What are you doing this weekend? At risk of sounding like a cheesy advertisement, if you’re free, I recommend checking out WriteOnCon. It’s an amazing online KidLit writing conference and I can’t recommend it enough if you write Picture Books, Middle Grade, or YA.
SO, that’s my weekend. Will you be there, too?
We know there’s a difference between writing and being good at it, but how do we get from one to the other? That’s a mystery all writers tangle with. A question we want an answer to. But rather than asking some no-name blogger who hasn’t finished their manuscript, you really should consult a pro.
Writing conferences were created for that very purpose. There are a variety of draws. Workshops for honing your craft, keynote speakers you’ve dreamt of meeting, Q&A panels where you get answers from someone who actually knows what they’re talking about. And recently I’ve discovered the wonder and accessibility of online conferences. All the same perks, plus you don’t have to change out of your pajamas. It’s a win-win, so long as you know how to prepare.
Challenging yourself is one of the best ways to learn. Joining a challenge with other people can be a lot of fun. Like NaNoWriMo, for instance. But this challenge is pretty much the opposite of NaNoWriMo. If you couldn’t guess from the title, #50PreciousWords is a challenge to write an entire story, beginning, middle, and ending, in just 50 words. I took a shot.
A couple weeks ago, I got to attend WriteOnCon, an online conference specifically for writers of children’s books, middle grade, and young adult. Was it Amazing? Yes. Why? I’m glad you asked. Here is a Top 5 Countdown of my favorite takeaways from the event. I hope you’ll learn from my experience, and maybe even mark your calendar to join me next year.
Events for writers are a lot of fun. I’ve been to a few conferences, participate in NaNoWriMo with regularity, go hang out with a small group of writing friends once a month, stalk writerly accounts on social media, and live with a writer/author who lets me steal books from her organized-by-rainbow-order bookshelf whenever I want (yes, I consider this an event). But I’m probably the most excited about a new conference I’ll be attending this year called WriteOnCon. Why?
Have I convinced you? Well, you’re just in time! The conference runs from this Friday, February 9 through Sunday, February 11. There’s a fantastic article on the WriteOnCon website about how you can get the most out of this online conference (right here), and registration starts at just $5.
Busy that weekend? Extended admission is available if you need a little extra time to peruse, re-watch, read up, and soak in all that information.
Planning to go? Let me know! I’d love to meet fellow readers and writers of middle grade.
Procrastination is my middle name, figuratively speaking. So when I attended the San Diego Christian Writers Guild fall conference and heard Lynn Vincent speak, I felt as though she’d somehow been watching me.
According to Lynn, there are 3 P’s that writers need to banish:
During the San Diego Christian Writers Guild Fall Conference, I attended a workshop held by Susan Meissner called “Writing The Novel Readers Can’t Put Down.” And while all of the advice she shared was solid, I found her tips on creating layered and lovable characters was especially thought-provoking.
A relatable character is the first step to any great story. If we feel a connection to the protagonist, we’re far more likely to care what happens to them. You can have action, suspense, and drama, but if I don’t care about the protagonist, there’s no tension pulling me in and making me wonder what will happen next.
