I volunteered for the first time at the SCBWI Conference on Saturday, and was oh-so glad I did! A looong day beginning at 4:30am and ending after 9:00pm, but well worth it with the helpful workshops, fun with my crit. buds, and dinner afterward with fellow volunteers and fantabulous conference faculty. I sat right beside author Bruce Coville, and enjoyed listening to stories of his 30 years in the writing business. His workshop on Writing Fantasy was especially helpful. One “gem” I took from him was the more deeply you study the source material/the deepest well of all fantasy–which is Mythology and Folklore–the better the story.
Editor Eve Adler from Grosset & Dunlap boiled down “Voice” in her workshop. In five important elements–Diction, Detail, Imagery, Syntax, and Tone–she provided great insight into the one aspect of writing that “Editors can’t fix for you”.
Lit. Agent Quinlan Lee from Adams Literary read and critiqued first pages. Her dynamic personality and supurb efficiency got through every submission, providing helpful feedback to all.
A memorable and worthwhile event indeed 😀
