T is for Travel

Join me as I blog through the alphabet. We post every day in April except Sundays. There are many others participating in the 2014 A to Z Challenge too, which is the brainchild of Arlee Bird at Tossing it Out. I'd like to encourage you to visit their entertaining, informative blogs. I'm amazed at the many talented people who participate in the A to Z Challenge.

Today I've chosen the word TRAVEL, and that would be Travel by car. Trains might be fun too, but I want to travel in  conjunction with writer's conferences.

Hubby and I had planned to attend the Jambalaya Writers' Conference this year but we had a wedding to attend. We also wanted to go to Nashville this August, do a little exploring and attend the Killer Nashville conference. Daughter's wedding is that exact weekend. Something to look forward to in 2015, I guess.

There are a number of mystery conferences across the country. Key West is on our list of places to see. Here's an interesting writer's workshop, though I don't know many of these instructors. I think for me, the Mystery Writers Key West Fest sounds more fun.

There are some wonderful conferences all across the country: Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, New Orleans and Atlanta!

We haven't had a vacation in fourteen years, so Travel with a capital T is definitely on our list of things to do. And when we sit down to make our list of places we want to go, I'll research writers' conferences and plan our trip. Any suggestions?

What's the best conference you've ever attended? Do you vacation every year?

Contest Feedback

For the past several years, I've enjoyed entering the Killer Nashville Claymore contest. One reason I like it so much is because it's for both published and unpublished writers. To me, that means a lot. I like competing with more experienced writers--especially when I place in the contest. A few years ago, I was a top ten finalist. Of course, I think I was at the bottom of the top ten, but still ...

Last year, I posted comments and critique from my judges on a manuscript that didn't place. If you missed it, you can read it here. Below is feedback on my 2013 entry. I've learned a lot from KN's feedback. I'm seeing a lot of the same comments over and over again. For example, less dialogue and more narrative. That's hard for me. I LOVE dialogue! Reading it and  writing it. All their suggestions are worth looking at and I thought you might be interested. Killer Nashville is a great little conference--growing tremendously in reputation and attendance. Check it out.

Claymore Feedback Form
Title: __All in the Family_ ________
Strong Beginning

The judges liked that author introduced the crime right away in a dramatic way, but thought that the principal’s behavior was unrealistic and a bit confusing. Why wouldn’t he offer to watch her class?

Character

The author did a good job describing the characters. The interactions with the relatives were very vivid. Yet, the writer may want to rethink making the main character, Teemy, stupid. One said, “Being a teacher, I believe she should be intelligent. A few of her lines seemed unnatural. Example of one of her lines that didn’t work: “How did everyone know?” (It was just yelled to the entire class.)”

Setting

The description of the house was realistic and intriguing. One judge said, “I felt like I wanted to visit the home.” However, it lacked a true description of the town and school.

Dialogue

Some of the voices sounded the same. Incidences that were developed through action were repeated in the dialogue, slowing the story down. Less dialogue and more narrative could strengthen the story and add more depth.

Plot

The judges thought this was an interesting premise and liked the direction of the story.

Suspense/Tension

The suspense is strong. More tension could be added with more showing instead of telling. (Immerse the reader in the scene rather than just telling us what happened.)

Conflicts

The conflicts are realistic and carry throughout the story – well done.

Pacing

It is fast paced, but it may need to slow down a bit. The author needs to take the time to tell the story. While it may seem counterintuitive, it’s often more effective to immerse the reader in a scene; even though it takes more words, the pacing can seem quicker.

Voice/Writing Style

This is a talented writer with an interesting story. Be careful of an over-reliance on clichés.

Grammar and Mechanics

There are no problems in this area. The judges only noticed a few missing commas.

Additional Comments

One judge said, "I see a lot of potential with this story. With the help of an experienced editor, this could be a hit."

Do You Have a Writing Plan?

I'm so behind in blogging that I should really do my own A to Z just to keep myself on track. Here's what I've been doing:


Reading the galleys to The Last Daughter. I think if I have to read this story one more time, I'll tear my hair out. I love my characters and the story, but I'm ready to move on. I can't read through a manuscript (even a published book) without wanting to make changes! I believe I still have one more read-through after these galleys. Arghh!

Revising the first fifty pages for my Killer Nashville contest entry. Deadline is June 1st. I may not make it! If you'd like to enter the Claymore contest (you do NOT have to attend the conference to enter) check it out.

Every Thursday I have a Beth Moore Bible study on Daniel. If you're familiar with Beth Moore, you know there's daily homework. This is my second time to take the Daniel course. It's fabulous. Of course, all her studies are.

Now, for my big news: some of you know I pitched to a Harlequin editor on Wednesday. This was the Happily Ever After pitch in a chat room, much like speed dating. We read the bios of three editors and had to choose the one we thought would be interested in our story. That alone was tricky! Then, we perfected a pitch in 100 words or less. There was no chit chat or questions asked in the chat room. Response from the editor would be one of the following:

Check one: __I’ll cry if you don’t send me your manuscript (requested full)
__I’d like to get to know your manuscript better (requested proposal)
__I’m not sure if there’s a spark between your manuscript and me, but I’m willing to give it a chance to convince me (requested synopsis)
__There’s just no connection between your manuscript and me (no request, but isn’t it great to know the idea won’t work before you spend time writing it?)

The editor I chose responded to my pitch with "I'll cry if you don't send me your manuscript." She requested the FULL and said the story sounded unique.

When we signed up for this event, we had to specify how much of our novel was finished.  I said I had a 36,000 word very rough draft completed. Okay, so now that I've lived with this rough draft for awhile, and worked on a synopsis, I better know the direction I want to go with the book. Thankfully, I tailored the pitch in the right direction and pinpointed the conflict but I feel panicked about revising it FAST.

Common sense tells me to get the manuscript finished and to the editor as soon as possible. I have 36,000 words. I need 55,000 words at the minimum. Each chapter (with the exception of the first two) has to be rewritten--revised, fleshed out, some chapters even have to be completely changed. Here's a picture of my rough draft with Love Inspired guidelines visible so I can refer to them often. 

I need some direction: Suggest a workable writing plan and/or some tips that will help me finish this book. My weaknesses are: setting, description, deep editing so any help you can give me in these three areas will be appreciated. If I use any of your suggestions, I'll dedicate the book to you--if it sells.

I'm sloshing through but I'm working at the pace of a sick snail so if you want to share a writing plan, feel free! And give me a deadline too. I love deadlines!

Monday Markets and More

Thought I’d share some markets and contests today, as well as a conference I attended last year.

Killer Nashville is a great little conference for mystery writers and it's coming up in August. They hold a contest too but the deadline is fast approaching--June 1st. If you place or win, your book will be considered by Five Star. The editor is the finalist judge. One of the perks of this contest is that you don’t have to attend the conference to enter the contest, but certainly you’ll want to if you learn you final.  The Killer Nashville conference is small, intimate and has great sessions. Even if you don't write mysteries it's a fun conference. They stage a crime for you to solve and they have some interesting speakers--some of them REAL law enforcement officers. Take a look at their blog HERE. To learn more about Killer Nashville, go HERE and tour the site carefully. I hope I see you there!

Here’s a novel contest I learned about from friend Linda F. Todd.  The 2012 prizewinner will receive a publishing contract with a $7,500 advance and a $5,000 marketing budget. The winning novel will be published in the Spring of 2013 in a hardcover or trade paperback edition by Counterpoint/Softskull Press and distributed to the book trade by Publishers Group West.  The deadline is June 15th and  there are no fees to enter.

Pill Hill Press has a lot going on these days. Check out their website. They’re inviting recipes for a cookbook and some stories for anthologies.  Look at their opportunities for publication HERE.

Do you write essays or creative nonfiction? Consider contributing to the Easy to Love series of books.  CURRENT CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Easy to Love but Hard to Teach and Easy to Love but Hard to Treat

Here’s a market for women writers over 60.

There are markets, contests and conferences everywhere. Do you have any favorites?

Plotting at Killer Nashville

I’ve had to put aside blogging and some of the books I’m reading to meet deadlines. My attention is so easily yanked from one interesting subject to another. Robert Dugoni’s The Jury Master came yesterday. I thumbed to the first page and moments later realized I’d read three chapters and lost all sense of time.  He’s got an excellent writing style. Excellent storyteller. Last night I stayed up until midnight again—went to YouTube and looked for every interview I could find with Dugoni. Watched them all. He’s such a likable guy and he always shares something valuable.

I’m a terrible note-taker. When interviewing I always take tape recorders with me. Yes, tape recorderS. Just in case. My notes during the Killer Nashville conference are sporadic and abbreviated, to say the least. Out of all the good stuff P.J. Parrish said on the plotting panel, I have one thing beneath her name: “Plotting is nothing without good pacing.” I got caught up in all she was saying, but too, I guess that’s what resonated with me the most. I see myself as a weak plotter and if I'm not careful my story will move at a snail's pace.

I have much written beneath  Debbie Henson’s name: She said she identifies three climaxes in her story. I take that to mean three major plot points, then she builds her book around those three.  The first climax occurs during the first third of the book, the second climax is in the middle and it changes the game, offers the big twist that moves the book forward. Then there’s the climax that offers a race to the end—the finish. She uses a bulletin board, writes her three climaxes on index cards and builds her story with scenes.

We each have to do what works for us and I think the reason Debbie’s method appeals to me is I did pretty much the same thing when I wrote my first book. I took 12 sheets of paper, each symbolizing a chapter of the book. I outlined on each sheet/chapter—loosely. I started writing. As I wrote, I filled in my pages. It worked. That book got published—and I’ve never, ever used that method again or sold a book. For some reason, I’ve became a seat of the pants writer. What’s wrong with this picture?

I’ll have more posts on Killer Nashville but on another note:

I’m writing a short piece on Walker Percy for Southern Writers Magazine. I can’t begin to tell you how enamored I am with this man. I can’t possibly use all the interesting info I’ve collected about him and hope to do a blog post too, but for sure I want to tell you now that a Walker Percy symposium will be happening October 14-16. The conference will take place on Loyola University campus in New Orleans. That;s located in the Uptown area of N.O. across from Audubon Park. This is going to be very interesting. Wish I could go--Check it out HERE.

Did anyone watch the Walker Percy documentary? It's for sale HERE.

Donald Bain: Murder He Wrote at Killer Nashville

Killer Nashville had a couple of very interesting keynote speakers. One was Donald Bain, author of the Murder She Wrote books.

Bain has written more than 100 books—mysteries, comedies, westerns, biographies and investigative journalism. Because of contractual obligations, he can’t publicly take credit for some of the novels and nonfiction books he’s ghosted.

Mr. Bain advised conference attendees to “Say no to nothing. Be open to everything.”

He also told us that “A good writer should be able to write about anything.”

One thing he keeps in his mind while writing is: “This is the most important thing I’ll ever write—and it may be the last.”

I like his philosophy—and the way he motivates himself. He said he used to be a morning person, but now he enjoys his leisurely mornings over coffee. (Me too, but since I gave up being a morning person, I've never quite found my writing groove.)  Bain writes seven days a week.

To learn more about Donald Bain, you might want to check out his autobiography: Murder He Wrote: A Successful Writer’s Life.

And remember: Be open to everything.

KILLER NASHVILLE - TV Coverage

My friend Linda and I are shown in the Killer Nashville bookstore on a Nashville TV station. For those of you who don't know me, I'm the gray-haired woman in the black blouse and I've just met Patricia Winton, a Sisters In Crime Internet friend. We're gabbing away about her short story, Feeding Frenzy, that was published in The Guppy Anthology. The Guppies are a chapter of SinC.

It's weird that you can see me reflected in the mirror, behind the guy talking about his novel.  My hair looks pretty good considering I hate going to the beauty shop and cut it myself.  Of course, some of you may think it looks as though I cut it myself. I take that risk because I really, really HATE going to the beauty shop. Just seems like a waste of time and a waste of money. Besides, I don't have to look at my hair--you do. :-)

After the short advertisement featuring a roller coaster, stay tuned for the Killer Nashville thing. You'll see the crime scene conferees had to solve. The body looks real!

http://www.wsmv.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=6201392#.Tl108PCkYp5

If I'd known there was a news team nearby, you would have seen me drop and roll to avoid them. One of those sneaky freelance guys, I believe.

Home from Killer Nashville

I’m back from Nashville and completely worn out. I might be a little too old and out of shape to drive 11 hours straight—but it was worth it. This is the first conference I’ve attended where I was totally relaxed and not a nervous wreck. Maybe wisdom really does come with age.

By now, you know I did not win the Claymore award. Of course you know. I’m not shouting “I won, I won” from the rooftop.  I have to say though, I was in excellent company as a top 10 finalist.

Judith Dailey won first place with her novel Animal, Vegetable, Murder. Neat title, huh?

The other two in the top three are Joan Lipinsky Cochran who wrote The Yiddish Gangster's Daughter and Craig Faustus Buck who entered his novel, Go Down Hard.

My money was always on Craig. Don't know him and never met him, but reading his bio, I felt certain he would be the overall winner or make the top three. There's something about writing scripts that gives writers an edge. Craig has been a journalist, a NF book author, and written for TV. He's also written movies of the week and mini-series. Remember Simon and Simon and Magnum P.I.? I loved those guys and watched them faithfully! Having a history with those two shows alone, Craig had my vote!

You might have an idea the caliber of writing I was up against. Killer Nashville was a wonderful experience for me. I'll be posting more about it so I hope you'll pop back over for a visit.

KILLER NASHVILLE HERE I COME

Killer Nashville, here I come. My friend Linda and I will be taking off early Thursday morning heading to Nashville where we'll rub shoulders with a lot of people who love murder and mahem.That sounds creepy, doesn't it? Maybe I should clarify--they love writing about it.

The 10+ hour drive is a little daunting; I can honestly say I'm dreading it. Since Linda does all her writing by hand, I've suggested we write a novella all the way there and back. We should be able to whip out 22,000+ words there and back, shouldn't we? I don't know that the idea thrilled Linda; guess I'll find out Thursday morning if she has her pen and yellow pad in her lap by the time we pull out my drive.

Years ago my daughter and I attended a Sisters In Crime conference in Houston. I learned a lot. I haven't attended another conference solely dedicated to suspense, mystery, and crime. I understand Killer Nashville is one of the best. It began in 2006. The conference offers five concurrent tracks: The Writing Track, The Publishing Track, The Career Management & Promotion Track, The Forensic Track and The Fan Track. I'm always totally confused about what to attend when I go to conferences. I wish I could clone myself and attend everything! I want to attend Creating Mood and Atmosphere in Fiction (I'm so totally rotten at that!) but I also want to attend Writing and Selling YA Suspense. Even if I could attend both, I'd be missing Law Enforcement Jurisdiction by a real FBI Special Agent. What's a writer to do in a case like this?

Killer Nashville was founded by writer/filmmaker Clay Stafford of American Blackguard Film and Television. Clay is an international award-winning writer, director, producer, actor and speaker. He's worked for PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Sony Pictures, Republic Pictures, Disney, and Universal Studios. And all I can say is ... WOW! Go check out his CREDITS.

I've wanted to attend Killer Nashville since its inception,  So thank you, dear husband, for making it possible. Expenses paid and new car for travel. I promise, I'll write faster, harder, and strive to sell my book. (Pssst, sometimes he thinks I'm a slacker.)

I read on another contest finalists blog that there were 232 entries in the Claymore contest. If that's true, then I really feel honored to be in the top 10. Several of those finalists have published books under their belts; remember, this is a contest for both published and unpublished writers. Only the manuscript need be unpubbed. And only the first 50 pages are entered.

I'm probably showing my ignorance here, but I have no clue where they got the name for the Claymore contest. All I know is that the Claymore was the greatest sword of its period, wielded by only the most powerful knights.

So yeah, I'd love to hold it in my nervous, hot, sweaty little hands!

Needless to say, I'm so excited. But I want to tell you something  ...

If by some weird stretch of the imagination, I win--even if I'm in the top three--I might not survive it. I might pass out cold, or even, God forbid, have a fatal attack because of my adrenalin rush. I just want to tell you now before it's too late . . . I appreciate and love all you readers and followers. You've made blogging fun.

Hopefully, see you when I get back. ~jess

P.S.  Mama always said I was dramatic. :)

Growing Old Gracefully ... and Having Fun!

Quick post to let you know the new issue of Swamp Lily Review is HERE. We had a lot of submissions for this issue. I have no doubt I'd be totally overwhelmed if we accepted submissions from all over the country. Hope you enjoy the poems, short stories and photography we accepted. I think they're great. My partner Jan who contributes to a new reviews site, tweaked Swamp Lily Review, and it looks beautiful. Let us know what you think. We're on Facebook too so join us there.

I also want to let you know that Southern Writers Magazine (I'm a staff writer!) has started a blog so you can follow it HERE.

On another note, I've registered for the Killer Nashville conference. I'll be sitting in the audience, heart pounding, palms sweating, as they call out the winner of their Claymore contest. I'm thrilled to be a part of this and in the top ten. My hubby gave me the "All Expenses Paid" conference for my birthday so turning "old" hasn't been ALL bad.  Now I need to practice my pitch and start taking some B-O-L-D vitamins. I've attended a lot of conferences in my lifetime, but in spite of my self-pep talks, I always find myself becoming a shrinking violet. I hold up a lot of walls.

So, help me with this. What's your best tip for attending conferences and pitching to editors and agents? Share!

KILLER NASHVILLE'S 2011 CLAYMORE AWARD FINALIST!

I don't usually post twice in one day, but I just got some GREAT news. I'm a finalist in the Killer Nashville 2011 Claymore Award Contest. The conference is in late August and I've been waiting to see when we'll relocate to Mississippi before I register for the conference. I didn't plan to go if we didn't move. After all, it's about 8+ hours away and I've given up flying. But now ... now... I think being a finalist puts a different slant on travel, doesn't it? The other finalists are listed below. I have no doubt I'm in good company. Don't their titles sound wonderful?

A finalist! ME! Killer Nashville! Pinch me!


Congratulations to the 2011 Claymore Award Top Ten Finalists (in alphabetical order by title):

Baron R. Birtcher (Rain Dogs)
Craig Faustus Buck (Go Down Hard)
Bryan Camp (Where the Dead Remain)
Joan Lipinsky Cochran (The Yiddish Gangster's Daughter)
Judith Dailey (Animal, Vegetable, Murder)
Debora Dale (Canyon Road)
Jessica Ferguson (A Bad Guy Forever)
Frank Jenkins (An Embarrassment of Riches)
Doc Macomber (Riff Raff)
E. Joan Sims (A.K.A. Love)