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It was a year ago that I packed up my warmest coat/sweater and headed east...to New York City and to my first SCBWI Winter Conference. (Here is my blog post from that conference. )I remember being a bundle of nerves. Not sure if spending a $1000 for the development of my writing career was worth it. The writing intensive on Friday was the reason why I went. It was the first time it was held. 150 writers of picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction met in groups of 8 to read 500 words of their manuscript. Each group was facilitated by either an agent or an editor. It wasn't clearly defined what 500 words to bring...either a synopsis, 1st two pages, or somewhere in the middle. After beginning the sessions, it was clear that only the first 500 words of your story mattered. Selecting something from the middle raised too many questions and then, poof, your fifteen minutes were gone, spent explaining what the hell your story was about.
For my first session, I read my first 2 pages. The writers in my group were kind (and talented) and offered the same high caliber critiques I was used to getting from my writing group. Many liked the premise. Some pointed out strangely worded sentences. The editor didn't have too much to say (she was very sweet and I think somewhat nervous of hurting our feelings). But she did say something that stuck with me. She said in a high-concept novel like mine, I had to be careful that my main character didn't get lost.
I thought about this comment for a long time. I agreed with her right away. I knew it was my weakness. Developing my novel about a small town gymnast navigating her way through a boarding school for aspiring Olympians took many years. Plot, pacing, secondary characters, internal and external motivation, etc, took time. Left: This picture is hysterical! I found it on the SCBWI website...it was taken during my first session. To say I had a slight case of anxiety is an understatement.

But since the conference a year ago, I have focused my energies on learning how to get more of my character into the novel. It hasn't been easy for me. I've struggled a bit with my third person POV choice, but felt very strongly that the novel had to be written this way. It has since developed into close third, which is something I'm still refining. Most of all, I've been looking for ways to layer in brush strokes and character nuances. It's not easy especially since I just finished Book of a Thousand Days and absolutely loved the main character. What a role model! What a girl! I cheered for her from day one. It is very hard to do what Shannon Hale has done...not that I think I should be at her level. I'm so not. But I can try.
I think back to my session with Jennifer Hunt, when she spoke about Twilight, Story of a Girl and Diary of a Part-Time Indian. She certainly has the ability to pick successful books! She invited us to submit, which I never did. I still can. The invitation expires this month. But I'm not sure of my book is a match for her list.
I would love to go back to the New York conference. Maybe next year. The Los Angeles Summer Convention occurs during a time when I'm lounging on my cottage deck in PEI. There is no way, I'm hopping on a plane back to LA then. Not when there's lobsters to eat and golf to be played.
So Greenwood Girls continues to be revised, even as agents consider it. (Yes! I've done it...started the submission process!).
So maybe next year. New York City. Anyone in?

We're back! The Hoggetowne Scribbles AND Doodlers had a blast! The weekend was fabulous! And, as usual, our regional adviser, Linda Bernfield put together an awesome conference. I came away with so much. My head is full. It may take a while to decompress and process everything.

We started with the Writer's Intensive all day Friday. I can't even begin to list everything I learned. Let's just say that over the years I've found that the more I learn, the more I realize I have to learn to understand the complexity of writing that really great book. The highlight of the day, for me, was when we broke into groups for our 500 word critique. Normally you bring the first 500 words, but since the registration said we could bring an excerpt, some of us did, including me. The interesting thing though, is as others read, and I looked at my "excerpt", I had that "aha" moment. The other writers, including the queen of realistic fiction, Alex Flinn, agreed unanimously. I actually brought the first 500 words. Finally, I've found the beginning of my YA. Wow. Now I have much work to do.


Alex Flinn, Molly O'Neill, Joyce Sweeney

Molly O'Neill was delightful. She's an Assistant Editor at Bowen Press, a new imprint of Harper Collins. She was incredibly approachable and sweet. I found her workshops and critique to be extremely helpful. Character, character, character. Yes, I have more work to do.

Joyce Sweeney shared much of her wisdom, as always. I always learn so much from her. I'm saving my dimes to send her a manuscript or two. She has helped a whopping 21 authors get published. I'd give my right toe to be one of her credits!


Nadia Cornier of Firebrand Literary

Nadia was funny, funny, funny. I can see why their agency is sought after. Her workshop on promoting yourself was a bit intimidating. Like I said, the more you learn, the more you find out you don't know. (I never did get to see her dove trick though.)



David Diaz, 1995 Caldecott Medal winner

Anyone who's ever met David Diaz understands. He's everywhere. What a sweet guy.



Sid Fleishman, Newbery Medalist

Wow. Sid Fleishman. An amazing man with an equally amazing story. Wow.

There were other speakers. How could I have missed getting a picture of Lee Bennett Hopkins? He was incredibly inspirational and I'm certain my eyes weren't the only teary ones as he read from his war anthology. And no picture of Adrian Fogelin? What was I thinking? Her speech was so fabulous that I found myself sitting on the floor in her workshop the next day, facing several other writers who had to find seating just outside the door in the hallway. She critiqued my YA and saw things in my characters that I'd never considered. Wonderful insight.

The one word to sum up the conference for me is motivation. What motivates my characters? Why do they feel the way they do? Why do they act the way they do? What is the thread the ties them together, these characters that seem so different from one another? I imagine if you talked to other writers, they heard something else. But that's what resonated with me. That's my focus as I begin to revise once again. I'm going to have one of my characters write a letter to the friend that dies in my YA. I need her to show me what she really feels and thinks. Thanks to Molly's suggestion, I'm going to rewrite some scenes from another character's viewpoint in my MG, so I can see how they view my main character. So many great ideas. So much work ahead.

But the one thing I really gained from this conference is the conviction that I can do this. I've come so far. I'm so close...yet so far. But I know I can get there. I will rise above the slush. I just have to keep working at it. I really don't stink. I'm even making a new tag so I can reread this post, and remember the emotions and revelations that I took away with me this year.

The Hoggetowne Scribbles & Doodlers
Linda Eadie, Anna Horton, Cana Rensberger, Ena Jones, Barbara Bockman



Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld, Fla. SCBWI Regional Adviser
Thank you, Linda, for another absolutely amazing conference!



Cakes, made by Gaby Triana

Really. Those are cakes. Amazing, huh? They are in honor of Linda Bernfeld and the Fla. SCBWI's 6th conference.



The Hoggetowne pirates and David Diaz



"Crank, you're such a lush!"



The Hoggetowne Scribbles & Doodlers with Joyce Sweeney



The Captain captures Frank Remkiewicz!



The Hoggetowne Pirates with Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld.
(Captain Hooker, Sea B*tch, and Salty Boob)



Me and Debbie Reed Fischer
Author of Braless in Wonderland, due out April, 2008 and
Swimming with Sharks, also due out in 2008.