What I Learned from WriteOnCon and the Dreaded Query Letter

WriteOnCon is a free, online, view whenever you have a moment, writing conference.  Which is exactly the kind of conference that I need.  I remember hearing bits about it last year and leading up to this year, but I didn’t think much of it.  For some reason just a few days before it started, I decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. 

Here’s what I learned.

1.  Go next year.  It was awesome.  Well worth the price and time.
 
2.  Next year, go as soon as the forums open, and put up your query letter and opening pages.  Other attendees critique each other before the ninja agents come through.  This will give you time to make your writing sparkle and shine.  I put mine up late, and did get some great feedback, but I think I could’ve gotten more if I had been early (my query letter did get ninja’d (critiqued by an agent) which was awesome even if no further materials were requested.  Maybe next year).

 

3.  There are a lot of aspiring, hardworking writers out there who are really talented.  There were quite a few query letters and opening pages that really grabbed my attention.  If they were published, I would be reading them right now.  This is great for me the reader because the more awesome books out there the better, but humbling for me the writer.  I guess I need to be reminded every once and a while how fierce the competition really is.  So many manuscripts fighting to capture the attention of so few publishers.  Yay, for self-publishing back up plan.

 

4.  Writing query letters sucks.  I realize that it is hard, but it is a skill that I need to learn.  I recognize that, but I still feel the need to vent a little because it is really, really hard.  So please bear with me, for a moment. 

 

The whole problem with query letters is that they need to be short (~250 words), but they need to do so much in that little space:  present a sympathetic MC, an antagonist, a problem, and what is at stake while giving hints of setting (world-building), voice, and genre.  The typical critique on query letters is asking for clarifications which is frustrating being on the receiving end because there is no room to make those clarifications.  It is also hard to add in voice when you need to be so Spartan with your words.  I know it is possible to do all of these things in a query letter.  I just haven’t figured out how to do it yet, so it is rather frustrating. 

 

5.  The most common compliment I saw on query letters from those ninja agents was, “Love this concept” or “what an original concept” or something positive about the concept.  I’m thinking that for an agent, concept sells.  Agents and editors are looking for some fresh new idea, and if you have one, you have an advantage, and if you don’t, like me….I guess I need to work on the voice of my query letter.  Sigh.

6.  Continuing the query letter theme, here is some new advice (at least it is new to me) on how to write a great query letter.  The gist of it is that the query letter should answer these questions.

-Who is the protagonist?  What does he/she/it want physically and emotionally?

-Who is the antagonist?  What does he/she/it want?

-How does the protagonist plan to get what he/she/it wants?

-How does the antagonist plan to stop the protagonist?

7.  New Adult (college age protagonists) is finally a hot new genre.  I’ve always thought that a lot of YA would work better with college age protagonists, and isn’t being on your own for the first time just ripe with conflict?  I’ve never read any book labeled New Adult, but I think I might write it.  I guess I better start reading it.  For more info on New Adult link here and here. 

8.  Here are a few other interesting articles/sessions that I enjoyed:  Should writers worry about trends and marketing, Diversity in writing, and Adding emotion to your writing.  You can find all the talks/articles of WriteOnCon here. 

Well, that was what I got from WriteOnCon 2013.   For those of you who attended, what did you learn from the experience, and for those of you who did not attend, I hope to see you there next year.

~MaryAnn

 

Looks at Books from LTUE

LTUE was amazing in so many ways. First, and foremost, as Sheena said, getting to meet a couple Prosers in real life. I felt like I'd known them forever. Then, of course, was the chance to meet my favorite YA author, Megan Whalen Turner, who was the guest of honor. She is just as smart and gracious and witty as I had imagined. Third, the classes were excellent - I ended up with 36 pages of notes.

And lastly, the subject of today's post. On the plane flight home, I read over all my notes and kept finding scrawled in the margins the names of all these books. So many people on the panels made references to and gave suggestions of books I'd never read, or only heard of in passing. It was like getting my library piggy bank filled up and overflowing.

So, I thought I'd list out all the books I'd written down and see if any of you had read any of them, and what you thought of them. Most are YA, some are adult or tools of writing books.

Here we go:

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder - I'd heard of his 'beat sheet,' but never read the book.

The Winter Prince by Elizabeth E, Wein - Yes, I bawled my way through Code Name Verity, and now it looks like I've got some Arthurian legends to read. Elizabeth Wein is an exceptional writer.

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Arkfall by Carolyn Ives Gilman - Nebula nominee 2009

The Thursday Next Novels by Jasper Fforde

The Key of Kilenya by Andrea Pearson - I got to listen to Andrea at LTUE and really enjoyed her perspective. This book is a free download on Kindle right now.

Black's Pocket Law Dictionary - One of the most interesting classes I went to was on contracts, which I know nothing about. They suggested spending a month after getting a contract looking up every word that wasn't 'a' or 'the' in this book because common words don't have the same meaning in law. thepassivevoice.com was recommended in several places as a great site to get information. From what I understand, the owner is a intellectual rights lawyer specializing in the publishing industry.

Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede - I love Patricia Wrede, why have I not read this one?

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Novel by Katherine Paterson - Either the panelist couldn't remember the name or I didn't write it down. Katherine Paterson also wrote Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved. This novel is about a girl who leaves home and afterward her entire village dies of the plague. It was used as an example of  a tight 3rd that 'broke the rule' to switch to show the village's demise. Anyone got a clue?

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Agatha Christie - lots of them.

Summer of Night and The Crook Factory by Dan Simmons

The Enola Holmes Mysteries by Nancy Springer - Sherlock Holmes has a little sister!

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith - This is a perennial favorite for Megan Whalen Turner fans.

Dairy Queen and Princess Ben by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Kate Coombs is a very fun author I met, and sat with! She has several books out as well as a website, Book Aunt, where she reviews books and has all kinds of fun stuff.

Gail Carson Levine - no books specified, so they must all be good :)

The Virgin's Promise by Kim Hudson - the Hero's Journey from the female perspective.

Dangerous Voices by Rae Carson

Danyelle Leafty is another author on several panels I attended. I found her thoughtful insight very helpful. 

And Julie Wright was downright hilarious.

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

The Sweetness of Salt by Cecilia Galante


And there you have it. I'm sure I missed a ton, but what a feast!
Thanks LTUE and all the people who made it awesome.

~Susan

Writer's Conference Confoundment

So, my dear and fabulous husband has splurged and purchased me a trip to my first ever Writer's Conference.

I feel:

Excited - oooh, what fun!

Scared - what in the world has my husband gotten me into?

Nervous - I'm going to be around Real Authors™

Not Worthy - who do I think I am going to something like this - I mean, my WIP isn't even finished - and for that matter, why isn't it finished, I mean, really? Why not???

Confused - can I go to a conference when I haven't even published anything? I've hardly even finished anything?

Self-Conscious - what would Real People™  who know where I live think if they knew I was doing something as weird as this?

Thrilled - there's a good chance I'll get to meet a couple Prosers in real life!

So, here's a question of the day -


What the heck am I supposed to do?


And here are a few sites that might be helpful:


Getting the Most Out of a Writer's Conference - here 

Writer's Conferences: Are They All They Should Be? - here

The Do's and Don't's of Conference Etiquette - here

Networking and Promotion Through Writer's Conferences - here


What tips do you have?

~Susan

p.s. - I'll report back in a couple weeks and tell you how it went.