So, here's the notes I have so far from this wonderful event. Notice that I haven't yet finished attending all the workshops, and will add to this list as I do. Plus, this list is Tweet-style because I used Twitter to take notes (this includes being listed from newest to oldest, reverse order chronology).
Risa Green on Transitioning from Adult to YA
- High school is a universal experience.
- Try to make your YA characters do things that is not expected. Don't treat them like adults; they're kids.
- What is your character's primary conflict w/ each of the other characters in the story? & how does it change?
- Characters are defined by their relationships to other people, and all relationships are complicated.
- The worst thing that can happen in your writing is cliche.
- Having an entirely new mythos is a great way to make your story command the attention it deserves!
- When you are creating a new mythos, you have to be bold! You really have to change something!
- As you are creating your new and unique mythology, ground it in tradition.
- Love, love, LUV this workshop from Mandy Hubbard - http://tinyurl.com/2vxyted
- Use the plot to force your character out of her comfort zone. 2/2
- Once you’ve demonstrated her Archetype through actions and dialog– blow it all to hell. 1/2
- By choosing right character type, you’ll maximize your ability to exploit..conflict, tension, plot, setting.
- Ask - what kind of character would be most interesting in this story...would struggle the most in this situation?
- Have ongoing positive relationship w/ librarians & educators. Become part of reading community where U live.
- You have the gift of telling kids that writing is fun and freeing.
- If you're published make sure you've got a reading guide. Teachers can use in the classroom when you visit.
- Be the local writer who everybody knows and loves.
- In addition, always start your chapters & scenes as late as possible & end them as soon as possible.
- You need to, with every crisis, raise the stakes. Create the possibility of failure.
- Quest-The key is that your characters are proactive & don’t allow the world to affect them; they affect the world.
- Inciting conflict requires main protagonist(s) to make a choice—face the conflict head-on or be cowards.
- There needs to be one major conflict that motivates the character the entire way through.
- Sometimes writers won't have a major conflict that drives entire story; novel jumps from subplot to subplot.
- Have your characters encompass a wide range of emotions - happy, angry, sad.
- Make your hero & heroine admire desirable traits in each other. Show why 2 are being drawn to each other.
- Perfect is not ok. Readers may feel Prince Charming exists w/out any flaws. And that's not true.
- Martha Mihalick - Be authentic. I give that advice a lot in terms of writing/voice, but it's equally important in online world!
- Elana Roth - Regular, fresh, interesting content wins out any day of the week.
- PaulSamuelson - Authors need to communicate w/ their audience & a place for their audience to learn more abt them & their books.
- Paul Samuelson - Using BookTour.com meetup and foursquare are GREAT ways to push traffic into a store.
- Martha Mihalick - I really like trailers, but I'm not sure we have any way to tell whether or not they're helping to sell books.
- Kathleen Ortiz - I think another reason we push the online presence is because it SHOWS your dedication, to a certain degree.
- Elana Roth - I have several authors with NO web presence at all. This has not stopped me from selling their work.
- Elana Roth - advance is going to depend more on the commercial value of the book. not your twitter base.
- Kathleen Ortiz - If you have 1,000 followers but NO ONE comments on your blog posts, it shows no one cares.
- Kathleen Ortiz - Your blog is sometimes your first impression. Make it a good one.
- Martha Mihalick - If I get a manuscript that I love, I ALWAYS google the author to see what online presence she/he has.
- Paul Samuelson on social media - I also think different people are better/more comfortable on different platforms.
- Paul Samuelson - I do know that authors with large platforms are given more consideration.
- Perfection is not your goal. Your goal is to tell this story as clearly, thrillingly, & beautifully as possible.
- With lower stakes, stories lose their ability to make excite readers’ emotions, and therefore their power.
- You want to push your character as far as he or she can go, because it makes better drama.
- Everything your protagonist does should be an outgrowth of what he/she wants. Tuesday,
- Nine out of ten plot problems come from not knowing what your main character wants.
- More than ever before, readers want to know their authors, so it's important to build your audience now.
- The publisher is never going to spend enough on marketing or publicity to support your book.
- Don’t be the person UR friends would describe as “vanilla” or “white bread.” Or if .. Jewish, “seedless rye.”
- Use details. Details keep us grounded, and make your character real.
- It kind of sucks to say, but voice is incredibly personality specific.
- At the end of every chapter, the little voice inside their heads should say, “okay, just one more chapter . . ”
- You need at least one character that will keep your readers guessing. Is that character friend or foe?
- Even 4-yr-olds Think Elmo & Dora are Lame.. Kids want to read stories abt people who are older than they are.
- To solve that problem, you have to inundate yourself with where your target market is at today.
- Kids hate retro. I mean, how nostalgic could a twelve year old actually be?
- If U still live in Neverland–if U have stories w/ young heroes & heroines..screaming to be told, then U’ve found a home.
- Be generous & supportive of your fellow authors &..when you need support you’ll have a community behind you.
- The 1st thing an editor will ask...is, “Does the author have a website & are they actively involved in social media?"
- Writer’s block is a real danger when all you have to do is stare at the computer & think about the bills.
- Molly O'Neill: Children's publishing is the best business in the world. A really generous community.
- 2nd books are particularly challenging. You have more going on if you're under contract. Talk to your agent/editor.
- On blogs/Twitter/etc.: Martha Mihalick: There are so many things you can do to promote yourself. Do what you're comfortable w/.
- Molly O'Neill: Stories aren't dead. Stories never will be dead. We'll still be here.
- Molly: Books that gain traction often happens when an editor buys smthg she's passionate abt rather than smthg that's hot.
- Myth/Misc.: A good title will help you catch the eye of an editor and an agent. But it will often be changed.
- Molly O'Neill: You can't start out by wanting to teach kids something, or moralize, or preach..They want a great story.
- Holly Root: You want to stand out because you're awesome, not because your package is awesome. (LOL)
- to write a scene or story that might make certain people who love you shocked & surprised.
- to step away from measuring yourself against other writers.
- to ignore..conflicting pieces of advice, & simply write the story w/in U that wants to be told.
- to be where you are in your path as a writer..Even if you think you should be farther along.
- If you grow as a writer, it is your doing. If you remain static as a writer, it is your doing.
- Put us deeply into your character’s head and we’ll care about what happens to him or her.
- Don’t let your characters wander through your novel without motivation and goals.
- Whatever genre you’re writing, ur main character has a problem & ur book is the story of how they deal w/ that problem.
- Don’t let your characters wander through your novel without motivation and goals.
- No more vamps, no more angels, no more para that feels like Twilight all over again w/ a guy who's 1/2 harpy 1/2 unicorn.
- Even with multiple POVs, it should still be predominantly about one character - it should be their story.
- FinePrint is 5th largest ind. agency in Manhattan w/ a subrights director & film manager-so it's full service.
What was your favorite insight from the conference?
