Writing Show recaps

July 2013 Writing Show Recap: Hearts and Minds: Exploring YA Fiction at the Source

In its second turn at The Camel, the JRW Writing Show this past Thursday, July 25th, featured a two-part look at the booming YA genre. Panelists Lana Krumwiede, author of the middle grade award-winning novel Freakling; and Lucinda Whitehurst, lower school librarian for St. Christopher’s School both offered their unique insights into YA literature. Valley Haggard moderated the discussion.

The panelists tackled the definition of Young Adult, or YA. Lana commented that the label can mean different things depending on location, e.g. library vs. bookstore. Lucinda and Lana offered a guideline of YA as being for ages 12 and up and middle grade ages 7-11, though Lucinda added that the lines between them are fluid. Lana and Lucinda both discussed the age of the protagonist and how that influences the age of the audience.
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JRW ED / Uncategorized, Writing Show recaps / Annesha Sengupta, Cassie Womack, Lana Krumwiede, Lucinda Whitehurst, the Podium Foundation, the writing show, valley haggard, YA Fiction, Youth Advisory Board /

June 2013 Writing Show Recap: The Writer’s Platform: Marketing at Every Stage of Your Career

Gone are the days when an author simply shows up at his or her book signing. While the burden of responsibility for marketing has shifted to the writer, on the positive side, so has the control. JRW’s latest Writing Show, “The Writer’s Platform: Marketing at Every Stage of Your Career,” held June 27 at the Camel, a new location, explored the various stages of promoting yourself as a writer. Guided by moderator Julie Geen, a freelance writer and teacher, the panelists—including Karen A. Chase, Deb Dudley, and Meg Medina—discussed topics from branding to book signings. More

JRW ED / Uncategorized, Writing Show recaps / Deb Dudley, Julie Geen, Karen A. Chase, marketing, meg medina, platform, social media, The Camel, the writing show /

May 2013 Writing Show Recap: The Gritty Truth About Editing

For the May edition of JRW’s Writing Show, “River of Dust: The Gritty Truth about Editing,” held on May 30 at the Children’s Museum of Richmond, debut novelist Virginia Pye and her editor Nancy Zafris discussed the importance and intricacies of editing. Zafris—an award-winning author, manuscript consultant, and series editor for the Flannery O’Connor award for short fiction—visited Richmond from Ohio to share her expertise. Moderator Patty Smith, a local writer and teacher, steered the discussion towards subjects such as the role of editors, the importance of plot, and how to know what to let go and what to keep.

Pye explained that her novel, River of Dust, selected as an Indie Next Pick for May 2013, has been through at least twenty drafts. By the end of the editing process, only the first twenty and last twenty pages of her original manuscript remained. More

JRW ED / Uncategorized, Writing Show recaps / editing, Nancy Zafris, Patty Smith, River of Dust, the writing show, Virginia Pye /

April 2013 Writing Show Recap: The Writer Whisperer

How do you respond when the little voice inside your head tells you your writing is awful? This voice, of course, is the same one that—just the night before—assured you a Newberry Award was within reach. What do you do when you can’t stop revising the same sentence? How do you feel when a potential agent rejects your manuscript as “unrealistic”—and he is talking about your autobiography?

Published authors Valley Haggard, Eliezer Sobel and Louise Hawes—with award-winning writer Gigi Amateau serving as moderator—discussed such maddening moments at JRW’s Writing Show on Thursday, April 25 at the Children’s Museum of Richmond. While each of these writers tackles stumbling blocks in a different manner, they all advocate clearing the mind to make way for creativity. The brain is like a rusty faucet, Sobel told the audience. You have to let the brown water run a while before clear liquid can emerge.More

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