The soaring crimson arches of the Golden Gate Bridge― possibly the most beautiful bridge in the world― loomed overhead as my cab made its way into Marin County from San Francisco for the Algonkian Writer Conferences by Michael Neff and published fiction author Anne Garvin.  The pinnacle of the famous steel structure disappeared into the cool, wispy morning fog, reminding me that I wasn’t in Texas any more.        

Morning Commute on Golden Gate Bridge

I have attended several writing conferences in the past, so why did this Texas-writer- chick select this three-day event  from the hundred or so available each year?  

There were several factors at play in my decision.   Let’s start with the most obvious—the stunning scenery and temperate climate—certainly a vast departure from the triple digits and desert landscape of my home town. Can you blame me? Second, and more importantly, this cozy writers’ get-together addressed some of the more pressing topics on my agenda: Story premise, social platform, and market execution. A tri-fecta in my book.

With a completed, unpublished, an unrepresented fiction novel waiting patiently on my laptop, I needed a conference that would provide me with a reality check and test my story for market compatibility, while at the same time help me hone my agent pitch skills. I’m pleased to report that this conference delivered as promised. Not only was it informative, but it was fun, too. Made lots of new friends and learned a ton of stuff. Thanks Mike and Anne!  Can’t wait until next year.

Here’s a recap of the event: 

Prior to arrival, I filled out the PPE online evaluation form, which automatically entered me in the conference’s Best Manuscript Contest. By the way, “PPE” stands for: Premise (concept/plot/drama), Platform (expertise/pubs/social media) and Execution (voice/narrative/dialogue/novel opening.)   

I waited for official acceptance into the conference and received it a day later.  Yeah—I was in—part of the club—just had to wait a month before I could hop on the plane and head west. Did I mention it was 105 degrees in Texas? My suitcase  seemed to pack itself.   

The conference itself was instrumental in shaping my pitch and presentation to the agents.  The pitch sessions allowed each writer to be in a position to get face time with a number of agents.  There were pitch practices beforehand where writers worked with the staff one-on-one or in front of the group, whichever you preferred.  The feedback was valuable.  The goal is not to sign an agent (I guess that could happen), but to get them to want to see more.  My goal was to be able to bounce my query ahead of all the hundreds of other queries that the agents get each week by putting three words in my email subject line: Requested Material Enclosed. 

On the last day, I met with several agents and they took the time to give me feedback.  One agent even asked to read my manuscript.  Fortunately, I had my laptop with me.  After he read the opening, he asked questions.  He provided some good, straightforward feedback about my work.    I found that to be a personal touch that I had not experienced in any conference in the past.  And yes, he did tell me to send an email marked; RME.

This conference was helpful to responding to what new writers need to work on.  The small audience provided a sense of camaraderie one feels in the presence of fellow writers.  I created connections that can help advance my writing career.    

I learned that as long as my book had sex, death and cats, I’d be sure to get published.  Ok, not really. But I did take away, that you don’t ever want to kill a cat in your story. 

I applaud the Algonkian Writer Conferences for delivering an environment that eliminates the problems of not being interactive.  The presentations were thorough, engaging and there was plenty of opportunity to collaborate.   The conference schedule was packed with two full days of classroom time and study, with a heavy focus on how to perfect our agent pitches—the key to landing an agent.  Class time included guest lectures by published authors and industry professionals. Each guest author told us their publishing story and outlined what to expect after you land and agent and publisher. They were all lively and entertaining, which kept the class time moving right along.

Another reason I chose this conference was that there was a writing contest.  Ok, so what if I’m a competitive writer?  While winning a contest may or may not help me get published, it’s a nice-to-have credential to put in my query letter or to mention in my pitch.  In addition, the pre-work analysis and the contest entry meant someone would be reading the first few pages of my book. And that was a good thing. 

Legendary film producer and literary agent, Ken Atchity announced the winners of the contest.  For a brief moment, in a Hollywood Academy Award style I had the distinguished honors to walk on stage and accept my Oscar, um ― Award Certificate― for my story, PLUSH.  “I’d like to thank my mom and my dad, my family, Michael Neff and Anne Garvin, and I’d like to thank my agent― wait a minute, I don’t have an agent.” 

I’m back at my desk sitting in my favorite writing chair inspired by everything I’ve learned at the conference.   All and all, the conference left me with a sense of new understanding of what I need to do and where to go next with my story. 

One of the wonders of the Algonkian Writer Conferences was the tremendous amount of unselfish volunteer effort contributed by very few people (mainly authors, agents, writers participating) so that many people can have the opportunity for a stimulating learning experience―and a fun time!

I would like to thank the staff for their outstanding conference.  Keep up the good work!

Writers do you want a conference to practice your pitch and meet agents? Check out this writing conference.

http://algonkianconferences.com/        http://writetomarketconference.com/ 

   Have you attended a writers conference?  What did you find valuable?  

Have you ever been cruising along writing and then “bang” you hit a wall, you get stuck on a metaphor? Or maybe you should have used a simile? You think and think, but they all sound so cliché.  But you do know that YOU ARE stuck.  You just can’t find the exact phrase for your paragraph and you are about ready to throw in the towel.   However, don’t bite the bullet, yet.  You still have another hour of writing left today.  Oh well, try not to rack your brains over it.  

Where did all these phrases come from anyway?   Come to think of it, where did the phrase “rack your brains” come from?  Evidently, the origin of this expression came from a medieval instrument called a “rack”.   It was used to torture prisoners by placing the victim’s hands and legs in a rack type apparatus and then the person was stretched over rollers slowing dislocating and tearing the limbs from the body.  This gruesome torture is compared to “racking” your brain when you are trying to detach your ideas, words or a memory from your brain and it’s torture to do so. 

Do you get writers block, while torturing your brain for the perfect words that fit your scene to a tee?  All writers do.   Don’t get hung up on semantics, you have to keep writing.  It’s just a draft.  Move on. 

The best way to get off the dime is to skip the perfectionism and move on by the seat of your pants.  Remember that getting in your word count is the goal, and getting it down on paper is more important.  The perfect phrase can come later; besides many phrases have lost most of their impact because of overuse.  So don’t be lazy and fill in with a trite simile.  Be more off the cuff and stick to your guns when it comes to your writing goals.   Move on without the perfect phrase. 

Besides if you push the envelope, that perfect phrase will be there later or maybe it’s not needed in the scene after all.  You get the gist of it.  

Here are some a few of my favorite phrases or words translated:

• Synonym- a word you use when you can’t spell the other one.
• Syntax- a way in which you pay for your misdemeanors.
• A brief- Why do lawyers write a 10,000 word document and call it a “brief”?
• Parasites- What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.
• Pharmacist- No, it is NOT a helper on a farm.
• Polarize- No, it’s NOT what penguins see with.
• Toad- What happened to an illegally parked frog. 
• Vacuum Cleaner-  A broom with a stomach.
• A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people. -Thomas Mann

What are your favorite clichés and quotes?  Have you heard any new “go to” phrases? 

When I’m not writing, running, or hanging with my family, I work.  I work a LOT.   I have worked in the sales industry forever.  I travel the country meeting clients.  So you ask, “Pam when do you have time to blog?”   It’s true that I am one of  those lucky few, or cursed few, that can exist on three or four hours of sleep a night.  That leaves a mere twenty hours a day to accomplish a lot of running, writing, mothering, wifing, friending, working, eating, showering (on some days) and tweeting.  Stop.  Wait a minute.   Back up.  You tweet? 

Yes, I Pam Laux, tweet.

 But, “why?” you ask. 

My answer on why I have now joined the millions on Twitter is how else could I follow other successful people with my same quirky mix of interests?   

At first, I did not get The Twitter.  I have to admit I was a twit when it came to tweeting.  I set up a Twitter profile and let it be.  I realized that no one was “following me”.  Even after a few weeks I had three or four people following me, but I did not know if it was proper twetiquette to “follow” them back.  That used to be called “stalking”. 

Early on I came to the conclusion that tweeting was not for me.  Clue #1: No one could find my Tweetering Profile.  Clue #2: I couldn’t remember how to find me.  Clue #3: I did not know how to write (Tweet) in 140 characters or less.  (Twitter only allows 140 characters at a time.  Most tweople will tweet their 140 characters and then direct their followers to a web site for more information.)

I let my twitter account lie dormant.  A year later, after listening to advice from fellow writers and agents that a social platform is necessary for new authors, I began to experiment more with twitting.  I really was trying to be a good Twitter netizen-but I still was not getting the hang of it.  I did, however learn to stop calling it Tweeter. 

So why do I tweet? Why should you?

In a nutshell, the main advantages of Twitter are: following, advice, news and mentors.

Following:  If you have a passion for something, people that have that same passion will want to follow you or you could follow them.  I’m a working mom that likes to write and run.  Not necessarily at the same time.  (However some of my best ideas have come while running.) A lot of my microblogs and fiction writing is for a specific group.  I write about strong female protagonists in tough, almost thriller situations.   Twitter seemed like a huge time sucker, but then it was hard to ignore that working mothers were making time to twitter and surf the blogosphere after working all day. 

From a writer’s perspective I use tweeting (or micoblogging) to help guide my followers to my blog, who then read my posts and leave comments.  Blogging is increasing in popularity as a way for people to self-publish their insights on the Web.  If someone likes the blogger’s personality and voice, they will most likely want to follow that blogger’s writing.    Hint, hint: follow my blogs. 

Advice: Twitter has become a place for tweople to reach out to others for current advice. 24/7 you can get up-to-date advice tweets about almost anything, almost anywhere.  You can get advice on a local restaurant review, a fun place to vacation, what to do with an ill pet, the score of your son’s soccer game and why there are fire trucks down the street and so on. 

News:  We live in an era  of instant information.  We want our weather, stock quotes and breaking news at our fingertips. In the Twitterverse the minute something happens it’s out there on someone’s twitter account.   Twitter has become popular because someone can see something happen right in front of them, tweet it out to their friends and followers, then these followers can RT( retweet or resend) it out to their followers, and on and on.  This allows “instance news”, often times before a news crew can respond.  The free nature of this written expression is transforming the way people, consumers, companies and journalists work together to report, filter and break the news.  Just this past week the bidding war between Ryan and Cuban for the Texas Rangers was followed minute-by-minute on Twitter.

Mentors: Twitter can also help you keep informed on your favorite hobbies, mentors and celebrities. If you are a gardener, you can follow other gardeners and get up-to-date information and daily tips from top gardener mentors. What better way to learn your hobby than from experts.  And if you need to know how to keep your Clematis recta Purpurea from flopping over from its weight and to stand upright, you can tweet to your gardening followers for help. 

If you are still not getting The Twitter, I think you could love it for the utter brilliance and goofiness, or simple professional brevity, of the Twitter community.

Twitter, Facebook, Blogging…it is changing the way we live, communicate and socialize.

To the rest of the Twitterverse I say Happy Tweets!    

Are you on Twitter?  Do you have a blog link you want to share here?  Feel free to comment.

For more information on Twitter benefits, check out Kristin Lamb’s book: We are not alone: The Writer’s Guide to Social Media.  http://whodareswinspublishing.com/Writers_Guid_Social_Media.php For information on how to set up Twitter or a Blog site visit Fun City Media;  http://funcitysocialmedia.com

I Tweet in My Sleep. Tweet. Tweet.

What do you mean I can’t write off chocolate as a business expense?

Morning all.  A month ago today, my accountant filed my extension. He bought me more time to file my taxes. More time to gather my paperwork.

Today I will meet with him to discuss my business expenses. Plenty of fireworks are expected. Yes, my friends, tax time is a dangerous time. That’s why I extend. More time to muster up all those receipts. More time to cool the jets.

The controversial discussion will be over what can and cannot be written off. We go through this every year. He may also seek details of how my Wal-Mart, Target and Kroger receipts for Kraft, Mars, M&Ms, Hersey’s, Nestlé and Starbucks intend to be presented to the IRS as writing expense to help motivate my creativity.

The action is due to begin at 10:30 am.

“But I really need chocolate to keep my creative writing juices flowing”. Really.

I’ve heard that if a person has a celiac disease where they must avoid eating gluten, they may be able to claim the expense of gluten free foods on their tax return. I get a disease called “Writer’s block”. I have found that chocolate in any form works to cure this block. M&M’s in small dosages are like colorful Quaaludes to my creative brain. A triple, Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, keeps me writing for hours. Mini snickers and Hersey kisses melt in my mouth while my fingers click away. Chocolate flows in deep dark, sweet waves, a river to ignite my creative mind and alert my senses. Nuff said?

So why can’t I write off Chocolate!?

Hey, if someone can write off Body Oil and breast augmentation, why not chocolate? I heard a pro bodybuilder used body oil to make his muscles glisten in the lights during his competitions. And the tax offices let him deduct the cost of the oil as a business expense. And a stripper named “Chesty Love” got 56-FF breast implants to make more tips. The tax court judge allowed Ms Love to write off the cost of her operation, equating her new, um, assets to a stage prop. Unfortunately, the operation proved to be a problem for her, and she tripped and ruptured one of her implants.

Admit it. As you’ve worked on your return back in April, you too, tried to come up with extra deductions to pump up your refund.

Well, alas, one day I’ll be able to write off the dental bills for all my cavities from my chocoholic addiction.

What would you do for a Klondite bar? What’s your favorite chocolate?  What’s your favorite food you can’t do without?

I realize that many, many people have blogged about writer’s block and there are a zillion books about the subject and comedians have even done stand-up comedy bits about it. (or at least at writers conventions.)

And after my experience these past few weeks, I felt that I needed to share my pain with all of you. After all, you know what they say — misery loves company, right? Well, I have the dreadful disease, writer’s block. I have a block when it comes to writing my synopsis. It is true.

I attended a writer’s conference a few weeks, um, a month ago, where I had my ten-minute book pitch with a literary agent. She responded positively and gave me her card and said “send me your first fifty pages AND a few page synopsis.” First 50 pages, check. A few page synopsis, mmm, not happening. I have a long version of my synopsis, but I need to sit down and WRITE a two pager. Two freakin pages! And I will. After I write a chapter in my new book, and after I finish this blog and after I take the dogs for a walk and after I get a bikini wax…

You see what I mean? Writers block.

Do you suddenly remember you need to run errands every time you turn on your computer to write? Or is your dirty closet calling you every time you pick up your pen? They say writers have the cleanest closets, because writers would rather mow the lawn, defrost the freezer, or clean their closets than WRITE!

Writers block is a form of procrastination. To jump start yourself into writing again, confront the person stopping you. Go to the nearest mirror, look that mother straight in your gorgeous eyes and say, “Listen you lazy, son of a bitch…Write! Well… What are you waiting for? Do it now! “

I need to go write that Synopsis, now! I will blog in a few days about the top Tips to help spur your writing, after I finish my synopsis. Seriously.

I’ll leave you with something to look forward to. One tip includes “wine” (not drinking it either, but that may help).

I do know that the cure for writer’s cramp in my hand is writer’s block in my head!

What helps you break through writers block?  What do you do to avoid the blank page or screen?  How do you get writing again?  What else do you procrastinate about?