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The Benefits of a Conference from Somebody Who Benefited

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

So the story continues, and like I said, the doorway out of Act 1 crept closer. I don’t think I would have reached it without going to a writing conference. To read my journey up to this point, check out My Writing Journey: Part One, and My Writing Journey: Part Two.

So what did the conference do for me, exactly?
It picked me up out of the slow lane and plunked me on the fast-track toward representation. Here’s the thing. Agents get about a bazillion queries a month. I imagine they all start to sound pretty much the same once they hit the triple digits.

Here’s how the ACFW conference benefited me:
– I met Rachelle face-to-face. I sat down with her and showed her a sample of my writing. She gave me some very helpful, specific tips for improving my manuscript. Would she have had the time to email me these tips had I been one more proposal in her inbox? Probably not.

– She told me to polish it up. Go through one more draft. Then send her the full. Would she have been so patient via email? Not sure. Either way, my chances of getting a rejection at that point would have been high.

– I met with an editor face-to-face. She asked to see a sample of my writing, liked what she saw, and asked for the proposal and six chapters. Would I have had this opportunity without going to a conference? Definitely not.

– I was able to tell Rachelle during our appointment that an editor had expressed interest in my work. I have to believe this helped.

– When I left Denver, Rachelle knew my name. She knew my face. She knew an editor liked my writing. I wasn’t query #349023845. I was a writer who invested money and time into a conference. Evidence that I’m serious about this writing thing.

So, what will a conference do for you?
That’s hard to answer. Because really, it all depends.

Here are some questions to consider:
Have you spent a considerable amount of time honing your craft?
Do you have a story you are proud and confident and dying to show an agent/editor?
Do you find yourself thinking, “If I could just get somebody to take a look at this dang thing, I know they’d like it”?
Have you gotten objective, positive feedback on your writing?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then a writing conference might be just the ticket you need to catapult your quest for representation into super sonic speed (or at least somewhere out of slow motion).

Disclaimer: I’m a strong believer in timing. Even if you can answer yes to all these questions (and I know people who can!). Even if you’ve been to several conferences with polished, stellar writing. Sometimes, for whatever reason, the timing isn’t right. Don’t let this discourage you! Think of all the connections you are making. Think of all the stuff you are learning. It will all be worth it in the end, when the timing comes together like a perfectly played chord in the midst of a song.

But what if you can’t answer yes? What if you just aren’t at that place yet? Is a conference still worth the time and money?

YES!

If going to one won’t put your family on bread and water for the next several months, then I strongly suggest finding a conference to attend. They are a wealth of information. A wealth of connections. A wealth of encouragement, inspiration, and excitement. And of course, a wealth of friends. One of the best parts of the conference was meeting so many of you.

I’m already exited for next year’s ACFW conference in Indianapolis!

So now I’m entering Act Two of my writing journey and I have no idea what’s in store. Representation does not equal publication. All the answers don’t just magically fall into place on this side of representation. There’s a lot of work to do. So much more to learn. So many more stories to write. God’s done amazing things in my life this past year and I’m eager to see what He’s got planned for the future.

Questions to Ponder: Have you gone to a writing conference? Was it worth the time and money? If you haven’t gone, why not?removetweetmeme

3 C’s – It’s Friday!

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Cares:
Go check out Novel Matters – a blog by six ladies, all of whom are published and agented by the lovely Wendy Lawton or the lovely Janet Kobobel Grant from Books and Such Literary Agency. They offer prizes, insights into the writing life, and even a super cool contest twice a year (spring and fall) called Audience with an Agent. Great blog all around.

An acquisitions editor expressed interest in my novel. Currently, it’s waiting to be reviewed by her editorial team. If it makes it through editorial, it goes to Pub Board. Where does that leave me? Riddled with doubt. Waiting. And writing. Thank God for writing.

Concerns:
I can’t find my wedding ring. This is nothing new. However, it’s been a week now and it still hasn’t revealed itself.

All the door knobs in my house are on backward. Random, yes. Funny, no.

Celebrations:
My son is walking! More like running. He sort of skipped over the walking stage.

I’m going to go watch my brother dance tonight at this local Dancing with the Stars fundraiser. He’s a bit of a celebrity in these parts. He’s doing the jive. He’s actually a ridiculously good dancer. You’d think fighters wouldn’t have much rhythm.

Ever seen the New Moon trailer? If you haven’t, what planet are you living on? If you have, you HAVE to watch this. It’s hysterical. Absolutely hysterical.

Question to Ponder: What are your cares, concerns, and celebrations this Friday morning?removetweetmeme

My Writing Journey: Part Two

Posted on by Katie Ganshert

Check out my writing journey: part one.

There was honestly a part of my brain, thoughts I’d never think out loud (until now), that believed I’d get back that 15-page critique and hear: Why aren’t you published yet? I have no advice to give you. This stuff is fabulous! In fact, let me put you in contact with my agent.

I cannot believe I just admitted this, but for the sake of being transparent, there ya go. Please don’t think me horribly arrogant. I just loved writing and loved the stories I’d written and like I said in Monday’s post, I was ignorantly blissful.

So what did that first critique look like?

Let’s just say my cheeks flamed red when I read through the five pages (single spaced) of feedback from my first-ever objective reader. I found myself whipping through the pages, thinking things like, “Head hopping? What in the world is head hopping?” The critiquer, who was very gracious, told me at one point I’d gone so far as to bring the reader inside the dog’s head. To which my response was, “Is that wrong?”

I’m laughing as I type this. I really had no clue. And why would I? I’d never read a craft book. Never received any instruction on writing. My only guidance as a Christian fiction writer had been Francine Rivers and Karen Kingsbury, and that came in two varieties: paperback and hard cover.

By this point, writing had begun to move up in my list of priorities. I found the more I invested in it, the more in love with it I grew. So I was determined to learn.

I went to the library and checked out a substantial stack of writing books. I read Plot and Structure, by James Scott Bell. I read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. I read others that I can’t remember, and walked away with my head spinning and a proper perspective of just how far I had to go. My writing suddenly didn’t look so hot on this side of awareness.

So I revised my novels. Both of them. (Little did I know this would be the first of many, many revisions). Started my second year of teaching. Had Brogan in October of 2008, and life turned upside down for a period of about two months. That new Mommy period when priorities and dreams lay buried beneath poopy diapers and bleary eyes and burp towels and a patch of worn carpet in the hallway. When I resurfaced, my pull toward writing had tripled. Maybe it was my son in my arms. Maybe it was all the late nights reflecting on how I wanted to live my life. I’m not sure, but I jumped in, determined not to look back.

After 12 weeks, I went back to school and wrote my third novel: Beneath a Velvet Sky. I found this fabulous online community called ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers). I found my first critique partner. And I started this thing called a blog, to announce to the world that yes, I was a writer, and yes, I wanted to chase after publication, and no, there would be no guarantees. Imagine my surprise when I discovered an entire community of bloggers, all just as crazy as me, chasing after the same dream.

The Learning Time continued in earnest, picking up steam. I entered a prestigious writing contest. I entered all THREE of my manuscripts (this is the first time I’ve admitted this…and no, not one of them finaled). I finished my second year of teaching. I hurled myself into the summer, revising all three of my manuscripts one at a time. I read every writing craft book known to man. I devoured them like a pack of starving piranhas. You name it, I’m sure I read it. I paid for another professional critique. I found a mentor. I revised some more. Revised so much, in fact, that my brain got all twisted and fuzzy.

As much as I wanted to query, as much as I wanted to submit my work to agents (a process I was beginning to understand now that I’d done my research) I held back. I had it in my head that I would wait until I went to the ACFW writing conference. So I waited. Excitedly.

And in September, I flew to Denver. Little did I know that the doorway out of Act 1 was enticingly close.

More on that next time…

Question to Ponder: What steps have you taken to grow as a writer?removetweetmeme