Writers & Voice: my MiG Writers' blog series

I've started a blog series over on the MiG Writers blog about writers and voice, for those interested. Today's post:

Stephen Pressfield & the Fabrication of Voice

Writers and Voice

I've posted the first in my series about "Writers and Voice" over in the MiG Writers blog, for those interested.

NaNoEdMo - National Novel Editing Month

I was reading this post in Writer Unboxed and thought I'd remind you all about National Novel Editing Month.

Looking for motivation to edit your manuscript? Check out NaNoEdiMo, which is a challenge to writers to spend 50 hours in March editing your novel.

An excerpt from the site:

You have entered the portal to the crazy world of novel editing. Have you written a 50,000 word novel but haven't edited it yet? Then you've come to the right place! It is here that people from all over the world gather together to spend 50 hours in March editing their novels. This is not as easy as it might sound but the forums are available to get advice and ask all the important questions you may have. Advice from real published authors will also be here to help you and a certificate of completion awaits each winner at the end of the month.

URL: http://www.nanoedmo.net/xoops2/

My two main takeaways from the SCBWI conference in NYC

When I first saw the word "takeaways" in people's conference reports, I was confused. What were takeaways? Were they giving out free food?!? I was even MORE disappointed that I had missed the event!

But no, takeaways are key messages you've learned at a conference. They can vary from person to person, depending on their own situations and experiences.

I'll be posting more details about my takeaways from various panels and workshops, but overall my main takeaways were:

1. What's most important: STORY and CHARACTERS. Some panelists listed both while others just listed story, but the message was the same. It doesn't matter what format a book is in if the story sucks. Voice and style can help make good writing, but aren't nearly as important as having a story and characters that the reader cares about.

2. Do the work. Get it written. Don't get too obsessed with the process, or networking and promoting, or all the other extras that can be good but NOT if they're keeping you from doing the work. This is something that has really hit home for me, which is why I'll probably be easing back somewhat from social media. (Ok, I'll still be posting a lot compared to some people, but it'll be easing back for me!)

Both of these apply to both writers AND illustrators -- I'll be interpreting the takeaways from an illustrators' point of view and posting them in the SCBWI Illustrators' Mentees Blog soon.

Picture book Dummy Challenge

Are you an author thinking of writing or writing and illustrating a picture book? If so, check out the Kidlitart Picture Book Dummy Challenge, 25-week online group challenge to create a submit a picture book dummy. It starts today and ends on June 30th.

Excerpt from the description of who can join:

Though geared primarily toward author/illustrators, writers who are not artists can benefit from portions of the dummy exercise, and illustrators without an original manuscript can use the process to create a dummy portfolio piece.

Find out more at: http://kidlitart.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-here.html

Here's the blog post schedule:

Jan. 6-Jan. 13 (1 week): Pick your project

Jan. 13-Feb. 10 (4 weeks): Draft the story

Feb. 10-Feb. 24 (2 weeks): Develop the characters

Feb. 24-Mar. 10 (2 weeks): Storyboard text and art

Mar. 10-May 5 (8 weeks): Produce tight, full-size sketches

May 5-Jun. 2 (4 weeks): Produce final art of two spreads

Jun. 2-Jun. 16 (2 weeks): Comp the cover and assemble the dummy

Jun. 16-Jun. 23 (1 week): Research submissions; prepare dummy package

Jun. 23-Jun. 30 (1 week): Submit

Jun. 30: Wrap party!

Comic: Serious Line Editing

Scholastic editor Cheryl Klein (Arthur Levine Books) has an excellent post about her 3-step line editing process: A Mid-Line-Edit Ramble e On Line-Editing.

Seeking inspiring/upbeat advice or observations on writer rejection for my book

As some of you already know, I'm working on a book that is both a compilation of my writer comics as well as nuggets of writerly wisdom I've found in blogs, organized by topic. I don't have a contract yet, but I'm confident enough in its saleability that I've started putting it together anyway.

The chapter I'm working on now: REJECTION.

If you've written a blog post on rejection that you think might contain some quotable advice or observation, please do post the URL in the comments below. I'd also love to hear if you've recently read a post or quote on rejection made by someone else. If it's not your post, please include the name of the author of the quote/post as well as the URL.

Ideal length: one sentence (but I'm open to longer).

If I decide to include your quote in the book, I will contact you for confirmation of the info. I'll be including a brief bio and URL of any writer quoted in the book.

I may also include your link/quote in a Writer Rejection: Don't Give Up! page that I'm revamping for Inkygirl.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Deborah Halverson: Ultimate Checklist for Submitting to Publishers

One of the biggest challenges of attending an event like the SCBWI Summer Conference, I found, was having to pick between simultaneously scheduled workshops.

I wasn't able to attend Deborah Halverson's workshop but Adventures In Children's Publishing did, and has generously shared a conference round-up.

A former editor at Harcourt, Halverson already had a wealth of editorial experience when she began writing her first novel while pregnant with her triplet sons. In her Ultimate Checklist workshop, she consolidated years of expertise into ten simple tests.

2010 SCBWI-LA Takeaways: Jon Scieszka

I've always appreciated those who post "takeaways" after they attend conventions: nuggets of wisdom that they took away from the event. Everyone's takeaways are different because everyone has different levels of experience and goals.

I'm going to be sharing mine over the next little while, as well as linking to any others that I can find. If you have takeaways or convention reports of your own to add, feel free to post in the comments section!

Jon Scieszka: Tales Of A Picture Book Writer: Do's, Don'ts, Maybes

- Look up the top 100 books listed by School Library Journal and read them.

- Don't do what someone else does. Do what YOU connect with.

- Read bad books, which can be educational.

- Read children's trade publications and kidlit blogs.

- Most picture book manuscripts by new writers can be improved by cutting length by half.

- Don't try to follow the market.

- Read everything in your field that you possible can: library, bookstore.

- Learn and read in prep but once you start to actually WRITE, then forget about trying to follow every rule and industry blog, and just focus on WRITING.

- In retrospect, Jon is glad that his early submissions got rejected.

Other reports on this event:

SCBWI Conference Blog

Blog highlight: Rachelle Gardner's Rants & Ramblings

If you're not already following Rachelle Gardner's blog, you should go add her site to your RSS feed RIGHT NOW.

Not only is her blog a great glimpse into how a literary agent operates, but Rachelle's site is packed with fantastic advice for writers.

Revision checklist: before you submit your mss

James Scott Bell has posted an excellent checklist to keep in mind as you revise, before you submit your manuscript. The list is based on a sidebar in the May/June issue of Writer's Digest from YA editor, Anica Morse Rissi.

Writers: avoid these clichés like the plague!

(Update: link fixed -- sorry about that!)

If you want to keep your writing from sounding too predictable, read this post by Delia Cabe from Boston.com about over-used pet words, phrases and devices.

Gail Carson Levine's blog

Sometimes writers get so caught up in promotion and networking that they forget about working on improving their craft. One of my favourite writing craft blogs is that of Gail Carson Levine. Gail has written many books for young people, including the Newbery-winning Ella Enchanted. I highly recommend a visit to her blog at: http://gailcarsonlevine.blogspot.com

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How To Use A Semicolon

I love this series of comics! Anyway, check out the latest: How To Use A Semicolon.

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