Inspirational Storymakers Keynote, Martine Leavitt

I have known Martine Leavitt for some time now. She's the most gracious, and kind person you could ever meet. Martine was my WIFYR Conference instructor for 2 and 1/2 (the half is a long story) workshops, including two years ago when I got to be her assisstant. She's smart, well prepared and I just wanted to soak in all that knowledge. I'm trying hard to incorporate what she taught me, from emotional and concrete desires and objective correllative to metaphor.

Martine also encouraged me to keep writing and believe in my gift. That means more than I can say.

Last weekend as the LDStorymakers conference keynote speaker, Martine shared her personal experiences with writing.

Martine has seven children, and says she used a trick of putting them in the tub with lots of bubbles and writing as she sat on the toilet seat.

"I couldn’t write to a certain word count, or a certain number of pages. Nothing could be guaranteed. But I needed to write myself soul-fed and happy. I discovered that I didn’t need to write a lot to be happy, I just needed to write something good. I found that even a single perfect, beautiful sentence with perhaps a fresh and compelling image, could make me feel nourished and ready to take on the burgeoning masses."

Exactly. I, too, need to write to feel soul-fed and happy. I recently listened to part of a Q&A with David Archuleta on lds.org. He described not understanding his feelings until he began to sing. When my feelings confuse me, I write them out until they make sense.

Martine spoke of how each writer has different needs. Like Virginia Woolfe, she wanted time and a place of her own. But writing while seated at the edge of a child-and-bubble filled tub taught her "to write spare and taut, to write each word as if it were special, precious, to write a sentence that nobody else in the world had written."

Just as she was asked to teach at Vermont College of Fine Arts, a part-time position that would give her the time she craved, Martine was also asked to serve as Relief Society president, a very busy LDS church position where she would work closely with the local bishop and be responsible to administer to the needs of all the women in the local congregation. As she did for her children, Martine again sacrficed her precious time.

Martine told us that her time in church service taught her love, an emotion that she poured into her next incredible book, MY BOOK OF LIFE BY ANGEL. She says, "It was a small book written with great love. As it turns out, learning to love better was something I needed more than time."

I came home after the keynote to very unexpected news that made me weep. Which made me all the more grateful for these words from Martine: "The very things that appear to be obstacles may be the very thing we need to make our first book or our next book the best book we can write."

It isn't so much that I think of my life trials simply as future book material. It's much more than that. I can only write that which I am. Martine's books are full of hope, goodness, compassion and light simply because that's who she is. Martine is someone who chose to take her life experiences as a mother, a single parent, a student, a teacher, and a woman of faith, and learned to craft not only one perfect sentence, many quite perfect books, but also to write a life. The audience, seeing the result of effort combined with love, gave her a standing ovation. Martine touched our hearts and inspired us. I hope to emulate her example both in my days and in my writing.

REMAKE BOOK TRAILER and a Gift Card Giveaway!

Recently I blogged about Ilima Todd's new book, REMAKE. Speaking of Ilima, she just revealed her new book trailer. Take a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9loevy-pQI

Who likes gift cards? How about a $25 Amazon gift card? (I can always use more books!) If so, here's the link to a REMAKE trailer Rafflecopter giveaway.

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ceb416fe2/https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ceb416fe2/

On Rick Walton, REMAKE, and a Supportive Writing Family

Recently Alison Randall and I had the chance to visit with Rick Walton. I took my favorite of his picture books (PIG, PIGGER, PIGGEST) for him to sign. More important, I wanted Rick to know he’s a major reason I keep writing. At WIFYR a while back, Rick talked about how writers sometimes give up too soon, and said if we’d just keep trying, eventually things would work out.

Rick has also influenced the other reason I keep writing: He and Carol were a major force in making the local writing community what it is: a group of talented writers who encourage and support each other. Alison told Rick that it’s like being part of a big family.

I agree. So when I see my writing “siblings's” success, I feel like cheering. Last month, for example, I took Ilima Todd’s book, REMAKE, on vacation. Sitting on a beach, reading about an ocean, was wonderful. And REMAKE was fabulous. I hated to leave the characters when the book ended, and can’t wait for the sequel. The bonus: I’d read the first fifty pages of Ilima’s earlier draft in Ann Dee Ellis’s WIFYR boot camp. It was excellent then, and I loved seeing the changes that made her final story even better.

I look forward to writing conferences, especially WIFYR, not just to learn, but to see all of you, my writing family. My real family, wonderful as they are, don't always get my writing compulsion, but I know you understand. Your support buoys me as I go back to finish that next edit, write that next book, and continue to hope that someday we’ll all be on the bookstore shelf together. Maybe we’ll even claim our own section!

250 words for PitchSlam -- Comments Appreciated

I had my entry ready to go by 3 p.m. Monday, but stuck in it my drafts folder for that "just in case" panic edit later on. Oh, how I wish I'd just sent it then. But I had places to be and didn't get home until close to deadline. I sent on time, but to the wrong address!! Aagh!

I'm sure I'm not the only one, so I'd really love feedback on LAWNMOWER, LEAVING.

Leaving Reason, One. Mom thinks I’m stupid enough to run over my best friend. 
My invention goes like this: First, the rope tied to the chassis pulls Brock across the lawn. Second, the wheels hit the pressure switch hidden in the grass. Third, one sprinkler goes off just as Brock rides over it.
He runs out of the spurting water. “You planned that.” 
“Perfect timing.” I check the video and smile. Inventing's one thing I can do.
“What’s with the weird grin?” Brock drops the sled and runs over to see the replay. “It looks like I peed my pants. Delete that part, okay?”
“Fine. But it’s your turn to drive.” I reach for the foot sled I made from welded cookie sheets. 
But then Mom walks onto the front porch. And that's when all the sprinklers go off, soaking the steps and Mom. I forgot to unplug the watering timer.
Mom wipes her wet glasses, then points her pen at me. It’s the one Mom chews when she pays bills. “Mowers have blades, Cole. What if you ran over Brock’s foot?”
The riding mower’s off, but her words buzz louder than engine noise. Going barefoot always felt good. Safe. Until now. 
Mom taps her pen, probably adding stuff to her “Fix Cole Plan.” 
But maybe I can make her smile. “We’re recording a video.” I hold up the camera. “It’s called, ‘Don’t Try this at Home.’” 
Brock laughs. Mom doesn’t. “You can’t try it at our home either. Sorry.” 

A Writing/Publishing Cinderella Story--They Still Happen!

Last night Courtney Alameda had her book launch in the ballroom of the Provo Library. In her presentation, Courtney talked of how her agent discovered her at the WIFYR Conference. Not long after, she had a great book contract for SHUTTER. 

Courtney then showed a photo of her cute, but apparently bullied, 15-year-old self. She commented on how many teen writers say they're adults who still feel like adolescents inside. Courtney then said she stood on that stage because of those bullies. 

And I get it. 

When we write, it's to connect with the world. It's to make sense of it. But for me, at least, there's more. My inner nerd has something to prove. She wants that moment of saying, "See? Look at me now."

And what better for Courtney's "Look how far she's come" moment than a crowd filling last night's ballroom and line for book signing that stretched the length of it for so long I finally had to leave (I'll have to grab you at WIFYR, Courtney). But I did manage to snag a photo of Courtney and WIFYR's founder/director Carol Lynch Williams.

Looking like a princess herself in the latest-style retro 50’s swing skirt (with a zombie print, of course), Courtney Alameda is a Cinderella story complete with ballroom success.

Highlights Full Novel Workshop--Trimming Your Word Count

I'm here in Boyd's Mill, PA, staying in a little rustic cabin, eating in a barn (actually a really nice facility just called that) and working hard to revise one of my MG novels.

We're getting great advice from Sarah Aaronson, Nancy Werlin, Amanda Jenkins, Nicole Valentine and Rob Jenkins.

Here are three great tips from Nancy's fabulous class on artful cutting (trimming and tightening your manuscript):

 Find a great image that can multitask. This is my term for the kind of details Nancy directed us to use, Instead of using the first simile or metaphor that comes to mind, make them count. Is there one great detail that can tell several things about your character or setting?

Combine. You don't need three scenes to illustrate one point. Cherry pick the great details from each and combine these into one good scene.

Make each scene, and each paragraph within the scene, count. Nancy quoted David Mamet: "Any scene...which does not both advance the plot, and stand alone (that is dramatically, but itself, and on its own merits) is either superfluous or incorrectly written."

By looking carefully at each scene, paragraph, and detail, Nancy said she got a 60,000 word manuscript down to 45,000 words.

Pitch Wars Consolation Prize

I found out about Pitch Wars toward the very end, so as you can guess, I entered last minute too. [New Goal: Look at Twitter more than once a month.]  I thought I'd done my research thoroughly, but I clearly didn't, as you can see by the bonus award I got from these kind pitch mentors, Stacey Lee and Stephanie Garber:

http://www.staceyhlee.com/our-pitch-wars-picks-bonus-awards/

I also got a nice, personalized rejection from the other mentor I submitted to. The mentors were so kind that it really makes me want to try again next year.

And to do a better job keeping up on contest dates!