Tales from #MWW16

Tags

#MWW16, connections, friends, fun, learning, Midwest Writers' Workshop, my experiences at the conference, thoughts, writers conferences

I have returned from Muncie, Indiana and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

My notebook, holding all the info you could want from class schedule, to notes from some of the sessions, to short bios of all the faculty, and maps of the place.

This year it was held in the L.A. Pittenger Student Center.

The building offered plenty of room for all the sessions and to relax and hang out with all the writers. There were lots of writers.

LOTS OF FABULOUS AWESOME WRITERS! I saw friends I had met before, came face to face with friends from the Internet I hadn’t met, and made connections with new people. I attended great sessions to help me improve my craft and listened as panels of agents, editors, and authors share their knowledge.

If you have never been to a writers conference, I highly recommend them. The first couple, you might not feel at ease, you might do a lot of sitting and watching instead of interacting. I did. This was my third time at MWW and I feel pretty happy there. Faces have become familiar, and people actually remember me. I know! I am constantly amazed by that.

Let me share. And I will link you to the Twitter accounts of some of the wonderful people I met and know. So you can follow them!

Kelsey Timmerman gave an inspiring opening speech on how we can use our writing to give voices to those who can’t tell their own tale. Through The Facing Project, writers are paired with people to learn what life is like for them and share it with the world through words.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting a (Book) Baby with Karma Brown…

With the release of my book lurking in the sometime future, I wanted to hear a few words of wisdom. The debut year is crazy. Marketing. Keeping on track with writing and not getting carried away in the insanity. Look for new ways to connect with readers. There’s so much. Must. Prepare. Now.

The Agent/Author Relationship panel…

Julie Murphy (Dumplin) and Natalie Parker (Beware the Wild) with their agent Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management

Amy Reichert (The Coincidence of Coconut Cake) with her agent Rachel Ekstrom of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Summer Heacock (next year debut of A Perfect Fit) with her agent team of Uwe Stender and Brent Taylor of Triada US Literary Agency

I don’t have an agent. I have no plans, right now, of querying them, but it’s always good to hear how they relate, of how they came together.

Voice/Dialogue with Julie Murphy and Natalie Parker…

They spoke of the differences between author voice vs. story voice, of finding the best POV for your character, of choosing the perfect words for your characters to give them a unique, memorable, and interesting voice. And dialogue, so important! How simple spoken words can mean so much and how it’s not just what they say but how they say it. I like these two so much, I went bought their books at the book store.

Friday night there was bowling and pizza and a photo booth…while I did not bowl, I did enjoy pizza and had a great time with friends in the photo booth.

I haven’t laughed so hard! So ends Friday…

Onto Saturday!

Buttonhole the Experts… the strangest sounding, but becoming one of my favorite things.

I’m sorry…Buttonwhat? Right?

They had 33 tables occupied with a faculty member, each with a sigh designating their topic for discussion. So many topics! You sit at a table with five others and ask questions based on their declared subject. After 20 minutes, a bell sounds and you find another table. Kinda stressful, but it always works.

I talked to Sarah J. Schmitt (It’s a Wonderful Death) about library and school visits, because I am interested in getting into that.

Agent Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management answered questions about the YA market. If I ever get a horror YA or MG written, he might just get it.

Natalie Parker spoke about to compete with your author friends and keep them as friends. She was even cooler talking to her this time. She liked my mermaid hair…

Panel: Critique Partners: Where to Find Them and How to Use Them with Amy Reichert, Jen Malone (Wanderlost), Dee Romito (The BFF Bucket List), and Summer Heacock

I have critique partners (actually I gained another while I was there!) so maybe the info was stuff I already knew, but these ladies are really fun to listen to.

Marketing Your Book Outside the Box with Jen Malone

With the fact that I will be published comes the fact that I will need to market, so any info here helps! Form connections. Focus on a couple things and not everything, and how to choose which events to choose. Find some unexpected way to get the word out about your book.

How to Edit a Bestseller with Liz Pelletier of Entangled Publishing

OMG…she packed so much info in that hour, people were taking pics of the power point presentation because there wasn’t enough time to write it all down. I’m not going to even try here.

Word by Word: What Your First Line Says About Your Book with Julie Murphy and Natalie Parker

(Yup. I got a little obsessed with these two. I hope they didn’t find my stalking creepy.) First lines are important, so much can be conveyed with a sentence of three carefully chosen words. World building. Character development. All in one line. People offered their first lines and we dissected them…well, not me. I am not brave.

The conference ended with a banquet and the keynote speaker Julie Murphy who spoke of finding herself mirrored in fiction and how happy that made her. That while the world has lost its mind, how people have forgotten how to be people, that we should be better and do better. That maybe our words will find that reader who will relate and smile because of it. She was spectacular. I will happily stalk her.

There were sessions on writing middle grade, taxes, NaNoWriMo, writing contemporary, writing inspiration, setting up speaking engagements, Scrivener, crime writing, and so much more.

Now I’m home, my brain spinning with all the ideas I gathered from the conference. I am prepared to rock the wording!

To:

Rena (The Girl Before…READ IT! IT COMES OUT AUGUST 9!)

Shelly

Marjorie

Thanks for sharing some laughs with me and being awesome conference buddies.

To:

Brett

Meeting you in person was a highlight. Can’t wait to watch you as you find your place in this world. It will be spectacular.

To:

Summer

Sarah

Gail

As always…so great to spend time with you! You always make me smile.

To:

Julie Murphy and Natalie Parker

To:

Karma Brown, for coming up to me and saying…”Kathy, you’re Kathy Palm! I know you on Twitter.” Dude. I nearly fell out of my chair.

Last to:

Jama Kehoe Bigger and the Midwest Writers

Thanks for all you do to bring all us crazy people together.

Until next year!

 

#MWW16

Tags

#MWW16, being a better writer, conferences, fun, hanging out with writer friends, learning, Midwest Writers' Workshop, Muncie Indiana, writing workshops

And everyone stares at the screen funny…WHAT IS #MWW16?

The Midwest Writers Workshop begins today! Many people are in classes called intensives RIGHT NOW! But not me… However, I will be headed there shortly, as soon as I get my stuff together.

A weekend of hanging out with writer friends! Some I know from Twitter and will be meeting for the first time, others I have met before and will be happy to be in their fabulous presence.

There will be visiting and fun and classes to help with being a writer, some focusing on craft, others on the business side of being an author, and others panels of agents, of editors, of published authors ready to share their wisdom!

This will be my third year. The first time was a bit overwhelming. I left wondering what I was doing and if I could even get published…or if I should be writing. There was so much information. Of course that was panic and fear invading my brain. Because I’m still playing the wording game and doing okay. There will be no panic and fear this time, just listening, just chatting with other writers, just taking what I need to help me be a better writer, be better equipped to deal with all the fun ups and downs that come with my chosen life with stories forever in my head.

Look for #MWW16 on Twitter. It’s trending right now! You’ll see me and tons of others sharing the fun. Maybe next year you can come to Muncie, Indiana and join us!

So that’s where I’ll be until Sunday.

Well, if I ever get going… on that I’ll scurry off and get packed and showered and drive the two hours to #MWW16!

My Roller Coaster Journey

Tags

adventure, Cedar Point Amusement Park, childhood memories, fun, Peoria Illinois, roller coasters, smiles, summer fun, The Heart of Illinois Fair

Tomorrow, my kids, my sister (who is driving here today!!!! EEEEKK!), and I will be at Cedar Point Amusement Park RIDING ROLLER COASTERS ALL DAY!

All. Day.

We love them. Up, down, sideways, upside down, and super fast.

I have always loved roller coasters, since my dad took me on very first one. Yup. My dad has influenced many parts of me from being a take-it-in-stride non-panicker, to loving horror, to being a little goofy, to enjoying camping and hiking, and to riding thrill rides.

I don’t remember exactly how old I was when I rode the little clickety-clackety coaster at the fair, but that’s where it started.

The Heart of Illinois Fair in Peoria, Illinois.

As I get ready to thrust my hands in the air and whoop in joy all day tomorrow, I can’t help but remember that long ago annual summer fun.

The Heart of Illinois Fair appeared every July at Expo Gardens. We’d pass that big lot on our way to church every Sunday and it was so exciting to watch the rides go up and see the plastic triangle flags wave in the breeze. Our noses loved the smell of fried foods and hot asphalt. Commercials would pop up on TV…I can still sing the jingle…come to the faiiiiiirrrrrrr, the Heart of Illinois, everything’s therererere…

The fair was so close to our house that we could hear people on the loud speaker and the music of the rides from our front yard. Every year we went as a family to wander around, to see the exhibits of people’s sewing, art, and photography. We checked out the vendor stalls with jewelry and one year bought my dad a belt buckle for his birthday. We loved the tractor pulls and, my favorite, the demolition derby. We saw a couple of shows at the grandstand. But mostly I loved walking around with my family. Dad would buy a humongous soda and we would all share, though my sisters and I kept an eye on each other to make sure no one got a longer sip out of that cup. I remember the clown that would hand out balloons twisted into fabulous shapes, the medicine man show, and the stalls selling invisible dogs (basically leashes with an empty collar permanently shaped to look like there was a dog in it) and foam pet lizards on wires so it looked like he was alive (I bought myself one of those one year, I loved him). I loved the smells of butterfly pork chops, elephant ears, and sweaty people. The sounds of laughter and screaming as people rode rides, the musical melody always playing in the background. So much to see, the twinkling lights, sunburned people, the dancing fountain, and spinning rides.

My dad was a member of the Peoria Camera Club and he always had at least one shift manning the photography exhibit. We got to go hang out with him. I loved looking at all the photos and seeing which ones won ribbons and voting for the one I wanted to win the people’s choice award. My dad always had at least one picture entered, and one year, with Dad’s help, I entered a couple. I was allowed to sit in the judging and watch…I won second place.

And one day during the fair, Mom would take us to ride the rides. There was always an arm-band day, where for one price we could ride all day long. And we did. And it was glorious fun. Mom, the non-rider, wandered around in the hot sun so we could ride. She pushed a stroller around, first carrying my little sister and later a jug of water and cups, so we could find her and have a drink when we needed.

We moved in 1989, so I haven’t been there since that final summer, but I googled it and it’s still there. Which makes me happy. So many things of childhood get swallowed by the past, leaving memories. Luckily people are still enjoying the fair in Peoria.

From that first little coaster, Dad took us on bigger ones…and bigger ones. The Matterhorn and Space Mountain in Disneyland, CA. The Corkscrew in Valley Fair in Minnesota. Space Mountain and Everest at Disney World, FL. The Screaming Eagle and Mr. Freeze in Six Flags. The Hulk and Dueling Dragons at Universal Studios. We (Mom, Dad, my two sisters and their husbands, and me and mine) went to Cedar Point for the first time about 16 years ago. We stopped on our way out to visit family in Massachusetts. My dad and I went back about 9 years ago. Two years ago, my dad went with me and my kids. This year my sister is joining the fun. She hasn’t been there since we went 16 years ago..oh, the new coasters she will get to ride!

Going to amusement parks is one of my favorite childhood memories. Some of the best times with my family were had in the hot sun, when we were sweaty and tired, but full of smiles and laughter. The Heart of Illinois Fair was the beginning.

And the adventure and fun continues.

So, tomorrow, if you want me here are a few pics of where you can find me.

Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio. Roller Coaster lover heaven.

Top Thrill Dragster. It’s fast. Straight up and straight down

Corkscrew…an oldie, but a goodie.

Gatekeeper…a pretty new one, smooth and fabulous!

Iron Dragon… not high, not super fast, but a really nice ride.

The Maverick…Dude. Just… dude. Pretty new and the line is usually pretty long.

Millennium Force. One of my very favorite coasters. Tall, fast, smooth…fabulous.

The Raptor… Always a fun ride.

The Valraven…the newest coaster. I haven’t been on it yet, so I’ll let you know.

Tomorrow…think of me and smile.

Absence

Tags

absence makes the heart forgetful, alone, connections, life, marriage, relationships, thoughts

This is from Disney’s Robin Hood, one of my very favorite movies. My college roommate and I watched it at least 348595739323 times. Seriously.

Does anyone remember how Maid Marion responds?

All the laughs this movie has given me, this phrase sticks with me the most. Because I live this and I have learned that, for me, absence does not make the heart grow fonder.

Marriage is hard. It takes work. I do not believe in happily ever after.

I believe in love. I believe in communication. I believe in building relationships and that the roller coaster of life can make this difficult.

I don’t mind being alone. I like it. I need to be alone. I will happily slip into my own world whenever given the chance. And when I’m alone too long…it’s harder for me to go back to the relationships in my life.

My heart grows forgetful.

But, after a while, it starts to ache.

I suddenly need someone to be close to me, to love me, to make me feel loved…and I find that I don’t have the skills to make it happen.

Like I said…forgetful.

I fall deeper into a dark hole…maybe I’m not worth loving, maybe no one cares, maybe so many things. Bad things.

I scream at myself to fight for myself. To talk. To say all the things out loud. To crawl out of the dark place.

It comes down to one thing. I have to love myself enough to fight for me.

Back in my twenties, well, I barely knew me. I didn’t function well in the real world. It wasn’t a fact of traveling the path I was on…I couldn’t even see a path. All the things I didn’t know…makes my head spin.

In my thirties, I gained a bit of strength, learned what I wanted to be and where I might fit in the world. I had kids who needed me to do real world things. I finally found an independent me.

Now in my forties, I like me much better, though the self-worth problems still haunt me. But, dude, if I want something done, I’ll do it. I have places I go. People to see. I have a life, a purpose.

Leaving me alone when I was twenty-something, meant leaving a shell. I was nothing without someone else. I waited to be alive.

In my thirties, I pulled away from that.

Now, if you leave me alone too long…I’ll be me. I’ll dive into my world and disappear, happy in me, in not having to live up to anyone else’s expectations.

But my life is not just me. I chose to get married and have kids. They are part of me too. Getting married in your early twenties when you don’t really know yourself means stepping into a roller coaster car and not being able to see the tracks. You have no idea how much you will change. When I was a kid, I thought I’d hit some magic age… twenty-something…and BINGO be happy, have a life, know who I am.

Well, no. That’s the real shocker when you “grow-up”. You don’t ever grow-up. You don’t ever know everything. You don’t ever reach a point in your mental growth and say, “Great. I made it.”

And this post got a bit rambly. Welcome to my mood for the day. This should end well.

Anywho…

Absence. Makes my heart forgetful. Makes me question. But it also makes me remember to fight, for me and for the relationships that are important to me.

So I push past the forgetful, to seek out and strengthen the relationships I need to have. We weren’t put on this planet with all these other people to be alone.

 

Nominated for a Thing

Tags

Food, friends, fun, make me smile, questions, spreading joy, Sunshine Blogger Award, thoughts

You know those days when there are many things to blog about and you just have no idea what to do? Or is it the my-head-is-full-of-fluff-and-I-have-no-original-ideas thing?

Yeah. It looks like staring at a blank computer screen, hoping to type words that make sense.

That.

Then I jumped over to Twitter, because TWITTER! And boom…an answer.

Solange Hommel (@SolHom…go follow her!) has nominated me for the…

The Sunshine Blogger Award is given to those who are inspiring and bring sunshine into the lives of their readers and fellow bloggers through their blogspace and/or their social media.

Dude. Spreading magical happiness is kinda my life goal, so for her to think of me made me spontaneously combust with glee. Have no fear, I have put myself back together…I am magic.

Go read her fabulous post here, where she reveals all her awesomeness and makes me seem much cooler than I am.

And now I shall attempt to answer her questions.

What do you snack on while you’re writing?

Well, that depends on the day. I had to stop buying Cinnamon Toast Crunch, because I couldn’t keep my hands out of the box. I do love semi-sweet chocolate chips. I have devoured a bag of Goldfish crackers. Ice cream is always a favorite. However, at all times, I have my water glass at my side and try to stay out of the kitchen where all the yummy things live.

What’s your favorite location for maximum creativity and productivity? How often are you able to visit this setting?

I sit on my couch. Is it my favorite location? Maybe. I do have a gazebo that I always imagined spending time with my computer, writing all the words, but I must be too lazy to walk out there. Maybe someday.
What is that one weird trick you can do? You know, the one you’d kind of like to forget, but your friends always bring up at parties after a couple of drinks?

I am a dark faerie and will never divulge my secrets.
Tell us about the project you’re most proud of completing.

My first manuscript. It’s called The Darkness of Magic and I’m pretty sure it is a pile of terribleness, but I am so proud of it! Because I did it. Without any knowledge of writing, without any idea what I was doing, without any outside guidance…I wrote a book. Someday I will go back and rewrite it, because I love those characters and that story.
Which clique did you hang out with in high school? If you could go back, would you hang out with the same crowd or choose different friends?

High school…high school…that was a very long time ago and I have shoved most of that time of my life in the void of I don’t want to remember. I didn’t have many friends. I wasn’t in any cliques…now you see why I was so shocked when my nominator Solange had me grouped with the cool kids on Twitter. I was a nerd. I will always be a nerd. Too bad I didn’t know back then that NERDS ARE SUPER AWESOME!

How have you improved the world during your lifetime?

I hope I have brought a little happiness to the few people I have encountered in my wanderings. I have been a volunteer for Big Brothers/ Big Sisters since 1997 and am on my second match with them. I was a Girl Scout leader for a year (that’s all I could handle). I help out at my kids’ school, chaperoning field trips and such. I have two super kids, who will go forth and do better than I have.

Improved the world? Meh. Improved the tiny corner of it where I exist? Maybe.
Teleportation. Would you do it? Why or why not?

YES. That is all.
What is your favorite stupid joke?

There is one thing that makes me giggle all the time. My daughter and I were watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire…

Her: Mom!

Me: What?!?!

Her: Where’s Finnick?

Me: 

Her: *points to screen* Odair he is!

Me: *turns to TV* *turns back to her* 

Is that even a joke? Don’t know. But now every time I watch those movies I say it and giggle.
What charitable organization do you think more people should support?

I have a couple organizations I support. MS because my little sister was diagnosed about fourteen years ago and has had a couple pretty terrible attacks. Go read about the MS walk I did a couple months ago here. And Susan G. Koman because my other sister fought AND BEAT breast cancer almost four years ago…read my post remembering the Susan G. Koman 3 day walk here.

However, I have learned that everyone has their own causes. We all have things that affect our lives, things that matter to us. May everyone find their own!
What is one topic you would never be able to write about? Why?

These questions are getting harder and harder. I can’t say that there will be anything I will never be able to write about. I can’t predict what might pop into my brain and I think every topic is up for grabs and can be dealt with in a powerful and meaningful way. As a dark fantasy/horror writer, I like the bad stuff…it can show us the light.
Name three things that are always in your fridge.

Chocolate milk. If there isn’t any, bad things happen.

My yogurt. Dude, fat-free protein. Because muscles, I want them.

Ummm…eggs. Because shouldn’t you always have them? You know for emergency cake or cookie baking purposes.

Now I am supposed to nominate people and give them questions to answer. There might be a certain number, but rules schmules.

These are people who I think spread happy in incredible ways. Some of them have already been nominated, but whatever. Each one of these people adds to my life in a positive manner. Each one of these people are very important to me. THEY MAKE ME SMILE AND THAT IS ALL!

Rena Olsen

S.E. Carson

Jolene Haley (who is on a social media break) *waves*

Faith McKay

Brett Jonas (who I get to meet IN PERSON SOON!)

Rae Oestreich

Carina Brielle

Katie Sholty

Erica Davis Secor 

Judy Post… sorry…Judi Lynn now!

These all link to their Twitter profiles…go follow them!

Oh…questions for them. Right…

1. Kissing or no kissing?
2. Will you watch a horror movie with me?
3. Cake or pie?
4. Sunrise or sunset?
5. Winter, spring, summer, or fall?
6. What are you reading now?
7. What is your greatest talent?
8. What was your best day ever?
9. Roller coasters or merry-go-round?
10. Camping or hotel?
11. Will you be my friend forever?

And there ends the Sunshiny fun. Please go forth and make the world better…or at least your little corner of it. Our differences make us great, but it’s what makes us alike that we should never forget and should bring us together to accept each other, to love each other.

One Week in Massachusetts…

Tags

family, hiking, Massachusetts, Mount Monadnock, mountain climbing, New Hampshire, ocean, Salem, slot cars, vacation, witches

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a fabulous day, and, if not, then may you find your happiness.

Last week ,you might remember, I went on vacation with my family. We traveled 12 hours in a car to see my mom’s family in Massachusetts.

Mom grew up in Holliston, Massachusetts, a small town outside Boston. Though she moved to the Midwest, her sister and four brothers are still in the area, as are most of my cousins.

Growing up in Illinois, we made the 18 hour trip to visit every other summer. I always loved it, and still do. I love watching the landscape change from flat cornfields to hills and mountains. I love the rock walls that line the highways. I love the feel of Massachusetts, the way the houses seem to have been there forever. There’s a great sense of history in New England.

If you’ve never been there, you should go. Boston is full of cool stuff, but we didn’t head there this trip. This time we headed to a couple new places and some favorites. Let me share.

We headed to my uncle’s beach house and played in the water. Because when you live in Indiana, you go to the ocean whenever you get the chance.

Me and the hubs on the beach

We visited another uncle’s house for a carry-in dinner and talked and laughed. I don’t see my relatives a lot, but when we get together, it’s a good time. Now some of my cousins have kids and the place is hopping.

Because of my love of horror, we visited Salem for the first time. What a neat place! We didn’t have enough time to get to every where I would have liked to go, but just being there made me happy.

Street of Salem

House of Seven Gables…Nathaniel Hawthorne’s house

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace

Cemetery in Salem…some OLD headstones!

I want to go hang out there at night…in the dark…anyone else coming?

And my favorite place… The Salem Witch Museum, where we heard what happened at the famous witch trials. It was creepy, but focused on the horror of the time being the paranoia and made sure to recognize the innocent people that died. Of course no pics were allowed inside…so you’ll have to go.

 

My aunt and uncle are big football fans…Patriots fans! My son isn’t a huge football watcher, but the Patriots are one of the teams he favors, and, when the Patriots played in the Superbowl not long ago, my son was thrilled that they won. My aunt and uncle sent him a hat. So, we went to see Gillette Stadium. Pretty cool place. Even if you’re not a football fan, the story of the team and its loyal followers is quite moving.

Gillette Stadium, Patriot Place…home of former Superbowl champions The New England Patriots

And we went in the museum to hear about the New England Patriot’s journey from not so good to awesome and saw some historic Patriot’s memorabilia.

That’s my aunt rocking the helmet.

 

One of our favorite fun places to go is my uncle’s shop…Modelville Hobby. Slot car racing! The kids (and sometimes the adults, I mean who doesn’t want to play with the race cars) set those vehicles flying around the numerous tracks while the adults man the corners and as quickly as they can set the correct car on the correct track after they spin off course. It’s stressful! But tons of fun!

Looks like fun, right?

Finally, we went to one of our favorite places. Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire. This is no easy trek up a hill, kids. There were points where we would stop, stare at the steep rocks and wonder how we would ever make it up. But we did. It’s so worth it, especially on clear days when you “can see the whole world” as one of my cousin’s boys exclaimed.

See that rocky top? That’s where we went.

And at the top!

Seven hours we hiked. Seven. My feeeeeeeeeettttttt!!!!! My kneeeeeeeessss!!!!!!

So, a few images from our trip. All these special trips were SO MUCH FUN, but the times sitting on my aunt’s back porch eating breakfast and chatting, the hours spent putting together my aunt’s new puzzle she bought in Salem, and the moments of being together as a family were just as fabulous.

Family rocks! Adventures are great! Massachusetts is one place I love to visit.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Fourth of July!

Tags

celebration, family, fireworks, Fourth of July, freedom, fun

It’s blog day…but it’s also The Fourth of July!

So, I’ll keep this brief, because of family and fun and fireworks and food…

Today my family will be hanging out together, having our usual red, white, and blue dessert (strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream) and later lighting up the sky with explosive sparkly brilliance.

Because America.

We are lucky to live here, lucky for our freedoms, lucky to be alive and well.

May you and yours have a mighty glorious holiday, and if you don’t celebrate the Fourth… celebrate your own lives and happiness, I’ll share a bit of our dessert and fireworks.