Mr. Thespian: “IMPROV today! Pair up. Talk ONLY in QUESTIONS.”
Mac: “Cammie, why’d you pinch me?”
Cammie: “Why’d you dare Victor to kiss me?”
Mac: “Did I embarrass you?”
Cammie: “What do you think?”
Mac: “Sorry.”
Cammie: “Thanks.”
They hugged.
Mr. Thespian: “Questions only! Focus!”
Mac: “Aren’t we?”
Cammie giggled.
Check out Vivian Kirkfield’s 2022 #50PreciousWords Contest for more stories under fifty words for kids!
Introduction
I have just returned from my critique group’s second annual writing retreat. We spent three days in northern New Hampshire writing, relaxing, socializing, and eating (one of our writers is a professional chef!). One of the best things about this retreat is that it was structured, and yet flexible. We had a plan, but frequently amended the plan to include spur-of-the-moment activities or to designate more time where it was needed. I now feel refreshed in spirit, mind, and body; ready for more writing. In addition, I am immensely glad these ‘gurlz’ are my writing partners and, most importantly, my friends.
The Drives Up and Back
While I balk at sometimes having to drive an hour and forty-five minutes one-way to work, I thoroughly enjoyed the long drive to and from the retreat. I carpooled with one of my CPs. We were able to chat and catch up, something neither of us had had much time for in the past several weeks. It was the perfect start to three days of writer’s bliss.
Hitchhiking
In this article by Kim, one of my critique partners, she explains how to use ‘hitchhiking’ to get the creative juices flowing. While we ate lunch and waited for all six of us to arrive, we practiced hitchhiking stories. One of us would start a story, and we’d keep going around the table, adding a sentence or two at a time, until the story ended. Let me tell you, the stories never went in the direction I thought they were going to go. I was particularly grateful for this activity: I used it to flesh out some of my Storystorm 2020 ideas.
Juggling
One of our critique partners is a professional clown and circus performer. She treated us to a juggling break where we learned to juggle poi and practiced what we had learned last year: juggling scarves. This elevated our heart rates and got the blood pumping to our brains in preparation for our next activity: making vision boards.
Vision Boards
At the beginning of the month, we worked together to help each other come up with a focus word for 2020. Mine was ‘explore.’ We took our words to the retreat, and used scrapbook materials, magazines, and other craft supplies to create a collage representation of what our word meant to us. Set among the background of music and wine, this was the perfect creative activity for the evening. I made three vision boards! (I couldn’t stop myself!)
Morning Yoga and Wish Paper
Kate, another one of my critique partners, teaches yoga to teens at the library. She led us in poses that stretched the body, followed by an exercise to stretch the mind. We wrote wishes for 2020 on wish paper and curled each paper into a cylinder. We then placed the cylinders on a plate and lit the top of each one on fire. After a few seconds, the wishes leapt into the air, consumed in flames! I caught my charred remains and smeared some of the ashes into my writing notebook—I’m not really sure why; it felt symbolic.
Storymatic
I have to purchase this game for writers. Jackie brought Storymatic—both the version for kids and the one for adults—to the retreat. We selected cards like “librarian in love” and “mirror” or “covered in tattoos,” “doesn’t feel attractive enough,” and “obvious plastic surgery” and spent 10-15 minutes writing stories which integrated the phrases. Then we read our stories out loud. My favorite memory was not being able to finish the first (and then the second!) sentence of one of my stories without everyone interrupting with laughter and snorts.
Acting
We helped each other unstick our sticking points. This ‘helping’ took the usual form of ‘talking things out,’ except, however, when it didn’t! We discussed one partner’s plot points. We brainstormed titles for another member. After that, we acted out the picture book I’m writing and which recently has me stumped. Watching my story performed as a play was hilarious and fabulous, and probably one of—if not the—highlights of the retreat. This exercise—which was more fun than work—helped me immediately with setting, plot, dialogue, and a whole lot more. Above all, I am so grateful for these moments of laughter and improvisation and will cherish them forever, even if this particular picture book never gets published. (But I think it will! Someday!)
Freewriting
What would a writing retreat be without freewriting? There was plenty of this, thank goodness! I got to do my morning pages, kept up with Storystorm, and worked on drafts for at least two picture books. Similarly, I wrote poems, concocted silly brain-unblocking stories, and journaled. I may use one of the Storymatic ideas that I fleshed out during a freewriting session, and turn it into a picture book. In addition, I may also use a question one of my critique partners asked me—What would you tell your eleven-year-old self if you could go back in time? —as a blog post.
Conclusion
There is no ‘all-in-all’ or ‘in conclusion’ sort of ending that justifies just how amazing the entirety of this writing retreat was. Friendships were solidified and strengthened. Tears and laughter united us. And writing… did I mention how much I love Love LOVE writing?!
Have you been on a writing retreat lately? Similarly, what do you look for in a writing retreat or critique partners?
“Allow yourself to listen to the still, small voice that is bidding you to do.” (Alice Faye Duncan, LA19SCBWI)
Introduction: FOCUS
One of the main goals that Adam and I set for our #PBChat mentorship was to get more me into my manuscripts. In order for that to happen, I need to flush out all the negative self-talk and other things getting in the way of hearing my “still, small voice.”
The mentorship officially started this month. I had paid for the LA19SCBWI Conference before I knew about #PBChat. At first, I was worried that attending the conference would distract me from focusing on my mentorship. Rather, this conference leaves me refreshed, energized, and better equipped to tackle it. In this blog, I will share how the LA19SCBWI helped me get out of myself (the introversion, the doubts, the fear, etc.) and into my #PBChat mentorship.
YOGA and a “Coincidence”
I enjoyed the yoga on Saturday morning. Being a beginner, I found Lori’s instruction to be both easy to follow and appropriately challenging. While I physically stretched myself, I similarly expanded my mind and prepared myself for being open to all that the LA19SCBWI Conference had to offer.
At the conclusion of the class, Lori scattered about 100 cards – pictures on the front; words on the back – on the carpet and invited us to select an image that spoke to us. I picked the “eye,” which was actually the Sea Serpent. My card said: “The Sea Serpent represents …expression…. creativity… helps us move…into a healthy current…. We express ourselves creatively …without fear or shame…. We loosen the grip of self-judgement…. We let the cool waters of forgiveness in to heal our wounds.” Was it an interesting coincidence that I was reading about creativity at a writing conference? I’m not sure I believe in coincidences!
Mandatory Morning Pages
I made it a point to continue doing my morning pages, an exercise from Julia Cameron’s THE ARTIST’S WAY, throughout the conference. I spent about ten minutes (or three pages) writing in my journal freestyle first thing every morning. I wrote whatever I wanted – journal stuff, conference information, gossip, meaningless words, budget stuff – everything! This helped me empty my brain so that I could fill it up with what the day had to offer: lessons, insight, and meeting new people.
Did all this “extra” writing do anything? Yes! Lots! I have attended scores of conferences over the past decade. At all of them, I noticed common themes with my behavior, all revolving around introversion. I was always on the periphery of the conference. But this conference was different. I talked to anybody. I felt only a little jet lagged. I was just a little “whelmed;” not overwhelmed. At the “Woodstock, 50 Years Later” party, I danced right up in front of the stage. I credit all of these things to the morning pages exercise, although I don’t understand the “why” yet. I wonder how these changes will ripple through the rest of my life!
Learning
To say I learned a lot at this conference would be an understatement. I have so many bullet points, practices, and mindsets to bring with me into my mentorship as a result of those four intensive days of conferencing. On Friday, I learned more about rhyme and rhythm in picture books, with #PBChat mentor, Lori Degman. I LOVED Linda Sue Park’s writing room on Saturday afternoon. Writing anything, I believe, helps a writer get better at writing what she wants to write. My take-home from Sunday, after listening to Carol Hinz’s lecture, was that I need to rewrite the back matter for three of my stories. On Monday, I learned that a couple of agents whom I had previously thought desirable, while they are still very talented and knowledgeable, might not be the right fit for me.
Deepening Relationships… and Food
One of the best things to happen during this conference was the down-time spent with my critique buddies. In particular, I am grateful for the time they spent helping me to revise one of my upcoming potential magazine publications. But I also enjoyed things such as re-trying sushi for the first time in nearly a decade. I liked it!
I met Stacey Mozer at the NESCBWI luncheon and ate nearly an entire gluten free pizza on my own! Speaking of food, it was feast or famine throughout the weekend. They fed us once on Friday, once on Saturday, once on Sunday, and not at all on Monday. Although we went out to eat three times, seven of our meals came from a Thursday evening Target run. The best meal was the taco bar at the “Woodstock, 50 Years Later” party on Saturday night.
Bonus!
During lunch on Saturday, I attended an illustrators’ informal workshop, munching on veggies and hummus and sketching the live models in 5- and 10-minute drawing sprints. When I went up to the woman model, Ariel, at the end (to show her my favorite pose and talk about modeling and sketching), a camera crew swooped down upon us. I might be included in a documentary film!
Conclusion
All in all, I am very glad I attended the LA19SCBWI Conference. It directly supported my mentorship; in fact, it seems like a huge “coincidence” that the conference took place at the beginning of my mentorship. I feel primed for writing, thinking, and revising throughout the months ahead.
“If you are comfortable with your uncertainty, then you are on the path of learning.” (Yuyi Morales, LA19SCBWI)
Did you go to LA19SCBWI? What were your big take-home messages from the conference? What other writing workshops would you recommend attending?
I cannot remember the last time I was this happy! I have no words! And I’m going to need words… I just won a #PBChat mentorship with the fabulous Adam Wallace!
!!!!!!
I’m going to document my mentorship over a series of blogs. And this first blog is going to be two-part: BEFORE my first conversation with Adam, and AFTER.
BEFORE:
I had to work a double shift the day the mentees were announced. Would I turn my phone off and check it in the evening? Would I check it at the sound of each ping? When would Justin announce each mentorship? Why did I feel like an imposter? These were the questions going through my mind Tuesday evening (okay, maybe for the entire month of July!)
Let’s backtrack even more… I had hit a point in my writing career where I had nearly stopped querying. I felt like every manuscript was more trash than gem, and I struggled to find the time needed to revise all 17 manuscripts. I also felt guilty for the time I spent writing, which was always time NOT spent with my family.
Enter #PBChat. I latched onto #PBChat and sunk my teeth into it; hungrily devouring the Twitter feed each Thursday morning (I had to work late Wednesdays, when #PBChat took place). I became addicted. I became obsessed.
Obsessed you say? Yes, I became hooked on the idea that winning a #PBChat mentorship would be my nod that I was going in the right direction. If I won, then I’d know all this time writing and therefore all this time away from my kids would be worth it. God or whatever you believe in would be confirming that I am indeed allow to pursue my dream of being a children’s picture book writer.
Okaaaaaay. I know I was being irrational. But I also know me. And one of my weaknesses is that once I get something stuck in my head, it’s really hard for me to get it out!
At 10:10 am on July 31st, my phone beeped. I was supposed to be taking a patient history for one of the sisters at a nursing home for nuns.
I glanced briefly at my phone, just looking for the shape of the cards that Justin’s #PBChat announcements came on. I would check my messages later (otherwise, I knew I wouldn’t be able to give my patients the attention they deserved!)
But my brain, in that split-second glance, recognized my name! WHAT? I grabbed my phone with two hands, ignoring whatever the sister was saying to me (probably in French). OH. MY. GOSH. I was the first mentee ever for #PBCHat, and I had won my first choice, Adam Wallace!
I can honestly say my happiness was disproportional… I was happier beyond belief. And I still am. It’s the longest running happy high I have ever had in my life!
I let it all hang out in my application to Adam Wallace. I said what came to mind, uncensored. I felt like I was cheating when I wrote that application. I had FUN with it. It was 100% me.
So to have someone select me being 100% me – if that makes any sense – is mind-blowing and life-altering for me. I’m going to allow myself to be me for this entire mentorship. I wonder, will I explode?
Okay, I’ve got to go make dinner. I get to meet Adam in less than two hours!!!!
AFTER:
I’m back!
It’s definitely meant to be! Adam said our first goal was to get the “me” in the application into my manuscripts. Haha! I can’t wait!
Been on any first dates lately? What about first dates where you know you’ll be seeing a lot of the other person for the next few months, regardless of whether or not he’s just as okay in person as he is on paper? I felt a little like that… except for the dating part. Haha!
You know what? We clicked! Hooray!
The result? I am even more excited – if that’s even possible – for this mentorship. Woo-hoo! Let’s get started!
Speaking of started, I’ll be checking out the book The Artist’s Way, as well as spending 10 minutes each morning freewriting whatever comes into my head, uncensored.
Oh, and I sent over a bunch of my manuscripts. You know that feeling of vulnerability that comes with sharing your work, your baby (even if your baby is a little underdeveloped, haha) in a query or critique group? Well, magnify that by something-fold: sharing a lot of works all at once is QUITE. A. FEELING.
I’ll keep you posted over the next several days and months ahead. I won’t promise stellar blog writing, but I do promise to share.
How about you? What are you working on? Any pre-writing tips you’d like to share? Any big or small news or plans?
One year and six months – that’s how long I had been attending the bi-monthly local critique group before we held our first retreat for children’s book writers. As I approached the huge house on the coast of Maine, I wondered…Would I like the writing retreat? Would we all get along? Well, as it turned out, the retreat was everything I had hoped it would be and more.
We began.
After a brief welcome session, we began with a workshop on goal-setting. I had volunteered to lead this workshop, and I used Lisa Jacobs’ YOUR BEST YEAR, 2018 as a guideline. Discussions centered around how we had been our own worst enemies concerning our writing for the previous year, and how we planned to overcome these obstacles for 2019. One of the things I realized was that I needed to get beyond the negative self-talk I sometimes have in my mind (“You’re not a good writer,” “Why bother submitting, you’ll only get rejected,” etc.).
Query Letter Workshop
Friday afternoon consisted of our first manuscript critique session, query letter critiques, and discussion about our soon-to-be-launched group blog. The query-writing workshop really stuck with me. One thing I learned was that every sentence in a query should be unique to the writer’s story or to the writer herself. I was happy to learn something new, especially as I was also leading the query workshop. (This highlights the importance of getting together with like-minded writers from time to time!) I had prepared by summarizing scores of articles I had read online about query writing, but do you know what? We wanted to concentrate whole-heartedly on critiquing each other’s queries, so I saved my notes for a future blog post instead. (I had thought three days was plenty of time for a retreat, but we didn’t get to do everything on our carefully planned outline!)
A chef?!
After breakfast on Saturday morning (Did I mention one of our critique partners is a chef?!) we did a creative writing prompts exercise focused on character study. Next, we had two hours of free write time, which I used to fine-tune my query letter. The morning concluded with a lecture on revision, based on information from Jim Averback and the Storyteller Academy. This lecture highlighted one of the main problems I have in writing picture book middles: writing action that is both escalating and cause-and-effect. I can’t wait to apply all of the helpful tid-bits I learned to my manuscripts!
Tons of Fun
After lunch, we took our group photo for our upcoming blog – we had tons of fun, because we were outside in the snow. Then we spent the rest of Saturday afternoon critiquing manuscripts and planning how we want to structure our four hours per month of in-person time for the rest of 2019. We discovered that receiving critiques was a priority for everyone, as was the business of working on our group blog, but we decided to table exploring the craft of writing until our blog gets going. (We’ll all be attending at least one SCBWI conference this year.)
Focused
Sunday, we focused on three things: writing and critiquing some of the group posts for our blog, how to better communicate with each other (think: beyond email), and a retreat reflection. The retreat reflection was especially enlightening for me. My biggest take-away message from the retreat was: don’t be afraid because fear paralyzes creativity. I had shared one of my WIPs with the group, having gone back and forth with whether or not to do so. Drafting it had been so much fun, and yet, I was afraid… probably afraid of rejection. But the thing is, if something causes me joy to write, then it is worth sharing, period. And everyone encouraged me to keep working on this special WIP and to eventually submit it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I highly recommend the DIY writing retreat. For less than $300.00, I came away with invaluable information, advice, and deepened friendships. I am grateful to have met these six fabulous ladies. I am terribly fearful of our group fizzling out, but I don’t think that will happen because we are all driven by a sincere desire (maybe even something more than ‘desire’) to be published children’s book authors. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we are enjoying how we have shared our writing journey together thus far, and that we look forward to all of our future interactions. Oh yes, and there will be many more writing retreats in the years to come!
Children’s author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers (http://www.juliehedlund.com/12days) series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. I noted in my blog, TO RESOLVE OR NOT; NOT THE RIGHT QUESTION, that Julie belongs to a (hopefully growing) group of people who believe the way New Year’s resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity. We tend to resolve based on what we did NOT get done or did NOT achieve in the previous year. Instead, she suggests we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I decided to participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2018:
January 2018: I wrote. I attended my monthly critique meeting (while being a full-time mother, full-time Optometrist, and wife).
February 2018: I celebrated the launch of a friend’s book at a bookshop. This visit led to my meeting Vivian Kirkfield, a truly fabulous person, in March.
March 2018: I met Vivian for the first time and asked her tons of questions about how to become a published writer…. she introduced me to 12×12. I was a finalist (12th) in #50PreciousWords.
April 2018: I went to the NESCBWI, where NO SHOES STANLEY was born.
May 2018: I read GET KNOWN BEFORE THE BOOK DEAL and BUILD YOUR AUTHOR PLATFORM. I also attended my first “The Craft of Writing” critique meeting.
June 2018: I launched my writer’s website! I also participated in my first #PitMad. July 2018: I participated in my first critique meeting where we read 25 pages of our novels… I introduced the group to my YA, BLOODY AUTUMN.
August 2018: I met with Vivian to interview her for our three-part, get-to-know-Vivian blog series on my new website. An agent who signs 1 out of every 20 writers whose ms she reads told me she wants to read the first several pages of BLOODY AUTUMN.
September 2018: I participated in #PitMad. I interviewed Vivian and then wrote the second installment of our get-to-know-Vivian blog. I was featured on Susanna Hill’s “Would You Read It? Wednesday” blog. I read GUIDE TO MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING and submitted “Honeybee-leaving” to Skipping Stones Magazine.
October 2018: I participated in Susanna Hill’s Halloweensie Contest. I was featured on Susanna Hill’s “Would You Read It? Wednesday” blog. Skipping Stones emailed to say they’d publish my “Honeybee-leaving” article!!! I finished writing my first draft of my first YA novel, BLOODY AUTUMN.
November 2018: I was featured in Susanna Hill’s “Would You Read It? Wednesday” blog. I bought my 2019 WRITER’S MARKET. I started and completed my first draft of my second YA novel, SPECTRUM BREAKDOWN (NaNoWriMo). I interviewed Maryann Cocca-Leffler and wrote an article about her for our critique group’s secret surprise.
December 2018: I participated in Julie Hedlund’s 12 Days of Christmas for Writers. Skipping Stones told me that my copies of their magazine are in the mail. I participated in Susanna Hill’s Christmas Story Contest. I submitted about 100 PB queries over the course of the year.
I wonder what next year will hold? I can’t wait! Let the journey continue!
What do your 2018 (writing) successes look like?
