Indiana SCBWI 2010 Conference

This was not my first writers conference, however, it was my first one in Indiana.  I am so happy I went because not only did I meet new people and learn a few things, but I met my Kenosha  friend, Diana, in Hammond where the conference was held.  I can't even begin to tell you how good it was to see her again!  It was like we picked up where we left off ten years ago.  She and her daughter, Tea, stayed with us (my daughter, Janine came with me) at the Fairfield Inn.  I gladly missed the conference stuff on Friday night so I could visit with them. Diana was my daughter, Janine's, first violin teacher.  She saw something in her that sparkled and Janine, little as she was, could feel that.  They had a connection, Diana was able to introduce Janine to the world of music.  I will be forever grateful!!!!  Diana runs a music festival now.  Check out her website http://www.lucitoscane.org/.

Saturday was my time to focus on the conference.  I am on the Indiana SCBWI list serve -- it was so nice to finally put some names and faces together!  There were many things I enjoyed about the conference, but I have to say listening to Lisa Graff talk about her revision work was most interesting to me.  She wrote her book fourteen times from start to finish and saved every copy!  Lisa read from the different writing stages of that book so we could see how her manuscript changed over time.  Lisa Graff is Associate Editor for Farrar Straus Giroux and author of  Umbrella Summer .  Check her website out at http://www.lisagraff.com/ . 

The picture is of Trisha Batey, conference coordinator (with the classy glasses) and Lisa Graff.  The people that attended the Focus On The Novel conference are able to submit their manuscripts to Associate Editor, Beth Potter, at Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers.  However, Lisa does not recommend anyone submitting anything until their manuscript is completely finished.  That means there isn't any more fixing to do.  There is a problem with writers submitting too early.  One thing all three speakers agreed on was "You can't know the true beginning of your story until you know the end."  Stephen Roxenburgh founder of namelos http://www.namelos.com/ and award winning Author Helen Frost were also guest speakers and very interesting to listen to.

Janine and I headed home on Sunday May 16th, happy with our weekend. We needed a potty break in Kentland, IN so I pulled off the road to a McDonald's.  The first thing that caught my eye in the parking lot was this carriage.  I thought What would the Amish be doing at McDonald's? The vehicle was without a horse so I decided right away it couldn't be the Amish, they're not that high-tech.  First things first-- to the bathroom I went.  When I came out, I asked the man sitting at a table near this vehicle if I could take a picture of it.  He said, "Sure!"  He smiled and added proudly, "I made that from a lawnmower."

                                                                         His name is James N. Miller from Kentland, IN.

I don't have any pictures of Janine and Tea!  Diana will be sharing some soon so I'll post more in the near future!