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
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