Dana Mentink's Personal Highlights from the ACFW Conference

Howdy, all. Dana Mentink here. I just flew back from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Indiana and boy are my arms tired! Ha! Here are my top three conference moments in reverse order.

#3. Football
Yep, football. I’m not much of a sports fan but I enjoyed being steeped in the Indiana Colts culture. These folks are serious fans, let me tell you. I’m from California. We love our 49ers and all, but you’d never see an entire city of people here wearing niner jerseys. I enjoyed being surrounded by SERIOUS Colts fans at the local P.F. Changs and I really enjoyed peeked from my sixteenth story hotel room window and seeing the entire city in their blue jerseys making their way to the football stadium. It was so neat to see such pride (and I was happy those Colts won!)

#2 Michael Hague’s Six Step Plot Structure class.
Mr. Hague was not only incredibly knowledgeable about how to put together an amazing story for the big screen or novel, but he was also very entertaining. I think I’ll always have his turning points and stages stuck in my head when I watch a movie and I’ve already put his framework to use in my current WIP. One of the best classes I’ve been too.

#1. Cindy, in the prayer room.
This is my fourth ACFW conference and I’ve never been in the prayer room. This time, a family crisis brought me to the door where I met the amazing Cindy W. She was truly God’s hands and heart for me and I will never forget her kindness and spiritual support.

Did you go to Indiana this year or have you attended ACFW in the past? What were the highpoints?

GIMME FIVE!!!!

By Debby Giusti

Want to know the five best things that happened to me at ACFW? Is so, read on…

1. Tina Colombo, AKA Tina James! Steeple Hill’s senior editor for the Love Inspired Suspense and Love Inspired Historical line came to ACFW and was a true delight. Tina, who married this summer and thus the name change, is a beautiful, articulate, warm and endearing woman. In the sessions with Steeple Hill, she laid out the guidelines for the three Love Inspired lines and answered a myriad of questions with grace and poise. I learned so much and came away totally charmed by the lovely woman who leads the editing team for the books I write.

2. Charlene Patterson, Bethany House Editor! At dinner on Thursday, a lady slipped into the chair next to me. Wanting to get to know those I was sitting with, I asked what she wrote. Charlene Patterson smiled and said she was an editor. Of course, I apologized for not recognizing her, and then we continued to chat about the conference, books and writing in general. We had a wonderful discourse throughout our meal, and I was completely taken by her sweet sincerity. Bethany House authors have a gem in Charlene. I feel blessed to have shared the evening with her and hope we can reconnect at future ACFW functions.

3. My “other” blog is Seekerville, http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/, where 15 unpublished writers joined together for mutual support in 2005. Two years ago, we went public with the blog that now generates 6,000 visitors a month. For the first time in Seeker history, all 15 of us were together. Of course, we made the most of the conference with a Treasure Hunt for Seeker friends that will lead to a Treasure Chest of prizes in the upcoming weeks. We also met each evening to recap our conference highlights and catch up on Seeker news.

4. Friday night I returned from dinner with the Love Inspired Authors and found none other than best-selling Christian suspense author Ted Dekker in the hotel lobby surrounded by a gaggle of women. Knowing this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I pushed my way (nicely, of course) through the crowd and asked if someone would take our picture. Ted’s a cutie. Who knew he was so young!!! I’m a fan and now even more so. He asked me which of his books I liked the best. With my love of the World War II era, I quickly answered, “Obsession.” Thanks, Ted, for making my ACFW conference experience so memorable.

5. Another ACFW joyful memory was spending more time with Pam. We sat together in a couple of workshops, shared a table at lunch and kept running into each other in the hotel. I was the one screaming the loudest when she won the Book of the Year!!! Way to go, Pam!!! We’re so proud of you!!!

I’ll be at Georgia Romance Writers’ Moonlight and Magnolia’s Conference this weekend. Hope to see some of you there!

Happy writing!!!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
www.DebbyGiusti.com
www.seekerville.blogspot.com
Watch for Debby’s December 8th release, CHRISTMAS PERIL!

Calming First Time Nerves

Attending a conference is nerve-wrecking.

Let’s face it, you’re taking huge risks by going.

You've invested a lot of money: registration, hotel, airfare, some meals, and other incidentals. You’ve invested who you are – by attending you’re joining the ranks of those who have moved from wanting to write, to those who have taken steps to actively chase a dream. You’re risking your heart because you’ve gone public with your dream.

Bundle that with the fact that you might not know many people and you might be pitching the book of your heart to an editor and agent, and suddenly your stress is through the roof.

It’s okay.

Sit back, take a deep breath, whisper a prayer for peace and help.

You’ll be okay.

As someone who’s been in your shoes, and helps those first-timers attending ACFW each year, I’d like to offer a bit of advice.

1) Pray, pray, pray. If God has lead you to attend ACFW or another writer’s conference, then He has a purpose and a plan for your time there. It may not be what you intend. But pray and ask for His will to be done. Ask for opportunities to serve others – nothing better to take your thoughts off your fears than to focus on others. And ask Him for peace to carry you through the days.

2) Prepare, prepare, prepare. ACFW has a conference blog that is packed with fabulous advice on everything from how to get from the conference to the hotel, where to find food for Friday’s free night, and how to get ready for that editor appointment. Take advantage of that repository of advice. Get your one-sheet ready if you have time. Polish that first chapter, and have it in your bag for appointments. Have business cards to leave with those you meet. Get your toolbox loaded and ready.

3) Research, research, research. Take the time to know what the houses you are pitching are currently publishing. How does what you write line up with that? Is it a new niche? Different from current authors? Etc. Google the editors so you can learn what you can. Same with the agents. Some of the agents have blogs. Read them. It is a wealth of information not just about the industry and their firms, but also on personality. You can tell so much from how a person writes for a blog.

4) Relax, relax, relax. ACFW, at least, is one big family. You may not think you know anyone, but you’re wrong. You’ll spend the conference giving and receiving hugs from folks you’ve met on the loop or first timers loop. Reach out to others with a smile, and they’ll be delighted to reciprocate. At my first conference, the friend and I who had driven down together grabbed a gal who was flying solo for lunch. Before conference officially began, we’d connected in a very cool way.

5) Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. By serving others you will find yourself relaxing, meeting others, and having a great time. There are so many ways to do it that don’t take much from you, but help the conference run efficiently and smoothly.

6) Rest, rest, rest. Sometimes you just have to skip a workshop because you’re brain is on overload. Or you can’t fathom the thought of another meal surrounded by people. That’s okay. Escape to your room. Put your feet up. Take a bath. Read a book. Do whatever it takes to recharge. We understand.

7) And at ACFW don’t forget the prayer room. It is open all the time, and the perfect place to escape when you’re rattled and overwhelmed.

Can’t wait to meet you in Denver!

What I learned at RWA 2009!

by Debby Giusti

This year’s Romance Writers of America National Conference, held in Washington, DC, offered more than 150 workshops. Here are some of the tips I picked up as I enjoyed three days focused on writing.

Janet Evanovich opened the conference and talked about her ten-year journey to publication. Before the "Call," she analyzed romance novels and made lists of how the authors told their stories. Now Janet’s at her desk by 5:15 AM. She calls herself a “reduction sauce writer” because she reduces descriptions into three or four sentences that are easy for the reader to ingest. (Photo above shows Debby chatting with Janet Evanovich)

Analyze your writing, Janet suggested. What works? What do readers like? Asked about stumbling blocks, she said transitions are hard, but if well written, they make the book a page turner.

Toward the end of her talk, she provided a tidbit that hit home with me. She said an editor once told her, “Never save anything.” When as idea floats into her brain, she uses it for the work in progress. New ideas will come when needed so Janet says, “Don’t hold anything back!”

Best-selling author Brenda Novak talked about Emotion as the Heart of the Novel. Her tips? Keep the reader in the action. Start in the present and move forward in real time. Show don’t tell. Don’t repeat the obvious. Use specific details that create a picture.

Brenda suggested layering conversations with subtext to add richness. Blend the narrative with the dialogue. Show the reverse side to the extreme to make interesting characters, especially villains.

Sharon Sala, in her workshop From the Basement to the Penthouse: the ABCs of Building Suspense, said internal conflict is the character’s Achilles heel. The hero has to face his personal conflict and grow because of it. Sharon suggests having a story come full circle so it ends where it began. (Remember the opening beach scene in the movie Sweet Home Alabama? The movie ended with a concluding scene on that same beach years later.)

Sharon Page and Jessica Faust created an excellent handout for their workshop, The 15Minute Synopsis: How to Create a Selling Synopsis Fast. Their advice is to start with conflict. What’s keeping the hero and heroine apart? Make the problem clear and specific. Detail how they grow, and why they fall in love. Start with a sentence, expand it into a paragraph and finally a one-page synopsis.

As a guide for developing a quick synopsis, Sharon and Jessica suggested focusing on the set up of the hero and heroine and their conflict, the black moment and climax and what the characters have learned as well as their declaration of love.

Another keeper from Sharon: The synopsis is to sell the book, not summarize the story. Just as in your actual manuscript, use plot points to build romance. Open with a story question and end with a rich emotional conclusion that will stand out in the editor’s mind.

Donald Maass, the author of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL and THE FIRE IN FICTION, encouraged writers to get their heroes down to earth. What’s the hero's weakness? Give him a funny quirk or a flaw he can’t correct. (L to R: Darlene Buchholz, Donald Maass, Debby and Missy Tippens)

Once again, Maass challenged writers to make the villain multi-dimensional. Allow him to get what he wants in the beginning, but later, he confronts the protagonist and should lose but not easily. A Maass tip: Have the villain on the page interacting with the protagonist at least five times within the story.

Revitalize dead scenes by increasing the emotion. Up the character’s anger to fury, delight to euphoria, loneliness to desolation. Weave your own personal experiences into the story to make them ring true.

Best-selling suspense author Andrew Gross was up bright and early on Saturday morning for an 8:30 AM, “He Said, She Said” workshop with Carla Neggers. He empowers his heroines and creates smart women who are pretty, but not beautiful. They overcome serious life obstacles, which make them stronger. Think iron fist inside a velvet glove for the gutsy heroine Gross does so well. He also gives the gals a hidden talent and lets them outcompete the male character. He added, while the female protagonist beats the guy, she never shows him up. (Above left, Debby with Andrew Gross)

The last workshop I attended was given by Grammar Divas Darlene Buchholz and Annie Oortman. Sporting neon pink hardhats, the Divas talked about the nuts and bolts of constructing a story with emphasis on grammar and word choice. These girls know their stuff, provide excellent handouts and are getting ready to launch a website. Visit them soon at http://www.grammardivas.com/.

The best part of the conference was visiting with friends old and new. Thanks to everyone who made the conference so special. (Steeple Hill authors with Executive Editor Joan Marlow Golan)

Please leave a comment and share any new writing tip you’ve recently learned. When we pool our resources, we all benefit.

Happy writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/
http://www.seekerville.blogspot.com/

Road Trip to the Mountains of Blue Ridge

One more week!

Next Sunday, May 17th, I’m going to have the pleasure of driving up to the Blue Ridge Mountains and attending the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. Each year author, agents, editors and pre-pubbed authors gather to worship the Lord, pitch stories, and hopefully find this is the year their dreams start coming true.

This conference has a special place in my heart. It was the very first one I attended back in 2002. I have a lot of wonderful memories from that conference. I met several agents, made new friends and developed a love for being around other writers, the only people who understand how my crazy writing brain works! LOL.

One special memory I have is when I gathered up the courage to approach a well-known agent and hand over my work. This was so hard! I mean it’s one thing to let my mother read it, but quite another to let an actual, real live agent read it. I’d never queried anyone even though I’d done my homework on the process. I’d had only two rejections. One from Multnomah and one from Steeple Hill’s Krista Stroever. So, as I went into the conference I knew I needed to have a tough skin.

The agent looked over my writing, blew out a sigh and said, “Well, this is actually pretty good.” My hopes soared. He handed the manuscript back to me. “I’m probably going to regret this, but I don’t take on new authors.” My hopes crashed to the floor.

And yet, later, as I thought back on it, I realized I had been paid a pretty high compliment from that agent. I wasn’t ready to be published even thought I wanted to be. The time wasn’t right. I went back to that conference several times over the next five years and took classes, honed my craft, worked on every aspect of writing I could and in 2007 got the THE CALL.

This year I’m going back as a published author. I’m not teaching, but I’m taking a couple of classes. I get to mingle with fellow authors and praise the God I love in the praise and worship sessions. What about you? Do you go to conferences? Do you have a special memory from one that you’d like to share? Come on! Tell us!

Happy Monday!