Working Writer's Retreat

I'm back from my favorite SCBWI event of the year. Even being part of the planning team didn't lessen the enjoyment for me. Having this darn post-retreat head cold is a major pain in the butt though.

What did I learn?

I learned that sitting in a room with 39 other authors and listening to them pitch their book to a panel of editors and agents was a wonderful, tension-filled experience. The pitches included a log line and about 250 words from the beginning of the manuscript. Hearing the panel go through their thought process on if they would read on and why or why not was fascinating.

Next time, I have to remember that fear and excitement feel the same physically and decide that I'm excited.

I learned that the beginning of one of my MG books is "chatty". Lots of dialogue between two characters that helps set the stage for the rest of the novel. I've already cut the first chapter down to a couple of paragraphs that work at the beginning of chapter two which is the new chapter one.

With another MG book, the feedback was mainly that there wasn't enough information on particular aspects of the story in the first chapter (or even in the first 250 words). Chapter one introduces the MC, her brother, her parents and sets the stage for what follows. Chapter two introduces her best friend and gives more info on what led up to where they are. Chapter three starts getting into the details. I need to take a good look at chapter three to see if that's where the story really starts. Time to kill my darlings. I really liked chapter one, but I haven't been happy with my attempts to add more detail.

My dark YA which was two books with two distinct characters at two different ages and two different voices that I had smushed together is going to be two books again. Chapters two, four and five make a nice start to book one. Chapter one will be part of the first chapter for the next book in the series. Chapter three? Bye bye. For now.

The second book will be YA, but the first is a challenge. The trick will be in riding the line between the subject matter and where I really want this book to be - which is Middle Grade.

I can no longer say I am a karaoke virgin. *sigh*
Actually it was quite fun. I got up in front of a group of people I had just met and sang by myself. Johnny B. Goode because I love Chuck Berry.