AN INSPIRATIONAL WEEKEND

     Expectations from attendees to the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference were as varied as the participants.  For me it was to legitimize myself.  To stop feeling like an interloper in the children's book world.  When I began my counseling career I remember attending the American Counseling Association conference in Montreal and absorbing that sense of camaraderie from other counselors, who in turn, welcomed me into their ranks.  My expectation for the SCBWI winter conference in New York City this past weekend was met and my image of myself was transformed from an illegitimate child into a welcomed daughter in just two glorious days. 

     My hat goes off to the staff of the SCBWI for they are extremely professional, genuine and down to earth, as they welcomed everyone, especially the new writers.  Didn't hurt that they were down right funny too.  My brain was a sponge for two days straight and what I came away with was the knowledge that I have so much more to learn about my new profession yet I am exactly where I need to be.  The speakers and events ranged from long time established writers such as Lois Lowry and RL Stine to newbies in the award winning and best seller world like Sara Zarr and Linda Sue Parker.  From each I learned something new and exciting and all of this knowledge has stirred my creative juices and brought them to a boil.

     One of the greatest lessons was from Lois Lowry who taught us the single most important question on the minds of every child that writes to her.  On the screen up front the audience read over and over, with every handwritten and e-mailed message sent to the famous author, one burning question.  Do you have a dog? Obviously having dogs is a must for every children's book author.  All kidding aside (sort of), Lois Lowry inspired me to learn to write to her level of creativity and mastery.  So a new entry on my to do list says, "Obtain Lois Lowry books, whether from the library, from Kindle, or from the local bookstore and read, read, read."  I wrote the following in my notebook at the end of her speech.  "If I get nothing else out of this conference, being inspired to the level of Lois Lowry is monumental.  It is a daunting task, but I am up to the challenge."

     The Picture Book panel taught me that picture books must have lyrical sensibility, for the lines will be spoken aloud to the child.  I also learned that although many picture books do not have children in them (often animals, inanimate objects and adults) the emotions must resonate with the children.  The panel explained how the words must be carefully chosen, as if writing poetry and how it is not necessary to "dumb down."  Yet making up a word or two can often be fun.  Although picture books is not my forte, the panel's gifts of wisdom will aid me even in writing my Middle Grade and Young Adult novels.  Make the characters unforgettable.  Make the reader laugh or cry.  Discover a story worth telling.  A writer must touch the child within.  And most importantly, Let Go To Story.  I did not know what that phrase meant at first but was pleasantly reminded that letting go to story means to get out of my head and into the heart of the story.  Find the "stuff" in the deepest part of me and wrap it up as a gift to the reader.  The story must have attitude.  And to create attitude I must find the pulse of it, the sass of it and the rhythm of it.  See story as a narrative wave, something the child in me can ride and visualize beyond the text.  Amazingly the discussion was wonderful food for fodder and though it is low on my priority list I started formulating an idea for a picture book.  Maybe a future project?

     In the breakout sessions I listened to three literary agents talk about what they look for in a submission.  All of them stated they need to be captured by a compelling character, read an absorbing plot and hear a unique voice.  Unfortunately none of them could explain what the above meant.  I surmise it to be like finding your mate and falling in love, I don't know how to explain it but I know it when I feel it.  Some heartening news was provide as they believe the children's market is still strong because books are what middle grade students and young adults use to escape the digital world they spend so much time in.  Plus for now children can't lend an e-book to their friends and lending books is part of their culture.  When asked what the next big sellers will be the answer was "any one's guess."  But some of the predictions are as follows:  Historical fiction (especially the 1920's), sci fi, and psychological thrillers.  One agent said if you could write a young adult or middle grade novel like Blade Runner they could sell it.  Multicultural is still great but is more literary than commercial.  Everyone is looking for middle grade and young adult books that will appeal to boys.  But no one knows what appeals to boys.  They think magical creatures (other than vampires) might be on the rise.  And an important question asked of the agents was what is their ideal client.  They said someone nice, who is totally fine with revisions, that doesn't obsess over what is happening when the book is being submitted to publishers and who asks questions and is okay with not going along with every suggestion but does not take the suggestions personally.

     I do not have many notes from the panel on How to Write Humor in Children's Books because I was laughing so hard I wanted to pee my pants.  But here are a few tidbits of wisdom to what makes something funny.  The unexpected, you don't see it coming.  Word Play - something I want to study more.  Choosing topics that are inherently not funny but make them funny.  Create plots that diverge and hide the humor in these divergences.  Let things get messy, exaggerate, understate, and create embarrassing moments.  Make a character preoccupied with themselves.  And most of all, listen to the kids, for they are inherently funny.  One  panelist reiterated what my book doctor advises me frequently.  Every draft needs to have 20% less words.  Or as expressed by my guru, "Figure out how to say it with the least amount of words."

     The two most inspiring speakers for aspiring writers were Sara Zarr and Linda Sue Park, as they were unpublished conference participants not so many years ago and are now award winning best selling authors.  Sara brought her "therapist" hat and provided the audience with great advice on how to stay motivated and take care of ourselves as we trudge through the process of becoming published.  She asked us to Craft a Creative Life by creating a writing process that is sustainable (no end), engaging (taps into something deep within that excites us), reminds us to invite others in but to know when to shut others out (be sociable but be discerning with other's advice), and last but not least don't just go through the motions of writing but be mesmerized by the moments.

     Linda Sue's most prevalent message was that creating a novel is not about me but about the story.  Her advice is to read, read, and read some more.  She reads every day.  This has allowed her to create a mental standard of what she likes, doesn't like and what works and doesn't work.  She asks us to ask ourselves if we believe in the story we are telling.  And then she reiterated the need to get out of the "I" and into the "story."  Make the story more important than our egos.  Quote:  "The writer needs to get the 'hell' out of the way and let the story tell itself."  The biggest gift she gave to me was to explain what Voice means.  Both literary agents and publishers say that the character must have a strong voice but they never explain what that means.  Linda Sue Park did.  She calls Voice the best words in the best order to serve the story.  That means that it must have structure and rhythm, meaning and nuance.  Here's what I wrote about her speech.  "Wow, her speech was incredible and taught me the most about my craft." 

     Nothing conveys the inspiration I acquired at the conference more than when Linda Sue Park told the story of a young boy named Daniel who stepped up to her table for an autograph.  He handed her a very crumpled, dogged-eared copy of her book, A Single Shard, and said he was trying to figure out how many times he had read her book but that he had lost count at 62.

     The last thing written in my notes for the 2 days conference was this:  "I want a kid to tell me that he/she read my book 62 times."

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE

I apologize to my readers as it has been almost three weeks since I last picked up the pen to dance with my words and create something unique and hopefully interesting.   But I have been consumed by my writing and have not wished to be sidetracked from my tasks.  For this reason I have made the heady decision to turn this blog into a journey through the ins and outs, ups and downs and sideways of reaching my ultimate goal.....to be a successfully published children's book author.  AND I AM ON FIRE!

First I finished the next draft of my novel, INDIGO, and cast it into the hands of my writing mentor (who prefers to be called Book Doctor) for feedback before I begin another revision.  Then I met with this illustrious doctor and received the good news that the book is in much better shape than the last revision.  My main task at hand?  Create a chronology of "What does each character know at this point" as this is a thriller and I need to make sure the characters are true to the story line.

While I awaited my revision assignments I seized the opportunity to continue the saga of the novel, UNCLE SAM, about a young rebellious high school girl who comes of age in a college town in 1970 when she is forced to chose between her Canada bound draft-dodging boyfriend and her seventeen year old Amish uncle who has been diagnosed with leukemia and is in a fight for his life.  After writing ten chapters I now wait with bated breath (not really but it sounds more poetic) for word from the doctor on his first impressions.

And last but not least I slaved all afternoon at the bookstore recently to find children's books similar to KIVA AND THE STONE NATION.  Then I foraged the internet to find the names of the literary agents for each book.  Next task will be to send out a query letter, per their internet instructions, to continue the formidable task of finding the perfect literary agent.  I am confident there is an agent who will fall in love with KIVA and make her their next project.

Each future post will provide you an update of my writing and publishing journey and at the end of the post I'll keep you informed on other mundane facts such as what book I'm reading, what food I'm eating (just for fun) and what spiritual applications I may be trying at the moment, plus anything else the tickles my fancy. I hope you enjoy this new format and I would love to hear from you about what you think.  Especially this week on how you like my elevator speech (the one sentence explanation) of my new novel UNCLE SAM.

HAPPY READING!

Books I'm reading:  WHEN YOU REACH ME, by Rebecca Stead & SCAT by Carl Hiaasen
Food I'm eating:  Eggs and cinnamon toast
Spiritual process: 
          Affirmation:    "I am a financially, professionally and with the children, successful published author.
          Visualization:  Experiencing the excitement of signing books at the Barnes and Nobel bookstore in      Bonita Springs.

BALANCE

With each passing year I come to understand that balance of Mind, Body and Spirit is my key to peace and happiness.

Let's review how I maintained my balance in 2010. For my mind I read many books. Books that taught me the concepts of quantum physics. Books that honed my writing craft, and books just for fun. For my body I continued my regimen of swimming a mile several times a week, riding my bike when possible and working out at Curves regularly. For my Spirit I continued my attendance at Unity and Science of Mind churches, enjoying the fellowship and the teachings. I read a daily meditation book by Ernest Holmes and enjoyed numerous spiritual books that assisted me on my journey to enlightenment.

So what does 2011 have in store for me? Balance. Balance of mind, body and spirit. How? For my mind I shall stimulate the cells and cultivate wisdom by reading books that combine an exploration of science and spirit. For my body I will nourished it with healthy vegetables and fruits grown here in my new home state. I will continue to swim on a regular basis and ride my bicycle everywhere here on the island, while I look with anticipation to weekly yoga and tai chi classes. I hope to throw in the possession of a kayak so I can strengthen my soul with paddles around the waterways of my new home. My spirit will continue to be nourished by my current Unity community and meeting new like-minded friends. I am exploring the possibility of attending a week long spiritual retreat swimming with wild dolphins in the Bahamas as I research other retreats that include my love of travel.

Balance. This is my word for 2011. For balance provides the perfect energy for experiencing a deeper connection to Source's love. Therefore as the New Year begins, I travel forth into this exciting year with balance.

Happy New Year to everyone and may you too work towards Balance!