Tuesday, October 02, 2007

SCBWI-NC Conference Part 3

Sleep. I needed it. I needed to sleep a few nights before I could sit down at this here keyboard and tell you about the weekend.

The conference started Friday afternoon with a critique by my favorite editor Caitlyn Dlouhy. Nervous. Silly but I was so excited. First cause I never had a professional critique before and second cause it was my favorite editor Caitlyn Dlouhy.

Did you know my favorite editor Caitlyn Dlouhy edited one of my favorite voice books which is none other than Dovey Coe? You can’t help but talk just like Dovey when you read that book. It is written by Frances O’Roark Dowell who was also at the conference.



Frances and Caitlyn discussing what a dork I am.

Frances O’Roark Dowell and I chatted on Friday night after my critique. I told her I wanted to be her and I was working on a book very similar to her book but mine is titled Covey Doe. Yeah, I know. I said a lot of stupid things to a lot of other people who are not used to having stupid things said too.

My favorite editor Caitlyn Dlouhy gave me some excellent advice all of which I am taking to heart. My most grown up thing that I got out of this conference is that I am not really focused on getting my book published. I am focused on making Shellless, which is the story I had critiqued by my favorite editor Caitlyn Dlouhy, the most blow your socks off manuscript in the world.

Ok that was Friday. Then I went home to bed. Not sleep, just bed.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Ian,
Your workshop at the SCBWI conference was very helpful.
Nice blog!I thought the editor/author forum was useful. Did you?
Thanks a lot,
Carol

Karen Lee said...

Yeah - I think you have your priorities just right - making it knock-your-socks-off is the right goal. Then your favorite publisher (Caitlyn) will be throwing buckets of money at you - not just her wine.

That's Francis encouraging Caitlin to toss the wine - isn't it?

ian sands said...

Karen,

No, that was after Caitlyn threw the wine. Francis is telling her what a great toss it was and saying something like, "took you long enough".