Where Hip Meets Smart-Sleuthing

Warning: This post doesn’t have the full coolness contained in the League of Utah Writers conference. Attend next year for complete details.

Okay, I couldn’t let a conference go by without a tiny post. Tiny. Promise.

First: Provo/Orem peeps, you need to check out Ben Hutchins’ local LUW chapter, the Legends. Mostly because Ben is cool, but also because LUW chapters are an inexpensive, low-pressure way to meet critique partners. And Ben is cool!

Second: I got to buy books, like the Utah Horror Writers Anthology. In fact, Michael Bacera and I got a picture of the editor himself.

He’s in the back there. I think he may have been dripping wet, having just crawled out of the Great Salt Lake to advertise the theme of the next anthology still taking submissions. Holy dedication!

Third: Emily Wheeler killed it in the writing contests, but that’s not the important thing. The important thing is that when I bought her book, she got to swipe a credit card for the FRIST TIME.

It was such a moment. A really long moment, because she had to trouble-shoot. Darn, technology! I took a picture of course, because I’m me.

Fourth and Final: Writing contest news! Yeah, I can’t possibly stuff in all the details. Like how Johnny Worthen claimed to win every door prize and then physically exploded when he actually won a novel category, or how Chadd VanZanten revealed himself as possibly the scariest human alive. (Do NOT give him access to your spare keys. Or your butter, if you remember that one from four years ago.) Amanda not only ran the whole conference, but ran up to grab her awards more than once, too. Kudos, girl, and thanks for all your work! Speaking of contests, I got an honorable mention for a post here on the blog about diversity: The Mormon, The Lesbian Couple and The Scrawny Attorney. Other people won. Cool people. Congrats.

I believe that’s all, folks! If you’re looking for more, next year, just attend, okay? Then YOU can photo bomb me, too.

Stop! New link to Session 4 is right here!

That’s right. I did accidentally kill the first Google Hangout, and therefore the live video, and therefore alienated all of our viewers. Viewers, I’m so sorry! You can watch Session 4 anytime, and I will figure out a way to raffle off a free first chapter critique in the near future. Details coming.

Okay, now you can look at the coolness I brought you. Charlie Holmberg, author of The Paper Magician Series, live on your computer screens!

Or she will be on July 30^th at 8 PM anyway, when we bring you Session 4 of Fifty First Chapters, a free live webinar. She’s on the left up there, and, yes, I did drop her. It was so close to being caught on camera, too.

Session 4’s topic is all about the first chapter, of course–specifically about how much depth to add to the main character and the world. I lucked out getting Charlie to teach this with me, because depth is one of her strengths. I mean, have you read The Paper Magician? The sentence structure alone when describing the dark, foreboding mansion sets up an objective correlation of setting-to-emotion so vivid as to not need strong verbs, which, of course, still clogged and wedged and warped and glimmered and . . .

. . .  I digress.

I’d actually already picked the topic before getting her to sign on, because when I judged a first chapter contest recently, what stood out to me was the lack of depth. Tons of writers had fun story premise, but wouldn’t let the main character react deeply enough to a situation to feel real.

I’m making this example up, but basically, a character in one of the contest chapters would be riding a horse which suddenly morphed into an armored tank and the character would go, “Holy crap!” and that would be the only reaction. Like, the only one. Then the MC would go hang out with her cousins and challenge diminutive soccer players to milk-drinking duels and NOT MENTION THE TANK. Um, what?! The writers were definitely keeping the action going, but the reader was left wondering if the main character was even conscious, what with her ability to roll with the craziness happening to her.

Ironically, Heather and I taught three first chapter webinars and preached constantly about keeping the story moving along. Oops. What we meant was keep the story moving, but keep the depth, too! (Btw, Heather will be back soon, but had family come into town, hence the addition of Charlie. Friends don’t let friends webinar alone. )

So. How do you keep the story moving, but keep the depth, too? Come find out at Session 4 .

Don’t forget, during the webinar I will pick a winner for a free first chapter critique. To qualify, you have to 1. sign up for the newsletter right over there –>, and 2. chat one comment or more during the live seminar.

Other stuff:

Here’s where to access the handout for Session 4.

Here’s the post with all the info on how to access previous sessions and handouts.

Here’s the deal if you can’t make it on July 30 at 8 PM. No stress. After we finish the webinar, YouTube takes an hour or so to do it’s thing, and then you can watch the video anytime, using the above link.