Alyssa Maxwell's Blog - Posts Tagged "conferences"
SleuthFest 2014, Part 1
Whew! I hadn't attended a conference in a long while, so even the one full day I attended SleuthFest felt slightly overwhelming. But in a good way. I always say my number one reason for attending any conference is to come away inspired and recharged, and SleuthFest didn't disappoint. I'm a new mystery author, a new member of the Mystery Writers of America - Florida Chapter, and this was my first SleuthFest. I was amazed at how friendly everyone was and how welcome and comfortable I felt. But even more amazing was how savvy these writers are, while at the same time being incredibly down to earth. So...how did I spend my time, and what did I learn?
The weekend started almost immediately upon my arrival (after a 3-hour drive), with my own panel, History Lesson: Bringing the Past Alive. I was throwing myself into a new situation with authors I'd never met before - Susan Elia MacNeal, Joyce Moore, Joanna Campbell Slan, and moderator Bob Williamson. But I relaxed the moment I sat down, and Bob kept the discussion going with questions like, how much truth must there be in a historical mystery? The answer for most of us, as Joanna aptly phrased it, is that history is our scaffolding, the facts that we build upon as we plot our stories. If we use historical figures, we learn as much as we can about them through contemporary accounts and original sources (like diaries), and remain as true to their characters as we possibly can. We might put fictional words in their mouths, but those words must ring true to that individual as history has painted them.
Two areas where we all agreed were 1) it's difficult to ever be 100% accurate because sometimes we just don't know what questions to ask. Which leads to 2) if the opportunity arises to travel to your setting, do it! Because it's often through that firsthand experience that we discover what those elusive questions are. Travel came up again when Bob asked us why we chose our particular setings and time periods. The main answer seemed to be that we had traveled to our settings, fell in love with the area, and became fascinated with its history. We became personally connected. My own reason for loving and writing historicals, and for being interested in history in general, is because our society didn't suddenly spring out of thin air to be the fast-paced, high-tech, modern world we know. Everyone who came before us has shaped us into what we are now, just as we're helping to shape the future. It was the strength and ingenuity and simple chutzpah of our ancestors that took us off horses and into cars, got women voting, sent us hurtling into space, and has me tapping at a keyboard right now so I can speak to all of you. For me, I don't have to "bring" the past alive. It's already alive in each and every one of us. I just like to acknowledge it.
Do I sound enthusiastic? That's because those 50 minutes of sitting on that panel with those wonderful authors inspired me and made me really think about my craft. But my weekend didn't end there. In my next post I'll talk about what I learned the next day...
The weekend started almost immediately upon my arrival (after a 3-hour drive), with my own panel, History Lesson: Bringing the Past Alive. I was throwing myself into a new situation with authors I'd never met before - Susan Elia MacNeal, Joyce Moore, Joanna Campbell Slan, and moderator Bob Williamson. But I relaxed the moment I sat down, and Bob kept the discussion going with questions like, how much truth must there be in a historical mystery? The answer for most of us, as Joanna aptly phrased it, is that history is our scaffolding, the facts that we build upon as we plot our stories. If we use historical figures, we learn as much as we can about them through contemporary accounts and original sources (like diaries), and remain as true to their characters as we possibly can. We might put fictional words in their mouths, but those words must ring true to that individual as history has painted them.
Two areas where we all agreed were 1) it's difficult to ever be 100% accurate because sometimes we just don't know what questions to ask. Which leads to 2) if the opportunity arises to travel to your setting, do it! Because it's often through that firsthand experience that we discover what those elusive questions are. Travel came up again when Bob asked us why we chose our particular setings and time periods. The main answer seemed to be that we had traveled to our settings, fell in love with the area, and became fascinated with its history. We became personally connected. My own reason for loving and writing historicals, and for being interested in history in general, is because our society didn't suddenly spring out of thin air to be the fast-paced, high-tech, modern world we know. Everyone who came before us has shaped us into what we are now, just as we're helping to shape the future. It was the strength and ingenuity and simple chutzpah of our ancestors that took us off horses and into cars, got women voting, sent us hurtling into space, and has me tapping at a keyboard right now so I can speak to all of you. For me, I don't have to "bring" the past alive. It's already alive in each and every one of us. I just like to acknowledge it.
Do I sound enthusiastic? That's because those 50 minutes of sitting on that panel with those wonderful authors inspired me and made me really think about my craft. But my weekend didn't end there. In my next post I'll talk about what I learned the next day...
SleuthFest 2014, Part 2!
With my panel over, I was able to enjoy Saturday at SleuthFest as a regular attendee, i.e., someone eager to soak up the wisdom of mystery professionals who are way more experienced than I am. I attended five panels in all. If I've misquoted anyone or left any names out, I humbly apologize. It was a lot to take in and I tried to keep track as best I could.
At the Editor's Roundtable, we were reminded to make our manuscripts the best it can be before submitting, and to follow each publisher's guidelines, which are always available on their websites. This might sound like common sense, yet each editor could give examples of writers who seemed to believe that little mistakes didn't matter, and who submit under the assumption that if the editor doesn't like something, "she'll fix it for you." So not true! Whether this is about story content, grammar and style, or formatting, even little concerns add up. The last thing you want an editor to think is you either don't have an eye for detail, or you're just not trying hard enough. Editor's want good stories, but they also want authors who are easy to work with--who are accommodating when it comes to house styles and are willing to adjust. And they are just as likely to reject a manuscript with dazzling writing but so-so content as they are to reject a fabulous plot with not-so-great writing.
Most of the editors seemed willing to point out a reason or two when they reject a manuscript, especially if the story showed potential and they might like to see it again. Deni Dietz of Five Star believes that kind of editor feedback is an important tool in helping aspiring authors grow and develop their craft. Shannon Jamieson Vazquez of Berkeley especially doesn't like to see too quick of a turnaround when she sends a rejection with an invitation to resubmit with revisions. She cited an example of something returning a manuscript within a couple of hours with a message indicating that all concerns had been addressed. Not possible!
At lunch, keynote speaker Laura Lipman reiterated this notion of taking time with your manuscript and not to rush into submitting or self-publishing because "you want it now." Her example was of a woman she'd met who spent 3 months working on her book, and two "heartbreaking" months submitting and being rejected. And for that reason she was self-pubbing. It's so important to be sure your manuscript is "ready" for publication, whether traditionally or through self-pubbing, and we all know that takes time, effort, and several objective points of view--which means every manuscript should be critiqued and then edited by at least one other professional editor.
Laura also reminded us that traditional and indy/self-publishing are both viable options, and there is too much squabbling these days between the two camps. In fact there shouldn't be any camps at all, but rather authors seeking out the best options for their careers, whatever that may be. We should be able to come together as colleagues and be supportive of each other. I'd add to that the fact that what works for an author at one time may not be right at another point in his/her career. So we should always keep an open mind.
This was only part of my morning. I also attended the panels on Taboos and Setting, but I'll cover those in my next post. Lest you think it was all work and no play, though, at lunch an author popped out of a giant cake, there was a wild (and wildly funny) auction where, among other things, the gentleman next to me bid $1500 and won a one-on-one session with special guest, author Ace Atkins. (I was afraid to scratch my nose.) Raffle tickets for fabulous baskets were sold by FL MWA members in pink boas (yes, even the guys), and ballots were circulated for "The Most Interesting Man at SleuthFest." But more in my next post.....
At the Editor's Roundtable, we were reminded to make our manuscripts the best it can be before submitting, and to follow each publisher's guidelines, which are always available on their websites. This might sound like common sense, yet each editor could give examples of writers who seemed to believe that little mistakes didn't matter, and who submit under the assumption that if the editor doesn't like something, "she'll fix it for you." So not true! Whether this is about story content, grammar and style, or formatting, even little concerns add up. The last thing you want an editor to think is you either don't have an eye for detail, or you're just not trying hard enough. Editor's want good stories, but they also want authors who are easy to work with--who are accommodating when it comes to house styles and are willing to adjust. And they are just as likely to reject a manuscript with dazzling writing but so-so content as they are to reject a fabulous plot with not-so-great writing.
Most of the editors seemed willing to point out a reason or two when they reject a manuscript, especially if the story showed potential and they might like to see it again. Deni Dietz of Five Star believes that kind of editor feedback is an important tool in helping aspiring authors grow and develop their craft. Shannon Jamieson Vazquez of Berkeley especially doesn't like to see too quick of a turnaround when she sends a rejection with an invitation to resubmit with revisions. She cited an example of something returning a manuscript within a couple of hours with a message indicating that all concerns had been addressed. Not possible!
At lunch, keynote speaker Laura Lipman reiterated this notion of taking time with your manuscript and not to rush into submitting or self-publishing because "you want it now." Her example was of a woman she'd met who spent 3 months working on her book, and two "heartbreaking" months submitting and being rejected. And for that reason she was self-pubbing. It's so important to be sure your manuscript is "ready" for publication, whether traditionally or through self-pubbing, and we all know that takes time, effort, and several objective points of view--which means every manuscript should be critiqued and then edited by at least one other professional editor.
Laura also reminded us that traditional and indy/self-publishing are both viable options, and there is too much squabbling these days between the two camps. In fact there shouldn't be any camps at all, but rather authors seeking out the best options for their careers, whatever that may be. We should be able to come together as colleagues and be supportive of each other. I'd add to that the fact that what works for an author at one time may not be right at another point in his/her career. So we should always keep an open mind.
This was only part of my morning. I also attended the panels on Taboos and Setting, but I'll cover those in my next post. Lest you think it was all work and no play, though, at lunch an author popped out of a giant cake, there was a wild (and wildly funny) auction where, among other things, the gentleman next to me bid $1500 and won a one-on-one session with special guest, author Ace Atkins. (I was afraid to scratch my nose.) Raffle tickets for fabulous baskets were sold by FL MWA members in pink boas (yes, even the guys), and ballots were circulated for "The Most Interesting Man at SleuthFest." But more in my next post.....
SleuthFest 2014, Final Recap
Ready for my third and final recap of SleuthFest? Let's jump right in...
In the Taboos workshop, the consensus seemed to be that, especially in cozy mysteries, readers don't like extreme violence, foul language, or descriptive sex scenes. But if an author has the ability to handle sensitive subject matter gracefully and can make them work in her story without jarring or otherwise offending the reader, then there are no real taboos. However, they issued this caution: the writer must have a special talent to pull this off. Not everyone can, so pushing the envelope on taboos can be risky, and can ultimately backfire on the author. Oh, and while you can pretty much kill off any number of people, do not hurt or kill any cats or dogs. Or other cute, helpless animals. Or any animals. Just. Don't. Do it.
Next came the panel on settings. I've always been a fan of "setting as character," meaning setting is never arbitrary, but carefully selected for its own particular atmosphere and traits in order to enhance the themes of the story—the idea that setting can affect the action of the plot just as much as a character can. The panel discussed urban vs. rural settings, and stressed that setting must always be seen from the point of view of the main characters. Do they have a history in that place, and what kinds of memories do they attach to it? Or are they new to an area, and how do they react to new sights and sounds? How does the way in which they perceive their environment reflect and or affect their current state of mind? When writing setting details, the author should always take into account the emotions of the main character. Those emotions should help "color" the setting details the author puts on the page. All the panelists agreed that portraying setting through their characters' eyes was more important that being 100% accurate. They recommended knowing as much about your setting as possible. For example, you don't want to show downtown Detroit after 6pm as a bustling place, because it simply isn't. The trick is to know enough so that you sound convincing, and run with it. One thing they advised against was too much accuracy when it comes to directions—you don't want to sound like a travel log, or like an author who did a heck of a lot of research and wanted to include it all in the book. As far as choosing an urban or rural setting, it really depends on the tone and action of the story.
I've been thinking about writing a short story/novella, so after lunch I attended the Short Story panel. The best advice I came away with was write your story and don't worry too much about length in the first draft. Later, go back and cut all unnecessary words and story elements that don't directly impact the plot. Every words counts – there can be no extras. For me, the advice to trim later removes some of the pressure of writing short.
However, the authors had other wisdom to share. Libby Fischer Hellman called a short story an "affair," whereas a novel is more like a marriage. It can allow you to expand on a subplot or secondary character from a novel, or as Michael Haskins pointed out, it's a good way to stay in your characters' head between full-length novels and keep them fresh in your mind. Short stories are also great for author name recognition. Twist Phalen and Stacy Allen begin with a premise first, and Twist says she then develops contrary characters she can drive crazy with the plot. Stacy Allen has an excel spreadsheet set up with lists of character traits, settings, and plot element choices, and apparently hitting F9 sets up her scenario for her. I need to look into that further. All agreed that short stories are much more popular and easier to sell than previously, thanks to ereaders, flexible pricing, and shorter attention spans. Finally, writing a short story is a great exercise in writing tight, a skill that can be transferred over to novel writing for fast pacing.
My last panel of the day was It's Their Job, Staying on Top of Your Sleuth's Career. No one lives in a void. Your sleuth should have a well-rounded life with family, friends, and yes, a career of some kind. What your sleuth does for a living is often exactly the thing that puts them in the right place at the right time (or wrong time, when you consider we're dealing with murder), or has given them the skills to get the job done. Depending on the career, it may influence what the sleuth observes, how they process the information, and what opportunities they have to track evidence. Your sleuth's career will be an ongoing thread throughout the book and throughout the series, so it's important to research it well and make it believable.
Along with this, the panel reminded us to also give our sleuth a flaw, something they need to deal with and that gives them an opportunity to learn and grow over time. Incidentally, the other night I started reading The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan (which I picked up at the conference bookstore), and in it her sleuth has just been fired from a high-powered job in TV news, and is having to start over as a small-time newspaper reporter, the only job she was able to get. I'll be interested to follow both the career and character arcs as Jane Ryland tries to get her life back together.
In my posts covering this conference, I've discussed history, what editors want, the traditional vs. self-publishing debate, taboos, setting, short stories, and story content in the form of a sleuth's career. That's enough information to at least get someone started on a book, in less than two days' time. But there was so much more to be learned about the future of publishing, promotions and discoverability, self-publishing, forensics, pacing...you name it, SleuthFest had a workshop on it. The conference organizers did an amazing job of putting it all together, and making SleuthFest productive and fun. They have my hearty thanks!! For me, SleuthFest started and ended all too soon. Next year I plan to attend the full conference, and hopefully sit on another panel or two as well. This year, Murder at the Breakers wasn't out in time to sign at the conference. Next year, I'll two books to sign! SleuthFest 2015, here I come!
In the Taboos workshop, the consensus seemed to be that, especially in cozy mysteries, readers don't like extreme violence, foul language, or descriptive sex scenes. But if an author has the ability to handle sensitive subject matter gracefully and can make them work in her story without jarring or otherwise offending the reader, then there are no real taboos. However, they issued this caution: the writer must have a special talent to pull this off. Not everyone can, so pushing the envelope on taboos can be risky, and can ultimately backfire on the author. Oh, and while you can pretty much kill off any number of people, do not hurt or kill any cats or dogs. Or other cute, helpless animals. Or any animals. Just. Don't. Do it.
Next came the panel on settings. I've always been a fan of "setting as character," meaning setting is never arbitrary, but carefully selected for its own particular atmosphere and traits in order to enhance the themes of the story—the idea that setting can affect the action of the plot just as much as a character can. The panel discussed urban vs. rural settings, and stressed that setting must always be seen from the point of view of the main characters. Do they have a history in that place, and what kinds of memories do they attach to it? Or are they new to an area, and how do they react to new sights and sounds? How does the way in which they perceive their environment reflect and or affect their current state of mind? When writing setting details, the author should always take into account the emotions of the main character. Those emotions should help "color" the setting details the author puts on the page. All the panelists agreed that portraying setting through their characters' eyes was more important that being 100% accurate. They recommended knowing as much about your setting as possible. For example, you don't want to show downtown Detroit after 6pm as a bustling place, because it simply isn't. The trick is to know enough so that you sound convincing, and run with it. One thing they advised against was too much accuracy when it comes to directions—you don't want to sound like a travel log, or like an author who did a heck of a lot of research and wanted to include it all in the book. As far as choosing an urban or rural setting, it really depends on the tone and action of the story.
I've been thinking about writing a short story/novella, so after lunch I attended the Short Story panel. The best advice I came away with was write your story and don't worry too much about length in the first draft. Later, go back and cut all unnecessary words and story elements that don't directly impact the plot. Every words counts – there can be no extras. For me, the advice to trim later removes some of the pressure of writing short.
However, the authors had other wisdom to share. Libby Fischer Hellman called a short story an "affair," whereas a novel is more like a marriage. It can allow you to expand on a subplot or secondary character from a novel, or as Michael Haskins pointed out, it's a good way to stay in your characters' head between full-length novels and keep them fresh in your mind. Short stories are also great for author name recognition. Twist Phalen and Stacy Allen begin with a premise first, and Twist says she then develops contrary characters she can drive crazy with the plot. Stacy Allen has an excel spreadsheet set up with lists of character traits, settings, and plot element choices, and apparently hitting F9 sets up her scenario for her. I need to look into that further. All agreed that short stories are much more popular and easier to sell than previously, thanks to ereaders, flexible pricing, and shorter attention spans. Finally, writing a short story is a great exercise in writing tight, a skill that can be transferred over to novel writing for fast pacing.
My last panel of the day was It's Their Job, Staying on Top of Your Sleuth's Career. No one lives in a void. Your sleuth should have a well-rounded life with family, friends, and yes, a career of some kind. What your sleuth does for a living is often exactly the thing that puts them in the right place at the right time (or wrong time, when you consider we're dealing with murder), or has given them the skills to get the job done. Depending on the career, it may influence what the sleuth observes, how they process the information, and what opportunities they have to track evidence. Your sleuth's career will be an ongoing thread throughout the book and throughout the series, so it's important to research it well and make it believable.
Along with this, the panel reminded us to also give our sleuth a flaw, something they need to deal with and that gives them an opportunity to learn and grow over time. Incidentally, the other night I started reading The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan (which I picked up at the conference bookstore), and in it her sleuth has just been fired from a high-powered job in TV news, and is having to start over as a small-time newspaper reporter, the only job she was able to get. I'll be interested to follow both the career and character arcs as Jane Ryland tries to get her life back together.
In my posts covering this conference, I've discussed history, what editors want, the traditional vs. self-publishing debate, taboos, setting, short stories, and story content in the form of a sleuth's career. That's enough information to at least get someone started on a book, in less than two days' time. But there was so much more to be learned about the future of publishing, promotions and discoverability, self-publishing, forensics, pacing...you name it, SleuthFest had a workshop on it. The conference organizers did an amazing job of putting it all together, and making SleuthFest productive and fun. They have my hearty thanks!! For me, SleuthFest started and ended all too soon. Next year I plan to attend the full conference, and hopefully sit on another panel or two as well. This year, Murder at the Breakers wasn't out in time to sign at the conference. Next year, I'll two books to sign! SleuthFest 2015, here I come!
