I was right...

The other day during chat at Long Ridge, I was telling a friend about the NETWO conference. She asked something to the effect of what was the one thing that stood out from the conference, the most important thing I brought home with me. So I thought for a moment, I mean, I had such a great time the whole weekend.

The one thing, the most important thing from the whole weekend is that "great will rise to the top of the slush and get the attention it deserves."

I said it here and I'll say it again. Write a great story, polish it until it shines, do your homework and research where to submit, then submit widely and often.

Also, I want to point out the importance of attending writer's conferences. These are a great place to connect with other writers and make friends. No one understands what it means to be a writer except another writer.

Conferences are a great place to meet agents and editors. Even if you have nothing ready to pitch, you can still get to know them on a bit more personal level.

Not sure where or when a conference will be? Then check out Shaw Guides. You can search by state or month. Also, google writer's conferences and your state. For example, Texas Writer's Conferences and see what pops up. I can say with a fair amount of certainty you won't regret attending. Unless you go to bed early, miss out on the kitchen raid, cards, snackage and great conversation.

Conference Report

Home from the conference. I had such a great time too. I met some really nice writers and learned quite a bit. Today I'll share a few things from our character building workshop with Lori Wilde.

Character world view or how the character sees the world. This was really interesting and something I need to work on with my novel characters.

Start with your character's motto. It can be anything like, "better safe than sorry" or "just do it" or some such thing.

This also connects with the character's life metaphor. "Life is like a box of chocolates" or "life is what you make it" or something like "life is a roller coaster, adventure or battle."

These (motto and metaphor) are determined by events in that character's life. It takes some thought to figure these "defining moments" out so she gave us a general method to do so.

Think about your character from birth to 5 years old. What event happened that framed the world view?

Then, from ages 5-10, what event reinforced that world view?

Next, from 10-18, what event continued to entrench that viewpoint?

From 18-22, what event further supported that viewpoint?

Finally, what event in your character's recent past set that viewpoint in cement?

Here's an example.

Let's take Jim. He has a life metaphor that "Life is a dangerous thing." His character motto is "Always be on guard."

Now, why does he have these? Because when he was 4, his mother took him to the park where she was mugged and seriously injured. He was alone with her for an hour or so.

When he was 7, on the way to school, a car ran a red light and hit the car he was in, wrecking the car and the other driver died.

When he was 13, the school bus he and the football team were riding on was involved in an accident and several students were seriously injured.

Next, when he was 18, at graduation, he was crossing the stage to get his diploma when the bleachers collapsed.

Poor guy...no wonder he has the worldview he does. Now of course you want to make the things that happen fit your character, these are just off the top of my head and I'm still half asleep:-)

Another thing she discussed was misguided beliefs and how it's the author's job to challenge them. These beliefs are dis-empowering such as, "I'm a loser" or "I can't do anything right." For example, the movie Rocky. His misguided belief was that he was a loser and the whole movie challenged that view.

Now, some general stuff from the conference. We had a really nice workshop on the synopsis. Honestly, they aren't as bad as most people make them out to be. One person related them to book reports. The basic info and mostly boring. The agent doing the workshop commented that she didn't read the synopsis until after she read the pages and what she was really wanting to know was what happened next and how you wrapped up the story. She wasn't expecting to find your "voice" in the synopsis, just how the story turns out.

We also did this seriously cool "progressive" writing exercise for fun after the Friday night meet & greet. If you need a writing game for an event, let me know and I'll email you the details.

After the older folks went to bed (the conference building had attached dorms on either side, one for men, one for women, meeting room in the middle) about 7 of us raided the kitchen for ice and drinks then played cards, laughed and snacked until about midnight. It was so much fun.

Saturday was filled with workshops. I didn't pitch anything to either the Tor editor or the agent but one of the ladies I met and became friends with did and both of them want her full and the agent was talking about revisions and how soon she could get it done and career stuff. I expect an "I've got an agent" email any day now.

If you get the chance to attend any writer's conference, I encourage you to go. Even if you aren't ready to pitch, you'll learn lots, make friends and have a great time. Not only that, it's a great way to recharge your writing battery.

And, that's exactly what I'm about to go do!

I'm outta here....but just for the weekend.

I'm off to the North East Texas Writers Organization Conference. I'm so excited. Not going to be pitching anything, just chillaxin and having fun.

When I get back, I'll give you an indepth report.

Also, next week I'll be posting a review of J.A. Konrath's Bloody Mary.

Plus, my thoughts on my first month with Twitter.

Y'all have a great weekend. See you Monday!

Not So Wild Animals I Have Known by Jack L. Throp

No, this isn't a mystery, thriller or suspense but more than ever before, we need to support fellow writers.

This book will be a wonderful gift for any animal lover along with great stocking stuffers for Christmas. Not only that, it's the perfect book to encourage young readers. Get a copy for your kids, grandkids and one or two for your local library.

And while you are there, share a true animal story and you'll be entered to win one of three autographed copies.

I've posted my story, Raccoon Encounter so give it a read and say hi.

Here's the LINK!

Friday Link-a-paloosa

Happy Friday all! Here's some cool links I've been saving just for today.

First, a very cool article called Creating Characters That Jump Off The Page by Robert Gregory Brown. I love this.

Also his article How Not To Write On The Nose. He's got some really good ones so when you have a chance, browse his site.

For those of you who love a challenge, check out the Dynamic Dialogue Contest over at Reading Writers. They have a quarterly contest that's free to enter, with a nice prize. This one is going to be a serious challenge:-) (I sent in a story for their "mirror as a character" prompt. Winners will be announced May 5th so I'm eagerly waiting.)

Joe Moore from The Kill Zone posted a very, very cool link for Research Sites. He's got some great resources and if you aren't reading The Kill Zone, you should be.

And check out The Plot Whisperer. I haven't had a chance to look around completely but I plan to soon.

Don't forget the Pen To Press Retreat next May in New Orleans. This is going to be such fun...and LOTS of work. But I totally believe it'll be worth it. I've already applied, been accepted and I'm so excited about being able to attend.

Lastly, we need this now more than ever. I found this Jenny Crusie article called Rats With Islands a while back. I think you'll find it seriously interesting.

Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Sticky Notes

It's not really my fault. Honest, I didn't start out as a sticky note person but when someone gives you a box filled with sticy note pads, you have to use them. So, over the past several years I've collected a stack of sticky notes. Most of them are notes about writing, passwords, websites or phone numbers.

Today as I was getting started, I decided to go through my notes and get rid of those I don't need. Some, I have no clue what they mean now so they got pondered and put back in the stack. Some, such as hubby's old cell phone number, got tossed.

Here's some that I kept.


Romance story idea involving a zoo field trip...
Idea about a really nice guy who reads poetry at libraries during the day and kills bald guys on the night of the full moon.>br> Several ideas for blog posts about writing.
Two different lists of words to avoid such as that, was, were, just, very, and felt...
Two recipes. Peanut Butter Pie & Sock It To Me Cake, both are yummy by the way.
The Italian phrase "Tutto E Possibile" which means Anything is Possible.
Numerous writing tips such as...
Scene = Goal, Confict & Disaster

Scene = sequence of action that occurs continously in one place, time & POV. 1)What do we wnat reader to take away from the scene? 2) What will give dramatic power to scene?

The question "Does the scene balance action with visual details & dialogue?" I must have been focusing on scenes for a while:-)
Several ways to handle the revision process such as starting with the story, then plot, then dialogue.

The definition of a story: "A story consists of a sequence of action that occur when a sympathec character encounters a complicating situation the he confronts and solves."

All that to say, take notes of things you think are important. Save them for pondering later. Today, I found the reminder I needed among my notes.

"Write the first draft from the heart. Write the second from the head." C.S. Forester You can make your own sticky notes here.

Rules for Getting Published

We all want to know the secret to getting published and over the last few years, I finally found it.

Ready?

There is no magic key, secret handshake, or hidden formula for publishing success. But there are a few rules that will get you closer each time you apply them.

Rule #1 Write a great story. Write a story that captivates the reader, that makes her forget dinner until it burns and won't let go until the last page gets read at 3 a.m.

Rule #2 Polish your story. Revise and make it better. Find a writer's group or a couple readers who know the genre to help point out weak spots. This is also where "never stop learning your craft" comes into play.

Rule #3 Research thoroughly. Research your market, read sample issues. Study submission guidelines and follow them. Learn proper submission format and how to write query letters and a synopsis. Check out agent blogs and learn what they are looking for.

Rule #4 Submit widely and often. You can't just submit once. Sure, sometimes once is enough but more often than not, you are going to have to submit many times before finding the editor or agent who wants your work. That's just the reality of writing. There are a lot more writers out there submitting than spots available.

Rule #5 Never give up! If you give up, you most definitely won't succeed. Sure that rejection letter is going to hurt, so sulk for a bit then get back in the game.

Now, go start applying these rules and get published!