The Getaway

On Mother's Day, I received flowers and an envelope. I nervously slid my finger under the flap because I expected to see flight and hotel information for the SCBWI LA conference.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not oblivious to the generosity! Garrett had pressured me to attend since I told him it was supposed to be a great conference--even better than the NY one I attended a few years ago.

When I told him I needed to finish some details on my book before it was ready to pitch, he insisted...until I compared  it to him going to the Tour de France and being almost ready to compete.

After that, I suspected he might buy me a bike.

Instead, the envelope held confirmation information for two nights at a hotel. 

Last weekend, I lost myself in the final polishing touches of my book. Meals were delivered to my door.  Garrett had even booked a massage.

Room keys for my computer and me.

Best. Gift. Ever.

At 8:52 PM on Saturday night, I celebrated the completion of Society of Legions with Hershey's kisses and a small bottle of wine.

What's your idea of a self-indulgent fantasy weekend getaway just for you?

OWFI's Agent Panel's Quotable Quotes

The first weekend of May is the annual writers' reunion/conference for Oklahoma Writers Federation.

My writing group's party room. Yes, we have wine with our name on it.

Here are a few helpful quotes from the agent panel:

On Query letters

"Be short, sweet, professional." --Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management

"Please include a phone number." --Paul S. Levine  of Paul S. Levine Literary Agency

"A 2000 word query letter is not going to excite anyone."--Paul Lucas of Janklowa & Nesbit

On Pitches

"The best pitch is the one that makes you want to read more of the book.  The worst one is the one that makes you wonder why they're writing a book." --Jim McCarthy

"Best pitches are the ones that make me want to sign that person.  The worst are when I think I can't wait to talk about this at work on Monday."--Jim McCarthy

On Self Publishing

"I'm very open to self-published authors.  I'm more enticed if you've sold a butt load of copies."--Jim McCarthy

On Social Media

"Own it if you're going to do it.  Delete it if you're not." --Paul Lucas

Other tidbits

"Looking for projects I think are fun."--Paul Lucas

"New Adult is very happening." --Sara D'Emic of Talcott Notch Literary Services

"Don't be an asshole.  It's not worth it." --Jim McCarthy

Happy writing, ya'll!

Does anyone else have a quotable quote from a writing conference? Please post in the comments.

Cheer for Your Team

I'm not very good at the preschool athletic mentality. 
1.  Every kid is not the Most Valuable Player.
2.  Each game should have a winner and a loser.

That's life. 

Don't get me wrong. Winning isn't everything, but losing doesn't mean hanging up your sneakers, either.  When you fall, brush yourself off, quit your crying, and get back in the game. It's important to always do your personal best because your only real competition is yourself.

I was a cheerleader--the kind that believed more in the job than the uniform.  I disdain the "spirit leaders" who leave when rain or sleet falls from the sky. If the team can still play, then they can still cheer.

12th grade: front and center in a parka in the pouring rain

After a few adult beverages, I'm willing to dance my high school's fight song.

Go Bulldogs!

 

Last month,  I put my dormant cheer skills to use and cheered myself on through my own special version of March Madness.

Here are the rules: If a writing opportunity presented itself, I must enter the competition.

Even if I doubted my abilities--especially so--I must take action. With failure comes wisdom. With wisdom comes success.

Want to know how the brackets turned out?

I submitted my essays to two Listen to Your Mother shows.  Instead of submitting to one show, I embraced March Madness and submitted to two.

Two! Two! We want two!

And, well, you know how that turned out. Read about it here and here.

Gooooo team!

Then, I tried Brenda Drake's agent contest.  My cheerleader was still asleep when I dragged myself out of bed to submit early in the morning.  Right before I pushed send on my carefully written entry of my novel's first 250 words and 35-word pitch, I doubted myself.  I changed the pitch.

I did not make the next round.

That's all right. That's okay. We're gonna win another day!

Then another opportunity presented itself. Mini Vaughn, one of the slush zombies for the contest, volunteered to critique the pitches on her blog Dirty Silly Things.  I thought, "Oh my. I can't put myself out there and face rejection again. It's so public. She even says something about spanking us and making it hurt."  *Blushes* 

My cheerleader gave me a high-kick in the butt.  

Be aggressive! B-E Aggressive! B-E- A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! Be aggressive! B-E aggressive!

Because she was an obnoxiously perky, insistent little inner cheerleader, I not only sent the rejected logline, but I also submitted the one I'd planned to send. If I was going to get a smackdown, I might as well really feel the pain, right?

The critique wasn't painful at all. She thought the original pitch was "fantastic." Lesson learned.  My biggest opponent is self-doubt. 

Defense! (clap, clap) Defense! (clap, clap)

Over the month, I had a couple of contest triumphs and forfeited one opportunity. The point is that I put myself in the game.

I'm gearing up for submitting my freshly revised novel to agents. I've listened to agents who seemed excited about the story but rejected it. I've rewritten the novel and improved my game. 

First (clap) and ten! Go! Fight! Win!

Why compete? Because someone has to win.  Why can't it be me?  Or you?

  Dribble it! Pass it! (clap) We want a basket!

Have you stepped outside your comfort zone lately? What would you like to achieve?  

Go for it!

Listen to your personal cheerleader and take the challenge. Let me know what it is.

I'm already waggling my spirit fingers for you.

The Next Big Thing: Lucky Charm

Have you heard about The Next Big Thing? It's a blog hop where authors post about their work and you get to be in-the-know for "the next big thing."

Welcome to my turn!

What is the working title of your book?
Lucky Charm

Where did the idea come from for the book?
It started with the idea that any institution left to man will become tainted by man. No matter how pure the ideals are that created it, people can make it dark and dirty. Different cultures and rituals fascinate me, so I wanted to take a society of hybrids and see if it was worth salvaging.

The cool factor of Oklahoma City is a well kept secret, so it seemed a good place to headquarter an ancient secret society.  Features like underground tunnels and the fact that Oklahoma is one of the few places in the world where rose rocks are found are all due to my society. *ahem* True story.;)

I wanted a girl to meet this world on her terms even when everyone else had other expectations.  Abi learns one thing stronger than magic is fate. The only thing stronger than fate is attitude. 

What genre does your book come under?
young adult fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

 Zachary Quintos is the evil Mr. Voth.

 

Taylor Swift isn't young enough or short enough to be Abi, but I like this image.

I've always envisioned Isla Fisher as Abi's mom.

Abi's Pals
Naya Rivera's sensuality is the right one for Jade.

.

The bubbly Lauren Alaina is the right vibe for the sugary-sweet, down-home Belle.

 

Abi's Love Interests

Jacob Artist would make a good Moses with just a few modifications.

Of course, so would Taylor Lautner.  

Chace Crawford is too old to be Zac and too young to be his dad, but he's the right type.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Most people would believe that being part leprechaun means you lead a charmed life, but when Abi Sparks discovers she's part of a secret, world-wide organization intent on breeding its youth to create magical hybrids, there's nothing lucky about it.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Giving final touches before querying agents.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Ha!  That's an interesting question since I wrote the book 3/4 of the way three different times. Depending on your math--2-5 years? I originally wanted to try my hand at adult characters, but I felt the call of young adult literature again. Everything that mattered happened to them in high school. It's motivational for me to know what their lives might be like ten years later if certain issues about their world aren't resolved. After querying agents, I think only one or two said, "No, thank you" without reading pages. The other four requested manuscripts. And each one decided it wasn't for him or her. Since then, I've revised A LOT and switched it from third-person, past tense to first-person, present. Next time an agent requests a full manuscript, I'm hoping he or she will say, "Where have you been all my life?!"

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Paranormalcy meets Matched.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
When I wrote Glamour,  I wanted to kill the fairies, but felt like it wasn't the nice thing to do.

I yearned to write a book that is as true as I know how to be--regardless of whether or not it is nice. With a couple of characters, I had to turn off my filter and just let them go. It was such fun!

Speaking of fun... Thanks to Sonia Gensler for tagging me in this blog hop.

I hope you hop over and see what Dee Dee Chumley's next big thing is.

Next Friday, check out picture book author and "celestial wizard" Wayne Harris-Wyrick, as well as novelists Christine Denise Jarmola and Jennifer McMurrain.

Thanks for reading about Lucky Charm.

Writers Wednesday: Kid Lit Community Auction

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Kate Messner organized the KidLit community and created an online auction to benefit the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Whether you are a children's literature fan, an aspiring author, or a published author, there's something available at this auction that might interest you.

Check it out.

Donate.

Do good.

Writer's Wednesday: Rowling Risks the Wrath of Muggles

Ouch. Some reviews of JK Rowling's new book The Casual Vacancy are downright painful.

C'mon, folks!

You weren't really expecting a grown up Harry Potter, were you? I mean, there are very few books that have rocked the world in the way the occupants of Hogwarts did, and there have been about a kajillion writers trying. Give her a break.

Granted, the premise of the new novel does not interest me. However, I will buy--and probably read--the book for one reason:

I applaud Rowling for writing something else. She could have pulled a Margaret Mitchell or Harper Lee--hiding from public life and not producing another published work. She could have left the world wondering if she could write anything else. She doesn't need the money. She could be a one-hit (I know it was a series, but it's one story) wonder, but she didn't rest on her laurels. 

Go, you, J.K. Rowling!  I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. 

Writer's Wednesday: Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven Host Christmas in July Contest

Have you heard about the Christmas in July contest? Young adult authors Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven gave this gift to their writing peers.

I didn't even get them socks.

Here are the details:

Writers with complete manuscripts submitted a query and their first 500 words in the hopes that one of the ten agents participating in the contest will say, "I must have this book. Send me your masterpiece."

This contest is a wonderful opportunity. Seriously...they trended on Twitter on the day of submissions.

Wait...contest deadline...It's over?  Why should you care?

In the voyeuristic vein of Query Shark and Miss Snark (may her blog rest in peace), you can watch this contest unfold. Witness the next best seller in infancy.  It's like So You Think You Can Dance for writers.

Sort of.

Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven played agents and trudged through over 300 entries to select their 15 faves and post them on their blogs.

That means, dear writer friend, that you get to look at real queries and opening pages that caught their attention. Plus, you get to watch how it plays out and witness what catches the agents' attention.

Pretty cool, right? Yep. Christmas in July.

Check out what's under the tree!

Click here to see Ruth Lauren Steven's picks.

Click here to see Michelle Krys's picks.

I know the perfect gift in return. Buy their books! 

Merry Christmas in July!

Writer's Wednesday: What words should be censored in children's literature?

I love agent/editor panels at conferences. They offer the opportunity for authors to experience the flavor of agents' personalities.   The same questions are usually asked, and, if the session is mediated properly, it doesn't have to be entirely tedious. 

Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. had a fabulous group of agents this year who served on the panel. Louise Fury, Stephen Fraser, Jessica Sinsheimer, and Emmanuelle Morgan are all impressive and should be checked out if you're looking for both pleasant and hard-working agents.

In response to a certain question, I've heard many responses over the years.

• It depends on the publisher.
• It's fine if it fits the character.
• It's fine if it serves a purpose other than shock value.

The following question and answer may not be verbatim, but it's how I remember it.

And I like it this way.


Are four-letter words unacceptable in children's literature?

Stephen Fraser's reply:
Only one. HATE.

Click here for an interview with Stephen Fraser as well as a photo of his spiffy, trademark bow tie. 

Magic Monday: Lucky Charm

  I completed Lucky Charm, my second young adult novel a year and a half ago.  And I couldn't stop tweaking it. Granted, that whole morning sickness and giving birth thing was time consuming, but I wouldn't let go of the manuscript.

Until now.

The cosmos spoke to me.

My novel has two key images--rose rocks and shamrocks.

Yesterday, my family helped my grandmother clean out her garage. Not knowing a thing about my novel, she gave me this:

Afterward, we went to the lake. My son and I were walking along when he said, "Mom! I have to show you something." He claimed he'd seen a roly-poly and pointed at the ground.  Right beside his imaginary crustacean was this:

Okay, Universe. I'm listening.

OWFI 2012

This weekend was my big birthday party. Other people know it as the annual conference for Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc.  

Potato.
Potawto.

Writers are such a friendly bunch most conferences are enjoyable. However, this year was special. Most of the speakers were (sing this next word) outstanding. Not only did I pitch stellar agents I've been cyber stalking for well over a year (Louise Fury and Jessica Sinsheimer), but also the sessions were great.  My friend Lela Davidson infotained us about social media. She's kind of a guru. I'll post some of what I learned over the next few weeks.

For now, please check out my friend Lisa's blog for an excellent summation of the weekend.

Who is that, you ask? That's me with my checks and certificates--and wearing the Inklings celebratory tiara.  I was especially thrilled with my first place win of my young adult short story. It's my next book idea!

Our entire table did well. You may remember me writing about Dee Dee Chumley's Beyond the Farthest Star. Don't take my word for it being a great book...it won Best Juvenile Book of 2011.  The fact that I missed her win and Lela win Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 for Blacklisted by the PTA because I took a badly timed bathroom break need not be mentioned again.

If you've not attended OWFI, mark it on your calendar. It's always the first weekend of May. See you there!

Writer's Wednesday: Follow Your Passion

My husband and I are passionate. When you've been together as long as we have, life can get pretty dull.  Not for us. We always have something new and exciting to bring to the table.

He loves riding.
I love writing.
We're passionate.

Always my biggest supporter, he encourages me to take my work to the next level.   He challenges me when I wimp out in my storytelling just as he does when I do it in life. He's a competitor and wants me to be as well. He wants me to be the best I can be.

Let's be honest. He wants a Maserati, but I know I'm not JK Rowling even if he hasn't accepted that fact.

He's not a professional rider, but his determination is unmatched. He rides every day--and is pretty cranky if he misses a ride.  If he didn't get time during the day, he'll wait until the kids go to bed and ride until midnight. Last summer, 3AM rides were a regular occurrence. Nothing gets in his way because he loves riding and wants to be better. 

He started the season with a 50 mile bike tour in Oklahoma City at the Redbud last weekend. (He considers this a short ride. I would consider it hell on wheels.) We arrived in town just as a tornado hit Norman, OK.  Wind advisories were announced. However, he didn't waiver and finished those miles in about 2 hours.

I should take a page from his book. (Er, mile from his ride?) With his perseverance any writer would succeed--no matter the obstacles.

Even if I don't get that Maserati, I'll know I did my personal best while having fun. And that's worth a lot.

But I wouldn't say no to a Pulitzer.

Writer's Wednesday: Agent Jennifer Laughran's Word Count Sweet Spots

On March 30, 2011, I posted a blog about word count guidelines as provided by agent Elana Roth.

Now, superstar agent Jennifer Laughran has weighed in on her ideal numbers.  Check out the comments on her blog.

Why do I know Jennifer Laughran is a superstar? Because she's my writing pal Sonia Gensler's agent.  Check out Sonia's young adult paranormal The Revenant--released yesterday!

You can buy yours today.  And believe me when I say it's exactly the right number of words.

Writer's Wednesday: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

I recently attended an SCBWI spring conference in Tulsa with my critique buddies Sonia Gensler and Lisa Marotta.

Plus, I had the pleasure of being assigned to agent Rebecca Sherman's table at lunch. She was delightful and passionate about being an agent. It's seldom one meets people who enjoy their jobs, but she does. How refreshing!

Even though our Oklahoma SCBWI hosts small conferences, I'm always impressed with the quality.

At the end of the day, a question was posed to all of the speakers.  
"What is your dream submission?" 

"A project that could only have come from that mind."  She referred to David Ezra Stein's book Interrupting Chicken. 
--Rebecca Sherman, literary agent from Writer's House

"I'd love, love, love for someone to figure out what the next Ramona Quimby is."
--Martha Mihalick, Associate Editor of Greenwillow Books (an imprint of HarperCollins)


Steam punk, alternative history, diverse mythologies explored other than Greco-Roman and Egyptian
--Nicholas Eliopulos, Editor of Scholastic

"A good domestic Little Women" or "A smart, new Cricket in Times Square."
--Katherine Jacobs, Associate Editor of Roaring Brook Press (an imprint of Macmillan)

Is your book the stuff of their dreams?

DFW Writing Conference agent tidbits

Had a fabulous time at  the DFW Conference with my writing pals Sonia Gensler and Lisa Marotta.  We met so many amazing people, and I can't wait to put to use everything I learned. My body is tired, but my soul feels refreshed.

Here's a photo the paparazzi shot as we were leaving.

Over the next few weeks, I'll share some notes with you. However, I feel compelled to tell you a little about the agents I met at the conference: They were wonderful.

• My pitch with Kate McKean went well. Not only did she like my dress, but she called my book "charming" and asked for pages.  Since, my 2nd novel is called Lucky Charm, I'd say that's a win. And I love her.
• I met the entertaining Jim McCarthy and am totally impressed. Check back more about him Friday. Why? Because he's cool--with an interesting hobby.
• A young adult panel of agents, who answered all questions thoughtfully, reminded us there are people in the industry who want to be responsible with children's literature and are not just looking for the next edgy, shocking YA novel. Thank you Elana Roth, Weronika Janczuk, Jessica Sinsheimer. 

Sure, my critique buddies and I  fantasized about hotel rooms with chandeliers and 400 thread count sheets--or at least rooms less like dorms--but the conference speakers were great. And that's why we attended.