What I learned at the RMFW 2011 Conference

Because I like lists and this feels like it ought to be in list format, here we go! In no particular order, some of the things I learned at the conference last weekend. The bold ones are really important things that everyone should know.



1) Flash fiction is a great way to get creative juices flowing and wrack up some publishing credits.

2) There is not nearly as much time to write at a writing conference as I always think there will be.

3) Body language and gestures are extremely culture-dependent, and if you can work that into your story, it will be so much more realistic (I really enjoy the image of presenting someone with your pinkie finger instead of your middle finger!).

4) There are five major patterns of social interaction: Exchange, Cooperation, Competition, Conflict and Coercion, and almost everyone is a master of the last, even if it's unconscious.

5) Agents and editors are people, too! They're not the big, scary monsters that all writers think will eat us in our sleep. Most of them are actually really nice.

6) During a pitch to an agent or editor, it helps a lot to go in with number 5 in mind and just strike up a conversation. Eventually, talk will turn to your book, and you'll feel a lot less awkward about just throwing out your log line.

7) Make sure your pitch tone matches the tone of your book (this goes for queries, too). Don't make your log line hilarious if your book is super duper serious.

8) Backload your log line! This means, put the most interesting part at the end, if you can. It'll make the agent or editor really want to know more.

9) If you're a really good writer, you can do anything you want. Until then, you better follow the rules of your genre. You have to know exactly what you're doing in order to do it well.

10) Most first books are multi-genre! That was just a little interesting fact.

11) Erotica is a lot more than just smut. Nevertheless, it still has no place in YA. (And I'd be super uncomfortable writing it!)

12) The best way to deal with writer's block for organic writers (also known as Pantsers), is to figure out why you're stuck, then deal with the root problem. It may involve rewriting half your story, or deleting a scene or two, or changing your writing location, or working your confidence up. My favorite quote from this workshop: "Resistance is always lying and always full of shit." Never listen to that inner editor that tells you that your writing is no good!

13) Bartitsu is awesome. I want to learn it now, if only so I know how it feels, should I ever decide to write a steampunk.

14) Do not be afraid of the big, tall, loud guy at your dinner table. He may wind up being awesome and writing a list of Do's and Do Not's for the conference that includes your name.

15) It's okay to talk. How else are you going to make contacts and friends? Talk about the food, talk about where you're from, talk about your book, but talk! Don't be shy!

16) There's a lot to learn from people who write outside your genre. Don't box yourself in.

17) Horses can only go about fifty miles a day at the highest, and that's only if you're willing to kill the poor animal afterwards. This is super important for fantasy worlds where the main mode of transport is equine.

18) Archetypes are awesome if you know how to use them. Don't create a character that's just an archetype.

19) People are more open to gay story lines than I thought they were.

20) It takes far longer to get published than most people realize. It can take ages to get a contract or agreement with a publisher, and then another few months to a year to get the book on the shelves.

And that's just a handful! A little glimpse into the RMFW conference! No wonder my brain felt like it had melted afterwards!