Ten Great Things a Writer Can Get Out of the PPW Conference

Here is the article I wrote for PPW's NewMag newsletter this month. Deb Courtney said, "It was perfect! I didn't have to change a word!" and Mandy Houk said she LOVED it and asked if it was okay to feature as the cover story. Was it okay? Of course! I was blown away and completely flattered! I'll try not to let my head (ego) get big, but they sure are generous with their compliments!

Please leave comments and let me know what you think!

Ten Great Things a Writer Can Get Out of the PPW Conference
by
Stephanie R. Johnson


It’s that time again! The Pikes Peak Writers Conference is being held April 23-26, 2009—have you registered yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Here are ten great things you can get out of attending this fantastic conference:

1. Abbondanza! From mystery to mainstream, suspense to short stories, historical fiction to science fiction, there’s something for everyone. Not only will you discover what your genre is (if you don’t already know), but you’ll be able to talk shop with many others who share your passion. There will be plenty of literary agents, acquiring editors, authors, and specialists to speak on dozens of topics.

2. Brain Pickees. What better brain to pick than someone who “wrote the book” (pun intended) on the questions you have? Whether it’s screenwriting, magazine articles, proposal writing, or plotting, you won’t find better sources anywhere all in one place.

3. Creativity. Staring at a blank screen? You can’t go wrong with workshops that teach writing in a conversational tone to engage your reader, shaping and structuring your story, using a lowlife informant in your mystery novel to get information to your reader, expressing a theme without getting preachy, and much, much more. You can kiss writer’s block goodbye!

4. Do or Die. “I would rather die a slow death than pitch my book to an agent.” The Read & Critique and Speed Pitching sessions are a great way to overcome your fears, tighten your manuscript, and fine-tune your pitch. Don’t worry, you’ll survive just fine, even if you do break out in a cold sweat. You won’t find a safer environment anywhere else.

5. Elbows and Expo. This year features a new Trade Exposition for vendors, companies, and organizations that support the writing community (check the PPW Web site for participants and details). Elbow rubbing can occur at the Booksigning on Saturday, where speakers and PPW authors attending the conference will be more than happy to autograph your purchases.

6. Friendships. Being around like-minded people who live, eat, and breathe writing is what an author needs to be successful. The people I’ve befriended at writers’ conferences have told me about workshops, social events, writers’ groups, and critique sessions, where I made even more networking connections. There’s something to be said about the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” and it especially applies to every person you meet at a conference—you just might meet your future agent this way!

7. Guidance. The keynote speakers, agents, and editors aren’t the only ones who want to see you succeed. There are other authors, published and aspiring, who want to see you make the bestseller list too! So if you can benefit from learning the essential elements to writing a novel that editors want to buy, are looking for an accountability partner, have questions about marketing, or haven’t a clue about where to start, someone at this conference can definitely point you in the right direction!

8. “High Attitude Writing: Cut to the Craft” is this year’s theme, and you will enjoy the keynote presentations: “The Most Important Elements of Success…,” “The Trick is to Keep Breathing,” “…A Humorous Look at Becoming a Novelist,” and “Keeping the Magic in Your Writing.” Special add-on workshops on Thursday include “Thinking it Through,” “Fleshing it Out,” and “Giving it Wings.”

9. Invitation. These agents and editors are looking for their next bestseller, so imagine the euphoria you’ll feel when one of them (or more!) extends a personal invitation for you to send them your manuscript. Take my word for it, this is a rare opportunity! Even if your work isn’t quite submissible, they can provide the feedback you need to get it there. Many agents and editors heavily rely on these conferences to find new authors, but you can’t be invited if you don’t attend.

10. Just Do It. Is money holding you back from attending this conference? In this recession, it will be hard for many of us to scrape together the registration fee (PPW members get a discount), but don't forget there's a limited scholarship fund available (deadline is Feb. 28th). Is it time? If you can’t call in sick, then call in dead. Or is it fear? Get over it! My point is, do whatever it takes to go to this conference.

Not only will you get all of this from attending the Pikes Peak Writers Conference, but you’ll also have a great time, get to stay up late to fraternize, and eat fabulous meals with others in the writing industry! It doesn’t get any better than this! Register today at http://www.pikespeakwriters.com/.

Did anyone notice I did the items in "alphabetical order"?

Please note: the scholarship deadline has passed, so don't get too excited. Besides, they had to pull the link early (as noted in my previous post) due to an overwhelming number of applications.

Schedule Conflict Leads to Generous Gift

I’ve been a member of Pikes Peak Writers (PPW) for almost two years now, although I’ve considered myself a writer since the early 80’s when I was Editor-in-Chief of the school newspaper and even more so in the 90’s when I wrote my first novel. I had been taking writing classes and attending conferences for over a decade when the PPW Conference arrived last April, but didn't go … mainly because I was a ‘fraidy cat and totally unprepared.

Not wanting to look bad in front of my peers, I blamed my lack of attendance on something more convincing: no money. After all, how could I admit that I was too scared to go, especially since I wasn’t a conference rookie? Was it because I resigned the previous year to work on my newest book and didn’t want to give an agent or editor the opportunity to reject it? To reject me? In addition, I was too chicken to apply for a scholarship, because what would I do if my application was approved? That would require attending the conference and--*gasp*--facing my fears!

By the time the April 2008 Write Brain meeting ended and we had practiced pitching, everyone else’s excitement rubbed off on me; I regretted making excuses, so I determined that next year, come hell or high water I would go.

Interestingly enough, hell didn’t come this year, but high water sure did: My husband Greg got laid off in January, and this time, I really didn’t have the $300 for the registration fees. Our tax refund went toward catching up our mortgage, and because I was still “just a writer” (and a non-published, a/k/a unpaid one at that), I was heartbroken that the 2009 Conference would pass me over once again. At least this year I had a legitimate reason.

Pikes Peak Writers shares space with Cottonwood Artists' School (n/k/a Cottonwood Center for the Arts) in downtown Colorado Springs, and the owners recently purchased a new building a few blocks away from their present location. They solicited PPW for volunteers to help paint and move, so I put my book on hold and showed up to help in any way I could. Two days later, I dragged Greg in with me to help.

The new building is HUGE, which means lots of walls to prime and paint! Because there have been so few volunteers, Greg and I have been there almost every day, putting in 6- to 9-hour days, helping them get ready for their Grand Opening on April 24-25. After all, if we're not working, there's no reason why we can't be volunteering.

Peggy Vicaro is the director at Cottonwood. She's not an artist, but does call herself a "wannabe writer." Getting to know Peggy and owner Kay Jeansonne over the past several weeks has been a privilege, to say the least. I was excited for Peggy when I learned she was going to the PPW Conference, as she's pretty new to the writing scene. I also got better acquainted with Chris Mandeville, Community Ambassador and past President of PPW, as she and her boys painted the new office. When she discovered I wasn't able to go to the conference due to our financial situation, she was disappointed. I optimistically said, “There’s always next year.” Besides, it was my own fault for not applying for a scholarship sooner, regardless that PPW had to pull the link early. It would be a lesson for next year to get online as soon as registration opens so that I won’t miss out.

The next day when Chris arrived to finish painting, she said, "I need to talk to you." Her tone of voice caused my stomach to flip, as I thought I was in trouble for something. I had just written the cover story for this month's NewsMag, so I thought I might've messed up on some details. When she met up with me in the Gallery, she smiled and said, "I have some news for you. You might want to sit down for this." Now her tone had me curious!

I expectantly faced her as she excitedly announced, "You're going to the conference!"

"What! How?" I asked, shocked.

"After I left last night, I was sad that you couldn’t go and there were no more scholarships available, especially since you’ve put in so many hours volunteering here. So I called Ron [Heimbecher, current PPW President], and told him we have to do something! Turns out Peggy can’t go because Cottonwood’s Open House is the same weekend, so she is giving her registration to you!”

Tears of joy immediately stung my eyes as I thanked Chris profusely for pulling some strings. “That is so generous of all of you! Thank you SO much!”

I was flabbergasted (and I don’t use that word often!). Just days before, I had prayed that God would make a way for me to be able to attend, and did He deliver or what? I was totally amazed at the huge sacrifice Peggy was making for me to go, at Chris’s determination to find a way to get me there, and Ron’s willingness to make an exception.

Volunteering is a simple way for me to give back to the community, to put my skills and talents to good use, and to bless others. I don’t volunteer with the expectation to get something in return; I do it out of a heart of serving. However, I have to admit that when it “pays off” like this, I won’t decline the gifts that others want to share with me.

When I went to the old location that Saturday afternoon to have lunch, I saw Peggy sitting on the floor with several other volunteers. I walked over to her, tears welling up again, and said, “I owe you a big thank you and a big hug!” I held out my hand to pull her up, and gave her a big squeeze!

“Oh, it was my pleasure,” she graciously responded.

“No, the pleasure was all mine! You have no idea!” I said.

Now I just gotta’ get my revised proposal done!

The Results Are In!

My meeting to review my book proposal with Karen Linamen a few weeks ago went well.

Sort of.

First of all, I'm glad Karen is not the kind of person to sugarcoat the truth, and even though I realized before leaving that I would have to start my proposal over from scratch, I'm glad she was honest with me in getting me on the right track. After all, she's published over a dozen books now (I own 6) so I think she knows what she's talking about.

Secondly, Karen is a busy person, and before we left, she promised to e-mail me the template she uses for her own and her clients' proposals. It finally arrived today. I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds by having to e-mail her twice to request it, and normally I wouldn't be so pushy, but I am attending the Pikes Peak Writers Conference the weekend of April 24-25 (thanks to a very generous gift which I'll tell you about later), so I really needed the template in order to get started. After all, I didn't want to sign up for a pitch session without having my ducks in a row.

Allow me to share what Karen said about my proposal:

1. It's "unwieldy."

2. It has "too much info."

3. It's "too academic."

4. It "does not reflect my writing style."

After reading (skimming) 18 pages of proposal (12-page Overview and 6-page Synopsis) and 10 pages of sample writing, Karen shared that she didn't really get a sense of what my book was about until she got to my Sample Chapters. She said she kind of got an idea of my style from the Synopsis, but didn't realize how "great of a writer" I was until she read my manuscript. In fact, she was "surprised" at how good my writing was--I was thrilled. (At least some good came out of our meeting!)

Following the sample template in W. Terry Whalin's "Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success" wasn't good enough. I thought I scored a jackpot when the agent who requested my proposal in September sent me her guidelines and it was the SAME template Terry used (with two minor changes--the information was already there, I just had to move them to different places). Alas, in making my proposal as complete and thorough as I could possibly get it, I also made it boring. *yawn*

So, in using Karen's sure-fire example to write a proposal, I'm sure that not only will it be cut down by more than half, but it will also grab the agent's/editor's attention much better and faster than my first version did.

Some major/minor changes to start:

OVERVIEW

Part I: CONTENT

1. Change "Log Line" to "Snapshot" and revise in such a way as to grab the reader and slam them to the floor. Well, that "slam" part was me, but I discovered I'm really not as restricted as I thought to 25 words or less, or to what some people call the "Elevator Pitch" (pretend you board an elevator with an agent/editor--you have 30 seconds or less to pitch your story so you better get their attention before the doors to their floor open). There's a bit of leeway, but I shouldn't abuse it. I spelled out my Premise in a three-sentence (albeit long sentences) paragraph, but by combining the two and making it a Snapshot, I can tighten it up and get to the point much quicker.

2. Do not include the Back Cover example. That was my idea, and even though I agonized with revising it several times over many days, it's a space waster.

3. Narrow my USP (Unique Selling Proposition) from 12 to 6 bulleted items.

4. For the Overview, in summarizing Parts I-V, don't include so many bulleted items per section, which include 5-10 items each.

5. The Manuscript section needs to be briefer.

6. List my best three Special Features, not all nine.

Part II: MARKET

1. Age Group is fine as is, but Characteristics and Motivation sections need to be briefer.

2. Sidebars are fine (even earned a compliment).

3. Benefits section can be condensed to one paragraph from four.

4. Affinity Groups is good, maybe remove one or two.

5. For my "Competition" section, I listed nine separate books and their authors, compared each to my own book, spelled out how mine is different, and why mine is better. Karen suggested I change it to, "I researched 17 books on this subject, and my book is different/better because..." and limit it to one paragraph. This change alone will reduce the proposal by three pages. I actually researched more than two dozen books (it was hard to choose nine for the initial proposal), and though this major cut hurts because of all the time I spent on it, I know it's for the better.

6. Endorsements are good.

Part III: Author

1. Condense Background, Previous Writing, Kudos and What Others Are Saying sections (not that there are that many accolades, but be more selective).

2. Play up Personal Marketing (this section can make or break me). I have another "public speaking" engagement to add to my list, but when I look at all my other sections (Public Outreach, Support Groups, Internet, Magazines, Radio/Television), even I get overwhelmed, so I may cut it back to something more manageable.

SYNOPSIS

1. Not many changes. Karen mentioned that she got a much better feel for my writing style after reading the Synopsis, and that somehow, I need to let more of my personality shine through in the Overview.

So, that's the good and bad. I'll take it! It wasn't as bad as I expected, and now with the templates Karen has generously shared with me, I feel I have a much better chance of having a more polished product. Lots of trimming down and condensing needed, but overall it was a productive, helpful meeting. I'm grateful for the time Karen sacrificed to meet with me, and I'm hopeful that the revised version will impress at least one agent/editor enough to the point he/she invites me to send it in.

Now about that writers conference story...I'll save that for another entry.

Do you think there's hope for me? Feel free to leave your thoughts, comments, advice, and critiques.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

Wow! Where on earth has all the time gone? I have been so busy that I haven't had a chance to update my blog! Shame on me! So much has been going on, I don't know where to start.

As an aside, I'm embarrassed that I thought blog.com and blogger.com were the same sites. No wonder I couldn't find my "I Am a Writer" blog when I signed in! I can really be dense sometimes, but I'm still so new to all this blogging stuff, so don't laugh, okay? I decided to consolidate all my blogs into one spot, so I copied and pasted my old entries and started this new one here.

So . . . let's see . . . where did I leave off . . .?

I formed Clio's Club in March and held our first meeting in April at Panera Bread on Powers next to Best Buy, and two other writers showed up. We talked about the projects we're working on, what we were looking for in a writers' group, possible topics to discuss, etc.

For the second meeting in May, no one showed! Bummer. I figured the meeting hadn't gotten the same exposure as the first in the Gazette YourHub insert, so I made use of the time by working on my book.

By the third meeting in June, I was really wondering if people didn't like me, so I checked YourHub Events only to discover I hadn't made it a "recurring event." DOH! I think it turned out better that way because I was too busy with other stuff going on for me to start up yet another writer's meeting. I decided not to continue.

Also in April, I was asked by Radiant Church to paint some classroom murals in the Early Childhood Wing as part of their Extreme Makeover (see my "Stephanie Johnson Murals" blog), so several months flew by as I worked on that project. In the meantime, I was still attending Old Colorado City Writer's Group, Pikes Peak Writers, and Springs Writers meetings.

OCCWG started a new critique group in June and I'd been attending those meetings in addition to the general monthly writers' meeting. I have gotten a lot of positive feedback and constructive criticism on my manuscript, and have implemented many suggestions. One author, Jon Horton, highly recommended I work the book into a magazine article, as the topic is very "hot" and could land me a nice chunk-o-change. I'll have to research the possibilities on that one.

The Co-Organizer of OCCWG, David Esker, relinquished his title and duties while I was out of town but I didn't get the e-mail, so when I found out, I volunteered for the position. After all, I take all the minutes during our meetings anyway, so it wouldn't be a problem for me to pick this responsibility up as well, especially after Karen gave me her blessing to start up OCCWG as a group on Facebook.

When Greg accepted a new job in August in Rifle, we were gone for the entire month of September, living in a tent at Rifle Gap State Park, and by the time I came "home," the critique group had disbanded. Deb Buckingham and Anita Romero, members of OCCWG, have continued attending the Writers Write Tuesday meeting of OCCWG, so we all go to that meeting faithfully.

Disappointed with the direction OCCWG was headed, Deb decided to form her own meetup group and "borrowed" the name "Writers Write." (The name comes from Karen Linamen, who constantly reminds us that "writers write," and encourages us to do exactly that.) Deb took the liberty of adding OCCWG's Tuesday meeting to her group's calendar as well, so now the meeting has double exposure. Deb added me as the Co-Organizer to Writers Write, but so far she hasn't delegated any work for me to do. Anita is the Meeting Facilitator, and does a fantastic job of guiding the meeting discussion.

Moving right along . . . another group I attend is Springs Writers, founded by Scoti Domeij. I first heard about her group from Ted Weaver when I attended the American Christian Writers Conference where I first met Karen Linamen several years ago and have attended ever since. In March 2008, Springs Writers had Shana Schutte as a guest speaker. She talked about "writing juicy," "mind-mapping," overcoming writers block, and the different "hats" that writers wear: explorer's hat, artist beret, construction hardhat, combat helmet, etc. I took copius notes.

I would frequently see Shana at the Pikes Perk at Academy and Vickers where we met for Writers Write, so one day I finally got up enough nerve to tell Shana how much I enjoyed hearing her speak, even showing her her own business card that I had picked up after her talk. She commented that I must've met her somewhere previously since I prounounced her name correctly. I introduced Shana to my fellow writers, and over the weeks, she would pop in at our table to say hi and ask about our projects. I, for one, was star struck.

Weeks passed, and one day when I arrived late for a meeting, Deb shared with me that Shana had come over earlier and asked her if she had an agent (Deb writes "chick lit," and is working on a book titled "Out of the Box"). Deb told her no, so Shana asked her if she wanted one. Well, of course! (Was that a trick question?) I was so excited for Deb and the possibility that Shana might be able to hook her up with her own agent.

About a week or two later Deb, Anita, and I were busily typing away when Shana approached our table. To Deb's dismay, Shana announced that her agent didn't handle chick lit, but was looking for a writer with a "platform." I blurted, "I have a platform!" Shana asked me to send her an e-mail with details, and offered to send it along to her agent. I had had her e-mail from her business card, plus I had her Web site marked as a favorite, so I knew how to get in touch with her. I quickly sent off a paragraph or two about the memoir I was working on and waited for a response.

Weeks passed, and I was beginning to worry. I had seen Shana at Pikes Perk, but didn't want to harass her about my e-mail. She'd get back to me when she had an answer. Another week or two later, she let me know that her agent's grandmother had passed away and was out of town for the funeral, but as soon as she heard anything, she'd let me know.

In the meantime, I busied myself writing my memoir, finishing up the murals at the church, and doing the family thing with my kids who were visiting for the summer. I sort of of gave up hope that her agent would be interested, and put getting a response on the back burner as life got in the way.

One day, I checked my e-mail and saw a name I didn't recognize. The subject line read "Referral from Shana" and I immediately thought my daughter, Shaina, had somehow gotten into trouble at school (but the sender had misspelled her name)! That was ludicrous! Not my straight-A student. It was probably someone at the school needing a reference letter for a college scholarship program Shaina was applying for or something to that effect.

As I read the e-mail, I nearly peed my pants! It was Shana's agent and she asked me to send my book proposal and a sample chapter! OMG! All this time I could've been working on my proposal, but I convinced myself there was no way she'd be interested, so I simply didn't think about tackling it. Ohmygosh, did I, a WRITER, actually say that??

Where to begin???

"Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets to Speed Your Success" by W. Terry Whalin was a good start. I immediately got busy. Would I be able to finish it in a reasonable time so as not to make "Agent B" think I wasn't interested?

Then several roadblocks came along. My husband accepted a job in Rifle and, being the supportive wife I am, went with him, thinking it would be a week. I would head to the library to write, take notes, do research, etc. Slowly but surely, the proposal was developing, but the book took on a life of its own, metamorphosing into a how-to book instead of a memoir as I considered what the book had to offer the reader.

One week in the campground became four, and we couldn't afford the gas for me to drop Greg off at work every morning, go back to the library or tent, then make the circuit a second time every evening. So I was stuck at the campground, writing everything in longhand, but at least I was working on it! I was becoming resentful of being holed up in this campground with no Internet, electricity, cell service, laptop. But that's another story.

After a month, I begged Greg to let me stay home to work on my proposal in the comfort of my office, and he relented even though he really needed my company. I was so happy to get back to Writers Write and see "my girls!" I showed my spiral notebook to Anita and Deb, filled with my rough draft proposal, bibliography, and notes. They were impressed, but I shared with them how overwhelming it was, especially since the proposal had created a new monster. I chided myself for not starting months ago, even before Shana offered to ask her agent about it.

The next week, Anita asked me if my proposal was done.

"No," I answered sheepishly. She didn't want to hear my excuses. When I shared how I was still trying to figure out how to do the synopsis now that the direction of the book had changed, she said, "I think you should keep it a memoir. And I think you're dragging your feet."

I hung my head in shame--she knew me well. I even have a quote written on my office wall: Stop hiding from success because you're afraid you'll fail." I wasn't living my quotes!

Anita suggested, "Keep it a memoir and pitch it as a three-book series."

"But I've written the proposal as a memoir/how-to combination, with my daughter's point of view as the companion book! I can't change it now!"

She insisted. I argued. I gave reasons. I justified the changes.

She expounded on the benefits of a three-book pitch. She reassured my by saying, "Pitch it as a memoir, how-to, and companion three-book series. If she likes your proposal but doesn't like the three books, she'll tell you and make you rewrite the proposal. Keep in mind that whatever you submit will get rewritten anyway, so it's better to send her something now before she loses interest."

Anita was right.

So that's where I am now. I am rewriting the proposal, hoping to WOW "Agent B" with my outline, but frustrated that I need to change everything!!!

I'm sure I'll be thanking Anita when the agent offers me a contract.

And I'll be sure to list Anita's name second in my Acknowledgments, after my agent, of course.