The New York groove

New York is a fantastic place.  I had a great time.  Alice Pope blogged like a calm, stylish maniac all weekend, so you can read all about the conference here.  Here are just a few of the standouts from each day (for me).

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday:

Laurie Thompson and Joni Sensel

• People rave about Fran’s salted caramels.  The president himself finds them to be his most favorite of all candies.  I don’t usually like caramel, but these are really, really, really, really, good.  I pick up a few to give away to helpful friends in New York.
• Our flight from Seattle to New York was cancelled due to an east coast ice storm.
• Another flight was available! Icy runways be damned!

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday:

• We had to cancel a couple of morning appointments with upcoming conference faculty,  due to the delay.  Bummer.
• The Grand Hyatt lets us check in very early.  Hooray!  We freshened up and went out into the-
• SLEET.  There is a slushie machine in the sky, and it is malfunctioning. Icy puddles! Sopping clothes! Polished, professional appearance-kaputz.  
• Secret meeting at Scholastic for top secret project (From now on referred to as TSP and having nothing to do with any of my books ever being published.  So don’t ask, because it will be awkward.).
• Rice pudding at the Jaime Temairik recommended Rice to Riches in Soho.  I recommend the mascarpone with cherries.
• Evolution!
• Tea with a mystery editor, who will be visiting us in Seattle later this year.

 

Thursday:  

Laurie & me

• Blue skies!  Dry streets!  New York is a town capable of plowing and salting unlike say, err, Seattle.
• Meeting at the New York Public Library for TSP with Betsy Bird.
• More meetings with upcoming faculty for the conference in May, and down the road.
• Inside Random House we happened across pictures of Kirby Larson and Sundee Frazier and squealed.
• FAO Schwartz!  I love toy stores.  The Enchanted Forest in Soho was my favorite, but FAO is no slouch.
• Dinner with SCBWI friends.
• Bed, sweet bed.

 

 

Friday:  

Joni & me with the lovely security guards at Harper

 

• Great Scot!  I signed up for the writer’s intensives, didn’t I?  My critique group can tell you, I’m not so crazy about sharing my work. And with editors, agents, and strangers no less?!?  Egads.
• Uh oh, remember that upcoming faculty member we stood up on Wednesday?  He’s leading my first intensive.  Hope he’s not still annoyed…
• Wait a minute, that went well!  Great feedback, positive reception, spot-on ideas for revisions.  Super!
• Another great intensive full of praise and constructive feedback.  Yay!
• Cocktail party!  This was A LOT of fun.  I got to catch up with far away friends, meet awesome people, and be merry.  There was a lot of TSP action, too.  It went by really fast, but then Betsy Bird and Cheryl Klein had the foresight to schedule an after party right across the street.  More fun!
• Late night diner food.  Yum.

 

Saturday:

Diner food!

• The conference starts! Lots of editors talk about what they’re looking for.
• Jay Asher gives a fabulous keynote address.  Funny and inspirational.
• More editors talk (See Alice’s blog.)
• TSP with mystery art director.
• Dinner with Washington peeps.

 

 

Sunday:  

Holly's agent telling 1000 people how awesome Holly is.

• Lots of talented artists win awards.  Alice has the scoop on this, too.
• Bruce Hale gives a great keynote.  And he sings!  How many keynotes have you been to with a singing keynoter?
• An insightful agent panel.  Edward Necarsulmer gives an example of coming across an exciting new author at last year’s conference- and it’s our very own Holly Cupala!   
• Back to Seattle just in time to have dinner with my son, the birthday boy.  

 

 

And that’s the whole enchilada.

What did we learn?  

• Flavored rice pudding is delicious.
• Editors are heavily guarded.  We went to a few differerent publishing houses, and there was A LOT of ID checking by big security guards at various checkpoints.  
• There are people out there who are unclear about the difference between advisors and agents, and will try to pitch you in the elevator.  My sympathies, agents.
• New York is awesome!

 

And, a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who helped with the TSP.  

All will be revealed…..much later.

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