I have decided a couple things about this blog! I love it, so don’t worry, it’s not going anywhere, but I may add the content from this blog to my new websites for my courses-both of my landing pages.
You can find them both in the links below
Judanie Bean presents STORY CONCIERGE (this is still being built so this is a sneak preview just for you-my readers)
The other thing is that since I’m posting videos on YouTube every week, I’d LOVE to get your input so if there is something you want to know about writing, working as a writer, publishing, getting an agent, story, writing queries—whatever it is and you want a video on it. Let me know!!
You can comment here and or email me at stephanie@judaniebean.com
I shoot the videos for YouTube 1-2 months in advance and will be shooting some later today and next week. I’m also BUILDING my Story Concierge Course as we speak–just for YOU, with YOU in mind so if there is something that you have been missing in courses LET ME KNOW!
I’ve been taking questions from writers and building from there but am super happy and open to suggestions.
Thank you so much for being here —- it’s GREAT to be back!
You can find me on YouTube every Wednesday and soon I will be doing two a week so please SUBSCRIBE
Good morning writers, or afternoon on the east coast. 🙂
Sorry that I missed yesterday. I’ll be honest, it’s getting a little overwhelming as I’m creating courses for writers, shooting videos and posting them on YouTube and keeping up with social media, but I’m still planning to be here every Monday and Tuesday for sure.
Monday Motivation & Tuesday Tips
So please excuse my absence yesterday.
Today I wanted to give you some quick and easy tips for attending a writing conference.
I know so for so many it can be really scary, especially if it’s your first one. This is totally normal, trust me on this. I am an extreme extrovert and it’s still overwhelming at times and when I started? I wanted to hide in the corner and not talk to anyone.
It’s hard because you are putting yourself out there and that is terrifying.
I always think back to the film BACK TO THE FUTURE
And this is something that literally SHAPED me as a teen. I saw that and it changed everything for me. I had been acting and performing in musicals, and I was in band and dance so I was on stage a lot and sometimes was completely horrible–I’m 100% sure of it, but I always did think “what if they don’t like me?” then I saw this movie and I felt better.
If Marty feels this way and someone wrote him as a character then we all must feel this way and BOOM! My perspective shifted—for the most part.
Then cut to many years later and I’ve been published, spoken at screenwriting conferences, attended many and I was going to my first children’s book conference with three unsuccessful adult/mainstream fiction books under my belt and I felt like everyone would see that I wasn’t supposed to be there. I didn’t have a fancy degree or MFA in writing, I came from acting & animation, so I didn’t belong.
I remember like it was yesterday being in my hotel room at the Hyatt in Century City and changing my outfit 6 times. I remember texting friends to make sure that I didn’t walk down alone. I remember being terrified.
Then I ran into someone who I didn’t know was going to be there and she invited me to coffee and BOOM, it all went away. I quickly realized that these were my people-my colleagues–they were just like me. Sure some were further along on their journey but for the most part, they were me.
Conferences are great for many reasons. I joke that I go to them to socialize, but I go for many reasons, seeing my friends from all over the country and the world is just a bonus. I also get craft, networking, and submission information. Although that last part hasn’t really helped me because I usually come out of the craft and critique sessions with 6 months of revisions but the networking is amazing. You also can learn so much about the industry and how it’s changing.
I highly recommend going to them if you can afford it. It’s worth it.
I made a video that drops tomorrow on YouTube about it so please check it out and meanwhile take the tips in the image I posted and enjoy yourself.
I’m always around for help if you are feeling overwhelmed or nervous.
Also on Twitter and other social media so many of us have posted articles and things like that about going to them.
From an article that I wrote in 2015 for the SCBWI Los Angeles blog-it was for that children’s book conference but all the rules apply to any writing conference in any genre.
THINGS TO DO
Be yourself – be genuine, kind, courteous and thoughtful.
Choose your breakouts/workshops based on your interests and desires, not just what your friends are doing. You signed up so make the most of it. You can meet your friends between them, and sit with them for keynotes, hang out at night. It’s great to be together, but this is your time.
Show up on time to everything – it’s professional. Remember you only get to make a first impression once.
Be open to critiques in the intensives, portfolio show, first pages, or anything where your work may be read or shown.
Introduce yourself to someone, or many people, whom you have never met before.
Do unto others – remember that? Treat others how you want to be treated – with respect, kindness, and consideration.
Say THANK YOU a lot.
Remember that everyone there is just like you, so ignore those feelings of “OMG, he/she wrote best selling novels so I am not worthy!” etc. You are just like them, they are just like you. Think of them as colleagues. They will be someday.
Be excited to talk about yourself and your work, but without bragging, or selling.
SMILE
Be humble.
Make real connections with people who you really like.
Talk about things other than your work.
Get, and hand out business cards, phone numbers and emails.
Dress comfortably and stay hydrated.
Writing conferences are a great place to learn your craft, be inspired, and make life long connections. Be ready to have fun. If you are a shy person, like so many artists and writers, try not to be intimidated by the number of people there. It’s okay to talk to authors, agents, editors, and artists who you like. Just be aware of their time. So no pitching in the bathrooms, etc. Talk to people in pairs. If you have a more confident friend, ask them if it’s okay to hang with them, and/or get introduced to someone through them.
The art of the SCHMOOZE
If there is a gala, happy hour, or dinner/lunch you can meet tons of people in an organic way. Just be genuine, happy, and gracious all the time, and you can’t go wrong.
Don’t forget to tune into my YouTube channel and subscribe–this week, I am talking about this very thing in a short fun video!
Sign up for my newsletter, freebies, and information on my Story Concierge course HERE
Join the FB group I created for all storytellers HERE
Hello Writers, this week has been a bear!! It’s July, it’s hot and nasty out AND my husband and my dog both need more of me than usual—that said, I’m happy to be there for them but it’s chipped into my mornings.
My little dog wouldn’t eat today so I went to the store and bought stuff to cook for him and he still wouldn’t eat but finally, he did and BOOM! It was noon.
AAAAARGH!
So my writing TIPS for today are really just ONE.
It’s OKAY to take a break when life gets crazy. I have been feeling guilty of not writing today but then, it’s 3:30 (pst) and I still have to work my dayjob.. so I’m giving myself permission to not write at the moment and get to the things that keep a roof over my head.
My tip, again, is to know that it’s okay when you have to take a break.
Take that break.
Recharge.
Start over when you are ready.
When you write when you aren’t focused, you tend to make a lot more story, character and plot mistakes, and then you have to fix them later.
Hey Writers! OMG I am so sorry that I am so late with this post. If I told you, you wouldn’t believe the morning I had, and no, I’m not organized enough to post in advance.
I apologize!
WHAT ARE YOUR WRITING GOALS FOR JULY?
Are you part of #CampNaNOWriMo?
Do you have a deadline?
What are you doing?
I am spending July in CampNaNo, building my writing course #storyconcierge in Kajabi, and am excited about all the possibilities coming for writers.
This is short today as it’s 5:30 and let’s just say, I’m not over the food poisoning I got last night YET—ugh
I actually have a pretty bad cold so I’m not going to write a long blog today. Sorry but please tell me, what are your writing goals for this last week of June??
Hello storytellers! Today I have a new video up tackling the dreaded writer’s block. Check it out, subscribe, share with your friends! And please comment here or there, so we can talk about it and help each other out!
So, there is this thing that writers say all the time when they are stuck. “I have writer’s block.” For many years I had no sympathy and would think or even say, “writer’s block is bullshit”, but I don’t believe that anymore. It’s a real thing. Sometimes we just get stuck, our muse is out drinking or whatever, we have no ideas coming in.
Well, it feels like that’s true, usually, it’s other things pushing their way forward. How to pay the bills, what if I get rejected on the story that is already out there, I’m tired, this story isn’t working, etc.. then, we procrastinate—and as writers, we are really good at that.
I find that when I get stuck, I refuse to call it writer’s block, when I’m stuck I find that if I force myself to write something it helps me get back to what I’m doing. Sometimes, I’ll work on another project, or even just getting out of the flat helps me a lot. Going to the gym helps me, hanging out with my crit group or friends helps as well.
I have posted just a few tips that work for me that you can print out and post-maybe they will help you too!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Do you get it? How do you get unstuck?
Don’t forget to tune into my YouTube channel and subscribe–this week, I am talking about this very thing in a short fun video!
Sign up for my newsletter, freebies, and information on my Story Concierge course HERE
Join the FB group I created for all storytellers HERE
In January you may have written down your goals for the year. Get an agent, finish your revisions, get a book deal, get a movie deal, speak at a conference, pay off debts, lose 20lbs, etc and then it’s the 3rd week of June and NONE of that has happened, and you feel like complete and total shit!
This is NORMAL
We always write more goals that we can possibly make so don’t worry, the important thing is that you have these goals. It’s okay if you don’t reach them.
For example. I was sure that I would have signed with a new agent by now. I started sending my novel out again and the rejections have come in. NOW the goal is to revise the book so it’s much stronger and then send it out again next year. It’s disappointing but it is what it is. We have a choice in life to either let the setbacks—or nonreaching of goals–destroy us or move on. Let’s move on.
What are your goals for the next 6 months? July-Dec 31, 2019?
Do you want to finish that revision? Write a new novel? Have a spec written? Have your pilot read by producers? Submitted to several agents?
Be specific and WRITE THEM DOWN!
Then, go deeper.
What will prevent you from reaching these goals?
What will help you reach them?
What will you cut out of your life in order for it to happen?
I find that the more clear I am on goals the better chance I have at making them.
I know that you can do it too.
It takes work, but that’s okay.
I was at a WW meeting yesterday and the leader was talking about getting derailed from weight loss goals and how we have a choice to get back on the path or continue down the wrong way. She used this analogy. If you are in your car and you make a wrong turn, do you continue or do you turn around and get back on the right way? You know the answer, we all do.
I have lost 28 lbs this year. I wanted to have lost 50 by now. I’m a size 6 again and I feel great but that number nags at me. I focus on that instead of celebrating my loss. I have gone down 2 sizes. This is a huge accomplishment.
I also have a couple revise and resubmits for my novel and a couple requests, once it’s revised and yet my brain focuses on the fact that it’s 2019 and my book is still not signed, sold or delivered. Instead, I need to celebrate that I’m getting great feedback and I now have a plan.
See how that works?
I know you can do it. I’m asking you to take action and write out your writing goals for this week, this month, next month, and through the end of the year. What will help you get there, and what will possibly distract you?
Writing queries is something that most writers find terrifying but I find it fun. A chance to get to talk about my novel??? AWESOME!
I know that they seem hard, but really you can craft a perfect query with some very easy steps.
Remember always be personal to the agent you are querying and always FOLLOW the submissions listed on the agent’s website. This is super important.
Then your pitch needs to be quick and concise and contain a GREAT HOOK. This is what will sell your story.
I have taught writing queries for many years and worked 1:1 with writers perfecting theirs.
You can also find information just by googling. I have also included some links for you and please subscribe to my YouTube channelHERE because I’m going to be covering this in videos on my Story Concierge weekly show.
Thank you for reading and if you have any specific query questions please comment here or on social media. Please sign up for myVIP list and join my Story Concierge FB group.
Hello Writers, this week has been a bear!! It’s July, it’s hot and nasty out AND my husband and my dog both need more of me than usual—that said, I’m happy to be there for them but it’s chipped into my mornings.
