Taking the Conference Home: A Post for NESCBWI13

It is always so exciting to attend a writer’s conference. To be surrounded by like minds and to rub elbows with published professionals, even well-known published professionals. I often hear people saw how much they want these feelings to continue even after they go home.

Well guess what? You can!

Join a critique group. Critique groups aren’t just for sharing work, they are for continuing that conference experience of being surrounded by people who share your need to write and talk about children’s books.

If you meet some great people (which I know you will) and they don't live near you, start an online group. 

If you want to meet people in your area, look for ways that the conference has provided for getting you together with them. At NESCBWI13 we start the conference with a Regional Meetup on Friday night. Open Group Leaders will be wearing stickers that say, "Ask me about my group." If there are no open groups in your area, take the time to find some people who want to start one. Don't worry if none of you have ever done it before. That's why you have a person like me (Regional Critique Group Coordinator) who can give you advice. I had never attended a group when I started my first group and now I coordinate the whole region. 

If you will not be at the Friday night meetup but will be at the conference, I will be holding office hours during Saturday and Sunday's conference registration. Please come by my table, introduce yourself, fill out a Looking for a Group slip, and check out our New England open group listings. You can also see these listings at http://nescbwicritiques.blogspot.com and looking at the list in the New England NEWS. 

And if you approached me at the conference to tell me that you want to join a group or even better, run one, don’t put it off. Do it. You’ll be glad you did. It really does make the conference last all year long.

Even the Writer Can Be Surprised

The other day I was working on a story and I said out loud, "Wow, I can't believe that happened." My seven year old daughter looked up from a piece of artwork she was creating, slipped off her stool, and came over to the table when I was writing.

"Mommy," she said. "You say that all the time. But how can you be surprised? You're the writer! Don't you make the stories?"

How could I explain to my seven year old, that while that is true, I do write the story, I often find that I am not entirely in control of the plot. Matter of fact, sometimes I have no control at all. I am just the fingers that type the words down. The words themselves come from someplace deep inside.

At least I hope they do. Other wise the answer to my child really should be that mommy's just a little nutty and not to mind her.

Do you control your stories or do your stories control you? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Interview with Middle Grade Author Anna Staniszewski

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. She was named the 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. Currently, Anna lives outside of Boston, Mass. with her husband and their adopted black Labrador, Emma. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. You can visit her at www.annastan.com.

Hi Anna. Thanks so much for doing this interview on your release week for My Epic Fairy Tale Fail. Did you know that My Very UnFairy Tale Life would be a series when you wrote it?

I knew pretty early on that the idea had series potential, but I wanted to make the first book stand alone. Right around the time the first book came out, my agent and I sold two follow-ups. Luckily, I'd kept a larger thread in the story (Jenny's absent parents) open, so I was able to carry that through the rest of the series.

How did you come up with the idea for this twisted fairy tale series?

I was working on a dark YA and really needed a break. When I sat down to write something funny, out came a scene about a girl and a talking frog. The girl was so snarky and spunky that I knew I wanted to keep writing about her. I soon discovered she was an adventurer who solved magical problems--and she was sick of it! Once I knew that about her, it was way too much fun to throw fairy tale and fantasy themes at her and see what she would do.

Tell us about your journey. How did you get your first book published?

Like most publishing journeys, it was a long one. I'd been writing for years, but it wasn't until I finished grad. school that I decided to work toward getting published. A few years and maaaaaany rejections later, I finally got an agent. Another year and maaaaany more rejections later, I finally sold my first book. 

Was there ever a point that you felt like giving up?

Definitely. Every rejection--especially the kind that made me feel like I was SO close--was a struggle. There were days when I thought I would never get published, but at the same time, I knew I couldn't give up. I'd wanted to be an author since I was in elementary school, and I had to keep trying. Thank goodness I had family, friends, my unbelievably patient husband, and my awesome agent to cheer me on!

Is there anything about being a published author that has surprised you?

How amazingly generous people are! I've been blown away by how willing people have been to spread the word about my book, cheer me on, etc., even folks I haven't seen in years. I also could not believe it when I started getting emails from readers who had read my book and liked it--people I didn't know. The idea of strangers reading my book was (and still is) totally mind-boggling.

What advice would you give someone trying to get published?

Do not give up. I know you hear that advice all the time, but it's TRUE. The people I know who've gotten published are the ones who've kept going even when their dream seemed impossible.

Thanks again, Anna. Good luck with the book launch! Readers, if you want to get a peek at Epic Fail, here is the book trailer.