I took a week  to collect my thoughts before writing this post on my experiences at the Big Sur Writing Workshop which ran 3/1 to 3/3. I wanted to compose a clear-headed, fair and balanced assessment of the pros and cons of attending. But then I decided, nah. I’ll just tell it like it is. Y’all, it was freaking GREAT. All you writers of children’s literature out there must try to go. I’m using the word must here. (And try, because it can get expensive.)

My weekend started out on a high note when I flew into San Jose and met with my wonderful agent, Caryn Wiseman. We met at a Starbucks and chatted about many things literary, surrounded by men in suits who rolled out of offices with names like Apple, Google, and eBay. The hour flew by too quickly. I’m so glad we had the chance to get together.

Next I drove up to the Oakland Hills to stay with some old friends, Heather and Doug. What do you get when you put three psychologists in a house together and shake? Yeah, I don’t know either. Anyway, it was so good to see them. They were thoughtful hosts and we had a good time, but it was hard to concentrate on the conversation with the mind-boggling view of the San Francisco Bay from their lovely home. Here are a few shots taken on their balcony:

Spectacular, no? And here’s a picture of one of their cats, A.J. He sleeps in a bowl.

After a leisurely breakfast with Heather, I headed down to check in to the hotel for the workshop. Big Sur Writing Workshop is kind of a misnomer. Every other time that ABLA (Andrea Brown Literary Agency) and the Henry Miller Library co-host the workshop, it’s held in Seaside/Monterey, California. So the workshop was not in Big Sur, but no matter. I had a nice view of the ocean from my room, which was pretty exciting for a land-locked Coloradan. I didn’t actually get near the ocean until Sunday though, because let me tell you, it was called a work-shop for a reason.

Friday afternoon I met with my first critique group. The groups were blessedly small – four or five writers and a faculty member. We each had about 20-25 minutes to read and discuss pages from our manuscripts. The other writers in my group were talented and gave insightful feedback, as did our faculty member, Alyson Heller, an editor with Simon and Schuster. Alyson was super nice to boot. My group told me what I needed (not really wanted) to hear: that the first chapter of The Scourge sequel should be shredded and rewritten. I tackled the revisions until 2 AM that night, and was thrilled with the result. More on that later.

Friday evening brought a cocktail hour with the whole group, then dinner. This was a good time to meet and talk informally with the faculty: published children’s authors, editors, and ABLA agents. For the attendees who hoped to make a love match with an agent, it was an incredible opportunity to interact with them on a personal level. For myself, I thoroughly enjoyed talking with so many people who were passionate about writing for children and teens.

Saturday morning arrived. I was tired after my marathon revision session Friday night, but excited to meet with my second critique group. I have to say, this group was the highlight of my weekend. Our faculty member was an amazing middle grade author named Anne Ylvisaker. I was struck by her laser-like focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each person’s submission, and her kind and thoughtful feedback. She pointed us in a direction for our revisions, and to top it all off, she had dark chocolate for us. A wise, wise woman.

Then there was the experience of reading my work. Over a year ago I had an idea for a book unrelated to The Scourge world. Whenever I get such ideas, I try to sit down and write the first chapter to see if I’m still excited about it after blurting some words into the computer. I really loved this first chapter, but I set it aside while I focused on writing and revising The Scourge sequel. At Caryn’s urging, I decided to dust it off, polish it up, and submit it to my group to see how it was received. Well. It was a magical moment, reading that chapter out loud and discovering that it hit the mark. Anne gave me the advice that her mentor once gave her; she told me to go write that book. So I am, along with continuing to lovingly shape and shepherd The Scourge sequel to its release day. It’s deeply exciting to have a new world to develop and dive into, and a fresh, fascinating protagonist to put through her paces.

After the second critique group there was a group pitch session with an agent. I was with agents Laura Rennart and Lara Perkins, who were both delightful. It was enlightening to learn the recipe of a good pitch, and that an author’s pitch to an agent is much the same as an agent’s pitch to an editor at a publishing house. After lunch we had a few hours to write and revise, then we met with our first critique group again. I was so excited that my group approved of my revisions of the first chapter of the sequel, especially as I was half-asleep in frog pajamas for the last hour of working on them! Saturday night ended with dinner and a question and answer session with the group of editors on faculty.

Sunday morning we met with our second critique group again. We could submit new material, like a second chapter, or present our revised material. I chose to keep reading the next couple of scenes I’d written for the new book. I learned that reading aloud is a treat, and more educational than I knew. I could see for myself the parts where my audience was particularly wrapped up in the story, or when they started to fidget. I could hear the passages that flowed smoothly, and those that clunked and bumped, begging to either be polished or removed. This second meeting cemented my decision to follow Anne’s advice and make this my next project.

An informative panel with the agents wrapped up the workshop. I’d happened to ask Anne, who lives in the area, what I should see in the few hours I had until I needed to drive back to the airport to fly home. Kind soul that she is, she invited me to come along for lunch and a trip to Cannery Row (of Steinbeck fame) and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Here are a few pics of our afternoon:

Stormy Asilomar Beach

Hard to spot Harbor Seals

Find the seahorse!

So, we’re cheating death now, that’s what we’re doing, and we’re having fun at the same time. (If you have children under the age of ten, or you are under the age of ten, chances are you can guess the film that quote comes from. Eat my bubbles!)

Yep, that’s me and Monterey Bay. The sun wasn’t in a helpful spot.

That was my weekend in a nutshell. Or a clamshell. Some kind of shell. I got to do a little exploring in Northern California, met some fantastic writers, editors, and agents, thoroughly revised the pesky and yet all-important first chapter of the sequel, and settled on my next project. What more could I ask from one weekend? And yet somehow there was more.

I wrote Anne to thank her for showing me around, and asked if she would be willing to mentor me in my writing. I have wonderful critique partners and writing buddies, but I don’t have a relationship with anyone much further down the writing path to turn to when I have questions or to help me develop my craft. I can’t think of anyone else I’d like more to “walk alongside me in this journey” as Anne put it. I was so gratified when she agreed.

Big Sur was all about making connections with other writers and professionals in the publishing industry, and making improvements in my work. if you write anything from picture books to YA, and you’re thinking about attending a writing workshop, please consider going. You won’t regret it.