Friday, April 11, 2008

WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING FOR YOUNG READERS CONFERENCE

I had a meeting yesterday about the BYU Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop/Conference, June 16th--21st, here in Provo. Information here for those who want to come and learn from some fantastic writers and a great illustrator. I will be Sally Warner's conference assistant.

The conference is well run, the author's and illustrator are excellent. An agent and a couple of editors attend, top notch ones. The morning is spent with the author, learning and being critiqued on your novel or picture book or whatever you are working on--I guess I better get some serious work done soon. The afternoons are spent in breakout sessions with the authors, illustrator, editors or agent. Those afternoon sessions are unbelievably good. Some people just come for the afternoon.

I should get serious. Quit fiddling around, trying to decide if I want to write from an adults point of view, looking back, a kids first person POV or a third person POV. What to do, what to do. I should also realize that I'm really not a great writer but what else would I do with my life at this point? Knit? Cook? Phil would like that and I've been doing a fair amount.

Actually I do spend an insane amount of time on the lawn swings, visiting with friends and with Phil, and with my family but I'm going to laughingly call it research and quit feeling guilty about it. Research is good, right? So what if it's never productive research? Never research that would lead to a book? It's good to have a hobby. I just don't know if writing is my hobby or if visiting with my friends and family is. Or am I totally committed to be a time waster and the lawn swings are my vehicle to participate in the wasting of it?

4 comments:

Pam's Place said...

Lawn swing time is time well spent. You're knitting the cords of forever friendships. And we all get a little therapy along the way :-) Bring your tablet out and work on your book on the lawn swing. We'll be quiet, I promise.

Lynne's Somewhat Invented Life said...

Don't be quiet. Be noisy and talkative and fun. That's what I like, noise and fun and talking-non-stop friends. Like you. Well, you don't talk non-stop but you have great things to say and are fun and even noisy, which I love. We must have lots of noisy laughs out there this summer. Okay?

Astromom said...

I do want you to go get yourself published, your an amazing writer. I think that is amazing you'll be an assitant for the conference, that is great, a big deal I think.

tearese said...

I should go to something like that. I need motivation, but I'd probably just get depressed realising how much work I'd need to do if I wanted to make a childrens book. Maybe I'll wait until I'm retired.