October Delight: 50th Annual Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The very first writers' conference I ever attended was the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in beautiful Eureka Springs, Arkansas. That was twenty years ago. And the conference is still going strong. In fact, this year is the 50th anniversary of the conference! The friendly atmosphere, top-notch speakers, networking opportunities, and dozens of writing contests keep writers coming back each year.

This year's conference will be held October 6-8 at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks in scenic Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

This year's faculty includes agents, editors, publishers, and writers, some of whom you might have seen on the History Channel or other television programs.

One of the most attractive features of the conference is that registrants can enter more than 30 writing contests.

There is no additional fee for conference registrants to enter the contests, and there is a contest for everyone, with thousands of dollars in total prize money. The awards are presented on Saturday evening, with a lot of hoots and hollers and applause.

In the past I've served as a judge for a few contests, but this year I'm excited and honored to serve as the contest chair. The entries have begun to arrive, with some folks entering more than a dozen contests, so that gives you a hint at how treasured winning one of these contests is for writers.

But wait. There's more: The Ozark Mountain fall foliage is eye-popping in October, and the drive from St. Charles County goes quickly. So, if you're looking for a fun, informative, and rewarding conference, I hope you will join me at the OCW 50th Anniversary Contest in Eureka Springs.

Notes from All Write Now Conference (Part II): John Rudolph on "Don't Call the Lawyers: Understanding Publishing Contracts"

One of the most informative sessions at the AWN Conference was John Rudolph’s presentation on “Don’t Call the Lawyers: Understanding Publishing Contracts.”

It was apparent that Mr. Rudolph, an agent with Dystel and Goderich Literary Management, is skilled on his topic. Here are a few tips he shared with the standing-room-only crowd:

* Hiring a lawyer might cost more than what an author makes on a book.

* Pay attention to who pays for ancillary materials (photos, indexing).

* Unless you’re dealing with a movie studio, don’t give up movie rights.

* Author should have approval over copyedited manuscript.

* Unless you accept a flat fee (work for hire), you own the copyright.

* Reserve the right to an audit and ask for an accounting statement at least once a year.

* Plagiarism and lawsuits are rare but expensive.

* Limit as much as possible the first look at next book option.

* Define Out-of-Print status.

* Agent commission should match original agreement with agent.

* Any rights not expressly covered by contract belong to you.

* Areas to negotiate: Advance, Royalty, Territory.

Remember, the publisher wants you to succeed. A contract is an act of good faith, not an adversarial relationship!

Free Unbound Book Festival Features Author Events, Panels, Signings and More

If you're looking for an educational and inspirational writing event this month, the Unbound Book Festival should be on your list. Festival founder and director, author Alex George, has done a brilliant job planning and organizing this literary event, which celebrates literature of all kinds.

Note: While all events are free, festival organizers have requested that attendees bring gently used books to deposit in bins that will be placed outside the doors of the meeting rooms. These donated books will be distributed throughout the community after the event.

Friday evening, April 22, the Missouri Theater in Columbia will be the site for a conversation with internationally renowned bestselling author of The English Patient and many other exceptional novels, memoirs, and books of poetry -- Michael Ondaatje.

The main event will be Saturday April 23 on the campus of Stephens College in Columbia, MO. The schedule includes programs for Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, and Children's Events. Senator Claire McCaskill is among the score of top-notch speakers who will be featured during the day. You can find a complete list of speakers here.

A variety of panels will also be held during the day, including the First Page Rodeo, where an expert panel (New York literary agent Margaret Sutherland Brown, Unbridled Books senior editor Greg Michalson, and New York Times bestselling authors Eleanor Brown and George Hodgman) will share their thoughts on a selection of first pages of novels submitted in advance of the festival by the general public.

Five first pages have been selected, from authors as far away as Texas to Massachusetts. The panelists will discuss what works and what does not, as well as what will grab the attention of industry professionals.

Note: At least one of the first-page selectees is from Missouri, and she will be in the audience hoping the panel isn't too harsh on her one-page submission.

You can find a complete schedule, list of authors, and more details on the Unbound Book Festival site. Hope to see you there! And don't forget to bring your gently used books to donate.

My Talk on "Prose Writing" to MFA Students at Lindenwood

Last night was an eye-opening experience. Dianna Gravemann, a writing friend and university-level teacher, invited me to talk to her MFA students in a class on "Prose Writing" at Lindenwood University in St. Charles. The focus of my talk was on short stories, specifically what I look for when judging a short story contest or deciding which short stories to accept when I'm editing Cuivre River Anthology.

The class was a mix of published and yet-to-be-published students. During my presentation I talked about what makes a good story, including the importance of story titles and gave them an exercise on "guess the original title of the book." For example, "Pansy" was the original title of what best-selling book that was made into a famous movie? Answer: "Gone with the Wind."

Last night we also discussed characters, conflict, word choices, voice, and most of the basics of short stories. But a few students had specific questions about the business of publishing, and I'm not certain I adequately covered those questions in the time I had to speak. Even if I had more time, I'm not sure I could've covered them because frankly those questions were geared for someone in publishing rather than a garden-variety writer like me.

Before leaving I handed out bookmarks with my blog address and invited the students to visit here. So, I hope some of them will visit today because I've found links to sites with insight from professionals in the publishing industry on some of the questions asked last night.

* One question had to do with the future of self-publishing. I don't have a crystal ball and wouldn't want to specualte, and self-publishing individual decision. While self-publishing isn't right for me, I mentioned a few self-publishing success stories, and Dianna chimed in with some others. Here's a link to Alan Rinzler's post on How Self Publishing Can Lead to a Real Book Deal. In his post he lists the top four reasons self-published books get signed up. Another excellent post about self-publishing comes from literary agent Nathan Bransford, "Should You Self-Publish? The Questions to Ask Yourself."

* Two related questions asked last night were: "When do you know you're ready to send off your manuscript?" and "When do you stop sending off to lit mags or publications that only give contributor copies or pay $100, and start writing to make money?" Those are very personal decisions, and I didn't have a one-size-fits-all answer, but I found something that might shed some light on the subject. Here's a link to another post from Alan Rinzler. This one is on "How Writers Build Courage."

* Related to the questions above, which touched on finding an agent, here's a post from literary agent Nathan Bransford on "How to Find a Literary Agent," along with over 100 comments about his post. You can also learn a lot about agenting from Kristen Nelson in her Agenting 101 blog posts. I frequently visit these two blogs because of the excellent information they provide for writers.

* Another question touched on the content of a manuscript. "If 90 percent of what I've written is true and 10 percent is made up, is it fiction or non-fiction?" Great question. I've heard several opinions on the matter and had lengthy discussions with writing friends. Last night I mentioned James Frey, and one student brought up "Angela's Ashes." I found an article from the Christian Science Monitor that addresses the question of "Memoirs Whose Truth and Does it Matter?" that might help. Here's another link on a related question that was asked: "What is Creative Nonfiction?"

Those are all the questions I can recall that needed to be addressed more, but if there are others, let me know.

Thanks again Dianna for inviting me to talk to your class, and thanks to everyone there for being so polite and for having so many wonderful questions!

Advice from Agent Cherry Weiner

Yesterday at critique group, we had a special visitor--literary agent Cherry Weiner. I met Cherry about eight years ago at an OWL meeting in Branson.

Cherry represents some of my writing friends including Dusty Richards and Lou Turner. The photo on the left is of Lou, Cherry, and me, taken by Bea Siros after lunch. Note to self: lay off the fatty foods, lace up those tennis shoes, and start walking.

Anyway, Cherry's plane arrived from NYC late yesterday morning, and Lou brought her straight to our critique group at the Rendezvous Cafe in O'Fallon. Cherry is visiting with Lou and another client before taking off to be a speaker at a conference.

We were just about finished with critiques when they arrived, but Cherry patiently listened to us critique one manuscript, followed by a reading and critique of a second. I didn't take notes, but here are a few comments I remember about what she had to say:

* In a critique group, it is important that someone else read your work. That way the focus will be on the writing rather than the reading.

* Grammar, punctuation, spelling and anything technical must be perfect before submitting. An agent or editor does not have time to correct your mistakes. Chances are if your manuscript or query letter have mistakes in the opening, they will automatically get placed in the NO pile. If you aren't proficient in grammar, etc. find someone who is, and don't rely on spell check.

* Less is more. Details add to the story, but too many details, unnecessary details and repetition slow down the work.

* Endings are important. Watch the endings of chapters, paragraphs--even sentences. The example used was: "The next day Frank was gone and so were his clothes." Revise to: "The next day Frank was gone."

* It's about the writing and the story. When asked the question, "What are you looking for?" Cherry answered, "Whatever I can sell." She added that the market for Westerns is soft, even for established writers. Her advice was to write a great book.

Cherry will be in OKC at OWFI this weekend speaking on a panel and taking pitches from attendees. If you're headed that way, good luck, and if you talk to Cherry, tell her Lou's friend Donna says "Hi!" And if you see Lou, tell her I said "Hi!" too.

Ally Carter, Kristen Nelson, and MWG

Last month I reviewed HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter for Teenreads, which is a fantastic site for teens to learn about authors like Ally Carter and books like HEIST SOCIETY. You can read my entire review on the Teenreads site.

I first learned about Ally Carter after visiting Literary Agent Kristen Nelson's blog, Pub Rants. Kristen is Ally's agent, and from what I've read on Kristen's blog, Ally and other authors Kristen represents have done exceptionally well with their books. So when I saw Ally's name on the list I received from my editor at Bookreporter, I jumped at the chance to review HEIST SOCIETY. Reading books written by YA authors, especially successful ones, has taught me a great deal in crafting the YA mystery novel set in St. Charles, MO, that I'm working on now.

Finishing my YA novel has been a challenge, and I'm always looking for resources to help me work through the process. I visit Kristen's blog frequently because she represents YA authors. Her blog is an exceptional resource for writers; it's filled with helpful advice about submissions, query letters, pitching, and other relevant topics.

Kristen is going to be speaking at the Missouri Writers' Guild Conference this year and I had hoped to learn more about the YA market from her, but life has interfered with my plans. This weekend I will be one of the hostesses for a shower for my niece.

MWG Conference Chair Claire Applewhite, Registrar Margo Dill, and all the board members and volunteers have done an outstanding job planning this year's conference. Pulling off a conference of this magnitude is a major undertaking; I know because in 2005 it was my job to plan and chair the MWG Conference in St. Charles, so I appreciate all their hard work and dedication. While I won't be at the MWG conference this weekend, several of my critique group friends will be including Judy Moresi, who is speaking on a panel, and Claudia Shelton and Doyle Suit, who will be shepherds for some of the speakers. Have fun, guys!

So, I hope everyone who attends has a great time and learns much. With such a star-studded line up, I'm sure it will be a success! To find more about the conference visit the MWG Conference website.

Words Count, But What's the Right Word Count?

Today in St. Peters, MO: Cloudy, high 40 degrees, chance of flurries tonight.

If you've ever wondered how many words are appropriate for your manuscript, you should check out this article: Word Count for Novels and Children's Books - The Definitive Post by Chuck Sambuchino.

As an editor at Writer's Digest, Sambuchino edits the Guide to Literary Agents and the Screenwriters and Playwriter's Market. In his article, he has broken down the general rules for word counts by genre. While he notes there are some exceptions to these rules, he also notes that new writers cannot assume they are the exception to the rule.

Here's a synopsis of the counts; for details and further explanations, read his excellent post:

* Adult Novels: Commercial and Literary - 80,000 and 89,999
* Sci-fi and Fantasy - 100,000 - 115,000
* Middle grade - 20,000 - 45,000
* Young Adult - 55,000 - 69,999 (this category is very flexible)
* Picture Books - 500-S600 words (32 pages)
* Western - 50,000-80,000 (60,000 is a good target)
* Memoir 80,000-89,999 ( 70,000-79,000 is not a terrible thing)

As a reader and a writer I've always known that words matter. I also know the length of my manuscript is important. Now I can count on it!

Ask a Literary Agent by Noah Lukeman

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Chance of thunderstorms, high 79 degrees.

Literary Agent Noah Lukeman, president of Lukeman Literary Management and author of The First Five Pages, (I have a copy of the book and recommend it) has launched a blog where he answers aspiring authors' questions about writing and getting published.

According to information on his Ask A Literary Agent blog, Mr. Lukeman invites questions about publishing or the craft of writing. He will pick random questions to respond to once every few days or so. He is not accepting new clients, so please don't use this blog to query him.

The first question he's answering:
"How do I find out what agent represents a novel in the genre that I think fits my work?"

Once a month, Mr. Lukeman will send out the Ask a Literary Agent newsletter, which will include tips and advice not included in this blog. If you'd like to subscribe, you can find out how to do so on his blog.

I'm a subscriber to his newsletter, which I received yesterday. That's how I found out about his new blog!

A WOW! of a Flash Fiction Contest Judged by Wendy Sherman

Today's forecast for St. Peters: High 80 degrees. Lovely weather for Cari's field trip with her class to the Cathedral Basilica and the Science Center in St. Louis.

Each quarter, WOW! (Women on Writing) hosts a writing contest to inspire creativity and recognize good writing. Some special features about their contests are the wonderful prizes and the calibre of their guest judges. The guest judge for WOW! Spring Flash Fiction Contest is literary agent Wendy Sherman of the Wendy Sherman Literary Agency.

Last spring my story "Ida's Rocking Chair" was among the top ten. For being in the top ten, my story was published on their website, I received a one-year subscription to their premium newsletter, was interviewed on their website, and received a WOW! goodie bag that my mail deliverer probably got a backache from carrying to my doorstep.

More good news: Recently Dianna Graveman, a writing friend, got notification that she is in the top ten for the winter contest. Way to go, Dianna!

The deadline for the spring contest is midnight, May 31, or when they receive 300 entries. Visit their website for complete details, including word count, prize amounts, and entry fee.

I'm working on something to submit this quarter because I don't want my free membership to run out--plus I would love to have an like agent Wendy Sherman read one of my stories.

How about you?

Nathan Brandsford's Ten Commandments for Happy Writers

Today's forecast for St. Peters: Right now it's 72, but it's expected to reach degrees. "Oh, what a beautiful morning!"

Sorry, no Friday Freebie today, but I believe I've got something better. Yesterday, literary agent Nathan Bransford, a literary agent with the San Francisco office of Curtis Brown, Ltd., posted his "Ten Commandments for the Happy Writers."

I'm amazed and gratified to read so much wisdom from such a young man. Here's the list of Nathan's commandments. To read his wonderful explanation for each of his happy-writer commandments, visit his blog.

1. Enjoy the present
2. Maintain your integrity
3. Recognize the forces that are outside your control
4. Don't neglect your friends and family
5. Don't quit your day job
6. Keep up with publishing industry news
7. Reach out to fellow writers
8. Park your jealousy at the door
9. Be thankful for what you have
10. Keep writing

My personal favorites are: #2, #4 (although I would put family first) and #9.

How about you, which are your favorites?

First Paragraph Contest

(Logo courtesy of Nathan Bransford's blog)

Today's forecast for St. Peters: Partly sunny; high 31 degrees.

First, thanks to Bea Siros for pointing out the typo in the last sentence of my blog heading. I must've read it 100 times and glossed over it. If your curious, the word "know" should have been "knows," but it's been corrected.

***

Now, for all you intrepid souls who want to get the attention of a literary agent, here's your chance. Nathan Bransford is a literary agent with the San Francisco office of Curtis Brown Ltd., a New York based literary agency that has been representing writers since 1914. On Monday he began inviting writers to post the first paragraph of a work-in-progress on his blog. The invitation expires at 4 p.m. Pacific time Thursday. Finalists will be announced Friday.

As of this morning, more than 900 people have posted their first paragraphs (or comments) on his site. It's interesting to read what writers are posting as their first paragraphs. I read about the contest the other day and figured: With so many paragraphs to wade through, what's one more? Why not give it a shot, so I did. You can too!

The grand prize winner will have the choice of: a partial critique, query critique or 15 minute phone conversation with Nathan. Runners up will receive query critiques and/or other agreed-upon prizes.

To read some first paragraph entries and complete details, here's a link: http://nathanbransford.blogspot.com/2008/12/2nd-sort-of-annual-stupendously.html

Good luck,

Donna