Mid-month Mention: Writers and a Writers Conference

I'm not a big subscriber to newsletters. I only subscribe if my interest in the author's newsletter is strong. Plus, I would say a deal-breaker for me is an author who provides recommended reading titles. Jordan Raynor gives one noteworthy recommendation to close his weekly newsletter. I may skim through the devotional, but I always take time to consider the book suggestion. Jordan highlights non-fiction suggestions. You can visit his website and sign up for his newsletter if you want a weekly faith and work devotional along with a Christian non-fiction book recommendation.

In February, I entered a giveaway and encountered D'ann Mateer. She lives in Texas, just a stone's throw away from my son, Bryce. Her blog posts must have reeled me in because I signed on for her newsletter. She offers extensive reading recommendations and regular giveaways. In fact, it looks like now, if you sign up for her newsletter, you receive a free short story from her. That was not the case when I signed on. In addition, I trust her to recommend clean reads. Since she often highlights World War II novels, I forwarded her information to my sister, but I don't think she was up for more mail in her overflowing in-box. A few days ago, D'ann sent a book recommendation for an enticing book on Lewis and Tolkien. This month's newsletter highlighted a blog post about things she has learned about writing.

Learning more about writing is always on my mind. I've taken on-line courses and read books. But, when I lived in DeKalb, IL, my writing group often tried to take an annual trip to attend the Write-to-Publish Conference in Wheaton, IL. This was, perhaps, my favorite educational excursion. Oh, the laughs we had on the shared drive over and back. I attended two or three times while we lived in IL and have been once since we moved to IN. The only other similar conference I attended, was a one day meeting of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators in a quaint town in Wisconsin (where I tried to pitch my rhyming children's book, Recipe for Stew).

The Write-to-Publish Conference is under new leadership, now owned and managed by the Christian Writers Institute. It takes place at Wheaton College from June 13-16, 2023. If you wish to get in on the reduced rates, you must register by May 31st. Of course, the best approach is to pay for full registration, which includes all sessions and meals, plus 2 one-on-one meetings with key editors/agents, and a Friday night concert by Michael Card. 

I can't afford to invest in the full experience this year. Last time I attended for one day, so I considered doing so again. The full fee is $600, while the daily fee is a little over $200. Instead of 2 meet-ups with editors/agents, you only secure one. Plus, in viewing the schedule, the sessions I am most interested in fall on the final day - Friday. This poses a problem. In the past (although I don't know if this is still the method), you signed up for the slots at the outset of the conference. This would mean, by arriving Friday, all the slots will be gone and I will not make my hoped-for connections.

The most important benefit to attending a conference is making connections. You can connect with publishers and befriend other writers who may become cheerleaders for your writing goals. The last time I attended for one day, I did not pay for the meals (then, a separate fee) and thus didn't have those prime opportunities to sit with and talk to other writers or faculty members. A conference is an opportunity to network, learn, and grow as a writer. But there are key things to do to improve these results.

The first thing I always do is review which manuscripts I wish to pitch to editors or agents. Next, I study the faculty line-up. I get to know them and their manuscript interests. Then I write a list of individuals who might show an interest in what I'm pitching. The truly hard part is snagging time to make an elevator pitch (a one to two-minute hook to grab interest). If you cannot secure a one-on-one session, you must seek other opportunities in a natural and unobtrusive way. This is where meals were helpful, yet four or five other writers may be there wanting to pull the ear of the faculty member as well.

Once my game plan is in place, I skim the sessions on offer. I try to select topics that will improve my chances of meeting my writing goals. For Friday's first workshop, I'm torn between "The Formation and Execution of a Publishable Idea," and "Writing with God: Creating Spirit-led Content That Resonates, Maintaining Healthy Expectations, and Building an Unshakable Faith for Your Journey." For the second workshop, I'm torn between "The Most Common Mistakes Authors Make When Developing and Pitching Their Book Project," and "Writing to a Felt Need That Publishers Will Want to Publish and Readers Will Want to Read." This year, the plenary speaker is Dr. Leland Ryken, father of the current Wheaton College president and my former professor (I love his wry style). The evening speaker is Jerry B. Jenkins.

I'm noticing many changes to the structure and execution of the conference. Instead of meeting in the Billy Graham Center, they will hold sessions in the Beamer Center. This will be different. In the past, they offered a manuscript critique included with the conference fee. One year, the initial pages of one of my young adult novels netted a request for submission. That was exciting. Now, instead of providing a critique, the conference fee includes a copy of this year's Christian Writers Market Guide. They also used to offer a time for fellow-writer critiques. These sessions occurred after the evening program and provided a chance to read a bit of your work aloud and receive feedback. It seems to me there are hundreds of attendees and limited numbers of faculty meet-ups (were those one-on-one sessions previously ten minutes long, to accommodate more people?). Surely, they'd all be gone by the time I arrived on the final full day, so maybe my plan isn't productive. Still, if this is just the thing you need to jumpstart your writing career, check it out! 

Book Review: The Stories of Ray Bradbury

After enjoying Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, I grew obsessed with finding the short story that introduced me to Bradbury long ago. I read the tale in a small school anthology and, in my mind, it had something to do with a character who felt small bugs crawling on his scalp and extremities. It sufficiently creeped me out and etched Bradbury's name forever in my psyche. I so hoped I would find the tale in this large 100-story anthology. Alas, I did not locate any story involving an attack of invisible microorganisms.

I recalled having read "Fever Dream," a story about an ill boy (could it be that my mind meshed this story with another read in the same anthology by a separate author?) who believes something is taking over his limbs and stealing his body as a host. I remember reading "There Will Come Soft Rains," at some point in school. And I have a vague memory of reading the story about the nursery walls that somehow become the African jungle (can't recall the title of that one).

Since I was primarily seeking one story, I skimmed through quite a few of them (did not read the full 100). Still, I enjoyed many of the stories: "Some Live Like Lazarus," "The Screaming Woman," "I Sing the Body Electric!," "The Inspired Chicken Motel," "Have I Got a Chocolate Bar for You," "A Story of Love," and "The Parrot Who Met Papa." I appreciated the introductory chronology, as it helped me to place much of Bradbury's life in history. I believe I'm done with my Bradbury fixation, for now. It was fun while it lasted.

Book Review: Pianos and Flowers

Alexander McCall Smith is perhaps best known for his Number One Ladies' Detective Agency books. I greedily consumed the first half of this series when my library carried the earlier books in audio form. Having fallen in love with Lisette Lecat's excellent narration, I cannot imagine going back to the physical reading of the books. Thankfully, it appears my library now has a few more of that series in the audio format.

In this new acquisition to my library, Pianos and Flowers, Smith provides brief stories prompted by old photos. Since the photos help set up the stories, this book is best consumed in hard copy form. Most of the stories were passing fair. My favorite was a tale of twin sisters who fall in love. I discovered this cute little trailer for the book, produced by an Indiana public library not far from me:

Book Review: A Few of the Girls

I happily stumbled upon the audio version of this short story collection by Maeve Binchy. A Few of the Girls contains a variety of stories, all with Binchy's signature touch for fleshing out characters so you feel they are real people. Many of the stories focus on love, friendship, and adventure. I think my favorite one for character development was "Sandy's Suitcase," a story about a trendy woman who goes on holiday and mourns the loss of her luggage until others rally around to salvage her experience. Another sad story, of a young boy who doesn't understand what is going on around him but thinks his family is preparing a "custardy case" for his birthday, also tugged at my heartstrings. I delighted in listening to the four excellent narrators give the stories flair with their Irish accents. If you've never encountered a Binchy book before, do start with the novels published during her lifetime (Tara Road, especially, or Minding Frankie,  A Circle of Friends, Quentins, etc.) and, if at all possible, listen to them in audio form so you feel like you are right there in Ireland with the characters.

Book Review: And Thereby Hangs a Tale

When I recently reviewed Jeffrey Archer's collection of short stories called Tell Tale, I wrongly attributed it as his sixth collection of short stories. It was his seventh. Moreover, I discovered a collection I had not yet read, And Thereby Hangs a Tale. My interest was piqued even more because I recently attempted to break out of my novel-writing mold and write my own short story. After reading that Michael Chabon benefited from imitating Arthur Conan Doyle's style in his early attempts to mimic a Sherlock Holmes story, I decided I would attempt to mimic my favorite short story writer, Jeffrey Archer. While I'm certain my story will not rival any of Archer's, I did my very best to present a story that brings the reader to a whole new level of understanding once they reach the final sentences.

And Thereby Hangs a Tale, once again holds stories gleaned from Archer's wide experiences with people and from his vivid imagination (the ten stories based upon truth are indicated with an asterisk). Some were more predictable than others. I guessed the ending of "Stuck on You," long before I read the final sentence, yet still enjoyed reading the tale. I was quite taken by surprise by the endings of "The Queen's Birthday Telegram," "High Heels," and "Politically Correct." All of the stories are well-written and fully-engaging. I will continue to admire (and hopefully emulate) Archer's expertise in crafting a fine story with interesting characters and unexpected plot twists.

Book Review: Tell Tale

I've long admired Jeffrey Archer's ability to craft a well-written short story (for novels, I've only read his Clifton Chronicles series, but highly recommend that series, as well). He is most skilled at creating surprise endings (thus the title of his 1988 short story collection, A Twist in the Tale). In this new collection of short stories (his seventh set to date, published in October of 2017), two of the fourteen stories are written with precisely 100 words. This, again, proves he is a master at the craft. As Booklist proclaims, "All of the stories spotlight the author's gifts for creating fully fleshed characters and absorbing plots in lean, efficient prose. All are written with Archer's keen eye for time and place, and his keen ear for dialogue." Although I listened to this collection in audio form, I would love to check out the book so I could study the execution of his stories in more detail.

The stories, drawn from real-life encounters along with imagination, are sure to delight anyone interested in a quick, engrossing read. I did see the ending coming in "Who Killed the Mayor?" But several of the others took me by surprise ("A Road to Damascus" - about a schoolboy encountering fall-out from the Holocaust, and "A Wasted Hour" - about a young woman who thumbs a memorable ride, available for free on Kindle here). Archer's style and skill shine through and I will continue to look to him for guidance in the art of storytelling.

Book Review: Paris for One

I've never read anything by JoJo Moyes. I picked up Me Before You at the library once because I thought it best to read the book before seeing the movie, but alas I never read the book or saw the movie. After reading Paris for One, I might be more inclined to do so.

Paris for One is a novella, packaged with a few other short stories. The back cover proclaims Kirkus Reviews as saying Moyes is a "Maeve Binchy for the twenty-first century." I can understand the comparison. Moyes presents characters and relationships in such a way that you feel as if you've known them for years or are simply eavesdropping on their lives. Indeed, just last month, I tossed aside a posthumously-published Binchy book of short stories, A Few of the Girls (they must assume that Binchy fans are so desperate for more that they will be satiated with hidden manuscripts found in her desk drawers. The stories were not the quality of her typical work and I wonder if she isn't turning over in her grave at their unpolished presentation to the world). After setting that book of short stories aside without finishing it, I was pleased to be fully engrossed in this author's fare.

I think my favorite stories were the final two, but all the stories were believable and entertaining. The author has managed to tap into the complexity of relationships and often, with a twist in the tale. Thus, I would bill her as a one-level removed Jeffrey Archer/Maeve Binchy blend (meaning she's not quite at their level, but not bad). Highly readable and satisfyingly entertaining.

Book Review: The First Miracle

Leave it to Jeffrey Archer to tell an age-old tale and provide an unexpected twist. This little gift book with a story of the nativity scene is worth the quick read and worth giving as a gift to someone else in need of a clever new take on the story of old. I'm glad I managed to secure this book in the library's $1 per bag sale, just before the holidays. I'm surprised they didn't recognize it as a big hit and save it for the holiday sale they run every December.

In this little tale, a troublesome teenager is sent to town on an errand for his mother in the time of Christ's birth, near Bethlehem. The boy makes the purchase for his mother, but is sidetracked by the vision of a man with his pregnant wife on a donkey being turned away from an inn. Since the boy's father is a census taker, he is well aware of the influx of people in the area and not surprised by their plight, but he takes an interest in them, nonetheless, and his interaction with the couple leads to an unexpected miracle.

As I read this little book on Christmas Eve, it made me think of my mother. She would so enjoy this story as she is a fan of Jeffrey Archer's books (she introduced me to this quick-witted author). I may try to read it to her when she comes for a visit, but she has said that she cannot really retain what she reads any more. So sad to hear. Perhaps, if I read it to her, she will be able to still reap some enjoyment from this brief little tale (only 30 pages, with the accompanying illustrations).

Book Review: Journey into Christmas

Our library attempts to entice people with displays of books on certain themes. This time around, I was sucked into their display of books for Christmas and was hoping for an entertaining, heart-warming, inspirational tale or two. Thus, I picked up this book of Christmas-related short stories, called Journey into Christmas and Other Stories, by Bess Streeter Aldrich. I don't think it quite lived up to my expectations, but given its publication date, it was probably just a matter of too intense of a time gap.

The stories in this volume emphasize life in the eighties and nineties. No, I'm not talking the 1980s and 1990's. I'm talking 1880's and 1890's. Yes, it was a bit of a stretch to pull myself back into that time period. After I read a few stories, I checked the publication date and noticed that it was first published in 1928. Our library copy was a seventh reprint from 1949, so it was a quite popular edition ... back in the day. There was an element of timelessness to each tale. Christmas hasn't changed all that much. People still long for a deeper sense of family togetherness during the holidays and want to emphasize a spirit of giving that transcends the ordinary existence of daily life.

Yet, I did find myself wondering why I kept reading. It was almost like I kept at it merely to finish the book. The writing wasn't bad. The characters each held some nugget of truth about Christmas. But, somehow, it wasn't enough to really move me in any significant way.

Today is Christmas Eve. I still hold out hope for a delightful Christmas read. I have a Christmas book my mother-in-law was getting rid of (by Wanda Brunstetter) and another short Christmas book by Jeffrey Archer. The presents are all bought and wrapped (even the ones for Sean's birthday a few days after Christmas), so I should be able to snag a few hours this afternoon for reading in bed (a delightful prospect, to be sure ... much more delightful than cleaning for my family's imminent visit after Christmas - that can wait for the day after Christmas). So, even though this book didn't spur new thoughts for Christmas, perhaps the next ones will.