Alyssa Maxwell's Blog - Posts Tagged "sleuthfest"
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.....
