LDStorymakers Conference Highlights

Author's Incognito Mix and Mingle Attendees

Roommates: Alex, Renae, Emily, Angela

It's like a drug. Bursts of enthusiasm and creativity pulse through your body. There's the high of seeing friends and making new ones. You fight to keep all that good info tucked into your gray mass because there is so much to soak up. Thank goodness for notes. That's what a good writer's conference can do for you.

Speaking of notes, Ali Cross and RaShelle Workman put on a great class with lots of notes about self-publishing. My toes are dangling over those waters so I'm in an info-gathering mode there. I'll let you know what happens.

Josi Kilpack delivered what is needed in a first chapter with her class Bait and Hook. Many of those needs: active voice, strong verbs, a great first line, dialogue, conflict that matters, and enough of a cliff-hanger to lead readers to chapter two. I found it interesting how much time she spends on her first chapters. Her critique group gets those pages over and over but they don't always see the rest of the book. Why? Not only do we only get one chance to make that first impression, first chapters are often used as bait/advertising to hook readers to buy the book.

One last highlight I'll mention today was Sheralyn Pratt's class on Creating Compelling and Believable Action. One of her tips was to do what you write. This meant that for her to write that skydiving action scene, she needed to experience it for herself. Whoa! That gives realism relevance. Fun to listen to and great info. That's what a good conference can do for you.