2018 October Boosting Creativity Workshop

We were delighted to have Sara Sargent, Executive Editor at HarperCollins lead her workshop, Sparking Creativity, at our 2018 Children’s Writers of the Hudson Valley fall event. She was enthusiastic and fostered a fun learning environment. Below is a sampling of some of the topics that we discussed.

Before you start writing, think about what you are writing, why are you writing it, who is it for and what is your goal. We talked about why writers get stuck and how identifying what makes us stuck is the answer to solving it. If you are feeling mired in your writing progress below are some ways to stimulate your writing muscles.

Some external ways to boost your creativity include changing your environment, create a vision board of the story you want to write, help someone else with their project and get your brain off your problems to name a few.

Internal ways to spark creativity include journaling or seeing a therapist to awaken that inner child or stir that pot! These were only two of the multiple suggestions. I picked my favorites.

Sara discussed elements for a good beginning: sense of intrigue, strong sense of place, compelling voice, good writing, compelling character and one good device.

Other topics discussed were how to fix your beginning, errors on the first page, tangible and emotion objects of the story and writing exercises to encourage creativity.

I left with three pages of handwritten notes and a three-page handout from Sara that also included additional writing exercises.

Thank you, Sara, for spending your Saturday afternoon with us. We received numerous compliments and look forward to having you as an encore presenter in the near future.

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2018 June Conference

June 9, 2018, the Children’s Writers of the Hudson Valley celebrated its 6th annual writer’s conference with old and new writing friends at the Hampton Inn  Suites in the Hudson Valley. 

Photo by Doug Dundas

Our Keynote speaker was Jennifer Donnelly, a New York Times Bestselling author, who spoke of her writer’s journey. It was inspirational to hear how long and how hard she worked on her first novel (over 10 years!). There’s hope for all of us! 
  
She also hosted a workshop on writing historical novels and discussed how her research led to traveling as she wrote her first novel, A NORTHERN LIGHT, winner of the Carnegie Medal, the LA Times Book Prize, a Printz Honor, and named “One of the 100 Best Young Adult Book  of all Time” by TIME Magazine. 
 

Lesa Cline-Ransome, an award-winning  author, led a workshop on character exploration through observation, research and memory in non-fiction picture books. If you want your story to be authentic, research is crucial. A bonus to researching your facts is that it can stimulate your creative juices and lead to other ideas. The writing exercises were to write a story a 6-word story and write a first line based on a photo that she displayed. 

We broke for a delicious Panera's lunch, networking and bookstore. 

In the afternoon, Meredith Mundy, Executive Editor at Abrams 

Meredith Mundy

Appleseed, discussed the importance of the first line in your picture books. Your first line should leave the reader wondering what happened or why? The writing exercise was to take the first line from your manuscripts and rewrite them using the tips we learned in the workshop.                                

Bess Cozby

Bess Cozby, Editor at Tor/Forge Books,      led a workshop on world building in            fantasy, science fiction and dystopian novels. She discussed the power of perspective and how characters are shaped by their reactions to time, place and the choices that they make. The writing exercise involved putting your characters in difference environments and how character choices were related to past or present experiences. 

Gary Giolo and Susanna Reich

Our closing speakers were Susanna Reich, an award-winning author, and Gary Giolo, a New York Times Bestselling author on writing biographies for children and young teens. They discussed primary and secondary sources for research, different methods of research and not leaving the writing behind. They closed out the session with music and song.  

Additional manuscript critiques were done by Sarah LaPolla and Barbara Paulding.

Check out #CWHV for my tweets during the conference.

A special thanks to our faculty, Bess Cozby, Jennifer Donnelly, Gary Golio, Sarah LaPolla, Meredith Mundy, Barbara Paulding, Lesa Cline-Ransome, Susanna Reich; our book seller, Merritt Bookstore; the CWHV team and Kara Cerilli, an attendee who showed up with her camera and took pictures.

Our conference would not exist without the continued support from our hardworking attendees. The CWHV team thanks and appreciates you.

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“Thank you for organizing such a great, intimate conference. Please keep me on your email list. I would definitely attend future events. I was thrilled to meet Jennifer as I’ve been a fan of hers ever since I read Northern Lights.” Debbie St. Thomas, 2018 attendee.

Barbara Paulding

Sarah LaPolla

2017 June Conference

Our 5th annual June CWHV conference was an inspiring success! As always, our attendees were hard working and attacked every exercise with passion and due diligence. Our presenters were well-informed, personable and entertaining.

John Cusick, agent at Folio Jr./Folio Literary Management, schooled us with helpful tips on time management, creating a work space, how to persevere in our writer’s journey, the value of critique groups and what qualities they should have and how the “Love of your life” can mess you up! My favorite line: “Give your inner voice a name.” He explained why.

Sarah Jane Abbott and John Cusick

Sarah Jane Abbott, assistant editor for Paula Wiseman Books and Beach Lane Books at Simon & Schuster (Riveted), talked about what contributes to a picture book’s read aloud quality, audience participation, creating a plot arc, your story’s heart and meta books. She discussed character qualities and how to achieve them through writing devices (my favorite part!).

The writing exercises were graphing your plot arc, editing a picture book manuscript using the tools and techniques discussed earlier and giving your character a quality and showing it through writing devices.

Lunch with Brett Duquette

Brett Duquette, senior editor at Sterling Publishing, reviewed the plot arc elements for a novel, why more choices or complications are better for your characters, different ways to start a novel, and when to use a prologue. Favorite line: “Write to kill your characters; edit to save them.”

The hands-on exercise involved writing out a plot arc for your novel or WIP (work in progress).

Harold Underdown

Harold Underdown, independent editor, publishing consultant and founder of the well-respected Purple Crayon website, discussed reader’s response and revision tools. What is the goal of your text? Attendees received a handout listing helpful revision resources, questions to ask yourself about your characters and picture book and novel revision grids. My favorite line actually happened during our First 100 Words Panel: “The way we are reading these is like a parlor game for your amusement. We don’t really do it this way.”

The attendee participation was pairing up with someone who was not familiar with your story and reading your first page. What was the other person’s reader response? 

We closed out the afternoon with our First 100 Words Panel. John, Sarah, Brett and Harold read the first 100 words of randomly selected attendee first pages. Their first impression comments were insightful and helpful to all our attendees.

I tweeted writing tips and advice during the conference. Enter #cwhv in the search bar or go to my feed @val_marchini and scroll down.

We are indebted to our faculty and attendee writers who made our conference a wonderful event. Thank you John Cusick, Sarah Jane Abbott, Brett Duquette, Harold Underdown, attendee writers, Merritt Bookstore and the CWHV committee for your time, participation and investment in our conference!

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“As usual, it [the conference] was fabulous. I really appreciate the work you all put in to make this a stellar event! I especially loved the sessions by John Cusick and Brett Duquette.” Heather Versace, 2017 attendee

“I loved the 100-word critique session. Even though mine was not read, I found that session to be extremely educational. Lots of “lightbulb” moments.” . . . “Great speakers, venue, food, etc.” Judy Cooper, 2017 attendee

2016 October Robust Revisions Workshop

Our October event led by Emma Dryden, former Vice President and Publisher of Atheneum Books for Young Readers and Margaret K. McElderry Books, was an afternoon packed full of revision tips and techniques. 

From using highlighters to track your character’s wants or backstory to changing the font or size of type to trick yourself into seeing something differently to boiling down your synopsis from 10 pages to one sentence are a few examples of Emma’s revision tips.

She discussed creating a character purpose list. Every character in your story needs a reason to be there. If too many characters only serve one function, combine some of them together.

Comb through your manuscript looking for repeated words or phrases — change or delete them, remove stage directions, look for several adjectives in a row and pick the best one or replace them with more efficient prose. Check the last line in every scene, does it make the reader want to keep reading?

These are only a handful of Emma's revision techniques, I can't possibly list them all. I left with four pages of notes and a stack of handouts (40 pages!). Emma was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, personable and generous.

Thank you, Emma, for making our fall event successful and enjoyable, too!

Visit Emma's blog, Our stories, Ourselves, and her website www.drydenbks.com

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Emma Dryden

2016 June Conference

Our June 2016 CWHV Conference, held at the Hampton Inn & Suites, was a wonderful success with knowledgeable and friendly presenters and a full house of excited writers.

Sylvie Frank, Editor, Paula Wiseman Books, started the morning with our first picture book session.  Attendees learned about “cubing.” Describe the topic, compare it, associate it, analyze it, apply it, and argue for or against it. The writing exercise involved using “cubing.” Remember your stories need conflict and tension, for example, in LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, the mother says, “Don’t stray from the path,” that line gives the story tension.

Kelsey Horton, Assistant Editor, HarperCollins Publishers, ran a novel session. The opening topic was how a book makes you feel emotionally, using a sports reference, we have: pregame, start of the game, close game, bottom of the ninth, win or lose. The reader is on an emotional roller coaster. The structure of a novel starts with stasis, then the trigger, the quest with obstacles, a surprise, a critical choice, the climax, reversal and closure. The writing exercise was writing an elevator pitch.

After a delicious Panera’s lunch, we had free time to network with conference friends and faculty and visit the bookstore, courtesy of Merritt Books.

Emma Ledbetter, Editor, Atheneum Books for Young Readers led the second picture book session. She used I DON’T LIKE KOALA by Sean Ferrell to explain pacing a picture book and the placement of art and text. Paper, tape and scissors were passed out and attendees made a book dummy using their own manuscripts.

Matt Ringler, Senior Editor, Scholastic, hosted the afternoon novel session on character development. One exercise involved making a postcard bio. List name, occupation, birthplace, job title or position, wants, likes, challenges, obstacles, and a defining moment for your character. After creating two different characters, the writing exercise was to put them in the same scene.  Stand out line: A memorable character is there when you need him, right time, right place.

Our closing speaker was Gail Carson Levine, a novelist and a Newbery Honor award winner. Gail describes herself as a “pantzer.” She keeps files of ideas, notes and cut material from manuscripts; doesn’t use outlines and uses fairy tales to help her write. She prefers to end her chapters with her characters reacting to the cliff hanger. For character development, she starts with an idea of what kind of character could (blank) or couldn’t (blank) to further her plot.

Our good news: Tracy Marchini, a freelance editor, co-founder of CWHV, a former committee member and critiquer for our June conferences has recently signed with BookEnds Literary Agency http://bookendsliterary.com/ as a literary agent. Tracy is passionate about books, publishing and has already signed her first client! Congrats! She is actively seeking submissions.

Thanks to our presenters, Merritt Books, Panera, the CWHV committee and our enthusiastic attendees for another successful conference.

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"This was my first year at the conference, and I LOVED it! I think both the picture book sessions were helpful, well-organized, and inspiring. Both editors were knowledgeable, approachable, and energetic. Loved them!" Jamie Rabideau, 2016 attendee.

"Excellent novel workshops with both editors in the Hudson Room. The writing exercises in those workshops helped uncork some writing energy in me that has been seriously lagging lately.

Fantastic, real-writer-process talk by Gail Carson Levine. Loved her energy and her honest struggles with what it takes to get a novel into publishable shape, which we can all relate to, of course." Alison Formento, 2016 attendee. 

Kelsey Horton

Matt Ringler

Emma Ledbetter

Gail Carson Levine

Sylvie Frank

2015 October Inspiration for Writers Workshop

Attendees shared an afternoon with the affable Kendra Levin, a Senior Editor at Viking Books and a certified life coach for writers and artists (kendralevin.com). She opened the afternoon by discussing writing with intention and connecting with the ideal reader. To boil it down, successful authors "create for an audience of one" (Kurt Vonnegut). The exercise involved thinking of a character, being specific in the details and writing something for that character.

Attendees learned what their monster was that kept them from reaching their writing goals and also, what their character wanted to tell them after a meditation exercise.

Kendra finished the workshop with a discussion on goals. The final exercise was a schematic drawing depicting how to achieve your writing goals and record your progress. 

Thank you, Kendra, and our attendees for a wonderful afternoon!

"Thank you for all your hard work in pulling yesterday’s event together. It was inspiring having an afternoon to discuss the process and learn about better ways to work. Thank you. Your time was well appreciated." Frances Hollowell Ryan, 2015 attendee.

"I enjoyed the workshop with Kendra last Saturday--not only her, but the input from the participants, and the way the workshop was organized. Nice job to all who made it happen." Rachel, 2015 attendee.

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Kendra Levin discussing goals

Schematic drawing for goals

2015 June Conference

We were delighted to have Kendra Levin, Senior Editor at Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House; Emily Feinberg, Associate Editor at Roaring Brook Press; and Stacy Whitman, Publisher of Tu, an imprint of Lee and Low Books at our June 2015 CWHV conference. 

Kendra kicked off her novel writing workshops with a three-page handout. Several exercises explored character development and getting to know your character by sharing a secret or receiving a gift. When building your character you are "building layers or unpeeling layers." Some exercises involved writing in a different perspective and stepping outside your comfort zone by writing in a different genre or POV; another exercise was to identify your main character. 

"The key to successful picture book writing is to learn to think visually," said Emily Feinberg, leader of the picture book workshops. One exercise involved working with shapes to help the writers think visually and to understand the importance of scene changes and page turns. Another exercise was to rewrite the first scene from your work-in-progress using a different perspective. In addition to other writing exercises, pagination, page turns and the acquisition process was discussed.

Stacy Whitman closed our conference with her presentation on multiculturalism. "There are much more children of color in the United States than there aren't and those children deserve to see themselves in books." Stacy explained the importance of doing research; when the story isn’t accurate, it pulls the reader out of the story. She advocated using experts to review your manuscript to help ensure its accuracy and authenticity and having strong characters who "push on the plot more than it pushes on them." Check out stacylwhitman.com, if you are considering writing cross-culturally.

Manuscripts were critiqued by Tracy Marchini off site. Attendees received a written critique from Tracy upon check-in and had the opportunity to speak with her during free time.

We bid farewell to Tracy as a CWHV co-founder and committee member. She will continue to function as a critiquer for future CWHV conferences. We wish Tracy well in her future writing endeavors and will miss her insights, her enthusiasm and her ideas. Thank you, Tracy, for all your hard work and time that you invested in the newsletters and other tasks. Go forth and be brilliant!

Finally, conferences are a great way to network, reunite with old writer friends and exchange information. A writer informed me of a local fiction writing group where you can share and get feedback on your manuscript. Meetings are on selected Tuesday nights at Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie. http://www.meetup.com/Hudson-Valley-Fiction-Writers-Workshop/

Thank you Emily Feinberg, Kendra Levin, Tracy Marchini, Stacy Whitman, the CWHV team, Merritt Bookstore  and our hard working attendees for another successful event!

  

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Kendra Levin and Stacy Whitman

Emily  Feinberg

Tracy Marchini discussing a critique