Erin Murphy Agency Retreat, Pt 3

Day 3, Saturday

Our morning group session began with a focus on revision tips. Here are some of the highlights:

* Take risks in revision.

* Hang on to the vision for the whole story, even if it means sacrificing individual elements.

* Trust is a big part of the revision process. If you trust the person giving suggestions, trust their opinion.

* The author has final say in a revision. Consider the suggestion but don’t feel the it’s mandatory.

* Remember that kids are very savvy readers. They will notice flaws.

* If you won’t fix the flawed parts, the whole won’t be good.

* If you want to become a better writer, ask for heavy edits.

* Even as a professional writer, it’s a good idea to occasionally take classes

* “Avoid the stranglehold of ego.” (Don’t remember who said it, but it was brilliant)

For lunch, the ladies who are clients of Joan’s went to lunch. That was excellent and we continued the conversation about revision with one client who has an editorial letter the size of the Sears Tower. It was interesting to hear the challenges she faces and her strategies for managing them.

Since it was my last full day, I used the balance of the afternoon to gather a few souvenirs for the kids, and some Garrett’s caramel Popcorn for a friend. A local in line beside me said I was lucky that it was only a 45-minute wait in line. She said she’s waited much longer, and it’s still worth it. The question crosses my mind as I walk back to the hotel that there’s no way to fit two large bags of popcorn in my already full carry on suitcase.

Everyone went for a nice dinner at the hotel that evening. I got the salmon, which was terrific. I sat at a table and peppered the more experienced authors with questions about school visits, book promotion, and other tips. It was one of the most helpful times of the weekend, getting to ask people who really know what they are talking about for advice I specifically needed.

I went to bed exhausted, but completely energized to return home as a refreshed, restocked author. I have promotion to plan for Elliot and the Goblin War, revisions for Book 3 of Elliot, and writing for Book 2 of Orphan Prince.

The retreat next year will be in Austin. I can already hardly wait!

Erin Murphy Retreat, Pt 2A

Day 2, Friday morning

First off, I just have to say that the beds at the Whitehall Hotel are the most comfortable in any hotel where I’ve ever stayed. So it’s completely unfair to require a person ever to get out of one, even for a worthy cause. Sarah and I had stayed up rather late just talking, so the wake up call came far too soon.

Erin graciously provided breakfast on the 19^th floor. I did a quick survey of all the high calories foods, then loaded them onto a plate and proceeded to gain 28 pounds. I figure I’m going to have to eat literally hundreds of those delicious under 400 calories turkey wraps from Einsteins Bagels just to equal out the calories (Not all at once, of course. Even I know that!). It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

The morning discussion was great. I want to hit a few highlights:

* Getting into B&N or Borders can be tough. They want to sell the most commercial books. If you can get into Target that’s pretty great too, but not easily done.

* Good reviews and awards do matter. Some librarians will only select books that have received starred reviews. (Kirkus – I think you have my ARC right now. I am willing to send cookies for a good review!)

* Develop a strong relationship with your local indie bookseller. They can be your best friend in selling books for you.

* It’s never too early to work on publicity. Show your publicist what you are willing to do on your own behalf. They are overworked and underappreciated, so anything you can do will help.

* Publishing creates an emotional upheaval. It often creates a situation where your emotions become about external factors (I think I’ll blog specifically about this soon). So regulating your emotions becomes challenging.

* You have no control over 99.5% of what happens to your book after publishing. What you can control is the writing of your next book.

* People have a magical idea of you as an author. Use that to help yourself.

Erin Murphy Retreat, Pt 1

I’m a few days late in posting this, but it turns out the world doesn’t stop just because I’m out of town. So I came home to a To Do list the length of my living room (Don’t panic. It’s not a very big room). Anyway, here is the wrap up.

Day 1: Thursday

I got in early to the Whitehall Hotel, which had these strange brown fuzzy blankets on them. But they folded up cute and the bed looked comfortable so that was fine. Also, I had a blinking light on my phone, which meant I already had a message waiting for Erin. The message was in my hand, but the light was still blinking. I picked up the phone and pushed a bunch of random buttons. The light stayed on, and I think I ordered room service or something.

Since I knew absolutely nobody who had already arrived and since I’m pretty loyal to my antisocial tendencies, I decided to go out and begin exploring. Exploring large cities is not generally a good idea for me. I can barely get around in my own town, (even though I know the mountains are always to the east). I asked the doorman which way was east and he pointed in the opposite direction as I’d have guessed. Turns out there are no mountains in Chicago.

But I was hungry, since the little cookie on the airplane was insufficient and a sandwich at the hotel would’ve pretty much consumed my trip budget. So it forced me into the wilds of Chicago. I got up to Michigan Avenue without too much trouble (it was 400 feet straight ahead) and debated whether to go left or right. There were fewer people to the left so that’s the way I went. Probably should’ve gone right. Founds a few stores, but the only people who could afford to shop in them are the people who buy sandwiches at my hotel. However, I eventually found an Einsteins Bagels, hardly native food, but it was fast, cheap, and the only other food place around so I went in. Turns out it was the best lunch of my stay – a turkey wrap I chose because it’s under 400 calories, but it was absolutely fantastic. I’m thinking of going back to Chicago so I can get another one. Alternately, I suppose I could just drive to the Einsteins Bagels down the street right now.

After lunch, I found a Borders bookstore (ahhh) and an H&M store just around the corner from my hotel. It was a sign that I should shop there. I love H&M because the clothes are cute and not too expensive. And it was practically mandatory that I buy something because the weather was a lot warmer than what had been forecast, so I hadn’t packed the right clothes. Darn! I have to shop! Well, okay!

A little later I met my roommate, Sarah DeFord Williams, whose brilliant book, Palace Beautiful, was released just a couple of weeks ago. I had been crossing my fingers about my roommate because when you’re sharing a room with someone new, you have to sorta hope they’re not any combination of deranged, Kleptomaniacal, or infused with bodily odors. Turns out, Sarah jumped onto my top ten favorite people list almost immediately. She is one of the nicest, most genuine people I’ve ever met and it was all I could do to keep my deranged, Kleptomaniacal, body-odor infused personality under wraps.

Sarah and I went up to the 19^th floor, where a chorus of chatter and laughter could be heard from inside the elevator seven floors away. Nearly everyone had already arrived and they gave us a warm and cheery welcome.

The first night was all about getting to know each other. I made a few awkward comments, endured the “well aren’t you a strange one?” stares that inevitably followed, and had a great time.

My lesson from Day 1: I am in an agency with two phenomenal, savvy agents and with several of the most talented authors I could ever hope to keep company with.

My goal after Day 1: Be a better writer. Oh, and say fewer awkward things tomorrow.