Have you ever read a book, watched a movie, stayed up all night watching the end of a series on Netflix only to be left dissatisfied, angry, betrayed by the writer and or just plain icky??
YES, you have. All of us have! And it stinks. It’s the worst when you are like, “OMG that would have been amazing but he/she effed up the ending!!”
I can think of so many films and books that I loved until the last quarter. I don’t know if it’s laziness, or just not caring or what but OMG the ending NEEDS to be good.
The ending is WHAT GIVES MEANING TO THE STORY.
The ending of any story must have these elements to be strong.
The main character MUST change in some way. He/she must grow-be a different person or at the very least have learned something that changes the way he/she sees and interacts with the world.
The main character MUST be the catalyst or reason for this change to have happened. They MUST solve their own problems.
The ending MUST connect with the beginning in some way. At the beginning you have promised the audience/readers a story that is about something–so you have to pay that off at the end. It’s a REQUIREMENT for a strong story and MUST MUST MUST be there.
The ending MUST end the story. No cliffhangers, please.
The ending MUST make sense to the story–which is similar but not exactly the same as being connected. There has to be a reason that this is the end.
This is so important and I know that you can do it.
I put together a little FREE PDF for YOU to help you craft those amazing endings that will keep people coming back for more.
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
Hey everyone, special Sunday post today to share a little about the Iceland Writers Retreat I went to last month (April 2019). There’s a link to get the full article too.
How did you find out about Iceland Writers Retreat originally?
I was searching for a writing event in Iceland because I wanted an excuse to visit and this one popped up. I have wanted to go ever since then. (2015)
What were you most looking forward to about the Retreat?
Being in Iceland and meeting writers from all over the world. I feel like international writing events always bring something extra special to the table because we come from every corner of the globe with this one common thing—storytelling.
How has writing influenced your life?
It’s everything to me in so many ways that it’s hard to pinpoint. I wrote my first novel at age 13 after becoming best friends with Ponyboy Curtis and Holden Caufield. I think it was then when I realized that I could escape in any book, whether I was writing it or reading it. It’s made me a storyteller for even the most basic of things.
I just got back from an SCBWI conference in Northern California. It was amazing, inspiring, and FUN.
I personally LOVE going to conferences but for some people, especially introverts, they can be terrifying.
Last week I posted some quick tips, and so I thought I would add a few more as it’s conference season; well, honestly, there are writing conferences all year round but many people go in the summer. A lot of writers who I know are teachers so summer just makes sense as they have some time off.
Here we go!!!
BTW in my new STORY CONCIERGE COURSE coming up fall 2019–-registration coming in summer 2019—I will be going in depth with this topic as well I will have a series of FREE videos on YouTube as well, so please jump over to my new website and sign up to be a VIP. You will get FREE content from me, with no catches, no requirements to buy, just subscribe and that’s it. Who doesn’t LOVE freebies?? And when my YouTube channel launches in June I will be posting videos WEEKLY with FREE TIPS for writers. My goal is to help you be the best you can be, but most importantly–HAVE AMAZING CONFIDENCE while doing it.
Wear COMFORTABLE shoes. This is a must as you walk a lot between sessions, keynotes, lunch, and bathroom breaks.
Always bring layers. Some rooms are super hot, like Florida hot & stuffy and some are a quick trip to the Arctic, so be prepared.
Snacks are good–just make them quiet–no one wants to sit next to the write wolfing down a bag of crunchy chips.
Bring notepads and pens. You can bring your iPad/tablet or laptop but most rooms don’t have it set up for everyone to be charging and also the tap tap tap of a keyboard can disturb others around you. I always suggest taking it old school during sessions. You may find that you retain more info that way too. Give it a shot
Be on time, or early if you can to your sessions.
That’s five for this week and be sure to share this and come back for more next week. I’m going to be focusing on conferences this month.
Thank you for following, sharing, liking and of course HAPPY WRITING & conferencing!!
Hello! I’m at the Iceland Writers Retreat and can’t be more excited to dig into my novel, some amazing reading, enjoying food with new friends, and today–going on a Golden Circle Tour arranged by the retreat. I’ve never been to Iceland before so this is a dream come true.
I hope you all have an amazing day.
I’ll blog about specifics about the retreat and Iceland next week.
Meanwhile, you can follow me on Instagram where I’m sure to be posting pictures.
I have just landed in Iceland and am so excited to meet up with all the new friends I met via FB before the retreat has even started.
This morning I plan to drop my stuff at the hotel and find the nearest cafe, grab a cuppa and write a bit. It may not be brilliant but that is the goal.
How about you? Will you write today? Even for 10 minutes, no excuses?
We can do it!! That’s all for now because–traveled for over 20 hours to get here!! YAWN!
HAPPY WRITING
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Steph Olivieri Bourbon ~ Writing Coach 