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Lee: ELaw just said, Competition is stiff, so the writing has to be great. Oh, she reads on kindle - and just re-read "A Wrinkle In Time."
Paula: Is that a kindle in time?
Lee: You're Funny. Make that Punny.
Paula: Now here's a quote, "Man, I thought these books were so hot when I was a teenager..."
Lee: And she's saying that Now, for her to look back on them, the passion is there, but those books seem so chaste.
Paula: She's saying that the passion is the same, (even if we're a little more candid about it now.)
Lee: I love that she just admitted "I sort of am, kind of an eleven year old." That goes with my whole theory of we all write the age we arrested in our development. What age did you stop, Paula?
Paula: 15. No, actually, make it 12.
Lee: But wait a minute. You write picture books AND YA. Do you have two ages of arrested development?
Paula: That's my evil twin.
Lee: Oh, that explains it.
Paula: Stop - she's giving us some information now!
Lee: Well, let's go to a commercial break - we'll be right back for Elizabeth Law Color Commentary, Part 4
Disembodied Voice Over: Do you miss the moments of insight and laughter that actually attending an SCBWI conference can deliver to you? Do you follow our twitter feed, #SCBWI09, yet long for the one-on-one awkwardness of pitching ELaw while she's taking the up escalator? Are you reading this post with the hope that you'll get every single wonderful detail of being here, but you know there's 90 percent of the experience that can never be translated digitally?
Well then, get yourself to the next SCBWI conference. It's a career-changing, life-changing, tribal experience. And we hope to see you at the next one.
we now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.
Hello! I'm Lee Wind, and welcome to this special edition of the S, C, B, W, I Team Blog coverage of Elizabeth Law's Keynote address to the multitudes. I'm joined here by the effervescent and insightful Paula Yoo. Paula, can you tell us what the official title of the speech will be?
Paula: From Johnny Tremain to Edward Cullen: How Children's Publishing is Changing, and how to meet the challenges head on.
Lee: While we're waiting for the crowd to simmer down, and for Lin's intro, what are some fun facts that our audience might not know about Elizabeth?
Paula: She was a girl scout leader. She was also a life guard.
Lee: Good skill set for her current gig, huh?
Paula: She's certainly keeping her head above water. She's really able to dive into her work.
Lee: And I bet she's a wiz at selling cookies!
Paula: I wonder what her favorite cookies are?
Lee: Hmmm... Rubber chicken cookies, perhaps?
Paula: With mushroom sauce.
Lee: lovely. Lin's taking the stage, let's tune in. Oh, the new joke category's being announced.
Lin: For this contest, think of a funny or hilarious psuedonym to go with a classic i.e. The Harry Potter series by Paige Turner.
Paula: I have a new nickname for her. "ELaw" Like JLo. Get it?
Lee: Okie-dokie then. Here's the ELaw intro. Let's listen in.
And... we're off! Elizabeth Law is now speaking. (I have nicknamed her "ELaw," like JLo.)
LEE: I like the pink sweater and the chunky jewelry. It's a nice touch.
PAULA: I agree. The pink really shows off her lovely complexion.
LEE: Oh, she's now talking about Egmont. Did you know their profits go to a children's charity? She's feisty, fashion savvy, AND generous. Talk about fabulous!
PAULA: Only eight people in their company? Wow. I thought WE had a tough job. SCBWI TEAM BLOG is a picnic compared to the hard work ELaw and her staff does!
LEE: I like that she doesn't whine or complain. She's very positive. She says YA hardcover is growing and children's publishing is the growth area of publishing. Oh, and she's seeing better manuscript submissions now. That's awesome! But she says we have to up our game because the competition is stiff.
PAULA: Hey Lee! Where are you going?
LEE: (Running away) I have to go revise my manuscript!
PAULA: You have plenty of time for that! Come back for more ELaw jewels of wisdom!
GOLDEN KITE AWARDS: SID FLEISCHMAN AWARD WINNER DONNA GEPHART
Donna Gephart's middle grade novel, As if Being 12¾ Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President!, won the 2009 Sid Fleischman Award. This award is for authors whose work exemplifies the excellence of writing in the genre of humor.
Although Sid Fleischman wasn't able to attend today's award, he wrote a speech in her honor that Stephen Mooser read out loud. Fleischman wrote, "This year's recipient knew at age 14 that she wanted to be a writer. She saved her babysitter money to buy a typewriter."
Fleischman praised Gephart's "irrepressible humor" which was not simply full of "ornamental quotes." He said she understood the true aim of comedy, that it was "tragedy wearing a putty nose."
Fleischman joked that Gephart "... also wins the award for the longest title."
Here are some highlights from Donna Gephart's speech:
-- She screamed so loudly after getting the congratulatory phone call from Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser that "... I lost my voice for three days."
-- When describing herself growing up, Gephart said, "I was the quintessential nerd... and I still am."
-- "This is the only award of its kind to honor humorous children's books, and it's pretty special. Even though I've been writing humor of different sorts for over twenty years, sometimes it's nice to be taken seriously."
-- Her advice? "If you've ever heard the words 'never' or 'can't,' I have three words for you. 'YES YOU CAN!'"
Congratulations to the winner and honorees of the SCBWI LA 2009 Portfolio Award contest! The Grand Prize winner and two Honor recipients, their art work, and websites are listed below:
Thank you! I'm actually pretty embarrassed- the images used on screen and on this blog of my work illustrates that IS important to update your website!! Those images are a bit old and were not in my potfoilio..BUT if you care to see more current stuff, please checkout my blog at http://stephscribbles.blogspot.com....So, my apologies about the website- I am call the web guy today!
Stephanie, your artwork is beautiful. These were the JPGs I received to post this blog. Please let me know when you update your website so I can post an updated link at my website, http://paulayoo.com. Congratulations again to you and all the winners! best, Paula
DAN LAZAR: "How to Craft a Winning Query Letter: Secrets to Keep You Out of the Reject Pile"
Highlights from Dan Lazar, Writers House agent, panel on query letters:
-- Website recommendation: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com (his bio is listed here: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/DanielLazar/)
-- Want some of Dan's secrets to writing a query letter that ROCKS? Here are a couple tidbits:
1. "If you can write the Next Great American Novel, then you can write a great query letter. Period." Dan brought two real query letters to demonstrate what worked for him, and one "fake" letter to show what doesn't work. One letter showed the writer's voice, which intrigued Dan who wanted to see the writer's voice in the actual manuscript. So if your voice comes through in a query letter, that can help get you out of the "reject" pile!
2. If you have never been published and do not have any publishing credits, don't worry. No need to apologize or even bring that up. You don't need logos or colored paper to impress. And it doesn't hurt to open with "a specific familiar reference. "I'm a human being and I have feelings, so you should appeal to my vanity," he joked.
3. Do NOT start with "To whom It may concern"!
4. MAIN THEME: BE SPECIFIC. Dan cannot stress this enough. He says you should be as specific as possible in your query letter, from stating why you are interested in pursuing Dan as your agent, specific details about your bio, your manuscript etc.
5. Try to avoid "What if?" when describing your book's story in a query letter. It's a "good tool" he says for sparking plot ideas and brainstorming, but not for a query letter. He recommends being MORE SPECIFIC and using more original language instead of starting off with "What if..." when describing/introducing the plot of your book in the query letter.
6. For email queries: He says find out first if agents accept these - he does, FYI. Technical note: Do not include any HTML coding because that can result in inconsistent formatting and invite spammers.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Dan offered dozens of tips and secrets on how to write an effective query letter. It was a packed lecture hall and it was clear everyone appreciated Dan's helpful advice. Again, another reason to join SCBWI and attend these conferences for fantastic advice from veteran industry experts!
We met up in the bar, which, if you stop to think about it, if you're getting a group of people together who all tried to write seven new picture book manuscripts in seven days, a BAR was the perfect location!
And now everyone's hanging out and schmoozing and talking and blogging and tweeting...
And if you can't be here, hang out with us virtually...
(Pictured above: Bartlett Bear about to blog, Sherman Alexie speaking, and SCBWI TEAM BLOG ready to live blog!)
Hi! Paula Yoo and her stuffed bear Bartlett blogging LIVE at the conference. As a former journalist, this is bringing back nightmare flashbacks of my newspaper days. I thought I left that world behind! LOL! Please follow our Twitter feeds for constant live tweets as well. Mine is at http://twitter.com/paulayoo. I've been tweeting non-stop with live photos so check 'em out! And you even get such SCBWI TEAM BLOG exclusives like what Jay Asher ate for breakfast! (Cheerios, coffee, a banana) and my special "Elizabeth Law Fun Facts" sprinkled throughout the day (did you know she was a lifeguard in high school?)
Right now, Sherman Alexie is speaking so please check everyone else's Twitter tweets because I'm just blogging instead right now at our blogger table. (We get our own extension cords etc. All the other conference goers are jealous of our hi tech status! LOL!) BTW, I will post a live shot of Sheman Alexie on my Twitter page as soon as I post this blog.
A quick recap so far... the faculty line-up did their traditional "WORD PARADE" where each faculty member said one word that they wanted people to remember and think about during the conference. Sherman Alexie just wondered what the adult authors would do since he is also, of course, a famous adult novelist as well as a YA author. (He ruminated about what word Jonathan Franzen would say...!)
Some words from the faculty included: "Intertwinkieularity" by Ingrid Law; "Joint Collaborative Process" by Dan Santat, Lisa Yee & Arthur Levine; "Greenhouse fire" by Sarah Davies; "YES!" (with a fist pump) by Nancy Sanders. Please check the Twitter pages of Lee Wind, Jolie Stekly, Suzanne Young & Jaime Temairik for more funny words!
Some statistical highlights from SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver:
-- A new record of conference enrollment - 911 registered this year!
-- 712 conference goers are women
-- 120 conference goers are men (LOL!)
-- 40 of 50 states represented (normally South Dakota has never sent someone here but this year, finally, there is a conference goer from South Dakota! She stood up to great applause!)
-- More than a dozen countries are also represented at the conference
-- Almost half of the concert goers have been published
-- Some interesting full-time jobs among conference goers, including a professional beekeeper ("I'm sure she's very sweet," Lin quipped) and one brave man who claimed his job title was "a handsome rogue."
Okay, time to listen more to Sherman Alexie and post a live Twitter pic. He's hilarious and insightful and everyone is laughing at his jokes as he talks about his childhood growing up on the reservation, his education, and how books opened a new world for him. It's both hilarious and poignant. Will post more blogs later with quotes, and fellow bloggers are live Tweeting some of his quotes so check it all out via Twitter and #scbwi09. Stay tuned for more blogs!
If you haven't, also check out Paul Yoo's interviews with keynoters Ingrid Law and Betty Birney. There will be more interviews with SCBWI conference keynote speakers from TEAM BLOG between now and the event which I'll link you to when they are posted.
(And for those of you who still may be thinking about registering for the event but haven't yet, read Suzanne Young's post featuring feedback from three first-time conference goers.)
SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY, by Paula Yoo, pictures by Lin Wang (Lee & Low, 2009). Ages 9-12, 32 pp. Look what's being released this Saturday, May 30th!!
I've been anxious to read this picture book biography of Chinese American actress, Anna May Wong, ever since I first heard about it in Tarie's interview with author Paula Yoo at Into the Wardrobe. When I told the nice folks at Lee & Low that I wanted to review it during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, they sent me a review copy lickety split.
Growing up, I had heard my parents and relatives mention Anna May Wong, and I may have even seen some of her movies. But I never knew much about the details of her life and the struggles she had to overcome as the first Chinese American actress, and the first internationally acclaimed Asian American actress.
Paula Yoo has written a fascinating, inspiring, thoroughly engaging account of Anna's life, beginning with her childhood in Los Angeles' Chinatown, to her return to Hollywood in the 1930's after visiting China, when she vowed never to "play again in a film which shows the Chinese in an unsympathetic light."
The book opens with nine-year-old Anna May tied to the railroad tracks, struggling to free herself from the path of an oncoming train. She's not really in danger, but daydreaming about being a damsel in distress.
"There was nothing Anna May enjoyed more than sneaking away to the cinema."
Her vivid imagination and love for cinema certainly made her humdrum, tedious life, toiling in her family's laundry, somewhat bearable. Every chance she got, she saved her pennies to escape to the movies, where exciting and glamorous stories also helped her forget about the teasing she was forced to endure in a predominantly white school.
One day, she saw a movie being filmed right in her own neighborhood. She soon began to skip school regularly to watch and ask questions about filmmaking, eventually earning the nickname, "Curious Chinese Child." She decided then and there to become an actress, reenacting scenes and practicing different emotions in front of the mirror in her bedroom, much to her parents' dismay.
Despite being punished and forbidden to cut school, Anna May never gave up her dream and secretly visited movie sets whenever she could. She begged her father to allow her to audition, and won a part as an extra. This led to more roles, but she was always typecast as a "China Doll" or a "Dragon Lady." She was also frustrated that people of color were not allowed to kiss their white co-stars on-screen, and that Chinese women were always portrayed in demeaning, negative ways.
"Anna May won her first big role in Bits of Life, a 1921 movie starring Lon Chaney as a Chinese man named Chin Chow. She played his wife, Toy Sing."
"The yellowface makeup disturbed Anna May. Her father had always told her to be proud of her race, but the ugly makeup made her feel ashamed."
Quite the fashion icon, with her stylish 1920's bob and flapper fashions, she eventually became so disillusioned with Hollywood, that she went to Europe, where she became an overnight success in "Piccadilly" (1929). She had achieved her dream of international stardom, but when she returned to Hollywood, she lost a major role in "The Good Earth" to a white actress wearing "yellowface" makeup.
Heartbroken, devastated, and feeling unwelcome in her own country, Anna May left for China, where she spent time with her family and immersed herself in the culture. This experience led to her decision to honor her heritage "by fighting for more authentic images of Asians on-screen."
"She learned how much her father had sacrificed so their family could have a better life in America."
Yoo's well paced, seamless narrative informs with just the right amount of interesting detail and pathos. While examining the notion of "cultural stereotype," which hinges on fear, suspicion, ignorance, and misconception, Yoo also emphasizes how Wong struggled on many fronts -- pursuing her career despite parental objection, accepting demeaning roles in order to make a living, and coming to terms with her own identity, i.e., feeling "torn between my race and my American homeland."
Misconceptions tend to linger for no good reason, and as Yoo states in her Author's Note, it's only been in recent years that film scholars and fans, long critical of Wong's stereotypical portrayals of Asian characters, have finally realized the degree to which she struggled against discrimination and how she crusaded to effect change. They now praise the sympathy and humanity she brought to her limited roles.
Lin Wang, a classically trained portrait artist, has brought this compelling narrative to life with luminous, ravishing watercolor and acrylic illos. The spreads are lush and rich, echoing the grandeur of movie sets. The likeness to the real Anna May is startling and mesmerizing; she is often clad in intensely emotional tones of deep red, plum, orchid, or pumpkin, and the last spread of her sitting at a table with her striped jacket and floral hat is simply gorgeous.
Shining Star is geared for older picture book readers, who, though probably unfamiliar with Wong, will be inspired by her fierce determination in pursuing an acting career at a time when discrimination was rampant, and even going on to crusade for more authentic portrayals of Asians in films. Like Paula Yoo's excellent PB biography of Sammy Lee, Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds (which I reviewed here), this one is a must-have for home and library collections.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Check out the publisher's website for a video interview with Paula Yoo, more reviews and spreads from the book.
Paula Yoo's website is here, and you can see more of Lin Wang's exquisite art at her website.
National Picture Book Writing Week (NaPiBoWriWee) Kicks off May 1st...
NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) is author Paula Yoo's answer to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). Paula is challenging writers to create 7 Picture Books in 7 Days.
From those who participate in the first annual NaPiBoWriWee Paula will select a winner at random on the 7th day--that winner will receive an autographed copy of her latest picture book, Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story.
The basic rules? Just write 7 complete and separate picture books in one week. Each picture book must have a clear beginning, middle, and end. There is no required minimum word count because picture book lengths can vary from 50 words to 2000 words, depending on the genre.
During NaPiBoWriWee Paula's blog will feature picture book writing tips and encouragement and updates on my her progress, plus links to Three Silly Chicks who will also be providing similar helpful blog tips.
Everyone is encouraged to promote NaPiBoWriWee on blogs, websites, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter. Paula only requests that you link to her website.
And for those NaPiBoWriWee participants attending the SCBWI Annual Summer Conference in L.A. in August, Paula will arrange an informal gathering during the event so NaPiBoWriWee writers can meet and celebrate their picture book writing achievement.
The End of the Conference: Autograph Party Photos...
After half a chocolate cupcake and half a yellow cupcake, I got some shots of the autograph party (which I didn't have to participate in because the 2009 CWIM didn't make it to the bookstore which in a way was OK because I feel a little silly signing books).
Susan Patron, Sara Pennypacker, and Ann Whitford Paul look happy about autographing.
Washingtonians Holly Cupala (who is holding one of the roses from the gorgeous bouquet her husband sent in celebration of her very recent two-book deal!) with RA Jolie Stekly and her stack of books.
The awesome Paula Yoo listens to a conference-goer as she prepares to sign her first novel, Good Enough.
Authors Katherine Applegate and Jay Asher--both of whom I interviewed for Insider Reports in the 2009 CWIM.
Rachel Cohn happily passes one of her novels off to a conference goer (note the red "Reading Is Power" bracelet) while Bruce Coville concentrates on signing.
Marla Frazee and her line of autograph seekers. (I wonder if her hand got tired.)
SCBWIRAs/authors Esther Hershenhorn (Illinois) and Ellen Hopkins (Nevada).
Down the row: Linda Zuckerman, Paula Yoo, Lisa Yee, Mark Teague, and Adam Rex (who you can sort of see).
Dearest Miss Snark, I fear that I already know the answer to this question, but I am compelled to ask, nonetheless... I have a successful "day job" career, but I'm trying to pursue my dream of writing a novel. I therefore recently signed up to attend my first writers' conference (a costly affair). I will have two one-on-one sessions with well-known agents. So far the writing is going well, and I hope to have a polished, final copy in about six months. Here's the catch: the conference is in one month. I know, I know... I normally would not even dream of prematurely attempting to launch an unfinished work of fiction. I know that it should be finished, polished, put away, re-polished, etc., ad nauseum. The only reason that I am even thinking about dashing my chances prematurely with these two highly-coveted agents is because a) I am writing in a genre that is considered "hot" right now (and all things hot burn out quickly, as we well know), and b) my prominence in my "day job" gives me an excellent platform (it is directly related to the genre) that I believe any P.R.-minded agent or editor would drool over. Am I a complete nitwit to even consider pitching an unfinished work, given the above?
Feel free to waste my time at a conference, I really don't care. I have to sit there all day anyway and one more guy with an unfinished novel is one easy answer: no. That said, we can sit there and drink gin.
No matter how enticing or hot or yummy, I can't sell an unfinished novel from a first time novelist. Maybe someone else can, but I'd get laughed off the phone by most of the editors I deal with.
They know, like I do, that the final 20% of the novel is harder to write than the preceding 80%. They know too that a first draft (which is what you're talking about when you first write THE END) is hardly ever something you should show anyone except your dog. That means you're a year from being really done, if you ever finish at all.
You've spent a lot of money hoping the rules don't apply to you. Even if you GET lucky and these agents ARE interested, they're buying for 2009 right now so anything you think of as hot NOW is something we were selling two years ago.
There are lots of reasons to attend a conference other than meeting agents. Take full advantage of them but do NOT expect agents are going to be falling all over a hot idea with an unfinished novel.
0 Comments on what! what! you mean...I'm NOT the exception?? as of 1/1/1900
typemonkeytype said, on 5/14/2007 8:52:00 PM
Yeah yeah but but...there's no reason you can't tell them about your book and ask them their advice about X Y and Z, right? Because you can't pitch it. You aren't ready. In fact you can come out and say that - I'm not trying to pitch you, this isn't ready yet, but...and then have some intelligent questions.
The agent just may offer to take a look at it when you're done. Don't ask. But she may offer. It happens. You may make a darned good impression. *If* you don't pitch.
Maya Reynolds said, on 5/14/2007 9:01:00 PM
BUT, all is not lost.
If you check the Snarkives for 11/4/05 and 2/2/07, you'll find excellent advice on how you CAN use your time even if you're not pitching a novel. Having someone who isn't pitching might even be a pleasant surprise to your agents.
I LOVE Blogspot's search feature.
Kanani said, on 5/14/2007 11:31:00 PM
I have a successful "day job" career, but I'm trying to pursue my dream of writing a novel.
I think you've aptly described everyone who will be there. But many have taken the time to write first, second and third drafts. They've joined critique groups, they've drafted endless query letters. They have tried, failed, and tried again. And they've spent years doing it.
One thing for sure: don't make excuses by saying "you're busy." Everyone there has demands on their lives and it does get boring hearing someone blow into a room with excuses on why they have not dotted their i's and crossed their t's.
Richard Lewis said, on 5/15/2007 3:28:00 AM
A couple side notes.
I think it's just a part of general human nature to believe one is the exception to the rule. It occurs to everyone who files tax returns, that's for sure.
Also, I tend to think that putting away a manuscript for awhile is one of those myths we're told that sound good but don't really do good. I certainly understand the idea, that when the ms. is still new it's so burned into the neuronal circuits it's impossible to have an objective editorial view of it. I believe I disagree--for one thing, there's the danger that enthusiasm wanes, and also the danger that relevant and breakthrough ideas that linger just on the subconscious level but haven't broken through will fade away.
My experience with revisions (which are absolutely essential, not arguing there) is that what's important is critical analysis, which doesn't have to wait for x amount of weeks or months. Write the story in a creative frenzy, dissect it with cold reason.
Killer Yap has created today's word verification: kyoooo.
Maya Reynolds said, on 5/15/2007 4:15:00 AM
Someone just emailed me offline to ask how to pull the 11/4/05 and 2/2/07 posts out of the Snarkives.
Go to the white box in the upper left hand corner of Miss Snark's blog and type in the words "pitch sessions at writing conferences." Then click on the "search blog" icon. That will pull up the 2/2/07 post.
After you've read that post, go back to the white search box and type in "agents are human beings." That will pull up four posts, including the 11/4/05 post.
After you've read MS's blog for a while, you learn the key phrases that will pull up the kind of posts you want. I've shortcutted the process here. It actually took me three searches to find both posts.
Anonymous said, on 5/15/2007 4:42:00 AM
Author, you sound like all of us in our early days of writing. We all thought we'd written the great American novel, and that the agents would drool over us. I hope you keep the faith and hang in there when the honeymoon is over and you're in the write/query/write/query rut the rest of us are in...
Anonymous said, on 5/15/2007 6:03:00 AM
I, too, attended a conference way too early. I was halfway through my first draft of my first novel. I didn't pitch, but I did meet a well-known agent, and we had fun over dinner and drinks, and before the end of the conference, he said, "You should contact me when you're ready." Then, when he was in my town for another speaking gig, he emailed me to invite me to a cocktail party. Hell yeah I went.
Two years later, I'm still not ready to pitch (working on my FIFTH book now, crossing fingers that I've learned something during this process), but I'll never regret attending that conference. Go, have fun, be cool.
patrick said, on 5/15/2007 6:20:00 AM
They know, like I do, that the final 20% of the novel is harder to write than the preceding 80%.
Miss Snark nailed it right on the head with this one. That's what makes us so itchy to start hawking our books before they're ready. It feels like we're almost done, and yet as you delve into your final phases of revisions, it can get more and more difficult (in terms of the actual writing and what you hear in you head: I've been working on it forever, it feels most of the way there, it's better than most of the crap out there, etc.)
In your initial post, you state that you know you're not ready. You're ahead of a lot of writers right there. Even though it feels like you're going to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, there will be more chances (lots), and they'll be real (not wasted chances) if you have a finished book. (This is what I keep telling myself, as I'm in yet another round of revisions on my second novel.)
Anonymous said, on 5/15/2007 6:51:00 AM
I actually disagree with that whole "last 20% is hardest" part.
By the time I was 80% through, the last 20% was a breeze. I was energized, I knew exactly where I was heading, and the words just spilled out of me.
Now the FIRST 20%... hell... I've revisited that part a dozen times.
"Is it too slow?" "Does it capture the reader's interest?" "Am I trying to explain too much up front?" "Am I not explaining enough?" "Should I put certain detailed experiences up front as a prologue or later on as a flashback?"
Etc, etc, etc.
You see, I know that no agent is going to read the last 80% if the first 20% didn't knock their socks off.
WandererInGray said, on 5/15/2007 7:58:00 AM
My new mantra for this whole affair is:
"Don't jump the gun"
Patience isn't just a virtue in this business, it's the difference between yet another rejection letter and that "yes" we're all hunting for.
Don't pitch before it's finished, don't submit it until it's so polished you want to throw up on it if you read it one more time.
I agree with typemonkeytype about having some intelligent questions to talk with the agent about. That's a good use of time if you're not ready to pitch it and you'll still get some good advice I'd think.
Anonymous said, on 5/15/2007 9:20:00 AM
From the original poster:
Thanks, all -- fabulous advice. Based on your input, I will fess up right away to the agents, and tell them up front that I'm not pitching, just consulting.
As a new/aspiring author, I probably would have foolishly tried to "dazzle" the agents into accepting a pitch for an unfinished work. Thanks for talking me off of that ledge!
L.L. said, on 5/15/2007 11:02:00 AM
The good thing is, you signed up' for the "costly affair." No need for ME to address the bad -- that has pretty much already been covered.
But, -- signing up for one/ones [regardless who's there and despite your feeling 'this opportunity may not come around again' -- any tme SOON!] is NOT mandatory.
IF this is your first (?) there's a lot to be learned at a well-planned/staffed conference!
Is your WIP truly THAT timely? Will the subject matter NOT be "hot" a year from now--regardless the current trend?
The Anti-Wife said, on 5/15/2007 11:37:00 AM
I’m going to my first conference soon – chosen because it has workshops that are both basic to the industry and specific to my genre and agents who represent it. My book will be finished by the time I arrive, but pitching it is secondary. My primary reason for attending is to learn as much as possible about the industry and my genre and to make some contacts for the future.
I hope to come away with enough information to decide if I’m ready to start querying or if I need to start working on the fourth draft. I look at this as an opportunity to prevent me from perennially patronizing the Nitwit’s Lounge.
Suna said, on 5/15/2007 2:07:00 PM
They know too that a first draft (which is what you're talking about when you first write THE END) is hardly ever something you should show anyone except your dog. That means you're a year from being really done, if you ever finish at all.
Amen. Amen Amen AmenAmenAmen.
Okay, enough break time. Back to work I go.
Eileen said, on 5/15/2007 4:21:00 PM
Question: Do agents see people who aren't pitching (they want to use their time to ask questions) as a waste of their time?
Anonymous said, on 5/16/2007 11:19:00 AM
'That means you're a year from being really done, if you ever finish at all.'
Just to clarify - it doesn't take everyone a year to finish a book. Maybe the first as you learn the process - but most good writers get better with professional editors anyway - not on their own.
And if you think you can "make it" - (live off your writing income) in commerical fiction on only a book a year - think again.
The years and years between releases = success is reserved for the very few.
Anonymous said, on 5/16/2007 2:34:00 PM
"By the time I was 80% through, the last 20% was a breeze."
I'll only believe this if you've sold the book (I don't mean gotten an agent; I mean gotten a publishing contract) already.
It might seem much easier to finish a book -- I know what you mean about writing the ending being quicker. But unless your book is about to come out in print, I don't trust your opinion. Everyone thinks their book's great, from beginning to end.
I'm often deeply disappointed in the endings of books, because it seems as if the author "got bored" and didn't bother to make the ending as memorable as the 3/4 that came before it.
Anonymous said, on 5/17/2007 12:21:00 PM
"But unless your book is about to come out in print, I don't trust your opinion."
Please name your books in print or consider your opinion to be pure hypocrisy.
Anonymous said, on 5/17/2007 2:41:00 PM
Original poster, good job in listening to the given advice. Trust us! Barring that, trust Miss Snark!
I agree with the final 20% not being as difficult to write. Once I've done my job with the characters and the story, the ending is a logical conclusion of what came before.
Incidentally, I agree that going back after the first draft to get the first 20% right is the hardest part. That anonymous and I must be the exceptions to prove the rules, or maybe we each struggle with different things as writers.
I don't disagree with anonymous who is disappointed in many endings (see Stephen King).
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Congrats to all three winners. Well deserved
Thank you! I'm actually pretty embarrassed- the images used on screen and on this blog of my work illustrates that IS important to update your website!! Those images are a bit old and were not in my potfoilio..BUT if you care to see more current stuff, please checkout my blog at http://stephscribbles.blogspot.com....So, my apologies about the website- I am call the web guy today!
Stephanie, your artwork is beautiful. These were the JPGs I received to post this blog. Please let me know when you update your website so I can post an updated link at my website, http://paulayoo.com. Congratulations again to you and all the winners! best, Paula