposal, and I owe all thanks to my daughter who said we absolutely had to watch it (She'd already seen it with a friend, and wanted to see it again--and a third time, as it turned out, by the time she watched it with me.) Anyway, I loved it. I had no idea I would be laughing so much, until the end, when I cried, but only because the ending was a happy one. Even my boys liked it, which was surprising, since they are boys, and The Proposal is a romantic comedy, which is all good, because it means they have soft spots in their hearts and are willing to sit down and enjoy a movie that a mom, or a sister, or a girl would like to watch.

As for the rest of the week, it's work, work, work, a bit of rewriting on a manuscript, and then the SCBWI conference in Salt Lake on Friday and Saturday. I'm looking foward to hanging out with fellow friends and writers Judy Torres, Laura Madsen, Sydney Salter (My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters), Bree Despain (The Dark Devine), Karen Nelson, and many others, and meeting editor Elizabeth Law from Egmont and agent Kendra Marcus, if I'm lucky.

WIFYR Conference Update 2

What a week. I can't believe how fast it went, and am grateful for the new friendships made and the new things learned. This is one the best conferences I've attended and the most fun.

Alane Ferguson was definitely a daily highlight. She kept me laughing in her class, while showing how to critique manuscripts well. Learning from her was more like an osmotic-process than a bottling process, if that makes any sense. Here are a few Lanie-isms that I enjoyed walking away with:

"That is absolutely one of the unbreakable rules, except for the fact that it will be broken next week."

"My curtains are always closed, because I know there are people like me out there."

"Does he glitter? I get a lot of gratification when people glitter."

"I'm the rebel, but I'm also so compliant."

"That is brillance in action, people."

"I'm giving you the Lanie Guarentee. Editors will love this."

............ I can only hope!


I also attended break-out sessions. Here are a few words of wisdom.

"Sometimes what your characters don't say reveals more than what they do." -- Ann Dee Ellis (Everything is Fine)

Mette Harrison (The Princess and the Hound) wasn't there, but she was quoted. "Clarity first. Pretty words second."

"Does each scene move the plot forward? Does each scene deal with internal/external conflict?" -- Ann Cannon (The Loser's Guide to Life and Love)

I took a few notes during Krista Marino's address. Krista is an editor with Delacorte. She highlighted 4 books from her list and discussed why she had chosen them. They were:

The Witch's Alphabet by Caitlin Kitteridge (Feb 2010). A "steam-punk novel described by her as A Great and Terrible Beauty meets The Golden Compass, which was the original steam-punk novel.

The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien Jones. Described as The Penderwicks, as perceived by Tim Burton.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Described as The Lord of the Flies meets The Hunger Games.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth, which is a love story with a zombie threat, described as 28 Days Later meets The Hand-Maids Tale.

The best part of the conference was the send-off extravaganza, in which Carol Lynch Williams and Cheri Pray Earl danced and sang and Will Terry showed the story of The Little Red Toyota. I have pictures, and as soon as I get them downloaded, I will add them here.

WFYR Conference Update

I'm down at the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers conference this week at BYU. Well, actually I'm driving back and forth 2 hours each way every day (long story, equally long commute) except for today, because I'm getting kids off to their 4 day soccer tournament in Cedar City and meeting with tape-measure-and-hammer people about the house remodel that is about to whip up in a flurry around us.



I'll have to remember to take pictures tomorrow. A camera being toted around in purse does not take pictures by itself.



I'm in the morning workshops being led by Alane Ferguson, who is absolutely amazing. Her knack for editorial insight and guidance has blown me away. Here are a few nuggets.



Don't underestimate dialogue. Good dialogue will move a plot forward more than narrative.



In addition to having a good hook on page 1, tap into a Universal by page 2. A universal is that element that everyone on the planet can relate to: need to belong, fear of abandonment, fear of failure, a curiosity in wondering how a character will use his/her power to get what he/she wants, etc.



At the end of the story, the conflict must be resolved (of course), but there must always be a cost for the character in getting that resolution.



Be mindful of "burying the lead." This means, put the emotional hook, the conflict, the important stuff up front. Don't let it be muddled in an otherwise beautiful, well-written narrative, assuming the reader will "get it."


Claudia Mills was thoroughly entertaining. She suggested a few books for inspiration in the craft. Two of them are If You Want to Write by Brenda Velan and The Creative Habit by Twyla Thorpe.

Lael Littke, the bionic woman with titanium knees (my mouth literally dropped to the floor when she told us of her recent surgery!), also stressed the importance of adding that emotional conflict to the main conflict. This gets the reader connected to the character. And, of course, there has to be an event that forces the character to take a different direction.

Make it great day!

A quick update...

I attended a children's writers conference at UVU last week. Shannon Hale (Goose Girl, Princess Academy, Book of a Thousand Days) gave the keynote address, which pretty much kept me laughing for about 30 minutes--she's quite entertaining, to say the least. And inspiriing. I loved her favorite quote:

"Fairy tales don't tell us that dragons exist. They tell us that dragons can be defeated."

G.K Chesterson said that. And I think it's pretty cool.

Other than that, Shannon said she keeps on top of her writing by setting daily goals, and then making them. ... Something I should start doing. Work, of late, has gotten sorely in the way. BUT! With my new-found inspiration, that will change.

Happy Spring, everyone. The snow is melting and the air is quickly growing warm.

A bit of books

So, last week my book club got together and between the food and catching up, we actually got around to talking about a few books we'd been reading.







Heather highly recommended Sammy's Hill and Sammy's House, two laugh-out-loud reads by Kristin Gore. Yes, she is Al Gore's daughter, and yes, apparently, quite a gifted writer. I love funny books, so this one has definitely been placed on the top of my to-read list.




Kristen had found the Shopaholic series written by S0phie Kinisella, one of my favorite authors. Her enthusiasm led me to revisit one of my all-time favorite characters, Becky Bloomwood. Heather and Kristen both wondered how anyone (meaning, Becky) could be so stupid (their words, not mine), but they loved her anyway. I said I was just thankful that not all the lightbulbs burned brightly, allowing me to laugh at her little tangles with life--even in the second and third re-readings of the books.



But wait! Now I don't have even more to look forward to! Check out this trailer from You-Tube.







Although she couldn't join us, Vicki suggested via email, The Glass Castle, a memoir (I think) by Jeannette Walls about dysfunctional parents who choose to live on the streets.



I can not imagine this actually being a choice, when one can otherwise be in a secure home, so I think this could be one of those reads that will bring me on an unexpected, new journey.




I, of course, suggested the Uglies, Pretties, and Specials, if you hadn't already noticed my latest entries on Shelfari bookshelf. I could not put these books down and finished all three books within a week.


As far as other decisions left hanging in my last post, I opted to send in my registration for the Utah-Idaho SCBWI conference in Salt Lake City on November 15. Jill Dembowski, the editor coming from Little, Brown, has liked my mss in the past, so it will be nice to meet her in person (if I'm so lucky and, er, brave to make the introduction).



This whole post is feeling rather journalistic, so I think I'll stop and jump back into the fun, free-ranging prose of my latest work-in-progress.



cheers!

Ramblings (Or, Yes, This Post Could Have Been Tighter)

Okay, so it had to happen someday. And even though I didn't want it to, it did.

During a recent conversation with my daughter, in transit to a soccer practice or game--I can't remember which--she used I word that I hadn't the foggiest idea of how to interpret. It brought our conversation to a halt, drew my eyes from the road, added a slight swerve to our vehicular travel, not to mention, aged me instantly in her eyes--the horror!

"What did you just say?" I asked.

She gave a giggle. "I said, 'that's so tight.'"

"As in?"

"Cool. Good." She pulled a face, one probably matching my own. "Everyone's saying it. What's wrong with that?"

What's wrong with it? What's wrong with it?

Lots, but the most grievous offense being that I was suddenly my mother 30 years ago--out-of-touch, uncool--(not that I think she is now, but I might have just a little back then) when I first dished up the word, awesome, to her, and she'd pretty much had the same reaction.

After a moment, though, I laughed. Heartily. (Which, in turn, made my daughter nervous). But I couldn't help it. That's just what the world needs, I thought. One more definition of the word tight, to really stir things up.

I mean, have you ever considered the word tight, and it's numerous contexts?

I did, but only recently. As in, five minutes ago.

According to the Compact American Dictionary, tight graces the English language with 13 definitions. 13!!!!!!

Allow me.

1. fixed firmly in place

2. drawn out fully

3. imperable in construction

4. compact

5. fitting close or too close to the skin, as in snug

6. personally close (slang)

7. constricted

8. stingy

9. difficult, as in a tight spot

10. closely contested, as in a tight race

11. drunk (slang) ---This was news to me!!!

12. securely, as in Hold on tight!;

13. soundly, as in Sleep tight!

No wonder I was confused. And to think I'd thought my daughter had suffered a bump to the head.

Anyway, here's my plea. Just drop it. Walk away. Expunge this new connection of tight=cool from your brains, please, whoever you are that started it. It's not good. And I can't see it getting any better.

So, enough of all that.

On a local, seasonaly note, the sandhill cranes returned to Cache Valley a few days ago, bringing me out the door with their sing-song, high-pitched croaking, to watch as they flew overhead. They were enroute to the wetlands down the road, which they use as a yearly stop in their migration. They'll be here a couple weeks, fueling up on the grains from nearby agricultural fields before heading off again. Although with all the developments that have been built within the past year, I hope the picking are not too slim.

The arrival of the cranes is somewhat bittersweet, though. Usually the in-laws are out visiting at this time of year, and the seeing the cranes is always a highlight. Sadly, with the fuel prices so high, they aren't with us this year. (They were going to drive).

So, here's what I have to say about that.

Down with the fuel mongers! It's all a scam! Far too few people are making far too much money, at the expense of the little people--the people that matter, which are mainly, everyone else, like me. Shame, shame, shame. (We're these fuel-people ever reprimanded when they were younger????)

Other than that, I am considering attending a regional SCBWI conference in Salt Lake City on November 15. It's a bit pricey, but Jill Dembowski, Editorial Assistant from Little, Brown will be there. As will, Ted Malawer from Firebrand Literary Agency, and Victoria Jamieson from Greenwillow, and a slew of talented writers like, Kristyn Crow, Mike Knudson, Kristen Landon, and Emily Wing Smith. .... Decisions, decisions. .... Since an early flu kept from from attenting the conference in Boise with Samantha McFerrin from Harcourt Houghton, I may have to hit this one.

The Lost Notebook

I'd lost part of my conference notes. That's the only reasonable explanation I could come up with. Because I knew I'd written down the address for Beach Lane Books (the new S&S imprint being run by Allyn Johntson and Andrea Welch). In my mind's eye, I could see Allyn at the podium giving the address--see myself writing it down--checking with the person next to me to make sure I'd spelled the street correctly--AND YET, it was no where to be found in my legal notepad.

Granted, my notepad was falling apart.

Barely held together with two staples, and missing the cardboard backing, it was highly possible that I'd lost a few, if not several sheets of paper, during all of the moving and shuffling of August. As it was, some sheets were already not part of the whole.

But then, I took a day to clean my office. Go through the tote bags that were left on the floor, sort through the piles piling on my desk, and I found it. The OTHER CONFERENCE NOTEBOOK. The one I'd taken to other conferences earlier in the year and had taken to SCBWI-LA to completely fill up, lest I waste paper if I left the end papers empty. I'd forgotten about it.

Hallelujah!

There was the address for Beach Lane Books, along with notes from other speakers (some of which I posted about last time from memory).

So, here are a few more tidbits from the conference.

Diane Muldrow of Golden Books said she is actively looking for manuscripts that fit the Golden Book style (age 2-5, light on text, depicting lively stories that convey the wonder of everyday experiences that are new to a child.) Golden Books is now a part of Random House. She mentioned the Little Boy with a Big Horn, The Pokey Little Puppy, The Seven Sneezes, Cowlick, The Donut Chef, and Lucky New Year.

Two other books mentioned by Allyn Johnston were Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes. She mentioned writers Deb Fraiser and Cynthia Rylant. Andrea Welch mentioned Officer Buckle and Gloria, Black Beauty, and Because of Winn Dixie.

Regarding the sometimes tortuous path to publication, writer Paula Yoo said, "Do you want to be published or do you want to write? Do you want to get married, or do you want to be in love?" which I thought was really cool.

Abigail Samoun from Tricycle Press didn't really see her imprint as a small press. They are growing. She said her list of PB to YA titles has grown to 18 books/year, which has tripled since 2000. They are an editorial-driven house, and encourage 1st time authors. Books she mentioned are G is for Googal, Hey, Little Ant, Yesterday I Had the Blues, and Urban Babies Wear Black.

So there it is. If you saw the state of my conference notes, you'd understand why it's a good thing I'm not a secretary to the president.

Summer Conference Recap

Whew!

Well, I have finally made it back from my coast-to-coast tour, after starting in Los Angeles on July 31 and leaving New Hampshire on August 26. Actually, I didn't really travel through all the states in between -- I only hit two others and those were Pennsylvania and Delaware. Such is the power of air travel!

All in all, it was a fun month, with the SCBWI conference in LA kicking things off (more on that later). And I survived a speeding ticket I hardly deserved. (As far as I'm concerned, when you're driving downhill, the laws of gravity and inertia prevail--that's physics 101!! But apparently, this course was lost on the powers-that-be who set speeding limits.) But I digress. I also outsmarted ticks looking for a way out their briny coastal wetlands and thunderous waves that wanted to thrash me around in their undercurrent.

On the brighter side, I got to run along the shore every morning in Delaware with the riplets of waves splashing around me, while enjoying the company of dolphins, pelicans, and these cute little shoreline birds I must track down the name of.

In New Hampshire, Lake Winnipesaukee treated us right. The relentless summer rain gave way after we arrived and treated us to a week full of sunshine. We waterskiied, tubed, sailed, swam, shopped, canoed, fished, .... it was a blast. But now I'm home and facing a yard and garden in dire need of attention. It's so scary and overgrown, I'm afraid to go outside. Which is probably why I'm in here in my office catching up on my blog.

The only bad thing I seem to have brought back with me from vacation is a swollen ankle. Consultations with highly qualified people like my mother and a couple friends indicate I may have a stress fracture from all that running on the beach. I suppose I should have stopped running after it started hurting the first day around mile three. Wearing footwear might also have helped. But the coast was so beautiful and inspiring, I just couldn't think of doing anything but run every morning. (Plus, the au naturale pedicure (sand, salt, water) was a bonus for the whole deal. As far as I was concerned, each step forward was a step toward baby-buff skin.) And then, when I was in NH, I had to keep running with my daughter and her friend to help them stay in shape for soccer (coach's orders). But now, here I am, with my foot propped on my desk, wondering when I should call the doctor for an appointment. I'm thinking if I stay off it for a while, it might get better. Then again, I've been popping motrins like they're candy for the past two weeks. ..... Oh well, first things first. Blog. Lawn. Writing. Garden. Soccer games. More yard. Sleep. Repeat. Along with a list of a thousand other things that need to get done.

But anywhoooo, the conference in LA was fabulous! I made some great friends, and heard from lots and lots of talented writers and editors. Perhaps one of the more entertaining, enlightening, and table-turning (not quite a word, but I'm using it anyway) was from Arthur Levine, VP at Scholastic, Inc. and Editorial Director at Arthur A. Levine Books. According to his tallies, contrary to what the publishing industry has been saying for the past few years, the picture book is NOT falling.

In fact, the picture book has been doing quite well, at least, as well as it always has done in the past. The biggest challenge for sales of picture books, however, are the depressingly high number of independant book stores that have closed. 2,840 since 1996, to be exact. That's scary.

Lesson? Buy local. Support your indies!

Those independant booksellers play a big role in hand-selling titles, especially new picture books.

Throughout the conference, numerous editors highlighted favorite books or wish lists. Of course, some of those editors are only taking submissions from agents or conference attendees, but the information may be useful to those wondering what's new, hot or wanted in the market at large.

Dianne Hess with Blue Sky Press. Loved getting the mss for Henry's Freedom Box and Adios, Oscar.

Debra Dorfman with Scholastic. Likes funny, laugh-out-loud, high concept series, like Hank Zipper.

David Gale with Simon & Schuster. Greek mythology, SF, page turners, horror (or so it seemed).

Elizabeth Law with Egmont. Mentioned the Moffats. Cheaper by the Dozen. Penderwicks.

Brenda Bowen with Bowen Press. Herbert's Worm Hole. Fresh, unusual, emotional response.

Allyn Johnston with Beach Lane Books. Looking for mss for very young "readers." Mem Fox is a favorite author.

Nancy Conescu with Little, Brown is "always looking for character driven chapter book series. She mentioned a book, This is What I Did. She likes untraditional writing styles, edgier YA with strong voice, and steers clear of quiet literary reads. She also talked about Living Dead Girl, The Patron Saint of Butterflies, and Wave. She said she'd like a YA about living in a cult.

Gretchen Hirsch with HC likes smart, sexy chick-litty novels and offbeat, funny PBs.

Amalia Ellison with Abrams is new and still developing her editorial voice. She mentioned Holes by Louis Sachar, Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and Goosegirl by Shannon Hale.

Namrata Tripathi with Hyperion looks for voice. She mentioned John Rocco's Moon Powder, Julian Hector's The Little Matador, and a nonfiction picture book, One Thousand Tracings.

We also heard from other authors, who were all entertaining and inspiring. Here are a few tidbits.

Leonard Marcus said that in stories, it is the emotion that is important. As he shared the letters written by Ursula Nordstron from his book, Dear Genius, he showed that everyone has had self doubt, even Maurice Sendak. His advice for finishing a novel was this (or maybe it was Ursula's): write a catalog copy. What does the book say or do when the reader is getting to the end?

Alan Katz, author of OOPS! and other books, advised writers to take poetic license and make up words to make rhymes work.

Bruce Coville, author of numerous books, including My Teacher is an Alien, said the best endings turn on a moral choice between two mutually exclusive goods--not between good and bad, or between 2 mutually exclusive bads. And the choice has to be difficult for the character to make. Also, write your story by asking questions and then inventing scenes that answer them.

Rachel Cohn, author of many YAs, including the soon to be released as a major motion picture, Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, said she asks and answers three questions in her stories. What does the character want? What is in the way of them getting it? Do they still want it after they get it?

Margaret P Haddix, author of the Missing series, asks this important question in her critique group. Why? What is your character's motivation for doing that? (and her personal real-life-nightmare is a computer hooked up to a piano keyboard that could only use the letters A thru G.) funny!

Quotable quotes...............

"If you feel like you're taking a flying leap, I guarantee you that you are." Mark Teague

"To act from joy takes more courage than to act from fear." Bruce Coville

"The first audible sound we make is through tears. The first comprehensible sound we make is laughter." Bruce Coville

"Slow down, and be patient. Become an expert in your field." Steven Malk

Lastly, from Susan Patron, author of The Higher Power of Lucky: "We, our books, are doing good in the world, and that is a fine thing."

A Good Day

So, I spent Saturday at the SCBWI spring workshop in Salt Lake City where I got the chance to meet Molly O'Neill, who is the assistant editor with The Bowen Press, a new imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books. And guess what? She loved the new middle grade novel I'm working on! Based on the premise and first ten pages, she wants to see it when it's done, which absolutely tickled my toes. I'm so thrilled. That's just the sort of revived up energy I need to carry me through the home stretch. Thank you, Molly!

Not only that, she gave a fantastic presentation titled "How to Catch (& Keep) an Editor's Attention," which focused on the beginnings of stories -- basically, what draws a reader (and editor) in. If you're wondering what sort of books Molly likes, I'd have to say, she likes a lot. (She talked about 21 different books, and that was her short list.) But here are a few she mentioned.

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell & Neal Layton.
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D Schmidt

Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie

Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell

Orville: A Dog Story by Haven Kimmel

Happy writing, everyone! Time to get busy........

SCBWI Conference in LA 2008 (and other things)

OKAY! I've done it!

The tickets are bought. The registration is completed. And wha-la . . . I'm in for the SCBWI conference in LA.

Can you tell I'm excited?

Good. Because I am!!!!!!!! (And no, I'm not one to shy away from using exclamation points. In fact, I love exclamation points, especially when they are needed.)

This year's conference is going to be great with FOUR full days of children's book stuff from children's book authors, like Margaret Peterson Haddix (my daughter loves her) and Lisa Yee (who has been on my must-read list with her book, Millicent Min, Girl Genius) and Bruce Coville, whose books are beginning to line my son's shelves. Plus, there'll be loads and loads of children's book editors--more than I dare count. (Well, I could count them, but why put a cap on the excitement level?)

Anyway, I can't wait to meet other writers, maybe talk with some editors, see what's up and coming in the children's book market for next decade, AND if I'm lucky, find a way to become a part of it.

As for my last post, I thought I'd try and find some great 14th lines from some favorite books that I know. Let me tell you, this was no easy feat, because from some truly wonderful books that we know kids are enjoying, we have fourteeners like this:

She got pretty good. (Olivia by Ian Falconer)

They wait. (A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban)

My name is Percy Jackson. (The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan)

"I'm hungry," Seth said. (Fablehaven by Brandon Mull)

So, I could have just ended it there by saying that what I wrote before about 14th lines is all a bunch of Phooey. But I didn't, and I won't. Because I still believe that everything that comes after that awesome first line of a fantastic story is linked to what came before, as well as what is going to come next. (I got that bit of insight from Dean Koontz (Odd Thomas) when I was working on The Book Lover's Cookbook. And I also won't say it, because I did find fourteeners (zingers at the fourteenth line) like this:

I knew if something wasn't done quickly, the sanitation department would have to pick up a dead dog.
(Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls)

But things can come together in strange ways.
(Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt)

He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me.
(Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo)

Not the tiniest sound could be heard anywhere.
(The BFG by Roald Dahl)

They were selfish and lazy and cruel, and right from the beginning they started beating poor James for almost no reason at all.
(James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl)

Just don't ask me to be nice.
(The Book Thief by Markus Zusak)

Did they not want me after all?
(Jinx by Meg Cabot)

So, there you have it. Intrigue, suspense, interesting images . . . they all can be found at the 14th line, or anywhere in a good book--although they don't have to be derivitives of 14, of course. But I'd be willing to bet, that in our favorite stories, good sentences like these can be found in abundance, and perhaps when we least expect it...

Write on, everyone!

Upcoming Conference

In four weeks I'll be attending the UVSC Forum on Children's Literature at Utah Valley State College, and I'm so excited to go. The organizers have put together an all-star group of presenters, including Caldecott Medalist, David Small (author of Imogene's Antlers and illustrator of So You Want to be President) and Kirby Larson, who wrote the Newberry Honor winning book, Hattie Big Sky. It should be a great weekend.

In the meantime, with the flu bug whipped, it's back to working and writing. It's amazing how different the world and unfinished projects look when one's feeling good. Instead of a daunting mountain, incapable of being scaled, that manuscript hangs before me like an exciting invitation, offering a fulfilling challenge to finish it.

Wherever you are, make it a great day!