Conference Recap: Childish Mistakes in Writing for Children

You like meat? Because I'm about to give you the meat. My favorite class from NCW: Childish Mistakes in Writing for Children by Kelly Sonnack from Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Best class ever? Possibly.

The Andrea Brown Agency also participates in The Big Sur Children's Writing Workshop. Shannon Whitney Messenger just went to the March session. They have another in December and I'm seriously considering it. If you want to write for children/MG/YA, then this workshop is going to be nothing but meat and potatoes. I'm sure worth every penny.

Now to the recap.

What I learned about childish mistakes in writing for children:

1. Don't preach or speak down to children. Children are smart and they'll get bored or annoyed if you try to preach morals or talk to them as if they're babies. In Middle Grade, their moms aren't reading to them, so don't write like you're their parent. Now if you want to have a moral in your story, that's fine as long as you make it transparent and invisible to the child.

2. Don't be a copycat. Don't copy bestsellers or classics. Don't write to trends or for the bandwagon. It typically takes 18 months from signing with a publisher till its release. So if you're writing for a trend, it will possibly pass before your book comes out. Instead, figure out what classics do to transcend their lifetimes. Then put a modern or fresh interpretation on a classic style.

3. Don't write about your pet, grandkid, child, or yourself. Kids won't be interested. Make the experience bigger than yourself and your experience.

4. Is your protagonist the right age? In MG and YA, the protagonist should be the age of your intended reader or a bit older. The protagonist should never be an adult and adults should not be rescuing or solving the central conflict. Empower the child.

5. You might be "telling" if you ...

• Use the words felt or was.
• Say something to the effect of "His life changed when..."
• Write: she raised an eyebrow to show how ridiculous it was. Don't tell what you've shown.
• List character specs. Let the reader discover your characters for themselves.
• Use a mirror to describe anything. Avoid the mirror.
• Use full name to describe your character: John Paul Peterson.

Show, don't tell. I know, we hear it everywhere but it is tough to do well. Showing includes emotion, action, and sensory detail. But avoid: rolling eyes, sighing, blushing, face draining, weather reports, tears or crying (a manuscript should not have more than one cry in the book), !!!!ONLY WHEN YELLING!!!!!!!

6. Dialogue should always move the story forward. Hey, how are you? Good. Good. Cut mundane dialogue or statements. Boring, no one wants to read it. And in MG, word count is precious. Don't use stereotypical dialogue--it trips the reader and makes your characters seem less smart. Examples: Gawd, like. If your character whines, don't drag out words. Mooooooooom, nooooo, sheeeeez. But mostly avoid whiny kids. Don't talk baby talk either. I go bye bye. Me go home now. Don't talk to the reader, don't be a chatty narrator. Don't you think that's unfair?

7. Don't start your story in a fight. No one wants to enter a room where people are fighting. It makes your character less likable. And your protag needs to be likable. So don't overdo teen/pre-teen angst.

8. The villain needs as much depth as the protag. No cliche villains or snide mustache twirling. The most intriguing villains have as much to offer as the hero. Especially when they don't see themselves as villains.

I told you. Meat. Do you have any tips or rules for writing for middle grade?

Writing Conference Dos and Don'ts

The conference is coming and I'm really excited. Mainly because I just received my new business cards in the mail. They look good. I feel good...well except for my pitch. I might throw it out there for opinions sometime next week.

So here's my list of dos and don'ts at a conference. Probably nothing new, but it definitely applies to me.

When attending a writer's conference...

Do

1. Before pitching, learn everything about and talk to the agent to make sure it is a good fit. See my sad but positive story about pitching last year.
2. Talk to people. Network is everything. And guess what? Most people want to talk. Of course do not stalk agents, especially in bathrooms or elevators. But they are fair game if they're sitting at the bar or mingling before dinner.
3. Bring business cards. It is a great way to easily exchange relevant info with other writers, agents, etc. No scraps of anything required.
4. Dress (at least) corporate casual but no prom dresses. I've seen the full spectrum. Keep it professional, even if it is a long day.
5. Pitch. Have a manuscript complete first, but definitely pitch. Great practice, great advice, great opportunity. Do it.
6. Bring a laptop if you got it. I scribbled on a regular-non-tech notepad last year. So yeah, I just barely dusted it off a few weeks ago. I had forgotten many of the great tips I had learned. This time, I may blog as I go. Much easier way to manage and categorize for later access.
7. Volunteer. If it is a small conference, they often need help. This year, I'm a session volunteer which means I assist the speaker for the session. Does that mean getting them a water or something? Probably. But it makes my face familiar and it's an easy way to talk without it feeling forced.
8. Bring mints and/or candy to keep it fresh and share with those around you. Fresh breath and a great ice breaker for meeting people. Who could resist my red vines or junior mints? Yeah, those might be a bit bulky...

I do do. (for all the 30 Rock luvas)

Don't (absolutely not. no thinky about doing.)

1. Ask agents about what boy potty talk slang words you can use in MG. Arrrgh. I know, I did it. It was wrong. A bitty backstory: my husband and I were at a stale mate on whether you could use the term butt nugget in a MG novel. (I know.) I didn't think you could but I decided to ask the agent just to get a ruling. Horrible, awful, no good choice. It was like asking an overweight person when their baby was due. The agent's mouth dropped a little and said, "absolutely not." Yeah. Don't do this. Very bad, no no.
2. Walk in late to a session. If it is a popular session, you may be out of luck because there will not be any seats. Plus, then there's no time to talk to others around you.
3. Miss out on mingling before dinner, lunch or the keynote. Prime time to meet with agents in a friendly, less pitchy way.
4. Hide out during session breaks. I saw a lot of writers doing this. I know it is hard to talk to people you don't know but you paid the money and there is nothing to lose.
5. Dominate a conversation. Your job is to get information and or build relationships--not pop off about yourself. Be a great listener. If you've read How to Win Friends and Influence People, then you know. This is a key characteristic. Sadly, I have to work on this. I don't dominate but I over-empathize...which means I constantly interrupt to make a connection. Interrupting is just rude.

And now you know. And knowing is half the battle.

Do you have any tips for attending a writer's conference?

She's Crafty: Pitching

With only 9 days till the Northern Colorado Writers Conference, I'm feeling confident about my manuscript and I'm ready to pitch. Last year I pitched a different story to an agent and I felt confident about my pitch--only it was the wrong story for the agent. I thought he was a good fit based on his profile but didn't really understand what he was looking for until I went to his class on Boy Books and The Middle Grade Market. This was after I pitched, of course. Blurg. Knowing whom you're pitching to is just as important as the pitch.

One of the writers I met last year had a similar problem. The night before our pitching session, she had the opportunity to chat with the agent she was planning to pitch to. Based on his profile she felt he was "the one." But after talking with him for just a few minutes, she realized he was wrong for her manuscript and quickly changed her pitch session to a different agent. Smart move and she got a request because of it.

What I learned: network and talk to the agents on a personal non-pitchy level. (Preferably before you meet at the pitching session.) It speaks volumes. I plan to chat with my prospective agent at the cocktail hour before dinner (the night before). Keep in mind, I don't plan to even mention I'm a MG writer unless asked. I just want to learn more about her and what she's really looking for.

My Top 10 Fave Blogs on Pitching at a Writer's Conference

1. Pitchcraft @ Kidlit.
2. Loglines & Loglines, Part Deux @ Random Notes from Holly Bodger.
3. 11 Questions for Crafting a Pitch @ Rachelle Gardner.
4. How to Maximize Pitch Sessions @ Nathan Bransford.
5. Conference Round-up: The Art of Pitching @ Adventures in Children's Publishing.
6. Agent Miriam Kriss On: The Perfect Pitch @ Guide to Literary Agents.
7. Mastering the Elevator Pitch @ BookEnds.
8. The Elevator Pitch: First Floor, Second Floor, Third Floor @ Rachelle Gardner.
9. The One Sentence, One Paragragh, and Two Paragraph Pitch @ Nathan Bransford.
10. The Difference Between Pitch and Query @ Janet Reid.
11. Bonus: Pitch Killers @ Pub Rants.

Have you ever pitched to an agent? If so, what was your experience? Do you have any tips?