How'd It Go? and Updates

Welcome boys and girls!  I promised you an update and here it is: I'm sick!  Just kidding.  Well, I am sick but that's not the end of my update.

As you probably know, I attended the Writing For The Soul conference in Denver a couple weeks ago to pitch my book to agents and editors and meet other writers.  It was an amazing weekend.  I'm not capable of giving a coherant narrative of the events so instead I will provide snapshots:

*Liz Curtis Higgs is a phenomenal speaker, encourager, and all-around great person.  I was in tears during her talk on opening night.  Afterwards, I stood in line to have her sign a book and gave her a hug.  I shared how touched I was by her message and we talked about the book I had inside of me waiting to get out.  She locked eyes with me and told me my book was already written.  Already written.  God knows our words before we speak or even think them, and my book was already finished. I cannot adequately describe this to you but her words cut straight through to my heart and I stood bobbing my head and swiping at tears and knowing I was meant to be at this conference. What a way to begin!

*My first pitch.... well, I chickened out and didn't even pitch in that first meeting.  I shrank back and claimed I was only interested in learning and asking questions without first even trying to sell myself and my idea.  Lesson learned.  After that point, my pitch went over pretty well with my appointments with mentors, agents, and the editor from Zondervan.  I was very excited and encouraged by all of my appointments. I had two requests from agents and one from an editor "in a few months". 

*Jerry Jenkins himself critiqued my first page in his Thick-Skinned Clinic.  Um, yeah.  Okay, are you ready? Yeah, it was interesting.  I guess I uh, had some dialogue that was a bit too, you know, realistic.  He taught me about "on the nose" writing.  Adding too much small talk in a scene that, while realistic, slowed down the action too much. 

       Note: I've since re-written my first page. *grin*

*Friends! I made a lot of new friends at the conference and I hope we keep in touch.  One of my new friends landed an agent while there--an agent who wasn't even on the panel but drove out to meet with her!--and I got to watch the progression of that success story go from her nervously entering first appointments to finding overwhelming interest to landing a contract.  Amazing and inspiring.  It was also so much fun meeting up with my friend Jessica Patch after chatting all these months online.  We met at the airport and stuck together quite a bit all weekend.  I also got to meet COTT's marketing rep Jennifer Slattery after working together for months.  Very cool!

*My plane home was a later flight and I had time to kill. Brandilyn Collins was in the lobby after the conference ended and I had the opportunity to chat with her at length which was pretty neat. She insisted I really needed to go to the ACFW conference.  She wasn't the first to mention it, so now it's on my prayer list to attend.

I've got to tell you, the very best thing about the conference is all the people you get to meet and talk with.  Having dinner with editors, agents, authors, speakers, it's very cool.  Not in a star-struck sort of way, just in a really neat 'no walls' kind of way.  I highly recommend you go to one!

Books I purchased at the conference:

• Orson Scott Card's Characters and Viewpoint
• Brandilyn Collins' Getting Into Character
• Liz Curtis Higgs' Rise and Shine

So... now what?  When I got home I jumped right into my duties with COTT and pondered my post-conference action plan.  I joined ACFW. I am working with a mentor now to whip my novel into better shape and decided I would let the agent know it would be a little while before I sent my materials, for that reason.  That was difficult to do, but necessary.  I devoured Orson's book--well, the portions most relevant to me anyway.  I am working on fleshing out my characters more and highly recommend his book.

I got an idea for a non-fiction book while driving my daughter to school the other day.  My husband thinks it's a really good idea so that's encouraging! I sketched out my thoughts but I'm not sure when I will begin really working on it.  I have a lot to do working with my mentor on Beauty For Ashes. And I haven't forgotten my next novel, it's just sitting in a folder on my desktop waiting.  Yeah, free time is not in abundance around here these days.

So, I'm entering the Genesis contest through ACFW within the next couple days. This week I am meeting in person with my mentor and hoping to make progress on the novel.  That's my top writing priority.  Next on the list is finishing my proposal (that pesky marketing section is still laughing at me), and after that anything new will get my attention.  I'm praying about the ACFW conference in September.  Agents? Well, I'll wait until my mentor feels the manuscript is at a point where querying agents is a good idea.

It's a long, long road to be sure. But connections and feedback are the best ways to move forward.  Writing is a lonely process, but writing well--and getting published--is not.  If that's you, then get out there. Join critique groups, get to a conference, participate on blogs... do something to connect to the bigger world of writing. 

The keyboard will still be there when you come home.

Operation First Novel

IT'S IN THE MAIL!  Yep, that's right.  Yesterday I mailed off my manuscript to the CWG for the OFN contest.  The nerves have not set in yet but I expect to start feeling anxious as soon as I imagine it has arrived and is in the hands of a judge- meep!  For now though, I am content to be d-o-n-e scrambling on edits.  Hopefully I did catch all my typos.  Everything did not go off without a hitch though.  While paying for my postage I suddenly realized... duh duh duh DUUUUM... I forgot to include the self-addressed stamped postcard for confirmation of delivery!  Oh no!!  It's not a requirement but it is the only confirmation offered by the Guild.  I had planned on sending one, really wanting the comfort of receiving that back in my mailbox, and I FORGOT IT!  So I sent it certified mail.  At least the post office will confirm delivery and that will have to do.

And because I am a bit of a dork, I took pictures of me with my "brown paper package" before it went off on its journey to Colorado.  See?  That's me and my manuscript! :)

Now I am able to take some time off from my book and focus on homeschooling, my family, and Clash of the Titles (yay)!  Please bookmark our website, follow us on twitter and like us on facebook.  Authors, send in your entries for our first Clash!

Several of the Clash staff just got back from the ACFW conference and are reporting a lot of enthusiasm surrounding COTT after talking to several agents and authors.  Things are really starting to get going now and I am humbled to be a part of it.  I am the "Public Relations" person so make me look good by clicking all those "follow/like/bookmark" buttons. =)    Seriously though, this is going to be bigger than I ever imagined it would be and you will want to be a part of it too- writers AND readers!

As chatter begins to grow in the blogosphere, I will try to always link to articles or blog entries mentioning COTT so that you are up to date.  For now, you can expect fewer posts regarding my publishing journey and more about COTT and other "industry" news.  Because, as I've mentioned, a lot of the journey is waiting.  So I am actively waiting on God and on the contest judges.  If I don't move on to the next round in OFN, I'll start working on my pitch for the agents at the conference, my one-sheet, and my query (again).  Well I'll do all those things even if I AM a finalist, but... you know what I mean, right?

So make it a great week and don't forget to say "hi" every once in a while here in the comments. =)