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!

Do You Have to Become a Writing Brand to Be A Good Author?

It's been way too long since I updated this blog. Last spring I did a weekly post for the WIFYR blog. At first I re-posted here, then I got busy and didn't even do that. Now it's time to re-post some of those blogs, and also to report on SCBWI/LA 2014.

 The word brand got a fair amount of attention during the SCBWI/LA 2014 agent panel. What is a literary brand? How you represent yourself to the public, including maintaining a respectful and professional online presence.

The agents spoke of looking past one project to the person behind it, considering his/her potential for longer career. Some said brand is best developed when a writer sticks to one genre.

 One great illustration is the way Laura Rennert describes a favorite client, YA author Maggie Stiefvater. This bestselling author had a strong online community even before she published SHIVER. She relates to teens because she’s young enough to think like one, and is a talented artist and musician as well. Stiefvater composed and produced her own music for the audio of THE SCORPIO RACES, one of my new favorite books.

 Laura Rennert called Stievater an author who’s managed to find the “sweet spot between literary and commercial fiction.”  If you read Stiefvater's writing, you'll understand why her agent raves about her.

 And then there’s me, a middle-aged mom who can’t even name Celtic instruments, let alone play them. By the end of my second day at SCBWI, I felt tempted to go home, give up, and learn to knit.  But not only would I be hopeless at knitting, I can’t quit. It’s too big a part of who I am. And just as every story is unique, so is each author. Even me.

An agent told fantasy writer Lloyd Alexander, “You have no future in fantasy, young man. Stick to nonfiction.”   And Judy Blume was told, “You’re a nice girl, but you can’t write.”  What would have happened if Lloyd Alexander and Judy Blume had given up?

These examples prove the words of another conference guest, Editor Justin Chanda: “Taste and talent are different things.” Not everyone is going to love your work, or even love you. I found further encouragement during Judy Blume’s closing remarks at the conference. “Don’t let anyone make you discouraged. And if they try, don’t get depressed, get angry.”

For me, determined is a better word than anger. The whine-to-husband, cry-to-writer-friends, then keep going kind of determination. Maybe I’ll make that part of my brand.

Elements of A Stand-Out Novel

A recent Query Tracker blog post by Rosie Genova quotes agent Michelle Wolfson: “I challenge you to make me fall in love with your work.”

That’s quite a challenge.

During a WIFYR Boot Camp Workshop, writer Ann Dee Ellis spoke of her conversation with conference editors. Ann Dee indicated writers often don’t understand just how special a book has to be in order to get published.

What, in your opinion, makes a book stand out?

Great voice?

A unique and interesting setting?

An action-filled plot that keeps the reader wondering what happens next?

The trilogy I’m currently reading has all three. Great voice that’s easy to relate to, characters so interesting I’ll miss them when the book ends, a setting I’m fascinated to learn about, and action that keeps me wondering.

Think about what you’re reading now. What made you pick this book? And what keeps you reading it?

Then go polish your manuscript until it shines. 

I also recommend a great post by David Farland on kicking your writing up a notch. http://www.davidfarland.com/writing_tips/?a=363

 Originally posted on the wifyr blog http://www.wifyr.com/blog/2014

Why Editors Hate Flashbacks

Here's one good rule of thumb for your first chapter: No flashbacks. Why? Did some tired, cranky editor make up an arbitrary rule?

No. In a recent lecture on plot, Carol Lynch Williams gave these reasons why flashbacks should be used rarely.

 If a flashback is needed in the first chapter, it’s a good indication the writer has started in wrong place. A story should begin when something in the character’s life has changed, or is about to change.

A good story is a rising progression of action. Flashbacks almost always slow the movement of the story.

If you have to use a flashback, and Carol said she did find them necessary in her award-winning book, The Chosen One, keep them short and simple. Get in and out of each flashback quickly. Experiment with techniques, such as alternating past and present tense, to let the reader know where they are in time.

So editors have good reasons for asking writers to be wary of flashbacks, especially in the beginning of your book. Use flashbacks sparingly and well. It may be a good way to make sure your editor doesn't end up cranky.

Your Synopsis: Bane or Boon?

Authors complain about synopsis drafting. I once heard somene say it’s easier to write a whole book. Still, writing a synopsis isn’t just necessary torture. To start, it can show:

Plot Holes: Condensing in short format can clarify events which need better explanation. For example, changing my synopsis following a plot revision made take another look at a character’s pivotal melt-down scene. My edits had placed it before the crisis-creating reveal. That could have been a really bad oops.

Inconsistencies in Character Motivation or Logic: The synopsis process makes you revisit your storyline with new eyes. In my case, I had to ask myself a lot of why questions. For instance, if the main character left to get help in the first scene, why is he going back alone in the second? Why does he even leave? Writing a one page synopsis gave me over two pages of scribbled questions and ideas to take back to my manuscript.

As Alison Randall said in her Feb. 27 blog post, at www. wifyr.com/blog, cutting words encourages concise word use. Similarly, summarizing your story causes you to select and sharpen key story elements.

Write your synopsis. Write it early. Then edit your manuscript and write it again. The unexpected benefits may surprise you.

(Originally posted at www.wifyr.com/blog)