Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Focus on the Novel

I haven't posted in quite some time. I was working on finishing up a picture book manuscript that needed to go out by May 7th. Which is exactly when it was postmarked. At least I made it.

Now I'm gearing up for our Indiana SCBWI conference this weekend, Focus on the Novel. Stephen Roxburgh, the president and founder of namelos, will be speaking Friday and Saturday. He also worked at Front Street Books and Boyds Mills Press as a publisher. His information will not only be beneficial, but I'm hoping motivational, since I really need a creative boost to get this most recent edit of my novel done. My main character has been stuck in a tumultuous situation for the longest time now...he really wants me to write his way out of it. I just need a little creative boost to get that done.

Lisa Graff, a former editor for FSG Books for Young Readers, will talk on Saturday about writing first chapters for middle grade and young adult novels. That is now her speciality and I'm sure her information will be valuable.

Helen Frost, another award-winning author, will be joining the panel for discussion at the end of the conference. I do believe she is doing critiques too.

This should be a fantastic weekend and I look forward to seeing lots of writing friends that I haven't seen since this past fall (at our last conference). Almost all the members of my critique group are coming as well, which makes it even better. Now, if I can just get there without getting lost....


Thanks for stopping by,
Katie

2 comments:

John Robert McFarland said...

I don't have much trouble with those Chapter Ones. It's the last one I usually can't get up the gumption to write.

Katie M. said...

I'm finding that it's not really the first or last chapter that actually gets to me. It's somewhere in the middle I sort of lose track!