Writing is a solo affair. It’s pretty much you, your computer, and your imaginary friends.
That makes writing conferences all the more inviting to attend. Not only can you pick up some great ideas and come out energized, you can get to hang with others, people like you, addicted to this isolated preoccupation.
There are some great workshops in our area. LTUE finished up last month. Coming up we have Writers for Charity, the Boise SCBWI conference, and LDStorymakers. And in June there is WIFYR, the Wrting and Illustrating For Young Readers conference, WIFYR, in June
WIFYR is the brainchild of Carol Lynch Williams, a fabulous MG and YA writer. Year after year she packs the conference with incredible faculty. Last week we examined some of this year’s instructors, including Jennifer Adams, Kathi Appelt, Julie Berry, Ann Cannon and Dave Farland. This week we will look at Dean Hughes, Lisa Mangum, Natalie Whipple, and end with Carol herself.
Dean Hughes - Advanced Novel Workshop
Dean Huges has published over a hundred books for children, young adults, and adults. He has taught English at Central Missouri State University and writing at BYU. He spent seventeen years between the two writing full time. He has written CHILDREN OF THE PROMISE and HEARTS OF THE CHILDREN.
Lisa Mangum - Writing the Middle Grade or Young Adult LDS Novel
Lisa taught the full novel class last year and was one of my favorite afternoon presenters. Lisa has had a lifetime love affair with books, volunteering in her elementary school library, working at Waldenbooks, and assisting the publishing department of Deseret Books. She has written four award winning books including THE HOURGLASS DOOR trilogy and AFTER HELLO.
Natalie Whipple - Novel Workshop
Natalie came to Utah from the Bay Area and attended BYU, earning a degree in English linguistics. She is the author of the TRANSPARENT series, HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW, the I’M A NINJA series, and FISH OUT OF WATER.
Carol Lynch Williams - Advanced Novel Workshop
When Carol is not writing or running WIFYR, she teaches writing at BYU. Another Vermont College grad, she holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Adolescents. When she is writing, she turns our great works such as THE CHOSEN ONE, GLIMPSE, MILES FROM ORDINARY, WAITING, THE HAVEN, and SIGNED, SKYE HARPER.
Classes are filling up but there are openings in most. Early Bird registration pricing has been extended to March 31, even though the site lists the old date. You can go to http://www.wifyr.com to find out more about this conference.
(This article also posted at http://writetimeluck.blogspot.com)
Today's guest, Natalie Whipple, is a YA writer who can't seem to write a straight genre to save her life. You'll get what that means come Summer 2013, when her first novel TRANSPARENT debuts from HarperTeen. It's a little bit X-Men, a little bit The Godfather, with an invisible protagonist to boot. Catch her on
her website or on twitter nataliewhipple.com or
on twitter.
Around The Bend
by Natalie Whipple
When I first started pursuing publication, all wide-eyed and green and full of hope, I had this idea that a writer could make things happen faster if they wanted to. If I just worked harder than everyone else, I could get an agent before the year was out. If I put in my absolute everything, surely it wouldn’t take more than two years to get on a shelf.
I was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Though I’ve been a lifelong writer, I count my publishing journey from when I started actively pursuing publication, which was five years ago. I thought I would get an agent within the first year—it took over two. I thought I’d sell my book my first year on sub—that took almost two years. I even thought my book would come out in like a year, a year and a half tops. Well, I get to wait two years for that, too.
So, all in all, a journey I thought would take like three years (oh, how I laugh at my adorable, greenie self) is going to take almost seven years in reality. I wanted to be published by twenty-five. I will be almost thirty when my first book comes out.
Now, I’m not complaining, oh no, this is just the reality of my journey stacked up against my once-naïve dreams of what publishing would be and a massive miscalculation of just how much I needed to learn about writing. Sometimes it can be disheartening as a writer, when we meet more trials than we thought. Sometimes we get discouraged because things aren’t happening when we want them to.
But the thing is, just because they aren’t happening now doesn’t mean they won’t happen ever.
As I neared almost 200 queries sent, you bet I started to think I’d never get an agent. I’d worked hard—I honestly have always given my all, even if sometimes my all wasn’t enough—and I wasn’t seeing results. I was getting requests, but at the same time I knew there was something wrong about my writing. I was honestly about to throw in the towel. But an amazing agent, Nathan Bransford, took a chance on me. With his guidance I finally bridged that gap between not publishable and publishable.
That doesn’t mean that book sold, though. It went through fifteen months on sub, a couple close calls, and a lot of heartache. There was never a time in my life I wanted so badly to give up, having come close enough to taste the success, only to watch it slip from my hands.
My once-optimistic self was no more. As I thought about that girl who started this journey, it felt like I didn’t know her anymore. I was a broken, jaded shell of her. I’m not proud of it, but I will fully admit that trying to publish literally drove me insane. Last fall, it got so bad that I was put on anti-anxiety medication. Because I was trying so hard, and up until then I truly believed that hard work would get me an equivalently awesome reward. Then I watched newer writers get agents, books deals, and even have their books debut all in the time I was on sub. I listened to my friends say my book was better than insert-published-book-here. I felt like publishing had a grudge against me. I was bitter and tired and one click away from walking away from it all.
This was not the future I wanted when I began this journey.
Who would want that? No
Here’s my selection of interesting (and sometimes amusing) posts about writing from the last week:
(Read more ...)
Thank you Natalie! That is exactly what I needed to hear right now. And I'm so happy that you didn't throw in the towel.
Glad you finally made it! Kudos to you!
I loved reading this. Thanks, Natalie!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Natalie. So wonderfully honest, and it will encourage many writers! I need this, especially as I will be going on sub in the fall... Every writer's path is different, some short, some fast. We may WISH to be on the fast(er) track, but those success stories are more the exception. And you're so right--we can use our life experiences to make our novels richer and deeper! :)
Geez, I'm in tears after this. Perfect proof of why Natalie is awesome, and why I will be standing in line to buy her book the second it's on shelves.
Also, on a more personal note, I see a lot of myself in these words. It's both inspiring an cautionary. Good food for thought.
Thank you very much, Natalie. It's inspiring to hear all you went through, and that you didn't give up. Congrats on your sale, and here's to many more of your books on the shelves!
I love this post. Thank you.
Ah, there is hope. Thanks for this post, Natalie.
Thank you for sharing your journey, the ups and the downs. Can't wait for Transparent to debut in 2013.
Natalie -
I know I don't know you and haven't even been that active in the comments of Between Fact and Fiction, but reading this made me so happy, teary joyful. Thank you for living your publishing journey so honestly and transparently. I've learned so much from you!