SCBWI Writer’s Conference - Another Fabulous Experience

Last week's conference in Los Angeles was, shall I say, awesome!

The conference is always wonderful and invigorating. In case those out there dont know SCBWI - it's the Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators, a really wonderful group (and quite large) dedicated to writing all types of children's books. So many wonderful professionals assist others just starting out to those who have been writing for a while.

If you like to write for children, you probably already know this organization but for those who don't, I recommend joining. It provides a great learning and networking opportunity for those of us who tend to keep our heads down and working. I love talking to agents, editors, and illustrators just to learn something new on the craft.

Not just that though. SCBWI provides wonderful information on the book market, new technologies, and plenty of tips and tricks on the craft. The society also provides awards and grants to all levels of writers. The enthusiasm is contagious!

SCBWI  Organization Website

SCBWI 2015 Conference

Twitter etc.

I've been Twittering a bit lately and realized how much I come to depend on it. It has lots of good information even though it's just 140 characters. Now that is a challenge in writing if I have ever seen one. I find it so useful because I get news quickly and efficiently and then decide if I want to read further. For my busy schedule this is heaven! I also get reminders of competitions, contests, agents who are actively seeking submissions, editors & publishers seeking submissions, talk with other writers - some famous and some still working on getting published, and just fun stuff that interests me. I also can tweet (with moderation I might add) things I'm working on or projects I am promoting. I get to find services as well. A great way to find people and connect. So all I can say is tweet away!

Word Count for Books

I was having a discussion with a colleague on a book's length and I had remembered this blog post and have found it very useful in the past. It is by Writer's Digest and breaks down recommended word count for most of the different types of (fiction) books written. For those who are unaware, word count not the number of pages is how a publisher or agent will know if they want to view your work and be able to publish it. If too long or short most won't even take the time to read the first page. So word count or the length of your book matters.

They (agents & publishers) have their limits as to length and although you may have the best book you can do, it can be rejected if too long or short. As far as exceptions go? I don't really know many, although Twilight is one and the last Harry Potter (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) is too. If you are that popular (or famous), knock yourself out with as many words as you want. Although JK Rowling did keep her word count to what was appropriate for the fist book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. If you don't believe me go to the link below at Writer's Digest.


Check out this blog post

Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books: The Definitive Post

by Chuck Sambuchino

Residency in the Scottish Highlands

This sounds marvelous...
(From the site)

Scotland

 

For the uninitiated, in Brora is a coastal village in the east of Sutherland in the Highland area of Scotland. The writer resides, for one week during the summer or fall in a furnished and recently renovated, traditional croft cottage, containing three-bedrooms. The cottage is few hundred years old (pre-Highland Clearances), enjoys uninterrupted views southwards over the Moray Firth and provides open access to the beaches, hills, burns, lochs and the beautiful unspoiled sandy beaches. It is a perfect base for hill and coastal walks, scenic drives and touring the Northern Highlands. Towels and linen included; off-street parking available; open fire. Washing machine, dryer, stove/cooker, microwave, and fridge. It is suggested that the writer bring a car with them on the residency. Spouses or partners are welcome to accompany the resident.  

 

The Scotland Writing Residency awards a free one-week stay in the Brora cottage based on a completed application. The Scotland residency does not come with a cash prize.

http://balticresidency.com/locations.php

Geoff Dyer’s Top 10 Tips for Writers & Billy Wilder

In thinking of the New Year I love to revisit tips for writing and so troll the web and look at email subscriptions as I get ready to get jazzed for the new year and to re-eval my writing and take a break from editing my latest material. I do this so I can see where I am and where I am going and perhaps what I want to accomplish. I came across a post on Geoff Dyer's Top 10 Tips for Writers.

I find this post interesting and highly recommend it. There is some good advice but a few things IMHO are a bit off - such as writing non-commercial work. "Never worry about the commercial possibilities of a project. That stuff is for agents and editors to fret over—or not." Boring is boring and try telling an agent who rejects your work that boring is great. Same with commercial work. See how far that goes. They tell you right off it needs some commercial value when it comes down to it or they can't sell it.

Before I get a ton of emails telling me everyone is an artist and only what we feel like writing matters and who am I, don't bother. I'm not here to tell you what to write and what not to write but if you write non-commercial work, be prepared for a long uphill battle on trying to get it to publication, if it ever will make it. Which is OK if you want that. As both a commercial writer who makes a living at it and one who loves to write flash fiction, avant garde, short stories, and upbeat YA (yes no one wants upbeat YA that doesn't have a really dark side/super angst/love sucks/a main character dies or turns into a evil creature component to it - just check out the best sellers lists). I can tell you from personal experience, hard-to-sell fiction means you need to work twice as hard. I've pitched enough stories to know. I really believe that's why so many writers do other things to make money. So you know what? Remember the old cliche and "don't quit your day job" if you want to not worry about commercial value and even if you do, don't quit your day job until you have to (too many book tours coming up) or don't need it (like winning the lottery, inheritance, or retirement).

I do have a favorite Dyer tip, that is #7 "Have more than one idea on the go at any one time." I do that all the time. You know that point when doing laundry (or fill in the blank with another boring but necessary task) might be better than writing? That's when you start work on a new story, poem, flash fiction etc. Writing short stories and ideas down are great because of the feeling of accomplishment. These ideas or short stories can turn into a script or book manuscript later. If you need to be creative - then create and worry about that pesky editing task later.

Now if you scroll down from that same article or click here, there is a short post on Billy Wilder's tips for writing. I really identify with his pointers but first and foremost I love his #1 tip "The audience is fickle." Always remember that. It is so true.

Perhaps one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard came from Joss Whedon (Wesleyan Alum! Yea!) when he stated his #1 piece of advice is:

1. FINISH IT
Actually finishing it is what I’m gonna put in as step one. You may laugh at this, but it’s true. I have so many friends who have written two-thirds of a screenplay, and then re-written it for about three years. Finishing a screenplay is first of all truly difficult, and secondly really liberating. Even if it’s not perfect, even if you know you’re gonna have to go back into it, type to the end. You have to have a little closure.

Check out Geoff Dyer's Top 10 Tips for Writers

SCBWI Tri-Region of So Cal Schmooze is a great group that is part of SCBWI (Society of Children's Books Writer's & Illustrators).  They have a wonderful blog and post a good deal of awesome information. I selected the November meeting because of the resources listed. So this is a site you might want to visit often if you like to write children's lit.

Submitting our work to trades, magazines, and educational resource publications.

Always carry a notebook or a digital recorder...

I was reading tips for writers on the web, which is a favorite way to get started on days I need motivation. This could be dangerous if one is apt to go down the rabbit hole and just start reading everything on the web. Fortunately I don't do that often. Anyway I sat and thought about what tip I would have for writers and realized for myself the most important thing is to be able to capture those inspirational ideas that strike me anywhere, especially away from the computer.

I do this using a technique that I learned way back in the 6th grade. I have a tendency to forget my ideas when distracted so writing them down really helps. I keep a notebook on me at all times. Today it may be a paper one (old habits die hard) or I use my iphone. I do possess an ipad but it is just not my favorite method of writing and I always seem to have my iphone on me so I use that if no notebook is around. I also get quite a few ideas while in the shower or in the car driving so that prohibits me from writing down my idea. In that case I use a voice activated recorder and just talk my idea to the recorder placed nearby.

Talking my idea to a recorder was particularly helpful when I was working on my doctorate. I would write papers and work on my dissertation while stuck in traffic in Los Angeles because it really did seem like a waste of an hour and a half in the car (that's for each way to work I might add). I used a voice activated recorder because I personally found it worked better than the iphone but use whatever fits your personal preference.

I've also written creative stories this way. Nothing is more boring that literally sitting still on the 110 in downtown Los Angeles. There is something freeing about writing a story orally. You are not inhibited by staring at the blank page on a computer screen or text that you are finding bland. The bonus to writing by speaking your story is that later when you type the tale you told you can edit it as you go. If you decide you didn't like anything you spoke into the digital recorder, just delete it.

But back to the notebook. I have lots of them filled up with ideas. There's something about having real paper to shuffle through that makes me inspired. These notebooks are great for brainstorming. For times when you need to write and are looking for inspiration or a story to flush out. Sometimes my notes are very detailed and I'm surprised I didn't work on a story sooner. Some story ideas sit in the notebook for quite a while until I can revisit them. My point is don't let those ideas pass you by. Inspiration can come anytime and anywhere. Make sure you capture it.