The Bells! The Bells!

September 22nd, 2008 by Sara

I just got back from the SCBWI Working Writers Retreat, a particularly cruel event where they entice you with tables of inexpensive YA books and promises of wine and chocolate, then run you ragged with constant critique groups, editor talks, and yoga. Children’s writing is a harsh world and those of you that don’t know this should get out while you can!

Let me set the scene. Down in the valley, there lies a land called the “Holy Spirit Retreat Center.” This placid setting of zen-like landscaping is just a set-up to expose those of us with hard-to-control impulses. For starters, there’s a giant bell that makes a delicious gonging noise right there in the courtyard. Anyone could’ve just walked up and rung it! What kind of world do we live in that has bells just lying around to tempt all?

Then there was a circular patch of grass that had a sidewalk circling around it… but there was also a slightly worn footpath short-cutting straight through the middle. Every time you walked in that direction you had to make the decision. Go around the ‘right’ way? Or cut across the grass? I wanted to give into temptation, but I was sure there were cameras that the nuns were monitoring.

I haven’t even mentioned the duck pond with its rock-throwing possibilities or the constant access to coffee or the giant basket of little candy bars that I wanted to steal all the Butterfingers out of. I think I’ll stop now… I might cry.

But there was one bright spot in this torturous retreat. Julie Williams, an phenomenal wordsmith, writer, and artist, did a session called “Words and Images, Images and Words.” She spoke and demonstrated ways to generate ideas when we need a little help with our writing. One of the simple, but wonderful, exercises she did with us used a series of four writing prompts.

We each started with a random image that had been handed to us. Mine was a magazine picture of several pieces of blue fabric draping down, like the folds of a woman’s dress. We did a continuous free-write for 2 minutes about the picture. Then we got a piece of fabric to add to the mix, mine was a piece of lace. 2 more minutes of writing. Then a button was added (an old, small, white one). An finally a word (jack).

Each item made the ’speed’ story we were writing grow richer and richer. And my prompts led me into the world of my next book complete with textured, opening scenes. I was astounded by the truth of something I thought I already knew. Physical objects can ground fiction in a way that nothing else can. They breathe life and energy and exactness into your writing.

Of course, I wanted to keep my writing prompts. As I was sneakily slipping them into my bag, convinced that they would be taken away from us, just as we got inspired, I heard Julie say, “You can keep your objects to remind you of what you’ve written today.” I sighed. I was guilt-free. Maybe I’d go outside and ring that bell after all.

Posted in Authors, Nifty happenings, Revision, SCBWI, Writing

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No Jumping, No Wings. Ever.

September 10th, 2008 by Sara

So… it’s that time again. Time to debrief from the SCBWI Summer Conference.

What? What’s that you say?

I already wrote about the conference? Well, tonight I have to host a whole SCBWI Schmooze on the topic, so you’re gonna hear about it again, whether you like it or not! In hopes of inspiring people to send their writing out, I’m mostly going to stick with info about editors and agents that I heard speak. What they’re looking for and what they love.

But first, let’s start off with Bruce Coville’s 7 deadly sins for writers: Dullness, Repetition, Sloth, Inattention, Perfectionism, Clumsiness and Cliche. He had virtues too, but hey, sins are more fun!

Diane Muldrow, an editor with Golden Books talked about making good picture books that are accessible to every child. This is what she is looking for in a book: Perfect for reading aloud. Doesn’t have too much text. Lively stories that convey the wonder of everyday experiences that are new to a child. Has a ‘twist’ that makes it special (a riddle, a game, a little joke that the kid is in on.) A book that will backdate well and become a classic.

Michael Bourret, an agent at Dystel and Goderich, gave a great talk about queries. His general suggestions were to have a killer opening with a great hook ie., don’t start with dry details such as word count or genre. Let the query represent your writing. And have 3 clean versions of your query letters ready for you to choose from so you can better match the agent’s personality. He also mentioned that is is looking particularly at voice. And he suggested simultaneous queries when looking for agents.

I took a revision class with Julie Strauss-Gabel at Dutton’s Children’s Books, but I think I need a whole different post for that class. Simply put, for her it’s all about voice, voice, voice.

The up and coming editor panel was great. My favorite part was the list of 3 books the editors wished they’d published. It gave an unique window into what they’re really looking for. Here’s the list, but I was writing fast, so I can’t promise they’re all right!

Gretchen Hirsch from HarperCollins: (looking for smart and sexy books, paranormal YA, soft spot for dogs) Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo WiIllems, Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block, and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.

Amalia Ellison from Amulet Books: (looking for eclectic/commercial, paranormal YA) Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and Holes by Louis Sachar.

Nancy Conescu from Little Brown: (Self-declared “girly” person) Emily Gravett’s books, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker, and John Green’s books. In another talk at the conference, she said she’s looking for a different take on familiar subjects, like Vampirates. She divulged that she looks at Etsy.com and other artistic websites to find illustrators. She also mentioned edgier YA.

Namrata Tripathi from Hyperion Books: (Literary/Eclectic) The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante, Wave by Suzy Lee, and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott.

If you didn’t go to the summer conference or hear these specific people speak, hopefully this post has given you a little peek into what they are looking for. So, now I’ll leave you with these last thoughts to motivate you to get those manuscripts out!

Leonard Marcus shared this wonderful quote from the great editor Ursula Nordstrom, “Is there any prettier sight in the world than that of someone sticking out his neck?” (I hope I got the wording right!)

And since I started with Bruce Coville, I’ll end with him too. He shared this scary and invigorating thought about writing: When you get to the edge of a cliff, jump. If you don’t jump, you’ll never grow wings. Ever. He may have said this more artfully, but you get the point. Send that book out!

Posted in Conference, Nifty happenings, SCBWI

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