The Geniuses of WriteOnCon: Shannon Messenger

We have a sparkling gem of the writerly blog world for you today. A reviewing member of The Bookanistas, author of Shannon Shame, and otherwise known as Rainbow Brite, Operation Awesome brings you...

Shannon Messenger (pic and bio from WriteOnCon founders page)

of

WriteOnCon 2010

Shannon Messenger is a Middle Grade Fantasy author represented by Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc. She studied Screenwriting and Film/Television Production at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. But after working in Hollywood for about a year she realized she really wanted to write books, so she left LA for a suburban life that would allow more time to write. You can find her online at her personal blog or on Twitter.

Katrina Lantz:  WriteOnCon was seriously epic, historic, unprecedented! As one of its organizers, did you expect WriteOnCon to garner as much industry support as it did? To what do you owe this?

Shannon Messenger: I think it's safe to say that we were all stunned. I can still remember one of our early group chats, where we were still trying to figure out how on earth we were going to build an online writer's conference. We ended up with a single goal: we just wanted nine contributors. One agent, one editor, and one author for each of the three days. It seemed impossible at the time--would nine people really be willing to help out? So it is AMAZING that we ended up with 59 contributors. And I think it really says something about how awesome and supportive the children's publishing industry is. We had very few people turn us down--and only then because they had scheduling conflicts. Most people offered to do more, and I'm still blown away by their generosity and support.

Katrina: What were your thoughts on opening morning when thousands flocked to the site to participate in the first free online writer's conference? 

Shannon: Well, my experience was a little different than the other girls, because I'm a west coaster AND I overslept (I know, of all the days to oversleep...). So by the time I jumped out of bed and grabbed my laptop, the website had already crashed. The first thing I did was check the WriteOnCon email to see if there were any problems, and when over 300 messages popped up I realized something was wrong. From there it was a whirlwind of trying to find out what happened, trying to respond to everyone, telling them where to find the content, and getting caught up, which was pretty much an all day thing (I sent about 700 emails that day, missed all of my meals, and finally had ice cream for dinner at about 11pm.) And it wasn't until I sat down to eat my cookies and cream that I realized that all that work and chaos was because we had SO many people attending. All those hundreds of emails were people at our conference--who were patiently bearing with our technical difficulties and taking part in this thing we built from an idea and a bunch of emails. It was very humbling.

Katrina: What was the hardest part about WriteOnCon's organization? 

Shannon: Keeping up with all the email chains. Since there were seven of us--and we liked to make all decisions collectively--we generated a LOT of email (I'm kinda surprised gmail didn't cancel my account). I was also the one in charge of the WriteOnCon email address, so I've sent and received more emails in the last four months than I have in the last couple of years. Good thing I LOVE email. It was just a little hard to stay organized, and to make sure I didn't forget to respond to anything important. 

Katrina: What was the most important thing you learned this year that will help with future online conferences? 

Shannon: Um, I guess the most obvious is that we definitely need a better place to host our website, so we don't have to ever think about error 403 again. But besides that, I think what I learned--more than anything else--is that we can do this. In the beginning we were so nervous to email people asking them to help, and I know I at least was super worried that we'd have a major website crash and it would all fall apart. But people did say yes when we asked them to help--and they went above and beyond what we asked for. And the website did crash, but we pulled it together and made it work. So this time I'm going to try not to be so worried. We want to make next year's conference even more awesome than this one, which means reaching out to even more people, maybe incorporating some other technologies that could give us issues. But we'll find a way to make it work, and with the fabulous support of the writing community it will happen. 

Katrina: What's next for WriteOnCon? The discussion forums remain active. What role do you see WriteOnCon playing between annual conferences? 

Shannon: We actually have big plans to keep the site active during the time between conferences, and the plan is to host some live events and maybe some contests between now and then to keep people stopping by. At the moment we don't have anything officially organized, but keep an eye on our blogs and on the WriteOnCon blog for announcements of what's to come. :)

(Update: Epic Giveaway of Epic Epicness going on right now at WriteOnCon.com. Make sure to fly over and comment to win books, critiques, and swag (I love that word)! This is all building up to the launch of their new MONTHLY LIVE EVENTS!!! They have a few literary agents listed and more names coming! Stay tuned for that, too. They're hoping to announce them early next week.)

Katrina: We think it's amazing the work you all did to put on such an amazing conference, and for FREE! Will next year's conference still be free? 

Shannon: That is definitely the plan. We didn't create this to be a money making venture--and we don't want it to become one. This was our way of giving back to the writing community, and letting other publishing professionals do the same. BUT--we are realizing that there will be certain costs we can't avoid (better website hosting, for instance)--so we're adding a donate button to the website to hopefully raise enough to cover those, so that none of us have to be out of pocket. That way if people like what we gave them and want to chip in a little bit to help us out, they can. But if they can't afford it, it won't be something that excludes them from the conference.

(Update: The donate button is up and rockin'! They're halfway to their goal to support WriteOnCon 2011 (and you SO KNOW you want to be there). There's no obligation to pony up, but it will give you extra entries in the contests and make you feel warm and fuzzy. $5 from each person is a great start. It's a tiny fraction of what other conferences cost. So show your support! Shannon asked me to thank you for all the support and donations so far, and all of you who retweet and blog about the giveaways. You are what makes WriteOnCon awesome.)

Katrina: Do you know of any success stories (agents and authors who found each other during the conference)? 

Shannon: I know quite a few people who emailed me to say that they found critique partners, or are now doing major re-writes/revisions on their drafts because of advice they received at our conference. I also know Mary Kole trolled the forums and requested some pages, and a couple of other people let me know that agents requested pages from them. So we're crossing our fingers that those will lead to even better success stories in the future. 

Katrina: And lastly, what makes a writer awesome?

Shannon: Killer writing and great characters--of course. But I think being accessible online takes a writer just one step further. When I can follow them on Twitter or read their blog and really connect with them, it just makes me love them so much more. Especially if they take the time to respond to @replies or comments. 

Katrina: I LOVE accessible writers. Made my whole week when @gailcarriger replied to my review. Great answer!

I think I speak for the online writing community when I say THANK YOU! And we want to show our appreciation by spreading the word about WriteOnCon, as well as its organizers. So here, for our readers, is every link I could find about Shannon Messenger, the legend. :-) Tell me in the comments if I missed anything.

Her blog

Twitter

Guest posts at the Querytracker.net blog

Guide to Literary Agents: How I Got My Agent 

How she met her critique partner, Sarah

Pre-Famous Author Interview: Shannon Messenger

Amazing Art by Shannon

FAN-tastic Friday Interview

The Shannon Messenger Bag

Say hello to Shannon in the comments!

Also check out her fellow organizers, Elana Johnson and Casey McCormick. More WriteOnCon interview goodness to follow, next Friday...

Operation Awesome 100 Followers Thank You Contest Update: You still have time to enter. Six winners will be announced Sunday. Follow and comment on THE CONTEST POST to enter.  

Not Being in a Rush

This week marks my one-year anniversary of being agented.

And before you cue the congratulations, let me say that if I had known then that I would celebrate this day as an unpublished writer, I would have cried.

And not happy tears either.

I spent five of the last months in revisions. Four of them on sub. Two of them licking my wounds when the sub failed. And three of them writing. (No, it doesn’t add up. But I can do two things at once, you know.) The bottle of champagne I bought when I first went on submission stays in the fridge, chilled into perpetuity like Walt Disney’s brain.

But now I am no longer in a hurry.

We all know publishing is a hurry-up-and-wait business. You don’t need patience to handle the waits (because you will be waiting anyway, even if you’re chewing wallpaper while you do it), but it helps.

And sometimes I am patient. I spent 2 ½ years writing and revising my first book.

But once I had an agent, I was in a hurry. My dreams were so close to coming true. So couldn’t I have my deal NOW?

Then I had my answer: No.

So now I’m working on my next book. It won’t take me 2 ½ years, but I’m not setting any land speed records. Sometimes I wonder what’s wrong with me. I know some writers who turn out beautiful, compelling manuscripts in weeks, not years.

So I was heartened to read a recent feature on Huffington Post:

41 Over 40: Novelists Debuting Over 40

(HT Lisa Brackmann, author of the brilliant 2010 debut Rock Paper Tiger)

Now this is a list inspires me. If Laura Ingalls Wilder and George Eliot belong to that club, I want to join too.

So even if I’m age-eligible now, I still have time left to take care of the other minor criterion: getting a debut published. I have time to learn my craft. Time to write, revise, and wait until I'm ready.

Even if I have to freeze my head, Disney style, and dictate the thing centuries from now, using my thawed-out brain waves to beam the book directly into the cranial feeds of my yet-to-be-born readership (and if Uncle Walt wants the film rights, so much the better.)

See, I’m willing to pay my dues.

Everthing I know I learnt from Disney

Disclaimer: I love Disney.
Not in an obsessed, thousands of cuddly toy, merchandise way. I love it in an enjoy the story kinda way.

Some of the first films I saw were Disney. I can remember seeing Bambi with my mum on a re-release when I was five! I had a box of sweets, they were nice.

And I was hooked.

Maybe it's the inner child in me? Maybe I'm a sucker for a song? Perhaps it's my love of art and animation breaking to the surface? There's just something about the classic storytelling I enjoy.

Lets face it, those guys and gals know how to tell a story.

Now, admittedly, they have the foundations laid out for them. The rich history of fairy tales like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin.

See, even Disney 'borrow' ideas from other authors!

Their heroines, hero's - even their villains - are fleshed out and fully developed. They have back story, hopes, dreams and, sometimes, even a song telling us what they want.

But the ones who we find out the most about are the princesses. Yup, those feisty doe-eyed beauties with their needs and vulnerabilities.

Ever want to know what a Disney gal wants? Check out her song.



So, if you are ever stuck, maybe you just need an "I'm wishing" song. It doesn't have to be for your character either. Here's my writer wishing song in a Belle style.

"I want want my novels in the great wide somewhere,
I want all my books to sell,
I want to touch my fans,
I want to write the best I can,
I have themes, and scenes and plots and plans."

Go on, you know you want too write one too. :)

What Makes An Author Stand Out?

Thanks to everyone who has entered our 100 followers contest so far! There's still time to enter, so don't miss out!

I’m not certain how many of you watch America’s Got Talent. I've been watching this season and enjoying it quite a bit. Tonight the final four contestants will attempt to win the prize of one-million dollars. Thousands of people competed for this prize of fame and fortune, much like a writer does when he is querying his/her manuscript or submitting pages into a slush pile. So what makes these 4 contestants, 3 of them singers, better than all the others that tried out as well?

Originality.

Let’s take the first act, the non-singing one, called Fighting Gravity. Throughout the whole season, the judges kept telling them how original they were. They do a black light act that is pretty fun. And though they are only college frat boys, they found a niche and ran with it.

The second contestant is a singer from Mississippi named Michael Grimm. I really believe that his personality is what makes him unique. He is a great singer, but the world has a ton of great singers. It is his image (or voice to a writer) that makes him unique.

The third contestant is an opera singer named Jackie Evancho. I’ve heard my fair share of opera singers in my classes at college. (I was a music education major back then.) She is great, but, once again, there are a ton of great singers out in the world. So what makes her special? She’s only ten. Her age makes her unique. It reminds me a little of the YA fantasy novel called Eragon written by Christopher Paolini. I was drawn to that book originally because it was written by a 16 year old kid.

The last contestant is my favorite. His name is John Quayle. He too is an opera singer, but his alter ego, Prince Poppycock, is quite the entertainer. He turns his performances into…well, quite a spectacle, in a good way. He is defiantly an original in every possible way.

Let’s face it. There are thousands and thousands of writers out there, and they are all trying to break into the business. There really is only so many publishers and so many book spots that can be filled. We can use these performers as a learning tool. Singing and stage are a form of art and entertainment, just like writing. How they became successful can tell us a lot on how we can succeed at writing.

A ton of people write, lots write well. To be successful, one can't just be a great writer, they need to do it in a way that shines out in the dark mass of writers fighting to be seen. If you are an excellent writer with a generic concept, your book will probably not sell. If you are a good writer with a new and fresh idea or an exciting voice, you have a better shot at catching someone's eye. Concept and Voice are THAT important, especially with so many talented writers amongst us.

Oh, one more thing. An awesome idea falls flat with bad writing. Along with that great concept or voice, always strive to improve your craft.

So what makes an author stand out to you?

An Awesome Thanks: 100 Followers Contest!!

Yes, you read the title right. Operation Awesome is throwing another contest.

No, I’m not lying to you. I only do that to boys I don’t like…

Anyway, because of your uh-may-zing support, we’ve reached 100 followers in less than a month!! I don’t know about you, but I think pretty people deserve rewards. And since writers are super smoking hot, we here at OA figured we’d give you the best thanks in the history of thanks.

Here’s what you can win:

A ten-page critique by Katrina

A custom blog banner or button designed by Kristal

A ten-page critique by Kelly

A ten-page critique by Lindsay

A twenty-page critique by Angela

A one-line pitch AND query critique by yours truly

Official rule for the 100 Followers Contest: you must be a follower to enter (doesn’t matter if you’re an oldie or have recently followed the blog). We’d love for you guys to spread the word through Twitter and your own blogs, too, but you won’t be disqualified if you don’t. See? We’re nice like that. :)

Want to win something? All you have to do is leave a comment at the end of this post saying you want to participate. That’s it. Then stay tuned for this Sunday at noon, when we’ll announce the super smoking hot six winners.

What are you waiting for?? Get those pages, queries and one-line pitches ready!

Update: We have our winners! See if it's you.

Writers' Thoughts: What Makes A Re-Read?

We all love books. There's something wonderful about opening the cover for the first time and escaping into another world. And, unless it's The Neverending Story, we all know a book ends. But what quality does a book need to make you read it over and over again?"

So grab your beverage of choice (don't forget the cookies), sit back and let's talk.


Katrina: A re-readable book facilitates escape (read that like Dory on Finding Nemo) Es-cop-ay! Its characters are relatable, but way more exciting than me, so I can imagine living in their world--and the very thought gets me geeking out. A good example of this is Twilight. Bella is an every-girl, and yet she's brave (like I would hope to be in her situation). Since I'd rather not actually face homicidal freaks of nature, I'm happy Bella's there to go through it in my place. Also like Twilight, a re-readable book must have suspense. I can pick Twilight books up mid-chapter 39 and get sucked into the scene because of the artful suspense. And finally, a re-readable book must have humor--like Emmet, or in HP's case, Fred & George Weasley--to keep me coming back for more.

p.s. you guys, I'm sorry my answers are so long. I'm really not good at short answers.

Amparo: I'm a sucker for voice. It doesn't matter the genre or premise, I just want to feel like I'm genuinely inside someone else's head the entire time. Bonus points if that head is filled with snarky thoughts

Kelly: The books that I re-read for pleasure have it all: great characters who I want to spend time with, a compelling story with suspense that drives me forward, a satisfying resolution that I want to experience again, and beautiful writing that allows me to get lost in the pages.

My standards for books I re-read for craft aren't as impossibly high. Those books just need to solve problems that I grapple with as a writer in a way that I both admire and think I can achieve.

Lindsay: What makes a book a re-read for me is a mixture of voice, great characters, and a story that interests me. I love reading books where I'm sad when my time with the characters come to an end. One of my favourite books is Pride and Prejudice. I can still re-read that and get so caught up in the story (and characters) I forget I already know what will happen.

That, for me, is what makes a book a re-read. :)

Kristal: Gosh. Hard Question. I have such a short term memory, so any book I re-read is practically like entering the world all over again!

Seriously though... One reason I re-read a book is when a writer hides their secrets well. I love a book that tells me what's going to happen through hints, but I never spot them until the end. So I'd re-read that book to try to catch them as they happen. I also re-read when a book has passion. And I don't mean the smutty romance type of passion. I mean real emotional passion that sucks me in. I love to have my emotions sore. And I love a happy ending.

So that's us. We open the blog floor to you. What makes a book a re-read?

The Geniuses of WriteOnCon: Casey McCormick

Hi!!! Yes, I'm excited! We've got another literary rockstar interview for you today!

Casey McCormick (photo from WriteOnCon web site)

of 

WriteOnCon 2010

Also known as Casey McCormick of the Agent Spotlight series on her blog, Literary Rambles. Let me just say that when I discovered Agent Spotlight, it made my querying life 100x EASIER! Thank you, Casey!

Katrina Lantz: WriteOnCon was seriously epic, historic, unprecedented! As one of its organizers, did you expect WriteOnCon to garner as much industry support as it did? To what do you owe this?

Casey McCormick: We didn’t know what to expect when we started contacting industry professionals about WriteOnCon, so we were astounded when nearly everyone wanted to be involved. They loved the idea! The response from attendees was equally overwhelming and heartwarming.


We owe everything to the kidlit community. People in the children's book industry are some of the most amazing, giving, and vibrant people out there. It's an honor to be part of such a generally selfless, empowering community.


Katrina: What were your thoughts on opening morning when thousands flocked to the site to participate in the first free online writer's conference?

Casey: It was amazing to see the conference come to life, the first responses of our attendees. I couldn’t have been happier. It was really happening! Everyone loved it! 

Then, nightmare of nightmares, the server crashed and my thoughts were much more dour, but everything worked out just fine in the end, great even.

Katrina: What was the hardest part about WriteOnCon's organization?

Casey: I think the hardest part, for me, was keeping up with all the changes and e-mails. We threw so many ideas around in the beginning and had so many new developments during our brief three months of planning, that it was hard to keep everything straight. That, and time the whole project took. I think my family is glad to have me firmly back in the “real world” (for now)!

Katrina: What was the most important thing you learned this year that will help with future online conferences?

Casey: Dreams are not out of reach. WriteOnCon started as a small, crazy idea that turned into a large, amazing reality. I've realized how much a person can accomplish with the right amount of dedication, daring, and support.

Katrina: What’s next for WriteOnCon? The discussion forums remain active.
What role do you see WriteOnCon playing between annual conferences?

Casey: The forums will remain open between conferences, and I hope a great community will grow and bond there.

We also have monthly live events planned that will benefit writers while they eagerly await the big, annual conference each year.

Katrina: We think it's amazing the work you all did to put on such an amazing conference, and for FREE! Will next year's conference still be free?

Casey: Definitely! The free, accessible nature of the conference is WriteOnCon's very foundation. It's not going anywhere. 


Katrina: Do you know of any success stories (agents and authors who found each other during the conference)?

Casey: Several writers received requests from agents through the forums and contests, but I’m not sure if any matches resulted from that. I know many writers found critique partners and critique groups in the forums, and I count each of their stories as a success as well. It’s so important to have a source of support and feedback. 


Katrina: What do you think makes a writer AWESOME?


Casey: An awesome writer perseveres despite doubt and rejection, never stops learning and honing their craft, evokes emotion and reaction in their reader, and remains humble and gracious when success finally calls. 

Katrina: Beautiful answer!

Casey: Thank you so much for the interview and your support of WriteOnCon, Kristal, Kelly, Angela, Katrina, Amparo, and Lindsay. We're honored!

Umm, WE are honored! :-)

Other places you'll find Casey:
Follow Casey on Twitter
Literary Rambles
List of Interviews with Casey
Facebook
Flashy Fiction
Goodreads
Publisher's Marketplace 
SCBWI
Verla Kay Boards

Say hello to Casey in the comments!

Also, if you missed our interview with Elana Johnson, umm, why did you miss it?! 

In Which She Ponders the Use of Pen Names

This is only my second blog post, but already I’m thinking about a pen name. Because after my first post, I Googled myself to see if this blog came up. It didn’t.

Almost all the links were for the other Kelly Andrews.

Not the one who is the head of the Green Party in Northern Ireland. I wouldn’t mind being confused with her. And not one of the 257 other women (and probably men) who share my name in the United States alone.

Kelly Andrews, the pr0n model.

I thought to choose your pr0n star name, you were supposed to take the name of your childhood pet and combine it with the first street you lived on. Turned out my real name was perfectly adequate.

I wouldn’t mind getting some extra traffic on the site from the other Kelly Andrews’s fans. This blog is new. We can't be picky about how readers find it.

But the problem goes the other way. Should I some day have future fans, they are likely to be middle-graders. And t0pl3ss photos on the search page aren’t a good way for a kid-lit writer to endear herself to parents, teachers, and librarians.

My agent tells me I shouldn’t worry about a pen name just yet. I should worry about writing books, she’ll worry about selling them, and then if I someday get a contract, we’ll think about a pen name. After all, writers potentially have longer careers than pr0n stars, so eventually my actual links may crowd hers right off the first page. And at the rate I write and this business moves, we have plenty of time.

But now I’m contemplating a change, maybe adding my husband’s name in combination, or using a made-up name. I like the sound of Kelly Andred, which is almost my name, but uses the old English word for “woods.” I came across it in The Children’s Book, which is a book about a children’s writer by my favorite grown-up author, A.S. Byatt.

It would make a great story to tell interviewers someday. Ah, someday.

Which makes me realize that my agent is probably right, as always. Thinking up pen names without a book contract is rather like filling up my notebook with doodles that read Kelly Andrews, NYT Bestselling Writer, or Kelly Andrews, Nobel Laureate – right next to where it says Mrs. Robert Pattinson. (Just kidding, silly. I would be Mrs. Taylor Lautner. )

It’s all just daydreaming. Which can be a writer's best friend, except when it's really procrastination.

But still, if I’m going to switch, might as well do it now. If I change later, I could end up confusing my tens of readers (although most of friends and family would probably figure it out).

What are your thoughts on pen names? Anybody famous (or infamous) have your name? What’s a good reason to write under an assumed name?

And in the spirit of writerly helpfulness, here is an article from Rachelle Gardner, who actually knows what she’s talking about:

Should I Use a Nom de Plume?

Writing Is Like...

It’s no secret that I’m a girl who likes cake. I mean, what’s not to like about cake?

I also like writing. Big shock. So combining my two loves came as a bit of a no-brainer.

So here is my recipe for writing a novel.

When you bake you get the ingredients ready. I start with my flour, butter and sugar. In my plot's case it's the inciting incident, the bit where my MC accepts their fate, and the showdown.

I've got them ready in the bowl, but I still need to throw in a few more ingredients.

The eggs/supporting characters to bind it. The yummy flavour of a love interest...and don't forget the odd bit of dried fruit/antagonist as a road block to the gooey goodness.

Then I whip the mix together with the electric whisk of a voice/pacing and tension.

Pour into the cake tin of the word document/laptop.

Then it's into the oven to bake.

Once my cake/novel is ready (and cooled. Never rush into eating hot cake/editing a hot manuscript draft. You burn your tongue/have no objectivity.) I can add the decoration.

The jam layer of world building and the frosting topping of subplots. Don't forget to add the cherry/chocolate sprinkles of red herrings.

All that is left is to deliver to betas/CP for devouring.

With both writing and baking there's room for improvement. New ingredients to adapt, add, and remake each cake/book. The only way to do this?

Start all over again in revisions.

See, just like making a cake. :)

*No cakes/Manuscripts were harmed in the writing of this post.

Identifying Garbage: The First Step Towards Awesome.

Hey there! Kristal here. I’m very excited to be speaking to you all. It took me a while to figure out what I exactly wanted to say in my intro post. So, after much consideration and deliberation, I decided to go with garbage.

Now, I’m not talking about the stinky-kitchen-leftover type of garbage. Nope. I’m talking about the stinky load of tripe that one spews to Microsoft Word. Yes, I am talking about writing like garbage.

Now, just to make myself clear, I'm not telling you to write like garbage. What I’m getting at is to admit that you write like garbage, probably quite often. (Cause we all have our own versions and moments of suck.) If you don’t see the trash in your words, then you can never see the vision to improve.

Let me start with a face painting analogy, cause… Well, I just really wanted to stick face painting in my post somehow. In case you haven’t read my bio, I’m a professional face painter. I LOVE my job. And I could spend a whole post telling you why I love what I do. Instead, I’m going to use face painting to illustrate how identifying garbage is the first step to achieving awesome. Here is the first butterfly I ever painted.


At the time, I thought it was awesome. I was proud. Thought my butterfly kicked some major butt. But then I researched and opened my eyes to what professional face painters could do. Well…. I realized that I sucked. Now instead of wallowing in my suck, I grasped the knowledge of others, learned what they did, found out what paints and brushes they used. I practiced…A LOT, and my butterflies got better.



But I didn’t stop there. I kept practicing and studying those that were better than me, because I knew I was still far from being awesome. But even so, I improved. And the more I practiced, the better painter I became.


And now I do what I love for a business, and I am still improving. Here is my most recent butterfly.




And here is a progression of then until now.




I can still see flaws in my lines and techniques. Identifying my garbage helps take me one step closer to awesome. And, just so you know, it took me years to get to where I am now. My progress wasn't overnight.

Now let me bring this all back to writing.

When I first sat down and wrote, I poured out 12 pages of complete and utter muck. At the time, I thought I was the most gifted writer E-VAR! God had blessed me with this natural gift and I was going to blow everyone away with my shear awesomeness. But then I took a step back and read different books on writing.

I read Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass.
I read Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell
I read How to Write a Damn Good Novel by James N. Frey
I read Characters and Viewpoint by Orson Scott Card
I read several other books that I can no longer remember.
I read forums.
I read blogs
I took notes.

And only after I’d finished them all, did I turn back to my book. My eyes were opened to the utter and complete garbage that I wrote. And at that moment, my first baby step towards awesome took place.

Now, you might think that your book is perfect, that your writing is top par, that there is no possible way you could improve. I've done that before, and I’m afraid to tell you, my friend, it isn't true. If you really think this way, your book probably sucks. I've noticed, over the years, that the worst writers are usually the ones that think they have no flaws.

What you need is to read, to research, to open your eyes and accept criticism. To really look at your work apart from yourself and try to figure out what you can do better. Sure, you can feel good about what you’ve achieved, but don’t let pride get in the way to your journey towards awesome. No one, not even the bestselling author, is perfect. Everyone has room to improve.

So how can we take this first step? Finding a good critique group helps tons. If not a group, a really honest critique partner, one that isn't your mom or your sister, one that isn't going to just tell you how wonderful you are.There are a few groups online that you can start with as well.

• Query Tracker Forum has a section where you can post pages. (I met Katrina on there.)
• Absolute Write also has a place you can get feedback.
• And so does Critique Circle. (I met Angie on there). On critique circle you are required to submit critiques to get them. Giving feedback to other writers can be just as beneficial as getting comments.
• Get plugged into a critique group by interacting and meeting others online or locally.
  

Operation Awesome is a time commitment, yes. I also have to sacrifice some of my writing time to critique their work. But it is worth it. But like I said, giving critiques helps me learn just as much as getting them, especially when one is fortunate to get a group as good as OA.

Why The 'I' In 'Writer' Sucks

*waves hello* Amparo reporting for duty today! 

(yes, I have a weird name. Parents in YA are not the only ones with issues...)


Okay. For my first post e-vah, I'm going to start with a statement you all should remember: writers rock. 

Why?

Here’s my take: the word ‘awesome’ gets thrown around quite often. If you want to make someone pay attention to something you love, tell them it’s awesome. Not that you think it’s awesome, or what makes it awesome to you, but that it’s just plain awesome in general. Then see how that person reacts.

Reaction #1: “Really? Oh, well… Guess I’ll go check it out…”

Reaction #2: “Really???? OMG, that sounds SO AWESOME!! Why didn’t I know about it??” *slaps forehead twenty times*

If reaction #2 occurs, proceed with caution to the nearest exit. You are in the presence of a Norman Bates clone.

Either way, you’ve just pushed that person into whatever it is you want them to discover. The thing gets noticed, and you gain an ally in the gushing department. Double win.

I know, I know. What the heck does this have to do with writers, Amparo? Simple: writers are awesome because they do this exact thing. Spread the word. Reach out to those who don’t know. Push those who want to get better, or are thisclose to quitting.

Even simpler? Writers support. They are a team. A network. An entire world.

So the next time someone tells you something is awesome, put them in their place and say: “Really? Well, guess what? You suck at life! Writers are the only ones who deserve to be called awesome!!!”

Okay, okay. You can take out the ‘you suck at life’ part. Don’t want any bar brawls or anything…

There you go. Writers are awesome because they support each other. They don’t live in a vacuum. That ‘I’ in writer? Don’t ever believe it’s all it takes. Sure, you may be awesome all by yourself, but it’s easier to climb a hill when others are pushing you up.

‘Nuff said.

Now tell me, blogging buddies: what makes a writer awesome to you???

Mystery Agent Revealed: Mandy Hubbard!!

Mandy Hubbard (pic and bio from her website)

Mandy Hubbard is the author of Prada & Prejudice, You Wish, and five other to-be-published novels for teens. She is also a literary agent for D4EO Literary, where she represents authors of middle grade and teen fiction. She is currently living happily ever after with her husband and young daughter in Enumclaw, Washington. 

To help out queriers, Mandy has answered a couple brief questions:

What are you dying to see in queries right now?

I would love something that is hysterically funny-- YA or MG, I don't care. Make me laugh and I'm yours. Other wants: Something literary a la John Green or Sarah Dessen. A scandalous historical a la THE LUXE.

What's your favorite candy in the world?

Skittles! Nom Nom.

And now onto the results of the September Mystery Agent Pitch Contest... 

(Mandy's remarks are in burgundy)

Winner:

9. Michele Shaw for Scatter-YA romantic suspense

Living under a false identity to stay hidden from her murderous father is lonely, terrifying, and normal for seventeen-year-old CJ, but when a boy offers her the life she's always wanted, she must choose between shedding her lies to love him and breaking his heart to protect him.

Why I picked it: I love romance, for one, and this clearly has it. But I also love that I get a feel for the character and her internal conflict and I get the hook. Many people focus too much on the hook/concept and don’t inject anything about their characters into their pitch. Michele balanced both beautifully.

(Michele, don't forget to email your full MS to Mandy at Mandy@D4EO.com and mention you won this contest, though I'm sure she won't forget you.)

Other pitches that intrigued me:

(I’d love to see a full query with five page sample!)

.

 24. Jenn for Genre: YA Historical Romance

WISTFUL, after her extravagant Ton wedding, 15 year old Julie Haynesworth runs away from her ancient husband to live with a poor commoner family only to fall in love with the eldest son; too bad he thinks she’s a boy.

Told you I love romance!

36. Nancy Ashcraft Herman for Letters to Mary: A Donner Party Story

When 13-year-old Virginia Reed's powerful and arrogant father makes poor decisions that leave the Donner Party trapped in winter snows, she must find the courage to defy him in order to save the rest of her family. 

I’m always curious about books that use real historical figures, and what kinds of insight it might give us. This could be interesting!

46. Andrea Mack for The Ethan project, MG, contemporary

When Molly learns her 6-year-old cousin doesn't talk, she convinces her best friend to join in a project to help, but soon finds that fixing his problems won't fix her own. 

I’m intrigued here—why doesn't the 6 year old talk? And what problems of her own does Molly have?

If I didn’t choose your pitch, but you’d like to query me, please do! It’s really  hard to hook a person with a single sentence, so if I didn’t choose your entry it doesn’t mean I’m not interested in seeing a longer pitch. I ask for a query letter and a five page sample. Queries can be sent to Mandy@D4EO.com

Thanks! 

Thanks to Mandy for being our first ever Mystery Agent! 

Check out her books on goodreads:

Prada & Prejudice

To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips…conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

You Wish

What if all your wishes really came true? 

Ripple (not out yet, eat your heart out)

Eighteen year old Lexi Wentworth is cursed. For as long as she can remember, she’s spent every night swimming. If she doesn’t, she’ll regret it—simply walking will be agony, as if she’s stepping on shattered glass. Her body craves the water, demands the water, until she can’t say no.

Her submission guidelines

And other (longer) interviews:

CYNSATIONS

Day by Day Writer

Once Upon a Review

unedited

Ranting is the World's Best Cure

Bloggers Heart Books

Margie Writes

Mother.Write.(Repeat.)

The Sweet Bookshelf

Mandy also writes at one of my favorite group blogs, LET THE WORDS FLOW

Congratulations to the winners! Now get to querying!