Week of Writing Recap

by Leslie Colin Tribble

Groggers at WOW - Janie Reinart, Sherri Jones Rivers, Suzy Leopold, and me in the back.

And the GROG is back after a little summer recess.

Several of us used our summer break to attend the Week of Writing (WOW) Retreat in Helen, Georgia. One of us, Sherri Jones Rivers has attended all three of the WOW retreats, while others have been at least twice. This was my second year at WOW and it was just that, WOW!

The conference is held at Unicoi State Park, which sits at the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains. Rolling hills covered in green stretch as far as you can see. Coming from sparsely vegetated Wyoming, Georgia always feels like a foreign land. Unicoi is a great facility - the lodge where the sessions are held is comfortable and our rooms are just a short walk away. There are hiking trails, and this year we had the option of taking the shuttle into the nearby town of Helen, a Bavarian village in the heart of Georgia.

A Georgia peach morning.

Kristen Fulton organizes a fabulous retreat, and this year was no exception. The faculty was outstanding, the round tables were intimate and we had plenty of time for writing.

The food is always great as well.

Yes, you read those menu plates correctly!

Faculty included authors/illustrators Lisa Amstutz, Anna Crespo, Jill Esbaum, Barb Rosenstock, Linda Skeers, Don Tate and Duncan Tonatiuh. They spoke on writing for the educational market, how to get editors to read past the fourth word, inserting humor, looking at your stories from an illustrator's point of view, and how to be the best writer you can be. We were treated to a bonus Thursday evening when attendee and new author, Nancy Churnin (The William Hoy Story), gave a great after dinner talk about marketing your book.

The agents and editors were all very personable and approachable.They included Sally Apokedak, Silvie Frank, Clelia Gore, Kathy Landwehr, Victoria Selvaggio, Tamar Mays, Kelly Barrales-Saylor, and Essie White.

Author Panel

One of the changes at WOW this year was the roundtable format. Last year we had four or five attendees, plus a faculty member. The larger groups meant you had less time for comments after your story was read. This year it was two attendees plus a faculty member and you had an entire 20 minutes for a read and critique. That was very helpful - you could really delve into your story and see what wasn't working and why.

Author/Illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh

Another change was having much more time to write. Most days we were finished with sessions by 2:00, with roundtables following. The rest of the afternoon and evening were free for hanging out or revision work. Last year I was so brain dead by the day's end I couldn't even think about rewriting. This year with my head full of incredible knowledge, I raced back to my room and really got some great revision work done.

If you haven't been to an extended writing workshop, I encourage you to find one. Being able to write without the normal distractions of work, family, pets, etc. is a gift, and being around encouraging, helpful, fun writers just makes it all that much better.

Besides the valuable sessions, roundtables, and the opportunity of being able to purchase paid critiques, WOW offers writers the chance to connect with like-minded individuals. Evenings on the porch of the lodge, watching gorgeous sunsets, and getting to know the other attendees is really what makes WOW special. You can talk to people on every rung of the writing ladder in a non-threatening, inclusive atmosphere. It's never the exact same group every night with folks flowing in and out depending upon their mood. Some great friendships have formed at WOW, which I think is very special.

What made WOW valuable for me? Putting into practice what I learned during the day. Being able to spend an entire week immersed in writing was incredibly beneficial. I spent a lot of time revising the three manuscripts I took and am really excited about how they're shaping up. If you're struggling to find quality writing time, maybe WOW is exactly what you need.

The theme for next year's WOW 2017 retreat is Rock'n Roll'n and Writ'n. More details will be available August 1 at www.wowretreat.net.

We'll have more posts about WOW by other Groggers throughout August. Enjoy!

The Friday night party is always a blast.

Reflections From WOW

WOW participants and faculty, at the end of a full week

There's nothing like a writer's conference to get those creative juices flowing. Nine of the GROGger gang were lucky enough to participate in the WOW [Week of Writing] conference for children's writers last week in the Georgia mountains. 

Wow! Sessions on the craft of writing, markets, and critiques, individual manuscript critiques, round tables, arts and crafts, games, costumes, and meeting other kid lit peeps. Here are some of the tidbits we picked up.

Kristen and The GROGgers 
WOW 2015

From the Desk of Suzy Leopold:

Are You a Good Critiquer? 
Presentation by 

Kendra Marcus & Minju Chang 
of BookStop Literary.

Think about the following points and thoughts about 
critique groups . . . 

Spectacular view of the
Southern Appalachian Mountains

• Are you good at giving AND receiving critiques? 
• As a writer you are the consumer. 
• Is your critique group a good match for you and your genre of writing? 
• Is your critique group digging out and helping you solve your writing challenges? 
• How often do you meet? 
• Do you want critiquers to support your writing with a *feel good feeling* or do you want honest, direct critiques with fresh eyes? 
• Does everyone in attendance receive an equal amount of time and attention for their manuscripts? 
• Ground rules must be established. 
• An agenda must be followed.

Denise Fleming

Candace Fleming

Dianna Huttts Aston

Christy Mihaly's Post-Wow Resolutions:

• Read more! Read everything!
• Write more poetry. Poetry, and playing with language, help you practice using language creatively. Use picturesque language.
• Revise, revise, revise my manuscripts, with a focus on three things: developing my voice, making my characters compelling, and cutting words where the pictures can carry the tale.

Kathy Halsey's Revelations of WOW's awesomeness:

• From Kendra Marcus, a quote that left me gobsmacked. "Our job is to stretch the ears of the audience." Kendra said this while speaking about word choice, but stretching children's minds and hearts is why we write. Thank you, Kendra!
• From one of my critique partners, Kathleen Birmingham, "Your strength is your voice." True d'at. We all need to find it and own it.
• Candy Fleming had the best kickoff EVER. Your story is scenes and summaries. Find them, mark them up. And, if you have a chance to see Denise, do it.
• Denise Fleming: 
• You have an artist within you. Find it. Create a spread with section of your text. Dummy it; create it w/tissue paper and glue. It is a guide to your true story.
• Come to WOW. Kristen Fulton has created an awesome cadre of talented writers/agents/editors who support each other.   

Editor/Agent table during Trivia Night

Leslie Colin Tribble WOW Words of Wisdom:

• Candace Fleming did the Monday intensive, which alone was worth the price of the conference. She talked a lot about scenes to move the story forward and finding your "vital idea" or heart of the story. 
• Laura Whitaker, editor, told us, "The most important thing is to stay true to your vision, so speak up."
• Jill Corcoran, agent, "Passion is people who change the world."
• Editor Emily Feinberg reminded us that we're storytellers first and foremost.

From the desk of: Sherri Jones Rivers

• Candace Fleming: used a baking analogy. "With fiction, you can bake a cake that's yummy and use any ingredient you want. With nonfiction, you have to bake with ingredients that are already at hand; you have to use what's there."
• "There are three voices--the author's, the manuscript's, and the character's."
• "Scenes are made up of 1. Specific time, 2. Specific place, and 3. One change."
• "In every single paragraph, put one of the five senses; and you can mix them--'the lion roared yellow.'"
• Ariel Richardson on novelty books - "Study what's out there. Ask yourself if it's possible to do it. Does it stand out?"
• Denise Fleming - "Any activity that enlarges a book helps sell it."
• Laura Whitaker:  I learned the term "breaking the fourth wall." That's when narrator speaks to reader.

From the desk (really, it's just a laptop in a lap) of Patricia Toht: 

Nuggets from the Fleming non-sisters: 

• "Every book is a learning curve, a discovery process." (Candace) 
• "Sometimes the material will tell you how to write the story." (Candace) 
• "Really great picture books have a heart to the story, a vital idea." (Candace) 
• "Let the illustrator illustrate the adjectives. As a writer, you should focus on the verbs, the emotional feel." 
• (Denise) "If your PB isn't hopping by page 10 (of your manuscript layout dummy), you're blabbing too much." (Candace) 
• "Let go of your ego. Your illustrator can think of things you've never thought of." (Denise)

Evening campfire at beautiful Unicoi Lodge

BE THE GIVER by Jackie Wellington

 
With all the chaos in the media, I find myself longing for an UTOPIAN society, a good place. A place where everyone respects each other. A place where everyone trades and barters services for the good of all. A place where each member of society contributes what they can and will not be shun for it.  And a place where each and everyone is accepted no matter his or her flaws. But I thought what I was wishing for did not exist until I found the GROG, WOW, and the Week of Writing Retreat -  a place where writers collaborate, cooperate, and communicate together.

The GROG is a group of collaborators. Writers coming together to offer advice, support, and solutions to social and personal problems. WOW, our Facebook group, offers cooperation. Over 400 members who are willing to answer questions about anything from writing nonfiction picture books to publishing. And Week of Writing Retreat allows us to come together, sit in a close setting, and communicate with each other.


As I converse with the members of these groups, it reminded me of one of my favorite books, THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. (If you have not read it, you should or go see the movie to whet your appetite.) The main character is a 12-year-old boy who recieves the job he will hold for the rest of his life from the previous GIVER. . As he learns about his new job, he questions his destiny and what his community offers. The book is a great book, wonderful read; but what I loved is how these children are chosen for their jobs and the sense of community.

Looking at the chaos in the world, I realized why we need GREAT books, especially with strong characters and awesome plots. I also realize that we are desperately in need of a UTOPIAN society, a happy place with people who loves and support what we do. Even though we do not agree with the thoughts and beliefs of some of the people in our world, they are entitled to their opinions.

We have to stop focusing on the negative people who drains us emotionally. We cannot allow others to steal our joy. And that goes for our characters as well. It is important that our books have satisfying endings. Build characters that are not afraid to stand up for social justices, defend herself, and fight ignorance.

I am challenging all my writer friends. Write a book to change the world. Be the Giver! Give the world characters for whom to cheer. Give them plots to decipher. And give them problems to solve. Take us into a different world, place, or realm. Give! Give! Give!

 I would like to see more kidlit books with an "acceptance" theme. It is okay for a character to say, "I don't agree with you, but I accept it." If there are more books like these, I will be the first to curl up on my sofa and read. I want to use a book to escape a chaotic world. I want to turn those pages and visit the minds of my characters. I want to see what they see. Taste what they taste. Smell what they smell. Hear what they hear. And feel what they feel. For me, we can learn a lot from a book.

So while America is running around in chaos, I am creating my UTOPIAN society. My good place. My place free from chaos. I suggest you do the same. Do not allow others to define you. I can't allow the media to affect me negatively. It is bad that our children have to watch chaos play out on TV and social media daily. We can be the Givers they need. I am so sorry, we cannot live in an accepting world. But I am not here to judge. I am here to read and relax in my UTOPIAN society. My happy place.