Recap of the HWG Fall Writer's Conference

Welcome to the HWG Fall 2012 Writer's Conference in St. George, Utah. (Me giving the welcome speech to all attendees.)

Wow, is all I can say about my weekend long writing conference on October 12-13, 2012. I was not only busy as the HWG President in welcoming our attendees to our first ever writing conference, but also helped David Smith (HWG Conference Chair & Author of the Hidden Mickey series) with overseeing the details of the conference as well as presenting a workshop of my own about how to bring and use your 5 sense in your writing.

I would love to say when you host a writing conference that things don't get crazy until the day of the conference, but as you all might have guessed already...it starts weeks before, if not months. However, one of the highlights of the craziness going on around me was picking up our Friday night Keynote Speaker Johnny Tan. He not only flew out from Texas, but is also a dear friend I have known for a few years now. We have never met in-person until the conference!

Johnny flew in on Thursday night so the HWG board and myself all went out to dinner. It was a great evening and fun way to get the energy flowing the night before the conference.

I read a lot of positive feedback about the conference and even received some wonderful suggestions for next year. But enough about all that. Let me share some photos of speakers and authors at their event tables for when the community came for the book signing and free workshop portion of the conference.

You can see we all had a great time and enjoyed not only learning new tips or being reminded of things we often need to hear more than once, but also the networking.

I truly had a wonderful time and look forward to next year!

VS Grenier with David Smith

Comments

VBT-Guest Author Spotlight Donna McDine

Donna McDine is an award-winning children's author, Honorable Mention in the 77th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78 th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions. Her stories have been published in many print and online publications and her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna has two more books under contract with Guardian Angel Publishing, The Hockey Agony and Powder Monkey . She writes, moms and is the Editor-in-Chief for Guardian Angel Kids and Publicist for the National Writing for Children Center from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI and Musing Our Children. What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it? The Underground Railroad was a pivotal time in American history, one that should never be repeated. It is my hope ...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem. Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

Interview Friday with author Rie McGaha

Rie McGaha was born and raised in northern California along the shores of Humboldt County where her grandmother often took her to dig for clams and watch the whales migrate. Being raised with the mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, gave Rie a deep love for nature. She has resided in the Kiamichi Mountains of SE Oklahoma for more than ten years with her husband, Nathan, where they rescue animals, nurses them back to health and tries to find homes for them. She is the mother of 12 and Nana of 33. VS: Rie, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. As you know, being a parent is hard work and when you throw writing into the mix . . . well it seems almost impossible to get everything done. I find myself asking if I giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. Now you didn’t really start writing until your children were grown, however, you have your grandchildren running around from time to time, so to start here is the first qu...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

Search This Blog