2013 San Francisco Writers Conference Posted on March 11, 2013November 3, 2014 by LJ So last month I hopped a five hour flight to San Francisco to attend the 2013 San Francisco Writers Conference. It was my second time attending the conference and I must say that the experience was well worth the time and money. The conference had great seminars, inspirational speakers, fantastic networking opportunities and, for those seeking publication, lots of access to agents and editors. One of the best features of the conference is that each attendee is allowed two short consultations with an independent editor as part of the conference fee. You could use that time to get feedback on your book pitch or a critique of the first few pages of your novel. You could even ask about the market for your book. I found the independent editor consultations at the San Francisco Writers Conference to be an invaluable resource. I asked one editor to read the first few pages of my suspense novel and provide me with feedback. She loved how I began the book and the storyline. She also let me know that there was definitely a market for the book and a real possibility that it would be made be made into a movie. Needless to say, I was on top of the world after that consultation and oh so inspired. My consultation with the second editor was not so positive or inspiring. I asked her to look at the first few pages of my legal thriller and she told me the same thing the agents who've been sending me rejection letters said: the book starts off too slow, in the wrong place and my opening scene tells the reader very little about the heroine (i.e. inadequate character development). At first she said that I need to rework the first chapter, but when I told her about the comments I've been receiving from agents, she said that I probably needed to rework the entire book to make it more character driven. That was the last thing I wanted to hear since I had already revised the book and thought I was done with it. The independent editor's advice to rework my legal thriller was reinforced by a seminar on characterization that I took the next morning. During the seminar, Ellen Sussman, the author of French Lessons, told us about how she once drafted an entire novel that was plot-driven instead of character-driven, and that her character development suffered as a result. I asked her what she did to fix the book. She said that she re-wrote the entire book from scratch and it came out ten times better than it was before. I was horrified. The idea of rewriting my 330 page suspense novel made me want to run out of the room screaming. I now understood why some writers prefer to scrap whole projects and start new ones rather than do extensive revisions. The lawyer in me kept looking for a shortcut or a loophole – anything to avoid completely rewriting the book. To tell the truth, I'm still looking for an easier way to fix the character development issue without having to rewrite the entire book. The task is so daunting to me that I haven't begun the rewrite. In fact, I've done no writing at all since the conference. But I will. I want to get this bad boy published and I want it to sell, so I will do whatever I have to do to get the job done right. The rest of the conference was both fruitful and fun. I read a couple of poems aloud at the open-mic session. I consulted with editors of large publishing houses regarding my suspense novel during the Ask-A-Pro session. They liked both my pitch and my story idea. One editor even agreed to review a portion of the manuscript and consider it for publication. I attended some great seminars about self-publishing and am seriously considering it for my Brooks Sisters' series. All in all, I'm glad that I attended the conference. I learned a great deal, re-connected with old friends, recharged my batteries and came back with some great marketing ideas. Maybe I'll see you at the conference next year. Peace Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest
Scriptfrenzy – It’s Almost That Time Again Posted on March 26, 2011 by LJ To do, or not to do, Scriptfrenzy this year? That is the question. For some of you, the question might be: “What the heck is Scriptfrenzy? ” Scriptfrenzy is a wonderful event where writers all over the world sign up on a website – http://www.scriptfrenzy.org – and vow to write a 100 page script within 30 days from April 1 to April 30th. It could be a stage play, a movie script or a script of an episode of your favorite television show. It's a great exercise for novelists and scriptwriters alike because it forces you to focus on dialogue and to plot out your story in three acts scene by scene. I used it as a tool to plot out and visualize my third book and it was very useful. So, should I participate in Scriptfrenzy this year? You see, I have a nasty habit of starting new projects and finishing first drafts, but then not completing the editing necessary to get the projects ready for publication. On one hand, my participation in activities like Nanowrimo and Scriptfrenzy since 2007 have resulted in my having first drafts (and, in one case, a nice chunk of a second draft) of three novels and a movie script. On the other hand, none of those projects are complete enough to send out to agents and editors for review. I think the problem is that I love to get together with fellow writers during Nanowrimo and Scriptfrenzy in cafes to write and I do my best work under pressure. It has to do with having a set time parameter in which to complete a measurable task and doing it in a group setting with all of the attendant cheerleading, accountability and support endemic to such an exercise. Writing is normally a solitary task and, although I am a solitary child, it's hard to self-motivate to complete a rewrite of something you've already “finished.” I put the word “finished” in quotation marks because a first draft of a novel or a script is usually far from finished and you rarely even finish a first draft in 30 days. This is especially true if you have a full-time job, gospel choir practice, a diet and exercise regime, a blog and maybe a husband and some kids (I don't have those last two items, but some do). Events like Scriptfrenzy and Nanowrimo get you fired up and motivated to get some writing done. Unfortunately though, they require you to work on new projects and not existing ones. When I pitched to agents at the San Francisco Writers Conference, they were happy to hear that I had written three novels. Agents and editors want their writers to be prolific – the more product, the more sales. However, they also want writers who timely complete their projects. So, knowing that I have to finish editing my second novel and then complete the rewrite of my first book and the editing of my third book so that they are ready for Romance Writers of America's national conference in June and Thrillerfest in July, am I really going to throw myself into writing a new movie script in April? You bet I am! Why? Not only because I'm just crazy like that, but also, when I finish editing and selling (I'm claiming it) my other works, I'm going to need to have new projects in the pipeline. Moreover, I need an outlet for the new ideas rattling around in my brain. You wouldn't believe the things that rattle around writers' brains. I find it best to only express those thoughts with other writers for fear of being locked up in a loony bin. If you have a story idea rattling around in your brain and you can see it play out on a stage or on a big or little screen, you may want to seriously consider participating in Scriptfrenzy. If, like me the first year, you have no clue how a movie script should be formatted, invest in a copy of “Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need” by Blake Snyder. It is fabulous and proved to be an invaluable resource for me. Also, check out Scriptfrenzy's website (http://www.scriptfrenzy.org). It will give you leads on scriptwriting software (which formats scripts for you) and other great resources. I used Celtx. Also, download scripts of a couple of your favorite movies to see how they were done. I have to go now. I have a book to edit and a script to plot out. Let me know if you decide to participate in Scriptfrenzy. If you're in Miami maybe we can get together for write-ins. Peace Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest
What I learned at the San Francisco Writers Conference: Be True to Thine Self Posted on March 21, 2011 by LJ The 2011 San Francisco Writers Conference was held February 18 – 20, 2011 at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco. This was my second time attending the event. Although it was cold and rainy the first two days, the conference itself was, once again, fantastic. It was sold out. Writers from all over the country attended to network with fellow writers, find an agent or a publisher, learn from the many seminars given and/or have independent editors give them feedback and guidance on their work. I myself attended the conference for all of those reasons. My biggest reason, though, was to find an agent. Mindful of the lessons I learned last year about knowing the market for my work, I prepared for the conference by researching the agents scheduled to participate in the conference's famed “Speed Dating With Agents” event, and by searching for other books similar to the ones I have written (preferably bestsellers) and being able to describe who buys such books. Since my romance novel has morphed in the editing/rewriting process from being a plain romantic suspense novel to being a romantic legal thriller, I searched Amazon.com for similar novels. To my delight, I found several other romance novels featuring lawyers and judges as heroes and heroines. I even discovered a great series of novels involving an African-American woman attorney as the heroine written by Pamela Samuels-Young. I checked a number of books out of the library for the sake of research and, being the queen of procrastination, found myself reading them when I should have been writing. But I digress. It was a lot harder for me to find books comparable to my second novel. This is the same book that gave me angst last year when I attended the conference. This novel is about a young African-American woman who is released from prison and is determined to turn her life around – not just for herself, but also for her son. She never told the baby's father that she was pregnant when she went to prison and she kept her mouth shut when they wanted her to testify against him for a deal. But when the state files a petition against him for child support and he retaliates by seeking full custody of their son, she's left with no other choice. To save her son, she'll have to gather evidence that he was the ringleader of the conspiracy of which she was convicted and testify against him. The question is will she live long enough to do that? One of the great things about the San Francisco Writers Conference is the multitude of opportunities you get to interact with agents and editors alike. One of those opportunities is an activity I participated in last year called “Meet the Pros.” Basically editors from various publishing houses sit at tables of ten with nine writers at a time. Each writer gets an opportunity to pitch their book and then get feedback from the editor. You get to listen to each author's pitch and the feedback they receive. The last time I did this, I pitched my second novel and was told by an editor that I was writing gritty urban street fiction. I was annoyed at this characterization of my work until I did some research and discovered that, while I was not writing gritty urban street fiction, the book did fall into the category of urban fiction which is really just a euphemism for Black fiction. When I attended the Romance Writers of America conference last year, an agent told me that my second novel would be a lot easier to sell if it was a romance novel. She's right. The problem is that the book is just not a romance novel. Although there is romance (and certainly sex) in the book, it doesn't follow the conventions of a romance novel. And when I try to force it into being a romance novel, it just doesn't work. Knowing that I wanted to pitch this novel again this year, I searched diligently for comparable novels. The closest thing I could find was gritty urban street fiction, although my novel is not really set in the streets and my characters don't really use the street vernacular you find in such books. I did, however, find romance novels featuring heroes and heroines who had just served prison sentences and were trying to turn their lives around. I decided to pitch the novel as a romance novel and try to force a square peg into a round hole. I pitched the novel to an editor of a publishing house known for publishing a varied and eclectic mix of novels. She turned to me and said: “Honey, unfortunately, the only people who want to read about Black people getting out of jail are other Black people.” In other words, she was saying that the book would not have mass appeal and that I should target agents and publishing houses that target the African-American reader. At first, I was demoralized. How could I sell this book to agents and editors at the conference if I couldn't make them believe it would have mass appeal? Knowing that I was participating in Speed Dating for Agents the next day and competing in a pitch contest that night, I went back to my hotel room and got to work on my pitch and in pinpointing the market for my book. With the editor's words ringing in my ears, I finally figured it out. Although I didn't find books exactly like mine, I did find a fiction book on Amazon.com featuring four African-American woman who were the wives, daughters, mothers, etc. of men serving time in prison. The book wasn't set in the streets and was written in English (not slang). According to the site, the people who bought that book also bought books from such bestselling African-American authors as Walter Moseley, Eric Jerome Dickey, and Brenda Jackson. The lightbulb went off. That's how I needed to package my book to the agents I was going to pitch the next day. The African-American market is a large market that is probably hungry for more books featuring African-American characters that don't fall into the realm of gritty urban street fiction. I know I am. I wrote up a pitch for the book that stayed true to its theme and didn't cast it as a romance novel. That night, I competed in a pitch contest. I beat at least thirty other authors and came in second place. Since the contest was judged by three agents, that bolstered my confidence in my ability to successfully pitch the book to agents the next day. The next morning, however, after waiting in a very long line to get into the room to meet the agents, I panicked and tried to pitch the book as a romance novel to the first agent I approached. She was not interested at all. In retrospect, I can understand why. Because I wasn't true to myself or the book by trying to depict it as a romance novel, neither my passion nor the concept of the book shined through and I was unable to capture the agent's interest. As I got up to get in line for the next agent I wanted to see, I cursed myself for being a fool. My original pitch had won over more than thirty other authors' pitches the night before. If it wasn't broke then why the heck was I trying to fix it? I pitched the book to five other agents that morning, each of whom gave me their cards and asked to see the first 50 pages of the book and a synopsis. If they like what they read, then they'll ask to see the rest of the novel. If they like that, then they will offer to represent me. So, what did I learn from this? The same things I keep learning over and over again. I relate to people best when I am true to myself (as opposed to trying to be someone else). My passion shines through when I am my authentic self. And, as for my second novel, what it is, is what it is, is what it is. And that's just as it should be. Peace. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest
My Experience at the Silken Sands Writers Conference Posted on March 23, 2010 by LJ I've just returned from the Silken Sands Writers Conference in Pensacola, Florida. The conference is held every other year (they alternate years with the Southern Magic Conference given by the Birmingham Chapter of Romance Writers of America). I had the most wonderful time at the conference and learned a great deal. Although the Gulf Coast Chapter Romance Writers of America is a close-knit group, everyone at the conference was very friendly and made me feel welcome. The conference was attended by heavy hitting industry professionals who made presentations and/or participated in agent/editor consultations. I pitched my romantic suspense novel and received no less than three requests to see it – two from top publishers and one from a top agent. The seminars at the conference were very informative and wonderfully presented. I learned the best way to create new worlds for science fiction and fantasy novels, how to self-edit my manuscripts so that they have the best chance of getting published, how to keep my muse happy, how to find time to write in my chaotic schedule, and so much more. I'll be able to use what I learned at the conference right away since I now have to timely whip my manuscripts into shape and send them off the agents and editors who have requested to see them. I also plan to write a fantasy novel for this year's National November Writing Month. The best part of the weekend though was the chance to network and get to know industry professionals and writers in various stages of their careers – from the not yet published to bestsellers. Talking with the other writers helped me to learn about resources that will take my writing to the next level and to make new friends. I will definitely be back in 2012. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest
A Woman in Search of a Genre Posted on March 17, 2010 by LJ I recently attended the San Francisco Writers Conference and one of the things I learned was that, in order to effectively pitch a novel to an agent or an editor, a writer must be able to specifically identify the genre of the book as well as the demographics of the audience who will want to purchase it. It is not enough to say: “I'm writing fiction and the book will appeal to everyone.” It's not even enough to say: “I'm writing womens' fiction and my target audience is all women.” You've got to be able to say something like: “I'm writing a romantic suspense novel that is similar in nature to those written by Nora Roberts and I am going after the women who buy her books.” While identifying the genre and the market for my romantic suspense novel was relatively easy, I struggled with identifying the genre and the market for my second book. I thought it was enough to say that I was writing womens' fiction and then to describe the storyline. I was wrong. At the conference, I attended a “Talk to the Pros” roundtable session. That's where ten writers sit at a table with an editor (most likely from a major publishing house) and pitch their novels. The editor then provides feedback to each author in front of the others so that they can all benefit from it. When I pitched my second novel to one of the editors, she said that it sounded like a good story. She asked me to identify the genre that the novel fit into. I said that it was womens' fiction. She asked me to identify which category of womens' fiction. I didn't know. I didn't even know that womens' fiction was broken out into categories. She asked me what other writers had written similar books. I didn't know that either. You see, although I am an avid reader, I don't typically read what I had written (I read spy novels and romance novels). I also hadn't done my research prior to attending the conference. My second book is about a young African American woman who gets involved with the wrong guy (the head of a burglary crew) and ends up going to jail as a result. In fear for her life, she never gives him up to the authorities. She also keeps the fact that she is pregnant with their child a secret. She has the child while in prison, but doesn't tell him. When she gets out, she is determined to make a better life for herself and her son. However, that gets threatened when her ex-boyfriend sues for full custody of their son. In a desperate effort to keep her son, she decides to turn state's evidence against her ex-boyfriend. The question is: will he let her live long enough to do that? Upon hearing the storyline, the editor opined that I was writing gritty urban street fiction and suggested that I read books written by authors who write in that genre. One of the authors she named as an example was an author named Honey Bee. After the session, I went back to my hotel room, fired up my laptop and did some research. I looked up Honey Bee and other authors who were known for writing gritty urban street fiction. After reading snippets of their books on Amazon.com, I decided that the editor was wrong. While the storylines of those books were compelling, and some of them had done quite well in sales, they were written in street vernacular with lots of slang and “cuss” words and were set in the projects. My book was not. I figured that the editor had stereotyped the genre due to the storyline and the fact that the main characters were African American. When I got back from the conference, however, I did more research and discovered that she was right. I found two books in the urban fiction category whose main characters had recently been released from prison and were trying to turn over a new leaf when their pasts caught up with them. The books were written in plain English too (as opposed to street vernacular). While my book wouldn't be characterized as gritty urban street fiction, it could be characterized as urban fiction and be compared to those two books, among others. I am attending another writers conference soon and, armed with this new knowledge, I should be able to more effectively pitch my books to agents and editors. I can also search for and target agents wo have successfully represented authors who write urban fiction. Who knows, I may not have to search for an agent much longer. Peace. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest
The Benefits of Attending a Writers Conference Posted on March 6, 2010 by LJ A couple of weeks ago, I attended the San Francisco Writers Conference. It was a great experience. I had been to the Maui Writers Conference several times before. I always came back from those trips refreshed and renewed and having learned a lot about the craft of writing. I didn't have high expectations for the San Francisco Writers Conference. I doubted that it would be able to compete with the wonderful experiences I had in Hawaii. Boy was I wrong. I don't know if its because I have now written three novels and I am at a different stage in my writing journey (the godforsaken land of editing), but I got so much out of the San Francisco Writers Conference that I came back fired up and with an action plan that I have already started to set in motion. I learned about the need to have a platform (an audience who would look forward to reading your work) and how to go about developing one. I learned how to best to pitch my work to agents and editors. I learned how to find the agents and editors who would be most receptive to the type of books I write. I even learned that my romance novel would be difficult to place because it is short (57,000 words) and that if I want it to have a greater chance of getting published, I need to expand it to at least 75,000 and preferably 90,000 words. I got very helpful feedback on the first few pages of my suspense novel – Dreams Deferred – from an independent editor and invitations from six well-known and respected agents to send them my manuscripts for consideration. Now if I could just finish editing the darn things and get them out the door . . . But that is a topic for another day. The point is, there are numerous benefits to attending a well run, well attended and very well put together writers conference – from the writing seminars to the ability to consult with independent editors to the ability to network with and pitch to top agents and editors, to the fellowship and inspiration one gets from mingling with other creative minds. I will definitely be back next year – not to find an agent, but to learn more from the seminars and to pitch my next book. Peace. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Share this:ShareFacebookPocketLinkedInTumblrRedditPinterest