This past weekend I attended the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, GA. The festival lasted three days total, and being the big book nerd I am, I attended all three days. I had mixed feelings from some of the panels I attended, but overall the event lived up to my high expectations:
Friday (Day 1):
Free writers workshops were held on the beautiful campus of Agnes Scott. There was a diverse amount to choose from but they all ocurred at the same time which was a shame because they were all interesting. I ended up attending "Putting Flesh on the Bones: How to Write Great Characters" by accomplished author N.M. Kelby. Here are a few takeaways:
-mid-listers are having a tough time in the current publishing world and industry
-engaging, character-driven novels grab editors' attention and are what's selling
-think of characters like a squid - all the tentacles dangle beneath the surface
-what will make people CONNECT? this is very important
-being a writer is about learning, learning, learning
-when you're a writer, be like Santa - always give gifts and surprises
-introduce and build characters through dialogue and action.
-start with physicalness so people aren't lost; don't lose or isolate your reader
-characters MUST reveal themselves or evolve
-romances must be earned; use real emotion, romances require a connection
-don't forget to revise and revise again
-wallow in rejection or depression, and then shake yourself off; feel awful and use it for your characters
-write one sentence - the truest sentence you know
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