By:
Sabrina Y.
On March 8th, the Lime Green Giraffe had
its 3rd annual Writers Conference! There were many girls who attended this event,
and all who had a passion for reading or writing! At this event, there were three accomplished
authors who came to talk about the writing process and how to create your own
novel as well as the process on how to publish your own story.
The first speaker was the author of Cleopatra’s Moon, Vicky Alvear Shecter. She
is a talented writer who has a passion for ancient history and Egyptian, Greek,
and Norse mythology. Shecter focused on how to write and compose our own novels
and stories. She presented the group
with tips on how to improve our stories to make them more realistic. She was a professional speaker who
incorporated fun stories and interesting facts about her own process of
creating her books. Here are some
helpful tips that was included during her talk:
- Be true to the facts and history: Especially if your story is taking place during a different time period or in a foreign place, do your research and incorporate the information you discover in your story. The more factual, true information, the more realistic your story seems. Also, this type of information helps the readers to get a clear image in their head.
- Include the ordinary: The world itself creates conflicts, and this could bring more tension to the story. Don’t be afraid to incorporate what you may think of as ordinary, every day situations that could happen to anyone because it adds more conflict to the story, and it also makes the characters seem more real because they have “normal people” problems that anyone can relate to.
The next speaker was agent, editor, and animal rights
activist, Holly McClure. She is also the author of many books including The Vessel of Scion and Too Big Buck. McClure was sweet and
quite humorous as she spoke to the group about how to compose a query letter and
also what a “good story” looks like in the eyes of an editor. Here are some important things to consider
when creating your story:
- Who’s your audience? Determine what age group of your reader and aim your story towards your audience so they can relate to it.
- Who is your protagonist? They have to be there from the very beginning. The beginning is the first chapter, not the third chapter. The audience can’t to long to find the main character.
- What is the relationship between the writer and the active character? If your active character can’t see it or feel it, it can’t happen. In other words, the writer’s voice cannot interject in the middle of the story.
- What stories do you have? Write about things in your life that are memorable and have meaning.
The final speaker of the day was the author of As You Wish, Jackson Pearce. During her
session, she talked about the business side of books, and how they make it from
the editor/publisher to the bookstores. She was spunky and lively as she presented
this interesting information to these potential young authors. Learning the ins and outs of publishing a
book is important especially to aspiring authors, so here is some information
learned during her talk:
- Agents: Get one!
- How to choose an agent: Get one who represents projects similar to yours, and make sure you check out your agent’s reputation.
- Helpful hints: Do not go for “the hot young thing” when choosing an agent. Also, don’t be BFFs with your agent. After all, they are your business partner.
- A question to consider: What sort of publishing house do you want to work with?
It was great to have this incredible opportunity to
meet these inspiring authors who have accomplished so much in their lifetimes.
During the book signings, we were able to talk with these authors and share our
aspirations, what books we are currently writing, and ask questions. As I waited in line to get my book signed, I
enjoyed hearing the enthusiasm in the girls’ voices as they told the authors
about their stories, and it made me equally as happy as I saw the authors
listening with great intent to their ideas.
This event inspired and encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming an
author just as these women did.
Thank you Vicky Alvear Shecter, Holly McClure, and
Jackson Pearce for making this one of LGG’s best writing events!
Applications are being accepted until Sunday April 5, 2015 for the 2015 Lime Green Giraffe staff. For details click the Join Us tab at limegreengiraffe.org
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