LDStorymakers Conference

JoAnn Arnold

I want to say a capital "THANK YOU" to all those who orchestrated this flawless and exciting writer's conference. I'm sure they were exhausted when it was over but all that they had done did not go unnoticed.

Oh, what a fun, exhilarating, educational two days it was. Just to give you a hint of what was available to us, I'll name the breakout sessions I attended.

"Building Your Blog into a Platform You can Stand On," presented by Elana Johnson. (I learned tips and tricks to get more followers, increase comments and build up my blog).

"Using Social Media Every Step of the Way." - Marion Jensen. (I learned the smart way a writer uses social media).

"the Why's and How's of Short Synopsis Writing" - Sara Crowe (Sara walked us through the elements of synopsis writing so we could make it a strong part of our query).

"Woo an Agent, Wow an Editor: Refining Your Writing," - Angela Eschler (We covered style and voice. how to streamline the manuscript (trim the fat) or tighten the plot).

"Stimulating the Slush Pile," - Guest Agents/Editors. (What makes a submission stand out? What mistakes will doom a submission to slush pile obscurity? That is the question).

The second day:

"Eight Sure-Fire Ways to Show, Not Tell - Annette Lyon (We learned eight ways to make our work show--brilliantly).

"Hooks that Get You Published." - Jeff Savage & James Dashner. (Jeff and James discussed how to create a hook, possibly the most important paragraph (or two) in the process of selling your novel).

"Building Author/Editor Relationships that Build Careers" - Kirk Shaw (Great advice given in this class, as well).

"The Basics of Giving Good Interviews." - Crystal Liechty (Once again, great advice was given).

In fact, I was given great advice in every class. I can't say enough about the learning opportunities that were available to all who attended, and there were many, many who attended.

The food was delicious. The friendly association with other authors, those just starting out on their journey and those who have the craft down to science,was fun. In fact the whole conference was filled with fun.