Nuggets of Writing Wisdom

Me, my crit partners, and the yellow-badged Carol Lynch Williams

I just got back from a fabulous writers' conference held annually in Utah, Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR). Here are the nuggets of wisdom (or other observations) I came away with. Most of this knowledge wasn't "new," per se, but it struck a deeper chord or reaffirmed something I strongly believe in.

Author, Carol Lynch Williams, said to always stay true to who you are as a writer (and a person). Draw a line in the sand and don't cross it.

Editor, Alexandra Penfold, said great writing illuminates our humanity and struggles. We see ourselves in the characters. She also talked about how we experience new worlds THROUGH character; character must be first and foremost.

Matthew Kirby (a psychologist as well as an author) said our brains are "meaning-making machines;" We automatically try to make sense of our worlds. The reader will catch on; trust the reader.

Matt also said authors should never write action for action's sake. Action needs to ALWAYS say something about the character. He gave the example of Christopher Nolan doing this excellently with THE DARK KNIGHT in the opening action scene, which establishes the character of the Joker.

Matt also said, in regards to world-building, authors should strike a balance between the intimate details and the sweeping scope. World needs to be revealed through the character's eyes--what they would notice as opposed to someone else.

Speaking of story endings, Matt said even if they're inevitable to the reader, they shouldn't be to the main character.

Agent, John Cusick, said "voice" in writing is just another way of saying a unique point of view. John also said he wants to see protagonists motivated by universal AND unique things (not cliche) and not just responding to tragedy.

Almost everyone mentioned the importance of writing something no one else but you could write. (Don't follow trends, stay true to your own vision, etc.)

Author, Mette Ivie Harrison, told me, one-on-one, that she's discovered you don't always have to be writing "in the zone of inspiration" for your novel to be good. Mette never wastes time. For example, if she has ten minutes of waiting at the doctor's office, she will use that time to write.

Mette will end an writing session by writing the first line of the next chapter or segment. This helps her jump right back into writing next time without having to stare at a blank page.

Author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, talked about committing to writing only what you love. Focus on what fascinates your inner self and don't worry if it will sell.

Cynthia also mentioned that the "golden key" of writing is making the reader care enough about the character that they keep turning pages.

Cynthia's best writing advice is "embrace the delete key." (So true!)

Cynthia said it's the way fantasy reflects our world that most speaks to us.

Editor, Ruth Katcher, said publishers don't know what you should write, only you do. Stay in tune to the voice in your head that's been developing your whole life by your life's experience. Find the conviction to tell meaningful stories.

Ruth also said that as a character-development exercise, rather than interviewing your character about his/herself, it's more insightful to interview characters about OTHER characters. (I tried this and it was super cool.)

Author Ann Dee Ellis' biggest advice is to PLAY. Just relax and write. Turn off your inner self-editor (especially during your first draft).

Author, Trent Reedy, said that writing is more than your dream. One day someone will need your words to achieve theirs. He also said it's not enough to simply exist. Literature and art are necessary.

Author, Tim Wynne Jones, said dialogue must either reveal character or further the plot. Beats between dialogue must happen in "real time" (these are reaction moments, moments of silence between speaking), whereas narrative summary (when you're not in-scene) takes place in suspended time.

Tim also said the real collisions in your story should center in the dialogue--the most important element of being "in-scene."

Tim also talked about the importance of the objective correlative in scenes, meaning a detail/object in the scene/environment that correlates to the interior state of the character.

Author, Emily Wing Smith, said to get over impatience with yourself. Give yourself permission to say, "What I write next may even be better."

More than anything, going to WIFYR gave me a needed boost of confidence that what I have written and am writing is worthwhile, and that with continued dedication to the craft of writing, being open to feedback, and perseverance in the face of self-doubt, I can achieve my dream of publication.

What is your favorite tidbit of writing advice--from WIFYR, if you attended, or something you've gleaned from elsewhere or even from yourself? 

(I also want to congratulate my critique partner, Taryn Albright, who won the $1000 fellowship award at WIFYR for her amazing ten-page submission!)

A Shout Out for WIFYR

There's still time to register for a fantastic event in June. The Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers (WIFYR) conference made a HUGE impact on me last year. After writing steadily for 1 1/2 years, I decided to attend with my longtime friend and CP, Robin. We took the conference very seriously and spent three months madly writing and revising our manuscripts. I learned so much and met many wonderful people (including the fabulous ladies of my current critique group--see links to their blogs on my right menu bar). Most of all, I left this conference with a huge amount of confidence that I could actually achieve this crazy writing dream of mine. It would be incredibly hard work, but it was totally within my grasp. My writing quality and network of writer resources has skyrocketed since last year's WIFYR, and I'm so excited to return! The amazing Matt Kirby (first person in the video below) will be my instructor for the fantasy class.

WIFYR takes place on June 18-22 (Mon.-Fri.) in Sandy, Utah. You sign up for a week-long morning class (limited to 13 members) with an instructor who is a reputable published author, and then the afternoons are reserved for a wide selection of awesome breakout workshops (you can just sign up for the afternoon workshops, if you want to). Each year various agents and editors attend, and you have the opportunity to network with them and/or submit your work post-conference (unless you enroll in the Boot Camp--then you can pitch at the conference).

I can't stress enough how fabulous this conference is. For some incredible success stories, watch the short movie below. And check out wifyr.com for more information. (To read more about my experience from last year's WIFYR, click here.)

UPDATE: The WIFYR peeps just released a NEW video, starring yours truly. Haha. I'm actually only in it for a few glorious seconds in which I manage to rub my fingers together and roll my eyes. And, hey, my CP, Robin, is sitting beside me. Check it out!

WIFYR, I Love You

This picture pretty much sums up the craziness and the fun that WIFYR was this year. On an impulse, my good friend Robin and I decided to register for WIFYR (our first writing conference) back in March of this year. And I'm so happy we did! We couldn't have picked a better teacher (Louise Plummer) or a better class. Louise kept my sides aching from laughter. She is a goddess. Funny, sassy, sharp as a tack. I worship you, Louise. Thanks for being a true inspiration!

Our days at WIFYR were spent intensely critiquing the first thirty pages of each other's manuscripts. My turn fell on the last day, which made me both relieved and anxious. Relieved, because I didn't have to face the group criticism yet. Anxious, because I hadn't faced the group criticism yet. :-) I spent many nights that week literally on the verge of throwing up because I was so nervous about my looming critique.

On the flip side, I don't think I've ever been so rowdy and outspoken in a classroom setting. But I wasn't the only one. That was the beauty of it. Our class was collectively brilliant, obnoxious, and hilarious. (And our fabulous teacher only goaded us on!) When it came time to critique Robin's manuscript, I couldn't keep my mouth shut in defense of her writing (which I was overly familiar with). Louise eventually had to send me to the bathroom so I'd shut up. I laughed my way out the door. It was a needed potty break anyway. (I pee VERY FREQUENTLY when I'm stressed. There's nothing for it.)

When it was finally my turn to be critiqued, I thought I would die, but can happily report that I survived! People actually audibly gushed when Louise finished her reading of my pages. (It sounded like several gushing people, but maybe it was just Taryn gushing very loudly.) I was so surprised! Emily, I know you're out there thinking I'm ridiculous for being so nervous in the first place, and I realize it sounds like I'm bragging now with the gushing and all, but I seriously spent the week of WIFYR nauseous and peeing twenty times a day from the anticipation, so you can imagine how shocked and pleased I was with the class's response. Most loved my manuscript, and the suggestions they did offer were stomachable (see? no vomiting, after all!). I left WIFYR feeling rejuvenated to keep plunging forward with my book, knowing that it's something others really want to read, and knowing the passion I have for my Rowaness is ringing true on the page. In the meantime, I'll try to keep my adverbs in check (don't count how many I used in this blog post), and I'll try to keep Nimue from screaming as much as possible. Now that I have one WIFYR conference under my belt, I know what to expect and can look forward to only peeing ten times a day at next year's conference.

The best part about WIFYR were the new friends I made. Shortly after the conference, and in a random sort of way, a few of us in the class formed a critique group. Now it's my turn to gush...

Taryn, you are the embodiment of free-spirited youth, along with the brilliance of a mature writer. I ogled over your book, and was so happy to meet the authoress behind the masterful writing (and I am so happy you loved my book too!). Emily, you are the queen of taking things in stride, of seeing the glass half-full, and of finding humor in any situation. You write rich characters and have a knack for seeing the big picture in writing. Ilima, you and I both love to write romantic and fantastical stories. Thanks for letting me fall under the spell of your lush world and love story. Jenilyn, you were my off-and-on-next-seat neighbor at WIFYR (when you weren't out running errands for the conference as the assistant for our class). Your critiquing skills are spot-on; you notice important details that others overlook in their critiques. And at least you and I remembered that Artemis is the Goddess of the Hunt! Robin, you have been with me on this writing journey from the beginning. We have been tough on each other with our critiques, but our strong friendship has carried us through it all. You have 10,000 gifts and strengths, and I am completely in awe of you. We started this journey together, and I hope we'll always continue on the road side by side.

To read Louise's blog entry about our WIFYR class, click here.

In the photo above, you'll find Louise Plummer at the center of all the face-touching. Ha! I am behind her (to the right). Robin is to my right, Ilima is to my left, and Taryn is to the left of Ilima. Jenilyn is at the far right of the photo, and Emily's in the back left (wearing glasses). I'm feeling dizzy now. Are you? (You can click on the photo to view larger.)