One week from today is the Muse Online Writers Conference, an annual online and FREE conference. It goes from Oct 7 to 13. This will be my sixth year attending. Check it out! You can read more about it and my experiences in my post on the Poetic Muselings blog yesterday about the Muse Conference.
Hope to see some of you there! I’ll be attending as my usual persona, feywriter.
Last Saturday my husband and I went to Life, The Universe and Everything (LTUE), a fantasy and science fiction writing symposium. What a blast!
We started off the day with Tracy Hickman’s KILLER BREAKFAST. No food involved. Many souls killed. It’s extreme roleplaying, and players would get killed off at the whim of the DM. All quite entertaining. I did not participate as a player, but my cheeks were hurting by the end of the two hours. So hilarious! If you ever get a chance to attend one of these, DO IT! From a tavern that ends up exploding, to Castle Ravenloft and zombies that do the thriller dance. You never know what will happen between the players and the DM. Tracy Hickman is a vicious dungeon master. If you’re interested in what one of these looks like, check out the vlog of a previous event. At one point they threw two smiley face balls into the crowd. Whoever ended up with them won a book. As they were bounced around, I got hit in the head by one. Too bad I didn’t catch it instead!
Next was James Dashner’s main address. He talked about his journey as a writer. Always inspiring to hear how an author starts out.
After a two hour break for lunch, we attended the panel on Fractured Fairy Tales. I love fairy tales. This was more of an indulgence for me than a needed-to-learn-something. I love listening to Paul Genesse speak, got introduced to Jessica Day George, and ended up with a list of recommended authors and notes on how to make fairy tale adaptations fresh.
Also a cool moment: during the Fairy Tales panel, Elana Johnson came and sat by my husband! I’m a regular blog follower, and was already planning to attend her panel next. I didn’t say hi, as the panel had already started. But there was inner squeeing. And she had a copy of her book POSSESSION in front of her. LOVE the cover.
Elana’s workshop was on Pitching to Agents and Editors. I’ve never had an opportunity to pitch to an agent or editor in person, but want to be prepared if the time ever does come. She made it seem so simple! I love how she broke it down into bullet points. Easier to build a pitch from single words and phrases than trying to boil down a huge novel. I’m going to apply her 5 sentence pitch method to all of my projects, complete and in progress. Then I’ll know what to say if someone asks about my books. Rather than flubbing.
The final presentation I went to was the one I needed most. Fights and Weaponsmasters: What to do when your character knows more about fighting than you. I took three pages of notes. Got some good info on different types of weapons and armor, and their uses and weaknesses. Learned that armor use really is a skill. And learned the mentality of a Master. Did you know the average reaction time is .5 seconds, but the reaction time of a Master is .12 to .2? Boggling. No wonder it seems like they could read your mind. Was a very cool class.
I was very happy with my choices for LTUE. I had a great time. Maybe next year I’ll be able to attend more than one day. Thank you Mom for watching my boy! He had an awesome day as well, so it was a win for everyone.
Major revisions are out of the way for Fey Moon. Where do I go from here?
This Week:
I’m going to go over the first scene again, using feedback from the latest Secret Agent contest. Then I’ll polish my query, update my outline and synopsis.
October:
Submit a batch of queries for FM before The Muse Online Writers Conference, where I’ll be pitching to a publisher.
With those edits out of the way, I can return to writing Trinity Coven. Don’t want to make a solid word count or chapter goal, as I will be attending the aforementioned conference.
November:
NaNoWriMo! Honestly, with TC still in progress, and not “winning” last year, I was leaning towards not participating this year. What changed my mind? Scrivener. When I first heard about this writing software, I got super excited. I love lists and having everything organized. I have dozens of documents filled with characters, world info, drafts. All for one manuscript. I would love a way to keep all that managed. Bad news? It’s only been for Mac. Better news? In Jan/Feb 2011 it’s coming out for Windows! How do I justify to my husband that I must have this software?
Anyone who participates in NaNoWriMo this year and achieves their 50,000 words (and has them validated) will get a 50% discount coupon which they will be able to use when Scrivener for Windows is released next year. (source)
I think I had a writer-nerdgasm while watching the preview video. So. NaNoWriMo 2010. I’m in. Are you?
The Muse Online Writers Conference is an amazing, fun, free, online conference. But it’s only free if you register now! Starting August 16th, there will be a five dollar late charge. Late registration is open until September 10th. The 2010 conference will be October 11-17.
Even if your time zone isn’t convenient for the chats, most of the workshops are through forums which are open that entire week. This will be my third year attending, and I am already super excited. I learn something new every year, and am able to find courses for whatever I am writing. There’s something for everyone: screenwriters, poets, novelists, any genre, any story length. I hope to see some of you there!
Last night I got a response from the agent I pitched to. Form rejection. :-( Oh well. Time to get the query train going again.
Yesterday marked the end of the Muse Online Writers Conference. This was my 2nd year participating. I always make sure to sign up for a variety of workshops, because I never know which ones I’ll end up most interested in. Last year I got the most out of two poetry workshops – one on breaking creative blocks, and the other on creating a chapbook. This year my favorite courses were very different.
The first was the Dialogue Workshop with Devon Ellington. I started a new story just for the workshop. It was one already in my idea file (#2 from my NaNo ideas), but only very basic, one paragraph idea. I didn’t get much critique on the dialogue itself, which reassured me I shouldn’t over think the dialogue that comes naturally. What I really learned is that I can form an emotional connection to characters that I’m only beginning to know. I can write entire scenes with only a vague idea of plot. What an eye opener that was. Very reassuring with NaNoWriMo around the corner. I didn’t get through all the assignments, but really enjoyed and benefited from those I did.
The other course that really impacted me was Facing Your Fear of Writing with Tamlyn Leigh. She set us up to discover our own answers, through use of our inner two year olds. On that note, I have to share one way this has affected me beyond the conference.
My son woke up during the night, and I was up for an hour. I went to bed tired and frustrated, fully expecting to be cranky in the morning. But I woke up and my inner two year old was right there, making it impossible to be in a bad mood. I turned on some music for her, and I feel like I can do anything. This day is beautiful and promising.
One other beautiful thing about the Muse Conference was the opportunity to pitch to editors and agents. Through a live chat, I pitched EotF to an agent. Despite incredible nerves, I kept my head above water. She requested pages and a synopsis. Those are with her now, so hopefully she likes them enough to ask for more. Whatever the response, I’m grateful for the experience.
At the end of the month, registration will open for next years conference. I’m already marking my calendar. October 11-17, 2010. I’ll post another reminder once it opens up. For a free conference, that I can attend from my computer, the Muse Online Writers Conference offers a wealth of information and is worth every moment.
October 15 looks to be a busy day. B has a dentist appointment. My sister is coming up to spend her fall break with us. It’s also smack dab in the middle of the Muse Conference. And, wonderful timing, also the next 10K day for Writers which I really want to try again.
On the plus side, I have no chats for the conference scheduled that day. I could use some of the workshop assignments toward my word count. I should still have the same uninterrupted six hours, while B is in school. If my sister comes early, she can keep me in check, and play video games. She can help entertain both my husband and son if I want to try writing more in the evening. Even more so than last month, I need to really make use of my time. See if I can beat my record of 3700 words.
It would also be great preparation for NaNoWriMo.
Speaking of which, the interest from Tuesday’s vote seems to be in projects #1 (Race to 100 Deaths) and #4 (traditional fantasy about Tilara Scarlet). Lynn had the brilliant idea of combining them. Now I need to dig out all my notes on Tilara. I have a drawing of her somewhere, as well as a page on her personality, heritage, etc.
So, plans for this month:
Whew, that’s a lot. Going to be a busy month. Enough slacking. Time to get my son out of the bath and get back to editing.
Deadline is coming up for the Muse Online Writers Conference. Registration is free, everything takes place online in forums and chat rooms. You can participate in just the workshops or just chats, or both. There’s something for every type of writer, whatever you write, and whatever your experience. I learned a lot, had a lot of fun, made new friends, and got out of my poetry block.
Conference dates are October 12 – 18. Registration deadline is August 1. I hope to see some of you there.
One of the ongoing benefits from the conference is my poetry group. It was formed by participants of one of the poetry workshops last year. I also have a poetry chapbook complete, which is ready to shop around. I’ve been holding off on doing so in the effort to get some acknowledgements first, but it’s done.
Some previous posts relating to the Muse Conf:
http://marywjensen.blogspot.com/2008/10/end-of-october-tuesday-tally.html
http://marywjensen.blogspot.com/2008/10/tuesday-tally-muse-conf-time.html
Let me know if you have any questions about it, and if you plan on participating.
EotF Update
total words to date: 94,627
pages: 417
chapters revised: 27/27 (draft 5)
T.C. Status
word count: 1471
This Months' Goals:
The Muse Online Writers Conference was a brain-load of information, and a boost in creativity. I didn't keep up with all the workshops I signed up for initially, but the forums will be open for another month so I can go in and copy any information I want to save. The workshops I put the most time in were both poetry related.
The Creative Block Buster for Poetry workshop had a one-hour chat every morning Monday through Friday in addition to the forum. The chats were very enlightening. We brainstormed, discussed, and learned techniques to free our stuck poems. I learned how to listen to my poetry. I workshopped two poems during the week, and am very happy with the end results for both. Lisa Gentile, the presenter, had a power outage and was not able to make the Friday chat. I think it was a blessing in disguise for the rest of us. We talked about what we had learned, and by the end of the hour we had decided to put together an anthology of poems improved by the course, and meet again for future chats. Essentially, we formed a Poetry Group. Yay! We'll be meeting once a month to chat. Very exciting.
The other one I focused on was How to Turn Your Poetry Into a Saleable Chapbook. Yes, a mouthful, but an educating one. With encouragement, I went with the dark theme. Even my husband had once commented that a lot of my writing had the thread of darker emotion. The title I chose is Chiaroscuro. What, exactly, is my chapbook about? Exploring the darkness, bringing the monsters of death and abuse into the light. Thanks to the workshop, I have a completed chapbook, all formatted, and the tools to either submit or self-publish. I traded in-depth critiques with another member. Thanks to her feedback, I'm polishing/tightening the individual poems. My acknowledgements section is rather bare, so here's the plan:
(warning: rambling thoughts ahead)
Another Authoress Secret Agent contest recently ended. I made changes after the last one, and submitted a revised opening. The general consensus this time - opening much improved. However, my ratio of yes/no hooked didn't really go up. Out of 11 comments, 3 were definitely hooked, 4 definitely not, 2 said it was improved but still not quite hooked, 1 would read on for the genre though not quite hooked, and 1 would need to read the blurb first. Due to the tightened opening, an issue appeared on this first page that used to come up on a later page (see comments on opening, or skip to agent comment below to name that issue). I had received a couple comments prior saying it might turn off readers, or be a tough sell, but now that an agent and a couple more readers have expressed the same thing... and my husband admitted to not liking it as well... Gosh, tough stuff.
The event in question shapes my MC and though nothing is ever shown (trauma occurring before story opens), it does trigger some events and conversations in the first five or so chapters. No one seems to be bothered by the physical abuse, just the other kind. My husband did make the point that the issue is probably more that it appears so soon in the book, before the reader has a chance to really care about the characters. A backfired attempt to create reader sympathy (more a side effect, as the issue isn't there just for reader sympathy, but for character shaping and those aforementioned event triggers). I don't want to narrow my audience too far, or kill my chances to get an agent or publisher, if it really is that big of an Issue. So, in my next read-through and revisions, I will see if it is plausible to take out the problematic content. *sigh* Much work ahead.
Analyzing the agent's comment:
I do like how this adds some backstory detail in without being obvious, but I'm just not feeling enchanted. I'm not a reader of this kind of YA, but what hooks me regardless is character. Work on making your characters deeper, even on first glance; if you're writing a fairy story, there's a temptation to mimic fairy tale language, and that keeps your characters flat. Add details that make them seem real and full of life. I also balked at the suggestion of sexual abuse ahead, it didn't seem to fit with the tone.
On a plus note, no one complained that my opening had "telling dialogue", instead I got complimented from the agent. One problem fixed at least. Another issue in that comment. She refers to it as YA. My story is not Young Adult. The MC does start out as a teenager, but that alone doesn't make a YA. Would the confusion be cleared up with merely the introductory query letter or back blurb? Most likely. The question is, does the opening voice imply YA? Any opinions on that matter are welcome.
... Well, that was quite an entry. Probably could have been broken into three parts. Kudos and thanks to all those who made it this far. Don't be shy about sharing your opinion on anything in this post. I need to hear it straight.
Additional question for any who might help: Today, whilst using Windows Live Writer to compose this post, pressing enter is frequently creating a bullet point rather than simply starting a new paragraph or line break. How do I make it stop?? I'm pretty sure all my list html is closed, yet it keeps spawning new ones... This post is a mess...
Going to take a nap while B is still at school.
EotF Update
total words to date: 94,627
pages: 417
chapters revised: 27/27 (draft 5)
T.C. Status
word count: 1471
This Months' Goals:
See that beautiful completed draft five up there? Last Thursday I wasn't feeling well, but I had that deadline, and I got that scene done. Yes, it was hard. Is it any good? I don't know. No one else has read it yet. But it's done. Now I get to ignore it for the rest of the month.
Keeping busy with the Muse Conference this week. Learning some good stuff, writing new stuff for assignments, and getting help with some poetry I'm stuck on. I'll definitely be signing up again next year.
... P has been here less than five minutes and already the boys are fighting. B wants to play, and P is cranky and tired and just wants to veg. Of course, B doesn't accept that and tries to force P to play with him, which just makes everyone more cranky. Ten minutes until bus time...
Alright, I refuse to end on that negative note. One of the workshops this week is on compiling a chapbook. I shared the many topics I cover in my poetry, and my indecision on choosing a good theme. The presenter replied and essentially gave me permission (encouraged even) me to go with the dark theme. I have a lot of poetry that deals with death/abuse/pain/darker emotion. I have an idea for a title, now the next step is target markets. I can't exactly put a chapbook of dark poetry in a pet store or flower shop. Will have to brainstorm.
I finally have a deadline for finishing that scene that's been holding me back from draft five completion. I won an auction item for a full novel review, so I need to get that done and uploaded to WDC in the next week or so.
This month is also The Muse Online Writers Conference, of which I am signed up for. I have some handouts to finish reading, and some assignments and exercises to have ready in advance. So this is a big writing month.
My daily goals are very detailed and organized in Microsoft Excel. My overall goals for the month are as follows:
Last Friday, my husband and I went to the Life, the Universe, and Everything: symposium on science fiction and fantasy at BYU. We dropped our son off at my mom's house for the day. We went to four presentations/panels. I know my husband was bored a lot of the time, but it meant a lot to me that he volunteered to accompany me. All of the participating authors were excellent.
The ones I went to: Resonance in Fairy Tales; the Main Address by Orson Scott Card; The Realities of NY Publishing; and Putting Romance in Your Novel. Orson Scott Card is hilarious. I really enjoyed listening to him in person. Surprisingly, the romance panel was most interesting to my husband. We hadn't realized how much romance adds to a story, even as a very minor subplot. I realized most of my writing naturally has a strong current of romance.
The weather was perfect (well, ten degrees or so colder than perfect). Clear sky, and little to no wind. Much nicer than the super cold and storms earlier in the week.
My initial plan was to go the Writing Workshop for one hour, then end with Women of the Fantastic, but didn't have any of my own work to share, and knew my husband would be out of place. So we left early, went to the mall, and then ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner before picking up B.
I'm going to type up my notes this week. I'll share any new insights I find. I'm happy with the results of my first writer's conference.
