Robert Liparulo, an inspiration for writers at the GLVWG Write Stuff™ Conference

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Bestselling Author, GLVWG, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Robert Liparulo, Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Inspiration

By DT Krippene

 

At the recent GLVWG Write Stuff™ Conference, I had the pleasure of attending Robert Liparulo’s seminars. What made his presentation so rewarding, was how approachable he was. His light-hearted, easy-going style was infectious, with ample inspiration from his journey as an author.

We spent Thursday, April 7, with how to take a story from Mind to Manuscript – The Making of Your Masterpiece. Robert borrowed on his own experience in writing his first novel, “Comes a Horseman”, which took him years to perfect before he felt confident to publish. After hitting the bestseller lists, he knocked out one story after another, no longer questioning his ability to write. He went on to publish a bestselling YA series, Dreamhouse Kings, as well as other thriller novels.

He reminded us that writing is an art, and like any artistic venture, it’s subjective. Robert admits to being a maverick in the industry, in that he rarely does extensive rewrites of his books. He said the author’s voice is how a good story is told, and extensive editing can kill that voice if an author isn’t careful. Same applies for the use of critique groups, and finds them potentially dangerous to a budding author when too many “opinions” muck up the voice. Finding a good critique partner is like gold, valuable yet hard to find. Stories are all about the character, but he was quick to point out that too much detail on the character can suppress a reader’s natural inclination to imagine what the character looks like. He demonstrated this with a review of his book covers, where you never see the character’s face.

GLVWG Write Stuff™ Conference

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GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Tips

Conference Schedule – Friday, April 8

7:00 AM  Check-In table opens:  Pick up registration materials at the check-in table

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8:00 AM – 12:00 PM in the Lehigh Room    (Concurrent Session)

  Robert Liparulo 

Thrillers and Mysteries: How Knowing the Difference will Help You Write a Great Story

Never mind how booksellers tend to lump the two genres together, they are vastly different: one is a rollercoaster ride, the other is more akin to presiding over a murder trial; one targets the heart and stomach, the other targets the brain and intellect. Not that there aren’t some crossover elements—there are, usually on the scene level, but never on the story level. From character development to point-of-view, from atmosphere and setting to the opening scene—the differences define your story, and will either engage your readers . . . or confuse them.

8:00 AM – 12:00 PM in the Cedar Crest Room     (Concurrent Session)

Suzy Kuhn

Author Promotion Bootcamp

Maximize your promotional efforts. Make the most of interactions by implementing a purposeful engaging strategy. No opportunity should be left to chance. Bring this approach to your social media and learn how to be more relevant to your audience in a manner that is stress-free and easy to incorporate into your already busy schedule. Discover how to appeal to retailers and take full-advantage of meeting a bookstore staff. Learn how engagement will encourage a bookstore to hand-sell your books and keep them in stock. After this intensive training, you will be equipped to seize opportunities, virtual and live.

Part1: Live Author Interaction

Part2: Putting the Social Back in Social Media

Part3: Understanding Retailers

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GLVWG Write Stuff™ Conference

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conference faculty, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Tips

Thursday’s Schedule, April 7:

 Full Day Workshop with Robert Liparulo

Includes Lunch

Followed by Writers Café at 7:00 PM

Bestselling author Robert Liparulo will take you step-by-step through structure and character development, plot and setting, voice and viewpoint. By the end of the day, you will have the tools – and motivation – to design, build, and write your story.

“Writing a novel is much like designing a building: the placement of everything has to serve a function; it has to be pleasing, simultaneously unique and familiar; it has to be something people want to return to, talk about, get cozy with. And writing a novel is no less demanding than designing the coolest, most prestigious skyscraper. But how? How do you take that vivid, gotta-get-it-out story in your head and put it in a form that everyone can see, that everyone can appreciate the way you do?”

 

8:00 AM 11:30 AM	“From Mind to Manuscript: The Making of Your Masterpiece”
	Lunch with the Expert – Robert Laparulo
1:00 PM 5:00 PM	Continuation of Robert Liparulo’s workshop: “From Mind to Manuscript: The Making of Your Masterpiece”

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7:00 PM 9:00 PM

Writers Cafe: Informal Read and Critique (Included with ALL registrations)

The Writers’ Cafe

Facilitated by Bart Palamaro

 Get ready for Friday Night Page Cuts or Saturday Agent/Editor pitches by bringing your pitch or opening page and we will give you instant feedback! Or just bring the first page of your manuscript for a critique. All registered Conference attendees are welcome to attend this Conference version of GLVWGs monthly read and critique meeting. It’s a fun time!

It’s Here – The ‘Write Stuff’ Conference

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conference faculty, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Tips

Write Stuff Conference 2016

It’s finally here.  The GLVWG ‘Write Stuff’ Conference begins Thursday, April 7, with best-selling author, Robert Liparulo.

Join us at the Best Western Lehigh Valley Hotel & Conference Center on Thursday for a daylong seminar with Robert Liparulo on “From Mind to Manuscript“. Advance registration required.

 Former journalist Robert Liparulo is the best-selling author of the thrillers Comes a Horseman, Germ, Deadfall, Deadlock, and The 13th Tribe, as well as The Dreamhouse Kings, an action-adventure series for young adults. He contributed a short story to James Patterson’s Thriller, and an essay about Thomas Perry’s The Butcher’s Boy to Thrillers: 100 Must Reads, edited by David Morrell and Hank Wagner. He is currently working on the sequel to The 13th Tribe, as well writing an original screenplay with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive). When not writing, Liparulo loves to read, watch (and analyze) movies, scuba dive, swim, hike, and travel. He lives in Monument, Colorado, with his family.

The session begins at 8:00 AM in the Lehigh Room, and includes Lunch with Robert in the Foundry.

Then stick around for Writer’s Café at 7:00 PM. Get ready for Friday Night Page Cuts or Saturday Agent/Editor pitches by bringing your pitch or opening page and we will give you instant feedback! Or just bring the first page of your manuscript for a critique. All registered Conference attendees are welcome to attend this Conference version of GLVWGs monthly read and critique meeting. It’s a fun time!

Meet Amara Hoshijo

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agent, author, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Conference

GLVWG’s Suzanne Mattaboni spoke with Amara Hoshijo of Soho Press, an independent book publisher based in Manhattan’s Union Square. Founded in 1986, Soho publishes 90 books a year across its Soho Press, Soho Crime and Soho Teen lists, and is known for introducing bold new literary voices, award-winning international crime fiction, and compelling young adult mystery and thrillers.

Amara will be taking pitches at the GLVWG Write Stuff Conference on Saturday, April 9. Advance Registration is Required.

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Suzanne: I see from your background you’ve spent part of your life in Hawaii, France, and California. What drew you to New York, and what has made it worth staying?

Amara: I was first drawn to New York at the age of five, based on little more than that it was the biggest city I knew. (I’ve always preferred big cities—more specifically regarding the above, I’ve lived in Honolulu, Paris, and LA.) Hawaii remains a special place for me, but growing up, I didn’t see any industries there that I wanted to be a part of. I came to New York the summer after college with no prospects and the sole objective of breaking into publishing. It is certainly a literary epicenter, which was the deciding factor in my cross-country move, but I was lucky in that my personality meshed well with the city itself. New York has the diversity and integration I’ve craved my entire life; I’d say the people there have been brought together by a similar drive.

Meet Anjali Singh

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agent, author, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Conferences

GLVWG’s Geoffrey Mehl had a chance to interview Anjali Singh of the Ayesha Pande Literary Agency. Anjali will be joining us at the GLVWG “Write Stuff” Conference to take pitches from attendees (Advance Registration is Required).

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 GLVWG: Thank you for sharing some time with us today, and we’re looking forward to having you as one of the agents at the Write Stuff Conference in April.

 Anjali Singh: You’re welcome and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone at the conference.

 GLVWG: Authors are often urged not to submit until their manuscript is “ready.” Careful proofreading is understandable, but what other indicators tell writer it’s time to query?

 Anjali Singh: I think it’s incredibly useful to be part of a writer’s group, to have engaged readers that you trust read and give you feedback. Even if you’re not part of a group, it’s worth asking friends and family who are avid readers to read on your behalf. Proofreading is important, but even more important is whether the first 5-10 pages grab and hold a reader’s attention (as that is what most agent’s will see first and be the basis on which they decide whether or not to read more), whether or not the characters come alive and make readers care about them and their plight, whether or not there’s enough at stake in the story to keep someone turning the pages, and to hear if there were places where the reader got bored, confused, or felt like skimming. These are all great questions to ask your early readers! An agent should never be the first person to whom you show your MS, and by the time you send it to one you should feel that you’ve perfected every aspect–opening, plotting, character development and pacing–that you can on your own. I think that’s when it should feel ready.

Meet Shawn Smucker

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Ghost Writing, GLVWG, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Memoirs

GLVWG’s Mitzi Flye spoke with author, blogger, and co-writer, Shawn Smucker. Shawn will be at the Write Stuff conference to share his wisdom on ghost writing and writing memoirs.

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You decided to “live your dream” of earning a living writing after your construction business failed and you found yourself deeply in debt. If someone came to you with the same dream, what would you say to them?

If someone came to me with the same dream, I would ask them how often they’ve been writing and how they are currently making money as a writer. I had already written two books by the time I left my other business and had multiple leads for additional work – taking a leap like this certainly isn’t something I’d recommend unless you already have a plan and existing streams of freelance income. Of course, you’ll never have it all figured out, so making this kind of a decision always requires a balance between practicality and uncertainty. If your dream is to make a living as a writer, write every day, use your existing contacts to generate writing income, and get creative about how you can capitalize on your particular writing strengths.

Meet Kelly Simmons

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GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Advice, Writing Conferences, Writing Tips

GLVWG’s Laurel Bruce had a chance to speak with Kelly Simmons, a former journalist and creative advertising director who started writing fiction over fifteen years ago, while studying creative writing and screenwriting at Temple University and University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her critically acclaimed novels {STANDING STILL, THE BIRD HOUSE and ONE MORE DAY} she is developing a TV series and has been writing a memoir for what seems like her entire life.

Laurel Bruce: Kelly it’s a delight to have you teaching two sessions at the GLVWG Write Stuff Writers Conference this year.

How has your background as a creative advertising director influenced your writing?

​Kelly Simmons: It taught me to produce under impossible circumstances​: absurd deadlines, ridiculous revision requests, and committees of clients who were tyrants. Compared to that, the publishing industry sometimes feels like a day at the beach. (Oops! Cliche!)

Laurel: Your first published book is “Standing Still.” How did you go about finding a publisher for this bo ​​ ok ​, AND did that differ from the process of publishing your new book, ONE MORE DAY?

​Kelly: Well, first off, I wrote 8 novels before I sold one. It took the right agent and the right manuscript at the right time. ​The same for my latest, ONE MORE DAY — there were several years in between book two and book three, in which it was hard to choose the right material for me, and for that moment in time. It’s a bit lightning-in-a-bottle-ish, even once you have an agent.

Meet Victoria Selvaggio

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Editor, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency, Writing, Writing Conferences

Once again, GLVWG’s Michelle Meeh spent some time interviewing Victoria Selvaggio, Associate Agent for the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency.  Vicki has a strong background in business ownership and over six years of actively working as a volunteer and Regional Advisor for SCBWI: Northern Ohio. Drawn to the publishing scene first as an author writing all genres, with her most recent publication in the 2015 Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, Vicki’s passion for honing the craft carried over into reading manuscripts for the agency. Currently, she is excited to read compelling manuscripts that will resonate with her long after she’s done.

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Michelle: Who is your most memorable writer?

Veronica: Stephen King is my favorite writer. I find his path to publication fascinating, and I find his published works to be more than enjoyment for reading. For me, they’re instruments/tools—I’ve learned so much on mastering voice, playing with a manuscript’s structure, and even pushing those standard writing rules a tad.

His publications encouraged me to write about the sweet and innocent, while weaving in the crazy and unimaginable. They helped me push my own limits as a writer–learning to not hold back, writing about my deepest fears, while sharing those things that show my vulnerability. And mostly, they encouraged me to be me–to write what I need to write!

Michelle: Do you have a particular quote that resonates long after the book is back on the shelf?

Veronica: While I don’t have a particular quote after the book is back on the shelf, I do have a favorite motivational quote:

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” – Harriet Tubman

MeetChristine Stroud

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Autumn House Press, Editor, GLVWG "Write Stuff", Writing, Writing Conferences

GLVWG’s Michelle Meeh had an interview with Christine Stroud, Senior Editor of Autumn House Press. Christine will be taking pitches at the GLVWG “Write Stuff” Conference on Saturday, April 9. (Advance registration is required.)

Christine Stroud is originally from eastern North Carolina, but currently lives in Pittsburgh and works as the Associate Editor for Autumn House Press. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University and a BA in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. She has a chapbook, The Buried Return, released by Finishing Line Press. Her poem, “You Called the Night it Snowed in April,” was published in Ninth Letter’s first web edition and she received the Best Thesis in Poetry award for her manuscript, Brick Wall.

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Michelle: What is it about poetry that resonates with you as a reader?

Christine: I’ve always loved the incisiveness of poetry. Even if a poem has long lines or spans for pages, I always find them acute because of the attention to language and structure. In a successful poem there’s a sense that after a great deal of thought, the poet found the right word. That being said, I love that despite poetry’s conciseness it’s also completely unrestricted—it can be fictional, it can be autobiographical, it can be both simultaneously. Even poems in very strict forms can be wildly imaginative and unconfined. A poem is a fun little puzzle, a quiet secret that pulls us in.

Michelle: As a writer, why is poetic expression so important?

Christine: The attention to language, for me, is the most vital aspect of poetry. We’re all talking and writing so much these days and I see that reflected in some of the literary work I read. Much of it is good, but lacks the love of language. I read very solid stories and poems that have interesting narratives or play with form, but the language falls completely flat. Poetic expression is important in keeping us focused on the necessity to connect with words, to push ourselves with language.

Michelle: What do you look for in a poem? In a fiction/nonfiction manuscript?

Christine: I look for something that takes me off guard—for work that displays a new way of engaging an idea or situation (This goes for all three genres). For instance, consider how many poems about nature have been written over the years. If you’re a contemporary poet you need to consider how to approach the subject in a fresh way. I come across a number of very well-written manuscripts that tell a story I’ve read before and don’t offer anything new to conversation.

Michelle: Not to restart the war, but how is southern poetry different from northern?

Christine: ((Ha, good question.))

Sometimes I’m not sure they really are that different in contemporary works except in evocation of place and the use of language/dialect. Other times I feel certain there’s a clear distinction. Even if we aren’t shaped by our culture (and I think we are), we’re responding to it.

I grew up in the South, but I’ve lived a large part of my adult life in Pennsylvania. At this point I don’t know if I would identify as a southern writer even though I write a great deal about my childhood there. Similarly, I don’t typically identify myself as a female writer even though I write about issues concerning gender.

Perhaps in the end, it really depends on the intent of the poet?

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Christine can be found at Autumn House Press, and her website, Christina Stroud.