LDStorymakers Midwest Conference: The Funnest Little Conference Around

You should know by now that I have a thing for conferences and conventions. They tend to scratch my social itch in a way nothing else can quite reach. Because of this, I have been to lots of them. More often as an attendee than a presenter, but with a round view of both, I think.

Over the years, my favorite conference has always been the LDStorymakers conference in Utah. During my very first one, I made some lifelong friends and found myself welcomed into the loving arms of the writing community, even though I was 100% green at the craft. The foundation I found with these people has become a rock to which I have clung through my journey as a writer, and also as an evolving person.

That said, it’s slightly possible I may have some bias toward conferences sponsored by the LDStorymakers. But if that’s true, then it stems back to my first conference with them, in which we had only around 70 people in attendance, and James Dashner taught a class about writing strong supporting characters (during which we had a fascinating discussion about Star Wars—but I digress). If you can picture small classrooms in a small-ish hotel, crowded with hungry, eager soon-to-be authors, that’s what I remember.

And it’s also what I found again at this year’s LDStorymakers Midwest Conference held in Kansas. Small, intimate, and attended by hungry, eager writers who are fighting through the bottle neck of publishing.

Guys. I have SO MISSED that intimate setting. I didn’t realize how much I missed that until I was there. Of course, as always, the classes were stellar, the bookstore run professionally and with a large selection of books, and the offerings fantastic. But even more, the social time was killer.

What else can I say, other than YOU SHOULD GO! If you live anywhere in or near Kansas and are wanting to learn more about writing and publishing, go. If you have to travel a little distance to get there, it’s still worth it.

I could keep trying to convince you, but instead, I think I’ll let some pictures do the talking.

Authorpalooza at the library the Friday before the conference. So fun!

Agent Sarah Negovetich and I entertaining ourselves by organizing Danyelle's bookshelves (thanks for being patient, Danyelle!)

Because it just wouldn't be right without a specialized treat run.

And seriously, what better people to spend the opening night of The Maze Runner than the people who I met the same weekend as James?

And after it was done--late night snacks at Denny's. Because, obviously.

Traveling buddies.

Our authorpalooza panel.

This one is my favorite. It kind of says it all! (aka You will sing, you will dance, you will make forever friends!)

You can learn more about the LDStorymakers conferences (Utah and Midwest) at www.ldstorymakers.com.

This Week and That and Also the Next

You know every once in a while when you have that week where everything kind of runs together? When you are so crazy busy that you forget what day it is, and all your deadlines are cut down to the very last second and you forget silly things like scheduling blogs and eating breakfast?

That week is happening right now for me. It's FINALLY time for my all-time favorite writer's conference, the annual LDStorymakers conference in Utah.

I'm already in the state, finishing last preparations and squeezing in as much visiting as possible. This actually involves planning down to precise minutes in some cases. It's a good thing, trust me.

And good news! Despite a few troubles with the printing company, my copies of BIRTHRIGHT have arrived! I will have them at the conference. Also, I've been watching Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo, and am seeing the links pop up live in all of them now. Even the paperback is available. You can officially buy BIRTHRIGHT at your favorite online retailer and start reading.

If you do, and you enjoy it, please consider leaving a review. As much as we authors wish it wasn't so, reviews make a huge difference in the sales of a book. Plus, if you do, and you come back here and leave me a link, I will send you a signed, double-sided bookmark.

I may not remember to post next Tuesday, since I am heading home that day, but if you follow me on social networks, I'll try to post pictures of my journey. Or at least of the conference. Or other interesting things. Like the wildebeest that tried to eat me last week. (Yes, that is how it's spelled.) I'm just random like that.

Happy spring!

Making a Memorable Impression

In the time since I decided to seriously go into writing as a career, I’ve been to a lot of conferences and conventions. And since the writing world is relatively small, I’ve noticed I tend to run into some of the same people again and again. They’re the serious ones—or the devoted ones. Or maybe just the crazy ones. I can’t decide. Whichever it is, I’m one of them.

A lot of those people remember me. And I remember them. I take the time to learn their names (though it’s definitely not a strength of mine) and something about them that will stick in my memory.

At a recent conference, I had the opportunity to run into a few people who I have only met once or twice before. These people remembered not only my name, but that I used to live in Utah, that I write, and that I recently had a book published. And I remembered each of them, for a number of reasons.

Someone recently asked me how that works. My first instinct was to blush and say, I don’t know, it just does. But then I dug a little deeper into human nature, and I realized something. I am best at remembering those people who treat me with respect. But even more, I am BEST at remembering people who are kind. Who smile when we’re talking, and say gracious things. People who can have a conversation about nothing, and remember details. I remember people because of how they make me feel each time we meet.

I think maybe it works that way on both sides. I put a lot of effort into being kind. To everyone, regardless of who they are, what they do for a living, or where they live in the world. I try to be inclusive rather than exclusive. I try to embrace people for their individuality. I may not always succeed, but I definitely try.

I don’t know if that makes me memorable or not. But that is the number one reason I will remember someone else. Thus, my circle grows.   

Granted, not everyone will always remember us. There are also people I've met a number of times who have yet to pay well enough attention to remember me. And that's okay. I guess I'll just have to keep being nice, keep being me, and one of these days, they will.

What do you think? How do people make a memorable impression on you?

Fun Stuff Coming Up!

Guys! I feel like I have so much to tell you. It’s not that I’ve been keeping secrets, or taken a break from posting, but suddenly I have a list of THINGS to share.

When I was writing my posts for the week, I looked at my calendar and realized that June is over and July is upon us. And HolyCrapSummersHalfwayOver, and there are some FreakishlyCoolBeyondAwesome things coming up fast.

Like a really fun Birthday Bash promotion, in honor of my birthday, and also DESCENDANT being published, and in which you can buy my book and get free stuff, be entered to win free stuff, and then get more free stuff for participating. It runs July 1-9^th, and there are lots and lots of ways to participate, and did I mention free stuff and prizes? Yeah.  Maybe keep that in mind and if you’re planning to buy or gift a copy of DESCENDANT, you may want to wait until July 1st, and check back here for the details on how to get your free stuff. (I mentioned free stuff, right?)

Party. Balloons. Party favors. YAHOO!

A few weeks after that, I will be doing a little traveling, some of which *might* involve research for a manuscript which *might* be a sequel to DESCENDANT. This trip will also involve a few days in Utah, during which time I may set up a signing if I have time. (I’ll let you know!)

Also, have you ever attended WorldCON? If you’re at all into science fiction / fantasy of any kind (Star wars anyone? No? Star Trek maybe? Game of Thrones?) it’s pretty much a week of unbridled awesome. And this year, it’s called LoneStarCON, because it’s in San Antonio, which is only two hours away from me, which means I WILL SO BE THERE! So far, I am not planning on being on any panels or participating at all because I hesitated too long, but I don’t even care. I have my reservations and have paid my fee and at the end of August, I AM GOING. (So if you’ve ever considered attending, you should come this year and find me and say hi.)

What else? Oh yes! My friend Tova (the one who made my awesome DESCENDANT lip balms and body sprays) at The Way of the Witch has recently launched an Ailment app, which will is geared toward helping people find holistic, natural remedies to whatever ails you, kind of like Abby in DESCENDANT. Cool, right? I recommend checking that out if you’re at all into natural healing.

Okay, last thing. I have some seriously big goals for the next few months, and lots of important tasks vying for my attention, so aside from a few extra promotional posts, I’m going to cut back to one post a week until September.  And because it seems like a good time to experiment, I’m going to try posting that once-a-week post on Tuesdays. (Obviously, I’m feeling rebellious.)  

Thanks so much for reading and for understanding and for just being awesome. That’s all for now!

*Don’t forget to check back on July 1^st for an opportunity to participate in the Birthday Bash Promotion and get lots of free stuff!

Humbled, Grateful Thanks.

Last week I attended one of my all-time favorite gathering of writers, the LDStorymakers’ annual writer’s conference. I love this conference because a lot of my friends—fellow writers / authors—generally attend. It is run by the group of people who originally convinced me that I really can do this writing thing, and that it doesn’t matter if I’m a stay-at-home mom of four from a small town in Utah. They taught me early on that writing books isn’t scary and intimidating, nor is it impossible.

This year, I find myself a bit short on descriptive words, because when it comes to support from the writing community, I am truly rich. So many people have offered to take my hand and help me up whenever I need it—which seems to be more and more frequently lately. They are always there to give me renewed energy and help me to believe that I can do impossible things.

It leaves me more than grateful, and truly humbled.

I love my friends. So instead of talking about everything I’ve learned, I want to say thanks. To my blog readers, to my biggest supporters, to my true and ever-loyal friends.

You know who you are—all of you.

Wherever my path leads, I am beyond blessed to know each one of you.

So thanks. That’s all. Just thanks. It is because of you that I will never, ever give up.  

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you're only a day away.

Dudes! Tomorrow. Tomorrow is this year’s LDStorymakers writer’s conference, which is one of the largest conferences in Utah. And it’s one of my favorites. And also, I’m totally dragging one of my fab 5 besties with me this year, so it’s going to be extra fun.

Quick thought for the week: What are the five main reasons you attend writer’s conferences (or not)?

Mine:

1.       I love to learn, and this is a great way to learn from industry greats.

2.       I love to be social, and conferences are the best place to do this in a professional sphere.

3.       Face-to-face time with agents, editors, and my favorite authors.

4.       Conferences are a great way to fill your tank of inspiration past the top.

5.       All my friends are there. Well, okay, not all of them. But a lot of them.

What about you?

Impressions that Matter

Last week when I was at WorldCON, my roomies and I got into a discussion about networking, and how much it really matters. This discussion seemed to revolve around two solid points.

First, making personal connections with others who are—like us—first and foremost, people.

Second, solidifying that connection by making a memorable impression.

To me and my roomies, this meant grooming and dressing appropriately for each situation and other things of that nature. Because those are definitely priority. But also being in the moment. Listening. Joking. Laughing. Discussing. Remembering. Connecting.

In my experience, there have actually been occasions which called for singing and dancing. *shrugs* It happens.

My point is if we want to be remembered, we have to be brave enough to step up, reach over, and stand out.

So. What are your secrets to making a lasting impression?


Shout out:
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10 Things I LOVED about WorldCON in Reno

I am still too exhausted to write an entire blog post detailing all my favorite moments from RENOvation. And since school started, like, hours after I returned home, I expect to be exhausted for—I dunno—another week? A month? Anyway, I don’t want to wait that long to tell ya, so I’m going to make a list and hope it gives you just a little taste of my favorite parts of last week. (In the order I come up with them, but not necessarily in order of what I loved most or least.)

1. Upon arrival at the conference center, my roomies and I immediately saw George R.R. Martin and stalked him until he agreed to come to the throne and pose in a picture with us.

2. Checking out the dealer room (and by dealer, I mean where they sell stuff that is legal, like corsets and books and jewelry—what were you thinking?) and finding treasures. Some of which were people.

3. Attending a private party hosted by TOR and hanging with more agents and editors than I’ve ever, ever seen in one single location. (Yes, we met, and yes, we pitched, and yes, requested. *squee*)

This is where they stored the drinks. Dr. Pepper, all around! (Why yes, that is a bathtub.)

4. Being escorted the half mile to our hotel (after missing the shuttle) by bestselling author Peter Brett and his agent friend Eddie Schneider (JABerwocky). They were quite chivalrous. And also lots of fun to hang out with. And now I have to read all of Peter’s books and catch up with the rest of the world because I have—apparently—been living under a rock for the last few years.


5. Becoming a lampshade sister with my roomies, wherein we swore an oath to always attend WorldCON together because it was SO BEYOND AWESOME. (*hugs to my sistahs* Especially Alaina, who is not in this pic, but was in one--somewhere.)

6. Chillin with lots of peeps I haven’t seen for a while, and making SO MANY new friends from around the world.

7. Attending the Hugos, even though none of my Utah friends won, and then actually being allowed to HOLD A HUGO later that evening.

8. Really amazing, creative, beautiful costumes being worn by some really amazing, creative, BRAVE, bold people. Also, my roomies and I dressed up for Masquerade night. It. Was. AWESOME.

9. Being invited to a private party by George Martin himself (and also by Lodey, and Wolfgang, and I think Stego, then later Frisco and Blackfyre—they all invited us) hosted by the Brotherhood Without Banners where we met some really awesome peeps, and joined, and then were invited back the next night so we could be sent on a quest after which we were knighted by GRRM. (That’s Ser Nichole, Awful Awful Lady Knight to you!) Funnest parties ever. I’m serious. Thanks BWB!


10. Hearing this EXCELLENT news about my Lampshade Sister, Jenn, and celebrating by eating Italian food at La Veccia. Twice. I am so happy for her I squealed. A few times. I’m actually hoarse now. Not joking.


So, there you have them—ten off-the-cuff highlights from RENOvation. There’s more. A lot more. But some stuff just has to be experienced.

What about you? What’s one of your most awesome conference/convention experiences? I’d love to hear it.

I'm Back!

Dudes. I just got back from WorldCON in Reno. Sorry about the lack of blogs for the last week and a half, but even though my friends warned me, I had NO IDEA how busy I’d be. I’m talking like, never turned on the hotel TV busy. Didn’t read a single page except while traveling busy. Never opened my computer busy. And I might as well admit that I was sleep-three-hours-a-night busy, too.

It. Was. So. FUN.

And I know you’re dying to hear all the highlights because it might help you decide if attending a WorldCON should be in your future. And I will give a rundown this week. Just not today. My brain is still fuzzy, and I have so much to catch up on that I’m a bit overwhelmed. But I will say this.

Pay the fee. Reserve the room. Buy the ticket.

You will NOT be sorry. I’m already making plans to attend next year. I have somewhere around 371 days to save up and prepare. That’s plenty of time.

ChiCON, here I come! (Translation for ChiCON=WorldCON in Chicago.)

Conferences, Projects, and Insanity!

Not to brag, but tomorrow morning, I will be heading out of town for World CON in Reno, otherwise known as RENOvation. I was going to schedule a bunch of blogs to post while I'm gone, but I'm not sure I'll have time so I think I may have to take the week off.

You can survive without me for a week, can't ya? 

In the meantime, if you're feeling sad about not being able to attend a conference yourself, you can! This week is the second annual WriteOnCon, a completely FREE online event which teaches all about writing and publishing for young adult audiences. I attended last year (will also try to catch some events this year if possible) and it was fantastic. So be sure to head on over and check it out.

While I'm gone I'll also be working on some editing projects for others, and one polishing one of my own. Cross your fingers that I'll be able to be productive and learn at the same time, cuz there are deadlines coming at me from all over the place.

And, holy moly, school starts for my kids the day I get back. Yikes! 

Summer is coming to a close with warp speed, people. I hope you're wearing seat belts, because it's time to slam on the brakes and go educational or something. 

See you on the flip side! Have a great week.

Recapping (and a Contest)

Before I get to the actual bloggy-portion of this post, I have to tell you a secret. On Wednesday, I am a stop on Elana Johnson’s Possession virtual blog tour. Prepare for epic awesomesauce, in the form of a vlog interview and FREE stuff. Or, well, one free thing. But it’s possibly the COOLEST giveaway I’ve ever done. You do NOT want to miss this. Just sayin.

Okay, moving on.

First of all, let me just say that my brain is still on overload from last weekend’s conference. It was fabulous. No, more than fabulous, it was…fanta-bulous. Awesomesauce. A.Maz.Ing. And yes, I had a great time.

I didn’t completely humiliate myself in my pitch session, learned a lot, hung with my terrific writing friends, and made TONS of new ones. Also, I discovered this really great little cupcake shop where I got more than my fill of sugar. (Thanks to Lani Woodland, Melanie Marks, and Nicole Bullock. Also, we missed you Debbie Cranberryfries!)

And dudes, that’s just the tip-top of the thing.

I’d totally love to share all, but since the classes are copyrighted, I can’t, like, share my notes or anything. BUT I will tell you one thing I learned, and which became my theme for the weekend.

Bravery. Pays. Off.

And also, doing brave things made me feel fantastic. Not only did being brave help me have an even better time, but it also opened doors I didn’t know were even there.

So yeah. It was great. And I am happy. The end.

Wait, no. Not the end. Check out this really cool video I made, which they played at the conference. This is the kind of people I get to hang with. (Oh, and by the way, at the end, it tells you to join now, but unless you were at this particular conference, you aren’t allowed—it’s the only requirement. So, so sorry! Ignore that part, okay? Okay. But if you’re really, really sad and need to find a group to join, let me know and I’ll see if I can help you out, okay?)

Today

I will laugh and be happy.

I will attend classes that enrich my mind.

I will learn from my peers, mentors, and other knowledgeable people.

I will smile through disappointment, fear, or self-doubt.

I will give of myself.

I will meet new people and make new friends.

I will believe in myself and my work.

I will spend time with other writers/authors and absorb their greatness.

I will party with like-minded peeps.

Today, I will pitch my book to an agent—in person. And f she loves the idea of my book (or my pitch) I will smile. And if she doesn’t love it, I’ll smile anyway because hopefully, I will at least have made a new friend.

Wish me luck.

What are you doing today?

In Which I Met Wesley and the Ghostbusters

That is, Wesley from the Princess Bride. And the real live Ghostbusters, not the ones from the movie.

Yes, his name really is Wesley, which would have been amusing if he’d been just a guy dressed up like the real Wesley. Lucky for me, he really was the real Wesley, on his way to save his fiancé, Buttercup, from the clutches of the evil what’s-his-name. Darn. You can't see his really awesome fancy sword. I’m pretty sure it’s real, though.

These guys, on the other hand, spent the weekend roving the halls of the Salt Lake City Radisson, protecting authors, gamers, and other medieval guests from paranormal invasion. Their equipment is state of the art, with lots of switches and flashing lights. They even let me try the beam thingy. Don’t worry, I was careful. But I didn’t catch a ghost. Those guys are so good at their job, there were no ghosts to be found. Although, I did see a couple vampires.

One of the Ghostbuster guys even fed me a lame pick up line. “Wanna hold my gun?” Totally in character. Or was it? *shrugs* Do lines like that work on anyone? I didn’t think so. But I was amused, as he intended.

This is what happens when sci-fi / fantasy authors and fans converge in the same place, otherwise known as a CONduit, or CON. I went this weekend. As you can see, it was lots of fun. Hung with a few old (but not “old”) author friends, made a few new ones, and learned…hm. I’m not sure. But I saw some really cool stuff. Don’t you agree? Yeah. I love being an author.

I'm A Watter Bottle Wimp

Okay, first of all, when I say wimp, yes, I’m talking about myself. I openly admit it. But in my defense, it’s not for lack of trying.

So here’s how it usually goes. I get a water bottle because I’m thirsty. I like to mix flavored green tea in my water, because it’s good for me. Sometimes this is in the morning on my way to the gym, others it’s more like lunch time. Whatever.

About a month ago, I got one of those nifty little refillable water bottles in an effort to go green. I love that thing. It’s durable and easy to refill. And the lid is easy to take off.

This is not usually the case with store-bought disposables. Sometimes, I can get the lid off with no problem. Others, not so much. My conclusion: it’s the fault of the factory robot that sealed the stupid things. They must use machines, and naturally, machines and robots are stronger than the average person. Or at least stronger than me. Case in point, I’ve been known to fight with a lid for as long as half an hour before giving up.

Considering all the typing I do, I should have at least some muscle in my hands and wrists. *shrugs* I don’t know why I don’t. Just sayin.

So, on Saturday, during the League of Utah Writers workshop, I was very lucky to sit by my friend Elana Johnson. Not only is she a blast of fun to talk to, but also, she’s an expert bottle opener. I was so relieved at that fact. Thanks to Elana, I didn’t have to try to fight my way across the crowded room to find Keith—who has also been known to open bottles for me. Nor did I have to go thirsty.

Thank goodness for friends and easy-to-open refillable bottles. If not for them, I’d probably stick to drinking pop all the time. And that wouldn’t be good for me either. Or would it? Hm.

Are You Teachable?

I’ve had reason to be thinking about ego this week. Things that happen to send our egos soaring, and other things that knock us splat down with our faces on the pavement. In fact, in my experience, it’s entirely possible to experience both sensations within a single minute. A single conversation. A single sentence, even.

And I actually think this phenomenon is a good thing. Maybe, if we’re lucky, it’ll keep us humble. And if we’re really lucky, we might even have something to learn from such an experience. That is, if we are the kind of people who are teachable.

Case in point. I go to a lot of writer’s conferences. I’ll openly admit that very often, my motivations are social as much as about perfecting my craft. But I give myself credit for networking, and actually do take a new—or mostly new—notebook to each conference, and work toward filling either the notebook or a file on my computer, depending on my mood. Always, always, though, I come away having learned several valuable things that apply to me and my writing.

At one particular conference, I found myself sitting next to a newly published author, who, it seems to me, had traveled quite some distance to be there. This author attended several classes, and we ran into each other many times. I never once saw that person open a notebook or computer. That author sat through the entire conference and never wrote down a single thing.

On the other hand, I had—once again—filled nearly half my notebook with handwritten scribbles of value. At the end of the day, I found myself skimming through my notes looking for important tidbits I wanted to remember as I opened my work in progress. As I did, I wondered if the other author was sorry about not taking notes, or if they, perhaps, felt they didn’t need to remember the lessons from those particular speakers. Then I wondered what was the point of making such a journey, if not to learn something new.

As a good contrast, years ago at another conference, I found myself sitting in a class next to a beautiful red-headed woman who had her notebook open taking copious notes. I remember being impressed with the number of details she was able to scribble by hand as she listened to the speaker. After the class was over, I stayed in the same room waiting to hear from the next author—a many-times published, well-known author by the name of Janette Rallison. Imagine my shock and delight when Janette was introduced, and the woman next to me proceeded to stand and walk to the front of the room to teach the class.

It didn’t matter how many books she’d had published, she knew there is always more to learn. She was being teachable. I’m not positive, but I’m thinking that might very well have been my very first writer’s conference. What a great example to fledgling writers. At that conference, watching her take notes, I learned that all authors have something to learn. It’s a process of evolution.

Question: What have you learned recently? Do share!

Don't forget to check out my wicked awesome contest by clicking here.