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| From a local farmer's market... looks like Pottery Barn, huh? Too perfect! |
Greetings on this unseasonably warm October day!
Falling down on the blogging, I know. I'm furiously working on my book project, dedicated to finish it by year's end.
I cannot let another week go by without saying a word or two about the Scarlet and Gray Writer's Conference. It was a great day to meet other writers, hear from authors, agents and marketers.
Yes, it was a good day despite the ridiculous jitters that took over my pitch appointment and turned me into a nervous, shaky robot-woman. Despite my best efforts, including every relaxation technique I could think of, my nerves ruled the day. Oh well. I'll chalk it up to experience.
Agent Mary Kole gave a great talk about the children's book market, discussing trends in picture books, middle grade and young adult fiction. She brought my attention to a New York Times article about picture books languishing due to the down economy...ugh! Even the innocent picture book falls victim to the recession! However, if you read the article http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/us/08picture.html they bring attention to the fact that parents are beginning to push children toward chapter books at an earlier age. Picture books are such an important step in reading; what a mistake it would be to miss it.
Author Lisa Klein gave some great writing advice. She explained that just as every story has an arc (a beginning, middle and end) so does every scene. If you treat each scene as an individual story, it does seem a bit more manageable. I've been keeping this in mind as I continue working on my new book and her advice has been most helpful. She also had some great tips on navigating between scenes, pacing carefully, and doing all-out "scene surgery" when your work needs drastic action.
Great conference... very worthwhile. It gave me lots to think about, and much-needed fuel for my project.
