IWSG: Imagine Life as a Writer

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

NOVEMBER QUESTION - When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?

MY ANSWER: When I was really young, I was a huge SUPERMAN fan and I thought I would be the next Lois Lane (without being fooled by men wearing glasses :-) As I got older, I discovered ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and thought I would be the next Woodward or Bernstein. Clearly, I had a nostalgic view of myself as the next great journalist. However, as I entered life in first my high school newspaper and then college newspaper, I quickly realized how little glamour (and even less pay) there was - even though I became editor of both. By the time I graduated college and was offered a position with the city newspaper, I realized my passion lies just as much with the teaching of journalism as the actual practice of working in the field. By that time, I had also published a few pieces of poetry and began working as a freelance writer for magazines too. I also started submitting and publishing fiction as well. Today, I continue my passion for teaching and still enjoy writing my own pieces.

How about you? When you began writing, what did you imagine your life as a writer would be like? Were you right, or has this experience presented you with some surprises along the way?

7 Fast Approaching Submission Deadlines

Seven fast approaching deadlines...

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Miracles, messages from heaven, angels - The deadline for submissions is FEBRUARY 28, 2024. Stories about miracles, angels, messages from heaven, premonitions, amazing coincidences and other unexplainable but good events! We are looking for powerful, astounding, stories that will make people say "wow" or give them chills. This book is for everyone, whether religious or non-religious.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: The power of thinking positive - The deadline for submission is FEBRUARY 28, 2024. We know that using the power of thinking positive helps you to achieve your goals and lead a happy, purposeful, and productive life. Almost anything is possible if you think you can. You can dream big, overcome challenges, create the best life possible for yourself, and turn adversity into opportunity. What do you do to think positive and how did it change your life? Tell us your success story about using the power of thinking positive!

GRAYWOLF PRESS NONFICTION PRIZE
https://www.graywolfpress.org/about-us/submissions
NO MENTION OF ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 29, 2024. A $20,000 advance and publication by Graywolf Press will be awarded to the most promising and innovative literary nonfiction project by a writer not yet established in the genre. The winning author will also receive a $2,000 stipend intended to support the completion of their project. The Graywolf editors are particularly interested in new approaches to the personal essay, cultural and literary criticism, creative scholarship, and books exploring complex ideas from unexpected angles. Must live in the United States, regardless of citizenship status. Must have published at least one piece of nonfiction in a literary journal or magazine.

SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION
https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo.php?fbclid=IwAR3dsNgV_I0yqv-oCp4MFqmMihAVk6cwHbmBCsihV0iPfrSQIjIDtbDwdKU
Deadline February 29, 2024. Divisions: adult division (age 19 and older) and pre-college division (age 18 and younger). Write one sijo in English on a topic of your choice. Only one entry per applicant. Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500). Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300). Must be a resident of USA or Canada.

LITTLE TOKYO HISTORICAL SOCIETY SHORT STORY CONTEST
https://www.littletokyohs.org/
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline February 29, 2024. The Little Tokyo Historical Society (LTHS) seeks fictional short stories for its 11th annual Imagine Little Tokyo short story contest in the categories of English language, Japanese language and youth (18 and younger). The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness of Little Tokyo through a creative story that takes place in Little Tokyo. Each category winner will be awarded $500 in cash with their short story being published in The Rafu Shimpo, Discover Nikkei and Little Tokyo Historical Society website.

ALPINE POETRY PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/poetry-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2024. Theme: Language. You may submit one poem or a collection of poems as long as ALL the poems in the collection speak to the theme. There is a maximum of 500 words per entry. There is no minimum required word count. First place: £3,000. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £1,000. The winner and runners-up will be invited to the annual symposium. Up to £500 travel expenses to help with travel to the event and meals and accommodation.

 

ALPINE WRITING PRIZE
https://alpinefellowship.com/writing-prize
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline March 1, 2024. Theme: Language. All genres of writing are permitted, including fiction, non-fiction, and non-academic essays. Open to all nationalities. First place: £3,000. Second place: £1,000. Third place: £1,000. The winner and runners-up will be invited to the annual symposium. Up to £500 travel expenses to help with travel to the event and meals and accommodation. A maximum of 2,500 words per entry.

14+ Spring Writing Opportunities

It's finally Spring, the busiest time of year for my family. It's also the time of year when many submission calls are open, and deadlines are fast approaching. 

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul: https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics - This is one company I have experience with and will continue to recommend. They always have a call out for multiple topics. They also pay fairly well in both cash and contributor copies. If you are interested in writing creative nonfiction, please check out the link above.

2) THE EVERY ANIMAL PROJECT https://www.everyanimalproject.com/contact/ -
Deadline March 31, 2023 We are currently accepting submissions around the theme of courageous animals for our first anthology, debuting in December 2023, The Dog Who Wooed at the World. Stories should explain how an animal’s bravery inspired and moved you. Stories must be true (non-fiction). They must relate to non-human animals (of any species) and can be about your personal experiences/growth because of an animal, an issue threatening animals today, or other aspects of the human/non-human animal relationship. One winning author will receive a $300 prize, and the second place author will receive $200. All other authors with stories chosen for the book will receive a $50 award, along with a free copy of the book upon its publication in 2023 a week before its release to the general public. Stories not chosen for the book will have the opportunity to be featured online on the blog, with a $20 award. Please keep your submission roughly between 500 and 3,000 words.

3) SEJONG WRITING COMPETITION https://www.sejongculturalsociety.org/writing/current/sijo.php -
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED. Deadline March 31, 2023. Divisions: adult division (age 19 and older) and pre-college division (age 18 and younger). Write one sijo in English on a topic of your choice. A title for the sijo is not required. Adult division: First ($1,000), Second ($750), Third ($500). Pre-college division: First ($500), Second ($400), Third ($300). Honorable mention (for both divisions listed above): Friends of Pacific Rim Awards ($50 each). (Thanks to www.erikadreifus.com)

4) THE FOLEY POETRY CONTEST https://americamedia.submittable.com/submit -
NO ENTRY FEE NOTED. Deadline March 31, 2023. Submit one poem of 45 lines or fewer. Poems should not be under consideration elsewhere. Poems may address any topic. The winning poem will be announced in early June and published in the print edition of America. The cash prize is $1,000. Three runners-up will also be published in subsequent issues.

5) BAEN FANTASY ADVENTURE AWARD https://www.baen.com/contest-faa -
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline April 30, 2023. Write and submit a short story of no more than 8,000 words. It must be a work of fantasy, though all fantasy genres are open, e.g. epic fantasy, heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery, contemporary fantasy, etc. The grand prize winner will be published as the featured story on the Baen Books main website and paid at industry-standard rates for professional story submittals. The author will also receive a handsome engraved award and a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Second place winner will receive a prize package containing $500 of free Baen Books. Third place winner will receive a prize package containing $300 of free Baen Books.

6) The First Line: https://www.thefirstline.com/ - Accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the next available deadlines are May 1, August 1, and November 1. Please click the link above to learn more.

7) FLASH 500 COMPETITION:     http://www.flash500.com/ - This is an annual set of three competitions for 500 words or less - in the categories of flash fiction, short story, and novel opening! This quarterly open-themed competition has closing dates of March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31. The results will be announced within six weeks of each closing date and the three winning entries each quarter will be published on this website. Entry fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories. Optional critiques: £15 per story. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 18, including non-UK entrants. Only manuscripts which are within the 500-word limit will be accepted. Entries must be in English.

8) FURIOUS FICTION https://www.writerscentre.com.au/furious-fiction/ -
NO ENTRY FEE. Deadline quarterly. Your story must OPEN with a 12-word sentence. Your story must be 500 words or fewer (hyphenated words and contractions each count as just one word) and the winning story will earn its talented author $500AU. Maximum 500 words – hyphenated compounds count as just one word. This contest is open to anyone in the world. But you must be 17 or older to enter and you can only enter ONCE per competition round. On each competition weekend, we’ll reveal a set of story prompts and you’ll have 55 hours to submit your best story of 500-words (or fewer).

9) MONTHLY SHORT STORY CONTEST https://shortstory.substack.com/p/coming-soon - Deadline the end of each month. Winner chosen by the 15th of the following month. Their missioin is to revive the art of the short story, support artists, and produce something wonderful. The winner each month receives $100 for the chosen story plus half of subscription revenue to be sent by Paypal, Zelle, or check. For example, the  payout for Jan should be $225 or higher. Send submission to shortstorystack@gmail.com. Reprints are fine. Word limit ranges from only six words to as much as 10,000 words. Only the winner will be published and rights will only transfer for the winning story. 

10) EATON LITERARY AGENCY SHORT STORY/ARTICLE AWARD http://www.eatonliterary.com/submissions.htm - A $3000 prize will be awarded to the winner of our short story and article program, open to any unpublished short story or nonfiction work less than 10,000 words. 

11) WERGLE FLOMP HUMOR POETRY CONTEST https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free - Deadline April 1, 2023. First Prize: $2,000 plus a two-year gift certificate from our co-sponsor, Duotrope (a $100 value). Second Prize: $500. Honorable Mentions: 10 awards of $100 each. Top 12 entries published online. Length limit: 250 lines maximum. No restriction on age of author. Both unpublished and previously published work accepted. Authors from all countries eligible except Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Crimea (due to US government restrictions). The poem you submit should be in English. 

12)  BRILLIANT FLASH FICTION WRITING CONTEST https://brilliantflashfiction.com/2023/01/01/lets-be-brilliant/- Deadline April 15, 2023. Limit 500 words. First prize $200. Second prize $100. Third prize $50. Shortlisted stories receive publication and $20. One entry per author. Open to writers worldwide, no age requirement. Fiction only, please. No poetry or essays.

13) Thrill of the Hunt Anthology #9- Paranormal Paradox: Submissions | PALMAS PUBLISHING (palmaspress.com) - Deadline August 1, 2023. Premise: The world has been through hell. Millions dead and millions more still sick and dying. What if the pandemic did something to us? What if the vaccine the government provided changed us at the cellular level? What if those who died came back?

14) Hellbound http://www.hellboundbookspublishing.com/subs-anthologies.html - Deadlines of various horror poetry, short stories and novels from now through the end of summer.

What about you? Is this a particularly busy time for you? Are there any great books we should read? How about great submission opportunities?

IWSG: Working With Audiobooks

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive. Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

APRIL QUESTION - Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

MY ANSWER - I have not published any full-length books. I tend to write short stories and articles. I am not aware of any of the anthologies I am published in being made into an audiobook either. The market for audiobooks began expanding a couple of years ago, and I feel like it is still a fairly lucrative market. I just have not had any personal experience with it.

How about you? Have any of your books been made into audio books? If so, what is the main challenge in producing an audiobook?

5 Short Story Tips Supported by the Greats

Many people assume that short stories are easier to write than novels, or novellas, because they are "short." Less pages means less work, right? Not according to every novelist I've spoken with about this topic. (I myself have only published short - no novel length works published so far - the longest pieces I've written are around the 70,000 mark which would be straddling the novella and novel word count range.) 

Mark Twain himself famously said, “I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” As Mark Twain suggested I think writing a hundred words probably requires more mental effort than writing a thousand — particularly if you want it to be meaningful.

So, if writing short isn't necessarily easier, what are some tips that might help?

1. Less is more - Be concise. "Precision of language, please!" (Check out THE GIVER by Lois Lowry.) Only include the necessary elements. Remember that your readers are not stupid: You don’t have to spell everything out for them. The adage, "Show, Don't Tell" rules here. For more on this idea, check out Show Don't Tell! But Wait! I'm a Storyteller!

2. Message or mood - To make a short story good, there needs to be at least one main message, mood, or idea that you work up to. I think Edgar Allan Poe explained this concept well: “A short story must have a single mood and every sentence must build towards it.” He wasn't alone in this ideology, “Find the key emotion; this may be all you need know to find your short story.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's not a strictly male perspective either. “A short story is confined to one mood, to which everything in the story pertains. Characters, setting, time, events, are all subject to the mood. And you can try more ephemeral, more fleeting things in a story – you can work more by suggestion – than in a novel. Less is resolved, more is suggested, perhaps.” – Eudora Welty

3. Recurring ideas - One common element I’ve noticed in all good short stories is that they each have a recurring thought, idea, theme, piece of dialogue, etc. It can be as simple as the way you describe the rain pattering on the roof. It can be a common phrase a character uses that means one thing in the beginning and morphs to mean something entirely different by the end (Woman's World seems to be fond of this idea with their fiction pieces.). A common string strategically placed throughout the story can give it extra power. “It’s possible, in a poem or short story, to write about commonplace things and objects using commonplace but precise language, and to endow those things – a chair, a window curtain, a fork, a stone, a woman’s earring – with immense, even startling power.” – Raymond Carver

4. Pathos is King - Want to draw a reader in quickly and effectively? I have one word for you: pathos. Play your readers emotions, make them identify with the situation or feel for your characters within the first few pages. If you can do that, then you're doing it right. It also becomes something that stays with the reader for years, maybe even calling upon an as yet, undiscovered truth. “A good short story crosses the borders of our nations and our prejudices and our beliefs. A good short story asks a question that can’t be answered in simple terms. And even if we come up with some understanding, years later, while glancing out of a window, the story still has the potential to return, to alter right there in our mind and change everything.” ― Walter Mosley

5. Read - Read some good short stories. A few I’m personally fond of sharing with my students include The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ,  The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, and Indian Camp by Ernest Hemingway. However, there are thousands of great ones out there, all of them different, but many with common ground that can help you pinpoint exactly what makes a good story. “When you read a short story, you come out a little more aware and a little more in love with the world around you.” – George Saunders. What are some of your favorite short stories?

If you've ever written a crappy short story (and really, haven't we all?) there's advice for that as well. “Write a short story every week. It’s not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.” – Ray Bradbury

What are some tips you have to share when it comes to writing shorts? What are some of your favorites to read?

5 Reasons to Write Short, Plus 20 More

The ability to write a short story, and write it well, is invaluable to any author. Writers can benefit from regularly immersing themselves in short fiction. I'm sure you've heard the adage "the best way to build a career as a writer is to write a lot."

So, here are 5 of my reasons you should be writing short fiction,k plus thoughts from other authors:

1. Variety - many authors will tell you to only write in one genre, but I disagree. If you're not sure what style you prefer, or if you want to try a variety, short stories are a great place to attempt new works without committing to novel length. If you're like me, you end up with more ideas for stories than you ever have time to address. Shorter works allows you to explore more story lines. The more you produce, the more likely you are to show up in someone's Amazon or Goodreads feed - such as through the "Customers who bought or read this, also recommend..." feature. So, having more ways they can find you—that is, more books and more short stories—means that readers are more likely to remember you and eventually they’re more likely to buy. For more information on the length of various genres, see Word Count Woes.

2. Hone Skills - Whether your attempting that new genre, a different time period, or writing from a different POV (for example gender or ethnic based) short stories can be the answer. Since they are less of a commitment than a full novel, you can experiment, practice, and attempt to tackle new skills. Because they are so short, all of you weaknesses are magnified. While this is extremely annoying, it helps you pinpoint exactly what you have problems with when it comes to writing style or idea development. It also forces you to find a way to fix these problems, which not only results in a good short story, but will also help you later on in future projects. Writing is a process of continual learning and growth, and even the failed experiments can help you become a better writer and build better relationships with your readers.

3. Platform Expansion - writing more frequently (more short stories) allows you the opportunity to submit to more markets, or self-publish a larger number, thus building your platform by reaching larger numbers of audiences. The more you write, the easier it is for people to find you. I've expanded on this idea within the other four points.

4. Multiple Price Points - Readers are a mixed bag when it comes to what they are willing to spend money to purchase. If you offer a variety of lengths and price points, you are more likely to reach a wider audience. For instance, some audiences refuse to buy works from a single unfamiliar author so they are more likely to pay the price of an anthology (anywhere from $0.99 to $29.99) to try multiple authors. Some readers refuse to pay more than a dollar while other refuse to buy something that cheap believing there is a reason the price is so low (i.e. it's garbage). So, if you can publish both traditionally and self, but at multiple price points then you are more likely to find yourself in a variety of reader’s budgets therefore eliminating any excuses not to buy. Once you’ve written a bunch of short stories, you can collect them into an anthology of your own. For more information on the price of various length pieces, see Counting the Cost of Words.

5. Promotion - Giving away copies of your work is an excellent strategy to win new readers. But what if you don’t have a series of novels where you can make the first book free? Or you don’t want to give away a thousand copies of your novel just to get 35 paying buyers? Short stories are the best way to promote yourself, or a new release. You can post short stories on your blog to draw new readers, offer story downloads to newsletter readers, and offer Kindle freebies to build your readership.

Interested what other short story authors think? Check out these four articles:

Lessons Learned From a Year and a Half of Submitting Short Stories

10 Lessons From Publishing the #1 Bestselling Short Story on Amazon

5 Reasons Novelists Write Short Stories

5 Reasons You Should Write a Short Story and 5 Easy Tips to Get You Started

Do you write short stories? Any other advice?

7 Steps to Planning a Short Story

I've been reading a lot of short stories lately. I've also been working on writing several new short stories of my own. I recently realized I plan them all basically the same way. In case you are interested, or are stuck and hoping for some help, here is my short story process.

1) Pantsing - I never plan draft one. I always start with a general idea, goal, emotion, or scene in mind. I write this until I can't go any further.

2) Clarify Problem(s) - this is the central conflict of the story - it's purpose. Why should the reader be interested?

3) Clarify Character - why does the main character in particular need to face this issue? Why is it important to them? This is usually the protagonist, but not always.

4) Strengthen Obstacle - what has kept the character from achieving their goal? This could be more than one issue, but the struggle to overcome this is what helps you to develop character and caring from your reader.

5) Introduce Failure - have the main character fail at least once. No one like a perfect, easy, straight line to a goal. What do they need to learn to accomplish, or move on from, this dream?

6) Highlight Shortcomings - the solution, or key to obtaining the goal, lies squarely in the faults or overcoming of that characters issues. It should seem as if this story could only happen this way, for this particular protagonist.

7) Finale - show the hero achieving the reward, or learning to accept failure (unless you want the unsatisfying ending). Either way, this too should be a result of this particular characters decisions.

How does this process differ from yours? Any great short stories you want to recommend?

IWSG: Learning Language Has Power

It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh. Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs. You can also join us on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG, or on the Facebook page.

Now, IWSG hosts have changed up the format in an effort to make it more fun and interactive.Every month, they will announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Don’t forget to visit others that day to see their answers. Want to join, or learn more? Visit our - Sign-up List.

MAY QUESTION: What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

MY ANSWER: I think on some level, I always knew. However, my most conscious recognition would have been in elementary school. I was an extremely shy girl. We moved a lot, family situations kept changing, and I felt an overwhelming sense of confusion and even worthlessness at times as a result. Music helped a lot. I can remember not just feeling and connecting to the songs on the radio, but to receiving cassette tapes (yes, I'm that old) and studying the lyrics included. I can remember connecting with individual artists after realizing they could give voice through their words to what I was feeling and experiencing. Some of my earliest writing includes poetry and short stories that I attempted after studying lyrical style.

Don't forget, the IWSG anthology contest begins today. This year the genre is – Middle Grade Historical – adventure or fantasy. To learn more about the theme , check out: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/

Previous IWSG anthologies can be found: http://iwsganthologies.blogspot.com/

Sharing Your First Conference

On March 3, I took my ten year-old to her first writer's conference. While she enjoys writing, I was worried she wouldn't like attending a conference. After all, how many preteens want to spend a Saturday in classes? My mom went with us. You can see her and my daughter, to the left, getting their first look around the conference location during registration. That's right, three generations of women in my family at the same conference. Clearly, writing is in the blood.

If you've never been to the Jambalaya Writers Conference, or one similar, there are usually multiple sessions at every hour and you pick the ones you want to attend. 

For the first hour, all three of us chose to take part in the "Tale of Two Authors" session. Both authors write romance and spoke briefly about the genre itself, but the main focus of the session was the varying approaches to publishing - Liz Talley got her start with traditional publishing houses such as Harlequin while Jaycee Ford started Indie. Now, the balance seems to be using both methods. These women were engaging and interesting. While my daughter has no interest in Romance (for now), I felt this was a nice, relaxing, open, and even fun first session.

At most conferences I attend, I have a specific goal. All of my day is spent towards one achievement, genre, editor, agent, etc. However, I decided to try a variety of sessions this time since I enjoy writing in a variety of styles. While I encouraged my daughter to attend any of the sessions that interested her, she generally chose the same ones I was interested in attending.

My mother chose a different speaker for the second session, but my daughter and I went to one hosted by Louisiana Poet Laureate Jack Bedell. I found this experience to be quite interesting and enjoyable. We particularly related to his comments on how writers can get too caught up in form and expecting the first draft to be perfection right out of the gate that it interferes with the story of the poem itself. He showed examples of other poets work, and his , where the poem started as a story or free writing with no form. We looked at their development from early draft to publication. Notice I say publication and not completion. Many authors go back a tweak following publication. The end of the class we spent writing our own freestyle story - no line breaks, no punctuation, etc. We both left that room with a promising first draft of our own.

My mother rejoined us in the next class on short stories. While I often write short, I didn't enjoy this one nearly as much because nothing seemed new, interesting, or particularly inspiring. However, I think this was my daughters second favorite, so you just never know what or who will inspire.

Next, we took a lunch break. And of course, we ate Jambalaya!

Afterwards, the keynote speaker, R.L. Stine, regaled us all with funny tales and humorous notes. Did you know he got his start writing jokes? He also shared some interesting news - including upcoming books and movies! This was easily our favorite part of the day. 

Unfortunately, the conference organizers opened his following autograph session up for FREE to the public. So, we waited in line for nearly two hours behind people who HAD NOT paid to be there. We were one of the last ones to get his signature as he had to leave for another presentation.

While I applaud the library hosting the event for trying to bring FREE programs to their community, this should not have happened at the same time as, or even ahead of, those who PAID to be there - very tacky!

Our next session, hosted by Pamela Kopfler, was on writing the cozy mystery. She gave a brief explanation of the difference between regular mysteries and cozies. The remainder of the class was spent in a collaborative effort from the entire group on outlining a cozy mystery. I found this EXTREMELY interesting, because even though everyone present wanted something different (so many opinions and desires) it also offered a rare chance at collaboration that you don't usually get in a 45-60 minute session. I think we all left with a better understanding of what would and would NOT work in a cozy. We also left armed with a basic plot we could make our own.

While there were several more sessions available for the day. We chose to leave after this one as all three of us were getting tired, and we had a five hour drive yet to get home.

Overall, this is a good conference, and was a great first experience for my daughter who truly seemed to enjoy it.

What about you? Do you remember your first conference? Have you shared the experience with family members?