Highlights from the NESCBWI Conference + PreOrders for TGWIG + T. B. Markinson’s Book Giveaways +

I tweeted and Facebooked my way through the NESCBWI conference, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite takeaways here too. This is one of the best conferences I’ve been to. On par with all the national ones and much most cost effective for me!  I’ll definitely be adding it to my must attend list!

Your antagonist should be your protagonist’s shadow self or at least embody the characteristics of the shadow self.–Tim Weed’s The Archetypal Shadows in YA Fiction

Tell us about the character–start with a close up.–Pitchapalooza with Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

Find your voice. –Dan Santat, Keynote Speaker

Patterns are irresistible. Especially a pattern with variation.–Tim Weed, Image Systems and Subliminal Poetry of Storytelling

Effective marketing is about making a genuine connection.–Jen Malone, Marketing Outside the Box

Give specific details and use words to paint a picture.–Chris Eboch, Show Don’t Tell

Be true to your story, be true to yourself and be true to your readers.–Jo Knowles, “Be True” Keynote Speaker

If you’re having trouble accessing the emotions of a scene, try sketching it out by actually drawing a picture of what is happening. –Jennifer Jacobson, Seize the Reader, Write for Emotional Impact in Children’s and YA Novels

You have to see your story as a business with money set aside for it. You must understand timelines and audience. If you don’t know who you are writing for or who will read your book, stop marketing.–Kate Conway, Street Teams, FanFiction, and the Art of Selling Oneself

Don’t announce the character’s sexual orientation unless you need to because it’s relevant to the situation. –Ellen, Wittlinger, Writing LGBTQ Characters Even If You’re Not LGBT or Q

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You can now preorder The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts on the Kindle!

Click here: Preorder TGWIG

and if that hyperlink doesn’t work, here’s the really long url:

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My dear blog buddy, T. B. Markinson, is giving away 5 ebooks in May including The Six Train to Wisconsin by yours truly!

Here’s what she has to say about these awesome giveaways:

“Each month, I plan to giveaway awesome books by wonderful authors. It’s my way of saying thank you to all my followers and fans. Some may wonder why I’m giving books away that aren’t mine. The answer is simple: I love to read and I love to help fellow authors promote their books.”

You can read more about her giveaways here:

http://tbmarkinson.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/enter-to-win-5-fabulous-e-books/

So swing by and check out T.B.’s blog and make sure you enter the Rafflecopter giveaway this month!