LDStorymakers 2013: Favorite Tidbits

I attended my first LDStorymakers conference two weekends ago. *waves to all my new friends*
I was able to spend the weekend with my CPs, The Plum Critters (we missed our Taryn).

Katie, me, Ilima, and Emily at lunch the last day

 I'm totally shy in public, like please-don't-look-at-me-or-I'll-pee-my-pants shy, but I told myself I would be bold, I would be brave, I would introduce myself to people and talk to strangers-and for the most part I did. On the first day I even went up to Jenn Johansson and Natalie Whipple and told them what a huge fan I am. I was reading INSOMNIA (so good) and I told Natalie I couldn't wait to read TRANSPARENT. To my shock she told me she had 2 copies, an ARC and the British version and I could pick one. I chose the British version:) I'm still kicking myself that I didn't get a picture with them, but I opened my mouth to wonderful results!

My CP Emily gave me the quilt she's been working on during her Friday sew days. I write under it every morning. She gave me a rainbow of colors because the hi-desert is varying shades of brown and I miss the green of my childhood.

Chris, Renee, Emily, me, Ailsa, Matthew

Day 1:
Publication Primer lead by Renee Collins, author of RELIC (fall 2013). I took the first chapter of my WIP, Gutter Girl. We only had 5 writers in our group and we each had an hour for our work. I had tons of positive feedback and great ideas for little bits to tweak and improve. I totally crushed on one of my classmate's books-it was an adult urban fantasy and it totally sucked me in. I tried to control my fangirl self, but when he told me my writing made him want to read YA, a genre he avoids, I may or may not have squealed.

That night I joined a group of writers for dinner at my favorite Provo location
 and celebrated as Ilima Todd announced her 2 book deal with Shadow Mountain.

Katie, me (not aware of the camera), and Emily

Ilima, me, and J.A. Bennet (who put on the super fun dinner with DPK) 

Below I'm including a tidbit from each class I attended. There were so many good classes to choose from. I wish I could have gone to them all.

Day 2:
Hannah Bowman's Master Class on Plot*
One good idea isn't enough for a book, only a premise. We need one good idea on every page.

Jordan McCullum: All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Grow
There is something deeper your character needs/lacks. If you're not sure what it is here's a cheat: look to the end of your MS--what does your MC gain?

Michael Bourret (and James Dashner)*
My favorite thing Michael said, (if I'd been drinking milk it would have spewed out my nose): Goodreads is the root of all evil.
James's added, "If I love a book I tweet and blog about it, if I don't love a book, I never mention it."

Janette Rallison: Writing Unputdownable YA*
Your hero is only as strong as the antagonist.

Anne Perry: Keynote Address
We can write good letters, but a book is of more value. It is a letter to mankind.

Book signing!! This event could be a post of its own. Here I am with Kimberly Griffiths Little and her book When the Butterflies Came.

Day 3:
Met my agent sister Precy Larkins

Anne Perry Master Class:
Great beginnings and great endings must fit the theme. Especially the end. Know when you're done and stop.

Sandra Taylor: Blogging
"Why do I write? Because I see little stories everywhere and I want to catch them much like a child catches a moth" -Doyle

Lunch: 1st chapter contest. LOVESENSE placed 2nd in YA Spec! My friends Celesta Rimington and Kate Coursey also placed.

Celestia (5th), Kate (1st), Me (2nd)

Alyssa Henkin: The Sunny Side of Publishing
Remember the good, happy stories. Buck a trend-don't follow it.

John Brown: Story Turns*
Turns have a shelf life: they expire. You have to have lots of them.

I'm planning on posting in more detail about the classes with asterisks in the next few weeks, but it might take me longer with my cross-country move looming in 4 weeks!

Did you attend Storymakers? What was your favorite tidbit? Do you have another favorite conference (possibly on the East Coast)?