Notes from the SDSU Writers Conference

We had the pleasure of participating in the 27th Annual SDSU Writers’ Conference last weekend in San Diego. This much anticipated conference brings together editors, agents, and writers for networking, one-on-one consultations, and presentations from top publishing professionals across the country.

For those of you that haven’t attended a Writers’ Conference yet this year---we were reminded how valuable the workshops are for writers at any stage of their projects. Most of all, we always feel inspired after a weekend of celebrating books and new writers! Who wouldn't? A writers conference might be just the inspiration you need to start a new novel or finish that looming revision!☺. Our trusted intern, Sara, sat in on several workshops at the conference and shares notes from one of her favorites:

Annette Pollert, an associate editor for Simon Pulse, a young adult imprint at Simon & Schuster, shared great insights into her editorial process along with lots of helpful tips for writers who are beginning (or have been putting off!) the somewhat daunting process of revising, in her lecuture “Revising Your Middle Grade or Teen Novel”. Here’s what Annette had to say:

On polishing dialogue:
- Read it aloud—does each character have their own voice, phrases, and tone?
- Is it serving a purpose? Dialogue should serve to enhance your manuscript, not tell us something we already know.
- Dialect (when used sparingly!) can be a great addition.

Backstory:
- Develop backstory—What do they wear? What are their hopes and fears? The more you know about your characters the more exciting their story is for the reader.
- Don’t be too nice to your characters! Torture them a little bit—but only when it has a purpose.
- Keeping it straight: Do you have lots of characters?—create a family tree. Make a map or floor plan to ensure settings and actions are viable. These are details that copywriters are going to check, so make sure it all makes sense!
- Have a strong backstory? Good…now cut it down! Readers want to experience the “now”.

Bringing it all together:
- Always keep the story moving forward—backstory should only be used to underscore the present.
- Reveal information only as needed. “Why are you telling me this?” “Why now?” These are questions an editor will be asking herself.

Common missteps:
- Cohesiveness: Have a character that disappears in the second half? Is the ending not in keeping with the tone in the beginning of the story?
- Don’t overuse gestures—they’re most effective when used sparingly, so readers really take note. Ditto on phrases and clichés, use them pointedly! Swearing can be appropriate in YA but don’t overuse it—make it count!
- Don’t wear out pace-building words—e.g. “suddenly”, “at that moment”, etc.
- Realizations are big moments! Is your character having one out of nowhere? Does it make sense at that particular time/place?

Don’t rely on summary, backstory, and adverbs—go back and revise! Most importantly, as Annette said, “trust your characters, trust your dialogue, trust yourself”.

Click here to learn more about the San Diego State Writers Conference.

Full Circle Literary will be on faculty at the following Writers Conferences---we hope to see you!

SCBWI Agent’s Day Los Angeles/Orange County (May 14, 2011)
National Latino Writers Conference, Albuquerque New Mexico (May 19-21, 2011)
SCBWI Annual Summer Conference, Los Angeles (August 5-8, 2011)
Willamette Writers Conference, Portland (August 5-7, 2011)
Writers League of Texas Conference, Austin (June 2012)