The Week Of Writing {WOW} Retreat 2016, July 18 - July 22 was like no other writing experience. Hosted by Kristen and Rusty Fulton, the five day event was filled with many opportunites to grow, learn and meet writers both published and prepublished. I am thankful for the opportunity to enjoy and share the experience with many writerly friends in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Fifty plus attendees gathered together in the beautiful hills of Helen, Georgia. The outstanding faculty included seven authors, four literary agents and five editors all willing to share the ins and outs of the kid lit industry.
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| Rusty & Kristen Fulton |
Looking though my Love, Peace and Books journal I note page after page of copious notes with numerous thoughts. Thinking I want to share the entire five day experience with our GROG readers, I felt it best to focus on just one of the many highlights. Should I write about the author, agent, editor panels? How about the revision tables or even the thoughts about the first pages? And then there was the groovy hippie party!
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| Love, Peace & Books Journal |
Lisa Amstutz
Finding and Preparing Work for Hire
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| Lisa Amstutz |
- Take a chance and consider the educational market.
- Request and study educational publishing catalogs, such as Capstone and Enslow Publishing.
- Referred to work done by the following authors: Laurie Purdie Salas, Melissa Stewert, April Pulley Sayre and Nancy Sanders.
Ana Crespo
Illustration Driven Stories Non non-Illustrators
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| Ana Crespo |
- Titles are everything. Title need to be provocative and catch your attention immediately. For further information from a previously GROG Blog post read What's in a PB Title?
- Consider a critique carefully and thoughtfully and be open to a new direction.
- Understand the acquisition process as books are created by a team.
Make your story UNPUTDOWNABLE.
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| Jill Esbaum |
- The opening lines of a story carry a lot of weight. Consider a contract with your reader.
- Drop the reader into an adventure in progress as the reader wants to know who the story is about and what is the problem.
- Find new facts that make you say, "I didn't know that!"
Set Yourself Up for Success
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| Barb Rosenstock |
- Think about the most important part of a story: SO WHAT? What's universial about this manuscript? What's unique about this story?
- Keep the reader's attention with complelling characets who want/need something. Include tension and satisfy the reader with a resolution.
- Stop looking for IDEAS. Look for STORIES.
Adding Humor in Kidlit
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| Linda Skeers |
- Home is where your story begins,
- A writer can be funny writing both fiction and nonfiction stories.
- The words: booger, fart, naked and underwear all stir up laughter and even snorting!
The keynote: My Journey and Creating Winning Picture Book Biographies
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| Don Tate |
- The educational market is where Don Tate began before he snagged his first trade book contract.
- Write about what you know.
- Recommended creating a book dummy with thumbnail sketches.
Heritage and Experience
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| Duncan Tonatiuh |
- Readers must *see* themselves in books. Celebrate diversity.
- Has a great relationship with his editor and therefore does not work with an agent.
- Illustrations are created by scanning in a drawing and then adding texture using photo shop, thus unique Pre-Columbian codex style. Characters are always drawn in profile.
Share your thoughts in the comment section below. GROGgers always like hearing from our readers. Do any of the highlights shared by these seven authors inspire you or affirm you as a writer?
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| Prairie Flower Girl Suzy |
For more information about the WOW Retreat 2017, please click here: Rock'n & Rolli'n & Writ'n WOW Retreat 2017. Make plans now to attend the WOW Retreat 2017. You are encouraged to check out a previous post Meet Kristen Fulton.
If you missed an earlier post about the WOW Retreat 2016, you can check it out at Week of Writing Recap by fellow GROGger Leslie Colin Tribble. Look for an upcoming post by Sherri Jones Rivers. She too, has some words to share about the WOW Retreat 2016.
Suzy, a great GROG post. You really did capture the personality and voice of each of these fantastic authors. Glad you posted photos too...I can hear them speaking to us. WOW 2016 was a most amazing conference! Thank you for letting me revisit and for reminding me to keep reviewing my own notes as I write.
ReplyDeleteMona: Thank you for your support of the GROG Blog. I enjoyed seeing you at the WOW Retreat 2017. I loved your groovy outfit you wore on Friday.
Delete~Suzy
Brings back great memories!
ReplyDeleteFor sure, Kristi. It was great seeing you once again. Happy writing.
Delete~Suzy
Great post! Great round-up.
ReplyDeleteYour comment is appreciated, Sue. Hope you can incorporate some of these highlights into your own writing.
Delete~Sue Leopold
Thank you, Suzy, for sharing your experience at WOW 2016! Your pictures and comments ring with satisfying information. Missed being there this year!
ReplyDeleteDear Charlotte: You were missed at the WOW Retreat 2016. May my thoughts and notes be helpful to you as your write, revise, and polish.
Delete~Suzy
Thanks for sharing the pics and main take-aways!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Tina. Hope some of the take-aways will help you with your writing.
Delete~Suzy
Thanks for your bullet points, Suzy! These are all great things to keep in minds. Not as good as being there, but great to learn vicariously--and to see everyone. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane, for your support of the GROG blog. Happy writing.
Delete~Suzy
thank goodness Rusty is such a great sport, look at his costume;-) thank you for tthe wonderful memories.
ReplyDeleteWell, Rusty is just a good guy and you are a good gal, Kristen. Thank YOU for the opportunity to create memories at the WOW Retreat 2016 and to grow as a writer.
Delete~Suzy
Flower girl Suzy, this is a great recap of what to try and do form some authors I truly admire. I am gonna work at the WFH market a bit this year before the end of 2016. TY for sharing for those of us who missed out this year!
ReplyDeleteYou were missed at the WOW Retreat 2016, Kathy. However, I know you were creating special memories at the Mazza Museum.
Delete~Prairie Flower Girl
thanks for your WOW reflections. Think I'll go check out my PB titles and see if I can make them better.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Janet. All the best with your revisions to make your manuscripts the best.
Delete~Suzy
These retreats always sound as if they are NOT. To. Be. Missed!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the contract with the reader in the opening line, from Jill Esbaum & so many of the snazzy boosts in these gems, Suzy. Also love all the photos with big smiles, foretelling future book publishing success.
For sure, Jan. The WOW Retreat 2016 just continues to improve and become better, year after year.
Delete~Suzy
Look at you, groovy writer girl! Thanks for pulling together tidbits from all the speakers. I especially love Barb Rosenstock's "Stop looking for IDEAS. Look for STORIES." I've had so many ideas that have led nowhere because they didn't have enough meat to build a story around. Thanks, Suzy.
ReplyDeleteAaah, thank you, Patty. Missed rockin' and hangin' with you this summer in Georgia. I, too, have numerous IDEAS. However, they need more zing and/or research to become a STORY.
DeleteGroovy post, Sue!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your support, Tracey. The WOW Retreat 2016 was a rockin' good time.
Delete~Sue
Beautiful recap Suzy. I love all your photos with the great faculty. You captured their presentations perfectly.
ReplyDeleteYou are too kind, Leslie. I enjoyed chatting with you and getting to know you better at the WOW Retreat 2016. All the best with your many adventures and your writing.
DeleteLoved this conference!
ReplyDeleteSame here, Nicole. I enjoyed chatting with you. Thank you for your suggestions for improvement for my manuscript. All the best.
Delete~Suzy
Enjoyed your summary . . .AND the conference! So good to connect with everyone.
ReplyDelete;-}
It is always my pleasure to meet and greet everyone at the WOW Retreat. Thank you for your support of the GROG Blog, Jarm.
Delete~Suzy