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Monday, May 20, 2013

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)?

35 comments:

  1. You LDSers are driving me mad with jealousy! Glad you enjoyed yourself.

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    1. I hope you're able to go one day. Next year they're moving it to Ogden and doing it in April (24-26th I think)

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  2. Wow! Sounds like you had an amazingly wonderful time and I'm so jealous by all of your wonderful experiences!! My life is so boring. You go girl!

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    1. No life is boring-just filled with different "stuff." I hope you're able to get to a conference here and there. My goal is one a year. I learn a ton, meet great friends, and am inspired to get back to the writing in a more powerful way. I <3 writing conferences.

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  3. OMG, I would have loved to have gone. I know so many people who went. And it'd be awesome to meet Natalie Whipple and Kimberly Griffith. Loved all the pictures and hearing about it.

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    1. Thanks Natalie! I would love to meet you. You're so kind and always commenting all over the blogsphere. Natalie and Kimberly were incredible. I sat behind Kimberly's table and we talked submissions and writing and the Deep South (I used to live in S. Mississippi).

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  4. I would love to get to Storymakers someday. Not only does it look like a terrific conference, but there are so many people I follow on blogs that go. That would be so cool to meet all them.

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    1. Agreed. Meeting all the bloggers were so fun. And interesting too-we don't all look like our pictures:D

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  5. Love all these pictures! It was so fun to meet you!!

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    1. Great to meet you, as well. Thanks again for that awesome dinner. It couldn't have been easy putting it all together!

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  6. So glad I got to meet you, Robin. And congrats again on your award!

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    1. Thanks Emily! It was fun to meet you too!

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  7. I'd say my favorite part was simply being there, soaking in the awesomeness like a cosmic sponge. Excellent recap of the conference, Robin. Good to see you again! :)

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    1. Thanks DPK! and excellent work on the dinner. Loved your recap post, btw:)

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  8. That quilt is so beautiful, and I think I went a little overboard stalking people to take a pic with me. :) Congrats on your first chapter win...so well deserved! I miss you already--good luck with the big move!

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    1. Thanks, Ilima. I do love that quilt. And stalking people for pictures is what I'm planning on doing next time. Miss you too!

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  9. Ohhhh... I was there! How did we not meet??? I saw everyone in those pictures! Love your recap, Robin. That was way fun. And I'm *such* a huge SCBWI fan---I go to at least one conference a year! And sooooo neat with the chapter win!!!

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    1. We did meet briefly Saturday morning. I was with Precy Larkins outside the ballroom, I think. It's okay you don't remember. You're a red head. We brunettes all blend together--next time I'll make sure you remember me:D

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  10. It was so fun to see you again and catch up! Good luck with all the upcoming craziness!

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    1. You too, Jeni! Congrats on the contest win and so good to see you. I missed you last year. Thanks for the luck. I need all I can get with this coast to coast move;)

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  11. Great recap, Robin! I was in some of these same classes, and still you caught some things I didn't. Looking forward to your more in-depth recaps, too. Good luck with the packing and moving!

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    1. Thanks, Katie! I enjoyed your recap as well. It's fun to read/see what other people gained from the conference. Anne was amazing, so much so that I don't even dare going more in-depth on her class. So much was her voice and tone and the feeling behind everything she said. I'm glad she was the keynote speaker. I'm looking forward to reading her books.

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  12. Awesome Robin. It was awesome, wasn't it? I was happy to finally meet you in person.

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    1. It was great to meet you. And yes, Storymakers was awesome. I don't know if I can swing next year since we're moving back east, but hopefully I'll be out for every other one.

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  13. I'm so dang jealous while reading all these LDStorymakers posts'! I must travel to Utah one of these days, learn things about writing and meet my friends in person! You all look so adorable in those photos!

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    1. I hope you try Storymakers on day. I live in CA, but drove up for the event. It was totally worth it. It would be great to meet you in person. Hopefully one day soon!

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  14. Was such a fun conference! I enjoyed meeting you. Loved hearing about the classes you attended, since I went to different ones. Good luck with your writing and move!

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    1. I read your post-it is fun to see/read about what everyone else experienced. So glad you looked me up and thanks for the follow:D

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  15. Woot! We look pretty! hehehe!

    p.s. I stole...er...borrowed your photo for my blogpost. :)

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  16. Fabulous pictures Robin! I'm glad you stepped outside your shy zone and spoke up. Great recap too!

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  17. Yay for Storymakers! It was awesome to meet you there. :)

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  18. Hi Robin! I have a picture of you from Storymakers, but I didn't get to visit with you much. We definitely need to get to know each other! :)

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  19. Sounds like you had a wonderful time! What a beautiful keepsake quilt, too! I love conferences...they leave me feeling so energized! ;)

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  20. I would love to attend a conference someday! It sounds like you had a great time.

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  21. Ooh that sounds like an amazing experience. I hope to go to a conference in the near future. Would be so amazing. :-)

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