Now for the agent and editor panels at the SCBWI conference. Wow. What a fantastic lineup and they were so open and willing to share their thoughts. I jotted down some notes below and hope they can be useful to you!
The agent panel consisted of Erin Murphy, Michael Bourret, and Sarah Davies
Thoughts from Erin:
• Measure success by your happiness
• Don’t compare yourself
• Talk through your book with your editor
• Don’t get attached to your title
Thoughts from Michael:
• Be happy with the work you are doing knowing that you are growing as a writer
• Set realistic goals
• He’s an advocate for his writers
• Treat people with kindness and respect
• Titles can be important because they can sell your book
• It all doesn’t end with the deal because you still need to sell the book
• Take one step at a time
Thoughts from Sarah:
• Rewriting or starting over again can be the most valuable tool to revision
• One word titles in YA are beginning to go out of style
• Writing isn’t for the fainthearted
General thoughts they shared during the 1st Page Critiques:
• Be careful that your beginning isn’t clearing your throat
• Use ‘said’
• Your plot and character must advance at the same time
• Be careful using date/time- needs to have a reason
• ‘see’ the story, not be told the story
• Intrigue the reader but don’t confuse them
• Descriptions should be clear, especially in fantasy
• PB’s need to focus on the illustrations
Katherine Jacobs, Krista Marino, and Arianne Lewin
• Fantasy is a world not bound by our laws
• Fiction of the impossible
• Find a way to make your story fresh
• Write a book with a theme that goes through the whole story
• There is ALWAYS room for romance! They want romance.
• Read everything that’s out there
• Build on the classics
• Keep your readership in mind
8 comments:
Thanks for sharing! Awesome advice from all of them.
Well done Christina! I like these bits of advise.
Thanks! I feel like I was there! Interesting to hear that one-word titles are on the way out.
I'm living vicariously. Thanks.
Ivanova- I thought the same thing! Very interesting. I especially loved how open they all were. They really wanted to help and share their expertise.
Fantastic notes, Christina! Very helpful . . . thanks so much for sharing! :)
I don't write fantasy, but I enjoyed the editor panel. Perhaps I'll dip into that genre one day.
Just discovered your blog. Nice to meet you. Thanks for sharing these great notes!
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