Making Time to Write Monday: Conference Inspiration

A couple of weeks ago, I got away for the weekend to the SCBWI Mid-Atlantic Conference. I always look forward to spending some time away from my regular responsibilities to focus on my writing. I usually spend a lot of “down time” at conferences get writing done–without the distractions of home. This time I didn’t have as much “down time” because my schedule was full, but I did spend the time filling up my inspiration bucket.

One of my favorite things about this conference was that it was craft-oriented. There was a much bigger focus on developing your writing with practical tips. Nitty-gritty ideas and techniques for plotting, revision, writing historical fiction, nonfiction, and showing (not telling) were doled out. I typed up 23 pages of notes in the two days I was there.

But there were plenty of inspiring moments along the way. I am always touched by hearing authors’ stories of their own writerly journeys.

While none of the speeches focused on making time to write, a few of them touched on these aspects of being a writer.

Kathy Erskine 

Kathy Erskine gave a speech called F.O.C.U.S full of tips about writing. She reminded us to:

* Record your thoughts—on paper or through a voice recording, while you’re doing something else. All of this book-related thinking IS working and will help you when you actually sit down to write. I was thrilled to have this affirmed, as I wrote about this a couple of weeks ago in my 5 minutes post.

* Organize your writing life. She suggested using Dropbox for file backup (I’ve been doing this for years—highly recommend it), Scrivener for organizing your manuscript (I’ve been using this for years too—a lifesaver when it comes to organizing a novel), organize your writing files, and organize your workspace. Even though organizing might go against the grain for creative types, all of this frees up time for you to write.

 

Mary Amato

Mary Amato moved me to tears when talking about the loss of her mom and writing about her children. Her speech was a mix of inspiration and practical tips for revision. So often, balancing work and children is chaotic. Balancing a day job, children, and writing is even more challenging. I haven’t been journaling as much about those unforgettable moments in my kids’ lives, but Mary gave me a writing idea that could do double-duty. I could write about my kids, and the funny things they say (or the embarrassing things they do), all while practicing my writing skills.

Mary told us about how she journaled about her kids, but instead of just writing something little, telling about her day (My son drove me crazy today in the store, laying on the floor begging for candy), she said we can use this time to focus on craft and really write the scene using “showing” techniques. She read several journal entries where she wrote what happened to her that day in a scene. Suddenly, mundane errands with her boys became scenes with tension and details that didn’t need telling.

 

Emily Meehan

Emily Meehan an executive editor at Hyperion was asked what are some of her favorite writerly habits of dream authors. Her advice? Get off Twitter and write your book.