It’s time! The conference is almost upon you and it’s time to start packing. But you freeze, unsure of what to take. You certainly don’t want to forget anything.

Here are some of the essentials:

Backpack or other sturdy bag

You’ll want a nice big bag to carry your papers and books around in at the conference. Take something that zips so you don’t dump your stuff all over the floor.

Comfortable shoes

Wear some shoes you don’t mind running in. (i.e. not high heels) You’ll often be cutting it close to get to sessions (particularly if they are in different buildings) and you don’t want to be tripping over yourself.

Nice clothes

It’s a good idea to dress up a bit for a conference, but it depends on the event. Some are definitely dressier and with others, like Realm Makers, you can get away with being a bit more casual. Generally, you don’t want to wear T-shirts, sweatshirts, leggings, or ratty jeans. The best thing to do is see if there are any pictures on the site of previous conferences. You’ll want to imitate what others are wearing.

If you still aren’t sure, a nice top with jeans is a good middle ground. For girls, a skirt is also a good choice.

You’ll be around authors, agents, editors, and other writers. You want to leave a good impression.

Dress in layers and take a jacket. You never know if the air conditioning will be broken or turned up way too high. Or it might be raining as you run from one building to another. Be prepared for anything.

Camera

You’ll want to capture your experiences at the conference. The camera on your phone is a good choice.

Paper and Pencils/Pens

I know some people like to take notes on their laptops or tablets, but it’s a good idea to take some paper just in case your battery dies. Or your tech breaks down. (Totally never happens.)

Business Cards

If you have business cards, you’ll want to take them. You can exchange them with fellow writers or even with an author!

Folder and/or envelope

This will keep all the handouts, flyers, and business cards organized instead of in a scattered pile at the bottom of your bag. (Tip: pick up all the free things. You can sort them when you get home. You’ll never know what you might pick up!)

Books you want autographed

If an author you love is going to be there, by all means take their book! They’d be happy to sign it. (Don’t forget to ask if you can get a picture with them!)

Money to buy more books

Conferences have tables of books written by the faculty and sometimes by other attendees. Take cash (they might only accept cash or their credit card machine might break) so you don’t spend your entire checking account. Create a budget and stick to it!

Take a sample of your writing

It’s a great idea to take the first chapter of your work-in-progress with you. If you don’t have a first chapter, take an article you wrote, a blog post, or even an outline! Then if you’re talking to someone and they say, “Hey, that’s an awesome idea. I’d love to read it someday,” you can reply, “I actually have the first chapter with me. Want to read it?”

Be sure you take at least two hard copies with you. That way if someone forgets to give it back or they write on it, you have another copy.

I know that’s a lot to remember, so here is a free, downloadable packing list!

Click the link to download! Writing Conference Packing List

Where’s Glendale?

I don’t know about you, but I tend to think that great writing inspiration comes from something amazing. Something spectacular. Something so out of the ordinary that it hits me over the head, screaming, “HI THERE, I’M YOUR INSPIRATION!”

But not all inspiration comes like that. Sure, there have been a few times that I’ve been “struck by inspiration,” but most of the time, ideas spring from ordinary things.

The famous children’s author, Beatrix Potter, got her inspiration from the natural world around her.

Growing up, she and her brother Bertram were mostly left to their own devices. They owned a wild variety of animals, not limited to: lizards, birds, bats, mice, and rabbits. They even owned a snake named Sally.

Beatrix loved to draw and paint with watercolors. Her most common subjects were her pets.

She also had a fascination with mushrooms (like me) and studied them intensely (unlike me). She painted many of them, even finding a few rare species.

At age 37, Beatrix bought a farm in the Lake District—the very northernmost part of England, just south of Scotland. She called it “Hilltop Farm.”

She loved country life, returning to her land every chance she had. She raised sheep and pigs, planted gardens, and walked the countryside.

Here, she found much of her inspiration for some of her later books. The villagers loved finding their houses (and cats) in her adorable illustrations. I imagine it became quite the competition between them.

“But,” you might be saying, “Beatrix Potter wrote children’s books. I’m writing for teens. I’m not writing about bunnies. How does this apply to me?”

Everything we write about flows from God’s creation in some way. Even fantasy creatures.

Think about it, if I asked you to describe one of your fantastical creations, you’d describe it as “dragonlike” or “a combination of a tiger and a shark.”

Aren’t dragons, tigers, and sharks all animals from God’s creation?

It is worthwhile for us as writers to study the natural world around us. Even if we aren’t outdoor people.

Sometimes, the greatest inspiration comes from a walk in the woods, or even just down your street!

Just look at Beatrix.

🐇🐰🐇

Fun Facts about Beatrix:

• She began her career by painting Christmas cards. She was paid six pounds. (About $8.)
• When she tried to publish The Tale of Peter Rabbit for the first time, she received six rejections. Back then, there weren’t as many publishing houses as there are now.
  She was determined to get her little book printed, so she “self-published,” hiring a printer to make 250 copies, most of which were bought by her aunts.
  She paid eleven pounds ($14) for them to be printed and received about thirteen pounds ($17) from selling them.
• She hated drawing people. Once, her brother mistook Mr. McGregor’s ear to be his nose! She much preferred her furry friends.
• In 1910, she created her very own Peter Rabbit doll. She struggled to find a company to make them, but eventually found one.
  Reminds me of Glendale. Maybe she had a section on her website called “Where’s Peter?” 😋

Where’s Glendale? Flashback!

Special Thanks to Beatrix herself!

Baseball season started on Thursday! My favorite team is the Cleveland Indians.

I can be incredibly loud and cheer over the littlest things when I really get into the game.

I’ve also been known to refuse to give up when they are obviously going to lose.

Why am I writing about baseball?

Great question.

I don’t know. 😋

Writing and baseball have more in common than you think. And it’s not just pitches. (In writing, a pitch is when you propose your idea to an agent or editor.)

But without further ado, here are five ways writing and baseball are alike.

You have off days

You know those days when you’re watching baseball and your team is on fire? When they win 17 to 3 and your pitcher strikes out 15 batters? It seems like they will win the World Series, doesn’t it?

But then there are those days when they lose to the worst team in baseball. When it looks like all they do is drop the ball or throw it way offline. Then you wonder why you even cheer for them. Because they suck.

But, if you are a true fan, you stick with them.

You know those days when you are writing, the words just keep flowing, you can’t type fast enough, you might even skip dinner to finish the chapter? Those days you declare that the best job in the world is to be a writer. The days when you can’t stop smiling because it’s just coming together. You’re going to take on the world.

Then there are the days getting 100 words on a page is hard. When you just don’t want to write. You’d rather clean the bathroom than open your Google Doc.

I know what that’s like. I’ve been there. I’ve wanted to throw my work-in-progress against the wall. I’ve wondered why I even bother writing because it sucks.

Then I’ve had the days when I can’t stop writing. I write three chapters in a morning (granted, short chapters). I have the days when I dance around because THE CHARACTERS ARE SO AMAZING AND THIS WHOLE BOOK IS BETTER THAN NARNIA AND LORD OF THE RINGS PUT TOGETHER TIMES FIVE!!! (Those are the days everyone backs away from me and gives me weird looks.)

It’s a team effort

You can’t play baseball by yourself. You need three basemen, a shortstop, three outfielders, a pitcher, and a catcher. Plus you need an opposing team. And fans. What’s baseball without fans?

And what’s writing without readers? What’s writing without a team of people to cheer you on?

Baseball players have coaches. Writers have mentors.

You can’t write without other people. This might seem counterintuitive at first. Aren’t most books written by one person? And certainly not everyone wants to or can co-author a book.

I’m not saying you have to write a book with someone else. I’m saying you need a community. You need your own crazy fans who come to every home game. You need people to cheer you on even when you’re behind 8-1.

These people can be your friends, siblings, parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. They can be anyone who love you and genuinely care about you, even when your writing sucks.

It’s a solo effort at the same time

But even with the greatest fans and coaches, baseball can’t be played without individual players.

In the end, it doesn’t matter if all the fans are yelling and all your teammates have scored before you, it all comes down to you. No one can swing the bat for you, no one can put the words on the paper for you.

You might have a prestigious degree. Maybe you went to the best writing conference in the world. Your writing mentor could be a New York Times Bestseller.

But it all comes down to you. You’re the only one who can write your story.

Every player is different

What do you think would happen if an ace pitcher started to doubt his skill after watching another pitcher throw fire? He probably would fall apart.

That’s what happens when you compare yourself as a writer to other writers.

One of my best writing friends submitted to an agent not too long ago. And I’m so proud of her!

But at the same time, I was discouraged because I hadn’t finished my first draft of my first novel ever. She’s right where I want to be some day.

But my writer mentors reminded me of what I have done. And when you look for your achievements, no matter how small, you will be surprised.

Because you’re a better writer than you think you are. You’ve done more than you think you have.

Just take a look.

It takes practice

Contrary to popular belief, writers don’t sit down with the perfect novel just pouring out of their fingertips.

No one expects a baseball player to be phenomenal the first time they step up to the plate. But for some reason, people seem to expect that from writers. What’s worse, we writers seem to expect it from ourselves.

You don’t know how many times your favorite player has swung the bat to perfect his stance. Pitchers throw countless pitches in order to perfect their curveball.

Writers write drafts and more drafts and even more drafts. We write things that never see the light of day, and honestly, don’t deserve to. Many writers have “practice novels” no one has read just so they can learn the craft.

Writing, just like anything else, requires practice to become a master. Lots of practice.

Here’s to a new writing season of cheering fans, homeruns, and practice. You’ve got this. Someday you will accomplish your dreams if you just keep working. Never give up. ❤

Your Turn!

Do you like baseball? Who do you root for? Can you think of any other ways baseball (or any other sport) is like writing? 

Where’s Glendale?

Today, I have a guest post by a friend from YWW, Bella Putt! Enjoy!

Characters are complicated. For some people they come easily, for others they’re more difficult. But no matter how easy or hard they are to create, characters are always complicated.

So much goes into shaping a character’s personality, his life, and the way he thinks. We strive to create the perfect character, wanting him to be as memorable as the characters we read about in our favorite books.

But while we work hard to perfect our characters, it’s often hard to figure out everything that must go into making our character memorable. Today, I’m going to share four things all characters need to be memorable.

1. A Goal

Our characters must have a goal. In fact, this is one of the most important things a character needs. We have to figure out our character’s deepest desire. This desire—this goal—will drive the story forward. After all, the whole point of the story is to follow the character as he tries to achieve his goal.

Maybe your character’s goal is to prove himself to others. Maybe his deepest desire is to become powerful. Maybe it’s to save someone he loves. It could be anything, but the main thing to remember is that without a goal, there is no character.

2. Motivation

This is what drives your character toward achieving his goal. The best way to find your character’s motivation is to ask yourself, “What is at stake if my character doesn’t achieve his goal?”

For example, let’s say your character’s goal is to save a loved one. What’s at stake? What will happen if he doesn’t save his loved one? His loved one will lose his life. This stake will motivate the character to save his loved one.

Without motivation, there’s no reason for the character to want his goal. A character can’t want something just to want it. There’s got to be a deeper reason. The character must have strong motives.

3. Deep Backstory

Your character’s backstory is necessary to the story. After all, the character’s backstory is what influences his decisions. This is often what encourages his goal.

For example, if a character’s desire is to prove himself to others, he might have this desire because he made a terrible mistake in his past and is now looked upon with disappointment. Thus, backstory plays a vital role in the development of your characters.

4. A Relatable Personality 

If you want your character to be memorable, he’s got to be relatable. If your character isn’t relatable, no reader is going to like him. The easiest way to make your character relatable is to make him realistic. Don’t make him do things people wouldn’t really do. That said, the character’s desire should be one living people often have. With a realistic goal and realistic motives for wanting his goal, a reader can easily relate to him.

I’ve learned that the best way to make your character relatable is to give him flaws. No one is perfect. All people are flawed in numerous ways, and if your character doesn’t have flaws, no reader will be able to relate to him.

Just like when giving your character realistic goals, you must give your character realistic flaws. Maybe your character is prideful and has a hard time loving others. Maybe he doesn’t respect authority and does only what he wants. Whatever his flaws are, make them realistic. And when your character has realistic goals, motives, and flaws, your readers will easily relate to him.

…

I hope these four things I’ve mentioned will help you when creating the characters for your story. With a goal, strong motivation, a deep backstory, and a relatable personality, your character will be on his way to becoming a character that your readers will never forget.

-Bella

About Bella:

Writing is one of Bella’s favorite things to do, along with running and reading. At fourteen, she’s been writing for about six years and hopes to someday be a published author. Her writing projects include a novel and writing on her blog. You can find her blog here, where she writes poetry, shares tips on writing, does book reviews, and more.

She’s also celebrating one year of blogging, so be sure to stop by and congratulate her!

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