SCBWI NY WINTER CONFERENCE

I’m getting ready to go to New York to the SCBWI winter conference. This is the second year I’ve gone. But this year I’ll be going with my husband instead of my sister. It’ll be better in some ways and worse in others. My sister and I, not having lived in a big city, didn’t feel comfortable going out after dark. So at least with him we’ll do that. That part will be better. It’ll be worse because my husband isn’t a writer, so I’ll be going to the conference itself by myself.

I am actually quite outgoing, but I remember that last year I felt like a fish out of water. I write because I love it. I’ve never claimed to be an English major, or have the slightest inkling what the publishing world does. Hence why I go to the conferences.

Last year I took way too much stuff. I brought five copies of my first fifty pages, several queries, and countless first chapters. I even ordered five hundred business cards. I think I gave out 2.

I can’t even make myself feel better about using them this year. I’ve changed my email and started a website since then.

This year I’ll bring less stuff, just a journal and maybe a few (new) business cards.

But one thing will be the same. Hope. I hope someone loves my characters as much as I do. I hope I meet the person who will publish my book.

I hope.

NANOWRIMO

November is NANOWRIMO month. It involves writing a 50,000 word novel in the course of one month, November. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to participate, my family and I are going on vacation for nine days smack dab in the middle of the month.

But I decided why not.

So instead of thirty, I'll only have twenty-one days. Twenty-one days to write a novel. Sounds like a challenge to me. I doubt it will be readable when I’m done. I usually go over my work again and again, tweaking it, making it just what I want. I doubt I can do that in twenty-one days. A rough draft? Maybe.

This is the first year I’ll be participating. I'm just finishing up my third novel in The Newstead Trilogy, and have been doing research for a fourth, a prequel. I wonder if that’s against the rules, researching before November first? I don’t know.

 Have any of you done it before?

Any advice?

I will be posting on this blog every day, Monday thru Friday keeping you updated on my progress, word count, etc. The only exception to this will be when I’m on vacation.

Take care and good luck to anyone else who is participating. If you would like more information on how it works, the web site is: nanowrimo.org