Write on the River: Meet Me in Wenatchee

It doesn't have the panache of 'meet me in St. Louis,' but it'll have to do. If you're somewhere in the Pacific Northwest, consider attending the Write on the River Conference. It's small, focused, and full of verve and spice.

Calling all writers, aspiring writers, and groupies of said writers: the annual Write on the River writers' conference has opened registration.

Things to Know:

• May 16, 2009 at the Wenatchee Valley College
• Keynote speaker is Jess Walter, author of The Zero
• May 17th workshop with Brian McDonald Invisible Ink: The Understructure of Story
• Cost for Saturday: (early bird/before April 19) $80
• Cost for Saturday conference & Sunday workshop: $110

More Important Things to Know:

I had the privilege of attending a Brian McDonald workshop last year. I learned more from him in the space of two hours than I did in five years of college. (Okay, that's not saying much, granted, but work with me here!) Although I've little desire to become a script writer and although McDonald is an award-winning filmmaker (if you've never watched his short film White Face, you're missing out), he held my attention in the cup of his hand like so much granulated sugar. And then he proceded to spin it into a fairy-land work of wonder. I walked away from that workshop once again at peace with the fact that I know absolutely nothing but feeling like I had all the keys to begin unlocking my own writing. And that, my friends, is a special gift.

Two agents will be in attendance at the Write on the River conference and a limited number of 10-minute appointments will be available. Register early for your opportunity to meet with either of them! The good news? They're both well-known in the publishing world. Kudos to the conference coordinators for bringing in the big dogs.

Both Donald Maass of the Donald Maass Literary Agency in New York City and Catherine Fowler, founder of the Redwood Agency in San Fransisco, will be there to listen to your pitch.

Writing with Sentence Variety

Note: This post goes over some of the points covered in our presentation at the National Conference of Teachers of English this past Saturday.

Sentence fluency has traditionally been a difficult quality to define and to teach. If you know some basics, however, it's actually rather easy to apply to your own writing -- and honestly, good writers (and readers) do much of this automatically.

Sentence Fluency:

1. Use a variety of sentence lengths: short ones for building tension, longer ones for explanations. Combining the two types creates a rhythm and flow to your writing, invaluable for keeping the attention of your readers.

2. Use a variety of sentence types: there are several different ways to achieve this, but my current favorite resource is Harry R. Noden's book Image Grammar.

Harry Noden's Five Basic Brush Strokes:
1. The participle/participial phrase: Lounging lazily, the cat watched the mouse.
2. The absolute: Tail switching, the cat watched the mouse.
3. The appositive: The cat, an insipid lounger, watched the mouse.
4. Adjectives shifted out of order: The cat, indolent and sleek, watched the mouse.
5. Action verbs: Surveying his domain, the cat examined each food offering.

These are but five of many variations, but simply being aware of alternative formats to that most basic sentence structure -- Subject + Verb -- can make all the difference in your writing.

Pacific Northwest Writers Association

For any writer who needs exposure, tips, an agent, or just a shot in the arm, PNWA's summer conference kicks butt. From big name authors to down-and-dirty, roll-up-your-sleeves kinds of workshops, this conference delivers what it promises: a chance to belong to the writing community.


Link Elizabeth Lyon, author of The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit, offered invaluable advice, going over query letter do's and don'ts. I definitely recommend her book(s). Email me if you want some of her notes.