If if isn’t personal what the heck is it?

Author Interviews That Rock

 

Liz Fichera

HOOKED

HOOKED releases from HarlequinTEEN on January 29, 2013

Click the pics for awesome Liz links!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liz Fichera is an American author originally from Chicago who now lives in the American Southwest.  HOOKED is her debut young adult novel.  It’s the story of a Native American girl golfer with a killer golf swing who takes on the boy on her team with the killer smile.

It’s Perfect Chemistry meets Catching Jordan with a dash of West Side Story.

Check out the  HOOKED trailer!
Click Liz’s banner…

Now let’s hear from Liz Fichera!

Just to get us started, how old are you?

Old enough to remember having a crush on David Cassidy from The Partridge Family. (Me too )

What inspired you to write HOOKED?

Living in Phoenix, Arizona, I’m continually inspired by the Native American cultures and desert landscapes that surround my home.  I got the idea for HOOKED as I was driving down a long stretch of desert called Pecos Road about 4 years ago.  I actually did a whole inspiration video (set to music!).  It’s on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFP9bNCTW4E

Do you have a special affinity for the American Southwest?

Absolutely.  I love the desert. I find much beauty in its simplicity and starkness.  That said, having grown up outside of Chicago, I never in a million years thought that I’d one day call the desert home.

What made you want to write in the first place?

I’ve loved writing stories ever since the fifth grade when a teacher told me she loved a story that I wrote about my dog.  My parents were always very encouraging too.  My mother, in particular, loved it when I’d read my stories to her.  Those are some of my fondest memories.

What keeps you writing?

It helps to make a few sales. But I write because I love to write.  There’s always a story bubbling inside my brain that wants to come out. (Me too. Kind of a blessing and a curse! )

What is the best piece of writing advice you were ever given?

Keep writing.  Even as you query, watch your rejections stack up, or start to investigate all of your publishing options, keep writing.  You should always be writing your next book, even as you try to sell or market your current one.

How do you discipline yourself to keep at the writing?

I’m fortunate that I’m able to write full-time.  It hasn’t always been that way.  So, I treat my writing like it’s a job.  I’m in my office, butt in the chair, writing, at least 5-6 hours a day.  The rest of the time is devoted to other things like promotion and social media. (Atta girl!)

When did you decide, this is what I really want to do? I want to be a writer! Was there a particular ah-ha moment?

I’ve known that I wanted to be a full-time writer since I was ten years old.  However, life kind of got in the way and there were other obligations that surfaced—you know, life’s curve balls.  But I never stopped working towards my goal.  I was able to write full-time 7 years ago.

Do you belong to any cool writerly groups on or off line?

I belong to The Class of 2K13, a group of debut YA and MG authors, along with The Lucky Thirteeners.

Just for kicks… What are some of your favorite TV shows, movies?

I am currently head-over-heels over two shows: HELL ON WHEELS and LONGMIRE.  I love angsty gritty shows set in the The Wild West.  TEEN WOLF is also a guilty pleasure.

As a kid what was your favorite book?

I loved THE BOXCAR children and all of the Laura Ingalls books.  Re-read each a million times.

What is your favorite board game?

Chess and Scrabble. (Yeah for Scrabble!)

What is most special about your protagonist?

Fred Oday is the main character in HOOKED.  She’s a Native American girl (Gila).  She dreams big dreams and doesn’t let anything get in her way, including being the only girl on an all boys’ team.  I wish that there were more Native American characters in mainstream YA. (Ditto)

Other than writing, what do you like to do for fun? Hobbies?

I read every day. I usually have at least 2 books going at once.  I also love to hike and run in the desert around my home.  I post a lot of my hiking pictures on my Facebook page. (I love hiking too. Check out my Facebook page. )

If your protagonist could give one piece of advice to your readers what would it be?

Dream big. Nothing is impossible. When you can’t achieve what you want, figure out another way.  There’s always a way. (Amen)

Any closing words of wisdom for other author-wannabees out there?

Write, write, read, and then write some more.  If you don’t love what you’re doing, do something else.

And there you have it! Personal and Real with Liz Fichera!

To check out Liz’s awesome Blog Tour with HarlequinTEEN with daily giveaways and gobs of free stuff Click the beautiful HOOKED banner!

HOOKED’S most recent reviews will rock your socks! Check them out…

 

Getting Real With Real Authors

If it isn’t personal, what the heck is it?

Author Interviews That Rock!

Miriam Forster

CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS

Click on the pics for Miriam’s excellent writerly links.

HERE’S THE BLURB!

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she makes her way as Matron’s assistant on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls are apprenticed as musician, healers, courtesans…and assassins. Only when Nisha begins a forbidden flirtation with a handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the city’s walls. Until, one by one, girls around her start to die.

And We’re Off!

Just to get us started, how old are you?

Ten years away from being the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. (Lauging and grinning ear-to-ear )

What inspired you to write CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS?

A single line in a book about Guinevere that referenced her being groomed for someone. The idea of an entire city where girls were groomed for different places in society took hold of me and wouldn’t let go.

Are you drawn to murder mysteries?

I’m a huge Agatha Christie fangirl and reread a bunch of them every year. Also Sherlock Holmes. I used to be much more into contemporary mysteries then I am now, and I still have a special place in my heart for the genre.

What made you want to write in the first place?

A computer game. No joke. In high school I had a game called Heroes of Might and Magic III. It was a turn-based strategy game where you built your army and collected resources and fought random groups of monsters as well as other players. I didn’t actually PLAY the game very much, but I bought it because it had a fantastic map editor. You could build an entire fantasy world from scratch, with castles and dragons and sirens and treasure. So I built this whole world and then I thought. “I should write a story about this.”

What keeps you writing?

Partly the love of what I do, but also belief. I believe very strongly that the right words and the right story can do amazing things, can heal and inspire and comfort and challenge. The world is pretty messed up in a lot of ways. Writing might not be a lot to give, but it’s what I have. (It’s a whole universe of great stuff to give, my friend.)

Your cover art is gorgeous, how did you feel when you first saw it?

I was stunned. It was so far beyond anything I’d even imagined and it was totally different then what I was expecting. But the more I looked at it, the more I fell in love. I love that the girl is present, but not the whole cover, and I love how strong and awesome she looks. And I love that she looks like my main character too.

What is the best piece of writing advice you were ever given?

“Write another book.” It’s advice that’s saved me so many times while I was querying because it takes the pressure off. Plus you learn things from a new project that you would never learn in revisions. I wrote four books between writing City of a Thousand Dolls and selling it, and every book taught me something that I could take back to City and use to make it better.

Do you belong to any cool writerly groups on or off line?

I’m a member of the Lucky 13ers, an awesome group of fellow debut authors, and I’m lucky enough to get to hang out with the wonderful writers at the Enchanted Inkspot blog as well. I have some awesome critique partners here in Boise too.

 

Just for kicks… What are some of your favorite TV shows, movies?

I love pretty much any show that starts off with a shot of a dead body: NCIS, CSI, Bones, Castle. Criminal Minds is my favorite, which worries me sometimes. And BBC’s Sherlock, of course. I was really into Doctor Who for a while and still want to get caught up, but the angst in season six was KILLING me. I can do murders, but not tons of angst. As a general rule, I’m much more into TV shows than movies, with a few glaring exceptions.

Last movie you saw at the theater?

The Avengers. For the second time. (This is one of the glaring exceptions I mentioned before.) And if you get me started on how much I love that movie, this will turn into a shameless fangirl post. J (Let’s all join the “Shameless Fangirl Club!”)

What is most special about your protagonist?

Nisha was an interesting person to write. I love a good kick-ass fantasy heroine, but that’s not what I wanted for this book. I wanted to write a girl who was insecure and made mistakes and had emotions and attachments and lapses of judgment. But she’s also independent and determined to protect the people she cares about. I see her arc as going from someone who’s uncertain and afraid to someone who can confidently step forward and put everything on the line for someone else. I don’t know if I succeeded, but that’s what I was trying to do. (Beautiful character arc, one we should all strive for.)

If your protagonist could give one piece of advice to your readers what would it be?

“You can’t change what’s been done, no matter how much you want to. But you can move forward.”(I love this because it holds true for everyone everywhere.)

How about your villain? What advice would he/she give readers?

 “Some people are more important and special than others.” (Villains give bad advice.)

Any closing words of wisdom for other author-wannabees out there?

My writing advice is simple: write for love and keep writing.

My publishing advice is this: Never pay an agent upfront (agents are paid after they sell things.) And never trust a “traditional” publisher who asks for money. Writers have more options than they’ve ever had, which is great, but you need to be educated. And be careful. There are a lot of scammers out there.  I recommend Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors as good resources.

http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/

http://pred-ed.com/ 

(Great recommendations. Let’s stay safe and aware!)

And there you have it! Personal and Real with Miriam Forster

Please show your writerly love and leave a comment for Miriam(or Gate Crashers)

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

 

Getting Real With Real Authors

If it isn’t personal, what the heck is it?

Author Interviews That Rock!

Jay Kristoff

STORMDANCER

HERE’S THE BLURB!

A DYING LAND
The Shima Imperium verges on the brink of environmental collapse; an island nation once rich in tradition and myth, now decimated by clockwork industrialization and the machine-worshipers of the Lotus Guild. The skies are red as blood, the land is choked with toxic pollution, and the great spirit animals that once roamed its wilds have departed forever.

AN IMPOSSIBLE QUEST 
The hunters of Shima’s imperial court are charged by their Shōgun to capture a thunder tiger – a legendary creature, half-eagle, half-tiger. But any fool knows the beasts have been extinct for more than a century, and the price of failing the Shōgun is death.

A HIDDEN GIFT 
Yukiko is a child of the Fox clan, possessed of a talent that if discovered, would see her executed by the Lotus Guild. Accompanying her father on the Shōgun’s hunt, she finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in Shima’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled thunder tiger for company. Even though she can hear his thoughts, even though she saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her.

But together, the pair will form an indomitable friendship, and rise to challenge the might of an empire.

And We’re Off!

Just to get us started, how old are you?

Old enough to know better. Young enough to do it anyway.

What inspired you to write STORMDANCER?

A dream. Which is a really lame answer and helps no-one. So feel free to make up a better one and insert it here as my answer. If you can somehow work in me and a jet pack, that’d be aces.(Dreams are the stuff books are made of. Keep on rocking!)

Do you have a special affinity for the environment?

Affinity? Hells no. One look at the ashen ruins of my garden will quash that rumor. But do I care about the impact our species is having on the world – most definitely. I’m sort of amazed more people aren’t paying attention.

Why Steampunk?

I love the aesthetic. I love the collision of sci-fi and fantasy. I love that it’s still relatively uncovered ground – there’s been a lot of a Steampunk of one particular flavor (Victorian English), but the idea of historical settings and anachronistic technology hasn’t really be played out yet in many other ways or places. It feels like a riff that hasn’t been played to death yet.

What made you want to write in the first place?

I think it’s probably something you’re born with? The need to create, in one way or another, has been with me since I was a kid. Art, music, writing, they’re all sourced from the same seed. The desire to actually write books probably grew in me when I was writing for a living (I worked in advertising for a little over ten years). Problem with writing for a living is that you very quickly stop wanting to write for fun, because writing is your job, something you need to do on command. Once I quit the advertising gig, I decided to try and write something for myself, rather than using my words to sell toilet paper or whatever.

Five years later, here we are!

What keeps you writing?

I can’t imagine what I ever did before. It’s the best job in world, seriously. Seeing your book on a bookstore shelf and knowing “I did that”, making something out of nothing, just pulling worlds and stories out of your head and watching them take shape on the page and have people all over the world read them – it’s just the weirdest, coolest feeling in the world.

What is the best piece of writing advice you were ever given?

Never finish a writing session by finishing a scene. Make yourself stop before you want to, even if you’re on a roll. That way, when you start again the next day, you’ll be rearing to go, instead of sitting there staring at the Cursor of Doom wondering “WTF happens next?”

How do you discipline yourself to keep at the writing?

I’ve never really had to force myself to sit down a write (yet) – it’s just something I want to do. I tell people that “writing is really hard fun”, because honestly, it can’t be described as work. It’s hard, heartbreaking, frustrating, depressing, all those things. But it’s not work.

Digging ditches is work. Collecting other people’s trash is work. Telling stories? Building worlds? That’s fun. It’s just really frackin’ hard fun, sometimes.

What is the most important thing for a writer to remember?

I probably shouldn’t presume to tell anyone else what’s important. Although breathing is pretty vital, in the grand scheme of things. (Damn straight!)

Do you belong to any cool writerly groups on or off line?

No, all the groups I’m in are completely uncool. (And if you believe that I’ll throw the Golden Gate in free…)

Just for kicks… What are some of your favorite TV shows, movies?

TV: The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Shield, Game of Thrones, Archer, Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, Carnivale, Deadwood, Rome (anything HBO is usually good)

Movies: The Life Aquatic, Alien, Bladerunner, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Matrix, The Proposition, The Blues Brothers, Fellowship of the Ring, zzzz, I have a million.

As a kid what was your favorite book?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. (Excellent )

Last movie you saw at the theater?

Lawless (written by Nick Cave, directed by John Hillcoat). It was good, although not as good as The Proposition (another film those two guys did together which is amaaaaazing).

What is your favorite board game?

Battlestar Galactica. Yeah, I know,. Nerd alert.

How do you get into your characters heads?

I think getting into a character’s head is kinda like getting to know someone in real life. The more time you spend in each other’s company, the more you’re going to learn.

So I write. Lots.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so what gets you motivated?

I listen to music beforehand, but very rarely during. I find it too hard to concentrate. I’m one of those annoying writers who needs complete and utter silence to write, which means my wife gets exiled to the other end of the house and my dog gets yelled at a lot.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Rock star. Or maybe the Silver Surfer.

If your protagonist could give one piece of advice to your readers what would it be?

Open your eyes. Open your mind. Then close the fingers on your hand. (Beautiful.)

Any closing words of wisdom for other author-wannabees out there?

Having other people believe in you is nice, but optional. Believing in yourself is mandatory. (Wonderful!)

And there you have it! Personal and Real with Jay Kristoff!

Please show your writerly love and leave a comment for Jay (or Gate Crashers)

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

“Surround yourself with people who know more than you and soak up knowledge like a sponge!” P.K. Witte

Welcome to, The Dreaded Elevator Pitch Part Two! 

Do you really want to avoid the elevator pitch? No Way!

 

Developing your elevator pitch, one-liner or opening sentences of your query is often tough, a bugger, a brain teaser extraordinaire. Sometimes it’s totally complicated or even just plain Hell! Most writers dread the process of encapsulating their entire WIP into a simple statement. All those beautiful words condensed into a tiny pitch, ugh! But, we’ve all had to do it. Yes, it’s stressful. Sure, we fear the worst. But, come on? We’re writers, isn’t that we do best? We live to suck our readers in and hold their attention for better or worse (hopefully better)!                            

If you dread the elevator pitch, don’t worry. If it gives you cold shivers just thinking about it, have faith, you’re in the same boat with a lot of your friends!

When I went asking writers in the know if they’d share their pitches and their feelings with Gate Crashers the response was amazing! Tons of wonderful writerly folk jumped aboard. So dig in. Enjoy. Learn. And know that you are NOT alone!

The elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define a product (your book).

The Elevator Pitch Otherwise Known as the One-liner or the Opening of Your Query!

Click the pics for awesome writerly links!

Elsie Chapman

DUALED

“When space and resources are limited and everyone has a genetic Alt, only one is permitted to survive. For fifteen year old West Grayer to face hers, she must find strength in her skills as an assassin…even as she’s made vulnerable by a love she can’t refuse.” 

 About the pitch:

 I never did have to officially “elevator pitch” DUALED, but I think it’s a great idea to have a pitch worked out in your head for when it might be needed. I can’t be the only writer who freezes when it comes to actually talking about their book to someone else, no matter how easily words tend to come on paper. A good pitch is so hard to nail down—you want to entice without giving too much away; to have that what they call that “hook” to make it impossible to not want more. When you’re only given a sentence or two with which to work, it really forces you to strip your book down to its main themes, its core and heart. The truly important stuff.

 

Polly Holyoke

THE NEPTUNE PROJECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started out writing romance novels and went to a bunch of RWA conferences. There we often had to pitch our books in group sessions with editors. I remember I spent hours writing my first perfectly-worded pitch. Then I spent hours more practicing it in front of a mirror, and then when my big moment came, I completely MASSACRED the sentence I had labored over! The follow-up pitch likewise came out all garbled, and I sat there with my face BURNING while everyone else pitched their books with total poise. The good news is, at the end of the session, the editor requested that we all send our projects to her, and I learned afterwards, that’s pretty much what they always do at group pitch sessions!

For the children’s book I recently sold to Disney/Hyperion, the perfect pitch line just came to me out of the blue. “When the sea has become mankind’s last hope, a group of teens struggles to survive beneath the waves.” I think a great pitch needs to sum up the essence of your story, but it also needs to convey what’s DIFFERENT and unique. That is what is going to pique an editor’s interest. There are a gazillion different coming of age stories out there, but not so many set in the sea.

My only regret is I never got to use this great pitch line for THE NEPTUNE PROJECT at a conference because Douglas Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic offered to represent it, and he promptly sold it two weeks later. So now I use it as my tag line beneath my email signature instead!

April Genevieve Tucholke

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA

 

I never actually pitched my book at a conference, etc, but here’s what it might have looked like:

BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is a voice-driven literary horror, part Stephen King, part THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE. An eccentric, lonely bookworm named Violet lives with her twin brother in a rotting mansion on the sea. When a new boy comes to town and rents her guesthouse, she finds herself drawn to him, despite his lying, despite his mysterious past, despite all the eerie, horrifying things that begin happening around her.

Jenn R. Johansson

INSOMNIA

“Parker spends every night trapped in the dreams of the last person he made eye contact with, and it’s killing him…until he meets Mia. Finding ways to make eye contact every night isn’t easy and when Mia starts receiving threatening emails, her dreams transform into scenes of a horror movie, with Parker cast as the villain. He must discover who is truly tormenting her, and clear his name, before the real stalker makes good on his threats to end her dreams forever.”

I had a few versions of this. As you can see, mine is more than one line, but I use the first line if I only have enough time for one. I think between my one line pitch and full query, I must have 6 different lengths that I use depending on the situation, but this one is the most common. It gives a full idea of the plot without wasting any words or details and I can say the whole thing in about 20 seconds…can you tell I’ve practiced this in the real world? This length is actually perfect for an elevator ride. Anyway, I think having different pitches for different occasions is a great way to stay prepared for when people ask the inevitable (and often terrifying) question, “What is your book about?”

 

Erin Jade Lange

BUTTER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By the time I needed an elevator pitch, I had already sold a book. But I was attending my first conference and wanted to tell people about my work. I couldn’t figure out how to do it in one line, so I came up with a whole paragraph and just settled for saying it as fast as I could to make it go by quickly.

 I do not recommend this method. It was a rushed pitch, and listeners probably missed most of it. If I had taken more time to think about it, I would have come up with something like this:

An obese teenager’s plan to eat himself to death live on the internet makes him surprisingly popular – so popular he no longer wants to go through with it. But will the people who love his website love him without it?

 

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

PIRATE PRINCESS

 

There are two things you need to do to create a great elevator pitch: keep it simple and play coy. For my newest picture book, PIRATE PRINCESS, I used that formula — successfully, since the book has been on the shelves since May. Here’s the pitch: Princess Bea is not the kind of princess you’d expect — her dreams are of pirate ships, not pretty crowns. Can she earn a spot on Captain Jack’s crew — or will she walk the plank? In 34 words, this pitch tells you who my main character is (Princess Bea), how she is different (wants to be a pirate), who she’ll have to contend with to reach her goal (Captain Jack), and even hints at a bit of danger (walking the plank) — but you still have to read the book to know for sure how it will work out!

Ryan Graudin

ALL THAT GLOWS

Oh the elevator pitch. I actually never had to use an elevator pitch, since I never attended conferences and therefore never (knowingly) shared an elevator with an agent or editor. I found my agent through a full length query! I did, however, become very adept at describing my book in two sentences to the many, many people who ask the inevitable question, “What is your book about?”

ALL THAT GLOWS is about a Faery who’s forced to guard the partying Prince of England and accidentally falls in love with him. There are also assassins and paparazzi.

Of course, this isn’t the whole of the book. But it’s enough to get you salivating (hopefully!).

 

There you have it! The word on elevator pitches from seven amazing authors! And you know what? Although everyone has different experiences and different methods of dealing with the dreaded pitch, everyone shares similar emotions. As writer’s we’re all in the same boat, dreaming of the day our ship will come in. While we’re waiting, isn’t it wonderful to share experiences and learn from one another? That’s what Crashing the Gate is all about!

Don’t let those crazy elevator pitches get you down! No matter how attractive they may seem, avoid the stairs. Take the express route instead!

 

 

(Photo from SCBWI LA 2011 “Sleepover” Theme Party)

Ink and Angsters Tessa, Elle, Pamela and Kelly love rocking SCBWI!

“The Society of Children’s book writers and illustrators”

Why? It’s all about the learning, the fun, the networking. It’s about like mindedness. The contagious writer’s spirit, the pure joy of sharing craft with fellow writers, illustrators, agents, editors, bloggers, & publishers.

Hear from more talented writerly folks- Why they love SCBWI conferences!

Why SCBWI?

Click the picks for awesome author links and websites! 

 

 

Hilary Weisman Graham

REUNITED

Connecting with a community of other writers.

Learning great stuff.

Connecting with a community of other writers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda Boyden

GIVEAWAYS

To escape writing.

For me, writing becomes an obsessive love. I love putting words on paper; molding characters; revising and in the process making my words stronger. A weekend conference takes me away from the routine I’ve established. Sometimes I leave kicking and screaming, but most times I realize the benefit: this mini amount of fallow time renews me. I come home either with new enthusiasm or with the solution to an irksome writing issue.

To surround myself with like-minded people.

We write in cubbies; offices; barns; corners of bedrooms, wherever, but we write alone. Most of us live with loved ones who don’t write. They don’t fully understand the isolation of writing. Conferences bring together bunches of people who spend at least a good part of each day in an imaginary world peopled by imaginary friends. In writing for teens and kids, we up the ante considerably. We must think like kids so to capture the right voice of our young characters. At SCBWI conferences, I spend time with adults who share my love of kidlit! Whether strangers or friends, they get what I’m doing and why.

I don’t have a degree in writing. I use SCBWI conferences instead. Don’t misunderstand: would that I could go back to university and kudos to those who have. It’s simply not an option for me, so I research and select conferences that will teach me what I need to know. I listen and take copious notes and hand-outs. The masters in children’s literature, both authors and illustrators, have been my instructors over the years I’ve belonged to SCBWI. Where else can that happen? Only through SCBWI.

 

 

 

 

 

Kristen Kittscher

THE WIG IN THE WINDOW

 

Camaraderie
It’s tremendously rejuvenating to be surrounded by my fellow writers for three solid days! Those who aren’t writing and trying to publish are blissfully unaware of the challenges involved, so it’s lovely to spend time with people who understand. The children’s writing community is especially warm, open, enthusiastic, and fun.

Inspiration
The line-up of authors, agents, and editors who come to share their words of encouragement and expertise is second to none. Last year I met Judy Blume, for crying out loud! It’s moving to hear professionals’ share their own writing woes and loves, and I always leave energized to write.

Honing Craft
I always come away from an SCBWI session on writing with some new insight. More often than not, I learn something that really revolutionizes my thinking. Last year’s intensive with Nova Ren Suma and Julie Strauss-Gabel about the editorial process was eye-opening and helped prepare me for working with my own editors.

Kimberley Griffiths Little

THE HEALING SPELL

Yes, it’s intimidating the first time you attend an SCBWI conference, but the energy and inspiration can’t be found anywhere else. Plus you’ll make new, life-long friends!! Or find a crit group! Or get solid feedback on a writing project!

You will laugh. You will cry. You will come away a better writer and a better person.

There is no other conference where you’ll find so many editors, agents, and your favorite writers in the same place at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

K.M. Walton

CRACKED

Getting to meet fellow writers, many of whom are at the exact same stage of the publishing journey as you are. There’s nothing like commiserating and feeling like you’re not alone!

Hearing insider information from industry professionals. I always felt like I had an edge after an

SCBWI conference, like I was in the know.

They keynote speeches leave you reinvigorated, enthusiastic and ready to get back and WRITE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teri Sloat

THERE WAS AN OLD MAN WHO PAINTED THE SKY

My fist incentive to attend was Marilyn Sachs, who said if I didn’t go to New York and go to SCBWI National, I wasn’t doing my share of my job.

The second was wanting to hear speakers that I admired, and wanted to learn from. I wanted to know what other CB authors were like and how they worked (and how they put aside their fear of failure).

The third was that by that time I had met so many wonderful people on the speaking circuit, it was the one place in addition to when we were speaking to meet up and share.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elisa Ludwig

PRETTY CROOKED

Sense of community. The conference may be huge, but there’s a very warm feeling of camaraderie. It’s impossible to walk away without having met lots of people at all different stages of their careers, even if you’re a shy, introverted type.

Fun! Maybe it’s the CA sunshine or the summertime vibe, but before I went for the first time, a number of different people likened the summer conference to camp, and it definitely rang true. Yes, we’re talking about craft and the painful ins and outs of publishing, but the mood is always lighthearted and playful.

Value. With so many workshops and incredible speakers, you WILL come away with wisdom that will change/support/improve your practice, give you greater perspective and inspire you to keep going.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ronna L. Mandel

GOOD READS WITH RONNA

To get that gem of a bit of advice that will resonate with me for years to come. Sometimes it’s a sentence, sometimes a philosophy or approach and other times it’s something completely new like the elevator pitch. 

To reinforce what I already know, but hone it. 

To network. I want to surround myself with writers in the same stage of their craft as I am and meet other writers in the next stage, too!

 

 

So there you have it! Tons of wonderful reasons to start networking! If it isn’t an SCBWI conference, let it be something educational, social and fun. Join writer’s groups. Learn. Grow. Write! I highly recommend SCBWI. Try it for yourself, just do it. Let me know what you think! And no matter what, keep those words coming. Keep on rocking your writing!

We’d love to hear why YOU love SCBWI! Leave your reasons in the comment box, and happy writing!