Jennifer Rofe Speaks at Hollywood Writers' Schmooze

Hollywood Schmoozers may have felt a bit like law students as
Agent, Jennifer Rofé of Andrea Brown Literary Agency, fired questions at us to stimulate our thinking:

“Question one: who reads in the genre they’re writing in?"
Several hands shot up.

“Voraciously?”
Several hands began to waiver.  

“Question 2: Who is studying?” 
Our eyes darted about the room for a raised hand. Hm-m-m… Rofé’s technique was already working. We asked ourselves: What does studying look like? She gave us examples:

“Dissect published books . . .they were published for a reason."

"Don’t ignore books some people consider fluff. 

Just like we don’t always eat healthily—we eat for entertainment, to be sociable…books are the same, some are purely for fun.”

Using 1st Pages, Jennifer demonstrated what stands out in MG and YA today.

This is what she loves: Mostly Middle Grade, a little YA, a lot of Multi-cultural, but not exclusively. Great Writing! Timeless stories with contemporary panache!!
These fantastic books are all by writers that Jen represents. She helped get them published. She believes in these authors. And wow! What stories!

 

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina (Candlewick Press) Winner of Pura Belpre Author Award Winner for 2014.  YA

Then You Were Gone, by Lauren Strasnick (Simon Pulse) YA
 

The Year the Swallows Came Early by Katherine Fitzmaurice (Harper Collins) MG

Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen (Harper Collins) MG













Suggestions to help make your first page stand out:

1) Go to Andrea Brown Literary Agency boot camp for writers. Details on the website.

2) Attend the SCBWI’s Working Writers Retreat in Encino.

Ask questions of Agents. Choose carefully. Ask before you sign a contract:

            1) How do you communicate with the authors you represent and in what way?

            2) What does a revision process with you look like? 

3) What’s your vision for this book?

4) Ask to see a blank contract to read and study it before you sign.

And  . . . last, but not least, read: Publisher’s Marketplace to learn who agents are selling to and what they are selling.

Thank you, Thank you, Jennifer!! For a great Schmooze. And thank you to everyone who came and participated, asking such great questions. The energy in the room was intense, bustling with thoughts and ideas.

The March Schmooze will build on the theme of Representation when guest and Schmooze member, Bonnie Barry LaMon explains "A Few Things You Need to Know About Literary Contracts -- Even If You Have An Agent."

I am looking forward to this!

Also, you may bring a first page that you love that hooked you to share -- look on the wensite for details. And . . . 

See you at the Schmooze!  
Deborah Fletcher Blum and Jean Perry

The February Hollywood Schmooze

The February Schmooze was awesome.

We met in a different location and we apologize for the changes, but we do not have a permanent space yet.

Many of us had reached the goals we set the last month. The threat of having to pay into the kitty served as good incentive.

The topic BEST WRITING DEVICES AND STRATEGIES:

FOUR GREAT PERSPECTIVES WERE SHARED:

1) EILEEN WESSON: shared “WRITING FROM THE MIND OF A CHILD AWAKENS OUT PLAYFUL NATURE AS WRITERS.” She passed out paper and pastels and asked us to scribble and smudge colors however (not to think of it as “drawing.”) This revealed our unconscious, which we then interpreted through the eyes of a young child. Somehow I ended up with an abstract Ferris wheel – I’d been to the one in Santa Monica a few days before. I felt the joy a young child feels from the thrill of these sky-high adventures – when I put my mind to thinking of it this way, with guidance of Eileen. And I could not have been in need of this reminder more, for my personal life is a bit heavy right now, with a slow, draw out death of a family member lingering in the near future. It will help my writing too – that goes without saying! But I am a firm believer in the ALL THINGS ARE CONNECTED theory. Whatever helps your overall state of mind as a writer is key – a key to a happy, healthy writing life. So many writers of adult literature were tortured, why is that? If we write for kids, we need to feel the same joy they do – and BOY, DO KIDS FEEL JOY!! It is a basic NEED for them, almost a strong as their love for sugar;)

2) TRACY HOLCZER: shared two papers on “EFFECTIVE CHARACTER BIOS AND HOW TO DETERMINE THE HEROES PROBLEM/GOALS, ETC.” What is the inciting incident that begins the story? What happened previously to knock their world out of alignment? This is important back story – “baggage” that has affected the main character’s personality negatively. Some call this the character flaw, but I like Tracy’s way of putting it because she emphasizes that an event in the not too distant past has caused this. Think: the mother’s death in SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL.

3) JEAN PERRY: gave us “TECHNIQUES TO HELP IDENTIFY WORLD- CHARACTER-PLOT IN NOVELS.” She passed out highlighted passages – to isolate the various types of writing. World building writing is descriptive; character and plot are pretty clear. This was fascinating!

4) DEBORAH FLETCHER BLUM: discussed “ADVICE TO WRITING SELF” which included trusting your instincts.

All in all in was a great schmooze.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED!!!

<<<<<<<<MARCH LOCATION is once again new and different>>>>>  

The next Hollywood schmooze will be MARCH 21^st check the listserv for the new location.

Thanks and we look forward to seeing you!

January 2013 -- Connect Yourself to your Reader

Hey Everyone:

This is my first blog post as co-coordinator with Rene.

I am honored to have the position now. And a bit daunted.

It’s more to take on than I thought – of course! I always do this…

But as a wise person once said to me:

“We are much wiser and greater than we think we are.”

Imagine your higher self-floating over you, capable of doing anything and everything, if just given the time . . . and the space . . .and  . . .what else . . . ah, yes, belief.

I’m not talking about anything religious (that’s a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.)

I am talkin’ about MAGIC and FAITH in MAGIC AND MIRACLES.

Kids love this stuff – they love reading books about this stuff too – need I mention Harry Potter.

But what does all this have to do with the first meeting of the Hollywood Schmooze of 2013? January’s Topic was on Connecting Emotionally with your Reader, ei. Emotional Writing. I would say that all writing that is good is emotional – even non-fiction must push some emotional buttons. Feelings connect us and keep us interested.

Rene presented a great writing exercise – to write about the moment that a child learns that Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy or some other mythical belief is NOT true. Wow! I wish I didn’t have to coordinate and could just participate. I could write a whole story on this – with this moment as the turning point.

Next, I led an exercise on accessing a scene from a painful childhood memory. A few people shared theirs – after sketching the scene or an object from the scene, as a way to remember it.

Everyone seemed to get a lot out of the evening!

See you next month for writing tools and tricks.

The Hollywood Schmooze meets the 3^rd Thursday of the month.

At Rhonda Hayter’s home at 1238 Meadowbrooke Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Call it Hollywood!

10 Hot Tips from SCBWI Los Angeles Writer's Days Faculty!

 

Books and Beyond:  How To Make a Living (and a Life!) As A Writer

April 21 and 22, 2012

Our faculty are amazing, including award winning, innovative, and prolific authors Terri Farley, Dawne Knobbe, Lee Wardlaw, and Sara Wilson Etienne, literary agent Michael Bourret, Editor Stacey Barney, and expert sessions on contracts (with Bonnie Berry LaMon, Esq.), taxes (with Monica Haven, EA, JD, LLM), and school visits (with Author and school visit expert Alexis O'Neill!)  Each day will be filled with business, craft, inspiration and community!

There's still time to register!  For more information, go here.

Thanks, and hope to see you there,
Lee